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At least 1,117 records · Page 62

Space Station Freedom science utilization: 2000 and beyond

The Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) Goals are: (1) to advance scientific knowledge of the Earth, the Solar System, and the Universe; (2) to understand the effects of the space environment on biological and physical processes; and (3) to expand the human presence beyond the Earth into the Solar System. The topics covered are presented in view graph form and include the following: (1) a strategic plan; (2) evolving U.S. space science capabilities; (3) life science goals; (4) OSSA Space Station Payload Traffic Model May 1991; and (5) microgravity science and applications goals.

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Space science and applications: Strategic plan 1991

The Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) 1991 Strategic Plan reflects a transitional year in which we respond to changes and focus on carrying out a vital space science program and strengthening our research base to reap the benefits of current and future missions. The Plan is built on interrelated, complementary strategies for the core space science program, for Mission to Planet Earth, and for Mission from Planet Earth. Each strategy has its own unique themes and mission priorities, but they share a common set of principles and a common goal - leadership through the achievement of excellence. Discussed here is the National Space Policy; an overview of OSSA activities, goals, and objectives; and the implications of the OSSA space science and applications strategy.

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Earth benefits from NASA research and technology. Life sciences applications

This document provides a representative sampling of examples of Earth benefits in life-sciences-related applications, primarily in the area of medicine and health care, but also in agricultural productivity, environmental monitoring and safety, and the environment. This brochure is not intended as an exhaustive listing, but as an overview to acquaint the reader with the breadth of areas in which the space life sciences have, in one way or another, contributed a unique perspective to the solution of problems on Earth. Most of the examples cited were derived directly from space life sciences research and technology. Some examples resulted from other space technologies, but have found important life sciences applications on Earth. And, finally, we have included several areas in which Earth benefits are anticipated from biomedical and biological research conducted in support of future human exploration missions.

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Space human factors discipline science plan

The purpose of this Discipline Science Plan is to provide a conceptual strategy for NASA's Life Sciences Division research and development activities in the comprehensive areas of behavior, performance, and human factors. This document summarizes the current status of the program, outlines available knowledge, establishes goals and objectives, defines critical questions in the subdiscipline areas, and identifies technological priorities. It covers the significant research areas critical to NASA's programmatic requirements for the Extended Duration Orbiter, Space Station Freedom, and Exploration mission science activities. These science activities include ground-based and flight; basic, applied and operational; and animal and human research and development. This document contains a general plan that will be used by both NASA Headquarters program offices and the field centers to review and plan basic, applied, and operational research and development activities, both intramural and extramural, in this area.

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Microgravity science and applications: Program tasks and bibliography for FY 1992

This report is a compilation of the FY 1992 Principal Investigator program task descriptions funded by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD), NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The document also provides a bibliography of FY 1992 publications and presentations cited by MSAD Principal Investigators, and an index of the Principal Investigators and their affiliations. The purpose of the document is to provide an overview and progress report for the funded tasks for scientists and researchers in industry, university, and government communities. The tasks are grouped into three categories appropriate to the type of research being done-space flight, ground based, and advanced technology development-and by science discipline. The science disciplines are: biotechnology, combustion science,, electronic materials, fluid physics, fundamental physics, glass and ceramics, metals and alloys, and protein crystal growth.

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NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Program

Key elements of the microgravity research program as conducted by the Microgravity Science and Applications Division (MSAD) within the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) during fiscal year (FY) 1992 are described. This NASA funded program supported investigators from the university, industry, and government research communities. The program's goals, the approach taken to achieve those goals, and the resources that were available are summarized. It provides a 'snapshot' of the Program's status at the end of FY 1992 and reviews highlights and progress in the ground and flight-based research during the year. It also describes four major space missions that flew during FY 1992, the advanced technology development (ATD) activities, and the plans to use the research potential of Space Station Freedom and other advanced carriers. The MSAD program structure encompassed five research areas: (1) Biotechnology, (2) Combustion Science, (3) Fluid Physics, (4) Materials Science, and (5) Benchmark Physics.

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The effects of video compression on acceptability of images for monitoring life sciences' experiments

Current plans indicate that there will be a large number of life science experiments carried out during the thirty year-long mission of the Biological Flight Research Laboratory (BFRL) on board Space Station Freedom (SSF). Non-human life science experiments will be performed in the BFRL. Two distinct types of activities have already been identified for this facility: (1) collect, store, distribute, analyze and manage engineering and science data from the Habitats, Glovebox and Centrifuge, (2) perform a broad range of remote science activities in the Glovebox and Habitat chambers in conjunction with the remotely located principal investigator (PI). These activities require extensive video coverage, viewing and/or recording and distribution to video displays on board SSF and to the ground. This paper concentrates mainly on the second type of activity. Each of the two BFRL habitat racks are designed to be configurable for either six rodent habitats per rack, four plant habitats per rack, or a combination of the above. Two video cameras will be installed in each habitat with a spare attachment for a third camera when needed. Therefore, a video system that can accommodate up to 12-18 camera inputs per habitat rack must be considered.

Haines, Richard F.↗

Astrophysics science operations in the Great Observatories era

Plans for Astrophysics science operations during the decade of the nineties are described from the point of view of a scientist who wishes to make a space-borne astronomical observation or to use archival astronomical data. 'Science Operations' include the following: proposal preparation, observation planning and execution, data collection, data processing and analysis, and dissemination of results. For each of these areas of science operations, we derive technology requirements for the next ten to twenty years. The scientist will be able to use a variety of services and infrastructure, including the 'Astrophysics Data System.' The current status and plans for these science operations services are described.

Riegler, Guenter R.↗

Projected NASA power requirements for space science and exploration missions

NASA's Office of Space Science and Applications has recently completed its long-range strategic plan which describes a number of exciting space science missions into the early 21st century. In parallel, NASA's new Office of Exploration has begun defining in more detail the architectures of the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) for returning to the Moon and going to Mars. Both the space science missions and the SEI missions are dependent upon power sources and energy storage with strong requirements for reliability, long life, ease of assembly, autonomy, and light weight. This paper reviews the currently planned space science and SEI missions and focuses upon the power requirements with a view toward guiding technology developers and power designers.

Gary L Bennett↗

Progress report on nuclear propulsion for space exploration and science

NASA is continuing its work in cooperation with the Department of Energy (DOE) on nuclear propulsion - both nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) and nuclear electric propulsion (NEP). The focus of the NTP studies remains on piloted and cargo missions to Mars (with precursor missions to the moon) although studies are under way to examine the potential uses of NTP for science missions. The focus of the NEP studies has shifted to space science missions with consideration of combining a science mission with an earlier demonstration of NEP using the SP-100 space nuclear reactor power system. Both NTP and NEP efforts are continuing in 1993 to provide a good foundation for science and exploration planners. Both NTP and NEP provide a very important transportation resource and in a number of cases enable missions that could not otherwise be accomplished.

Bennett, Gary L.↗

The ideology of science during the Nixon years: 1970-1976

This paper examines the expert testimony given before the U.S. Congress during the legislative history of the National Science and Technology Policy Organization and Priorities Act of 1976, examining in particular the scientific witnesses' appeals for enlarged government funding for basic research and greater influence in the making of federal science policy. The author finds that in the process of arguing for increased support and influence, spokesmen for the nation's science establishment articulated an ideology of science which not only proclaimed the authority of scientific values over other forms of cognition but sought to advance the authority of scientists over the identification and resolution of societal and political issues. In so doing they challenged the viability of political values essential to the Anglo-American democratic-republican heritage. The paper thus documents not only cultural 'elitism,' which is not necessarily incompatible with democratic politics, but an antidemocratic ideology as well.

Fries, Sylvia Doughty↗

Report on Computing and Networking in the Space Science Laboratory by the SSL Computer Committee

The Space Science Laboratory (SSL) at Marshall Space Flight Center is a multiprogram facility. Scientific research is conducted in four discipline areas: earth science and applications, solar-terrestrial physics, astrophysics, and microgravity science and applications. Representatives from each of these discipline areas participate in a Laboratory computer requirements committee, which developed this document. The purpose is to establish and discuss Laboratory objectives for computing and networking in support of science. The purpose is also to lay the foundation for a collective, multiprogram approach to providing these services. Special recognition is given to the importance of the national and international efforts of our research communities toward the development of interoperable, network-based computer applications.

Gallagher, D. L.↗

The first lunar outpost: The design reference mission and a new era in lunar science

The content of the First Lunar Outpost (FLO) Design Reference Mission has been formulated and a 'strawman' science program has been established. The mission consists of two independent launches using heavy lift vehicles that land directly on the lunar surface. A habitat module and support systems are flown to the Moon first. After confirmation of a successful deployment of the habitat systems, the crewed lunar lander is launched and piloted to within easy walking distance (2 km) of the habitat. By eliminating the Apollo style lunar orbit rendezvous, landing sites at very high latitudes can be considered. A surface rover and the science experiments will accompany the crew. The planned stay time is 45 days, two lunar days and one night. A payload of 3.3 metric tons will support a series of geophysics, geology, astronomy, space physics, resource utilization, and life science experiments. Sample return is 150 to 200 kg. The rover is unpressurized and can carry four astronauts or two astronauts and 500 kg of payload. The rover can also operate in robotic mode with the addition of a robotics package. The science and engineering experiment strategy is built around a representative set of place holder experiments.

Lofgren, Gary E.↗

Commonwealth of Independent States aerospace science and technology, 1992: A bibliography with indexes

This bibliography contains 1237 annotated references to reports and journal articles of Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) intellectual origin entered into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during 1992. Representative subject areas include the following: aeronautics, astronautics, chemistry and materials, engineering, geosciences, life sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, physics, social sciences, and space sciences.

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Strategic plan, 1991: A strategy for leadership in space through excellence in space science and applications

In 1988, the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) developed and published a Strategic Plan for the United States' space science and applications program during the next 5 to 10 years. The Plan presented the proposed OSSA program for the next fiscal year and defined a flexible process that provides the basis for near-term decisions on the allocation of resources and the planning of future efforts. Based on the strategies that have been developed by the advisory committees both of the National Academy of Sciences and of NASA, the Plan balances major, moderate, and small mission initiatives, the utilization of Space Station Freedom, and the requirements for a vital research base. The Plan can be adjusted to accommodate varying budget levels, both those levels that provide opportunities for an expanded science and applications program, and those that constrain growth. SSA's strategic planning is constructed around five actions: establish a set of programmatic themes; establish a set of decision rules; establish a set of priorities for missions and programs within each theme; demonstrate that the strategy can yield a viable program; and check the strategy for consistency with resource constraints. The outcome of this process is a clear, coherent strategy that meets both NASA's and OSSA's goals, that assures realism in long-range planning and advanced technology development, and that provides sufficient resiliency to respond and adapt to both known and unexpected internal and external realities. The OSSA Strategic Plan is revised annually to reflect the approval of new programs, improved understanding of requirements and issues, and any major changes in the circumstances, both within NASA and external to NASA, in which OSSA initiatives are considered.

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Techniques and software for optimum and efficient mission science sequence development

Highly successful mission operations require efficient and cost-effective science sequence development. Of key importance is the Science Planning and Operations Team's (SPOT's) ability to complete science observation design and integration early in the sequence development process (i.e., before the sequence enters into a formal change control process). Once under formal change control, careful change paper documentation, Flight Team checks, and mission software checks make sequence changes more labor-intensive. This paper discusses team organization, strategies, scheduling, and software employed by the Voyager and Galileo SPOT's to complete science observation design and integration early in the sequence development process.

Bliss, David A.↗

Connecting science and operations: The operations coordinator

For a current space mission under development at the Applied Physics Laboratory, the Mission Operations staff includes a team of 'Operations Coordinators' who have been working with the Mission Science and Spacecraft Development teams since completion of mission conceptual design. The Operations Coordinators are responsible for bringing knowledge of the spacecraft to the Mission Science team and bringing knowledge of the experiment requirements to the Spacecraft Development and Mission Operations teams. Once on-orbit operations begin, the Operations Coordinators will be responsible for implementation of specific science experiments from analysis through scheduling, generation of spacecraft command sequences, delivery of science data to the end user, and operations assessment. The Operations Coordinator concept is proving very effective during the development phase of the current mission.

Marshall, Madeleine H.↗

Budget estimates, fiscal year 1995. Volume 1: Agency summary, human space flight, and science, aeronautics and technology

The NASA budget request has been restructured in FY 1995 into four appropriations: human space flight; science, aeronautics, and technology; mission support; and inspector general. The human space flight appropriations provides funding for NASA's human space flight activities. This includes the on-orbit infrastructure (space station and Spacelab), transportation capability (space shuttle program, including operations, program support, and performance and safety upgrades), and the Russian cooperation program, which includes the flight activities associated with the cooperative research flights to the Russian Mir space station. These activities are funded in the following budget line items: space station, Russian cooperation, space shuttle, and payload utilization and operations. The science, aeronautics, and technology appropriations provides funding for the research and development activities of NASA. This includes funds to extend our knowledge of the earth, its space environment, and the universe and to invest in new technologies, particularly in aeronautics, to ensure the future competitiveness of the nation. These objectives are achieved through the following elements: space science, life and microgravity sciences and applications, mission to planet earth, aeronautical research and technology, advanced concepts and technology, launch services, mission communication services, and academic programs.

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