Mission requirements for a manned earth observatory. Task 3: Conceptual design, volume 3
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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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Orbiting solar observatory battery and power design
The OSO-1 represents a recent vintage satellite, or more recent design satellite. A summary of the battery design used on OSO-1 is presented. The temperature effects on voltage and charging-discharging of the battery system are discussed.
Ford, F. E.↗
The current development status of the Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) instrument optical design
The status of the OCO instrument optical design is presented in this paper. The optical bench assembly comprises three cooled grating spectrometers coupled to an all-reflective telescope/relay system. Dichroic beam splitters are used to separate the light from a common telescope into the three spectral bands. The three bore sighted spectrometers allow the total column CO2 absorption path to be corrected for optical path and surface pressure uncertainties, aerosols, and water vapor. The design of the instrument is based on classic flight proven technologies.
global carb↗
HelioSwarm: Transfer Trajectory and P/2 Lunar Resonant Orbit Design for a Multi-Satellite Observatory
The HelioSwarm mission will fly a multi-satellite observatory in a P/2 lunar resonant orbit to study plasma turbulence in the solar wind. Lunar resonant orbits enable long-term access to high Earth altitudes. The relative dynamics of a multi-satellite observatory introduce novel considerations for lunar resonant orbit design. Additional maneuvers in the post lunar encounter transfer enable heightened control of the lunar resonant orbit initial state compared to previous missions. Adjusting the mission orbit’s initial conditions enables refinement of the orbit design based on requirements imposed by the relative dynamics of the observatory. refinement of the orbit design based on requirements imposed by the relative dynamics of the observatory.
cislunar↗
Habitable-zone Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Baseline 4-m Telescope Design and Predicted Performance
The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory Mission (HabEx) is one of four missions under study for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Its goal is to directly image and spectroscopically characterize planets in the habitable zone around nearby sun-like stars. Additionally, HabEx will perform a broad range of general astrophysics science enabled by 115 to 1700 nm spectral range and 3x3 arc-minute FOV instruments. Critical to achieving its science goals is a large, ultra-stable UV/Optical/Near-IR (UVOIR) telescope. The baseline HabEx telescope is a 4-meter off-axis unobscured three-mirror-anastigmatic, diffraction limited at 400 nm with wavefront stability on the order of a few 10s of picometers. This paper summarizes the opto-mechanical design of the HabEx baseline optical telescope assembly, including a discussion of how science requirements drive the telescope’s specifications, and presents analysis that the baseline telescope structure meets its specified tolerances.
HabEx↗
Habitable-Zone Exoplanet Observatory (HabEx) Baseline 4-M Telescope Design and Predicted Performance
The Habitable Exoplanet Observatory Mission (HabEx) is one of four missions under study for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey. Its goal is to directly image and spectroscopically characterize planetary systems in the habitable zone around nearby sun-like stars. Additionally, HabEx will perform a broad range of general astrophysics science enabled by 100 to 2500 nm spectral range and 3 x 3 arc-minute FOV. Critical to achieving its the HabEx science goals is a large, ultra-stable UV/Optical/Near-IR (UVOIR) telescope. The baseline HabEx telescope is a 4-meter off-axis unobscured three-mirror-anastigmatic, diffraction limited at 400 nm with wavefront stability on the order of a few 10s of picometers. This paper summarizes the opto-mechanical design of the HabEx baseline optical telescope assembly, including a discussion of how science requirements drive the telescope’s specifications, and presents analysis that the baseline telescope structure meets its specified tolerances.
Space Telescope Technology↗
The Plant Phenology Monitoring Design for the National Ecological Observatory Network
Phenology is an integrative science that comprises the study of recurring biological activities or events. In an era of rapidly changing climate, the relationship between the timing of those events and environmental cues such as temperature, snowmelt, water availability, or day length are of particular interest. This article provides an overview of the observer-based plant phenology sampling conducted by the U.S. National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON), the resulting data, and the rationale behind the design. Trained technicians will conduct regular in situ observations of plant phenology at all terrestrial NEON sites for the 30-yr life of the observatory. Standardized and coordinated data across the network of sites can be used to quantify the direction and magnitude of the relationships between phenology and environmental forcings, as well as the degree to which these relationships vary among sites, among species, among phenophases, and through time. Vegetation at NEON sites will also be monitored with tower-based cameras, satellite remote sensing, and annual high-resolution airborne remote sensing. Ground-based measurements can be used to calibrate and improve satellite-derived phenometrics. NEON's phenology monitoring design is complementary to existing phenology research efforts and citizen science initiatives throughout the world and will produce interoperable data. By collocating plant phenology observations with a suite of additional meteorological, biophysical, and ecological measurements (e.g., climate, carbon flux, plant productivity, population dynamics of consumers) at 47 terrestrial sites, the NEON design will enable continental-scale inference about the status, trends, causes, and ecological consequences of phenological change.
phenology↗
Space telescope scientific instruments
The paper describes the Space Telescope (ST) observatory, the design concepts of the five scientific instruments which will conduct the initial observatory observations, and summarizes their astronomical capabilities. The instruments are the wide-field and planetary camera (WFPC) which will receive the highest quality images, the faint-object camera (FOC) which will penetrate to the faintest limiting magnitudes and achieve the finest angular resolution possible, and the faint-object spectrograph (FOS), which will perform photon noise-limited spectroscopy and spectropolarimetry on objects substantially fainter than those accessible to ground-based spectrographs. In addition, the high resolution spectrograph (HRS) will provide higher spectral resolution with greater photometric accuracy than previously possible in ultraviolet astronomical spectroscopy, and the high-speed photometer will achieve precise time-resolved photometric observations of rapidly varying astronomical sources on short time scales.
Leckrone, D. S.↗
Role of the Chandra X-Ray Observatory Observations for the Study of Ionized Plasmas
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, launched in 1999, is now beginning its 12-th year of operation. Chandra, the X-ray component of NASA s Great Observatory program, continues to operate efficiently, somewhat remarkable considering that the Observatory was designed for three years of operation with a goal of five. The Observatory features X-ray optics with sub-arcsecond angular resolution and a small suite of instruments, including transmission gratings, which allow for high-resolution spectroscopy of point sources. We will detail the capabilities of the Observatory for making such spectroscopic measurements and discuss a number of examples of what has been learned about the astrophysical plasmas capable of producing bright X-ray emission.
Weisskopf, Martin C.↗
Astronomical camera using a high-performance indium antimonide linear array
The development and current status of InSb line arrays for astronomy are reviewed. Instrument concepts are currently being developed for an infrared instrument for NASA's Space Telescope which would use such detectors for both spectroscopy and imaging. Preliminary performance measurements are given for a simple pushbroom camera, using a 128-element line array, designed for operation on the 24-inch Cassegrain telescope at the JPL Table Mountain Observatory. The design and construction of the camera are described.
Herring, M.↗
Spitzer Space Telescope in-orbit checkout and science verification operations
Spitzer Space Telescope, the fourth and final of NASA's great observatories, and the first mission in NASA's Origins Program was launched 25 August 2003 into an Earth-trailing solar orbit. The observatory was designed to probe and explore the universe in the infrared. Before science data could be acquired, however, the observatory had to be initialized, characterized, calibrated, and commissioned. A two phased operations approach was defined to complete this work. These phases were identified as In-Orbit Checkout (IOC) and Science Verification (SV). Because the observatory lifetime is cryogen-limited these operations had to be highly efficient. The IOC/SV operations design accommodated a pre-defined distributed organizational structure and a complex, cryogenic flight system. Many checkout activities were inter-dependent, and therefore the operations concept and ground data system had to provide the flexibility required for a 'short turn-around' environment. This paper describes the adaptive operations system design and evolution, implementation, and lessons-learned from the completion of IOC/SV.
space verification↗
A high-voltage problem encountered in the design of the star tracker used on the orbiting astronomical observatory
Outgassing problems encountered in design of star tracker used on orbiting astronomical observatory
Collins, J. J.↗
Wind tunnel study of an observatory dome with a circular aperture
Results of a wind tunnel test of a new concept in observatory dome design, the Fixed Shutter Dome are presented. From an aerodynamic standpoint, the new dome configuration is similar in overall shape to conventional observatory domes, with the exception of the telescope viewing aperture. The new design consists of a circular aperture of reduced area in contrast to conventional domes with rectangular or slotted openings. Wind tunnel results of a side-by-side comparison of the new dome with a conventional dome demonstrate that the mean and fluctuating velocity through the aperture and in the center of the new dome configuration are lower than those of conventional domes, thus reducing the likelihood of telescope flow-induced vibration.
Zilliac, Gregory G.↗
Recent Progress with the JWST Observatory
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large aperture (6.5 meter), cryogenic space telescope with a suite of near and mid-infrared instruments covering the wavelength range of 0.6 micrometers - 28 micrometers. JWST's primary science goal is to detect and characterize the first galaxies. It will also study the assembly of galaxies, star formation, and the formation of evolution of planetary systems. JWST is a segmented mirror telescope operating at (is) approximately 40K, a temperature achieved by passive cooling of the observatory, via a large, 5-layer membrane-based sunshield. We present an overview of the observatory systems design, the science instruments and the mission science objectives. With the completion of the Spacecraft Critical Design Review, the spacecraft has also fully transitioned to fabrication. We will discuss recent highlights associated with the Observatory, including completion and delivery of the primary mirror segments, delivery of the primary mirror backplane and its wings, and the delivery of five template membrane layers. We will also summarize the current predicted performance of the telescope, including stray light, pointing and image quality following the completion of the final design review. Finally, the current schedule through to launch will be presented with a summary of integration and test activities planned when the science payload is delivered to Northrop Grumman following cryo-optical testing at the Johns Space Flight Center.
James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)↗
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory: An Overview of Its Success
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory was designed for three years of operation with a goal of five. Launched on July 23,1999 this Great Observatory is now beginning its 8th year of operation, The Observatory is an outstanding example of one of NASA's technical and scientific success stories. The reasons for that success will be reviewed and some of the outstanding scientific discoveries will be presented.
Weisskopf, Martin C.↗
Large Solar Observatory
This article summarizes the scientific aim, design considerations and observatory site of a large optical solar telescope. The day time "seeing" is better on the islands, surrounded by large body of water, compared to the mountain sites. Therefore, in order to obtain the solar images with sub-arcsec resolution, the observatory site should be preferably located on an island. A list of potential sites on Himalayas and surrounding region is given. A brief description of the telescope design, enclosure and back-end instruments are also presented.
Choudhary, Debi Prasad↗
Design support of the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission
Engineering design specifications and development of the large area detector and photomultiplier tube assemblies for the Burst and Transient Source Experiment (BATSE) of the Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO) mission are examined.
Stephan, E. A., Jr.↗
Going mobile to address emerging climate equity needs in the heterogeneous urban environment
We report the Brookhaven National Laboratory Center for Multiscale Applied Sensing (CMAS) aims to address environmental equity needs in the context of a changing climate. As a first step towards this goal, the center developed a one-of-a-kind observatory tailored to the study of highly heterogeneous urban environments. This article describes the features of the mobile observatory that enable its rapid deployment either on or off the power grid, as well as its instrument payload. Beyond its unique design, the observatory optimizes data collection within the obstacle-laden urban environment using a new smart sampling paradigm. This setup facilitated the collection of previously poorly documented environmental properties including wind profiles throughout the atmospheric column. The mobile observatory captured unique observations during its first few intensive observation periods (IOPs).. Vertical air motion and infrared temperature measurements collected along the faces of the supertall One Vanderbilt skyscraper in Manhattan, NY reveal how solar and anthropogenic heating affect wind flow and thus the venting of heat, pollution, and contaminants in urban street canyons. Also, air temperature measurements collected during travel along a 150-km transect between Upton and Manhattan, NY offer a high-resolution view of the urban heat island and reveal that temperature disparities also exist within the city across different neighborhoods. Ultimately, the datasets collected by CMAS are poised to help guide equitable urban planning by highlighting existing disparities and characterizing the impact of urban features on the urban microclimate with the goal of improving human comfort.
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗