The Application of Structural Engineering to Spacecraft Design
Structural design, analysis, and testing procedures in construction and evaluation of Mariner I space probe
SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Structural design, analysis, and testing procedures in construction and evaluation of Mariner I space probe
As the state of the art of the design of spacecraft has progressed, one of the difficult problems which has arisen is the positioning and articulating of spacecraft elements which must “see” in different directions without interference. Some of these elements are: solar panels or collectors, Sun sensors, communication antennas, star seekers, planet tracking and scanning devices, rocket motors, attitude-control jets, and scientific instruments. This Report presents a method of testing a spacecraft design to determine how well it satisfies these look-angle requirements. This method is applied to both simple and complex cases, and examples of its use are presented. A means of assessing spacecraft constraints on trajectories is discussed. The method was developed for the Mariner interplanetary spacecraft, but should be applicable to other cases.
Development and testing of improved sealed Ag-Zn battery for Mariner 1969
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
In the spring of 1962, engineers from the Engineering Mechanics Division of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a series of lectures on spacecraft design at the Engineering Design seminars conducted at the California Institute of Technology. Several of these lectures were subsequently given at Stanford University as part of the Space Technology seminar series sponsored by the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Presented here are notes taken from these lectures. The lectures were conceived with the intent of providing the audience with a glimpse of the activities of a few mechanical engineers who are involved in designing, building, and testing spacecraft. Engineering courses generally consist of heavily idealized problems in order to allow the more efficient teaching of mathematical technique. Students, therefore, receive a somewhat limited exposure to actual engineering problems, which are typified by more unknowns than equations. For this reason it was considered valuable to demonstrate some of the problems faced by spacecraft designers, the processes used to arrive at solutions, and the interactions between the engineer and the remainder of the organization in which he is constrained to operate. These lecture notes are not so much a compilation of sophisticated techniques of analysis as they are a collection of examples of spacecraft hardware and associated problems. They will be of interest not so much to the experienced spacecraft designer as to those who wonder what part the mechanical engineer plays in an effort such as the exploration of space.
Computer programs for processing and analyzing nickel-cadmium battery and time-dependent data
The Space Programs Summary is a six-volume, bimonthly publication that documents the current project activities and supporting research and advanced development efforts conducted or managed by JPL for the NASA space exploration programs.
Acceptance testing, performance characteristics, life cycling, and failed cell analysis in NASA SPACECRAFT battery evaluation program
This presentation describes the historical context and contemporary implementation of the NASA pre-launch quarantine program known as the Health Stabilization Program (HSP).
R-4D engine attitude control and performance under launch and space stresses
Heat sterilizable battery separator material prepared from low-density polyethylene film
Sections of this discussion include: a mission overview of the Mars Pathfinder Project; battery requirements; Ag-Zn technology assessment; EM battery performance; and summary and conclusions.
Inorganic separator for high temperature silver-zinc battery
Thin film and semiconductor microelectronics, radar scattering, radome thermal stress, boundary layer phenomena, guided missile parts, turbulent mixing, antenna systems, and plasma dynamics
Highly conductive nonaqueous electrolytes for high energy battery
Battery development and testing efforts at Phillips Laboratory fall into three main categories: nickel hydrogen, sodium sulfur, and solid state batteries. Nickel hydrogen work is broken down into a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Life Test Program, a LEO Pulse Test Program, and a Hydrogen Embrittlement Investigation. Sodium sulfur work is broken down into a Geosynchronous Earth Orbit (GEO) Battery Flight Test and a Hot Launch Evaluation. Solid state polymer battery work consists of a GEO Battery Development Program, a Pulse Power Battery Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), and an in-house evaluation of current generation laboratory cells. An overview of the program is presented.
Research summaries on systems analysis, guidance and control, environmental factors, engineering development, propulsion, space sciences, and telecommunications
A summary of NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program Activities is presented. The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Program represents a unified NASA wide effort with the overall objective of providing NASA with the policy and posture which will increase the safety, performance, and reliability of space power systems. The specific objectives of the program are to: enhance cell/battery safety and reliability; maintain current battery technology; increase fundamental understanding of primary and secondary cells; provide a means to bring forth advanced technology for flight use; assist flight programs in minimizing battery technology related flight risks; and ensure that safe, reliable batteries are available for NASA's future missions.