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NASA NTRS1995

ORION: A Supersynchronous Transfer Orbit mission

ORION F1 was launched on 29th November 1994 on an Atlas IIA launch vehicle. It was designed, built and delivered in-orbit by Matra Marconi Space Systems Plc and was handed over to ORION Satellite Corporation on 20th January 1995 at its on-station longitude of 37.5 deg W. The mission differed significantly from that of any other geostationary communications satellite in that the Transfer Orbit apogee altitude of 123,507 km was over three times geosynchronous (GEO) altitude and one third of the way to the moon. The SuperSynchronous Transfer Orbit (SSTO) mission is significantly different from the standard Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO)mission in a number of ways. This paper discusses the essential features of the mission design through its evolution since 1987 and the details of the highly successful mission itself including a detailed account of the attitude determination achieved using the Galileo Earth and Sun Sensor (ESS).

Walters, I. M.↗

NASA NTRS1994

A double-moment multiple-phase four-class bulk ice scheme, Part 1: Description

A detailed ice-phase bulk microphysical scheme has been developed for simulating the hydrometeor distributions of convective and stratiform precipitation in different large-scale environmental conditions. The proposed scheme involves 90 distinct microphysical processes, which predict the mixing ratios and the number concentrations of small ice crystals, snow, graupel, and frozen drops/hail, as well as the mixing ratios of liquid water on wet precipitation ice (snow, graupel, frozen drops). The number of adjustable coefficients has been significantly reduced in comparison with other bulk schemes. Additional improvements have been made to the parameterization in the following areas: (1) representing small ice crystals with nonzero terminal fall velocities and dispersive size distributions, (2) accurate and computationally efficient calculations of precipitation collection processes, (3) reformulating the collection equation to prevent unrealistically large accretion rates, (4) more realistic conversion by riming between different classes of precipitation ice, (5) preventing unrealistically large rates of raindrop freezing and freezing of liquid water on ice, (6) detailed treatment of various rime-splintering ice multiplication mechanisms, (7) a simple representation of the Hobbs-Rangno ice enhancement process, (8) aggregation of small ice crystals and snow, and (9) allowing explicit competition between cloud water condensation and ice deposition rates rather than using saturation adjustment techniques. For the purposes of conserving the higher moments of the particle distributions, preserving the spectral widths (or slopes) of the particle spectra is shown to be more important than strict conservation of particle number concentration when parameterizing changes in ice-particle number concentrations due to melting, vapor transfer processes (sublimation of dry ice, evaporation from wet ice), and conversion between different hydrometeor species. The microphysical scheme is incorporated into a nonhydrostatic cloud model in Part 2 of this study. The model performed well in simulating the radar and microphysical structures of a midlatitude-continental squall lines and a tropical-maritime squall system with minimal tuning of the parameterization, even though the vertical profiles of radar reflectivity differed substantially between these storms.

Ferrier, Brad Shoenberg↗

NASA NTRS1987

Measurement of human pilot dynamic characteristics in flight simulation

Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and Least Square Error (LSE) estimation techniques were applied to the problem of identifying pilot-vehicle dynamic characteristics in flight simulation. A brief investigation of the effects of noise, input bandwidth and system delay upon the FFT and LSE techniques was undertaken using synthetic data. Data from a piloted simulation conducted at NASA Ames Research Center was then analyzed. The simulation was performed in the NASA Ames Research Center Variable Stability CH-47B helicopter operating in fixed-basis simulator mode. The piloting task consisted of maintaining the simulated vehicle over a moving hover pad whose motion was described by a random-appearing sum of sinusoids. The two test subjects used a head-down, color cathode ray tube (CRT) display for guidance and control information. Test configurations differed in the number of axes being controlled by the pilot (longitudinal only versus longitudinal and lateral), and in the presence or absence of an important display indicator called an 'acceleration ball'. A number of different pilot-vehicle transfer functions were measured, and where appropriate, qualitatively compared with theoretical pilot- vehicle models. Some indirect evidence suggesting pursuit behavior on the part of the test subjects is discussed.

Reedy, James T.↗

NASA NTRS1998

The Role of Viscous Deformation in the Morphology of the Martian North Polar Cap

The first detailed topographic measurements of Mars' north polar cap have recently been collected by the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), an instrument on Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). These new data provide the opportunity to address in a quantitative way the processes responsible for the origin and evolution of the martian polar caps. On the basis of imaging and spectral observations from the Mariner 9 and Viking orbiters, it was recognized that a number of physical mechanisms. including radiative transfer, wind erosion, and viscous flow, represent possible or probable contributors to the morphology of the polar cap. Here we review rheological data for H2O and CO2 at conditions relevant to the martian polar regions. We then use MOLA topographic profiles to perform a preliminary assessment of the role of power law flow in contributing to the regional-scale planform of the north polar cap.

Zuber, M. T.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Simulation of Dynamics of PVT Growth: ZnSe

An unsteady model for the simulation of PVT growth process has been developed and applied to growth of ZnSe. The model is capable of tracking the unsteady aspects of the growth process caused by, for example, changes in the system temperature associated with growth, source-depletion, translation of the charge, out-gassing at high temperatures, as well as changes in the source composition during growth. The model predicts the evolution of growth interface morphology as well as the shape of source-gas interface. Thermo-fluid transport in the gas phase is handled by a Low-Mach number unsteady compressible flow formulation. Heat transfer in the crystal, source, and the quartz housing is calculated by the Monte-Carlo technique to capture the variations in the spectral transmittance and index of refraction of the participating media. Simulation results are presented for the growth interface morphology, thermal stresses in the crystal, and growth rate at various stages of growth. The influence of impurity gases on the growth process is also discussed, The simulation results are compared with the experimental observations. The capabilities of the developed tool in addressing other PVT growth processes such as SiC are discussed.

Worlikar, A.↗

NASA NTRS1999

A LIS Validation Study at the KSC-ER using LDAR and Field Mill Data

The chance of having the TRMM satellite pass over east central Florida when there is lightning over the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and USAF Eastern Range (ER) is small; however, such a condition did occur on September 21, 1998 (Day 264). Starting at about 20:40 GMT, the Lightning Imaging Sensor (LIS) reported 5 flashes during a 90 second interval that the KSC-ER was within the sensor field of view. Ground-based instrumentation, the Lightning Detection and Ranging (LDAR) system and a network of electric field mills (FM), detected 6 flashes in the same interval. In this paper, we will compare the times and locations of the optical pulses that were detected by LIS with the times and locations of RF sources (LDAR) and the charges that were deposited by the flash (FM network). We will show that LIS responded to all flashes that the LDAR and FM network detected; however, two discharges that were separated by less than 1 second in time and by about 10 km in space were grouped as one flash by the LIS data processing algorithm. In spite of the fact that all flashes occurred near the edge of the LIS field of view, the locations of the LIS events were consistent with both the LDAR and FM locations (the latter are usually within 1-2 kilometers of each other and often are co-located). Two of the 5 flashes reported by LIS were shifted north by about 8 km from the corresponding LDAR and FM locations. The LIS flash times tended to be after the first LDAR pulse was detected and before the last, and the integrated light signal (per LIS event) was surprisingly constant over the 5 flashes that were detected by LIS. In the future, we plan to study more correlated events and will try to determine whether and how the LIS light signal is related to the charge transfer in the flash and/or the number and spatial extent of RF sources.

Koshak, William J.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Thermodynamic Cycle Analysis of Magnetohydrodynamic-Bypass Airbreathing Hypersonic Engines

Established analyses of conventional ramjet/scramjet performance characteristics indicate that a considerable decrease in efficiency can be expected at off-design flight conditions. This can be explained, in large part, by the deterioration of intake mass flow and limited inlet compression at low flight speeds and by the onset of thrust degradation effects associated with increased burner entry temperature at high flight speeds. In combination, these effects tend to impose lower and upper Mach number limits for practical flight. It has been noted, however, that Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) energy management techniques represent a possible means for extending the flight Mach number envelope of conventional engines. By transferring enthalpy between different stages of the engine cycle, it appears that the onset of thrust degradation may be delayed to higher flight speeds. Obviously, the introduction of additional process inefficiencies is inevitable with this approach, but it is believed that these losses are more than compensated through optimization of the combustion process. The fundamental idea is to use MHD energy conversion processes to extract and bypass a portion of the intake kinetic energy around the burner. We refer to this general class of propulsion system as an MHD-bypass engine. In this paper, we quantitatively assess the performance potential and scientific feasibility of MHD-bypass airbreathing hypersonic engines using ideal gasdynamics and fundamental thermodynamic principles.

Litchford, Ron J.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Vibrational and Electronic Energy Transfer and Dissociation of Diatomic Molecules by Electron Collisions

At high altitudes and velocities equal to or greater than the geosynchronous return velocity (10 kilometers per second), the shock layer of a hypersonic flight will be in thermochemical nonequilibrium and partially ionized. The amount of ionization is determined by the velocity. For a trans atmospheric flight of 10 kilometers per second and at an altitude of 80 kilometers, a maximum of 1% ionization is expected. At a velocity of 12 - 17 kilometer per second, such as a Mars return mission, up to 30% of the atoms and molecules in the flow field will be ionized. Under those circumstances, electrons play an important role in determining the internal states of atoms and molecules in the flow field and hence the amount of radiative heat load and the distance it takes for the flow field to re-establish equilibrium. Electron collisions provide an effective means of transferring energy even when the electron number density is as low as 1%. Because the mass of an electron is 12,760 times smaller than the reduced mass of N2, its average speed, and hence its average collision frequency, is more than 100 times larger. Even in the slightly ionized regime with only 1% electrons, the frequency of electron-molecule collisions is equal to or larger than that of molecule-molecule collisions, an important consideration in the low density part of the atmosphere. Three electron-molecule collision processes relevant to hypersonic flows will be considered: (1) vibrational excitation/de-excitation of a diatomic molecule by electron impact, (2) electronic excitation/de-excitation, and (3) dissociative recombination in electron-diatomic ion collisions. A review of available data, both theory and experiment, will be given. Particular attention will be paid to tailoring the molecular physics to the condition of hypersonic flows. For example, the high rotational temperatures in a hypersonic flow field means that most experimental data carried out under room temperatures are not applicable. Also, the average electron temperature is expected to be between 10,000 and 20,000 K. Thus only data for low energy electrons are relevant to the model.

Huo, Winifred M.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Development of an Efficient Binaural Simulation for the Analysis of Structural Acoustic Data

Binaural or "virtual acoustic" representation has been proposed as a method of analyzing acoustic and vibroacoustic data. Unfortunately, this binaural representation can require extensive computer power to apply the Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) to a large number of sources, as with a vibrating structure. This work focuses on reducing the number of real-time computations required in this binaural analysis through the use of Singular Value Decomposition (SVD) and Equivalent Source Reduction (ESR). The SVD method reduces the complexity of the HRTF computations by breaking the HRTFs into dominant singular values (and vectors). The ESR method reduces the number of sources to be analyzed in real-time computation by replacing sources on the scale of a structural wavelength with sources on the scale of an acoustic wavelength. It is shown that the effectiveness of the SVD and ESR methods improves as the complexity of the source increases. In addition, preliminary auralization tests have shown that the results from both the SVD and ESR methods are indistinguishable from the results found with the exhaustive method.

Lalime, Aimee L.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Single-Scale Retinex Using Digital Signal Processors

The Retinex is an image enhancement algorithm that improves the brightness, contrast and sharpness of an image. It performs a non-linear spatial/spectral transform that provides simultaneous dynamic range compression and color constancy. It has been used for a wide variety of applications ranging from aviation safety to general purpose photography. Many potential applications require the use of Retinex processing at video frame rates. This is difficult to achieve with general purpose processors because the algorithm contains a large number of complex computations and data transfers. In addition, many of these applications also constrain the potential architectures to embedded processors to save power, weight and cost. Thus we have focused on digital signal processors (DSPs) and field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) as potential solutions for real-time Retinex processing. In previous efforts we attained a 21 (full) frame per second (fps) processing rate for the single-scale monochromatic Retinex with a TMS320C6711 DSP operating at 150 MHz. This was achieved after several significant code improvements and optimizations. Since then we have migrated our design to the slightly more powerful TMS320C6713 DSP and the fixed point TMS320DM642 DSP. In this paper we briefly discuss the Retinex algorithm, the performance of the algorithm executing on the TMS320C6713 and the TMS320DM642, and compare the results with the TMS320C6711.

Hines, Glenn↗

NASA NTRS2010

Performance of the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph after SM4

On May 17, 2009, during the fourth EVA of SM4, astronauts Michael Good and Mike Massimino replaced the failed LVPS-2 circuit board on the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS), restoring this HST instrument to operation after a nearly 6 year hiatus. STIS after this 2009 repair operates in much the same way as it did during the 2001-2004 period of operations with the Side-2 electronics. Internal and external alignments of the instrument are similar to what they had been in 2004, and most changes in performance are modest. The STIS CCD detector continued to experience radiation damage during the hiatus in operations, leading to decreased charge transfer efficiency (CTE) and an increased number of hot pixels. The sensitivities for most modes are surprisingly close to what was expected from simple extrapolation of the 2003-2004 trends, although the echelle modes show somewhat more complex behavior. The biggest surprise was that the dark count rate for the NUV MAMA detector after SM4 has been much larger than had been expected; it is currently about 2.5 times bigger than it was in 2004 and is only slowly decreasing. We discuss how these changes will affect science with STIS now and in the future.

Proffitt, Charles R.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Validation and Simulation of Ares I Scale Model Acoustic Test - 3 - Modeling and Evaluating the Effect of Rainbird Water Deluge Inclusion

The Ares I Scale Model Acoustics Test (ASMAT) is a series of live-fire tests of scaled rocket motors meant to simulate the conditions of the Ares I launch configuration. These tests have provided a well documented set of high fidelity measurements useful for validation including data taken over a range of test conditions and containing phenomena like Ignition Over-Pressure and water suppression of acoustics. Building on dry simulations of the ASMAT tests with the vehicle at 5 ft. elevation (100 ft. real vehicle elevation), wet simulations of the ASMAT test setup have been performed using the Loci/CHEM computational fluid dynamics software to explore the effect of rainbird water suppression inclusion on the launch platform deck. Two-phase water simulation has been performed using an energy and mass coupled lagrangian particle system module where liquid phase emissions are segregated into clouds of virtual particles and gas phase mass transfer is accomplished through simple Weber number controlled breakup and boiling models. Comparisons have been performed to the dry 5 ft. elevation cases, using configurations with and without launch mounts. These cases have been used to explore the interaction between rainbird spray patterns and launch mount geometry and evaluate the acoustic sound pressure level knockdown achieved through above-deck rainbird deluge inclusion. This comparison has been anchored with validation from live-fire test data which showed a reduction in rainbird effectiveness with the presence of a launch mount.

Strutzenberg, Louise L.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis Subsystem: Pressure Transducer Trade Study

In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is a key factor in paving the way for the future of human space exploration. The ability to harvest resources on foreign astronomical objects to produce consumables and propellant offers potential reduction in mission cost and risk. Through previous missions, the existence of water ice at the poles of the moon has been identified, however the feasibility of water extraction for resources remains unanswered. The Resource Prospector (RP) mission is currently in development to provide ground truth, and will enable us to characterize the distribution of water at one of the lunar poles. Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) is the primary payload on RP that will be used in conjunction with a rover. RESOLVE contains multiple instruments for systematically identifying the presence of water. The main process involves the use of two systems within RESOLVE: the Oxygen Volatile Extraction Node (OVEN) and Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA). Within the LAVA subsystem, there are multiple calculations that depend on accurate pressure readings. One of the most important instances where pressure transducers (PT) are used is for calculating the number of moles in a gas transfer from the OVEN subsystem. As a critical component of the main process, a mixture of custom and commercial off the shelf (COTS) PTs are currently being tested in the expected operating environment to eventually down select an option for integrated testing in the LAVA engineering test unit (ETU).

Kang, Edward Shinuk↗

NASA NTRS2024

Double Power-law Formation by Sequential Particle Acceleration

Spectral double power laws are common in solar high-energy phenomena such as flares and interplanetary energetic-electron events. However, the physical mechanism that produces the changes in power-law index within a single spectrum is unclear. We developed a fully analytical method of forming single power-law spectra from sequential acceleration of particles orbiting inside and hopping between simulated large-scale magnetic islands formed by flare reconnection. Here, we extend the analytical method to the formation of double power-law spectra by assuming sequential acceleration in two successive regions with different acceleration and particle-transport rates. The resulting spectral distribution is continuous and smooth, with a flattening at low energies, two power-law regions at mid-energies, and a steep rollover at high energies. The model provides analytical expressions for the spectral indices, all energy breaks, and normalization constants as functions of just three physical parameters of each acceleration region: (1) the energy gain in each accelerator, (2) the percentage of particles transferred between accelerators, and (3) the number of accelerators visited. One of the most salient predictions of our work is that the spectral index at high (low) energies is determined by the parameters of the first "seed" (second) acceleration region. By constructing the spectral distribution through an iterative analytical process, the evolution toward a double power law is easily characterized and explained. Our analytical model provides tools to interpret space- and ground-based observations from RHESSI, FOXSI, NuSTAR, Solar Orbiter/STIX, EOVSA, and future high-energy missions.

Solar flares↗

NASA NTRS1977

Results of an investigation of the space shuttle integrated vehicle aerodynamic heating characteristics obtained using the 0.0175-scale model 60-OTS in AEDC tunnel A during tests IH41 and IH41A

A thin skin thermocouple test was conducted to obtain heat-transfer data on the space shuttle integrated vehicle during the ascent phase of the flight profile. The test model was the 0.0175-scale thin skin thermocouple model (60-OTS) of the Rockwell International vehicle 5 configuration. The test was conducted at nominal Mach numbers of 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, and 5.5, and a free stream unit Reynolds number of 5 million per ft. Heat transfer data were obtained for angles of attack of 0, + or - 5, and 10 deg and yaw angles of 0, 3, and 6 deg. The integrated vehicle model was tested with the external tank configured with both a smooth ogive nose and an ogive nose with a spherical nose tip (nipple nose). The remainder of the test was conducted with the external tank installed alone in the tunnel.

Cummings, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Surface-cooling effects on compressible boundary-layer instability

The influence of surface cooling on compressible boundary layer instability is discussed theoretically for both viscous and inviscid modes, at high Reynolds numbers. The cooling enhances the surface heat transfer and shear stress, creating a high heat transfer sublayer. This has the effect of distorting and accentuating the viscous Tollmien-Schlichting modes to such an extent that their spatial growth rates become comparable with, and can even exceed, the growth rates of inviscid modes, including those found previously. This is for moderate cooling, and it applies at any Mach number. In addition, the moderate cooling destabilizes otherwise stable viscous or inviscid modes, in particular triggering outward-traveling waves at the edge of the boundary layer in the supersonic regime. Severe cooling is also discussed as it brings compressible dynamics directly into play within the viscous sublayer. All the new cooled modes found involve the heat transfer sublayer quite actively, and they are often multi-structured in form and may be distinct from those observed in previous computational and experimental investigations. The corresponding nonlinear processes are also pointed out with regard to transition in the cooled compressible boundary layer. Finally, comparisons with Lysenko and Maslov's (1984) experiments on surface cooling are presented.

Seddougui, Sharon O.↗

NASA NTRS1961

Transition of the Laminar Boundary Layer on a Delta Wing with 74 degree Sweep in Free Flight at Mach Numbers from 2.8 to 5.3

The tests were conducted at Mach numbers from 2.8 to 5.3, with model surface temperatures small compared to boundary-layer recovery temperature. The effects of Mach number, temperature ratio, unit Reynolds number, leading-edge diameter, and angle of attack were investigated in an exploratory fashion. The effect of heat-transfer condition (i.e., wall temperature to total temperature ratio) and Mach number can not be separated explicitly in free-flight tests. However, the data of the present report, as well as those of NACA TN 3473, were found to be more consistent when plotted versus temperature ratio. Decreasing temperature ratio increased the transition Reynolds number. The effect of unit Reynolds number was small as was the effect of leading-edge diameter within the range tested. At small values of angle of attack, transition moved forward on the windward surface and rearward on the leeward surface. This trend was reversed at high angles of attack (6 deg to 18 deg). Possible reasons for this are the reduction of crossflow on the windward side and the influence of the lifting vortices on the leeward surface. When the transition results on the 740 delta wing were compared to data at similar test conditions for an unswept leading edge, the results bore out the results of earlier research at nearly zero heat transfer; namely, sweep causes a large reduction in the transition Reynolds number.

Chapman, Gary T.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Pollination and embryo development in Brassica rapa L. in microgravity

Plant reproduction under spaceflight conditions has been problematic in the past. In order to determine what aspect of reproductive development is affected by microgravity, we studied pollination and embryo development in Brassica rapa L. during 16 d in microgravity on the space shuttle (STS-87). Brassica is self-incompatible and requires mechanical transfer of pollen. Short-duration access to microgravity during parabolic flights on the KC-135A aircraft was used initially to confirm that equal numbers of pollen grains could be collected and transferred in the absence of gravity. Brassica was grown in the Plant Growth Facility flight hardware as follows. Three chambers each contained six plants that were 13 d old at launch. As these plants flowered, thin colored tape was used to indicate the date of hand pollination, resulting in silique populations aged 8-15 d postpollination at the end of the 16-d mission. The remaining three chambers contained dry seeds that germinated on orbit to produce 14-d-old plants just beginning to flower at the time of landing. Pollen produced by these plants had comparable viability (93%) with that produced in the 2-d-delayed ground control. Matched-age siliques yielded embryos of equivalent developmental stage in the spaceflight and ground control treatments. Carbohydrate and protein storage reserves in the embryos, assessed by cytochemical localization, were also comparable. In the spaceflight material, growth and development by embryos rescued from siliques 15 d after pollination lagged behind the ground controls by 12 d; however, in the subsequent generation, no differences between the two treatments were found. The results demonstrate that while no stage of reproductive development in Brassica is absolutely dependent upon gravity, lower embryo quality may result following development in microgravity.

short duration↗