Results for “GLAMOR”

NASA NTRS1966

Magnetic Tape Recording

NASA's contribution to tape recorder technology may appear to lie in such glamorous devices as the tape recorders of the Tiros and Nimbus satellites which receive signals carrying weather information during an orbit around the earth and then transmit those signals back to the ground when the satellite is in view of ground stations. These quite important recording devices are, however, only useful as members of a complex hierarchy of devices all of which participate in the ultimate process of obtaining information from NASA's efforts. Their existence and utility is based on the existence of many more prosaic recording devices which have been involved in the development of such spectacular units.

TAPE RECORDER↗

NASA NTRS2005

Vacuum Attachment for XRF Scanner

Vacuum apparatuses have been developed for increasing the range of elements that can be identified by use of x-ray fluorescent (XRF) scanners of the type mentioned in the two immediately preceding articles. As a consequence of the underlying physical principles, in the presence of air, such an XRF scanner is limited to analysis of chlorine and elements of greater atomic number. When the XRF scanner is operated in a vacuum, it extends the range of analysis to lower atomic numbers - even as far as aluminum and sodium. Hence, more elements will be available for use in XRF labeling of objects as discussed in the two preceding articles. The added benefits of the extended capabilities also have other uses for NASA. Detection of elements of low atomic number is of high interest to the aerospace community. High-strength aluminum alloys will be easily analyzed for composition. Silicon, a major contaminant in certain processes, will be detectable before the process is begun, possibly eliminating weld or adhesion problems. Exotic alloys will be evaluated for composition prior to being placed in service where lives depend on them. And in the less glamorous applications, such as bolts and fasteners, substandard products and counterfeit items will be evaluated at the receiving function and never allowed to enter the operation

Schramm, Harry F.↗