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At least 163 records · Page 9

Tectonics of the Galileo Regio on Ganymede

The surface of Ganymede consists of dark cratered terrain, and groved terrain. The dark cratered terrains form polygonal units, the largest of which is Galileo Regio, the surface of which is transected by furrows, smooth floored valleys bounded by relatively sharp parallel ridges. The most apparent of them are grouped together and form an apparently arcuate system of subparallel furrows which was mapped using Voyager pictures and plotted on a map using a stereographic projection. With this kind of projection, the main furrow system is not arcuate, but rectilinear. Observations strongly suggest that the Galileo Regio furrow systems are not of impact origin and appear to be irrelevant to discussions about the basins' morphology or evolution of planetary lithosphere determined from multiring structures.

Thomas, P. G.↗

Ablation of Galileo Probe heat-shield models in a ballistic range

Several 1/24-scale models of the Galileo Probe made of carbon-phenolic materials were flown in a ballistic range to test their ablation characteristics. Mostly radiative or all-convective heating environments were produced by using argon or air as the test gas, respectively, to simulate the Jovian entry heating environments. The experimental results were compared with the theoretical predictions made using the computer codes of radiating shock layer environment (RASLE) and charring materials ablation (CMA). The experimental data obtained in argon agreed approximately with the theoretical predictions. The data for air agreed approximately with the theory when turbulence and surface roughness effects were accounted for. The data imply that the Galileo Probe heat shield was adequately designed.

Park, C.↗

Estimate of the probability of a lightning strike to the Galileo probe

Lightning strikes to aerospace vehicles occur mainly in or near clouds. As the Galileo entry probe will pass most of its operational life in the clouds of Jupiter, which is known to have lightning activity, the present study is concerned with the risk of a lightning strike to the probe. A strike to the probe could cause physical damage to the structure and/or damage to the electronic equipment aboard the probe. It is thought to be possible, for instance, that the instrument failures which occurred on all four Pioneer Venus entry probes at an altitude of 12 km were due to an external electric discharge. The probability of a lightning strike to the Galileo probe is evaluated. It is found that the estimate of a strike to the probe is only 0.001, which is about the same as the expected failure rate due to other design factors. In the case of entry probes to cloud-covered planets, a consideration of measures for protecting the vehicle and its payload from lightning appears to be appropriate.

Borucki, W. J.↗

A Shuttle free flyer qualification/acceptance program - Galileo

The next U.S. planetary mission, the Galileo Project, is to be launched in late spring 1986. Primary studies to be conducted are related to the chemical composition and physical state of Jupiter's atmosphere, the chemical composition and physical state of the Jovian satellites, and the structure and physical dynamics of the Jovian magnetosphere. The studies are to be performed with the aid of a planetary Orbiter and an atmospheric entry Probe. At launch and during the interplanetary cruise trip to Jupiter, the Orbiter and Probe will form an integrated spacecraft. The Shuttle will be employed in the launch of the spacecraft. A Centaur high energy upper stage is to transfer the spacecraft from the Shuttle parking orbit to the direct earth-to-Jupiter trajectory. Attention is given to Galileo environmental program special characteristics and major influencing factors.

Schlue, J. W.↗

The search for reference sources for delta VLBI navigation of the Galileo spacecraft

A comprehensive search was made in order to identify celestial radio sources that can be used as references for navigation of the Galileo spacecraft by means of VLBI observations. The astronomical literature was seached for potential navigation sources, and several VLBI experiments were performed to determine the suitability of those sources for navigation. The results of such work performed since mid-1983 is reported. A summary is presented of the source properties required, the procedures used to identify candidate sources, and the results of the observations of these sources. The lists of souces presented are not meant to be taken directly and used for VLBI navigation, but they do provide a means of identifying the radio sources that could be used at various positions along the Galileo trajectory. Since the reference sources nearest the critical points of Jupiter encounter and probe release are rather weak, it would be extremely beneficial to use a pair of 70-m antennas for the VLBI measurements.

Ulvestad, J. S.↗

The Galileo scan platform pointing control system - A modern control theoretic viewpoint

The current Galileo scan platform pointing control system (SPPCS) is described, and ways in which modern control concepts could serve to enhance it are considered. Of particular interest are: the multi-variable design model and overall control system architecture, command input filtering, feedback compensator and command input design, stability robustness constraint for both continuous time control systems and for sampled data control systems, and digital implementation of the control system. The proposed approach leads to the design of a system that is similar to current Galileo SPPCS configuration, but promises to be more systematic.

Sevaston, G. E.↗

Subsystem testing of Galileo's attitude and articulation control fault protection

This paper discusses the fault protection tesing of the Attitude and Articulation Control Subsystem (AACS) of the Galileo spacecraft. The need for an autonomous fault protection system on an interplanetary spacecraft is discussed. Galileo requirements for the detection and response of specific hardware failures is discussed along with the fault protection software design and implementation. The test beds and test methods used for fault protection testing are described. The paper concludes with a presentation of the results of this testing with an emphasis on requirement and design changes that were made as a result of these tests.

Anderson, L. L.↗

Galileo inflight friction identification for the scan platform control loop

Two types of friction identification algorithms (position-based and rate-based) are investigated in an attempt to better understand cone actuator inflight behavior in the Galileo scan platform pointing system. This investigation involves the measurement of the scan platform position (or rate) with respect to the stator following a platform slew maneuver. Inflight data collection by the spacecraft's sensors and subsequent ground-based data processing comprise the two major steps in the identification experiment. The proposed algorithms were capable of obtaining friction estimates within + or - 10 percent accuracy; hence, it is concluded that this inflight system identification technique can sufficiently tune the Galileo cone controller.

Ianculescu, G. D.↗

Galileo probe battery program - An historical overview

The Galileo Probe mission to Jupiter required the selection of a battery module design that exceeded the known state of the art in 1977. The choice of the lithium-sulfur dioxide system, a technology then under development for nonaerospace applications necessitated an extensive cell and module development program that ultimately resulted in a space-qualified product that satisfies the severe constraints and requirements of the Galileo mission. The development program drew on the data base and experience then available from other government-sponsored lithium-sulfur dioxide programs and is an example of multiapplication synergism that can be derived from industry and government cooperation.

Krause, S. J.↗

Orbit determination accuracy assessment for an asteroid flyby - A Galileo case study

The Galileo spacecraft may be targeted for a close flyby of an asteroid on its way to an encounter with Jupiter. An orbit determination accuracy analysis was carried out for the case of the asteroid 29 Amphitrite based on the use of radio metric and optical data types. Prior to encounter, the uncertainty in the asteroid's position, based on astrometric observations from earth, amounts to several hundred kilometers. This ephemeris uncertainty constitutes the dominant error in the determination of the spacecraft orbit with respect to Amphitrite. It is shown that the spacecraft-asteroid relative position can be improved by imaging asteroid-star pairs with the Galileo charge-coupled device (CCD) camera, enabling an accurate flyby of the asteroid. The main benefit of optical navigation is to enable the instrument pointing updates necessary for closeup viewing of the asteroid. A discussion of the evolution of the target error ellipse parameters as a function of data coverage and various combinations of radiometric and optical data types is also presented.

Kechichian, Jean A.↗

Galileo spacecraft system level environmental test results

Project Galileo, the United States' next planetary mission, will be launched by the Shuttle/Centaur in May 1986. The Galileo spacecraft consists of both a planetary Orbiter and an atmospheric Probe. The spacecraft was environmentally tested as a system in the fall and winter of 1984/1985 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The protoflight qualification program consisted of vibration, acoustics, pyrotechnic shock, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) and Solar Thermal Vacuum (STV) tests. This test program was accomplished on a large, complex, dual-spin spacecraft without the benefit of precursor spacecraft prototype tests. This paper discusses the objectives of these tests and the implementation, and summarizes the results.

Hoffman, A. R.↗

The Galileo attitude and articulation control system - A radiation-hard, high precision, state-of-the-art control system

The Galileo mission and spacecraft, consisting of a Jupiter-orbiter and an atmospheric entry probe, are discussed. Components will include: magnetometers and plasma-wave antennas on a boom, high-gain antenna, probe vehicle, two different bus electronics packages, and a radioisotope thermoelectric generator. Instruments, investigators and objectives are tabulated for both probe science and orbiter science investigations. Requirements in the design of the attitude and articulation control system are very stringent because of the complex dynamics, flexible body effects, the need for autonomy, and the severe radiation environment in the Jupiter nighborhood. Galileo was intended to be ready for launch via Space Shuttle in May of 1986.

Stephenson, R. Rhoads↗

Atmospheric science on the Galileo mission

The atmospheric science goals of the Galileo mission, and instruments of the probe and orbiter are described. The current data available, and the goals of the Galileo mission concerning the chemical composition of the Jovian atmosphere; the thermal structure of the atmosphere; the nature of cloud particles and cloud layering; the radiative energy balance; atmospheric dynamics; and the upper atmosphere are discussed. The objectives and operations of the atmospheric structure instrument, neutral mass spectrometer, helium abundance interferometer, nephelometer, net flux radiometer, lightning and radio emission detector, solid state imaging system, NIR mapping spectrometer, photopolarimeter radiometer, and UV spectrometer are examined.

Hunten, D. M.↗

Galileo - Responses to the Challenger accident

The Galileo mission to Jupiter will make the first direct sampling of the atmosphere of the solar system's largest planet and will spend as long as 22 months orbiting Jupiter. Launch date, trajectory, Jupiter arrival, and number of orbits of that planet depend on NASA's flight schedules since destruction of the Space Shuttle Challenger on Jan. 28, 1986. Galileo's responses to the schedule changes caused by the Challenger explosion are discussed.

Casani, John R.↗

Galileo's new route to Jupiter

NASA's 22-month-long Galileo mission to Jupiter will be devoted to direct sampling of its atmosphere. Attention is presently given to a novel trajectory for the Galileo mission that uses gravity assist from one flyby of Venus and two of the earth. The mission involves an orbiter, carrying ten instruments, and an atmospheric probe, containing six instruments. The novel trajectory concept offers a range of launch and arrival dates. An account is given of the mission profile assuming a November 4, 1989 launch date.

Casani, John R.↗

An analytic-geometric model of the effect of spherically distributed injection errors for Galileo and Ulysses spacecraft - The multi-stage problem

In previous work the problem of injecting the Galileo and Ulysses spacecraft from low earth orbit into their respective interplanetary trajectories has been discussed for the single stage (Centaur) vehicle. The central issue, in the event of spherically distributed injection errors, is what happens to the vehicle? The difficulties addressed in this paper involve the multi-stage problem since both Galileo and Ulysses will be utilizing the two-stage IUS system. Ulysses will also include a third stage: the PAM-S. The solution is expressed in terms of probabilities for total percentage of escape, orbit decay and reentry trajectories. Analytic solutions are found for Hill's Equations of Relative Motion (more recently called Clohessy-Wiltshire Equations) for multi-stage injections. These solutions are interpreted geometrically on the injection sphere. The analytic-geometric models compare well with numerical solutions, provide insight into the behavior of trajectories mapped on the injection sphere and simplify the numerical two-dimensional search for trajectory families.

Longuski, James M.↗

Galilean satellite ephemeris improvement using Galileo tour encounter information

Accurate navigation of the satellite tour portion of the Galileo mission requires an accurate ephemeris of the Galilean satellites. The ephemeris is updated using radiometric and optical tracking data acquired during the satellite tour. The improved accuracy of the satellite ephemeris leads to improved targeting accuracy at subsequent encounters. The Galileo mission will benefit from improved targeting accuracy through reduced propellant costs and improved pointing accuracy. The predicted error in the updated ephemeris can be less than approximations inherent in the analytical theory used for the ephemeris, so an alternate numerical representation is applied. This alternate description shows promise but also raises questions of numerical stability.

Murrow, D. W.↗

Earth and Moon encounters by the Galileo Jupiter orbiter

The Galileo Venus-Earth-Earth-Gravity-Assist trajectory to Jupiter is discussed. It includes two encounters from deep space with the Earth and the Earth-Moon system. Fortuitous and unique opportunities therefore exist to observe and study the Earth and Earth's moon during both of these encounters. Given the Galileo science payload, a candidate set of Earth and Moon science objectives is presented. The conditions and constraints of the Earth and Moon encounters, which define the observing opportunity, and which bound the objectives, are reviewed.

Clarke, T. C.↗