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At least 1,081 records · Page 60

High-Rate Digital Receiver Board

A high-rate digital receiver (HRDR) implemented as a peripheral component interface (PCI) board has been developed as a prototype of compact, general-purpose, inexpensive, potentially mass-producible data-acquisition interfaces between telemetry systems and personal computers. The installation of this board in a personal computer together with an analog preprocessor enables the computer to function as a versatile, highrate telemetry-data-acquisition and demodulator system. The prototype HRDR PCI board can handle data at rates as high as 600 megabits per second, in a variety of telemetry formats, transmitted by diverse phase-modulation schemes that include binary phase-shift keying and various forms of quadrature phaseshift keying. Costing less than $25,000 (as of year 2003), the prototype HRDR PCI board supplants multiple racks of older equipment that, when new, cost over $500,000. Just as the development of standard network-interface chips has contributed to the proliferation of networked computers, it is anticipated that the development of standard chips based on the HRDR could contribute to reductions in size and cost and increases in performance of telemetry systems.

Ghuman, Parminder↗

Investigation of a Moire Based Crack Detection Technique for Propulsion Health Monitoring

The development of techniques for the health monitoring of the rotating components in gas turbine engines is of major interest to NASA s Aviation Safety Program. As part of this on-going effort several experiments utilizing a novel optical Moir based concept along with external blade tip clearance and shaft displacement instrumentation were conducted on a simulated turbine engine disk as a means of demonstrating a potential optical crack detection technique. A Moir pattern results from the overlap of two repetitive patterns with slightly different periods. With this technique, it is possible to detect very small differences in spacing and hence radial growth in a rotating disk due to a flaw such as a crack. The experiment involved etching a circular reference pattern on a subscale engine disk that had a 50.8 mm (2 in.) long notch machined into it to simulate a crack. The disk was operated at speeds up to 12 000 rpm and the Moir pattern due to the shift with respect to the reference pattern was monitored as a means of detecting the radial growth of the disk due to the defect. In addition, blade displacement data were acquired using external blade tip clearance and shaft displacement sensors as a means of confirming the data obtained from the optical technique. The results of the crack detection experiments and its associated analysis are presented in this paper.

Woike, Mark R.↗

Bandwidth-Efficient Communication through 225 MHz Ka-band Relay Satellite Channel

The communications and navigation space infrastructure of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) consists of a constellation of relay satellites (called Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS)) and a global set of ground stations to receive and deliver data to researchers around the world from mission spacecraft throughout the solar system. Planning is underway to enhance and transform the infrastructure over the coming decade. Key to the upgrade will be the simultaneous and efficient use of relay transponders to minimize cost and operations while supporting science and exploration spacecraft. Efficient use of transponders necessitates bandwidth efficient communications to best use and maximize data throughput within the allocated spectrum. Experiments conducted with NASA's Space Communication and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station provides a unique opportunity to evaluate advanced communication techniques, such as bandwidth-efficient modulations, in an operational flight system. Demonstrations of these new techniques in realistic flight conditions provides critical experience and reduces the risk of using these techniques in future missions. Efficient use of spectrum is enabled by using high-order modulations coupled with efficient forward error correction codes. This paper presents a high-rate, bandwidth-efficient waveform operating over the 225 MHz Ka-band service of the TDRS System (TDRSS). The testing explores the application of Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK), 248-phase shift keying (PSK) and 1632- amplitude PSK (APSK) providing over three bits-per-second-per-Hertz (3 bsHz) modulation combined with various LDPC encoding rates to maximize throughput. With a symbol rate of 200 Mbaud, coded data rates of 1000 Mbps were tested in the laboratory and up to 800 Mbps over the TDRS 225 MHz channel. This paper will present on the high-rate waveform design, channel characteristics, performance results, compensation techniques for filtering and equalization, and architecture considerations going forward for efficient use of NASA's infrastructure.

space communications↗

SO2 Spectroscopy with A Tunable UV Laser

A portion of the fluorescence spectrum of SO2 has been studied using a narrow wavelength doubled dye laser as the exciting source. One purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of SO2 resonance re-emission as a probe of SO2 in the atmosphere. When the SO2 is excited by light at 300.2 nm, for example, a strong reemission peak is observed which is Stokes-shifted from the incident light wavelength by the usual Raman shift (the VI symmetric vibration frequency 1150.5/cm ). The intensity of this peak is sensitive to small changes (.01 nm) in the incident wavelength. Measurements of the N2 quenching and self quenching of this re-emission have been obtained. Preliminary analysis of this data indicates that the quenching is weak but not negligible. The dye laser in our system is pumped by a pulsed N2 laser. Tuning 'and spectral narrowing are accomplished using a telescope-echelle grating combination. In a high power configuration the resulting pulses have a spectral width of about 5 x 10(exp -3) nm and a time duration of about 6 nsec. The echelle grating is rotated by a digital stepping motor, such that each step shifts the wavelength by 6 x 10(exp -4) nm. In addition to the tunable, narrow wavelength uv source and spectral analysis of the consequent re-emission, the system also provides time resolution of the re-emitted light to 6 nsec resolution. This capability is being used to study the lifetime of low pressure S02 fluorescence at different wavelengths and pressures.

Morey, W. W.↗

[Individual peculiarities of adaptation to long-term space flights: 24-hour heart rhythm monitoring]

Presented are results of studying 24-hr variability of the cardiac rhythm which characterizes individual difference in reactions of two crew members to the same set of stresses during a 115-day MIR mission. Spacelab (USA) cardiorecorders were used. Data of monitoring revealed significantly different baseline health statuses of the cosmonauts. These functional differences were also observed in the mission. In one of the cosmonauts, the cardiac regulation changed over to a more economic functioning with the autonomous balance shifted towards enhanced sympathetic activity. After 2-3 months on mission he had almost recovered pre-launch level of regulation. In the other, the regulatory system was appreciably strained at the beginning of the mission as compared with preflight baseline. Later on, on flight months 2-3, this strain kept growing till a drastic depletion of the functional reserve. On return to Earth, this was manifested by a strong stress reaction with a sharp decline in power of high-frequency and grow in power of very low frequency components of the heart rhythm. The data suggest that adaptation to space flight and reactions in the readaptation period are dependent on initial health status of crew members, and functional reserve.

long duration↗

DLES Unreal Simulation Tool (DUST)

NASA’s future Artemis missions to the Moon seek to explore areas around the Lunar South Pole. Though humans have previously set foot on the lunar surface, the proposed region provides unique and challenging environments that require insight and investigation prior to arrival. Several teams throughout the agency are performing this site and mission planning, design, and analysis to support areas like the Human Landing System (HLS), surface mobility, habitation elements, and scientific exploration. The NASA Exploration Systems Simulation (NExSyS) team at Johnson Space Center is developing a graphical environment of the Lunar South Pole region. Lunar terrain information collected from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) is compiled and made available through Johnson Space Center’s Digital Lunar Exploration Sites (DLES) data sets. The DLES data is used to build this graphic environment. The process of ingesting and accurately modeling this information in a meaningful way for analysis creates its own challenges such as generating a performant model from the source data and the application of curvature. Additionally, the area around the Lunar South Pole experiences different lighting conditions than those observed from the Apollo missions. The need to use the lunar environmental data products provided by DLES combined with the capability to calculate date specific ephemerides in real-time has given rise to the development of the DLES Unreal Simulation Tool (DUST). DUST incorporates augmented terrain from the DLES product into a desktop application that allows exploration of the Lunar South Pole region and its complex lighting conditions. DUST leverages advanced capabilities in the recently released Unreal Engine 5 renderer by Epic Games such as double precision for positioning of planetary bodies and surface elements, multiple infinite light sources to represent the Sun and eventually Earthshine, high resolution shadow maps for dynamic shadow accuracy, real-time software ray-tracing for multi-surface bounce lighting to render sunlight reflected off surface elements and terrain features, and performance optimized level of detail shifting as the eyepoint changes in a scene. This paper details the DUST application, the technologies of the engine platform that enable scientific and engineering analysis, the unique techniques and processes developed to consume the DLES data sets, and how the tool is being used to support the Artemis program.

Lunar Visualization↗

The Impact of a Amazonian Deforestation on Dry-Season Rainfall

Many modeling studies have concluded that widespread deforestation of Amazonia would lead to decreased rainfall. We analyze geosynchronous infrared satellite data with respect to percent cloudiness, and analyze rain estimates from microwave sensors aboard the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission satellite. We conclude that in the dry-season, when the effects of the surface are not overwhelmed by synoptic-scale weather disturbances, shallow cumulus cloudiness, deep convective cloudiness, and rainfall occurrence all are larger over the deforested and non-forested (savanna) regions than over areas of dense jungle. This difference is in response to a local circulation initiated by the differential heating of the region s varying forestation. Analysis of the diurnal cycle of cloudiness reveals a shift in the onset of convection toward afternoon hours in the deforested and towards the morning hours in the savanna regions when compared to the neighboring forested regions. Analysis of 14 years of monthly estimates from the Special Sensor Microwave/Imager data revealed that in only in August was there a pattern of higher monthly rainfall amounts over the deforested region.

Negri, Andrew J.↗

Data acquisition and processing

Fundamental methods of signal processing used in normal mesosphere stratosphere troposphere (MST) radar observations are described. Complex time series of received signals obtained in each range gate are converted into Doppler spectra, from which the mean Doppler shift, spectral width and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are estimated. These spectral parameters are further utilized to study characteristics of scatterers and atmospheric motions.

Tsuda, Toshitaka↗

Characteristics of gravity waves generated by surface topography on Venus - Comparison with the VEGA Balloon results

Data from the 1985 VEGA Venus Balloon Mission indicate that the mountainous region known as Aphrodite influences atmospheric motions at balloon float altitudes near 54 km, an altitude located within the middle cloud region. It is shown that stationary gravity waves, generated by surface topography and Doppler-shifted by a wind blowing over the terrain, can propagate upward to the middle cloud layers. Under the right circumstances, waves are amplified considerably in excess of their amplification due to the decrease of density with altitude. The additional amplification is due to resonance that results from variations of static stability and mean zonal wind with altitude. Computed atmospheric propagation characteristics, combined with terrain slopes in Aphrodite estimated from Pioneer Venus radar altimeter data, can be sufficient to produce wind amplitudes at 54 km comparable to those observed by the VEGA-2 balloon as it overflew Aphrodite. The dominant waves have horizontal wavelengths of the order of several hundred kilometers.

Young, Richard E.↗

Inversion problem for ion-atom differential elastic scattering.

The paper describes a practical application of Remler's (1971) method by which one constructs a set of phase shifts from high resolution measurements of the differential elastic scattering of protons by rare-gas atoms. These JWKB phase shifts are then formally inverted to determine the corresponding intermolecular potentials. The validity of the method is demonstrated by comparing an intermolecular potential obtained by direct inversion of experimental data with a fairly accurate calculation by Wolniewicz (1965).

Rich, W. G.↗

Radiation-induced extrinsic photoconductivity in Li-doped Si.

Investigation of the effects of lithium on radiation-produced complexes having long-time stability by examining the localized energy levels in the forbidden gap which give rise to extrinsic photoconductivity. The levels are found to disappear and in some cases shift with annealing in the 100-450 C temperature range. Due to the complexity of the system and the present lack of adequate theory, no complete analysis of the data obtained could be made.

Fenimore, E.↗

Vibrational spectra and structure of azomethane and azomethane-d6.

The infrared and Raman spectra of azomethane and azomethane-d(6) were examined in detail. Vibrational data provided definitive verification of a trans-structure with C(2h) symmetry. A vibrational assignment is proposed for the 24 fundamental modes based upon the observed contours, isotopic shift ratios, and group frequency correlations. Spectra of the polycrystalline samples indicate that there are at least four molecules per unit cell, since a number of the bands were observed to be split into doublets. The crystal also appeared to have a center of symmetry, since mutual exclusion was clearly operative.

Durig, J. R.↗

Quick-look decoding schemes for DSN convolutional codes

Decoding schemes are proposed for the tracking systems of the galileo project. Quick look decoding schemes requiring only shift registers are given for the DSN (7, 1/2) and (7, 1/3) convolutional codes. These schemes are used when the communication channel is error free. The schemes decode the data, symbol errors, and the lack of node syncronization.

Greenhall, C. A.↗

An algorithm for automating the registration of USDA segment ground data to LANDSAT MSS data

The algorithm is referred to as the Automatic Segment Matching Algorithm (ASMA). The ASMA uses control points or the annotation record of a P-format LANDSAT compter compatible tape as the initial registration to relate latitude and longitude to LANDSAT rows and columns. It searches a given area of LANDSAT data with a 2x2 sliding window and computes gradient values for bands 5 and 7 to match the segment boundaries. The gradient values are held in memory during the shifting (or matching) process. The reconstructed segment array, containing ones (1's) for boundaries and zeros elsewhere are computer compared to the LANDSAT array and the best match computed. Initial testing of the ASMA indicates that it has good potential for replacing the manual technique.

Graham, M. H.↗

Primate Experiments on SLS-1

Experiments to study how certain body systems are affected by the space environment are described. These experiments are to be conducted on space shuttle flights. How weightlessness affects two body systems of primates are the prime concern. Thermoregulation and fluid and electrolyte homeostasis are the two systems concerned. The thermoregulation project will provide data on how body temperature and circadian rhythms are affected in a weightlessness environment and the homeostasis in fluids and electrolyte levels will address the problem of body fluid shifts.

Aochi, J.↗

Superconductivity at 52.5 K in the lanthanum-barium-copper-oxide system

The electrical properties of the (La/0/9/Ba/0.1/)CuO/4-y/ system are examined under ambient and hydrostatic pressures. The resistance, ac magnetic susceptibility, and superconductivity onset, midpoint, and intercept temperatures are measured. It is observed that at ambient pressure the resistance decreases with temperature decreases, and the ac susceptibility shows diamagnetic shifts starting at about 32 K. Under hydrostatic pressure a superconducting transition with an onset temperature of 52.5 K is observed, and the resistance increases at lower temperatures. The data reveal that the electrical properties of the La-Ba-Cu-O system are dependent on samples and preparation conditions. Various causes for the high temperature superconductivity of the system are proposed.

Chu, C. W.↗

An imaging photoemission polarimeter for soft X-rays

Results of investigations are reviewed to assess the polarization dependence of photoemission in the optical, UV, and soft X-ray bands, as well as present a design for an imaging photoelectric polarimeter. Data regarding the effect of the dependence in the soft X-ray band are emphasized including the quantity of photons produced by each X-ray. The phase shift encountered in some experiments indicates that a third axis is present; the importance of the phase shift in understanding the vectoral photoeffect is emphasized. Measurements of the pulse height show that this measure is proportional to the number of electrons photoemitted by the incident X-ray. The development of X-ray polarimeters can be significantly improved as a result of the study of polarization sensitivity in the photoelectric effect. The design of a photoelectric polarimeter is presented, and the potential uses for the instrument include measuring the polarization of supernova remnants, AGN, and black hole candidates.

Kaaret, Philip↗

Microgravity effects on standardized cognitive performance measures

The purpose of this experiment, selected to fly on the International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-2) Spacelab mission, is to determine the effects of microgravity upon the cognitive skills which are critical to successful performance of many tasks on board the Space Shuttle. Six tests from the Unified Tri-service Cognitive Performance Assessment Battery (UTC-PAB) will be administered to the Mission Specialists to fulfill the goals of this experiment. These tests are based upon current theoretical models of human performance and the hypothesized effects of microgravity. The principle objective is the identification of the effects of microgravity upon specific information processing skills affecting performance from those of fatigue and shifts in work/rest cycles. Multiple measures of both short and long term fatigue will be obtained and used as a major independent variable for the analysis of these performance data. Scientific supporting studies will determine optimum practice and performance testing schedules for the astronauts. The same tests will be used post-flight to collect data on the recovery of any cognitive performance impairment compared with pre-flight, baseline levels.

Schiflett, Samuel G.↗