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NASA NTRS1987

The North Carolina A and T State University Student Space Shuttle Program

Inspired into being in 1979 by the late astronaut, Dr. Ronald McNair, the primary goal of this student centered program is to perform two experiments, Arthopod Development Study and Crystal Growth Study. Since 1979, 78 different students representing 12 majors have participated in every phase of development of the payload -- from coming up with the original ideas to final fabrication and testing. Students have also been involved in many extra activities such as presenting their results at annual meetings and hosting tours of our lab for local schools. The program has received extensive outside support in the form of funds, technical assistance and donated parts. The payload, made primarily out of aluminum, consists of a central column structure, a battery box, a crystal growth box, an arthropod development box, four control circuit boxes, and a thermograph box. The battery box contains 24, Eveready 6V, Alkaline batteries. The thermograph box contains 3 Ryan TempMentors. Fabrication of the payload is essentially complete and a complete testing program has been initiated.

Hooker, F. D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

SCARES: A Spacecraft Control Anomaly Resolution Expert System

The current pace of technological development is reflected in the increased mission lifetime of each new generation of satellite. Coupled with this has come a reduced availability of experts to provide technical assistance in satellite operation on a day to day basis. Given such an environment, an expert system is discussed based on architecture for spacecraft anomaly resolution. By capturing deep knowledge about a spacecraft, the system is able to detect and diagnose fault better than previous conventional approaches. A prototype expert system named SCARES (applied only to spacecraft attitude control system) is discussed. Extension of the prototype to handle anomalies in other systems of the satellite is also discussed.

Hamilton, Marc↗

NASA NTRS1993

The AGRHYMET data communications project

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are providing technical assistance to the AGRHYMET program in West Africa. AGRHYMET staff use remote sensing technology to produce satellite image maps of the Sahel region of West Africa. These image maps may show vegetation greenness, sea surface temperatures, or processed weather satellite imagery. The image maps must be distributed from the AGRHYMET Regional Center in Niger to national AGRHYMET centers in the member countries of Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Chad, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Senegal. After consideration of a number of land- and space-based solutions for image map distribution, the best solution was determined to be use of International Maritime Satellite Organization (INMARSAT) land-based terminals. In April 1992, a field test and proof-of-concept demonstration using land-mobile terminals produced favorable results. The USGS and USAID are setting up a wide area network using INMARSAT terminals to link the AGRHYMET sites for image data transfer. The system is in the procurement and installation phase and initial opening capability may be operational for the 1993 growing season, starting in May 1993.

Mah, G. R.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Final Design and Integration of Micro-Chip Inductive Edge Sensors for the Seven Segment Demonstrator. Testing of Integrated Edge Sensors in Test Packages

The contractor attended the critical design review and evaluated the presentations of other team members and presented data on the inductive edge sensor. The prototype micro-chip inductive edge sensor was evaluated, and devices were found to have a number of characteristics which made them unsuitable for installation on the seven segment demonstrator. The amplifier bandwidth was too low, the output drive current was too small, and there is an interaction between the digital circuitry and the amplifier that causes the amplifier to stop functioning. Therefore, the inductive edge sensors were not installed on the seven segment demonstrator. The contractor has participated in instruction, problem analysis, and provided technical assistance to NASA and its contractors for the development of 8 hexagonal mirror faceplates with electronics and edge sensors.

Karpinsky, John↗

NASA NTRS1998

Development of Technology Transfer Economic Growth Metrics

The primary objective of this project is to determine the feasibility of producing technology transfer metrics that answer the question: Do NASA/MSFC technical assistance activities impact economic growth? The data for this project resides in a 7800-record database maintained by Tec-Masters, Incorporated. The technology assistance data results from survey responses from companies and individuals who have interacted with NASA via a Technology Transfer Agreement, or TTA. The goal of this project was to determine if the existing data could provide indications of increased wealth. This work demonstrates that there is evidence that companies that used NASA technology transfer have a higher job growth rate than the rest of the economy. It also shows that the jobs being supported are jobs in higher wage SIC codes, and this indicates improvements in personal wealth. Finally, this work suggests that with correct data, the wealth issue may be addressed.

Mastrangelo, Christina M.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Acceptance Testing of a Satellite SCADA Photovoltaic-Diesel Hybrid System

Savannah State University (SSU) and the Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) have been participating in the NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) program for the last five years. This program was designed by NASA to help maintain U.S. leadership in commercial space communications by funding high-risk research, and to flight-test next-generation digital satellite components. Launched in 1993, ACTS is an U.S. government funded technology test-bed that incorporates high power Ka-band transponders, small spot beams, and on-board digital storage and switching technology. Associated with the spacecraft, is a prototype satellite control center that supports various application experiments. The SSU/FSEC application experiment is to developing a Photovoltaic-Diesel Hybrid Power system complete with satellite Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA). The hybrid system was design to demonstrate the feasibility of using SCADA to maintain and operate remote village power systems. This configuration would enable experts at a central location to provide technical assistance to local technicians while they acquire a measure of proficiency with the hybrid system operation and maintenance. Upon full mastery of the technology, similar SCADA arrangement are planned to remotely monitor and control constellation of hybrid systems scattered overlarge rural areas. Two Orion Energy APEX-1000 hybrid systems were delivered in 1998, one was installed at SSU in eastern Georgia and the other was installed at FSEC in Central Florida. The project was designed to: (1) evaluate the performance of ACTS in a SCADA arrangement, (2) monitor the health and performance of all major hybrid subsystems, (3) investigate load control and battery charging strategies to maximize battery capacity and lifetime, and (4) develop satellite communication protocol. Preliminary results indicate that the hybrid design is suitable for satellite Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition. A modification to the controller software has produced a robust communication link capable of real time control and long term data collection.

Kalu, Alex↗

NASA NTRS2000

Renewable Energy SCADA/Training Using NASA's Advanced Technology Communication Satellite

The lack of electrical energy in the rural communities of developing countries is well known, as is the economic unfeasibility of providing much needed energy to these regions via electric grids. Renewable energy (RE) can provide an economic advantage over conventional forms in meeting some of these energy needs. The use of a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) arrangement via satellite could enable experts at remote locations to provide technical assistance to local trainees while they acquire a measure of proficiency with a newly installed RE system through hands-on training programs using the same communications link. Upon full mastery of the technologies, indigenous personnel could also employ similar SCADA arrangements to remotely monitor and control their constellation of RE systems. Two separate ACTS technology verification experiments (TVEs) have demonstrated that the portability of the Ultra Small Aperture Terminal (USAT) and the versatility of NASA's Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS), as well as the advantages of Ka band satellites, can be invaluable in providing energy training via distance education (DE), and for implementing renewable energy system SCADA. What has not been tested is the capabilities of these technologies for a simultaneous implementation of renewable energy DE and SCADA. Such concurrent implementations will be useful for preparing trainees in developing countries for their eventual SCADA operations. The project described in this correspondence is the first effort, to our knowledge, in this specific TVE. The setup for this experiment consists of a one-Watt USAT located at Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) connected to two satellite modems tuned to different frequencies to establish two duplex ACTS Ka-band communication channels. A short training program on operation and maintenance of the system will be delivered while simultaneously monitoring and controlling the hybrid using the same satellite communications link. The trainees will include faculty and students from Savannah State University, and staff from FSEC. An interactive internet link will be used to allow faculty from the University of West Indies to participate in the training session.

Kalu, A.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Conference Summary

Celebrations and special events were in order this year as the Minority University-Space Interdisciplinary Network (MU-SPIN) Program and NASA's Minority University Research and Education Division (MURED) both reached their 10th anniversaries. In honor of this occasion, the 2000 Annual Users' Conference held at Morris Brown College (MBC) in Atlanta, Georgia, September 11-15, 2000, was the first to be jointly hosted by MU-SPIN and MURED. It was particularly fitting that this anniversary should fall in the year 2000. The start of the new millennium propelled us to push bold new ideas and renew our commitment to minority university participation in all areas of NASA. With the theme 'Celebrating Our Tenth Year With Our Eyes on the Prize,' the conference provided a national forum for showcasing successful MU-SPIN and MURED Program (MUREP) experiences to enhance faculty/student development in areas of scientific and technical research and education. Our NASA-relevant conference agenda resulted in a record-breaking 220 registered attendees. Using feedback from past participants, we designed a track of student activities closely tailored to their interests. The resulting showcase of technical assistance and best practices set a new standard for our conferences in the years to come. This year's poster session was our largest ever, with over 50 presentations from students, faculty, and teachers. Posters covered a broad range of NASA activities from 'A Study of the Spiral Galaxy M101' to 'Network Cabling Characteristics.'

Harrington, James L., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Electrifying Development

With technical assistance from Marshall Space Flight Center and Kennedy Space Center, Protective Cable and Wire developed Lightning Retardant Cable (LRC). LRC improves lightning protection over standard coaxial cable by 100 percent. The LRC design keeps lightning from traveling through the cable, preventing damage to satellites, antennas, and cable systems. LRC is now being used in homes as well as airports.

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NASA NTRS2002

Laboratory for Atmospheres: Philosophy, Organization, Major Activities, and 2001 Highlights

How can we improve our ability to predict the weather? How is the Earth's climate changing? What can the atmospheres of other planets teach us about our own? The Laboratory for Atmospheres is helping to answer these and other scientific questions. The Laboratory conducts a broad theoretical and experimental research program studying all aspects of the atmospheres of the Earth and other planets, including their structural, dynamical, radiative, and chemical properties. Vigorous research is central to NASA's exploration of the frontiers of knowledge. NASA scientists play a key role in conceiving new space missions, providing mission requirements., and carrying out research to explore the behavior of planetary systems, including, notably, the Earth's. Our Laboratory's scientists also supply outside scientists with technical assistance and scientific data to further investigations not immediately addressed by NASA itself. The Laboratory for Atmospheres is a vital participant in NASA's research program. The Laboratory is part of the Earth Sciences Directorate based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Directorate itself comprises the Global Change Data Center; the Earth and Space Data Computing Division; three laboratories: the Laboratory for Atmospheres, the Laboratory for Terrestrial Physics, and the Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes; and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) in New York, New York. In this report, you will find a statement of our philosophy and a description of our role in NASA's mission. You'll also find a broad description of our research and a summary of our scientists' major accomplishments in 2001. The report also presents useful information on human resources, scientific interactions, and outreach activities with the outside community. For your convenience, we have published a version of this report on the Internet. Our Web site includes links to additional information about the Laboratory's Offices and Branches. You can find us on the World Wide Web at http://atmospheres.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Hoegy, Walter R.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Geography From Another Dimension

The GEODESY software program is intended to promote geographical awareness among students with its remote sensing capabilities to observe the Earth's surface from distant vantage points. Students and teachers using GEODESY learn to interpret and analyze geographical data pertaining to the physical attributes of their community. For example, the program provides a digital environment of physical features, such as mountains and bodies of water, as well as man-made features, such as roads and parks, using aerial photography, satellite imagery, and geographic information systems data in accordance with National Geography Standards. The main goal is to have the students and teachers gain a better understanding of the unique forces that drive their coexistence. GEODESY was developed with technical assistance and financial support from Stennis Space Center's Commercial Remote Sensing Program Office, now known as the Earth Science Applications Directorate.

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NASA NTRS1992

Sailboard Fin Design

In high performance boardsailing, demands on the vertical fin or "skeg" often produce "spinout" - when the skeg loses horizontal lift creating a force imbalance and causing the tail of the board to slide sideways. Richard Caldwell, RACE Technology, Inc. used NASA airfoil technology to solve this problem and formed a business based on his solution. After determining that the spinout resulted from air ventilating down the low pressure side of the underwater fin, he adapted the airfoil technology to the design of a short board skeg, which would overcome the problem and lower the drag, resulting in improved performance. He patented his RACE 145 foil section, formed his company and later returned to Langley for additional technical assistance. The company's newest product is a rigid sail that also incorporates NASA technology and has excellent performance. This company no longer exists - product is no longer in production.

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NASA NTRS1985

New Window into the Human Body

Michael Vannier, MD, a former NASA engineer, recognized the similarity between NASA's computerized image processing technology and nuclear magnetic resonance. With technical assistance from Kennedy Space Center, he developed a computer program for Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology enabling Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) to scan body tissue for earlier diagnoses. Dr. Vannier feels that "satellite imaging" has opened a new window into the human body.

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NASA NTRS1984

Ceramic Powders

In developing its product line of specialty ceramic powders and related products for government and industrial customers, including companies in the oil, automotive, electronics and nuclear industries, Advanced Refractory Technologies sought technical assistance from NERAC, Inc. in specific areas of ceramic materials and silicon technology, and for assistance in identifying possible applications of these materials in government programs and in the automotive and electronics industry. NERAC conducted a computerized search of several data bases and provided extensive information in the subject areas requested. NERAC's assistance resulted in transfer of technologies that helped ART staff develop a unique method for manufacture of ceramic materials to precise customer specifications.

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NASA NTRS1983

Capacitance Meter

Anders Precision Instrument Co.'s original meter could not measure dissipation leakage in capacitors. Seeking to add that capability, the company planned an advanced model. Before starting work, company president, Thomas Anderson, sought technical assistance from NASA's NERAC (New England Research Application Center). Anderson wanted a survey of the status and capabilities of NASA's electronic measuring devices. NERAC performed a search of six databases, including NASA's and provided a comprehensive report on state of the art worldwide.

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NASA NTRS1999

CIAM/NASA Mach 6.5 Scramjet Flight and Ground Test

The Russian Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) performed a flight test of a CIAM-designed, hydrogen-cooled/fueled dual-mode scramjet engine over a Mach number range of approximately 3.5 to 6.4 on February 12, 1998, at the Sary Shagan test range in Kazakhstan. This rocket-boosted, captive-carry test of the axisymmetric engine reached the highest Mach number of any scramjet engine flight test to date. The flight test and the accompanying ground test program, conducted in a CIAM test facility near Moscow, were performed under a NASA contract administered by the Dryden Flight Research Center with technical assistance from the Langley Research Center. Analysis of the flight and ground data by both CIAM and NASA resulted in the following preliminary conclusions. An unexpected control sensor reading caused non-optimal fueling of the engine, and flowpath modifications added to the engine inlet during manufacture caused markedly reduced inlet performance. Both of these factors appear to have contributed to the dual-mode scramjet engine operating primarily in a subsonic combustion mode. At the maximum Mach number test point, combustion caused transition from supersonic flow at the fuel injector station to primarily subsonic flow in the combustor. Ground test data were obtained at similar conditions to the flight test, allowing for a meaningful comparison between the ground and flight data. The results of this comparison indicate that the differences in engine performance are small.

Voland, R. T.↗

NASA NTRS1983

National Aeronautics and Space Administration Twenty-Fifth Anniversary, 1958-1983

This year marks a major milestone for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration: its silver anniversary. It seems appropriate, on this occasion, to sum up how NASA has responded to the legislative charter that established the agency. Among the responsibilities the Congress assigned NASA in the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 were these: preservation of U.S. leadership in aerospace science and technology; cooperation with other nations in the peaceful application of technology; expansion of human knowledge of phenomena in the atmosphere and in space; pursuit of the practical benefits to be gained from aeronautical and space activities. There can be no doubt that NASA's quarter century of effort has preserved the nation's leadership role and strengthened its posture in aerospace science and technology. As for international cooperation. NASA has - since its inception - fostered the concept that the fruits of civil space research are to be shared with all mankind. The agency has provided technical assistance to scores of nations and has actively promoted cooperative ventures; indeed, virtually every major NASA space project today boasts some degree of foreign participation. In the last 25 years, man has teamed more about his planet, the near-Earth environment, and the universe than in all the prior years of history. NASA's space science program has spearheaded this great expansion of human knowledge. And, from the beginning, NASA has vigorously pursued the practical benefits that aerospace research offers. The agency pioneered in weather, communications and Earth resources survey satellites, the prime examples of space technology applied for Earth benefit, and it has built a broad base for expanding into new applications, some of which promise direct benefits of exceptional order. In aeronautical research, NASA has contributed in substantial degree to safer, better performing, more efficient, more environmentally acceptable aircraft.

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NASA NTRS2005

Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program

Space Alliance Technology Outreach Program (SATOP), will provide technical assistance to small businesses through the contribution of time and expertise from Space Alliance Partners and support the development and expansion of technology business incubation programs in Florida and New York. A summary of these accomplishments are given.

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