Survey of space flight safety systems
Space flight safety, discussing escape, rescue and survival design approaches for astronauts
Bolger, P. H.↗
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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.
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Engines-only flight control system
A backup flight control system for controlling the flightpath of a multi-engine airplane using the main drive engines is introduced. The backup flight control system comprises an input device for generating a control command indicative of a desired flightpath, a feedback sensor for generating a feedback signal indicative of at least one of pitch rate, pitch attitude, roll rate and roll attitude, and a control device for changing the output power of at least one of the main drive engines on each side of the airplane in response to the control command and the feedback signal.
Burcham, Frank W.↗
Concepts and Realization of Reliable Flight Control Systems
Reliable VTOL flight control system
FLIGHT CONTROL↗
An Autonomous Flight Safety System
The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) being developed by NASA s Goddard Space Flight Center s Wallops Flight Facility and Kennedy Space Center has completed two successful developmental flights and is preparing for a third. AFSS has been demonstrated to be a viable architecture for implementation of a completely vehicle based system capable of protecting life and property in event of an errant vehicle by terminating the flight or initiating other actions. It is capable of replacing current human-in-the-loop systems or acting in parallel with them. AFSS is configured prior to flight in accordance with a specific rule set agreed upon by the range safety authority and the user to protect the public and assure mission success. This paper discusses the motivation for the project, describes the method of development, and presents an overview of the evolving architecture and the current status.
Bull, James B.↗
Flight analysis of the Apollo propulsion systems
Flight analysis of Apollo propulsion system
Thames, J. M., Jr.↗
Flight test experience with adaptive control systems
Flight test experience with adaptive control systems
Thompson, M. O.↗
Advanced piloted aircraft flight control system design methodology. Volume 2: The FCX flight control design expert system
The development of a comprehensive and electric methodology for conceptual and preliminary design of flight control systems is presented and illustrated. The methodology is focused on the design states starting with the layout of system requirements and ending when some viable competing system architectures (feedback control structures) are defined. The approach is centered on the human pilot and the aircraft as both the sources of, and the keys to the solution of, many flight control problems. The methodology relies heavily on computational procedures which are highly interactive with the design engineer. To maximize effectiveness, these techniques, as selected and modified to be used together in the methodology, form a cadre of computational tools specifically tailored for integrated flight control system preliminary design purposes. The FCX expert system as presently developed is only a limited prototype capable of supporting basic lateral-directional FCS design activities related to the design example used. FCX presently supports design of only one FCS architecture (yaw damper plus roll damper) and the rules are largely focused on Class IV (highly maneuverable) aircraft. Despite this limited scope, the major elements which appear necessary for application of knowledge-based software concepts to flight control design were assembled and thus FCX represents a prototype which can be tested, critiqued and evolved in an ongoing process of development.
Myers, Thomas T.↗
Tethered Satellite System (TSS-1) (STS Flight 46): System Description - Volume 2
This Document Has Been Prepared to: 1) Provide an In-Depth System Description for Technical Reviews and Briefings By NASA and Martin Marietta Astronautics Group (MMAG) Personnel; and 2) Provide TSS-1 Familiarization Training for New Personnel Who Are Assigned to the NASA and MMAG Project for Future Missions.
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Application of Nonlinear Systems Inverses to Automatic Flight Control Design: System Concepts and Flight Evaluations
A practical method for the design of automatic flight control systems for aircraft with complex characteristics and operational requirements, such as the powered lift STOL and V/STOL configurations, is presented. The method is effective for a large class of dynamic systems requiring multi-axis control which have highly coupled nonlinearities, redundant controls, and complex multidimensional operational envelopes. It exploits the concept of inverse dynamic systems, and an algorithm for the construction of inverse is given. A hierarchic structure for the total control logic with inverses is presented. The method is illustrated with an application to the Augmentor Wing Jet STOL Research Aircraft equipped with a digital flight control system. Results of flight evaluation of the control concept on this aircraft are presented.
Meyer, G.↗
A Flight Control System Architecture for the NASA AirSTAR Flight Test Infrastructure
A flight control system architecture for the NASA AirSTAR infrastructure has been designed to address the challenges associated with safe and efficient flight testing of research control laws in adverse flight conditions. The AirSTAR flight control system provides a flexible framework that enables NASA Aviation Safety Program research objectives, and includes the ability to rapidly integrate and test research control laws, emulate component or sensor failures, inject automated control surface perturbations, and provide a baseline control law for comparison to research control laws and to increase operational efficiency. The current baseline control law uses an angle of attack command augmentation system for the pitch axis and simple stability augmentation for the roll and yaw axes.
Murch, Austin M.↗
Autonomous Flight Safety System
The Autonomous Flight Safety System (AFSS) is an independent self-contained subsystem mounted onboard a launch vehicle. AFSS has been developed by and is owned by the US Government. Autonomously makes flight termination/destruct decisions using configurable software-based rules implemented on redundant flight processors using data from redundant GPS/IMU navigation sensors. AFSS implements rules determined by the appropriate Range Safety officials.
Simpson, James↗
String Stability of a Linear Formation Flight Control System
String stability analysis of an autonomous formation flight system was performed using linear and nonlinear simulations. String stability is a measure of how position errors propagate from one vehicle to another in a cascaded system. In the formation flight system considered here, each i(sup th) aircraft uses information from itself and the preceding ((i-1)(sup th)) aircraft to track a commanded relative position. A possible solution for meeting performance requirements with such a system is to allow string instability. This paper explores two results of string instability and outlines analysis techniques for string unstable systems. The three analysis techniques presented here are: linear, nonlinear formation performance, and ride quality. The linear technique was developed from a worst-case scenario and could be applied to the design of a string unstable controller. The nonlinear formation performance and ride quality analysis techniques both use nonlinear formation simulation. Three of the four formation-controller gain-sets analyzed in this paper were limited more by ride quality than by performance. Formations of up to seven aircraft in a cascaded formation could be used in the presence of light gusts with this string unstable system.
Allen, Michael J.↗
A discussion of the stability requirements for a launch vehicle flight control system
Launch vehicle flight control system and relation to stability requirements and dynamic responses
Redus, J. R.↗
Test unit free-flight suspension system Patent
Free flight suspension system for use with aircraft models in wind tunnel tests
Reed, W. H., III↗
Flight support system mechanisms
The Flight Support System (FSS) which contains twelve mechanisms (six different types) which are used for retention and positioning of a Multimission Modular Spacecraft (MMS) within the Space Shuttle's cargo bay during launch, retrieval, and servicing missions is described. Retention latches were designed to provide the capability for structural support of the MMS during launch and retrieval, and during servicing operations the mechanisms on the Positioning Platform provide the capability for positioning the MMS in virtually any orientation necessary for the work to be performed. In addition, there are mechanisms for matching and demating umbilical connectors and a mechanism for locking the Positioning Platform during maneuvers. Each Mechanism is driven by a Common Drive Unit. Manual overrides were provided for those mechanisms that would present a safety hazard for the crew, if they should fail.
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Performance improvements of an F-15 airplane with an integrated engine-flight control system
An integrated flight and propulsion control system has been developed and flight demonstrated on the NASA Ames-Dryden F-15 research aircraft. The highly integrated digital control (HIDEC) system provides additional engine thrust by increasing engine pressure ratio (EPR) at intermediate and afterburning power. The amount of EPR uptrim is modulated based on airplane maneuver requirements, flight conditions, and engine information. Engine thrust was increased as much as 10.5 percent at subsonic flight conditions by uptrimming EPR. The additional thrust significantly improved aircraft performance. Rate of climb was increased 14 percent at 40,000 ft and the time to climb from 10,000 to 40,000 ft was reduced 13 percent. A 14 and 24 percent increase in acceleration was obtained at intermediate and maximum power, respectively. The HIDEC logic performed fault free. No engine anomalies were encountered for EPR increases up to 12 percent and for angles of attack and sideslip of 32 and 11 degrees, respectively.
Myers, Lawrence P.↗
Performance improvements of an F-15 airplane with an integrated engine-flight control system
An integrated flight and propulsion control system has been developed and flight demonstrated on the NASA Ames-Dryden F-15 research aircraft. The highly integrated digital control (HIDEC) system provides additional engine thrust by increasing engine pressure ratio (EPR) at intermediate and afterburning power. The amount of EPR uptrim is modulated based on airplane maneuver requirements, flight conditions, and engine information. Engine thrust was increased as much as 10.5 percent at subsonic flight conditions by uptrimming EPR. The additional thrust significantly improved aircraft performance. Rate of climb was increased 14 percent at 40,000 ft and the time to climb from 10,000 to 40,000 ft was reduced 13 percent. A 14 and 24 percent increase in acceleration was obtained at intermediate and maximum power, respectively. The HIDEC logic performed fault free. No engine anomalies were encountered for EPR increases up to 12 percent and for angles of attack and sideslip of 32 and 11 deg, respectively.
Myers, Lawrence P.↗
Gemini flight control system performance during the second unmanned flight.
Gemini flight control system performance during second unmanned flight
FLIGHT CONTROL↗