Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “SPACECRAFT MOTION”

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.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2016

Revised single-spacecraft method for determining wave vector k and resolving space-time ambiguity

A practical method is proposed for determining the wave vector of waves from single-spacecraft measurements. This wave vector knowledge can then be used to remove the space-time ambiguity produced by frequency Doppler shift associated with spacecraft motion. The method involves applying the Wiener-Khinchin theorem to cross correlations of the current and magnetic field oscillations and to autocorrelations of the magnetic field oscillations. Lastly, the method requires that each wave frequency component map to a unique wave vector, a condition presumed true in many spacecraft measurement situations. Examples validating the method are presented.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2014

Planck 2013 results. V. LFI calibration

We discuss the methods employed to photometrically calibrate the data acquired by the Low Frequency Instrument on Planck. Our calibration is based on a combination of the orbital dipole plus the solar dipole, caused respectively by the motion of the Planck spacecraft with respect to the Sun and by motion of the solar system with respect to the cosmic microwave background (CMB) rest frame. The latter provides a signal of a few mK with the same spectrum as the CMB anisotropies and is visible throughout the mission. In this data releasewe rely on the characterization of the solar dipole as measured by WMAP. We also present preliminary results (at 44 GHz only) on the study of the Orbital Dipole, which agree with the WMAP value of the solar system speed within our uncertainties. We compute the calibration constant for each radiometer roughly once per hour, in order to keep track of changes in the detectors’ gain. Since non-idealities in the optical response of the beams proved to be important, we implemented a fast convolution algorithm which considers the full beam response in estimating the signal generated by the dipole. Moreover, in order to further reduce the impact of residual systematics due to sidelobes, we estimated time variations in the calibration constant of the 30 GHz radiometers (the ones with the largest sidelobes) using the signal of an internal reference load at 4 K instead of the CMB dipole. We have estimated the accuracy of the LFI calibration following two strategies: (1) we have run a set of simulations to assess the impact of statistical errors and systematic effects in the instrument and in the calibration procedure; and (2) we have performed a number of internal consistency checks on the data and on the brightness temperature of Jupiter. Errors in the calibration of this Planck/LFI data release are expected to be about 0.6% at 44 and 70 GHz, and 0.8% at 30 GHz. Both these preliminary results at low and high ℓ are consistent with WMAP results within uncertainties and comparison of power spectra indicates good consistency in the absolute calibration with HFI (0.3%) and a 1.4σ discrepancy with WMAP (0.9%).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Relativistic Spacecraft Propelled by Directed Energy

Achieving relativistic flight to enable extrasolar exploration is one of the dreams of humanity and the long-term goal of our NASA Starlight program. We derive a relativistic solution for the motion of a spacecraft propelled by radiation pressure from a directed energy (DE) system. Depending on the system parameters, low-mass spacecraft can achieve relativistic speeds, thus enabling interstellar exploration. The diffraction of the DE system plays an important role and limits the maximum speed of the spacecraft. We consider “photon recycling” as a possible method to achieving higher speeds. We also discuss recent claims that our previous work on this topic is incorrect and show that these claims arise from an improper treatment of causality.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

The integrated miniaturized electrostatic analyzer: A space plasma environment sensor

The integrated Miniaturized Electrostatic Analyzer (iMESA) was a satellite-based ionospheric sensor that operated on NASA’s Space Test Program Satellite (STPSat-3) from December 2013 to July 2019. The instrument’s scientific objective was to (1) measure the plasma density in low Earth orbit, (2) measure the plasma temperature in low Earth orbit, and (3) quantify the spacecraft potential with respect to the ambient plasma potential in the ionosphere. iMESA sampled the ionosphere every 10 s by measuring the ion current density through the ESA as a result of the motion of the spacecraft through the plasma. Current density spectra were transmitted to the ground where they were post-processed into ion density spectra and then analyzed numerically to determine the ion density, ion temperature, and spacecraft potential. This article discusses the instrument design and simulation, the determination of a geometric factor, and data processing procedures and evaluates the final data product with regard to the mission success criteria. Here, the ion density and ion temperature captured by the iMESA instrument are on the same order and range as the values predicted in the literature. The spacecraft potential was also quantified. The conclusion after the evaluation of the instrument’s data product is that the scientific mission is successful on all three points.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2016

Temperature of the plasmasphere from Van Allen Probes HOPE

We introduce two novel techniques for estimating temperatures of very low energy space plasmas using, primarily, in situ data from an electrostatic analyzer mounted on a charged and moving spacecraft. The techniques are used to estimate proton temperatures during intervals where the bulk of the ion plasma is well below the energy bandpass of the analyzer. Both techniques assume that the plasma may be described by a one-dimensional $→\atop{E}$ x $→\atop{B}$ drifting Maxwellian and that the potential field and motion of the spacecraft may be accounted for in the simplest possible manner, i.e., by a linear shift of coordinates. The first technique involves the application of a constrained theoretical fit to a measured distribution function. The second technique involves the comparison of total and partial-energy number densities. Both techniques are applied to Van Allen Probes Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) observations of the proton component of the plasmasphere during two orbits on 15 January 2013. We find that the temperatures calculated from these two order-of-magnitude-type techniques are in good agreement with typical ranges of the plasmaspheric temperature calculated using retarding potential analyzer-based measurements—generally between 0.2 and 2 eV (2000–20,000 K). We also find that the temperature is correlated with L shell and hot plasma density and is negatively correlated with the cold plasma density. Lastly, we posit that the latter of these three relationships may be indicative of collisional or wave-driven heating of the plasmasphere in the ring current overlap region. We note that these techniques may be easily applied to similar data sets or used for a variety of purposes.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

The Juno mission as a probe of long-range new physics

Orbits of celestial objects, especially the geocentric and heliocentric ones, have been well explored to constrain new long-range forces beyond the Standard Model (SM), often referred to as fifth forces. In this paper, for the first time, we apply the motion of a spacecraft around Jupiter to probe fifth forces that don’t violate the equivalence principle. The spacecraft is the Juno orbiter, and ten of its early orbits already allow a precise determination of the Jovian gravitational field. We use the shift in the precession angle as a proxy to test non-gravitational interactions between Juno and Jupiter. Requiring that the contribution from the fifth force does not exceed the uncertainty of the precession shift inferred from data, we find that a new parameter space with the mass of the fifth-force mediator around 10 −14 eV is excluded at 95% C.L.

new light particles↗
DOE OSTI2014

Planck 2013 results. II. Low Frequency Instrument data processing

We describe the data processing pipeline of the Planck Low Frequency Instrument (LFI) data processing centre (DPC) to create and characterize full-sky maps based on the first 15.5 months of operations at 30, 44, and 70 GHz. In particular, we discuss the various steps involved in reducing the data, from telemetry packets through to the production of cleaned, calibrated timelines and calibrated frequency maps. Data are continuously calibrated using the modulation induced on the mean temperature of the cosmic microwave background radiation by the proper motion of the spacecraft. Sky signals other than the dipole are removed by an iterative procedure based on simultaneous fitting of calibration parameters and sky maps. Noise properties are estimated from time-ordered data after the sky signal has been removed, using a generalized least squares map-making algorithm. A destriping code (Madam) is employed to combine radiometric data and pointing information into sky maps, minimizing the variance of correlated noise. Noise covariance matrices, required to compute statistical uncertainties on LFI and Planck products, are also produced. Main beams are estimated down to the ≈-20 dB level using Jupiter transits, which are also used for the geometrical calibration of the focal plane.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Nonlinear dynamics of mini-satellite respinup by weak internal controllable torques

Contemporary space engineering advanced new problem before theoretical mechanics and motion control theory: a spacecraft directed respinup by the weak restricted control internal forces. The paper presents some results on this problem, which is very actual for energy supply of information mini-satellites (for communication, geodesy, radio- and opto-electronic observation of the Earth et al.) with electro-reaction plasma thrusters and gyro moment cluster based on the reaction wheels or the control moment gyros. The solution achieved is based on the methods for synthesis of nonlinear robust control and on rigorous analytical proof for the required spacecraft rotation stability by Lyapunov function method. These results were verified by a computer simulation of strongly nonlinear oscillatory processes at respinuping of a flexible spacecraft.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

INWARD MOTIONS IN THE OUTER SOLAR CORONA BETWEEN 7 AND 12 R {sub ⊙}: EVIDENCE FOR WAVES OR MAGNETIC RECONNECTION JETS?

DeForest et al. used synoptic visible-light image sequences from the COR2 coronagraph on board the STEREO-A spacecraft to identify inbound wave motions in the outer corona beyond 7 solar radii and inferred, from the observation, that the Alfvén surface separating the magnetically dominated corona from the flow dominated wind must be located beyond at least 12 solar radii from the Sun over polar coronal holes and beyond 15 solar radii in the streamer belt. Here, we attempt identification of the observed inward signal by theoretically reconstructing height-speed diagrams and comparing them to the observed profiles. Interpretation in terms of Alfvén waves or Alfvénic turbulence appears to be ruled out by the fact that the observed signal shows a deceleration of inward motion when approaching the Sun. Fast magnetoacoustic waves are not directly ruled out in this way, as it is possible for inward waves observed in quadrature, but not propagating exactly radially, to suffer total reflection as the Alfvén speed rises close to the Sun. However, the reconstructed signal in the height-speed diagram has the wrong concavity. A final possibility is decelerating reconnection jets, most probably from component reconnection, in the accelerating wind: the profile in this case appears to match the observations very well. This interpretation does not alter the conclusion that the Alfvén surface must be at least 12 solar radii from the photosphere. Further observations should help constrain this process, never identified previously in this way, in the distance range from 7 to 12 solar radii.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Inbound waves in the solar corona: A direct indicator of Alfvén surface location

The tenuous supersonic solar wind that streams from the top of the corona passes through a natural boundary—the Alfvén surface—that marks the causal disconnection of individual packets of plasma and magnetic flux from the Sun itself. The Alfvén surface is the locus where the radial motion of the accelerating solar wind passes the radial Alfvén speed, and therefore any displacement of material cannot carry information back down into the corona. It is thus the natural outer boundary of the solar corona and the inner boundary of interplanetary space. Using a new and unique motion analysis to separate inbound and outbound motions in synoptic visible-light image sequences from the COR2 coronagraph on board the STEREO-A spacecraft, we have identified inbound wave motion in the outer corona beyond 6 solar radii for the first time and used it to determine that the Alfvén surface is at least 12 solar radii from the Sun over the polar coronal holes and 15 solar radii in the streamer belt, well beyond the distance planned for NASA's upcoming Solar Probe Plus mission. To our knowledge, this is the first measurement of inbound waves in the outer solar corona and the first direct measurement of lower bounds for the Alfvén surface.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Electromagnetic Forces on a Relativistic Spacecraft in the Interstellar Medium

A relativistic spacecraft of the type envisioned by the Breakthrough Starshot initiative will inevitably become charged through collisions with interstellar particles and UV photons. Interstellar magnetic fields would therefore deflect the trajectory of the spacecraft. We calculate the expected deflection for typical interstellar conditions. We also find that the charge distribution of the spacecraft is asymmetric, producing an electric dipole moment. The interaction between the moving electric dipole and the interstellar magnetic field is found to produce a large torque, which can result in fast oscillation of the spacecraft around the axis perpendicular to the direction of motion, with a period of ∼0.5 hr. We then study the spacecraft rotation arising from impulsive torques by dust bombardment. Finally, we discuss the effect of the spacecraft rotation and suggest several methods to mitigate it.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Laboratory Verification of Electron-Scale Reconnection Regions Modulated by a Three-Dimensional Instability

We report that during magnetic reconnection in collisionless space plasma, the electron fluid decouples from the magnetic field within narrow current layers, and theoretical models for this process can be distinguished in terms of their predicted current layer widths. From theory, the off-diagonal stress in the electron pressure tensor is related to the thermal noncircular orbit motion of electrons around the magnetic field lines. This stress becomes significant when the width of the reconnecting current layer approaches the small characteristic length scale of the electron motion. To aid in situ spacecraft and numerical investigations of reconnection, the structure of the electron diffusion region is here investigated using the Terrestrial Reconnection Experiment. In agreement with the closely matched kinetic simulations, laboratory observations reveal the presence of electron-scale current layer widths. Although the layers are modulated by a current-driven instability, three-dimensional simulations demonstrate that it is the off-diagonal stress that is responsible for breaking the frozen-in condition of the electron fluid.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Plasma dynamics above solar flare soft x-ray loop tops

We measure non-thermal motions in flare loop tops and above the loop tops using profiles of highly ionized spectral lines of Fe XXIV and Fe XXIII formed at multimillion-degree temperatures. Non-thermal motions that may be due to turbulence or multiple flow regions along the line of sight are extracted from the line profiles. The non-thermal motions are measured for four flares seen at or close to the solar limb. The profile data are obtained using the Extreme-ultraviolet Imaging Spectrometer on the Hinode spacecraft. The multimillion-degree non-thermal motions are between 20 and 60 km s{sup –1} and appear to increase with height above the loop tops. Motions determined from coronal lines (i.e., lines formed at about 1.5 MK) tend to be smaller. The multimillion-degree temperatures in the loop tops and above range from about 11 MK to 15 MK and also tend to increase with height above the bright X-ray-emitting loop tops. The non-thermal motions measured along the line of sight, as well as their apparent increase with height, are supported by Solar Dynamics Observatory Atmospheric Imaging Assembly measurements of turbulent velocities in the plane of the sky.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Model of an ion flow and a method for calculating the erosion of discharge-chamber walls in a stationary plasma thruster

Morozov’s stationary plasma thrusters (SPTs) are used effectively in motion-control systems of Russian and foreign spacecraft, and the field of their application is still expanding. For this reason, the demands placed in the output parameters and lifetime of such thrusters are becoming more stringent. When solving the problems of increasing the service lifetime of SPTs, methods for predicting the erosion of discharge-chamber walls–a process that limits the lifetime of a thruster—are useful. We developed one such method earlier, which has been efficiently used in the development of modern SPTs. This letter presents an additional physical grounding and further development of the main ideas of this method on the basis of results obtained in recent years. This grounding makes it possible to expand the range of applicability of the method.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

ROTATION PERIODS OF WIDE BINARIES IN THE KEPLER FIELD

In a search of proper motion catalogs for common proper motion stars in the field of the Kepler spacecraft I identified 93 likely binary systems. A comparison of their rotation periods is a test of the gyrochronology concept. To find their periods I calculated the autocorrelation function (ACF) of the Kepler mission photometry for each star. In most systems for which good periods can be found, the cooler star has a longer period than the hotter component, in general agreement with models. However, there is a wide range in the gradients of lines connecting binary pairs in a period–color diagram. Furthermore, near the solar color, only a few stars have longer periods than the Sun, suggesting that they, and their cooler companions, are not much older than the Sun. In addition, there is an apparent gap at intermediate periods in the period distribution of the late K and early M stars. Either star formation in this direction has been variable, or stars evolve in period at a non-uniform rate, or some stars evolve more rapidly than others at the same mass. Finally, using the ACF as a measure of the activity level, I found that while the F, G, and early K stars become less active as their periods increase, there is no correlation between period and activity for the mid K to early M stars.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2017

The Role of Viscosity in Causing the Plasma Poloidal Motion in Magnetic Clouds

An interesting phenomenon, plasma poloidal motion, has been found in many magnetic clouds (MCs), and viscosity has been proposed as a possible mechanism. However, it is not clear how significant the role of viscosity is in generating such motion. In this paper, we conduct a statistical study of the MCs detected by the Wind spacecraft during 1995–2012. It is found that, for 19% of all the studied MCs (186), the poloidal velocities of the MC plasma near the MC boundaries are well correlated with those of the corresponding ambient solar wind plasma. A non-monotonic increase from inner to outer MCs suggests that the viscosity does play a role, albeit weak, on the poloidal motion in the MC statistically. The possible dependence on the solar wind parameters is then studied in detail for the nine selected crossings, which represent the viscosity characteristic. There is an evident negative correlation between the viscosity and the density, a weak negative correlation between the viscosity and the turbulence strength, and no clear correlation between the viscosity and the temperature.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation and Numerical Simulation of Cold Ions Energized by EMIC Waves

This is the first report of significant energization (up to 7,000 eV) of low-energy He + ions, which occurred simultaneously with H-band electromagnetic ion cyclotron (EMIC) wave activity, in a direction mostly perpendicular to the ambient magnetic field. The event was detected by the Arase satellite in the dayside plasmatrough region off the magnetic equator on 15 May 2019. The peak energy of the He + flux enhancements is mostly above 1,000 eV. At some interval, the He + ions are energized up to ~7,000 eV. The H-band waves are excited in a frequency band between the local crossover and helium gyrofrequencies and are close to a linear polarization state with weakly left-handed or right-handed polarization. The normal angle of the waves exhibits significant variation between 0° and 80°, indicating a non-parallel propagation. Here, we run a hybrid code with parameters estimated from the Arase observations to examine the He + energization. The simulations show that cold He + ions are energized up to more than 1,000 eV, similar to the spacecraft observations. From the analysis of the simulated wave fields and cold plasma motions, we found that the ratio of the wave frequency to He + gyrofrequency is a primary factor for transverse energization of cold He + ions. As a consequence of the numerical analysis, we suggest that the significant transverse energization of He + ions observed by Arase is attributed to H-band EMIC waves excited near the local helium gyrofrequency.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Laser Guide Star for Large Segmented-aperture Space Telescopes. I. Implications for Terrestrial Exoplanet Detection and Observatory Stability

Precision wavefront control on future segmented-aperture space telescopes presents significant challenges, particularly in the context of high-contrast exoplanet direct imaging. We present a new wavefront control architecture that translates the ground-based artificial guide star concept to space with a laser source on board a second spacecraft, formation flying within the telescope’s field of view. We describe the motivating problem of mirror segment motion and develop wavefront sensing requirements as a function of guide star magnitude and segment motion power spectrum. Several sample cases with different values for transmitter power, pointing jitter, and wavelength are presented to illustrate the advantages and challenges of having a non-stellar-magnitude noise limited wavefront sensor for space telescopes. These notional designs allow increased control authority, potentially relaxing spacecraft stability requirements by two orders of magnitude and increasing terrestrial exoplanet discovery space by allowing high-contrast observations of stars of arbitrary brightness.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗