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At least 469 records · Page 26
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1985

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and the US economy

In response to Public Law 98-371, dated July 18, 1984, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee has studied automation and rebotics for use in the space station. The Executive Overview, Volume 1 presents the major findings of the study and recommends to NASA principles for advancing automation and robotics technologies for the benefit of the space station and of the U.S. economy in general. As a result of its study, the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee believes that a key element of technology for the space station is extensive use of advanced general-purpose automation and robotics. These systems could provide the United States with important new methods of generating and exploiting space knowledge in commercial enterprises and thereby help preserve U.S. leadership in space.

Cohen, A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

R and D Productivity: New Challenges for the US Space Program

Various topics related to research and development activities applicable to their U.S. space program are discussed. Project management, automatic control technology, human resources, management information systems, computer aided design, systems engineering, and personnel management were among the topics covered.

Otis W Baskin↗
NASA NTRS1984

Assessment of US industry's technology trends and new technology requirements

The utility and effectiveness of a novel approach (the Applications Development, or AD approach), intended to augment the efficiency of NASA's technology utilization (TU) through dissemination of NASA technologies and joint technology development efforts with U.S. industry is tested. The innovative AD approach consists of the following key elements: selection of NASA technologies appearing to have leading edge attributes; interaction with NASA researchers to assess the characteristics and quality of each selected technology; identification of industry's needs in the selected technology areas; structuring the selected technologies in terms of specifications and standards familiar to industry (industrial Spec. Sheets); identification and assessment of industry's interest in the specific selected NASA technologies, utilizing the greatly facilitated communication made possible by the availability of the industrial Spec. Sheets; and matching selected NASA technologies with the needs of selected industries.

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NASA NTRS1985

The US National Transonic Facility, part 1

The construction of the National Transonic Facility was completed in September 1982, and checkout operations started the following month, with the maximum Reynolds number being obtained in May 1983. Following, most of the effort was devoted to installing the model access housings, and adjusting or altering various tunnel hardware systems. In May 1984, preliminary aerodynamic calibration of the tunnel was initiated in parallel with checkout of the tunnel operating systems, and in August 1984, the tunnel was declared operational and turned over to the user organization for a complete aerodynamic calibration and research and development testing. The facility has been operated in both the air and nitrogen modes covering a Mach number range of 0.2 to 1.22 at pressures up to 8.5 atm and at temperatures down to 100K. This paper presents a status of the tunnel operating systems and an overview of the major milestones during checkout.

Bruce, W. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1985

The US National Transonic Facility, part 2

The construction of the National Transonic Facility was completed in September 1982, and checkout operations started the following month with the maximum Reynolds number being obtained in May 1983. Afterwards, effort was primarily devoted to installing the model access housings and adjusting or altering various tunnel hardware systems. In May 1984, the aerodynamic calibration started and was performed in parallel with checkout of the tunnel systems. In August 1984, the final operation readiness review was conducted and the facility declared operational for research testing. The facility has been operated in both air and nitrogen modes covering a Mach number range of 0.2 to 1.22 at pressures up to 8.5 atm and at temperatures doen to 100K. A limited amount of tunnel circuit performance information has been obtained and is presented in this paper. An aerodynamic calibration plan has been outlined, and the first part of the steady-state calibration has been completed, of which some results are presented in this paper. The first aerodynamic vehicle, Pathfinder I, was installed in December 1984 for checkout of instrumentation systems, and a status report and some results are presented.

Bruce, W. E., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Arecibo Observatory support of the US international cometary Explorer mission encounter at comet Giacobini-Zinner

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico participated in the support of the U.S. International Cometary Explorer (ICE) mission when the ICE spacecraft passed through the tail of comet Giacobini-Zinner on September 11, 1985. The Arecibo Observatory is a research facility of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center (NAIC) operated by Cornell University under contract to the National Science Foundation (NSF). Coverage of the encounter involved the use of the observatory's 305-m (1000-ft) radio reflector antenna and RF and data system equipment fabricated or modified specifically for support of the ICE mission. The successful implementation, testing, and operation of this temporary receive, record, and data relay capability resulted from a cooperative effort by personnel at the Arecibo Observatory, the Goddard Space Flight Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Gordon, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Preliminary report on the geology and gold mineralization of the South Pass granite-greenstone terrain, Wind River Mountains, western Wyoming (US)

The South Pass granite-greenstone terrain lies near the southern tip of the Wind River Mountains of western Wyoming. This Archean supracrustal pile has been Wyoming's most prolific source of gold and iron ore. From 1962 to 1983, more than 90 million tons of iron ore were recovered from oxide-facies banded iron formation, and an estimated 325,000 ounces of gold were mined from metagreywacke-hosted shears and associated placers. Precambrian rocks at South Pass are unconformably overlain by Paleozoic sediments along the northeast flank, and a Tertiary pediment buries Archean supracrustals on the west and south. To the northwest, the supracrustals terminate against granodiorite of the Louis Lake batholith; to the east, the supracrustals terminate against granite of the Granite Mountains batholith. The Louis Lake granodiorite is approximately 2,630 + or - 20 m.y. old, and the Granite Mountains granite averages 2,600 m.y. old. The geometry of the greenstone belt is best expressed as a synform that has been modified by complex faulting and folding. Metamorphism is amphibolite grade surrounding a small island of greenschist facies rocks. The younger of the Archean supracrustal successions is the Miners Delight Formation. This unit yielded a Rb-Sr isochron of 2,800 m.y. A sample of galena from the Snowbird Mine within the Miners Delight Formation yielded a model age averaging 2,750 m.y. The Snowbird mineralization appears to be syngenetic and is hosted by metavolcanics of calc-alkaline affinity. Discussion follows.

Hausel, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Integrated risk/cost planning models for the US Air Traffic system

A prototype network planning model for the U.S. Air Traffic control system is described. The model encompasses the dual objectives of managing collision risks and transportation costs where traffic flows can be related to these objectives. The underlying structure is a network graph with nonseparable convex costs; the model is solved efficiently by capitalizing on its intrinsic characteristics. Two specialized algorithms for solving the resulting problems are described: (1) truncated Newton, and (2) simplicial decomposition. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated using data collected from a control center in the Midwest. Computational results with different computer systems are presented, including a vector supercomputer (CRAY-XMP). The risk/cost model has two primary uses: (1) as a strategic planning tool using aggregate flight information, and (2) as an integrated operational system for forecasting congestion and monitoring (controlling) flow throughout the U.S. In the latter case, access to a supercomputer is required due to the model's enormous size.

Mulvey, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

An optimization model for the US Air-Traffic System

A systematic approach for monitoring U.S. air traffic was developed in the context of system-wide planning and control. Towards this end, a network optimization model with nonlinear objectives was chosen as the central element in the planning/control system. The network representation was selected because: (1) it provides a comprehensive structure for depicting essential aspects of the air traffic system, (2) it can be solved efficiently for large scale problems, and (3) the design can be easily communicated to non-technical users through computer graphics. Briefly, the network planning models consider the flow of traffic through a graph as the basic structure. Nodes depict locations and time periods for either individual planes or for aggregated groups of airplanes. Arcs define variables as actual airplanes flying through space or as delays across time periods. As such, a special case of the network can be used to model the so called flow control problem. Due to the large number of interacting variables and the difficulty in subdividing the problem into relatively independent subproblems, an integrated model was designed which will depict the entire high level (above 29000 feet) jet route system for the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. As a first step in demonstrating the concept's feasibility a nonlinear risk/cost model was developed for the Indianapolis Airspace. The nonlinear network program --NLPNETG-- was employed in solving the resulting test cases. This optimization program uses the Truncated-Newton method (quadratic approximation) for determining the search direction at each iteration in the nonlinear algorithm. It was shown that aircraft could be re-routed in an optimal fashion whenever traffic congestion increased beyond an acceptable level, as measured by the nonlinear risk function.

Mulvey, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the space station and for the US economy

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on the Space Station. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the Law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the second in a series of progress updates and covers the period between October 4, 1985, and March 31, l986. NASA has accepted the basic recommendations of ATAC for its Space Station efforts. ATAC and NASA agree that thrust of Congress is to build an advanced automation and robotics technology base that will support an evolutionary Space Station Program and serve as a highly visible stimulator effecting the U.S. long-term economy. The progress report identifies the work of NASA and the Space Station study contractors, research in progress, and issues connected with the advancement of automation and robotics technology on the Space Station.

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NASA NTRS1986

US gravity utilization of tethers activity

The feasibility, requirements, and limitations of fluid transfer on a tethered system is evaluated. The study is conducted to simplify fluid transfer and to improve safety. The effects of gravity on these factors is also noted. Tether orbital refueling is used to settle fluid and to overcome the surface tension forces that are in space with the gravity level. It also allows a separation, when on the space station, from contamination and also from explosion hazards. Once the cryogenic propellant is settled the most important thing is the fluid slosh. Future plans of a gravity laboratory and a demonstration of gravity utilization using a TSS type of deployer are considered.

Kroll, K.↗
NASA NTRS1986

US monkey and rat experiments flown on the Soviet Satellite Cosmos 1514

On December 14, 1983, the U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos 1514, an unmanned spacecraft carrying biological and radiation physics experiments from nine countries, including five from the United States. This was the fourth flight with U.S. experiments aboard one of the Soviet unmanned spacecraft. The Cosmos 1514 flight was limited to five days duration because it was the first nonhuman primate flight. Cosmos 1514 marked a significant departure from earlier flights both in terms of Soviet goals and the degree of cooperation between the U.S.S.R. and the United States. This flight included more than 60 experiments on fish, crawfish eggs, plants and seeds, 10 Wistar pregnant rats, and 2 young adult rhesus monkeys as human surrogates. United States specialist participated in postflight data transfer and specimen transfer, and conducted rat neonatal behavioral studies. An overview of the mission is presented focusing on preflight, on-orbit, and postflight activites pertinent to the five U.S. experiments aboard Cosmos.

Mains, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Modified US Army U-8F ground vibration test

The Dryden Flight Research Facility of NASA Ames Research Center conducted a ground vibration test on a modified U.S. Army U-8F airplane. Modifications included new engines, propellers, and engine-mounted truss assemblies. The ground vibration test was conducted using sine dwell, single-point random, and impact excitations. The test was performed to determine modal frequencies, mode shapes, and structural damping coefficients of the airframe and propeller with full and empty fuel tanks. The data presented include frequency response plots, rigid-body and structural modal frequencies, and mode shapes.

Kehoe, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Some comparisons of US and USSR aircraft design developments

A review is given of the design and development of some U.S. and U.S.S.R. aircraft. The emphasis is on the historical development of large aircraft - civil and military transports and bombers. Design trends are somewhat similar for the two countries and indications are that some fundamental characteristics are dictated more by ideological differences rather than technological differences. A brief description is given in a more or less chronological order of the major bomber aircraft, major civil and military transport aircraft, and the development of the air transport systems.

Spearman, M. L.↗
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 NTRS1986

The US Space Station program

International participation in the U.S. Space Station program is examined. Proposed Space Station mission studies to be conducted by Canada, Japan, and Europe are described; the establishment and implementation of these programs is discussed. The use of the Space Station as a laboratory, test center, and manufacturing area, and the commercial applicability of the Space Station are analyzed.

Freitag, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The US re-usable launch system - The Space Shuttle

The NASA Space Shuttle furnishes a range of readily available, and either already planned or yet-to-be-defined services, which already encompass satellite on-orbit servicing, refueling and repair, and satellite retrieval services. A gradual expansion will be made of services that capitalize on the presence of a large crew during commercial and scientific operations, while pursuing the development of automated, standardized procedures for the handling of experiments in order to reduce research costs.

Lee, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1986

US long distance fiber optic networks: Technology, evolution and advanced concepts. Volume 1: Executive summary

Over the past two decades, fiber optics has emerged as a highly practical and cost-efficient communications technology. Its competitiveness vis-a-vis other transmission media, especially satellite, has become a critical question. This report studies the likely evolution and application of fiber optic networks in the United States to the end of the century. The outlook for the technology of fiber systems is assessed and forecast, scenarios of the evolution of fiber optic network development are constructed, and costs to provide service are determined and examined parametrically as a function of network size and traffic carried. Volume 1 consists of the Executive Summary. Volume 2 focuses on fiber optic technology and long distance fiber optic networks. Volume 3 develops a traffic and financial model of a nationwide long distance transmission network. Among the study's most important conclusions are: revenue requirements per circuit for LATA-to-LATA fiber optic links are less than one cent per call minute; multiplex equipment, which is likely to be required in any competing system, is the largest contributor to circuit costs; the potential capacity of fiber optic cable is very large and as yet undefined; and fiber optic transmission combined with other network optimization schemes can lead to even lower costs than those identified in this study.

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