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At least 487 records · Page 27

Feasibility and systems definition study for Microwave Multi-Application Payload (MMAP)

Work completed on three Shuttle/Spacelab experiments is examined: the Adaptive Multibeam Phased Array Antenna (AMPA) Experiment, Electromagnetic Environment Experiment (EEE) and Millimeter Wave Communications Experiment (MWCE). Results included the definition of operating modes, sequence of operation, radii of operation about several ground stations, signal format, foot prints of typical orbits and preliminary definition of ground and user terminals. Conceptual hardware designs, Spacelab interfaces, data handling methods, experiment testing and verification studies were included. The MWCE-MOD I was defined conceptually for a steerable high gain antenna.

Horton, J. B.↗

Image dissector photocathode solar damage test program

Image dissector sensors of the same type which will be used in the NASA shuttle star tracker were used in a series of tests directed towards obtaining solar radiation/time damage criteria. Data were evaluated to determine the predicted level of operability of the star tracker if tube damage became a reality. During the test series a technique for reducing the solar damage effect was conceived and verified. The damage concepts are outlined and the test methods and data obtained which were used for verification of the technique's feasibility are presented. The ability to operate an image dissector sensor with the solar image focussed on the photocathode by a fast optical lens under certain conditions is feasible and the elimination of a mechanical protection device is possible.

Smith, R. A.↗

Creation of lumped parameter thermal model by the use of finite elements

In the finite difference technique, the thermal network is represented by an analogous electrical network. The development of this network model, which is used to describe a physical system, often requires tedious and mental data preparation and checkout by the analyst which can be greatly reduced through the use of the computer programs to develop automatically the mathematical model and associated input data and graphically display the analytical model to facilitate model verification. Three separate programs are involved which are linked through common mass storage files and data card formats. These programs are SPAR, CINGEN and GEOMPLT, and are used to (1) develop thermal models for the MITAS II thermal analyzer program; (2) produce geometry plots of the thermal network; and (3) produce temperature distribution and time history plots.

Source record↗

Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere /LIMS/ experiment

The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) radiometer is a satellite-borne six-channel multispectral scanning radiometer using a two-stage methane and ammonia solid-cryogen cooler to cool the (Hg, Cd)Te focal plane to 65 K. The LIMS experiment employs thermal IR limb sounding to provide vertical-profile measurement of temperature and of concentrations of O3, NO3, and H2O in the stratosphere on a global scale. The goals of the experiment and the expected accuracies of the measurements are outlined, and the radiance measured by the radiometer is analyzed. A program of correlative measurements designed for verification and augmentation of the LIMS data is discussed. Detailed descriptions are given of the LIMS components and optics, the detector capsule assembly, the solid-cryogen cooler, the four operational modes of the LIMS system, and the data-processor electronics. It is noted that prelaunch acceptance testing thus far completed indicates that the LIMS specification design requirements have been met, and the experiment's performance goals can be achieved.

Drozewski, R. W.↗

Comparison of backscatter ultraviolet /BUV/ and ground-based total ozone fields for December 1970

For the period December 1970, comparison is made between the monthly average analyses (mapped fields) of the backscatter ultraviolet (BUV) total ozone data and the ground-based observations. In particular, significant differences of over 50 Dobson units are noted over the region of the North Atlantic Ocean with the BUV of greater magnitude than the ground-based data. As part of the overall verification program, both analyses are compared against the 100 mb height fields. The results indicate that the BUV analysis in the region of question is the more consistent of the two.

Miller, A. J.↗

Surface observations for the evaluation of geophysical measurements from Seasat

The surface observations used for direct comparison with Seasat-derived values at fixed locations and as input to analyzed fields of pressure, wind, air and sea temperatures, and surface dew point are discussed. These included measurements made by research vessels participating in the Gulf of Alaska Seasat Experiment (GOASEX) and NOAA research platforms in addition to aircraft observations and reports from the World Weather Watch. The application of these observations in describing the synoptic-scale winds over the ocean is discussed, and the sensitivity of the verification statistics to the type of data (observations from buoys, weather ships, and transient vessels with or without anemometers) is considered. Results of a preliminary comparison of wind fields derived from Seasat-A scatterometer observation with winds specified by several types of platforms are presented.

Wilkerson, J. C.↗

Direct measurements of the Gibbs free energy of OH using a CW tunable laser

The paper describes an absorption measurement for determining the Gibbs free energy of OH generated in a mixture of water and oxygen vapor. These measurements afford a direct verification of the accuracy of thermochemical data of H2O at high temperatures and pressures. The results indicate that values for the heat capacity of H2O obtained through numerical computations are correct within an experimental uncertainty of 0.15 cal/mole K.

Killinger, D. K.↗

NASA/BLM Applications Pilot Test (APT), phase 2. Volume 1: Executive summary

Data from LANDSAT, low altitude color aerial photography, and ground visits were combined and used to produce vegetation cover maps and to estimate productivity of range, woodland, and forest resources in northwestern Arizona. A planning session, two workshops, and four status reviews were held to assist technology transfer from NASA. Computer aided digital classification of LANDSAT data was selected as a major source of input data. An overview is presented of the data processing, data collection, productivity estimation, and map verification techniques used. Cost analysis and digital LANDSAT digital products are also considered.

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Propeller flow visualization techniques

Propeller flow visualization techniques were tested. The actual operating blade shape as it determines the actual propeller performance and noise was established. The ability to photographically determine the advanced propeller blade tip deflections, local flow field conditions, and gain insight into aeroelastic instability is demonstrated. The analytical prediction methods which are being developed can be compared with experimental data. These comparisons contribute to the verification of these improved methods and give improved capability for designing future advanced propellers with enhanced performance and noise characteristics.

Stefko, G. L.↗

The use of field radiometers in reflectance factor and atmospheric measurements

Multispectral radiometers have been designed especially for the measurement of the reflectance factor of ground features. Reflectance factor data obtained with the aid of these instruments are used as 'ground truth' for aircraft and satellite experiments. The data provide a basis for the verification of models which have been developed to describe the radiation environment of surfaces. The considered radiometers can also be employed for atmospheric measurements. In the present paper, equations are developed for a number of applications. Attention is given to the reflectance factor measurement in the field, an analysis of the reflectance factor error, scattered and direct irradiance measurements, and the measurement of the atmospheric extinction coefficient.

Che, N.↗

A research program in advanced information systems

Topics addressed cover: identification of large space structure dynamics; special-purpose architectures for computational fluid dynamics; fault-tolerant processor architectures; data flow techniques; software specification and verification tools; management of software development; software environment for concurrent computing; and parallel algorithms and architectures for the solution of partial differential equations.

Vandervelde, Wallace E.↗

Boundary layer simulation improvement

The current Boundary Layer Integral Matrix Procedure - Version J (BLIMPJ) is advanced with regard to the previously modeled calculation methods accounting for surface roughness, relaminarization, condensed phase, and thick boundary layer effects. Current analytical limitations will be relaxed to permit more realistic wall and flow conditions and to use appropriate turbulence models with specific emphasis for the projected Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) engine application. The updates will be incorporated into the BLIMPJ computer program, and the modified program will be made operational on the MSFC CRAY computer system. Experimental feasibility studies were conducted to find out how to obtain quality test data with advanced instrumentation for concept verification purposes.

Praharaj, Sarat C.↗

Development and refinement of test bed simulations

Lewis Research Center of NASA, with support from Rocketdyne, was engaged in non-real time computer simulation effort for the Space Station Freedom Electric Power System (EPS) EASY5, a simulation package, is used as the primary tool for this activity. Early in the design of the EPS, two test beds were set up at Lewis. The Integrated Test Bed (ITB), that combines and upgrades these test beds, is in the planning stage. The test beds are designed to functionally represent many of the components of the EPS and their interconnections. The simulation effort is primarily directed towards these test beds. Model verification is performed using test bed data.

Dravid, Narayan V.↗

Computer vision techniques for rotorcraft low altitude flight

Rotorcraft operating in high-threat environments fly close to the earth's surface to utilize surrounding terrain, vegetation, or manmade objects to minimize the risk of being detected by an enemy. Increasing levels of concealment are achieved by adopting different tactics during low-altitude flight. Rotorcraft employ three tactics during low-altitude flight: low-level, contour, and nap-of-the-earth (NOE). The key feature distinguishing the NOE mode from the other two modes is that the whole rotorcraft, including the main rotor, is below tree-top whenever possible. This leads to the use of lateral maneuvers for avoiding obstacles, which in fact constitutes the means for concealment. The piloting of the rotorcraft is at best a very demanding task and the pilot will need help from onboard automation tools in order to devote more time to mission-related activities. The development of an automation tool which has the potential to detect obstacles in the rotorcraft flight path, warn the crew, and interact with the guidance system to avoid detected obstacles, presents challenging problems. Research is described which applies techniques from computer vision to automation of rotorcraft navigtion. The effort emphasizes the development of a methodology for detecting the ranges to obstacles in the region of interest based on the maximum utilization of passive sensors. The range map derived from the obstacle-detection approach can be used as obstacle data for the obstacle avoidance in an automatic guidance system and as advisory display to the pilot. The lack of suitable flight imagery data presents a problem in the verification of concepts for obstacle detection. This problem is being addressed by the development of an adequate flight database and by preprocessing of currently available flight imagery. The presentation concludes with some comments on future work and how research in this area relates to the guidance of other autonomous vehicles.

Sridhar, Banavar↗

Investigating ocean surface solar irradiance using Nimbus-7 Earth Radiation Budget data

A new estimation technique is introduced, using a surface solar irradiance database with advanced climate monitoring capabilities. Incorporating the Nimbus-7 Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) planetary albedo data obtained from wide-field-of-view radiometer measurements, the new solar irradiance model uses plane-parallel theory and assumes the isotropy of radiance reflected by the clouds and ocean surface. A brief description of the data, a treatment of the model verification, and a discussion of surface solar irradiance variability are presented. The results demonstrate the model's sensitivity to large-scale seasonal and interannual phenomena. A summary of the investigation is also presented, along with a perspective on potential uses and future development.

Chertock, Beth↗

Development and refinement of test bed simulations

Lewis Research Center of NASA, with support from Rocketdyne, has engaged in a nonreal-time computer simulation effort for the Space Station Freedom Electric Power System (EPS). EASYS, a simulation package, is used as the primary tool for this activity. Early in the design of the EPS, two test beds were set up at Lewis. The Integrated Test Bed (ITB) that combines and upgrades these test beds is in the planning stage. The test beds are designed to functionally represent many of the components of the EPS and their interconnections. The simulation effort is primarily directed towards these test beds. Model verification is performed using test bed data.

Dravid, N. V.↗

Kalman filter based range estimation for autonomous navigation using imaging sensors

The ability to detect and locate obstacles using on-board sensors and modify the nominal trajectory is necessary for safe landing of an autonomous lander on Mars. This paper examines some of the issues in the location of objects using a sequence of images from a passive sensor, and describes a Kalman filter approach to improve the range estimation to obstacles. The filter is also used to track features in the images leading to a significant reduction of search effort in the feature extraction step of the algorithm. The lack of suitable flight imagery data presents a problem in the verification of concepts for obstacle detection. An experiment is designed to acquire a sequence of images along with sensor motion parameters and the range estimation results using this imagery are presented.

Sridhar, B.↗

Cooperative GN&C development in a rapid prototyping environment

The Navigation, Control and Aeronautics Division (NCAD) at NASA-JSC is exploring ways of producing Guidance, Navigation and Control (GN&C) flight software faster, better, and cheaper. To achieve these goals NCAD established two hardware/software facilities that take an avionics design project from initial inception through high fidelity real-time hardware-in-the-loop testing. Commercially available software products are used to develop the GN&C algorithms in block diagram form and then automatically generate source code from these diagrams. A high fidelity real-time hardware-in-the-loop laboratory provides users with the capability to analyze mass memory usage within the targeted flight computer, verify hardware interfaces, conduct system level verification, performance, acceptance testing, as well as mission verification using reconfigurable and mission unique data. To evaluate these concepts and tools, NCAD embarked on a project to build a real-time 6 DOF simulation of the Soyuz Assured Crew Return Vehicle flight software. To date, a productivity increase of 185 percent has been seen over traditional NASA methods for developing flight software.

Bordano, Aldo↗