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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 1,279 records · Page 71

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NASA NTRS1974

Optical range and range rate estimation for teleoperator systems

Range and range rate are crucial parameters which must be available to the operator during remote controlled orbital docking operations. A method was developed for the estimation of both these parameters using an aided television system. An experiment was performed to determine the human operator's capability to measure displayed image size using a fixed reticle or movable cursor as the television aid. The movable cursor was found to yield mean image size estimation errors on the order of 2.3 per cent of the correct value. This error rate was significantly lower than that for the fixed reticle. Performance using the movable cursor was found to be less sensitive to signal-to-noise ratio variation than was that for the fixed reticle. The mean image size estimation errors for the movable cursor correspond to an error of approximately 2.25 per cent in range suggesting that the system has some merit. Determining the accuracy of range rate estimation using a rate controlled cursor will require further experimentation.

Shields, N. L., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1974

Review of extravehicular activity for Shuttle program

Extravehicular activity (EVA) is a baselined Shuttle Orbiter capability. It can provide cost-effective servicing operations for payloads, on-orbit repair, and techniques for meeting various on-orbit contingencies. The basic EVA system planned consists of Orbiter-integral provisions, carry-on life support provisions, and EVA support equipment provisions. The Orbiter-integral provisions include the internal airlock, the EVA Egress module, and the docking module, each of which provides an egress path. The carry-on life support provisions will be two Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU), composed of an Astronaut Life Support Assembly (ALSA) and a Space Suit Assembly (SSA). The support equipment includes tethers, special tools, translation aids, and workstations. The Shuttle Orbiter EVA requirements and possible tasks, EVA crew rescue equipment and techniques, crew support, EVA training, and EVA timeline activities are described.

Covington, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Mission profile of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

A brief overview is presented of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project. The mission objectives are summarized, and the mission profile is described. Other topics discussed include the reasons why the U.S. built the docking module, Soviet expenditures, use of the ATS-6 relay satellite to improve communications and television coverage, crew training, and safety aspects of the Soyuz spacecraft. It is noted that technology transfer has been minimal and that joint U.S.-Soviet space exploration may be a result of the project.

Lee, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Apollo-Soyuz test project - The American-Soviet space enterprise

The preflight mission plan of the Apollo-Soyuz project is summarized, and the scientific experiments planned for the flight are described. Emphasis is on coupling procedures and docking modules. Experiments discussed comprise astronomical studies, geophysical studies, bioscientific studies, and application-oriented studies. The unique gravity-free space environment will provide favorable conditions for uniform materials construction. In addition, biological electrophoresis investigations in a perturbation-free medium will have substantial scientific contributions to make.

Von Puttkamer, J.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Thermal scale modeling of a manned spacecraft

A manned spacecraft thermal scale modeling program is described. The program consisted of the design, construction, instrumentation, testing, data correlation, and associated analysis of a transient thermal scale model (TSM) of the Subsystem Test Bed (STB). The STB was chosen as a representative manned spacecraft for which detailed thermal vacuum test data were available. The STB is a cylindrical vehicle (15 ft diameter by 8.3 ft high) with four docking hatches and six windows. The pressure shell is insulated with multilayer insulation and protected by meteoroid shields. Four truss assemblies were used to support the STB during testing. It was concluded that thermal scale modeling can be used as an effective thermal design/verification tool for manned spacecraft. Thermal analysis can be used in conjunction with scale model testing to provide a verified math model that can be applied to the prototype manned spacecraft.

Shannon, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Analysis of radiative sources with both specular and diffuse characteristics in the visible and infrared spectrum

The application of analytical concepts developed to facilitate the design and analysis of the thermal simulator for the Apollo Soyuz docking module is discussed. The functions used to mathematically formulate the irradiance from a quartzline lamp and reflector are described with examples of applications to other geometries. General information is denoted for utilization of the functions in computer programs with approximate computer storage and statement requirements.

Williams, F. U.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Manned orbital systems concepts study. Book 3: Configurations for extended duration missions

Mission planning, systems analysis, and design concepts for the Space Shuttle/Spacelab system for extended manned operations are described. Topics discussed are: (1) payloads, (2) spacecraft docking, (3) structural design criteria, (4) life support systems, (5) power supplies, and (6) the role of man in long duration orbital operations. Also discussed are the assembling of large structures in space. Engineering drawings are included.

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NASA NTRS1976

Design of mechanisms to lock/latch systems under rotational or translational motion

Bodies/systems need to be stopped and locked/latched at the end of their path. Some examples of these systems in the aerospace industry (including launch vehicle, spacecraft, and the ground support equipment) are the command module access arm, service arms, docking module of the ASTP and the orbiter access arm for the space shuttle. Two major aspects are covered: (1) various methods of latching and (2) selection of the optimum method for latching, depending on the application and the design requirement criteria.

Billimoria, R. P.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Space Tug baseline description and status

The baseline definition of the Space Tug discussed herein is the one necessary to meet current payload mission model requirements in the mid-1980's for the least risk and development investment. This baseline Space Tug is a nominal 15-ft diameter, 30-ft long, LOX/LH2 stage with a main propellant capacity of about 50,000 lbs. Once deployed from the Space Shuttle in orbit, it is designed to automatically deliver spacecraft to a predetermined position and velocity and/or rendezvous and dock with prepositioned spacecraft for servicing or retrieval. The Tug would normally be returned to the vicinity of the Shuttle Orbiter, with or without spacecraft, to be retrieved and returned to earth in the Shuttle. Design characteristics, performance requirements, projected activities, and subsystems features are described.

Teir, W.↗

NASA NTRS1975

Evaluation of the dual differential radiometer for remote sensing of sediment and chlorophyll in turbid waters

The dual differential radiometer (DDR) was tested to determine its capability for measuring suspended sediment and chlorophyll in turbid waters. Measurements were obtained from a boat dock and from a helicopter with combinations of sample and reference filters with peak transmissions at various wavelengths. Water samples were taken concurrently and were analyzed for light scattering, particle count, and total chlorophyll. Least-squares estimates of the linear relationship between DDR output and the water parameters yielded correlation coefficients of less than 0.7. Under the turbid water conditions of the present tests, the DDR did not accurately measure either suspended sediment or chlorophyll. A precise knowledge of the spectral signatures of various pollutants might enable appropriate filters to be selected for tuning the DDR to monitor a particular pollutant.

Witte, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS1975

A wide angle search technique for a 10.6 micron ladar

A ladar (laser radar) sensor designed around a pulsed passively Q-switched CO2 laser, capable of a efficient and rapid scans with a narrow beam over a wide field of view, is considered for surveillance and tracking applications in space. The output is a train of narrow pulses with a controllable pulse repetition rate. A resonant vibrating mirror in back of a classical Gregorian telescope, and a plane pointing mirror in front for beam steering, are used in scanning. Scan pulse sequences are described and illustrated. The 10.6 micron ladar set is under consideration as baseline sensor for various space rendezvous and docking applications.

Levinson, S.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Autonomous rendezvous and feature detection system using TV imagery

Algorithms and equations are used for conversion of standard television imaging system information into directly usable spatial and dimensional information. System allows utilization of spacecraft imagery system as sensor in application to operations such as deriving spacecraft steering signal, tracking, autonomous rendezvous and docking and ranging.

Rice, R. B., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Apollo-Soyuz Doppler-tracking experiment MA-089

The Doppler tracking experiment was designed to test the feasibility of improved mapping of the earth's gravity field by the low-low satellite-to-satellite tracking method and to observe variations in the electron density of the ionosphere between the two spacecraft. Data were taken between 1:01 and 14:37 GMT on July 24, 1975. Baseline data taken earlier, while the docking module was still attached to the command and service module, indicated that the equipment operated satisfactorily. The ionospheric data contained in the difference between the Doppler signals at the two frequencies are of excellent quality, resulting in valuable satellite-to-satellite observations, never made before, of wave phenomena in the ionosphere. The gravity data were corrupted by an unexpectedly high noise level of as-yet-undetermined origin, with periods greater than 150 seconds, that prevented unambiguous identification of gravity-anomaly signatures.

Weiffenbach, G. C.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Nuclear emulsion measurements of the dose contribution from tissue disintegration stars on the Apollo-Soyuz mission

A total of 996 disintegration stars were prong-counted in two 100 micron llford K.2 emulsions from the dosimeter of the Docking Pilot on Apollo-Soyuz. The change of slope of the distribution at a prong number of about 6 or 7 indicates 219 stars as originating in gelatin. Applying the QF values set forth in official regulations to the energy spectra of the proton and a alpha prongs of the gelatin stars leads to a tissue star dose of 7.8 millirad or 45 millirem. The quoted values do not include the dose contribution from star-produced neutrons since neutrons do not leave visible prongs in emulsion. Nuclear theory, in good agreement with measurements of galactic radiation in the earth's atmosphere, indicates that the dose equivalent from neutrons is about equal to the one from all ionizing secondaries of stars. Application of this proposition to the star prong spectrum found on Apollo-Soyuz would set the total tissue star dose for the mission at approximately 90 millirem.

Schaefer, H. J.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Earth orbital teleoperator mobility system evaluation program

The proximity translation and final docking of the space teleoperator evaluation vehicle (STEV) with large mass and small mass satellites was studied. Operations that may be performed by the STEV during the shuttle experiments are approximated.

Brye, R. G.↗

NASA NTRS1976

Early results of the ionospheric experiment of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project

A description is presented of a spacecraft-to-spacecraft Doppler-tracking experiment which was performed by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory on the occasion of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project (ASTP). The experiment involved the measurement of the relative velocity between the ASTP docking module and the Apollo command service module by a Doppler-tracking method. The objectives of the ionospheric experiment include the measurement of the time changes of the columnar electron content between the two spacecraft. The obtained data can provide a basis for the determination of the horizontal gradients of electron density at the height of 220 km.

Grossi, M. D.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Apollo Soyuz mission report

A complete report on the goals and results of the Apollo-Soyuz mission is presented. Descriptions of the docking module, command and service modules and crew stations are provided. The overall performance of the Apollo spacecraft and of ground support and biomedical operations is evaluated. The pilot's report is presented, together with launch phase and anomaly summaries.

Lee, C. M.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Improved scene generator capability

Components of an integrated system having all functions for model preparation and generation, image computation and scene generation, and collision detection and reporting for the visual simulation of space shuttle maneuvers and its interaction with the manipular arm and other objects, as well as during earth landing exercises are described. High surface solution by range priority allows for correct views of dynamically moving objects from any viewpoint. Smooth shading, anti-aliasing and edge smoothing techniques provide a high quality picture. The collision detection system allows for simulation of impenetrable objects and docking maneuvers, and the modeling systems permit production of new data bases for desired simulations.

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