SEARCH · Engineering Papers
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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Optical comparator method determines the quality and registration of surface features of double-sided printed circuit boards. Color-coded superimposed images of both sides of a printed circuit board are presented to view, clearly showing details and registration of the circuitry.
Pericynthion altitude of selenocentric orbits determined from angular rate of line of sight with respect to prominant lunar surface features along ballistic trajectories
Differential IR lunar emission spectroscopy spanning surface features types for compositional or age differences determination, showing spectral differences for two features
Lunar surface features as observed by orbiting and landing craft, discussing particle layer, rocks, craters, effects of erosion, meteorite impact, etc
Mars TV pictures from Mariner 7, describing prominent surface features
Electron fractography establishes causes of metal fatigue and stress failures. Technique produces surface features at magnification as high as 9000X with excellent resolution. Method permits observation of features with dimensions of only 50 angstroms.
Mars surface features, describing diagonal and meridian-latitude grid systems, continental blocks and continental drift
Venus rotation period determination by radar observation of surface features
Lunar exploration by manned and unmanned space flights, discussing seismology, composition, surface features, etc
Mariners 6 and 7 orbits determination by weighted least squares estimation based on common surface features in overlapping TV pictures
Mars atmospheric data from Mariner flights, discussing north polar haze, bright surface features morphology, multiring structures and water vapor exchange
Lunar gravity measurements by Apollo 14 Doppler radio tracking during low altitude orbits, correlating variations with surface features
Scanning electron microscope and petrographic observations of glass particles from Apollo 12 lunar soil sample, revealing surface features and origin
To obtain information about in-place lunar rocks and soil, a closeup stereoscopic camera capable of photographing small scale surface features was used at the Apollo 12 landing site on the Ocean of Storms. Fifteen stereoscopic photograph pairs were obtained. The stereoscopic pairs were of excellent quality and showed the in-place lunar material in detail. The photographs were analyzed and the results compared with the results of the Apollo 12 core sample analysis and other investigations. Significant information about the physical composition and genesis of the lunar soil at the Apollo 12 landing site was obtained. The cohesive soil on the Ocean of Storms probably results from repetitive bombardment of basalt flows by meteorites over long periods of time.
Data from six Mariner Mars experiments are presented. Television reconnaissance of Mars and its satellites yielded information on atmospheric phenomena, surface features of the South Polar region, geology, and satellite astronomy. Other experiments involved infrared spectroscopy and radiometry; ultraviolet spectrometry; S band occultation for observing the atmosphere, ionosphere, and topography of Mars; and the use of celestial mechanics, to determine the gravity field pole direction of the planet.
An experimental study was conducted of digitized multispectral satellite photography to seek answers to the following two questions: what are the data handling problems and requirements of converting photographic density measurements to a usable digital form, and what surface features can be distinguished using multispectral data taken at satellite altitudes. Results include the digitization of three multiband black and white photographs and a color infrared photograph, the conversion of the results of digitization to a useful digital form, and several data analysis experiments. As a whole, they encourage the use of multiband photography as a multispectral data collection instrument.
Tentative characterizations of several Mariner 6 and 7 Martian surface features, made by the senior author in the absence of previous knowledge about Mars, are presented. The ridges in 7N17 are interpreted as a glacial moraine; barchane or parabolic sand dunes are identified in 6N5; and thermokarst collapse features, possibly produced in permafrost by Martian geothermal activity, are proposed in 6N8 and 6N14, in agreement with the suggestion of Sharp et al. (1971).
Results of observations of the spectral reflectance properties (0.3 to 1.1 micron) of a number of lunar mare, upland, and bright crater areas with the use of ground-based telescopes. These new data are discussed in view of earlier studies in an attempt to provide a basis for more detailed interpretation. The spectral reflectivity curves (0.3 to 1.1 micron) for all lunar areas studied consist of a positive sloping continuum with a superimposed symmetric absorption band centered at 0.95 micron. Upland, mare, and bright crater materials can be identified by their spectral curves. The curves for upland and mare regions show a range of shapes from fresh, bright craters to progressively darker background material that correlates with the apparent age of the surface features. The observed upland material has uniform spectral properties, but the mare material shows some variety, probably due to Ti(3+) dispersed in lunar-soil glass. Copernicus and Aristarchus appear to have exposed upland material from beneath the mare but Kepler has not. This observation suggests that the mare is no deeper than about 15 km in the Copernicus area and about 6 km deep in the Aristarchus area, but in the Kepler area the mare must be at least about 5 km deep.