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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1981

The Manned Space Platform as an evolutionary means to achieve a permanent manned orbital operations facility

An evolutionary approach to permanently manned on-orbit facilities is discussed, and it is noted that the Science and Applications Manned Space Platform, which is the first step in this evolution, can be based primarily on existing and currently planned hardware. It is shown how by upgrading the systems capabilities of the Spacelab modules, the platform can be reconfigured to provide a permanent manned research and operations facility. The facility can grow in size and capability to accommodate increases in user requirements, more experiment modules, and larger crews and to provide additional power and heat rejection. It is noted that the Growth-Permanently Manned Facility can be used for science activities and/or to support various operations functions such as space construction, servicing and maintaining space systems, and vehicle assembly.

Schwartz, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Precision orbit analyses in support of the Seasat altimeter experiment

It is noted that major improvements have been made in the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) geodynamic models for Seasat. It is pointed out that the dominant error source in Seasat ephemeris computation is currently the uncertainty in modeling the earth's gravity field. Attention is also given to significant errors arising from atmospheric drag and solar radiation pressure modeling. It is noted that a comparison of GSFC and Naval Surface Weapons Center (NSWC) Seasat ephemerides indicate the presence of an unexplained difference of about 4 m in the location of the center of mass along the Z axis. This difference is consistent with that obtained with earlier geoid and station coordinated comparisons performed by other investigators. It is expected that future combinations of Seasat and GEOS-3 altimeter data, together with laser and Unified S-Band tracking data, will ultimately produce a gravity field which allows computations of a global Seasat ephemeris with an rms radial accuracy of about 50 cm.

Marsh, J. G.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Orbit accuracy assessment for Seasat

Laser range measurements are used to determine the orbit of Seasat during the period from July 28, 1978, to Aug. 14, 1978, and the influence of the gravity field, atmospheric drag, and solar radiation pressure on the orbit accuracy is investigated. It is noted that for the orbits of three-day duration, little distinction can be made between the influence of different atmospheric models. It is found that the special Seasat gravity field PGS-S3 is most consistent with the data for three-day orbits, but an unmodeled systematic effect in radiation pressure is noted. For orbits of 18-day duration, little distinction can be made between the results derived from the PGS gravity fields. It is also found that the geomagnetic field is an influential factor in the atmospheric modeling during this time period. Seasat altimeter measurements are used to determine the accuracy of the altimeter measurement time tag and to evaluate the orbital accuracy.

Schutz, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Early lunar petrogenesis, oceanic and extraoceanic

An attempt is made to ascertain which (if any) pristine nonmare rocks, other than KREEPy ones, are not cumulates from the magma ocean. It is noted that the only pristine rocks having bulk densities low enough to have formed by floating above the magma ocean are the ferroan anorthosites, which are easily recognizable as a discrete subset of pristine rocks in general, on the basis of mineral composition relationships. The other class of pristine nonmare rocks, the Mg-rich rocks, did not form from the same magma that produced the ferroan anorthosites. It is suggested that they were formed in layered noritic-troctolitic plutons. These plutons, it is noted, were apparently intruded at, or slightly above, the boundary between the floated ferroan anorthosite crust and the underlying complementary mafic cumulates. It is thought that the parental magmas of the plutons may have arisen by partial melting of either deep mafic cumulates from the magma ocean or a still deeper, undifferentiated primordial layer that was not molten during the magma ocean period.

Warren, P. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Far-infrared emission line and continuum observations of NGC 7027

The first observation of a fine-structure transition in NGC 7027 at wavelengths greater than 30 microns is reported. The flux in the 63.2-micron line is found to be approximately 10 to the -16th W/sq cm. It is noted that if NGC 7027 lies at 1 kpc, this corresponds to a luminosity, in the line, approximately 30 times greater than the solar luminosity. The flux of the 88.35-micron line is less than 10 to the -17th W/sq cm, and the upper limit to the line flux at 51.8 microns is found to be 10 to the -16th W/sq cm. These upper limits imply an electron density that is less than 1.6 x 10 to the 5th/cu cm. It is noted that the continuum measurements obtained support a dust temperature of 90 K with an emissivity approximately equal to the reciprocal of the square of the wavelength. The data exclude grain materials whose wavelength-dependent emissivity (the reciprocal of the wavelength raised to nth power) requires n to be outside the range between 1.6 and 2, unless the temperature varies drastically across the dust cloud

Melnick, G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Bowen fluorescence on the sun

An identification is made of a weak line in the high-resolution EUV solar spectrum, and the contribution of the Bowen fluorescence mechanism to line emission is considered. The line at 303.625 A is noted to coincide with the 2p 3d(3P2 0) - 2p2(3P1) transition of O III at 303.621 A, which could be excited by He II line excitation of the O III 2p2(3P2) - 2p 3d(3P2 0) transition at 303.799 A. Computations of the collisionally induced intensities of the 2p2(3P) - 2p3d(3P 0) multiplet are shown to result in values not observed in the solar spectrum, indicating that Bowen fluorescence, rather than collisional excitation, is the source of the line. The Bowen fluorescence mechanism is noted to have implications for the identification of other spectral lines, and for models of the solar corona.

Kastner, S. O.↗
NASA NTRS1981

X-ray emission from supernova remnants near gamma-ray sources

It is noted that the imaging proportional of the Einstein Observatory has been used to search for X-ray emission from eight radio supernova remnants which are near three of the Cos-B unidentified gamma-ray sources: 2CG 311-01, CG 327-0, and CG 333+0. Emissions are observed from three of the remnants and upper limits on the remainder which are consistent with the luminosity expected from a simple blast-wave heated plasma model of the process. Thus none of the remnants are superluminous as might be expected if the pattern of the Crab Nebula were followed. It is thought that the remnant RCW 103 may be Vela-like. It is noted that another of the remnants, Kes 27, has centrally peaked X-ray emission which is unlike the shell-like emission seen for many remnants and which does not correlate well with its asymmetric radio emission.

Lamb, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The Venus ionosphere as an obstacle to the solar wind

Pioneer Venus Orbiter Electron Temperature Probe measurements of hundreds of bow shock and ionopause crossings are employed in describing the configuration of these two boundaries and their variations in response to changes in solar wind pressure. The average bow shock configuration is found to be well represented by an Archimedian hyperboloid whose altitude at the subsolar point is 0.46 Venus radii, a value slightly greater than that derived from Pioneer Venus magnetometer data using a fit to a general conic section. It is noted that the average bow shock configuration exhibits a high degree of azimuthal symmetry near the terminator. The orbit to orbit variability of the shock location is unexpectedly large, the standard deviation being about 10%. A tendency is noted for the bow shock and the ionopause to expand and contract simultaneously, but the weakness of their orbit by orbit correlation suggests that the ionopause of Venus is not the only obstacle to the solar wind. It is thought that such processes as photoion pickup and charge exchange with neutrals may be important in diverting the solar wind plasma around the planet.

Theis, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Configuration of Jupiter's magnetic tail and equatorial current sheet

Recent research reports by Behannon et al. (1981) and Connerney et al. (1981) are summarized. It is noted that the analysis made of the detailed neutral sheet crossings by the minimum variance method shows a consistent result with regard to the orientation of the neutral sheet in the magnetic tail as a two-dimensional surface rocking back and forth about the Jupiter sun-line as the rotation of the planet leads to a precession of the tilted dipole magnetic axis. The occurrence of neutral sheet crossings is found not to be consistent with any of the axially symmetric theoretical models proposed earlier on the basis of the 1974 Pioneer 10 observations. It is noted that a simple nonaxially symmetric model has been developed on the basis of the Voyager results which indicates the strong control upon orientation by the interaction of the solar wind with the Jovian magnetosphere. The model is described as simple because it improves the fit of theory to observation but uses fewer parameters. A quantitative model of the magnetodisc equatorial current sheet has been developed for the inner magnetosphere region which matches well the in-situ magnetic field observations.

Ness, N. F.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Gravitation experiments at Stanford

The experimental situation in post-Newtonian gravitation is briefly reviewed in order to reexamine the extent to which experiment supports or refutes general relativity. A description is given of the equivalence principle project, the gyroscope experiment, and the search for gravity waves. It is noted that even though some doubt has been cast on the value of the perihelion advance and the gravitational redshift as precise tests of general relativity in the past few years, many competing theories have been ruled out; in particular, the results from the Viking mission significantly reduce the credibility of the Brans-Dicke theory (Brans and Dicke, 1961). The dimensionless constant omega in this theory is now forced to exceed 50, while the value originally proposed was 6 (omega being infinity in general relativity). It is noted that the gyro experiment described is capable of putting much tighter limits on this parameter, and together with the other experiments in progress will help place gravitational theory on a firmer experimental footing.

Lipa, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Photospheric subrotations, differential rotation and zonal wind bands - A reverse pirouette

It is noted that on the sun the core is assumed to be rotating with a period of about 12 days while the overlying 'mantle' convection zone has a solid body component of about 27 days. It is proposed that this phenomenon could simply be understood as a 'reverse pirouette'. It is noted that while previously proposed models provide solutions of valid equations and computer analyses, they lack a simple physical picture to explain the phenomenon. In the model proposed here, the solar oblateness is conventionally providing added heat input at the poles. The result is the large scale transport of material toward the equator, causing subrotation. The model is thus seen as facilitating an understanding of the formation of a slowly rotating convection zone above the more rapidly rotating core. The latitudinal photospheric differential rotation is interpreted as a 'second order' effect associated with the horizontal transport of momentum.

Schatten, K. H.↗
NASA NTRS1981

IUE observations of mass ejection by the close binary system AO Cassiopeiae

It is noted that 11 high-resolution spectra in the far-ultraviolet and two high-resolution spectra in the mid-ultraviolet were obtained. A high-velocity stellar wind exists as indicated by narrow shortward-displaced absorption features superposed on the P Cygni lines of N V, Si IV, and C IV. Absorption lines caused by N IV and C III are present and show nonorbital velocities of about -50 to -150 km/sec. Several weak photospheric lines of the primary star are detected. A few lines of Fe IV and Fe V are detectable near phase 0.50 and, less prominently, near phase 0.00. It is noted that the He II absorption line appears doubled except near phases 0.00 and 0.50 and that the weaker component appears to be attributable to the secondary component of the system. The mean velocity of the stellar wind is -1879 + or - 51(p.e.) km/sec and is nearly constant over the period of observation, although the absorption strength is found to vary.

Mccluskey, G. E.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Atmospheric neutral points outside of the principal plane

It is noted that the positions in the sky where the skylight is unpolarized, that is, the neutral points, are in most cases located in the vertical plane through the sun (the principal plane). Points have been observed outside the principal plane (Soret, 1888) when the plane intersected a lake or sea. Here, the neutral points were located at an azimuth of about 15 deg from the sun and near the almucantar through the sun. In order to investigate the effects of water surface and aerosols in the neutral point positions, the positions are computed for models of the earth-atmosphere system that simulate the observational conditions. The computed and measured positions are found to agree well. While previous observations provided only qualitative information on the degree of polarization, it is noted that the computations provide details concerning the polarization parameters.

Fraser, R. S.↗
NASA NTRS1980

A space stable optical bench structure for the space telescope wide field and planetary camera

The design, fabrication, and verification tests of two optical bench structures fabricated under contract to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are discussed. It is noted that graphite-epoxy and invar have been selected as the structural materials for the bench. The ability to manufacture a precise graphite-epoxy optical system platform has been demonstrated. It is noted that the 19 channel laser interferometer was used to measure the CTE of the bench structure graphite-epoxy components and the two invar bulkheads.

Smith, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Computer control of a robotic satellite servicer

The advantages that will accrue from the in-orbit servicing of satellites are listed. It is noted that in a concept in satellite servicing which holds promise as a compromise between the high flexibility and adaptability of manned vehicles and the lower cost of an unmanned vehicle involves an unmanned servicer carrying a remotely supervised robotic manipulator arm. Because of deficiencies in sensor technology, robot servicing would require that satellites be designed according to a modular concept. A description is given of the servicer simulation hardware, the computer and interface hardware, and the software. It is noted that several areas require further development; these include automated docking, modularization of satellite design, reliable connector and latching mechanisms, development of manipulators for space environments, and development of automated diagnostic techniques.

Fernandez, K. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A simple attitude data filter for three-axis attitude initialization for autonomous ascent of Shuttle-launched spacecraft

A method for accurately initializing spacecraft attitude after release from the Orbiter is described. It is noted that the method is suitable for an autonomous ascent to mission orbit. Test results are given from a FORTRAN simulation of the estimation algorithm using measurement data from a detailed spacecraft dynamics simulation program. The technique here is orbital yaw-gyrocompassing. Attitude is estimated through a Kalman filter, using pitch and roll measurements from an earth sensor, while gyro data provide the system dynamics information. In the tests described, gyro and earth sensor data are generated by an existing control system simulation of earth-search and yaw-gyrocompassing attitude dynamics; they include realistic errors such as delays, random noise and quantization effects. The estimated attitude history is compared with the true attitude history from the simulation program to assess the accuracy and convergence of the filter in the presence of noisy measurements and disturbances, including thruster firings for momentum control. It is noted that since the earth sensor provides direct measurements of pitch and roll, the main criterion of filter performance is yaw accuracy.

Joshi, R. T.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The Soviet aim - A permanent base in space

The goals of the Soviet manned space program, which apparently include the establishment of a permanent manned presence in space, are discussed. The operational experience of the Salyut-6 space station, which in the past four years has hosted six major manned expeditions and 10 short visits, is considered, and the launch of the Cosmos 1267 spacecraft currently orbiting the earth attached to Salyut 6 is examined. The modular nature of Soviet space stations as a result of the relatively low power of their launch vehicles is noted. Attention is then given to the history of the Salyut program, particularly the design, operational history and equipment of Salyut 6, and to the probable nature of Cosmos 1267 as space station module which also carried an experimental reentry vehicle which returned to earth shortly after launch. The opposite directions of Soviet and American manned space programs, one towards permanent stations and the other toward quick, frequent and easy access to space, are emphasized, and the potential benefits of a coordinated approach are noted.

Oberg, J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

A closer examination of the reduction of satellite magnetometer data for geological studies

Results of a detailed examination of magnetic field residuals obtained from POGO satellite magnetometer data are presented which illustrate some problems which may be encountered in the reduction and analysis of Magsat data. Comparisons of field residuals determined from OGO 2, 4 and 6 data for the region between 270 and 290 deg E reveals significant differences between the satellite data sets which are related to differences in the residual field level on individual satellites, external field contamination and effects from ring current correction in the data reduction process. When a new map is prepared from OGO 2 and 4 satellite data by compensating for these factors, dramatic differences with the original map are noted, including the disappearance of a major positive anomaly and the better definition of various magnetic highs and lows. The new map is also noted to be more consistent with conventional airborne and marine magnetic measurements. The results thus demonstrate the necessity for the inspection of satellite data and the adequate removal of the external field signal prior to geological analysis.

Regan, R. D.↗