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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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At least 19 records

Shuttle/Agena study. Volume 2, part 2: Agena tug configurations, Shuttle/Agena interface, performance, safety, cost

An evaluation of the compatibility of the space shuttle and Agena rocket vehicle was conducted. The Agena space tug configuration design is described in terms of the total vehicle system as well as the individual subsystems and major assemblies and components. The complete interface between the Agena space tug and the space shuttle orbiter is defined for in-flight and ground operations. The derivation and design of an evolutionary stage is also presented. This vehicle conforms to the same guidelines and interface requirements as the Agena space tug. Performance data developed for both vehicles for each of the three study baseline missions are included.

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Shuttle/Agena study. Annex A: Ascent agena configuration

Details are presented on the Agena rocket vehicle description, vehicle interfaces, environmental constraints and test requirements, software programs, and ground support equipment. The basic design concept for the Ascent Agena is identified as optimization of reliability, flexibility, performance capabilities, and economy through the use of tested and flight-proven hardware. The development history of the Agenas A, B, and D is outlined and space applications are described.

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Seasat--A 25-Year Legacy of Success

Thousands of scientific publications and dozens of textbooks include data from instruments derived from NASA's Seasat. The Seasat mission was launched on June 26, 1978, on an Atlas-Agena rocket from Vandenberg Air Force Base. It was the first Earth-orbiting satellite to carry four complementary microwave experiments--the Radar Altimeter (ALT) to measure ocean surface topography by measuring spacecraft altitude above the ocean surface; the Seasat-A Satellite Scatterometer (SASS), to measure wind speed and direction over the ocean; the Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) to measure surface wind speed, ocean surface temperature, atmospheric water vapor content, rain rate, and ice coverage; and the Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), to image the ocean surface, polar ice caps, and coastal regions. While originally designed for remote sensing of the Earth's oceans, the legacy of Seasat has had a profound impact in many other areas including solid earth science, hydrology, ecology and planetary science.

Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer↗

The Lunar Orbiter: A Spacecraft to Advance Lunar Exploration

The film describes the Lunar Orbiter's mission to photograph landing areas on the Moon. The Orbiter will be launched from Cape Kennedy using an Atlas Agena booster rocket. Once it is boosted in a trajectory toward the Moon, the Orbiter will deploy two-way earth communication antennas and solar panels for electricity. Attitude control jets will position the solar panels toward the sun and a tracker for a fix on its navigational star. The Orbiter will be put in an off-center orbit around the Moon where it will circle from four to six days. Scientists on Earth will study the effects of the Moon's gravitational field on the spacecraft, then the orbit will be lowered to 28 miles above the Moon's surface. Engineers will control the Orbiter manually or by computer to activate two camera lenses. The cameras will capture pictures of 12,000 square miles of lunar surface in 25 and 400 square mile increments. Pictures will be sent back to Earth using solar power to transmit electrical signals. The signals will be received by antennas at Goldstone, CA, and in Australia and Spain. Incoming photographic data will be electronically converted and processed to produce large-scale photographic images. The mission will be directed from the Space Flight Operations Facility in Pasadena, CA by NASA and Boeing engineers. After the photographic mission, the Orbiter will continue to circle the Moon providing information about micrometeoroids and radiation in the vicinity.

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