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Beggs, J. M.

Publications and source records attributed to Beggs, J. M..

8 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

The issue is leadership

Four NASA Phase B centers (NASA-Johnson, NASA-Marshall, NASA-Goddard, and NASA-Lewis) are responsible for construction, assembly, servicing, habitat, and other particular tasks and functions of the Space Station. The project has been joined by the aerospace programs of Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency, ensuring technological and financial support, and cooperative use by the participants. Some of the future uses of the Space Station include biomedical research and applications; experiments in solar-terrestrial physics and astronomy; building, maintenance, and launching of space instruments and planetary missions; manufacturing and processing of materials that call for the conditions of microgravity and weightlessness; supporting communication operations; and improving earth and atmospheric observations. The political significance of the Space Station as a symbol of leadership and of friendly cooperation is noted.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The challenge of the US Space Station

The U.S. Space Station program is described. The objectives of the present national space policy are reviewed. International involvement and commercial use of space are the two strategies involved in the development of the Space Station. The Space Station is to be a multifunctional, modular, permanent facility with manned and unmanned platforms. The functions of the Space Station for space research projects, such as material processing and electrophoresis, are examined. The infrastructure required for commercialization of space is analyzed. NASA's space policy aimed at stimulating space commerce is discussed. NASA's plans to reduce the financial, institutional, and technical risks of space research are studied.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Insulation bonding test system

A method and a system for testing the bonding of foam insulation attached to metal is described. The system involves the use of an impacter which has a calibrated load cell mounted on a plunger and a hammer head mounted on the end of the plunger. When the impacter strikes the insulation at a point to be tested, the load cell measures the force of the impact and the precise time interval during which the hammer head is in contact with the insulation. This information is transmitted as an electrical signal to a load cell amplifier where the signal is conditioned and then transmitted to a fast Fourier transform (FFT) analyzer. The FFT analyzer produces energy spectral density curves which are displayed on a video screen. The termination frequency of the energy spectral density curve may be compared with a predetermined empirical scale to determine whether a igh quality bond, good bond, or debond is present at the point of impact.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space station - The next logical step

NASA has been charged with the development, over the next decade, of a permanently manned space station in low earth orbit. The space station system will comprise a manned base and associated unmanned platforms; while one of the platforms will be in polar orbit, another (or several) platforms will, like the manned base, have an orbital inclination of 28.5 deg. Because it is permanent, the space station will have to be semiautonomous from its mission control center. NASA will take a number of steps to foster the commercial utilization of the space station, and one of the design goals of the project is the definition of astronaut facilities that are very 'customer friendly'. Reliance on a single, program-wide contractor has been deemed undesirable; several major aerospace manufacturers will instead distribute responsibility among themselves for the various modules constituting the craft.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The Space Station era

The users, configuration, and uses of the manned Space Station planned by the U.S. are outlined. The station is to be operational by 1994 and will serve scientific and commercial purposes. It is noted that the exploration of space, like the exploration of any other newly discovered, remote territory, requires the establishment of a base camp. Invitations have been extended to friendly nations to share in the construction and research capabilities of the station. The Space Station will be used for experiments, earth and stellar observations, vehicle maintenance, spacecraft and instrument assembly, storage, and relay and manufacturing.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Aeronautics for the 21st century

An assessment is made of the development possibilities of aerospace vehicle materials and structures, propulsion, avionics, configurations, computerized simulation, and operational capabilities. The supersonic transports envisioned for the 21st century would incorporate advanced, high temperature material structural design techniques, and a variable-cycle engine technology capable of a 40 percent increase in cruise efficiency over current systems, combined with low takeoff noise and efficient subsonic operation. This technology, as well as that of tilt-rotor VTOL aircraft which will be able to cruise at speeds comparable to those of present fixed-wing aircraft, are directly applicable to military systems. The impact of microelectronics and computer technologies on both avionics and the computational simulation of three-dimensional aerodynamic characteristics are also noted as important prospective developments.

Beggs, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1984

What will aircraft capabilities and needs really be in 2005?

Developments related to the U.S. aviation industry during the first 25 years of NASA's existence are briefly examined and the current status of the industry is evaluated. It is found that advances in the past were accomplished generally as a large number of relatively small improvements in the technologies rather than as a single revolutionary change. However, it is felt, that emerging technology in the future has the potential for providing just such a revolutionary jump in the efficiency and productivity of air transportation. New technologies are projected to result in aircraft which can generate in excess of 200 seat-miles per gallon of fuel. A new generation of supersonic transports can show large gains in range and payload capability with a tripling of productivity over subsonic aircraft. Aircraft with the considered advanced capabilities, if available by the year 2005, will provide the kind of revolution which resulted from the introduction of the first jet transport.

Beggs, J. M.↗