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At least 19 records

Report of the Plasma Physics and Environmental Perturbation Laboratory (PPEPL) working groups. Volume 2: Wave experiments working group

The area of wave experiments for the PPEPL is considered in broad terms. It was found that most experiments in this area can be classified typically by a few generalized experiments. These experiment possibilities are discussed in terms of advantages, disadvantages, and probable areas for future investigation. It was concluded that the areas where wave experiments have the most promise are wave sources, wave propagation, and nonlinear interactions and should be implemented in that order. It was recommended that the PPEPL facility remain sufficiently flexible to handle new ideas as they appear, and a continuing effort should be made to solicit new ideas and approaches. It was also felt that detailed investigations should begin as soon as possible in the areas of antennas, both conventional and particle types, and wave-particle interaction experiments. For Vol. 1, see N74-28169; for Vol. 3, see N74-28171.

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Report of the Plasma Physics and Environmental Perturbation Laboratory (PPEPL) working groups. Volume 3: Magnetospheric experiments working group

A number of general studies that were proposed for the PPEPL-SHUTTLE program are considered in qualitative detail from both the theoretical and practical points of view. The selection of experimental programs was restricted to those which may be considered active as opposed to refinements of the passive observational programs done previously. It is concluded that, while these new studies were scientifically worthwhile and could be performed in principle, in most cases insufficient attention was paid to the practical details of the experiments. Several specific areas of study, stressing in particular the practical feasibility of the proposed experiments, are recommended. In addition, recommendations are made for further theoretical study, where appropriate. For Vol. 1, see N74-28169; for Vol. 2, see N74-28170.

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Development of flight experiment work performance and workstation interface requirements. Part 2: Appendix H

A skill requirement definition method was applied to the problem of determining, at an early stage in system/mission definition, the skills required of on-orbit crew personnel whose activities will be related to the conduct or support of earth-orbital research. The experiment data base was selected from proposed experiments in NASA's Earth Orbital Research and Application Investigation program as related to space shuttle missions, specifically those being considered for sortie lab. Activities during the study, include identification of basic functions dealing with man's research and/or servicing activities on orbit. A crew function taxonomy was prepared relative to these activities. Likely candidate experiments for shuttle sortie missions were selected through extensive review of experiment and mission descriptions. Crew functions and tasks were initially identified for more than fifty representative earth orbital experiments, and a comprehensive task analysis was conducted on these tasks for selected payloads.

Hatterick, R. G.

The Iterative Design Process in Research and Development: A Work Experience Paper

The iterative design process is one of many strategies used in new product development. Top-down development strategies, like waterfall development, place a heavy emphasis on planning and simulation. The iterative process, on the other hand, is better suited to the management of small to medium scale projects. Over the past four months, I have worked with engineers at Johnson Space Center on a multitude of electronics projects. By describing the work I have done these last few months, analyzing the factors that have driven design decisions, and examining the testing and verification process, I will demonstrate that iterative design is the obvious choice for research and development projects.

Sullivan, George F. III

Development of flight experiment work performance and workstation interface requirements, part 1. Technical report and appendices A through G

A skill requirement definition method was applied to the problem of determining, at an early stage in system/mission definition, the skills required of on-orbit crew personnel whose activities will be related to the conduct or support of earth-orbital research. The experiment data base was selected from proposed experiments in NASA's earth orbital research and application investigation program as related to space shuttle missions, specifically those being considered for Sortie Lab. Concepts for two integrated workstation consoles for Sortie Lab experiment operations were developed, one each for earth observations and materials sciences payloads, utilizing a common supporting subsystems core console. A comprehensive data base of crew functions, operating environments, task dependencies, task-skills and occupational skills applicable to a representative cross section of earth orbital research experiments is presented. All data has been coded alphanumerically to permit efficient, low cost exercise and application of the data through automatic data processing in the future.

Hatterick, R. G.

NASA Work Experience

I have had the opportunity to support the analytical laboratories in chemical analysis of unknown samples, using Optical Microscopy (OM), Polarizing Light Microscopy (PLM), Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEMEDS), and X-ray Powder Diffraction (XPD). I have assisted in characterizing fibers pulled from a spacecraft, a white fibrous residue discovered in a jet refueler truck, brown residue from a plant habitat slated for delivery to the ISS (International Space Station), corrosion on a pipe from a sprinkler, and air filtration material brought back from the ISS. I also conducted my own fiber study in order to practice techniques and further my understanding of background concepts. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to participate in diverse work assignments, where I was assigned to work with other branches of the engineering department for 1-2 days each. The first was in the Materials Science branch where I participated in the construction of the plant habitat intended for use in research aboard the ISS. The second was in the Testing Design branch where I assisted with tensile and hardness testing of over 40 samples. In addition, I have had the privilege to attend multiple tours of the NASA KSC campus, including to the Astronaut Crew Quarters, the VAB (the main area, the Columbia room, and the catwalk), the Visitor Center housing the shuttle Atlantis, the Saturn-V exhibit, the Prototype laboratory, SWAMP WORKS, the Shuttle Landing Facility, the Crawler, and the Booster Fabrication Facility (BFF). Lastly, much of my coursework prepared me for this experience, including numerous laboratory courses with topics diverse as chemistry, physics, and biology.

Florida Tech

Summer Work Experience: Determining Methane Combustion Mechanisms and Sub-Scale Diffuser Properties for Space Transporation System Engine Testing

To assess engine performance during the testing of Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs), the design of an optimal altitude diffuser is studied for future Space Transportation Systems (STS). For other Space Transportation Systems, rocket propellant using kerosene is also studied. Methane and dodecane have similar reaction schemes as kerosene, and are used to simulate kerosene combustion processes at various temperatures. The equations for the methane combustion mechanism at high temperature are given, and engine combustion is simulated on the General Aerodynamic Simulation Program (GASP). The successful design of an altitude diffuser depends on the study of a sub-scaled diffuser model tested through two-dimensional (2-D) flow-techniques. Subroutines given calculate the static temperature and pressure at each Mach number within the diffuser flow. Implementing these subroutines into program code for the properties of 2-D compressible fluid flow determines all fluid characteristics, and will be used in the development of an optimal diffuser design.

Williams, Powtawche N.

Work Experience Report

The NASA Platform for Autonomous Systems (NPAS) toolkit is currently being used at the NASA John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) to develop the INSIGHT program, which will autonomously monitor and control the Nitrogen System of the High Pressure Gas Facility (HPGF) on site. The INSIGHT program is in need of generic timing capabilities in order to perform timing based actions such as pump usage timing and sequence step timing. The purpose of this project was to develop a timing module that could fulfill these requirements and be adaptable for expanded use in the future. The code was written in Gensym G2 software platform, the same as INSIGHT, and was written generically to ensure compatibility with any G2 program. Currently, the module has two timing capabilities, a stopwatch function and a countdown function. Although the module has gone through some functionality testing, actual integration of the module into NPAS and the INSIGHT program is contingent on the module passing later checks.

Guo, Daniel

Lessons Learned from Mir - A Payload Perspective

Among the principal objectives of the Phase 1 NASA/Mir program were for the United States to gain experience working with an international partner, to gain working experience in long-duration space flight, and to gain working experience in planning for and executing research on a long-duration space platform. The Phase 1 program was to provide to the US early experience prior to the construction and operation of the International Space Station (Phase 2 and 3). While it can be argued that Mir and ISS are different platforms and that programmatically Phase 1 and ISS are organized differently, it is also clear that many aspects of operating a long-duration research program are platform independent. This can be demonstrated by a review of lessons learned from Skylab, a US space station program of the mid-1970's, many of which were again "learned" on Mir and are being "learned" on ISS. Among these are optimum crew training strategies, on-orbit crew operations, ground support, medical operations and crew psychological support, and safety certification processes

Uri, John J.

Summer 2014 Pathways Report

Over the summer I had the exciting opportunity to work for NASA at the Kennedy Space Center as a Mission Assurance Engineering intern. When I was offered a position in mission assurance for the Safety and Mission Assurance directorate's Launch Services Division, I didn't really know what I would be doing, but I knew it would be an excellent opportunity to learn and grow professionally. In this report I will provide some background information on the Launch Services Division, as well as detail my duties and accomplishments during my time as an intern. Additionally, I will relate the significance of my work experience to my current academic work and future career goals. This report contains background information on Mission Assurance Engineering, a description of my duties and accomplishments over the summer of 2014, and relates the significance of my work experience to my school work and future career goals. It is a required document for the Pathways program.

Pathways

Pioneer 10/11 data analysis of the magnetic field experiment

Work conducted in support of the Pioneer missions to Jupiter (10,11), and Saturn (11) as well as the reduction, analysis and interpretation of magnetic field data obtained by the vector helium magnetometer on the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft is summarized. Initial efforts concentrated primarily on the interplanetary data, and those aspcts of the data of relevance to obtaining a better understanding of the interaction of the magnetized solar wind with the terrestrial magnetic field. After encounters of Jupiter and Saturn, the emphasis of research was directed primarily to an analysis of the planetary data. In particular, it soon became clear that there was a need for modelling of the various candidate magnetospheric currents suggested by the data. Results not published as yet, are also summarized.

Jones, D. E.

An expert system to advise astronauts during experiments

Work being done on an expert system designed to improve the quality of space experimentation in vestibular physiology is described. Emphasis is given to two of the several modules of which the system architecture is composed: the Protocol Manager and the Interesting Data Filter. Some engineering issues related to human factors and to data acquisition and monitoring are also addressed.

Young, Laurence R.

Tests on a model of the D.F.W. airplane T-29 of the "Deutsche Flugzeug derke" (German airplane works)

Experiments similar to those carried out with the A.E.G (Allgemeine Elektrizitats-Gesellschaft) were made in the small wind tunnel of the Gottingen laboratory on a model of the D.F.W. airplane T-29. Three series of tests were carried out on the model with a velocity head (or dynamic pressure) of 5 kg/sq m (1.02 lb/sq ft), during which one of the movable surfaces was deflected at various angles, while both the others were retained in their central positions. Of special interest among the results of the tests is the different run of the elevating moments. The curves for the A.E.G. model, rising to the right, denote stability with the elevator locked, while the slight inclination to the left with the D.F.W model denotes a slight instability. For the maximum C(sub L) values, the stability of A.E.G. model continues to increase and the instability of the D.F.W. model is converted into stability. The rolling moments shown when the angular deflection of the ailerons is 0 degrees are due, in both series of tests, to the unequal distribution of the air velocity over the cross section of the wind tunnel, rather than to a lack of symmetry in the model.

Molthan, Wilhelm

Small Payload Launch Integrated Testing Services (SPLITS) - SPSDL

My experience working on the Small Payload Launch Integrated Testing Services project has been both educational and rewarding. I have been given the opportunity to work on and experiment with a number of exciting projects and initiatives, each offering different challenges and opportunities for teamwork and collaboration. One of my assignments is to aid in the design and construction of a small-scale two stage rocket as part of a Rocket University initiative. My duties include programming a microcontroller to control the various sensors on the rocket as well as process and transmit data. Additionally, I am writing a graphical user interface application for the ground station that will receive the transmitted data from the rocket and display the information on screen along with a 3D rendering displaying the rocket orientation. Another project I am working on is to design and develop the avionics that will be used to control a high altitude balloon flight that will test a sensor called a Micro Dosimeter that will measure the total ionizing dose absorbed by electrical components during a flight. This includes assembling and soldering the various sensors and components, programming a microcontroller to input and process data from the Micro Dosimeter, and transmitting the data down to a ground station as well as save the data to an on-board SD card. Additionally, I am aiding in the setup and development of ITOS (Integrated Test and Operations System) capability in the SPSDL (Spaceport Processing System Development Lab).

Intern

Meteorological factors in Earth-satellite propagation

Using the COMSTAR D/4 28.56 GHz beacon as a source, a differential gain experiment was performed by connecting a 5-meter paraboloidal antenna and a 0.6-meter paraboloidal antenna alternately to the same receiver. Substantial differential gain changes were observed during some, but not all, rain events. A site-diversity experiment was implemented which consists of two 28.56 GHz radiometers separated by 9 km. The look-angle corresponds to that of the D/4 beacon, and data were obtained with one radiometer during several weeks of concurrent beacon operation to verify the system calibration. A theoretical study of the effect of scattering from a nonuniform rain distribution along the path is under way to aid in interpreting the results of this experiment. An improved empirical site diversity-gain model was derived from data in the literature relating to 34 diversity experiments. Work on the experiment control and data acquisition system is continuing with a view toward future experiments.

Levis, C. A.

A Management Model for International Participation in Space Exploration Missions

This paper proposes an engineering management model for NASA's future space exploration missions based on past experiences working with the International Partners of the International Space Station. The authors have over 25 years of combined experience working with the European Space Agency, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Canadian Space Agency, Italian Space Agency, Russian Space Agency, and their respective contractors in the design, manufacturing, verification, and integration of their elements electric power system into the United States on-orbit segment. The perspective presented is one from a specific sub-system integration role and is offered so that the lessons learned from solving issues of technical and cultural nature may be taken into account during the formulation of international partnerships. Descriptions of the types of unique problems encountered relative to interactions between international partnerships are reviewed. Solutions to the problems are offered, taking into consideration the technical implications. Through the process of investigating each solution, the important and significant issues associated with working with international engineers and managers are outlined. Potential solutions are then characterized by proposing a set of specific methodologies to jointly develop spacecraft configurations that benefits all international participants, maximizes mission success and vehicle interoperability while minimizing cost.

George, Patrick J.

Shuttle VLBI experiment. Technical working group summary report

The gain in interferometric resolution of extragalactic sources at radio frequencies which can be achieved by placing a very long baseline interferometry (VLBI) antenna in space is quantitatively described and a VLBI demonstration experiment using a large deployable antenna, which if realized could be a very acceptable first venture for VLBI in space is discussed. A tutorial on VLBI, a summary of the technology available for the experiment, and a preliminary mission scenario are included.

Morgan, S. H.

Educational Experiences of Embry-Riddle Students through NASA Research Collaboration

NASA's educational programs benefit students while increasing the overall productivity of the organization. The NASA Graduate Student Research Program (GSRP) awards fellowships for graduate study leading to both masters and doctoral degrees in several technical fields, while the Cooperative Education program allows undergraduate and graduate students the chance to gain work experience in the field. The Mission Analysis Branch of the Expendable Launch Vehicles Division at NASA Kennedy Space Center has utilized these two programs with students from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to conduct research in modeling and developing a parameter estimation method for spacecraft fuel slosh using simple pendulum analogs. Simple pendulum models are used to understand complicated spacecraft fuel slosh behavior. A robust parameter estimation process will help to identiFy the parameters that will predict the response fairly accurately during the initial stages of design. NASA's Cooperative Education Program trains the next wave of new hires while allowing graduate and undergraduate college students to gain valuable "real-world" work experience. It gives NASA a no risk capability to evaluate the true performance of a prospective new hire without relying solely on a paper resume, while providing the students with a greater hiring potential upon graduation, at NASA or elsewhere. In addition, graduate students serve as mentors for undergrad students and provide a unique learning environment. Providing students with a unique opportunity to work on "real-world" aerospace problems ultimately reinforces their problem solving abilities and their communication skills (in terms of interviewing, resume writing, technical writing, presentation, and peer review) that are vital for the workforce to succeed.

Schlee, Keith