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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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At least 1,189 records · Page 66
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1982

Documentation for the machine-readable version of OAO 2 filter photometry of 531 stars of diverse types

A magnetic tape version of the ultraviolet photometry of 531 stars observed with the Wisconsin Experiment Package aboard the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO 2) is described. The data were obtained with medium band interference filters and were reduced to a uniform magnitude system. They represent a subset of partially reduced data currently on file at the National Space Science Data Center. The document is intended to enable users of the tape file to read and process data without problems or guesswork. For technical details concerning the observations, instrumentation limitations, and interpretation of the data the reference publication should be consulted. This document was designed for distribution with any machine-readable version of the OAO 2 photometric data.

Warren, W. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Current program to investigate phenomena in a microgravity environment

Current NASA Microgravity Science and Applications Division Shuttle and terrestrial experiments to acquire basic data for space-based materials processing activities are summarized. The research is carried out to increase the understanding and to improve ground-based and space-based processing, to enhance the understanding of basic physical phenomena, and to characterize the forces which effect low-gravity processing. The main areas of research are crystal growth, metallic alloy solidification, bioseparation processes, blood rheology, containerless processing, and studies of combustion processes, chemical and transport phenomena, cloud microphysics and fluid behavior and surface phenomena in microgravity. Specific experiments, which exemplify the research goals and were performed on KC-135 flights along Keplerian trajectories and on Shuttle missions, are described.

Oran, William A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Working Papers: Astronomy and Astrophysics Panel Reports

The papers of the panels appointed by the Astronomy and Astrophysics survey Committee are compiled. These papers were advisory to the survey committee and represent the opinions of the members of each panel in the context of their individual charges. The following subject areas are covered: radio astronomy, infrared astronomy, optical/IR from ground, UV-optical from space, interferometry, high energy from space, particle astrophysics, theory and laboratory astrophysics, solar astronomy, planetary astronomy, computing and data processing, policy opportunities, benefits to the nation from astronomy and astrophysics, status of the profession, and science opportunities.

Bahcall, John N.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Mars Observer mission status and orbit insertion phase planning

The Mars Observer spacecraft will reach Mars on August 24, 1993. Launch and cruise phase operations have gone smoothly, with few spacecraft anomalies. The orbit insertion phase, which spans a three month period and involves a series of seven maneuvers, has been redesigned postlaunch making use of excess spacecraft velocity change (Delta V) capability to advance the mapping phase, now planned to begin November 24, 1993. This is highly desirable since it moves the start of the mapping phase away from solar conjunction and the expected dust storm disturbances. The redesign process involved making tradeoffs between science, operations, and maneuver requirements. At Mars, the spacecraft will continuously record data with a single daily playback through the Deep Space Network's 34-meter high-efficiency antennas for one Martian year.

Dodd, Suzanne R.↗
NASA NTRS1999

EOS Terra Validation Program

The EOS Terra mission will be launched in July 1999. This mission has great relevance to the atmospheric radiation community and global change issues. Terra instruments include ASTER, CERES, MISR, MODIS and MOPITT. In addition to the fundamental radiance data sets, numerous global science data products will be generated, including various Earth radiation budget, cloud and aerosol parameters, as well as land surface, terrestrial ecology, ocean color, and atmospheric chemistry parameters. Significant investments have been made in on-board calibration to ensure the quality of the radiance observations. A key component of the Terra mission is the validation of the science data products. This is essential for a mission focused on global change issues and the underlying processes. The Terra algorithms have been subject to extensive pre-launch testing with field data whenever possible. Intensive efforts will be made to validate the Terra data products after launch. These include validation of instrument calibration (vicarious calibration) experiments, instrument and cross-platform comparisons, routine collection of high quality correlative data from ground-based networks, such as AERONET, and intensive sites, such as the SGP ARM site, as well as a variety field experiments, cruises, etc. Airborne simulator instruments have been developed for the field experiment and underflight activities including the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS), AirMISR, MASTER (MODIS-ASTER), and MOPITT-A. All are integrated on the NASA ER-2, though low altitude platforms are more typically used for MASTER. MATR is an additional sensor used for MOPITT algorithm development and validation. The intensive validation activities planned for the first year of the Terra mission will be described with emphasis on derived geophysical parameters of most relevance to the atmospheric radiation community. Detailed information about the EOS Terra validation Program can be found on the EOS Validation program homepage i/e.: http://ospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/validation/valpage.html).

Starr, David↗
NASA NTRS1999

Solar-B X-ray Telescope (XRT) Concept Study Report

The X-ray observations from the Yohkoh SXT provided the greatest step forward in our understanding of the solar corona in nearly two decades. Expanding on the accomplishments of Yohkoh, we believe that the scientific objectives of the Solar-B mission are achieved with a significantly improved X-ray telescope (XRT) similar to the SXT. The Solar-B XRT will have twice the spatial resolution and a broader temperature response, while building on the knowledge gained from the successful Yohkoh mission. We present the scientific justification for this view, discuss the instrumental requirements that flow from the scientific objectives, and describe the instrumentation to meet these requirements. We then provide a detailed discussion of the design activities carried out during Phase A, noting the conclusions that were reached in terms of their implications for the detailed design activities which are now commencing. Details of the instrument that have changed as a result of the Phase A studied are specifically noted, and areas of concern going into Phase B are highlighted. XRT is a grazing-incidence (GI) modified Wolter I X-ray telescope, of 35cm inner diameter and 2.7m focal length. The 2048x2048 back-illuminated CCD (now an ISAS responsibility) has 13.5 micron pixels, corresponding to 1.0 arcsec and giving full Sun field of view. This will be the highest resolution GI X-ray telescope ever flown for Solar coronal studies, and it has been designed specifically to observe both the high and low temperature coronal plasma. A small optical telescope provides visible light images for co-alignment with the Solar-B optical and EUV instruments. The XRT science team is working in close cooperation with our Japanese colleagues in the design and construction of this instrument. All of the expertise and resources of the High Energy and Solar/Stellar Divisions of the Center for Astrophysics are being made available to this program, and our team will carry its full share of responsibility for mission operations, data reduction and education and public outreach. All aspects of the XRT design were reviewed during Phase A. The study focussed particularly on those aspects that have the greatest affect on instrument performance and extended lifetime, on the image quality error budget, and on the camera (mechanical and electrical) interface and the instrument mounting interfaces. The present instrument design differs in some details from that originally proposed. Selection of the XRT for Phase A study was contingent upon the removal of the camera and its associated electronics, and the acceptance of a stringent cost cap. The removal of the electronics left the XRT without control electronics for the instrument mechanisms. A mechanism controller was therefore added. The removal of the camera resulted in major complications to the integration and test plan. After many discussions, it was decided that the system would be less expensive, and the risk of unacceptable performance lower, if we include a focus mechanism. The remainder of the XRT design baseline matches the proposed configuration. Data requirements for the XRT are driven by the science plans, which are based on the physical processes in the solar outer atmosphere. Discussions to date of the XRT observing plan, both alone and in conjunction with the other Solar-B instruments, shows that the XRT needs 2 Gbits of on-board storage, at least one circulating buffer of 640 Mbits, and twelve 10- minute downlinks per day in order to carry out its required programs.

Golub, Leon↗
NASA NTRS2000

EOS Terra Validation Program

The EOS Terra mission will be launched in July 1999. This mission has great relevance to the atmospheric radiation community and global change issues. Terra instruments include Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), Clouds and Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), Multi-Angle Imaging Spectroradiometer (MISR), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT). In addition to the fundamental radiance data sets, numerous global science data products will be generated, including various Earth radiation budget, cloud and aerosol parameters, as well as land surface, terrestrial ecology, ocean color, and atmospheric chemistry parameters. Significant investments have been made in on-board calibration to ensure the quality of the radiance observations. A key component of the Terra mission is the validation of the science data products. This is essential for a mission focused on global change issues and the underlying processes. The Terra algorithms have been subject to extensive pre-launch testing with field data whenever possible. Intensive efforts will be made to validate the Terra data products after launch. These include validation of instrument calibration (vicarious calibration) experiments, instrument and cross-platform comparisons, routine collection of high quality correlative data from ground-based networks, such as AERONET, and intensive sites, such as the SGP ARM site, as well as a variety field experiments, cruises, etc. Airborne simulator instruments have been developed for the field experiment and underflight activities including the MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS) AirMISR, MASTER (MODIS-ASTER), and MOPITT-A. All are integrated on the NASA ER-2 though low altitude platforms are more typically used for MASTER. MATR is an additional sensor used for MOPITT algorithm development and validation. The intensive validation activities planned for the first year of the Terra mission will be described with emphasis on derived geophysical parameters of most relevance to the atmospheric radiation community.

Starr, David↗
NASA NTRS2006

Onboard Classifiers for Science Event Detection on a Remote Sensing Spacecraft

Typically, data collected by a spacecraft is downlinked to Earth and pre-processed before any analysis is performed. We have developed classifiers that can be used onboard a spacecraft to identify high priority data for downlink to Earth, providing a method for maximizing the use of a potentially bandwidth limited downlink channel. Onboard analysis can also enable rapid reaction to dynamic events, such as flooding, volcanic eruptions or sea ice break-up. Four classifiers were developed to identify cryosphere events using hyperspectral images. These classifiers include a manually constructed classifier, a Support Vector Machine (SVM), a Decision Tree and a classifier derived by searching over combinations of thresholded band ratios. Each of the classifiers was designed to run in the computationally constrained operating environment of the spacecraft. A set of scenes was hand-labeled to provide training and testing data. Performance results on the test data indicate that the SVM and manual classifiers outperformed the Decision Tree and band-ratio classifiers with the SVM yielding slightly better classifications than the manual classifier.

classification↗
NASA NTRS2011

Next-Generation Satellite Precipitation Products for Understanding Global and Regional Water Variability

A major challenge in understanding the space-time variability of continental water fluxes is the lack of accurate precipitation estimates over complex terrains. While satellite precipitation observations can be used to complement ground-based data to obtain improved estimates, space-based and ground-based estimates come with their own sets of uncertainties, which must be understood and characterized. Quantitative estimation of uncertainties in these products also provides a necessary foundation for merging satellite and ground-based precipitation measurements within a rigorous statistical framework. Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) is an international satellite mission that will provide next-generation global precipitation data products for research and applications. It consists of a constellation of microwave sensors provided by NASA, JAXA, CNES, ISRO, EUMETSAT, DOD, NOAA, NPP, and JPSS. At the heart of the mission is the GPM Core Observatory provided by NASA and JAXA to be launched in 2013. The GPM Core, which will carry the first space-borne dual-frequency radar and a state-of-the-art multi-frequency radiometer, is designed to set new reference standards for precipitation measurements from space, which can then be used to unify and refine precipitation retrievals from all constellation sensors. The next-generation constellation-based satellite precipitation estimates will be characterized by intercalibrated radiometric measurements and physical-based retrievals using a common observation-derived hydrometeor database. For pre-launch algorithm development and post-launch product evaluation, NASA supports an extensive ground validation (GV) program in cooperation with domestic and international partners to improve (1) physics of remote-sensing algorithms through a series of focused field campaigns, (2) characterization of uncertainties in satellite and ground-based precipitation products over selected GV testbeds, and (3) modeling of atmospheric processes and land surface hydrology through simulation, downscaling, and data assimilation. An overview of the GPM mission, science status, and synergies with HyMex activities will be presented

Hou, Arthur Y.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Vicarious Calibration of EO-1 Hyperion

The Hyperion imaging spectrometer on the Earth Observing-1 satellite is the first high-spatial resolution imaging spectrometer to routinely acquire science-grade data from orbit. Data gathered with this instrument needs to be quantitative and accurate in order to derive meaningful information about ecosystem properties and processes. Also, comprehensive and long-term ecological studies require these data to be comparable over time, between coexisting sensors and between generations of follow-on sensors. One method to assess the radiometric calibration is the reflectance-based approach, a common technique used for several other earth science sensors covering similar spectral regions. This work presents results of radiometric calibration of Hyperion based on the reflectance-based approach of vicarious calibration implemented by University of Arizona during 2001 2005. These results show repeatability to the 2% level and accuracy on the 3 5% level for spectral regions not affected by strong atmospheric absorption. Knowledge of the stability of the Hyperion calibration from moon observations allows for an average absolute calibration based on the reflectance-based results to be determined and applicable for the lifetime of Hyperion.

McCorkel, Joel↗
NASA NTRS2009

TOGA - A GNSS Reflections Instrument for Remote Sensing Using Beamforming

Remotely sensing the Earth's surface using GNSS signals as bi-static radar sources is one of the most challenging applications for radiometric instrument design. As part of NASA's Instrument Incubator Program, our group at JPL has built a prototype instrument, TOGA (Time-shifted, Orthometric, GNSS Array), to address a variety of GNSS science needs. Observing GNSS reflections is major focus of the design/development effort. The TOGA design features a steerable beam antenna array which can form a high-gain antenna pattern in multiple directions simultaneously. Multiple FPGAs provide flexible digital signal processing logic to process both GPS and Galileo reflections. A Linux OS based science processor serves as experiment scheduler and data post-processor. This paper outlines the TOGA design approach as well as preliminary results of reflection data collected from test flights over the Pacific ocean. This reflections data demonstrates observation of the GPS L1/L2C/L5 signals.

GPS↗
NASA NTRS2017

Exploring the Largest Mass Fraction of the Solar System: the Case for Planetary Interiors

Why explore planetary interiors: The typical image that comes to mind for planetary science is that of a planet surface. And while surface data drive our exploration of evolved geologic processes, it is the interiors of planets that hold the key to planetary origins via accretionary and early differentiation processes. It is that initial setting of the bulk planet composition that sets the stage for all geologic processes that follow. But nearly all of the mass of planets is inaccessible to direct examination, making experimentation an absolute necessity for full planetary exploration.

Danielson, L. R.↗
DOE OSTI2016

SPARCS Data Management

Presentation on data import/export and data conversion using SPARCS-M and SPARCS-A applications.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2018

The Emerging Technology of Quantum Computing

Quantum computers will have unique abilities for certain types of problems, such as breaking codes. That’s why national security agencies are intensely interested. These computers will also be able to search massive databases at unparalleled speed, which is why major corporations interested in artificial intelligence are also interested and are pursuing several different approaches to building practical data processing devices. What underlies these efforts is several decades of research—supported by the Basic Energy Sciences (BES) office of DOE—on materials that exhibit multiple quantum states.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

TakeTwo : an indexing algorithm suited to still images with known crystal parameters

The indexing methods currently used for serial femtosecond crystallography were originally developed for experiments in which crystals are rotated in the X-ray beam, providing significant three-dimensional information. On the other hand, shots from both X-ray free-electron lasers and serial synchrotron crystallography experiments are still images, in which the few three-dimensional data available arise only from the curvature of the Ewald sphere. Traditional synchrotron crystallography methods are thus less well suited to still image data processing. Here, a new indexing method is presented with the aim of maximizing information use from a still image given the known unit-cell dimensions and space group. Efficacy for cubic, hexagonal and orthorhombic space groups is shown, and for those showing some evidence of diffraction the indexing rate ranged from 90% (hexagonal space group) to 151% (cubic space group). Here, the indexing rate refers to the number of lattices indexed per image.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2019

A web-based geovisual analytics platform for identifying potential contributors to culvert sedimentation

Sediment accumulation at culverts involves large-scale and interlinked environmental processes that are difficult to address with experimental or physical modeling methods. This article presents an alternative data-driven investigation for shedding insights into these processes. Accordingly, a web-based geovisual analytics application, the IowaDOT platform, was developed, which allows users to explore the complex processes associated with the sediment deposition at culverts. The platform provides systematic procedures for (1) collecting and integrating analytical variables into a single dataset, (2) quantifying the degree of culvert sedimentation using time series of aerial images, (3) identifying drivers that contribute to culvert sedimentation processes from a variety of culvert structural and upstream landscape characteristics using a tree-based feature selection algorithm, and (4) facilitating the understanding of complex spatial and relational patterns of culvert sedimentation processes using multivariate geovisualizations supported by a self-organizing map (SOM). As the outcomes of this study, these patterns identify culvert sedimentation-prone regions in Iowa and quantify empirical relationships between the drivers and culvert sedimentation degrees. Finally, a simple evaluation of the platform was performed to assess the usefulness and user satisfaction of the tool by professional users, and positive feedbacks are received.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2012

An Integrated and Collaborative Approach for NASA Earth Science Data

Earth science research requires coordination and collaboration across multiple disparate science domains. Data systems that support this research are often as disparate as the disciplines that they support. These distinctions can create barriers limiting access to measurements, which could otherwise enable cross-discipline Earth science. NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) is continuing to bridge the gap between discipline-centric data systems with a coherent and transparent system of systems that offers up to date and engaging science related content, creates an active and immersive science user experience, and encourages the use of EOSDIS earth data and services. The new Earthdata Coherent Web (ECW) project encourages cohesiveness by combining existing websites, data and services into a unified website with a common look and feel, common tools and common processes. It includes cross-linking and cross-referencing across the Earthdata site and NASA's Distributed Active Archive Centers (DAAC), and by leveraging existing EOSDIS Cyber-infrastructure and Web Service technologies to foster re-use and to reduce barriers to discovering Earth science data (http://earthdata.nasa.gov).

Murphy, K.↗
NASA NTRS2021

A Demand Access Paradigm for NASA’s Deep Space Network

NASA’s Deep Space Network (DSN) is the primary resource for communications and navigation for interplanetary space missions, for both NASA and partner agencies. As part of an investigation into improved efficiency and responsiveness, we have been exploring and prototyping the infusion of a ”demand access” model into the DSN scheduling process. Today, DSN is fully pre-scheduled in advance, and many users rely on a stable schedule to plan their own spacecraft activities, weeks in advance of execution. However, a new class of missions is emerging that may not be scheduled as far in advance, and may be event-driven in coming across science targets at unpredictable times. These users could take advantage of an on-demand mechanism to download data. Simulations have shown that such a mechanism could improve latency (time from data collection to download) by 2x, as well as more efficiently utilize the available DSN antennas. In this paper, we describe a prototype of a demand access process and how it addresses the challenges of co-existing with a staticallyscheduled body of missions, while providing the benefits of lower latency science data return.

Lucena, Girly↗