Logistics support for launch site operations
Logistics support for Kennedy Space Center launch site operations
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Proposed space shuttle cargo handling criteria at the operational site (preliminary)
The criteria for cargo handling at the operational site of space shuttles are presented, based on assumed program requirements. The concepts for the following functions are described: maintenance and checkout facility, transfer to launch pad, and launch pad. The requirements for the ground equipment are given along with the general sequences for cargo loading.
Beck, P. E.↗
Proposed preliminary criteria for space shuttle access equipment at the operational site
A comparison was made between the methods of access utilized, or proposed, by the military, commercial airlines, and the space shuttle Phase B contractors. The methodology was subjected to consideration for space shuttle use and similarity to current space shuttle access concepts. The Phase B contractor concepts were in turn examined for degree of use of the state-of-the-art and progressive extension of new cost-effective ideas. This comparison disclosed a need for better definition of the criteria/requirements for space shuttle access equipment. Preliminary criteria, needed prior to initiation of the detail design (Phase C/D effort) of ground hardware for the operational site, are presented.
Beck, P. E.↗
The influence of the launch site operational environment on Space Shuttle scientific payloads
The effects of prelaunch assembly, testing, and integration activities on the scientific payload at the KSC are examined. The functions of the Shuttle and payload organizations of the KSC are discussed. The processing of the various types of pyaloads, and the amount of access to the payload during processing and after landing are described. The KSC facility contains: an Operations and Checkout Building, a Vertical Processing Facility, Cargo Integration and Test Equipment, an Orbiter Processing Facility, a Payload Changeout Room, payload transportation equipment, and Shuttle launch pads.
Schuiling, Roelof L.↗
Space Shuttle planetary payload launch site operations
This paper examines the experiences of recent actual planetary payload procesing flows. The emphasis is on the processing of the Galileo spacecraft; however, the paper also addresses the Magellan and Ulysses programs to a lesser extent. An overview of the payload processing activity at the Kennedy Space Center is provided. A 'case study' narrative approach is applied to the Space Shuttle flight STS-34 Galileo processing, and some recommendations based on these operations are presented.
Schuiling, Roelof L.↗
A New Era in Geodesy and Cartography: Implications for Landing Site Operations
The Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) global dataset has ushered in a new era for Mars local and global geodesy and cartography. These data include the global digital terrain model (Digital Terrain Model (DTM) radii), the global digital elevation model (Digital Elevation Model (DEM) elevation with respect to the geoid), and the higher spatial resolution individual MOLA ground tracks. Currently there are about 500,000,000 MOLA points and this number continues to grow as MOLA continues successful operations in orbit about Mars, the combined processing of radiometric X-band Doppler and ranging tracking of MGS together with millions of MOLA orbital crossover points has produced global geodetic and cartographic control having a spatial (latitude/longitude) accuracy of a few meters and a topographic accuracy of less than 1 meter. This means that the position of an individual MOLA point with respect to the center-of-mass of Mars is know to an absolute accuracy of a few meters. The positional accuracy of this point in inertial space over time is controlled by the spin rate uncertainty of Mars which is less than 1 km over 10 years that will be improved significantly with the next landed mission.
Duxbury, T. C.↗
Autonomous Cryogenic Leak Detector for Improving Launch Site Operations
NASA, military, and commercial satellite users need launch services that are highly reliable, less complex, easier to test, and cost effective. This project has developed a tapered optical fiber sensor for detecting hydrogen. The invention involves incorporating chemical indicators on the tapered end of an optical fiber using organically modified silicate nanomaterials. The Hazardous Gas Detection Lab (HGDL) at Kennedy Space Center is involved in the design and development of instrumentation that can detect and qualify various mission-critical chemicals. Historically, hydrogen, helium, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon are the first five gases of HGDL focus. The use of these cryogenic fluids in the area of propulsion offers challenges. Due to their extreme low temperatures, these fluids induce contraction of the materials they contact, a potential cause of leakage. Among them, hydrogen is of particular concern. Small sensors are needed in multiple locations without adding to the structural weight. The most vulnerable parts of the engine are the connection flanges on the transfer lines, which have to support cycles of large thermal amplitude. The thermal protection of the engine provides a closed area, increasing the likelihood of an explosive atmosphere. Thus, even a small leak represents an unacceptable hazardous condition during loading operations, in flight, or after an aborted launch. Tapered fibers were first fabricated from 1/1.3-mm core/cladding (silica/ plastic) optical fibers. Typically a 1-ft (approx. 30- cm) section of the 1-mm fiber is cut from the bundle and marked with a pen into five 2-.-in. (.5.7-cm) sections. A propane torch is applied at every alternate mark to burn the jacket and soften the glass core. While the core is softening, the two ends of the fiber are pulled apart slowly to create fine tapers of .- to .-in. (.6- to 12-mm) long on the 1-mm optical fiber. Following this, the non-tapered ends of the fibers are polished to a 0.3-micron finish. Then these fibers were coated with indicators sensitive to hydrogen. The tapered hydrogen detection system with its unique flexibility is the only system that can be placed in many locations inside the vehicles and detect the exact location of leaks, saving millions of dollars for launch vehicle industries.
Goswami, Kisholoy↗
STS upper stage operations
Several design/development and operational approaches for STS upper stages are being pursued to realize maximum operational and economic benefits upon the introduction of the STS in the 1980s. The paper focuses special attention on safety operations, launch site operations and on-orbit operations.
Kitchens, M. D.↗
NASA’s Deep Space Network: Automation in the Follow-the-Sun Era
The Deep Space Network (DSN) comprises three sites, located in California, Spain, and Australia; each site operates one 70m and multiple 34m antennas that provide communications and navigation services to NASA and international partners. As part of a multiyear upgrade in automation of the network, the DSN has undertaken a series of operations efficiency improvements which has fundamentally changed the operations paradigm of the network. At the start of this effort, each site operated only their local antennas and equipment 24 hours/day, 7 days/week, and each spacecraft activity (link) had a single dedicated Link Control Operator. In its final stage, realized in 2020, each one of the three sites operates the entire network during their local day shift, handing off control to the next site as their day ends, and tracks can be run in a fully automated manner with no operator intervention. This paradigm change has realized significant operations cost savings, but has posed some major challenges along the way. This paper describes the system changes that enabled the operations efficiency improvements, some the challenges, and plans for the future.
Levesque, Michael↗
Ground operations and concepts for future space activities
The Kennedy Space Center Shuttle launch site operations concept involves launch site facilities, operations, and crews being organized for maximum flexibility and minimum impact in support of future programs. The goal is to reduce program costs by having optimum utilization of facilities resulting in a greater return on the investment for these facilities. The present paper develops the notion that the cost and lead times associated with a program such as Space Industrialization can be significantly influenced by early planning for the transition of launch site operations concepts developed for the Space Transportation System.
Mccoy, H. E.↗
Distributed processing on the Space Shuttle - A case study
A Power Extension Package (PEP) has been designed to provide additional electrical power and energy during Shuttle sortie missions. The considered investigation was conducted to determine the most suitable allocation of PEP monitoring and control functions between the Orbiter's existing (centralized) Systems Management General Purpose Computer and an embedded PEP processor. PEP monitoring and control functions are examined, and a configuration definition is considered, taking into account the 'functional migration' process, function allocation criteria, and candidate functional configurations. A trade study is conducted, giving attention to an assessment of four candidate configurations. Assessment factors are related to cost, development risk, aspects of reliability and safety, PEP design complexity, PEP/STS integration complexity, flight operations, and launch/landing site operations. A thorough (subjective) assessment of the PEP system life cycle indicates substantial benefits from a distributed processing approach.
Schoonmaker, P. B.↗
Launch site integration for mixed fleet operations
Launch site impacts and integration planning issues are presented to support launch operations for a mixed vehicle fleet (manned and cargo). Proposed ground systems and launch site configurations are described. Prelaunch processing scenarios and schedules are developed for candidate launch vehicles. Earth-to-orbit (ETO) vehicle architectures are presented to meet future launch requirements, including the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). Flight vehicle design recommendations to enhance launch processing are discussed. The significance of operational designs for future launch vehicles is shown to be a critical factor in planning for mixed fleet launch site operations.
Scott, L. P.↗
Mapping Marijuana Probability Grow Sites: An Operational Law Enforcement Tool
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marijuana plantation sites growing geography Angel↗
Space Shuttle contingency landing operations
The sites and operations involved in emergency landings of the Space Shuttle are discussed. The role of international agreements in developing such sites is addressed. Rescue operations following emergency landings are examined.
Allen, Andrew M.↗
INTEX-NA: Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment - North America
INTEX-NA is an integrated atmospheric chemistry field experiment to be performed over North America using the NASA DC-8 and P-3B aircraft as its primary platforms. It seeks to understand the exchange of chemicals and aerosols between continents and the global troposphere. The constituents of interest are ozone and its precursors (hydrocarbons, NOX and HOX), aerosols, and the major greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O). INTEX-NA will provide the observational database needed to quantify inflow, outflow, and transformations of chemicals over North America. INTEX-NA is to be performed in two phases. Phase A will take place during the period of May-August 2004 and Phase B during March-June 2006. Phase A is in summer when photochemistry is most intense and climatic issues involving aerosols and carbon cycle are most pressing, and Phase B is in spring when Asian transport to North America is at its peak. INTEX-NA will coordinate its activities with concurrent measurement programs including satellites (e. g. Terra, Aura, Envisat), field activities undertaken by the North American Carbon Program (NACP), and other U.S. and international partners. However, it is being designed as a 'stand alone' mission such that its successful execution is not contingent on other programs. Synthesis of the ensemble of observation from surface, airborne, and space platforms, with the help of global/regional models is an important It is anticipated that approximately 175 flight hours for each of the aircraft (DC-8 and P-3B) will be required for each Phase. Principal operational sites are tentatively selected to be Bangor, ME; Wallops Island, VA; Seattle, WA; Rhinelander, WI; Lancaster, CA; and New Orleans, LA. These coastal and continental sites can support large missions and are suitable for INTEX-NA objectives. The experiment will be supported by forecasts from meteorological and chemical models, satellite observations, surface networks, and enhanced O3,-sonde releases. In addition to characterizing Atlantic-outflow and Pacific-inflow, INTEX-NA will characterize air masses transported between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. INTEX-NA will be the first continental scale inflow, outflow, and transformation experiment to be performed over North America. It will provide the most comprehensive observational data set to date to understand the O3/NOX/HOX/aerosol photochemical system and the carbon cycle. One of the critical needs of the carbon cycle research is to obtain large-scale vertical and horizontal concentration gradients of CO2, throughout the troposphere over continental source/sink regions. INTEX-NA is ideally suited to perform this role. Coastal and continental operational sites will allow us to develop a curtain profile of greenhouse gases (e. g. CO2,) and other key pollutants across North America. Such information is central to our quantitative understanding of chemical budgets on the continental scale. We expect to provide a number of satellite under-flights over land and water to test and validate observations from the appropriate satellite platform (e. g. Aura). We plan to develop strong collaborations with other national and international observational programs. Results from INTEX-NA should directly benefit the development of environmental policy for air quality and climate change.
Singh, Hanwant B.↗
Infrared site monitor operations at McDonald Observatory
The operation, calibration, and maintenance of the infrared monitor are described.
Smith, H. J.↗
Some considerations for Space Tug launch site support operations.
The study reported was undertaken to investigate the requirements placed on the Space Tug by the ground operations. On the basis of the results obtained, it will be possible to consider in future Tug systems studies the full spectrum of both ground and flight operations requirements in defining selected Tug configurations. The central core of the study consists of a functional analysis of ground operations during the Tug turnaround. Electronic system studies were initiated concurrently with the functional analysis study phase to evaluate interrelationships between ground and vehicle checkout and fault isolation capability.
Heald, D. A.↗