Engineering topics

DeLombard, Richard

Publications and source records attributed to DeLombard, Richard.

At least 37 records · Page 2

NASA NTRS1999

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurement for STS-87, Launched November 19, 1997

Two accelerometer systems, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment and the Space Acceleration Measurement System, were used to measure and record the microgravity environment of the Orbiter Columbia during the STS-87 mission in November-December 1997. Data from two separate Space Acceleration Measurement System units were telemetered to the ground during the mission and data plots were displayed for investigators of the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload experiments in near real-time using the World Wide Web. Plots generated using Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data (telemetered to the ground using a tape delay) were provided to the investigators using the World Wide Web approximately twelve hours after data recording. Disturbances in the microgravity environment as recorded by these instruments are grouped by source type: Orbiter systems, on-board activities, payload operations, and unknown sources. The environment related to the Ku-band antenna dither, Orbiter structural modes, attitude deadband collapses, water dump operations, crew sleep, and crew exercise was comparable to the effects of these sources on previous Orbiter missions. Disturbances related to operations of the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment and Space Acceleration Measurement Systems that were not observed on previous missions are detailed. The effects of Orbiter cabin and airlock depressurization and extravehicular activities are also reported for the first time. A set of data plots representing the entire mission is included in the CD-ROM version of this report.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Experiment-to-Experiment Disturbance of Microgravity Environment

The STS-87 Shuttle mission carried the Fourth United States MicroGravity Payload (USMP-4) as one of the primary payloads. Four USMP-4 science experiments were installed on two carriers in the cargo bay of the Shuttle. The Confined Helium Experiment (CHeX), located on the aft carrier, was particularly susceptible to vibrations in several frequency ranges due to structural resonances of the CHeX apparatus and the extreme sensitivity of the sample to vibrations. Shortly after activation of the USMP-4 payload, a strong, vibratory disturbance within the susceptibility region of the CHeX apparatus was detected. After investigating the characteristics of the disturbance and the time at which it first appeared, it was deduced that the vibration was generated by cooling fans in the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE). This paper will summarize the development of the conflict, briefly describe the disturbance source, and the susceptibility of the CHeX apparatus, and summarize the results of post-mission tests of IDGE.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1998

OARE and SAMS on STS-94/MSL-1

Four microgravity acceleration measurement instruments were included on MSL-1 to measure the accelerations and vibrations to which science experiments were exposed during their operation on the mission. The data were processed and presented to the principal investigators in a variety of formats to aid their assessment of the microgravity environment during their experiment operations. Two accelerometer systems managed by the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) supported the MSL-1 mission: the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), and the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS). In addition, the Microgravity Measurement Assembly (MMA) and the Quasi- Steady Acceleration Measurement (QSAM) system, both sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division, collected acceleration data as a part of the MSL-1 mission. The NIMA was funded and designed by the European Space Agency in the Netherlands (ESA/ESTEC), and the QSAM system was funded and designed by the German Space Agency (DLR). The Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) project at the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) supports Principal Investigators (PIs) of the Microgravity science community as they evaluate the effects of acceleration on their experiments. PIMS primary responsibility is to support NASA-sponsored investigators in the area of acceleration data analysis and interpretation. A mission summary report was prepared and published by PIMS in order to furnish interested experiment investigators with a guide for evaluating the acceleration environment during the MSL-1 mission.

Moskowitz, Milton↗

NASA NTRS1998

Principal Investigator Microgravity Services: USMP-3

Two accelerometers provided acceleration data during the STS-75 mission in support of the third United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3) experiments. The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) and the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) provided a measure of the microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The OARE provided investigators with quasi-steady acceleration measurements after about a six hour time lag dictated by downlink constraints. SAMS data were downlinked in near-real-time and recorded on-board for post-mission analysis. These two accelerometer systems are briefly described. Using a combination of data analysis techniques, the microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew, and experiment operations is presented and interpreted. The microgravity environment represented by SAMS and OARE data is comparable to the environments measured by these instruments on earlier microgravity science missions. Thruster activity on this mission seen in the SAMS data appear to be more frequent than on other microgravity missions with the combined firings of the F5L and F5R jets producing significant acceleration transients. Of the events studied, the crew activities performed in the middeck and flight deck, SPREE table rotations, a waste collection system compaction, and a fuel cell purge had negligible effects on the microgravity environment of the USMP-3 carriers. The Ku band antenna repositioning activity resulted in a brief interruption of the ubiquitous 17 Hz signal in the SAMS data. In addition, the auxiliary power unit operations during the Flight Control System checkout appeared to have a significant impact on the microgravity environment.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1998

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir (NASA Increment 4)

During NASA Increment 4 (January to May 1997), about 5 gigabytes of acceleration data were collected by the Space Acceleration Measurements System (SAMS) onboard the Russian Space Station, Mir. The data were recorded on 28 optical disks which were returned to Earth on STS-84. During this increment, SAMS data were collected in the Priroda module to support the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE), the Binary Colloidal Alloy Tests (BCAT), Angular Liquid Bridge (ALB), Candle Flames in Microgravity (CFM), Diffusion Controlled Apparatus Module (DCAM), Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors (EDLS), Forced Flow Flame Spreading Test (FFFr), Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD), Protein Crystal Growth in Dewar (PCG/Dewar), Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD), and Technical Evaluation of MIM (TEM). This report points out some of the salient features of the microgravity environment to which these experiments were exposed. Also documented are mission events of interest such as the docked phase of STS-84 operations, a Progress engine bum, Soyuz vehicle docking and undocking, and Progress vehicle docking. This report presents an overview of the SAMS acceleration measurements recorded by 10 Hz and 100 Hz sensor heads. The analyses included herein complement those presented in previous summary reports prepared by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) group.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1998

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir From January to May 1997 (NASA Increment 4)

During NASA Increment 4 (January to May 1997), about 5 gigabytes of acceleration data were collected by the Space Acceleration Measurements System (SAMS) onboard the Russian Space Station, Mir. The data were recorded on 28 optical disks which were returned to Earth on STS-84. During this increment, SAMS data were collected in the Priroda module to support the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE), the Binary Colloidal Alloy Tests (BCAT), Angular Liquid Bridge (ALB), Candle Flames in Microgravity (CFM), Diffusion Controlled Apparatus Module (DCAM), Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors (EDLS), Forced Flow Flame Spreading Test (FFFT), Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD), Protein Crystal Growth in Dewar (PCG/Dewar), Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD), and Technical Evaluation of MIM (TEM). This report points out some of the salient features of the microgravity environment to which these experiments were exposed. Also documented are mission events of interest such as the docked phase of STS-84 operations, a Progress engine burn, Soyuz vehicle docking and undocking, and Progress vehicle docking. This report presents an overview of the SAMS acceleration measurements recorded by 10 Hz and 100 Hz sensor heads. The analyses included herein complement those presented in previous summary reports prepared by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) group.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1998

17th International Microgravity Measurements Group Meeting

The Seventeenth International Microgravity Measurements Group (MGMG) meeting was held 24-26 March 1998 at the Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAI) in Brook Park, Ohio. This meeting focused on the transition of microgravity science research from the Shuttle, Mir, and free flyers to the International Space Station. The MGMG series of meetings are conducted by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services project of the Microgravity Science Division at the NASA Lewis Research Center. The MGMG meetings provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas about the microgravity environment and microgravity acceleration research in the Microgravity Research Program. The meeting had participation from investigators in all areas of microgravity research. The attendees included representatives from: NASA centers; National Space Development Agency of Japan; European Space Agency; Daimler Benz Aerospace AG; Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt; Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales; Canadian Space Agency, national research institutions; Universities in U.S., Italy, Germany, and Russia; and commercial companies in the U.S. and Russia. Several agencies presented summaries of the measurement, analysis, and characterization of the microgravity environment of the Shuttle, Mir, and sounding rockets over the past fifteen years. This extensive effort has laid a foundation for pursuing a similar course during future microgravity science experiment operations on the ISS. Future activities of microgravity environment characterization were discussed by several agencies who plan to operate on the ISS.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1998

Review of Shuttle Microgravity Acceleration Data: Vibratory and Transient

Knowledge about the acceleration environment on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Space Shuttle plays an important role in conducting many microgravity science experiments. The Microgravity Measurement and Analysis Program at the Lewis Research Center measures and characterizes the acceleration environment of the Shuttle and other free-fall platforms. The Space Acceleration Measurement System has been the primary source of Shuttle vibratory and transient acceleration data. These data, along with those from other accelerometer systems, have been analyzed by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services team in order to identify, qualify, and quantify the effects of various acceleration disturbances. This paper highlights and summarizes the results of these analyses.

Hrovat, Kenneth↗

NASA NTRS1998

PI Microgravity Services Role for International Space Station Operations

During the ISS era, the NASA Lewis Research Center's Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) project will provide to principal investigators (PIs) microgravity environment information and characterization of the accelerations to which their experiments were exposed during on orbit operations. PIMS supports PIs by providing them with microgravity environment information for experiment vehicles, carriers, and locations within the vehicle. This is done to assist the PI with their effort to evaluate the effect of acceleration on their experiments. Furthermore, PIMS responsibilities are to support the investigators in the area of acceleration data analysis and interpretation, and provide the Microgravity science community with a microgravity environment characterization of selected experiment carriers and vehicles. Also, PIMS provides expertise in the areas of microgravity experiment requirements, vibration isolation, and the implementation of requirements for different spacecraft to the microgravity community and other NASA programs.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1998

Comparison Tools for Assessing the Microgravity Environment of Space Missions, Carriers and Conditions

The microgravity environment of the NASA Shuttles and Russia's Mir space station have been measured by specially designed accelerometer systems. The need for comparisons between different missions, vehicles, conditions, etc. has been addressed by the two new processes described in this paper. The Principal Component Spectral Analysis (PCSA) and Quasi-steady Three-dimensional Histogram QTH techniques provide the means to describe the microgravity acceleration environment of a long time span of data on a single plot. As described in this paper, the PCSA and QTH techniques allow both the range and the median of the microgravity environment to be represented graphically on a single page. A variety of operating conditions may be made evident by using PCSA or QTH plots. The PCSA plot can help to distinguish between equipment operating full time or part time, as well as show the variability of the magnitude and/or frequency of an acceleration source. A QTH plot summarizes the magnitude and orientation of the low-frequency acceleration vector. This type of plot can show the microgravity effects of attitude, altitude, venting, etc.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1997

Microgravity Environment Description Handbook

The Microgravity Measurement and Analysis Project (MMAP) at the NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) manages the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) and the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) instruments to measure the microgravity environment on orbiting space laboratories. These laboratories include the Spacelab payloads on the shuttle, the SPACEHAB module on the shuttle, the middeck area of the shuttle, and Russia's Mir space station. Experiments are performed in these laboratories to investigate scientific principles in the near-absence of gravity. The microgravity environment desired for most experiments would have zero acceleration across all frequency bands or a true weightless condition. This is not possible due to the nature of spaceflight where there are numerous factors which introduce accelerations to the environment. This handbook presents an overview of the major microgravity environment disturbances of these laboratories. These disturbances are characterized by their source (where known), their magnitude, frequency and duration, and their effect on the microgravity environment. Each disturbance is characterized on a single page for ease in understanding the effect of a particular disturbance. The handbook also contains a brief description of each laboratory.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1997

Microgravity Environment Characterization Program

The Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD), a division within NASA's Office of Life and Microgravity Science and Applications, sponsors a broad range of space-based research in biotechnology, combustion science, fluid physics, fundamental physics, and materials science. To better understand and exploit the orbital environment, MSAD has developed methods and hardware to characterize accelerations on microgravity experiment carriers. MSAD supports research to verify analytically derived acceleration requirements for experiments and provides vibration isolation for sensitive experiments. The Microgravity Measurement and Analysis Project (MMAP), supported by MSAD, incorporates four projects: the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), the SAMS for International Space Station (SAMS-II), and the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS). SAMS was developed to record microgravity accelerations and the OARE was developed to record very low-frequency microgravity accelerations on-board the NASA Orbiters. The SAMS is also used for cooperative investigations on the Russian Mir space station. The SAMS-II is being developed for the same function on-board the International Space Station (ISS). PIMS utilizes microgravity acceleration data to develop a description of each microgravity mission's acceleration environment and to support microgravity investigators in interpreting possible effects of the acceleration environment on their experiments. These elements of the MSAD program will be used to define acceleration requirements for future Orbiter and ISS payloads. This paper describes the MMAP and summarizes the products and services available to principal investigators and other users. This paper also presents some microgravity acceleration characterization results from the last six years of Orbiter microgravity missions.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1997

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir from November 1995 to March 1996

The NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) sponsors science experiments on a variety of microgravity carriers, including Orbiter missions and Russia's Mir space station. The MSAD sponsors the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) at the NASA Lewis Research Center (LERC) to support these science experiments by providing acceleration measurements to characterize the microgravity environment to which the experiments were exposed. The LeRC Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) project supports principal investigations of microgravity science experiments as they evaluate the effects of varying acceleration levels on their experiments. In 1994, a SAMS unit was installed on the Mir space station. In a manner similar to Orbiter mission support, the SAMS unit supports science experiments from the U.S. and Russia by measuring the microgravity environment during experiment operations. Previous reports have summarized the SAMS data acquired during the period from September 1994 to November 1995. During the time period from November 1995 to March 1996, the primary SAMS-supported experiment was a Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment. SAMS data were obtained during the PCG operations on Mir in accordance with the requirements specified by the PCG Principal Investigator. Also included in this data are mission events of interest, such as the undocking of STS-74 from Mir (November 1995) and the docking of Atlantis (STS-76) to Mir in March 1996. This report presents an overview of the SAMS data recorded in the interval from November 1995 to March 1996.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1997

Comparison Tools for Assessing the Microgravity Environment of Missions, Carriers and Conditions

The Principal Component Spectral Analysis and the Quasi-steady Three-dimensional Histogram techniques provide the means to describe the microgravity acceleration environment of an entire mission on a single plot. This allows a straight forward comparison of the microgravity environment between missions, carriers, and conditions. As shown in this report, the PCSA and QTH techniques bring both the range and median of the microgravity environment onto a single page for an entire mission or another time period or condition of interest. These single pages may then be used to compare similar analyses of other missions, time periods or conditions. The PCSA plot is based on the frequency distribution of the vibrational energy and is normally used for an acceleration data set containing frequencies above the lowest natural frequencies of the vehicle. The QTH plot is based on the direction and magnitude of the acceleration and is normally used for acceleration data sets with frequency content less than 0.1 Hz. Various operating conditions are made evident by using PCSA and QTH plots. Equipment operating either full or part time with sufficient magnitude to be considered a disturbance is very evident as well as equipment contributing to the background acceleration environment. A source's magnitude and/or frequency variability is also evident by the source's appearance on a PCSA plot. The PCSA and QTH techniques are valuable tools for extracting useful information from acceleration data taken over large spans of time. This report shows that these techniques provide a tool for comparison between different sets of microgravity acceleration data, for example different missions, different activities within a mission, and/or different attitudes within a mission. These techniques, as well as others, may be employed in order to derive useful information from acceleration data.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1997

Measured Success: The Microgravity Measurement and Analysis Project

In microgravity, even minute forces can affect experiments: therefore, investigators need to know the precise strength of the gravitational levels and vibrations affecting their experiments to interpret results correctly and to develop an understanding of the effects caused by these forces. The Microgravity Measurement and Analysis Project (MMAP) at the NASA Lewis Research Center was established to provide a single source for measuring the microgravity environment on various orbiting spacecraft, providing support for scientists, and microgravity environment data. As part of this project, the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) and the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) have supported 15 shuttle missions. In addition, one SAMS unit has been operated on Russia's Mir Space Station since September 1994.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1996

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurements for STS-75, Launched February 22, 1996

Two accelerometers provided acceleration data during the STS-75 mission in support of the third United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-3) experiments. The Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE) and the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) provided a measure of the microgravity environment of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The OARE provided investigators with quasi-steady acceleration measurements after about a six hour time lag dictated by downlink constraints. SAMS data were downlinked in near-real-time and recorded on-board for post-mission analysis. An overview of the mission is provided as are brief discussions of these two accelerometer systems. Data analysis techniques used to process SAMS and OARE data are discussed Using a combination of these techniques, the microgravity environment related to several different Orbiter, crew, and experiment operations is presented and interpreted. The microgravity environment represented by SAMS and OARE data is comparable to the environments measured by the instruments on earlier microgravity science missions. The OARE data compared well with predictions of the quasi-steady environment. The SAMS data show the influence of thruster firings and crew motion (transient events) and of crew exercise, Orbiter systems, and experiment operations (oscillatory events). Thruster activity on this mission appears to be somewhat more frequent than on other microgravity missions with the combined firings of the F5L and F5R jets producing significant acceleration transients. The specific crew activities performed in the middeck and flight deck, the SPREE table rotations, the waste collection system compaction, and the fuel cell purge had negligible effects on the microgravity environment of the USMP-3 carriers. The Ku band antenna repositioning activity resulted in a brief interruption of the ubiquitous 17 Hz signal in the SAMS data. In addition, the auxiliary power unit operations during the Flight Control System checkout appeared to have a significant impact on the microgravity environment.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗

NASA NTRS1996

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir from June to November 1995

The NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) sponsors science experiments on a variety of microgravity carriers, including sounding rockets, drop towers, parabolic aircraft, and Orbiter missions. The MSAD sponsors the Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS) to support microgravity science experiments with acceleration measurements to characterize the microgravity environment to which the experiments were exposed. The Principal Investigator Microgravity Services project at the NASA Lewis Research Center supports principal investigators of microgravity experiments as they evaluate the effects of varying acceleration levels on their experiments. In 1993, a cooperative effort was started between the United States and Russia involving science utilization of the Russian Mir space station by scientists from the United States and Russia. MSAD is currently sponsoring science experiments participating in the Shuttle-Mir Science Program in cooperation with the Russians on the Mir space station. Included in the complement of MSAD experiments and equipment is a SAMS unit In a manner similar to Orbiter mission support, the SAMS unit supports science experiments from the U.S. and Russia by measuring the microgravity environment during experiment operations. The initial SAMS supported experiment was a Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) experiment from June to November 1995. SAMS data were obtained during the PCG operations on Mir in accordance with the PCG Principal Investigator's requirements. This report presents an overview of the SAMS data recorded to support this PCG experiment. The report contains plots of the SAMS 100 Hz sensor head data as an overview of the microgravity environment, including the STS-74 Shuttle-Mir docking.

DeLombard, Richard↗

NASA NTRS1996

Compendium of Information for Interpreting the Microgravity Environment of the Orbiter Spacecraft

Science experiments are routinely conducted on the NASA shuttle orbiter vehicles. Primarily, these experiments are operated on such missions to take advantage of the microgravity (low-level acceleration) environment conditions during on-orbit operations. Supporting accelerometer instruments are operated with the experiments to measure the microgravity acceleration environment in which the science experiments were operated. Tne Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) Project at NASA Lewis Research Center interprets these microgravity acceleration data and prepares mission summary reports to aid the principal investigators of the scientific experiments in understanding the microgravity environment. Much of the information about the orbiter vehicle and the microgravity environment remains the same for each mission. Rather than repeat that information in each mission summary report, reference information is presented in this report to assist users in understanding the microgravity-acceleration data. The characteristics of the microgravity acceleration environment are first presented. The methods of measurement and common instruments used on orbiter missions are described. The coordinate systems utilized in the orbiter and accelerometers are described. Some of the orbiter attitudes utilized in microgravity related missions are illustrated. Methods of data processing are described and illustrated. The interpretation of the microgravity acceleration data is included with an explanation of common disturbance sources. Instructions to access some of the acceleration data and a description of the orbiter thrusters are explained in the appendixes. A microgravity environment bibliography is also included.

DeLombard, Richard↗