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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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NASA NTRS2005

Out-of-Band 40 DB Bandwidth of EESS (Active) Spaceborne SARS

This document presents a study of out of band (OOB) 40 dB bandwidth requirements of spaceborne SARs in the Earth Exploration-Satellite Service (active) and Space Research Service (active). The purpose of the document is to study the OOB 40 dB bandwidth requirements and compare the 40 dB bandwidth B-40 as measured in simulations with that calculated using the ITU-R Rec SM.1541 equations. The spectra roll-off and resulting OOB 40 dB bandwidth of the linear FM signal is affected by the time-bandwidth product and the rise/fall times. Typical values of these waveform characteristics are given for existing EESS (active) sensors.

spaceborne sensor antenna↗
NASA NTRS2016

Solid State Inflation Balloon Active Deorbiter: Scalable Low-Cost Deorbit System for Small Satellites

The goal of the Solid State Inflation Balloon Active Deorbiter project is to develop and demonstrate a scalable, simple, reliable, and low-cost active deorbiting system capable of controlling the downrange point of impact for the full-range of small satellites from 1 kg to 180 kg. The key enabling technology being developed is the Solid State Gas Generator (SSGG) chip, generating pure nitrogen gas from sodium azide (NaN3) micro-crystals. Coupled with a metalized nonelastic drag balloon, the complete Solid State Inflation Balloon (SSIB) system is capable of repeated inflation/deflation cycles. The SSGG minimizes size, weight, electrical power, and cost when compared to the current state of the art.

Drag balloon↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Impact of New Trends in Satellite Launches on the Orbital Debris Environment

The main goal of this study is to examine the impact of new trends in satellite launch activities on the orbital debris environment and collision risk. As a foundation for the study, we developed a deployment scenario for satellites and associated rocket bodies based on publicly announced future missions. The upcoming orbital injection technologies, such as the new launch vehicles dedicated for small spacecraft and propulsive interstages, are also considered in this scenario. We then used a simulation tool developed in-house to propagate the objects within this scenario using variable-sized time-steps as small as one second to detect conjunctions between objects. The simulation makes it possible to follow the short- and long-term effects of a particular satellite or constellation in the space environment. Likewise, the effects of changes in the debris environment on a particular satellite or constellation can be evaluated. It is our hope that the results of this paper and further utilization of the developed simulation tool will assist in the investigation of more accurate deorbiting metrics to replace the generic 25-year disposal guidelines, as well as to guide future launches toward more sustainable and safe orbits.

conjunction analysis↗
NASA NTRS2005

Then Why Do They Call Earth the Blue Planet?

While the most common photographs of Earth taken from space show the planet covered in blue water, NASA has managed to produce detailed color images, using satellite imagery, that show the remarkable variation of colors that actually make up the oceanic surface. An ocean s color is determined by the interaction of surface waters with sunlight, and surface waters can contain any number of different particles and dissolved substances, which could then change the color. Then Why Do They Call Earth the Blue Planet? The particles are mostly phytoplankton, the microscopic, single-celled ocean plants that are the primary food source for much marine life. Remote detection of phytoplankton provides information about the uptake and cycling of carbon by the ocean through photosynthesis, as well as the overall health of the water. Inorganic particles and substances dissolved in the water also affect its color, particularly in coastal regions. Satellite images can be used to calculate the concentrations of these materials in surface waters, as well as the levels of biological activity. The satellites allow a global view that is not available from ship or shore. NASA s orbiting satellites offer a unique vantage point for studying the oceans. By resolving the biological, chemical, and physical conditions in surface waters, they have allowed the oceanographic community to make huge leaps in its understanding of oceanographic processes on regional and global fronts. The study of ocean color, in particular, has been integral in helping researchers understand the natural and human-induced changes in the global environment and establishing the role of the oceans in the biochemical cycles of elements that influence the climate and the distribution of life on Earth.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

Low gain and steerable vehicle antennas for communications with land mobile satellite

Current development activities at JPL for ground mobile vehicle antennas to be used with the Land Mobile Satellite Service (LMSS) system are described. Both low gain and electronically steerable high gain type antennas are discussed in terms of their design concept and RF performance. For the low gain type, three classes of antennas are under various stages of development. These are the crossed-drooping dipole, quadrifilar helix, and microstrip patch designs. The antennas are intended to provide circularly-polarized radiation with a minimum of 3-dB gain in the angular region from 19 degrees to 60 deg from the horizon in elevation plane and with an omnidirectional pattern in azimuthal plane. For the electronically steerable high gain type, circularly-polarized microstrip patch phased arrays formed on a planar surface and on the surface of a truncated cone are under study. The arrays are intended to provide a minimum of 12 dB gain in the same angular region in elevation plane at all azimuthal angles. This coverage is accomplished by scanning the high gain pencil beam in both elevation and azimuthal directions. Both types of antennas are to transmit at 821-831 MHz band and to receive at 866-876 MHz band. They must be of low cost design and reasonably conformal to the vehicle.

Woo, K.↗
NASA NTRS2010

A Summary of NASA Related Contributions for the Remote Sensing of Evapotranspiration in Support of Water Management and Agriculture

The amount of evapotranspiration (ET) to the atmosphere can account for 60% or more of the water loss in many semi-arid locations, and can critically affect local economies tied to agriculture, recreation, hydroelectric power, ecosystems, and numerous other water-related areas. NASA supports many activities using satellite and Earth science data to more accurately and cost effectively estimate ET. NASA ET related work includes the research, development and application of techniques. The free and open access of NASA satellite data and products now permits a much wider application of ET mapping. Typically the NASA supported approaches ranges from large regional and continental ET mapping using MODIS (also with AIRS and CERES), GRACE (gravimetric water balance), geostationary (e.g., GOES and Meteosat for near continental sca|e), land surface modeling (i.e, Land Data Assimilation Systems) to fine scale mapping such as provided bvLandsatdata(<100 m). Usually satellite or airborne thermal imagery are used as input to an ET estimated surface energy balance based approach. There are currently several of these ET approaches under development and implementation including 'METRIC', 'SEBS', 'ALEXI/DisALEXI', etc.. One exception is an approach using GRACE satellite data that estimates the terrestrial water storage using gravimetric data over large areas and estimates ET indirectly. Also land surface modeling within the context of data assimilation and integration schemes provides the capability to integrate in situ, ancillary and satellite together to provide a spatially and synoptic estimates of ET also for use to provide for short-term ET predictions. We will summarize NASA related activities contributing to the improved estimation of ET for water management and agriculture with an emphasis on the Western U3.. This summary includes a description of ET projects in the Middle Rio Grande, Yakima, North Platte and other selected basins in the western US. We will also discuss plans to further address ET applications through working with the USDA and the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) to extend and evaluate western U.S. ET mapping to other parts of the U.S. and internationally.

Toll, David↗
NASA NTRS1995

Long-term total solar irradiance variability during sunspot cycle 22

Total solar irradiance measurements from the 1984-1993 Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) active cavity radiometer and 1978-1993 Nimbus 7 transfer cavity radiometer spacecraft experiments are analyzed to detect the presence of 11-, 22-, and 80-year irradiance variability components. The analyses confirmed the existence of a significant 11-year irradiance variability component, associated with solar magnetic activity and the sunspot cycle. The analyses also suggest the presence of a 22- or 80-year variability component. The earlier Nimbus 7 and Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) spacecraft irradiance measurements decreased approximately 1.2 and 1.3 W/sq m, respectively, between 1980 and 1986. The Nimbus 7 values increased 1.2 W/sq m between 1986 and 1989. The ERBS irradiance measurements increased 1.3 W/sq m during 1986-1989, and then decreased 0.4 W/sq m (at an annual rate of 0.14 W/sq. m/yr) during 1990-1993. Considering the correlations between ERBS, Nimbus 7, and SMM irradiance trends and solar magnetic activity, the total solar irradiance should decrease to minimum levels by 1997 as solar activity decreases to minimum levels, and then increase to maximum levels by the year 2000 as solar activity rises. The ERBS measurements yielded 165.4 +/- 0.7 W/sq m as the mean irradiance value with measurement accuracies and precisions of 0.2% and 0.02%, respectively. The ERBS mean irradiance value is within 0.2% of the 1367.4, 1365.9, and 1366.9 W/sq m mean values for the SMM, Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS), and Space Shuttle Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS 1) Solar Constant (SOLCON) active cavity radiometer spacecraft experiments, respectively. The Nimbus 7 measurements yielded 1372.1 W/sq m as the mean value with a measurement accuracy of 0.5%. Empirical irradiance model fits, based upon 10.7 -cm solar radio flux (F10) and photometric sunspot index (PSI), were used to assess the quality of the ERBS, Numbus 7, SMM, and the UARS irradiance data sets and to identify irradiance variability trends which may be caused by drifts or shifts in the spacecraft sensor responses. Comparisons among the fits and measured irradiances indicate that the Nimbus 7 radiometer response shifted by a total of 0.8 W/sq m between September 1989 and April 1990 and that the ERBS and UARS radiometers each drifted approximately 0.5 W/sq m during the first 5 months in orbit.

Lee, Robert B., III↗
NASA NTRS2011

Cloud Computing Applications in Support of Earth Science Activities at Marshall Space Flight Center

Currently, the NASA Nebula Cloud Computing Platform is available to Agency personnel in a pre-release status as the system undergoes a formal operational readiness review. Over the past year, two projects within the Earth Science Office at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have been investigating the performance and value of Nebula s "Infrastructure as a Service", or "IaaS" concept and applying cloud computing concepts to advance their respective mission goals. The Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center focuses on the transition of unique NASA satellite observations and weather forecasting capabilities for use within the operational forecasting community through partnerships with NOAA s National Weather Service (NWS). SPoRT has evaluated the performance of the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model on virtual machines deployed within Nebula and used Nebula instances to simulate local forecasts in support of regional forecast studies of interest to select NWS forecast offices. In addition to weather forecasting applications, rapidly deployable Nebula virtual machines have supported the processing of high resolution NASA satellite imagery to support disaster assessment following the historic severe weather and tornado outbreak of April 27, 2011. Other modeling and satellite analysis activities are underway in support of NASA s SERVIR program, which integrates satellite observations, ground-based data and forecast models to monitor environmental change and improve disaster response in Central America, the Caribbean, Africa, and the Himalayas. Leveraging SPoRT s experience, SERVIR is working to establish a real-time weather forecasting model for Central America. Other modeling efforts include hydrologic forecasts for Kenya, driven by NASA satellite observations and reanalysis data sets provided by the broader meteorological community. Forecast modeling efforts are supplemented by short-term forecasts of convective initiation, determined by geostationary satellite observations processed on virtual machines powered by Nebula.

Molthan, Andrew L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A research feasibility study proposal for conducting experimental research in curriculum sharing via Communications Technology Satellite among institutions having large minority enrollments

The applicability of the tele-conference method of curriculum sharing as well as the sharing of scientific research results between universities and industrial organizations was evaluated in relation to other techniques and methods. Ten universities cooperated with NC A&T State University in an effort to increase the number of minority scientists and engineers in the USA via the utilization of the communication features of satellites. Research activities, experiments and studies in curriculum sharing are described as well as the techniques, interconnections and equipment utilized. Suggested methods and recommendations for a continuation of innovative applications of satellite technology in higher education at NC A&T State University are included.

Williams, L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Analysis and Consequences of the Iridium 33-Cosmos 2251 Collision

The collision of Iridium 33 and Cosmos 2251, on 10 February 2009, was the first known unintentional hypervelocity collision in space of intact satellites. Iridium 33 was an active commercial telecommunications satellite, while Cosmos 2251 was a derelict communication satellite of the Strela-2M class. The collision occurred at a relative velocity of 11.6 km/s at an altitude of approximately 790 km over the Great Siberian Plain and near the northern apex of Cosmos 2251 s orbit. This paper describes the physical and orbital characteristics of the relevant spacecraft classes and reports upon our analysis of the resulting debris clouds size, mass, area-to-mass ratio, and relative velocity/directionality distributions. We compare these distributions to those predicted by the NASA breakup model and notable recent fragmentation events; in particular, we compare the area-to-mass ratio distribution for each spacecraft to that exhibited by the FY-1C debris cloud for the purpose of assessing the relative contribution of modern aerospace materials to debris clouds resulting from energetic collisions. In addition, we examine the long-term consequences of this event for the low Earth orbit (LEO) environment. Finally, we discuss "lessons learned", which may be incorporated into NASA s environmental models.

Anz-Meador, P. D.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Observation of radioactive background in the OSO-7 gamma ray monitor

The counting rate as measured by the gamma ray monitor on the OSO-7 satellite, covering the energy range 0.3-10 MeV, during a sixteen month period (October 1971-December 1972) was considerably higher than expected from balloon data previously reported. Dyer et al. (1971) have shown the importance of activation in satellites for diffuse gamma flux measurements. The OSO-7 spectra exhibit strong, complex line structure, especially between 400 keV and 900 keV, and several identifications can be made consistent with the model of Dyer et al. The spectral structure and time variations are presented which must be explained by any activation model.

Dunphy, P. P.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Satellite contributions to convective scale weather analysis and forecasting

Severe weather phenomena which are amenable to remote sensing by satellite instruments and having resolution fine enough to discern mesoscale features are described. GOES satellites acquire imagery with 1 km resolution in the visible band and 8 km at IR wavelengths. Animation of the images allows tracking the evolution and motions of clouds, which are the prime indicators of convective activity. Sample satellite imagery of sea, lake and river breezes which reveal differential heating processes, the effect of early morning cloud cover, thunderstorm outflow processes, and mesoscale convective systems are provided. Techniques for analyzing the satellite data to predict the onset of severe weather are discussed.

Purdom, James F. W.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Soil Moisture Data Assimilation to Estimate Irrigation Water Use

Knowledge of irrigation is essential to support food security, manage depleting water resources, and comprehensively understand the global water and energy cycles. Despite the importance of understanding irrigation, little consistent information exists on the amount of water that is applied for irrigation. In this study, we develop and evaluate a new method to predict daily to seasonal irrigation magnitude using a particle batch smoother data assimilation approach, where land surface model soil moisture is applied in different configurations to understand how characteristics of remotely sensed soil moisture may impact the performance of the method. The study employs a suite of synthetic data assimilation experiments, allowing for systematic diagnosis of known error sources. Assimilation of daily synthetic soil moisture observations with zero noise produces irrigation estimates with a seasonal bias of 0.66% and a correlation of 0.95 relative to a known truth irrigation. When synthetic observations were subjected to an irregular overpass interval and random noise similar to the Soil Moisture Active Passive satellite (0.04 cm(exp 3) cm(exp -3)), irrigation estimates produced a median seasonal bias of <1% and a correlation of 0.69. When systematic biases commensurate with those between NLDAS‐2 land surface models and Soil Moisture Active Passive are imposed, irrigation estimates show larger biases. In this application, the particle batch smoother outperformed the particle filter. The presented framework has the potential to provide new information into irrigation magnitude over spatially continuous domains, yet its broad applicability is contingent upon identifying new method(s) of determining irrigation schedule and correcting biases between observed and simulated soil moisture, as these errors markedly degraded performance.

R Abolafia-Rosenzweig↗
NASA NTRS1983

Advances in satellite oceanography

Technical advances and recent applications of active and passive satellite remote sensing techniques to the study of oceanic processes are summarized. The general themes include infrared and visible radiometry, active and passive microwave sensors, and buoy location systems. The surface parameters of sea surface temperature, windstream, sea state, altimetry, color, and ice are treated as applicable under each of the general methods.

Brown, O. B.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Soil Moisture and Sea Surface Salinity Derived from Satellite-Borne Sensors

The monitoring of soil moisture and sea surface salinity over the Earth has been profoundly enhanced during the last thirteen years owing to new generation of satellite sensors. L-band radiometry is currently the only technology providing direct measurements of soil moisture, insensitive to surface roughness and distribution of elements in the soil, and the only technology that allows to measure sea surface salinity from space. The SMOS (Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity) and SMAP (Soil Moisture Active Passive) satellite missions resolve global and local variability with a spatial resolution of approximately 43 km, a swath width close to 1000 km, and a sampling time, for each mission, of at least twice every 3 days. These resolutions and samplings can be increased by either merging data from the two sensors, and with complementary informations gathered with other passive or active sensors, or with in situ information at higher spatial resolution. Numerous scientific studies based on the use of this new type of measurement have led to a better understanding and constraint of the processes governing the variability of the water cycle, ocean circulation and the Earth's climate. The continuity of measurements, and the increased spatial and radiometric resolution is critical for fulfilling scientific needs. Future L-band radiometry missions currently being planned in Europe (the Copernicus Imaging Microwave Radiometer), and in China (the Ocean Salinity Mission) should provide better constraint on auxiliary parameters by combining multiple frequencies, but they will not have improved spatial resolution beyond SMOS and SMAP. The temporal continuity with SMOS and SMAP will most likely not be ensured. In parallel, new concepts are being developed to increase spatial resolution of both land and ocean parameters.

J. Boutin↗