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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRS1974

Management and control of Skylab missions

The flight operations task, as developed in support of the Skylab Program, was evolutionary in nature and, to a great extent, was an orderly extension of the flight control concepts used in the Apollo Program, tempered by the nature of the Skylab Program. During the terminal portion of the Apollo Program, many of the operating concepts proposed for Skylab were tested and used for Apollo support to obtain a realistic evaluation of these new techniques. The principal concept developed in the Apollo Program and augmented in support of the Skylab Program was one wherein a professional operations team would provide support to the scientists in the areas of mission integration, experiment, and experiment support systems, monitoring and control, and data retrieval.

Roach, J. W.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Spacelab - A key element in the Space Shuttle Space Transportation System

Spacelab will be a key element in the Space Transportation System (STS) to be initiated with the advent of the first operational flight of Space Shuttle in 1980. Spacelab is an international, cooperative venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which is structured to provide the scientific community an earthlike laboratory in space by 1980. The responsibilities of both ESA and NASA are divided into design and development to be accomplished by ESA and the experiment integration and operation with the Space Shuttle by NASA. While the Spacelab is a key element in the STS, it is highly dependent on other elements in the system for its resources and payload support capabilities. This paper presents the relationship of the Spacelab to other elements and the operational planning that NASA is undertaking to make the Spacelab a flexible and efficient laboratory in space.

Lee, T. J.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Project Explorer - Student experiments aboard the Space Shuttle

Project Explorer, a program of high school student experiments in space in a Space Shuttle self-contained payload unit (Getaway Special), sponsored by the Alabama Space and Rocket Center (ASRC) in cooperation with four Alabama universities is presented. Organizations aspects of the project, which is intended to promote public awareness of the space program and encourage space research, are considered, and the proposal selection procedure is outlined. The projects selected for inclusion in the self-contained payload canister purchased in 1977 and expected to be flown on an early shuttle mission include experiments on alloy solidification, electric plating, whisker growth, chick embryo development and human blood freezing, and an amateur radio experiment. Integration support activities planned and underway are summarized, and possible uses for a second payload canister purchased by ASRC are discussed.

Buckbee, E.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Experimental unsteady aerodynamics of conventional and supercritical airfoils

Experimental data on the unsteady aerodynamics of oscillating airfoils in transonic flow are presented. Two 0.5 m-chord airfoil models - an NACA 64A010 and an NLR 7301 - were tested in the NASA-Ames 11 by 11 foot Transonic Wind Tunnel at Mach numbers to 0.85, at chord Reynolds numbers to 12 million and at mean angles of attack to 4 deg. The airfoils were subjected to both pitching and plunging motions at reduced frequencies to 0.3 (physical frequencies to 53 Hz). The new hardware and the extensive use of computer-experiment integration developed for this test are described. The geometrical configuration of the model and the test arrangement are described in detail. Mean and first harmonic data are presented in both tabular and graphical form to aid in comparisons with other data and with numerical computations.

Davis, S. S.↗

NASA NTRS1979

Einstein Observatory /HEAO-B/ mirror design and performance

The mirrors for the Einstein Observatory represent a substantial advance in the state of the art X-ray optics, and have been tested more thoroughly than previous telescopes. The image is characterized by a narrow, wavelength independent core, and broad energy dependent wings. The width of the core is about that expected from mechanical and visible light measurements taken during fabrication and assembly. The wings of the response function are caused by microscopic surface scattering, but only a qualitative understanding of this process exists. Improvement in surface texture to reduce the wide angle scatter is the most urgent task in the development of large X-ray optics. The mirrors have survived the experiment integration period and launch, and are performing in orbit as they performed upon the ground.

Van Speybroeck, L. P.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Fiber optic sensor technology - An opportunity for smart aerospace structures

Fiber optic sensors provide the opportunity for fabricating materials with internal sensors which can serve as lifetime health monitors, analogous to a central nervous system. The embedded fiber optic sensors can be interrogated by various techniques to measure internal strain, temperature, pressure, acoustic waves and other parameters indicative of structural integrity. Experiments have been conducted with composite samples with embedded sensors to measure strain using optical time domain reflectometry, modal interference and an optical phase locked loop. Fiber optic sensors have been developed to detect acoustic emission and impact damage and have been demonstrated for cure monitoring. These sensors have the potential for lifetime monitoring of structural properties, providing real time nondestructive evaluation.

Heyman, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Adaptive servo control for umbilical mating

Robotic applications at Kennedy Space Center are unique and in many cases require the fime positioning of heavy loads in dynamic environments. Performing such operations is beyond the capabilities of an off-the-shelf industrial robot. Therefore Robotics Applications Development Laboratory at Kennedy Space Center has put together an integrated system that coordinates state of the art robotic system providing an excellent easy to use testbed for NASA sensor integration experiments. This paper reviews the ways of improving the dynamic response of the robot operating under force feedback with varying dynamic internal perturbations in order to provide continuous stable operations under variable load conditions. The goal is to improve the stability of the system with force feedback using the adaptive control feature of existing system over a wide range of random motions. The effect of load variations on the dynamics and the transfer function (order or values of the parameters) of the system has been investigated, more accurate models of the system have been determined and analyzed.

Zia, Omar↗

NASA NTRS1988

Space Station launch site processing

Planning which is underway at NASA-Kennedy toward launch site processing of Space Station elements is described. The goal is to develop cost-effective processing for each of the Program elements. Launch site receiving is discussed as well as post delivery verification, prelaunch assembly, prelaunch testing, experiment integration, and testing and servicing.

Oertel, John G.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Test description and preliminary pitot-pressure surveys for Langley Test Technique Demonstrator at Mach 6

A propulsion/airframe integration experiment conducted in the NASA Langley 20-Inch Mach 6 Tunnel using a 16.8-in.-long version of the Langley Test Technique Demonstrator configuration with simulated scramjet propulsion is described. Schlieren and vapor screen visualization of the nozzle flow field is presented and correlated with pitot-pressure flow-field surveys. The data were obtained at nominal free-stream conditions of Re = 2.8 x 10 exp 6 and a nominal engine total pressure of 100 psia. It is concluded that pitot-pressure surveys coupled to schlieren and vapor-screen photographs, and oil flows have revealed flow features including vortices, free shear layers, and shock waves occurring in the model flow field.

Everhart, Joel L.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Modal characterization of the ASCIE segmented optics testbed: New algorithms and experimental results

New frequency response measurement procedures, on-line modal tuning techniques, and off-line modal identification algorithms are developed and applied to the modal identification of the Advanced Structures/Controls Integrated Experiment (ASCIE), a generic segmented optics telescope test-bed representative of future complex space structures. The frequency response measurement procedure uses all the actuators simultaneously to excite the structure and all the sensors to measure the structural response so that all the transfer functions are measured simultaneously. Structural responses to sinusoidal excitations are measured and analyzed to calculate spectral responses. The spectral responses in turn are analyzed as the spectral data become available and, which is new, the results are used to maintain high quality measurements. Data acquisition, processing, and checking procedures are fully automated. As the acquisition of the frequency response progresses, an on-line algorithm keeps track of the actuator force distribution that maximizes the structural response to automatically tune to a structural mode when approaching a resonant frequency. This tuning is insensitive to delays, ill-conditioning, and nonproportional damping. Experimental results show that is useful for modal surveys even in high modal density regions. For thorough modeling, a constructive procedure is proposed to identify the dynamics of a complex system from its frequency response with the minimization of a least-squares cost function as a desirable objective. This procedure relies on off-line modal separation algorithms to extract modal information and on least-squares parameter subset optimization to combine the modal results and globally fit the modal parameters to the measured data. The modal separation algorithms resolved modal density of 5 modes/Hz in the ASCIE experiment. They promise to be useful in many challenging applications.

Carrier, Alain C.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Space Applications Industrial Laser System (SAILS)

A program is underway to develop a YAG laser based materials processing workstation to fly in the cargo bay of the Space Shuttle. This workstation, called Space Applications Industrial Laser System (SAILS), will be capable of cutting and welding steel, aluminum, and Inconel alloys of the type planned for use in constructing the Space Station Freedom. As well as demonstrating the ability of a YAG laser to perform remote (fiber-optic delivered) repair and fabrication operations in space, fundamental data will be collected on these interactions for comparison with terrestrial data and models. The flight system, scheduled to fly in 1996, will be constructed as three modules using standard Get-Away-Special (GAS) canisters. The first module holds the laser head and cooling system, while the second contains a high peak power electrical supply. The third module houses the materials processing workstation and the command and data acquisition subsystems. The laser head and workstation cansisters are linked by a fiber-optic cable to transmit the laser light. The team assembled to carry out this project includes Lumonics Industrial Products (laser), Tennessee Technological University (structural analysis and fabrication), Auburn University Center for Space Power (electrical engineering), University of Waterloo (low-g laser process consulting), and CSTAR/UTSI (data acquisition, control, software, integration, experiment design). This report describes the SAILS program and highlights recent activities undertaken at CSTAR.

Mccay, T. D.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Case Study of an Object-Oriented System: EOSDIS

Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) is a long-term NASA research mission to study the processes leading to global climate change. The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a NASA campaign of satellite observatories that are a major component of MTPE. The EOS Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is another component of MTPE that will provide the Earth science community with easy, affordable, and reliable access to Earth science data. EOSDIS is a distributed system, with major facilities at six Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAACS) located throughout the United States. The EOSDIS software architecture is being designed to receive, process, and archive several terabytes of science data on a daily basis. Thousands of science users and perhaps several hundred thousands of non-science users are expected to access the system. While there are many segments in EOSDIS (e.g., flight operations, network) this case study discusses the development of the science data processing segment (SDPS). We briefly review the architecture of the system, the goals of the SDPS, and the development progress to date. This study highlights key software development challenges, experiences integrating COTS, and the difficulties of managing a complex system development effort.

Behnke, Jeanne↗

NASA NTRS1999

Design of the NASA Robonaut Hand

The design of a highly anthropomorphic human scale robot hand for space based operations is described. This five finger hand combined with its integrated wrist and forearm has fourteen independent degrees of freedom. The device approximates very well the kinematics and required strength of an astronaut's hand when operating through a pressurized space suit glove. The mechanisms used to meet these requirements are explained in detail along with the design philosophy behind them. Integration experiences reveal the challenges associated with obtaining the required capabilities within the desired size. The initial finger control strategy is presented along with examples of obtainable grasps.

Lovchik, Chris S.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Activity Tracking for Pilot Error Detection from Flight Data

This report presents an application of activity tracking for pilot error detection from flight data, and describes issues surrounding such an application. It first describes the Crew Activity Tracking System (CATS), in-flight data collected from the NASA Langley Boeing 757 Airborne Research Integrated Experiment System aircraft, and a model of B757 flight crew activities. It then presents an example of CATS detecting actual in-flight crew errors.

Callantine, Todd J.↗

NASA NTRS2002

ARIES: NASA Langley's Airborne Research Facility

In 1994, the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) acquired a B-757-200 aircraft to replace the aging B-737 Transport Systems Research Vehicle (TSRV). The TSRV was a modified B-737-100, which served as a trailblazer in the development of glass cockpit technologies and other innovative aeronautical concepts. The mission for the B-757 is to continue the three-decade tradition of civil transport technology research begun by the TSRV. Since its arrival at Langley, this standard 757 aircraft has undergone extensive modifications to transform it into an aeronautical research "flying laboratory". With this transformation, the aircraft, which has been designated Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System (ARIES), has become a unique national asset which will continue to benefit the U.S. aviation industry and commercial airline customers for many generations to come. This paper will discuss the evolution of the modifications, detail the current capabilities of the research systems, and provide an overview of the research contributions already achieved.

Wusk, Michael S.↗

NASA NTRS2003

Initial SVS Integrated Technology Evaluation Flight Test Requirements and Hardware Architecture

This document presents the flight test requirements for the Initial Synthetic Vision Systems Integrated Technology Evaluation flight Test to be flown aboard NASA Langley's ARIES aircraft and the final hardware architecture implemented to meet these requirements. Part I of this document contains the hardware, software, simulator, and flight operations requirements for this light test as they were defined in August 2002. The contents of this section are the actual requirements document that was signed for this flight test. Part II of this document contains information pertaining to the hardware architecture that was realized to meet these requirements as presented to and approved by a Critical Design Review Panel prior to installation on the B-757 Airborne Research Integrated Experiments Systems (ARIES) airplane. This information includes a description of the equipment, block diagrams of the architecture, layouts of the workstations, and pictures of the actual installations.

Harrison, Stella V.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Overview of the Neurolab Spacelab mission

Neurolab is a NASA Spacelab mission with multinational cooperative participation that is dedicated to research on the nervous system. The nervous systems of all animal species have evolved in a one-g environment and are functionally influenced by the presence of gravity. The absence of gravity presents a unique opportunity to gain new insights into basic neurologic functions as well as an enhanced understanding of physiological and behavioral responses mediated by the nervous system. The primary goal of Neurolab is to expand our understanding of how the nervous system develops, functions in, and adapts to microgravity space flight. Twenty-six peer reviewed investigations using human and nonhuman test subjects were assigned to one of eight science discipline teams. Individual and integrated experiments within these teams have been designed to collect a wide range of physiological and behavior data in flight as well as pre- and postflight. Information from these investigations will be applicable to enhancing the well being and performance of future long duration space travelers, will contribute to our understanding of normal and pathological functioning of the nervous system, and may be applied by the medical community to enhance the health of humans on Earth.

manned↗

NASA NTRS2004

NASA-Langley Research Center's Aircraft Condition Analysis and Management System Implementation

This document describes the hardware implementation design and architecture of Aeronautical Radio Incorporated (ARINC)'s Aircraft Condition Analysis and Management System (ACAMS), which was developed at NASA-Langley Research Center (LaRC) for use in its Airborne Research Integrated Experiments System (ARIES) Laboratory. This activity is part of NASA's Aviation Safety Program (AvSP), the Single Aircraft Accident Prevention (SAAP) project to develop safety-enabling technologies for aircraft and airborne systems. The fundamental intent of these technologies is to allow timely intervention or remediation to improve unsafe conditions before they become life threatening.

Frye, Mark W.↗