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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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At least 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Small image laser range finder for planetary rover

A variety of technical subjects need to be solved before planetary rover navigation could be a part of future missions. The sensors which will perceive terrain environment around the rover will require critical development efforts. The image laser range finder (ILRF) discussed here is one of the candidate sensors because of its advantage in providing range data required for its navigation. The authors developed a new compact-sized ILRF which is a quarter of the size of conventional ones. Instead of the current two directional scanning system which is comprised of nodding and polygon mirrors, the new ILRF is equipped with the new concept of a direct polygon mirror driving system, which successfully made its size compact to accommodate the design requirements. The paper reports on the design concept and preliminary technical specifications established in the current development phase.

Wakabayashi, Yasufumi↗
NASA NTRS1998

Sensitivity of the terrestrial planet finder

A key long-term goal of NASA's Origins program is the detection and characterization of habitable planets orbiting stars within the solar neighborhood. A cold, space-borne interferometer operating in the mid-infrared with a approx. 75 m baseline can null the light of a parent star and detect the million-times fainter radiation from an Earth-like planet located in the "habitable zone" around stars as far as 15 pc away. Such an interferometer, designated the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) by NASA, could even detect atmospheric signatures of species such as CO2, O3, and H2O indicative of either the possibility or presence of primitive life. This talk highlights some of the sensitivity issues affecting the detectability of terrestrial planets. Sensitivity calculations show that a system consisting of 2 m apertures operating at 5 AU or 4 m apertures operating at 1 AU can detect terrestrial planets in reasonable integration times for levels of exo-zodiacal emission up to 10 times that seen in our solar system (hereafter denoted as 10xSS). Additionally, simulations show that confusion noise from structures in the exo-zodiacal cloud should not impede planet detection until the exo-zodiacal emission reaches the 10xSS level.

Beichman, Charles↗
NASA NTRS1998

Lightning Radio Source Retrieval Using Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) Networks

A linear algebraic solution is provided for the problem of retrieving the location and time of occurrence of lightning ground strikes from an Advanced Lightning Direction Finder (ALDF) network. The ALDF network measures field strength, magnetic bearing and arrival time of lightning radio emissions. Solutions for the plane (i.e., no Earth curvature) are provided that implement all of tile measurements mentioned above. Tests of the retrieval method are provided using computer-simulated data sets. We also introduce a quadratic planar solution that is useful when only three arrival time measurements are available. The algebra of the quadratic root results are examined in detail to clarify what portions of the analysis region lead to fundamental ambiguities in source location. Complex root results are shown to be associated with the presence of measurement errors when the lightning source lies near an outer sensor baseline of the ALDF network. In the absence of measurement errors, quadratic root degeneracy (no source location ambiguity) is shown to exist exactly on the outer sensor baselines for arbitrary non-collinear network geometries. The accuracy of the quadratic planar method is tested with computer generated data sets. The results are generally better than those obtained from the three station linear planar method when bearing errors are about 2 deg. We also note some of the advantages and disadvantages of these methods over the nonlinear method of chi(sup 2) minimization employed by the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) and discussed in Cummins et al.(1993, 1995, 1998).

Koshak, William J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Interferometer Designs for the Terrestrial Planet Finder

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is a space-based infrared interferometer that will combine high sensitivity and spatial resolution to detect and characterize planetary systems within 15 pc of our sun. TPF is a key element in NASA's Origins Program and is currently un- der study in its Pre-Project Phase. We review some of the interferometer designs that have been considered for starlight nulling, with particular attention to the architecture and subsystems of the central beam-combiner.

Lawson, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Interferometer Designs for the Terrestrial Planet Finder

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is a space-based infrared interferometer that will combine high sensitivity and spatial resolution to detect and characterize planetary systems within 15 pc of our sun. TPF is a key element in NASA's Origins Program and is currently under study in its Pre-Project Phase. We review some of the interferometer designs that have been considered for starlight nulling, with particular attention to the architecture and subsystems of the central beam-combiner.

Lawson, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Terrestrial Planet Finder and Darwin Missions

Both in the United States and in Europe, teams of scientists and engineers are exploring the feasibility of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) and Darwin missions, which are designed to search for Earth-like planets in the habitable zone of nearby stars. In the US, the TPF Science Working Group is studying four options - small (4m by 6 m primary mirror) and large (4m by 10 m primary mirror) coronagraphs for planet detection at visible wavelengths, and structurally connected and free-flyer interferometers at thermal infrared wavelengths. The US TPF-SWG is charged with selecting an option for NASA by the end of 2006. In Europe the Darwin Terrestrial Exo-planet Advisory Team (TE- SAT) is exploring the free-flyer interferometer option only at this time. I will discuss the vurtures and difficulties of detecting and characterizing extra-solar planets in both wavelength regions as well as some of the technical challenges and progress in the past year.

Danchi, William C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Terrestrial Planet Finder

Integrating and testing the proposed Terrestrial Planet Finder imposes constraints on the design. Some of these will be discussed including the dimensions of existing test facilities, the effects of gravity, ambient vibrations and the size of GSE optics.

Smith, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS2004

Precursor Science for the Terrestrial Planet Finder

This document outlines a path for the development of the field of extrasolar planet research, with a particular emphasis on the goals of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF). Over the past decade, a new field of research has developed, the study of extrasolar planetary systems, driven by the discovery of massive planets around nearby stars. The planet count now stands at over 130. Are there Earth-like planets around nearby stars? Might any of those planets be conducive to the formation and maintenance of life? These arc the questions that TPF seeks to answer. TPF will be implemented as a suite of two space observatories, a 6-m class optical coronagraph, to be launched around 20 14, and a formation flying mid-infrared interferometer, to be launched sometime prior to 2020. These facilities will survey up to 165 or more nearby stars and detect planets like Earth should they be present in the 'habitable zone' around each star. With observations over a broad wavelength range, TPF will provide a robust determination of the atmospheric composition of planets to assess habitability and the presence of life. At this early stage of TPF's development, precursor observational and theoretical programs are essential to help define the mission, to aid our understanding of the planets that TPF could discover, and to characterize the stars that TPF will eventually study. This document is necessarily broad in scope because the significance of individual discoveries is greatly enhanced when viewed in thc context of the field as a whole. This document has the ambitious goal of taking us from our limited knowledge today, in 2004, to the era of TPF observations in the middle of the next decade. We must use the intervening years wisely. This document will be reviewed annually and updated as needed. The most recent edition is available online at http://tpf.jpl.nasa.gov/ or by email request to lawson@hucy.jpl.nasa.gov

Lawson, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

General Astrophysics and Comparative Planetology with the Terrestrial Planet Finder Missions

This document discusses the potential of the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) for general astrophysics beyond its base mission, focusing on science obtainable with no or minimal modifications to the mission design, but also exploring possible modifications of TPF with high scientific merit and no impact on the basic search for extrasolar Earth analogs.

Kuchner, Marc J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Passive isolator design for jitter reduction in the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph

Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is a mission to locate and study extrasolar Earth-like planets. The TPF Coronagraph (TPF-C), planned for launch in the latter half of the next decade, will use a coronagraphic mask and other optics to suppress the light of the nearby star in order to collect visible light from such planets. The required contrast ratio of 5e-11 can only be achieved by maintaining pointing accuracy to 4 milli-arcseconds, and limiting optics jitter to below 5 nm. Numerous mechanical disturbances act to induce jitter. This paper concentrates on passive isolation techniques to minimize the optical degradation introduced by disturbance sources. A passive isolation system, using compliant mounts placed at an energy bottleneck to reduce energy transmission above a certain frequency, is a low risk, flight proven design approach. However, the attenuation is limited, compared to an active system, so the feasibility of the design must be demonstrated by analysis. The paper presents the jitter analysis for the baseline TPF design, using a passive isolation system. The analysis model representing the dynamics of the spacecraft and telescope is described, with emphasis on passive isolator modeling. Pointing and deformation metrics, consistent with the TPF-C error budget, are derived. Jitter prediction methodology and results are presented. Then an analysis of the critical design parameters that drive the TPF-C jitter response is performed.

Blaurock, Carl↗
NASA NTRS2000

NASA's terrestial planet finder: the search for (habitable) planets

One of the primary goals of NASA's Origins program is the search for hospitable planets. I will describe how the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) will revolutionize our understanding of the origin and evolution of planetary systems, and possibly even find signs of life beyond Earth.

origins extrasolar planets↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Terrestrial Planet Finder

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) is a space-based infrared interferometer that will combine high sensitivity and spatial resolution to detect and characterize 150 planetary systems within 15 pc of our Sun.

interferometry optical infrared astronomy planets↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Terrestrial Planet Finder coronagraph dynamics error budget

The Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph (TPF-C) demands extreme wave front control and stability to achieve its goal of detecting earth-like planets around nearby stars. We describe the performance models and error budget used to evaluate image plane contrast and derive engineering requirements for this challenging optical system.

coronagraph↗
NASA NTRS2004

Development of the Terrestrial Planet Finder Coronagraph membrane V-grooves

The Terrestrial Planet Finder mission will study all aaspecs of planets outside our solar system: from their formation and development in disks of dust and gas around newly forming stars to the presence of those planets orbiting the nearest stars; from the numbers at various sizes and places to their suitability as an abode for life.

vibration↗
NASA NTRS2004

Terrestrial Planet Finder: science overview

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) seeks to revolutionize our understanding of humanity's place in the universe - by searching for Earth-like planets using reflected light, or thermal emission in the mid-infrared. Direct detection implies that TPF must separate planet light from glare of the nearby star, a technical challenge which has only in recent years been recognized as surmountable. TPF will obtain a low-resolution spectra of each planets it detects, providing some of its basic physical characteristics and its main atmospheric constituents, thereby allowing us to assess the likelihood that habitable conditions exist there. NASA has decided the scientific importance of this research is so high that TPF will be pursued as two complementary space observatories: a visible-light coronagraph and a mid-infrared formation flying interferometer. The combination of spectra from both wavebands is much more valuable than either taken separately, and it will allow a much fuller understanding of the wide diversity of planetary atmospheres that may be expected to exist. Measurements across a broad wavelength range will yield not only physical properties such as size and albedo, but will also serve as the foundations of a reliable and robust assessment of habitability and the presence of life.

comparative planetology↗