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At least 559 records · Page 31
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Approach range and velocity determination using laser sensors and retroreflector targets

Rockwell International is conducting an ongoing program to develop Laser Docking Sensors (LDS) that provide high performance and high intrinsic value while meeting all mission objectives. These LDS systems are now being required to aid future spacecraft docking, station keeping, and berthing/capture systems. Improved automated tracking, rendezvous, soft docking, and capture will be required in the construction and support of SSF and future orbiting platforms. The development of a practical LDS requires an easy-to-operate, low-cost, compact system. A wide range of options for laser range detection equipment, ranging from commercial technology to specialized military systems, was evaluated. This evaluation focused on both direct applicability of existing systems and usability of specific technologies contained in these systems. From these efforts it was determined that a new approach provided the greatest promise of fulfilling all mission requirements at the lowest life-cycle cost.

Race, L.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Guideline requirements for serviceable spacecraft grasping/berthing/docking interfaces based on simulations and flight experience (survey paper)

As space vehicles and structures become larger and more complex, the development of systems to assist humans in assembling, operating, maintaining, and performing space rescue or retrieval of these vehicles and structures becomes increasingly important. With the diversity of international spacecraft, both manned and unmanned, planned to be in orbit in the future, a set of guidelines for berthing and docking subsystems is mandatory if servicing, resupply, and retrieval is to become practical on an international level. Successful interaction between these space systems and ground and/or space-based humans requires standardized and effective operational interface designs, particularly with respect to space grasping/berthing/docking interface mechanisms. This paper defines the spacecraft mechanical interfaces necessary to create a standard dynamic envelope for joining two free-flying spacecraft in a 'hard' berth or dock with each other in space. A review was made of past space flights and dynamics simulations dating back to 1962 to obtain necessary parameters and their values for successful manually controlled and autonomous spacecraft docking/berthing. The various spacecraft docking/berthing mechanisms and concepts are illustrated along with their dynamic capture and impact tolerances including maximum contact velocity along the approach axis and in the y-z plane; capture linear misalignment tolerances; and maximum capture roll, pitch, and yaw angles. From this data sets of recommended guidelines parameters were developed for autonomous and manual impact docking tolerances, non-impact grasping/berthing tolerances (end effectors), berthing contact conditions, and alignment tolerances after rigidizing. Also, detailed requirements were developed for mechanical design interface features, as well as latching, unlatching, and separation tolerances. This data was drafted in the form of a proposed ANSI Standard guideline, reviewed, and added to by members of the committee representing several spacecraft manufacturers, NASA, and the USAF, and a consensus was reached.

Thompson, Allen B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

STS-74 Flight Day 3

On this third day of the STS-74 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kenneth Cameron, Pilot James Halsell, and Mission Specialists William McArthur, Jerry Ross, and Chris Hadfield successfully connect the Russian-made docking module to the Space Shuttle using the shuttle's robot arm. There is a live, in-orbit press interview with the astronauts from inside the Russian docking module regarding the status of the mission thus far. The docking module will remain with Mir after the two spacecraft have undocked.

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NASA NTRS1995

STS-74 Flight Day 4

On this fourth day of the STS-74 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kenneth Cameron, Pilot James Halsell, and Mission Specialists William McArthur, Jerry Ross, and Chris Hadfield, perform a successful docking between the space shuttle and the Mir space station using the Russian-made docking module that had been previously installed on the third day of the mission. The astronauts and the Mir 20 cosmonauts, Cmdr. Yuri Gidzenko, Flight Engineer Gergei Avdeyev, and Cosmonaut-Researcher (ESA) Thomas Reiter, are shown greeting each other from inside the docking module and an in-orbit interview between the crews and NASA is conducted in both English and Russian.

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NASA NTRS1995

STS-74 Post Flight Presentation

The flight crew of the STS-74 Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis (Cmdr. Ken Cameron, Pilot Jim Halsell, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Jerry Ross, and William McArthur) present an overview of their flight mission, whose primary objective was the rendezvous and space docking with the Russian Mir Space Station. Video film footage includes: prelaunch and launch activities; shuttle launch; installation of the Russian-made docking module to the orbiter; in-orbit rendezvous; in-orbit docking between Mir and the orbiter; general crew activities; transfer of supplies, equipment, and a crystal growth experiment to Mir; data collection of Mir thruster firings; undocking maneuvers and Mir fly around; pre-return checkout of flight systems; and reentry and landing of the orbiter. Earth views include horizon sunsets, atmospheric boundary layers, and a variety of geographical location footage (New Orleans; Atlanta; James Bay, Canada; Poland; Turkey; Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Colorado).

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NASA NTRS1996

STS-74 Mission Highlights Resource Tape

The flight crew of the STS-74 Space Shuttle Orbiter Atlantis Cmdr. Ken Cameron, Pilot Jim Halsell, and Mission Specialists Chris Hadfield, Jerry Ross, and William McArthur present an overview of their flight mission, whose primary objective is the rendezvous and space docking with the Russian Mir Space Station. Video film footage includes the following: prelaunch and launch activities; shuttle launch; in-orbit rendezvous; installation of the Russian-made docking module; in-orbit docking between Mir and the orbiter; general crew activities; transfer of supplies, equipment, and a crystal growth experiment to Mir; data collection from Mir thruster firings; undocking maneuvers and a Mir fly around; pre-return checkout of flight systems; and the reentry and landing of the orbiter. Earth views include horizon sunsets, atmospheric boundary layers, and a variety of geographical location footage (New Orleans; Atlanta; James Bay, Canada; Poland; Turkey; Mt. Pinatubo, Philippines; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Colorado).

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NASA NTRS1996

A Magnetic Bumper-Tether System Using ZFC Y123

We consider the use of magnetic forces in a bumper system, to soften docking procedures. We investigate a system which exhibits no magnetic field except during the docking process, which, if desired, can automatically tether two craft together, and which provides lateral stability during docking. A system composed of zero field cooled Y(1.7)Ba2Cu3O(7-delta) (Y123) tiles and electromagnets is proposed. The Y123 high temperature superconductor (HTS) is mounted on one craft, and the electromagnet on the other. Results of small prototype laboratory experiments are reported. The electromagnet has, for convenience, been replaced by a permanent SmCo ferromagnet in these measurements. When the two craft approach, a mirror image of the ferromagnet is induced in the Y123, and a repulsive bumper force, F(sub B), results. F(sub B) is velocity dependent, and increases with v. For presently available HTS materials, bumper pressure of approx. 3.7 N/cm(exp 2) is achieved using SmCo. This extrapolates to approx. 18 N/cm(exp 2) for an electromagnet, or a force of up to 20 tons for a 1 m(exp 2) system. After reaching a minimum distance of approach, the two colliding craft begin to separate. However, the consequent change of SmCo magnetic field at the Y123 results in a reversal of current in the Y123 so that the Y123 is attractive to the SmCo. The attractive (tether) force, F(sub T), is a function of R = B(sub Fe)/B(sub t, max), where B(sub Fe) is the field at the surface of the ferromagnet, and B(sub t, max) is the maximum trapped field of the Y123, i.e., the trapped field in the so-called critical state. For R greater than or equal to 2, F(sub T) saturates at a value comparable to F(sub B). For a range of initial approach velocities the two craft are tethered following the bumper sequence. Most of the kinetic energy of the collision is first converted to magnetic field energy in the Y123, and then into heat via the creep mechanism. About 15% of the work done against magnetic forces during collision remains stored as magnetic energy after 1 hour. Experiments have also been conducted on the spatial range of the bumper force for arrays of HTS tiles. For a single HTS tile approx. 2 cm in diameter, the range of F(sub B) is approx. l cm. For a l m(exp 2) array the range of F(sub B) will be circa 50 cm.

Weinstein, Roy↗
NASA NTRS1997

STS-81 Flight Day 3

On this third day of the STS-81 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Michael A. Baker, Pilot Brent W. Jett, Mission Specialists, John M. Grunsfeld, Marsha S. Ivins, Peter J.K. Wisoff, and Jerry M. Linenger, spend most of their workday completing preparations for the rendezvous and linkup of the Space Shuttle with the Mir Space Station. Pilot Brent Jett finishes the checkout of navigation tools that will be used during the rendezvous. Later he joins John Grunsfeld and they install a camera in the Orbiter Docking System to provide television views of the docking target on the Mir. Commander Mike Baker will use this later as he flies Atlantis to its docking with Mir.

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NASA NTRS1998

STS-89 Mission Highlights Resource Tape

The flight crew of the STS-89 Space Shuttle Orbiter Endeavour, Cmdr. Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Frank Edwards, and Mission Specialists Michael P. Anderson, James F. Reilly, Bonnie J. Dunbar, Salizhan Shakirovich Sharipov, David A. Wolf, and Andrew S.W. Thomas, present an overview of their mission. Images include prelaunch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, crew suit-up, and the ride out to the launch pad. Also included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew is readied in the white room' for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Once in orbit, there are various views of the Mir Space Station as the shuttle begins its approach and docks. After the docking the two crews open the entry hatch and greet each other. The astronauts and cosmonauts transfer supplies from the shuttle to Mir. The astronauts prepare for the reentry phase of their mission. Endeavour separates from the Russian Space Station with a gentle push from springs in the docking mechanism that attaches it to the Space Station. The final view shows the crews' preparations for reentry and landing.

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NASA NTRS1998

STS-91 Mission Highlights Resource Tape

The crew STS-91 mission, Cmdr. Charles J. Precourt, Pilot Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie and Mission Specialists Wendy B. Lawrence, Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Janet L. Kavandi, and Valery Victorovitch Ryumin can be seen performing pre-launch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, crew suit-up, and the ride out to the launch pad. Also, included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew is readied in the 'white room' for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters. Once in orbit, there are various views of the Mir Space Station as the shuttle begins its approach and docks. After the docking the two crews open the entry hatch and greet each other. The astronauts and cosmonauts transfer supplies from the shuttle to Mir. The astronauts prepare for the reentry phase of their mission. The Shuttle separates from the Russian Space Station with a gentle push from springs in the docking mechanism that attaches it to the Space Station. The final view shows the crews' preparations for reentry and landing.

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NASA NTRS1998

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir (NASA Increment 4)

During NASA Increment 4 (January to May 1997), about 5 gigabytes of acceleration data were collected by the Space Acceleration Measurements System (SAMS) onboard the Russian Space Station, Mir. The data were recorded on 28 optical disks which were returned to Earth on STS-84. During this increment, SAMS data were collected in the Priroda module to support the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE), the Binary Colloidal Alloy Tests (BCAT), Angular Liquid Bridge (ALB), Candle Flames in Microgravity (CFM), Diffusion Controlled Apparatus Module (DCAM), Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors (EDLS), Forced Flow Flame Spreading Test (FFFr), Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD), Protein Crystal Growth in Dewar (PCG/Dewar), Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD), and Technical Evaluation of MIM (TEM). This report points out some of the salient features of the microgravity environment to which these experiments were exposed. Also documented are mission events of interest such as the docked phase of STS-84 operations, a Progress engine bum, Soyuz vehicle docking and undocking, and Progress vehicle docking. This report presents an overview of the SAMS acceleration measurements recorded by 10 Hz and 100 Hz sensor heads. The analyses included herein complement those presented in previous summary reports prepared by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) group.

DeLombard, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1998

SAMS Acceleration Measurements on Mir From January to May 1997 (NASA Increment 4)

During NASA Increment 4 (January to May 1997), about 5 gigabytes of acceleration data were collected by the Space Acceleration Measurements System (SAMS) onboard the Russian Space Station, Mir. The data were recorded on 28 optical disks which were returned to Earth on STS-84. During this increment, SAMS data were collected in the Priroda module to support the Mir Structural Dynamics Experiment (MiSDE), the Binary Colloidal Alloy Tests (BCAT), Angular Liquid Bridge (ALB), Candle Flames in Microgravity (CFM), Diffusion Controlled Apparatus Module (DCAM), Enhanced Dynamic Load Sensors (EDLS), Forced Flow Flame Spreading Test (FFFT), Liquid Metal Diffusion (LMD), Protein Crystal Growth in Dewar (PCG/Dewar), Queen's University Experiments in Liquid Diffusion (QUELD), and Technical Evaluation of MIM (TEM). This report points out some of the salient features of the microgravity environment to which these experiments were exposed. Also documented are mission events of interest such as the docked phase of STS-84 operations, a Progress engine burn, Soyuz vehicle docking and undocking, and Progress vehicle docking. This report presents an overview of the SAMS acceleration measurements recorded by 10 Hz and 100 Hz sensor heads. The analyses included herein complement those presented in previous summary reports prepared by the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) group.

DeLombard, Richard↗
NASA NTRS1998

Mir Mission Chronicle

Dockings, module additions, configuration changes, crew changes, and major mission events are tracked for Mir missions 17 through 21 (November 1994 through August 1996). The international aspects of these missions are presented, comprising joint missions with ESA and NASA, including three U.S. Space Shuttle dockings. New Mir modules described are Spektr, the Docking Module, and Priroda.

McDonald, Sue↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 FD Highlights and Crew Activities Report: Flight Day 03

On this third day of the STS-96 Discovery mission, the flight crew, Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette, and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev are seen executing the very first docking with the International Space Station. Also shown are views of the docking taken from both the Unity and Discovery. Final preparation for the mission's space walk is also presented. Jernigan and Barry check the tools and the emergency rescue backpacks they will need for their space walk. Ochoa and Jernigan perform leak and pressurization checks and open the hatch to the Unity module. Ochoa and Takarev store docking targets and lights and check the hatch seals in the narrow passageway. Rominger and Husband remove and store four electronic boxes around the Unity module.

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NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 Mission Highlights

In this first part of a three-part video mission-highlights set, the flight of the STS-96 Space Shuttle Orbiter Discovery is reviewed. The flight crew consists of Kent V. Rominger, Commander; Rick D. Husband, Pilot; and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette (Canadian), and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev (Russian). The primary goals of this mission were to work on logistics and resupply the International Space Station (ISS). This is the first flight to dock to the International Space Station. The primary payloads are the Russian cargo crane, known as STRELA, which the astronauts mount to the exterior of the Russian station segment, the SPACEHAB Oceaneering Space System Box (SHOSS), and a U.S. built crane called the ORU Transfer Device (OTD). Other payloads include the Student Tracked Atmospheric Research Satellite for Heuristic International Networking Equipment (STARSHINE), the Shuttle Vibration Forces Experiment (SVF), and the Orbiter Integrated Vehicle Health Monitoring - HEDS Technology Demonstration (IVHM HTD). The traditional pre-launch breakfast, being suited up, entry into the Shuttle, and views of the liftoff from several different vantage points are shown. In-flight footage includes views from the robot arm conducting a television survey of Discovery's payload bay and the flawless docking of the Unity module with the International Space Station. During the docking, camera views from both the ISS and Discovery are presented. These activities make up the first three Flight Days of STS-96.

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NASA NTRS1999

Electrodynamic Thrust Performance for Space Solar Satellite Applications

The use of spinning tethers to transfer payloads from low earth orbit (LEO) to geosynchronous earth orbit (GEO) has previously been considered for payload masses up to 4000 kg (4 MT). The construction of the solar power station requires a transfer of 22,568 MT per year from LEO to GEO. This is envisioned to be carried out in payload units of 20 MT or 40 MT, which implies a frequency of 1188 or 594 flights per year, respectively. We could say from the outset that the use of spinning tethers for such large payloads at such high launch frequencies does not appear promising. This is inherent in the principles of spinning tether transfer, which we will briefly sketch below. Somewhat different scenarios are possible, but the basic physics remains the same. We consider only a single stage from LEO to GTO tether system, since the complexity involved in phasing the launches, docking, and spinups for a two-stage system for so many payloads rules out a two-stage system, in our opinion. The payload must first be launched to LEO, where it docks with the tether launch platform and is connected to the tether. The tether (tens of kilometers long) is then deployed with the payload upward. In order to give the payload the velocity necessary to launch it into a geosynchronous transfer orbit (GTO), i.e., to impart the required Av, the tethered system must be spun up about the center of mass of the tether-platform-payload system. The two end masses (platform and payload) are driven to rotate about the center of mass of the tethered system. Both the final rotational velocity and the phasing of the tether spin have to be controlled so that payload is in the vertically up position at the perigee of the LEO and with the velocity required to achieve the GTO when it is released at that point. Upon release, the payload then goes into GTO, where it again requires an acceleration to reach GEO (circularization of the orbit). The platform goes into a lower orbit, from which it must be raised in order to be at the proper LEO for docking with another payload. For this scheme to make sense at all, the platform must be envisioned as having a solar powered electrical thrust system to regain LEO and to spin up the tethered system. Similarly, solar powered electrical propulsion would be used to circularize the orbit to GEO.

Estes, Robert D.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Test Results for the Automated Rendezvous and Capture System

The Automated Rendezvous and Capture (AR&C) system was designed and tested at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to demonstrate technologies and mission strategies for automated rendezvous and docking of spacecraft in Earth orbit, The system incorporates some of the latest innovations in Global Positioning, System space navigation, laser sensor technologies and automated mission sequencing algorithms. The system's initial design and integration was completed in 1998 and has undergone testing at MSFC. This paper describes the major components of the AR&C system and presents results from the official system tests performed in MSFC's Flight Robotics Laboratory with digital simulations and hardware in the loop tests. The results show that the AR&C system can safely and reliably perform automated rendezvous and docking missions in the absence of system failures with 100 percent success. When system failures are included, the system uses its automated collision avoidance maneuver logic to recover in a safe manner. The primary objective of the AR&C project is to prove that by designing a safe and robust automated system, mission operations cost can be reduced by decreasing the personnel required for mission design, preflight planning and training required for crewed rendezvous and docking missions.

Cruzen, Craig↗
NASA NTRS1999

Chemical Analysis and Water Recovery Testing of Shuttle-Mir Humidity Condensate

Humidity condensate collected and processed in-flight is an important component of a space station drinking water supply. Water recovery systems in general are designed to handle finite concentrations of specific chemical components. Previous analyses of condensate derived from spacecraft and ground sources showed considerable variation in composition. Consequently, an investigation was conducted to collect condensate on the Shuttle while the vehicle was docked to Mir, and return the condensate to Earth for testing. This scenario emulates an early ISS configuration during a Shuttle docking, because the atmospheres intermix during docking and the condensate composition should reflect that. During the STS-89 and STS-91 flights, a total volume of 50 liters of condensate was collected and returned. Inorganic and organic chemical analyses were performed on aliquots of the fluid. Tests using the actual condensate were then conducted with scaled-down elements of the Russian condensate recovery system to determine the quality of water produced. The composition and test results are described, and implications for ISS are discussed.

Mudgett, Paul D.↗