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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 1,693 records · Page 94
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Identification and control of structures in space

During the last phase of the project, emphasis has changed to flexible space robotics, by mutual agreement between Dr. R. C. Montgomery, NASA Technical Officer, and the Principal Investigator. Significant advances have been achieved over the period covered by this report. Research has been concerned with two main subjects: (1) the maneuvering and control of freely floating flexible space robots, and (2) the development of a theory for the motion of flexible multibody systems. Work on the first subject has resulted in two papers, both of them concerned with planar maneuvers. The first is concerned with the maneuvering and delivery of a payload to a certain point and in a certain orientation in space. The second is concerned with the docking maneuver with a target whose motion is not known a priori. Both papers will appear in the 'Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics.' The second subject is concerned with the development of hybrid (ordinary and partial) differential equations for the three dimensional motion of flexible multibody systems, a subject of vital interest in flexible space robotics. The paper will appear in the 'Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics' in an issue dedicated to the memory of Lawrence W. Taylor, Jr. Abstracts and copies of the papers are hereby included.

Meirovitch, Leonard↗
NASA NTRS1994

Permanent superconducting magnets for space applications

Work has been done to develop superconducting trapped field magnets (TFM's) and to apply them to a bumper-tether device for magnetic docking of spacecraft. The quality parameters for TFM's are J(c), the critical current of the superconductor, and d, the diameter of the superconducting tile. During this year we have doubled d, for production models, from 1 cm to 2 cm. This was done by means of seeding, an improved temperature profile in processing, and the addition of 1 percent Pt to the superconductor chemistry. Using these tiles we have set increasing records for the fields' permanent magnets. Magnets fabricated from old 1 cm tiles trapped 1.52 Tesla at 77K, 4.0T at 65K and 7.0T at 55K. The second of these fields broke a 17 year old record set at Stanford. The third field broke our own record. More recently using 2 cm tiles, we have trapped 2.3T at 77K, and 5.3T at 65K. We expect to trap lOT at 55K in this magnet in the near future. We have also achieved increases in J(c) using a method we developed for seeding U-235, and subsequently bombarding with neutrons. This method doubles J(c). We have not yet fabricated magnets from these tiles. During this year we have increased production yields from 15 percent to 95 percent. We have explored the properties of a magnetic bumper-tether for spacecraft. We have measured the bumper forces, and their dependence on time, distance, and the field of the ordinary ferromagnet (used together with a TFM). We have accounted for 85 percent of the collision energy, and its transformation to magnetic energy and heat energy. We have learned to control the relative bumper and tether forces by controlling TFM and ferromagnetic field strengths.

Weinstein, Roy↗
NASA NTRS1991

Virtual reality at work

The utility of virtual reality computer graphics in telepresence applications is not hard to grasp and promises to be great. When the virtual world is entirely synthetic, as opposed to real but remote, the utility is harder to establish. Vehicle simulators for aircraft, vessels, and motor vehicles are proving their worth every day. Entertainment applications such as Disney World's StarTours are technologically elegant, good fun, and economically viable. Nevertheless, some of us have no real desire to spend our lifework serving the entertainment craze of our sick culture; we want to see this exciting technology put to work in medicine and science. The topics covered include the following: testing a force display for scientific visualization -- molecular docking; and testing a head-mounted display for scientific and medical visualization.

Brooks, Frederick P., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Simulation of the coupled multi-spacecraft control testbed at the Marshall Space Flight Center

The capture and berthing of a controlled spacecraft using a robotic manipulator is an important technology for future space missions and is presently being considered as a backup option for direct docking of the Space Shuttle to the Space Station during assembly missions. The dynamics and control of spacecraft configurations that are manipulator-coupled with each spacecraft having independent attitude control systems is not well understood and NASA is actively involved in both analytic research on this three dimensional control problem for manipulator coupled active spacecraft and experimental research using a two dimensional ground based facility at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). This paper first describes the MSFC testbed and then describes a two link arm simulator that has been developed to facilitate control theory development and test planning. The motion of the arms and the payload is controlled by motors located at the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.

Ghosh, Dave↗
NASA NTRS1966

Gemini 8, This is Houston Flight

The historic first docking in space with the Agena is completed. Camaras record the harrowing experiences of the astronauts as Gemini VIII wildly gyrates through space following a malfunction. The spacecraft is separated from the Agena, brought under control and reentry is achieved.

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NASA NTRS1973

Skylab: The First 40 Days

This video records the launch of unmanned Skylab-1 on May 14, 1973 and the major problems resulting from the loss of the meteoroid heat shield. Also shown is the fabrication of materials and the equipment used in the repair operation, followed by the installation of the parasol after the launch and docking of the manned SL-2 with the SL-1 workshop. The onboard sequences of daily work routines and some of the experiments are included.

AV Corporation↗
NASA NTRS1974

Skylab: The Second Manned Mission. A Scientific Harvest

Covers the Skylab launch activities and docking with unmanned SL-1 workshop. Includes observations of student experiments (the Minchmog minnows and Arabella, the spider), observations of student experiments, exercise routines, and the enabling of the Earth Resources Experiments Package. Shows planet Earth documentation, manned operation of the Apollo Telescope Mount for observations of the Sun and beyond, outside EVA activity, testing of the Astronaut Maneuvering Unit, experiments to explore industrial uses of space, and the Skylab living routine.

AV Corporation↗
NASA NTRS1994

Design and development status of ETS-7, an RVD and space robot experiment satellite

ETS-7 (Engineering Test Satellite #7) is an experimental satellite for the in-orbit experiment of the Rendezvous Docking (RVD) and the space robot (RBT) technologies. ETS-7 is a set of two satellites, a chaser satellite and a target satellite. Both satellites will be launched together by NASDA's H-2 rocket into a low earth orbit. Development of ETS-7 started in 1990. Basic design and EM (Engineering Model) development are in progress now in 1994. The satellite will be launched in mid 1997 and the above in-orbit experiments will be conducted for 1.5 years. Design of ETS-7 RBT experiment system and development status are described in this paper.

Oda, M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Development of the dynamic motion simulator of 3D micro-gravity with a combined passive/active suspension system

The establishment of those in-orbit operations like 'Rendez-Vous/Docking' and 'Manipulator Berthing' with the assistance of robotics or autonomous control technology, is essential for the near future space programs. In order to study the control methods, develop the flight models, and verify how the system works, we need a tool or a testbed which enables us to simulate mechanically the micro-gravity environment. There have been many attempts to develop the micro-gravity testbeds, but once the simulation goes into the docking and berthing operation that involves mechanical contacts among multi bodies, the requirement becomes critical. A group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has proposed a method that can simulate the 3D micro-gravity producing a smooth response to the impact phenomena with relatively simple apparatus. Recently the group carried out basic experiments successfully using a prototype hardware model of the testbed. This paper will present our idea of the 3D micro-gravity simulator and report the results of our initial experiments.

Yoshida, Kazuya↗
NASA NTRS1991

Apollo 13: Houston, We've Got a Problem

This video contains historical footage of the flight of Apollo-13, the fifth Lunar Mission and the third spacecraft that was to land on the Moon. Apollo-13's launch date was April 11, 1970. On the 13th of April, after docking with the Lunar Module, the astronauts, Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and Jack Swiggert, discovered that their oxygen tanks had ruptured and ended up entering and returning to Earth in the Lunar Module instead of the Command Module. There is footage of inside module and Mission Control shots, personal commentary by the astronauts concerning the problems as they developed, national news footage and commentary, and a post-flight Presidential Address by President Richard Nixon. Film footage of the approach to the Moon and departing from Earth, and air-to-ground communication with Mission Control is included.

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NASA NTRS1969

Apollo 11: For All Mankind

Historical film footage of Apollo 11 is shown. The pre-flight, launch, module docking, lunar orbit, lunar landing, ascent, and return-to-Earth flight is shown. There are lunar surface shots, Moon views, Earth views from Earth orbit, Earth views from the Moon, and footage of actual moon walk by astronauts. Mission control and space to ground control communication is heard.

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NASA NTRS1995

STS-71 Shuttle/Mir Flight: Day 1

The first day of the STS-71 flight of the Space Shuttle Atlantis is contained in this video. This mission highlights the first U.S. docking with the Mir Space Station. The scope of this part of the STS-71 mission is to drop off and pickup two cosmonauts, and to pickup one American astronaut who has been living aboard the Mir Station for several months. The STS-71 flight crew consists of: Atlantis Mission Specialists Gregory Harbaugh, Ellen Baker, and Bonnie Dunbar; Flight Commander Robert Gibson; Russian cosmonauts Anatoly Solovyev, Vladimir Dezhurov; and Gannady Strekalov; and Dr. Norman Thagard. Flight footage contains prelaunch activities.

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NASA NTRS1995

STS-71 Shuttle/Mir Flight: Day 4

Day 4 of the STS-71 flight Space Shuttle Atlantis mission is highlighted in this video. During this segment of the mission the Space Station is docked with the Mir Space Station. There are interviews with the astronauts by Vice President Al Gore.

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NASA NTRS1995

STS-71 Shuttle/Mir Flight: Day 5

Day 5 of the STS-71 flight Space Shuttle Atlantis mission is highlighted in this video. During this segment of the mission the Space Station is docked with the Mir Space Station and they are orbiting the earth together. There is footage of the astronauts performing physiological tests inside the Shuttle.

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NASA NTRS1995

Hand-portable gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer for the determination of the freshness of fish

A hand-held, portable gas chromatography-ion mobility spectrometer (GC-IMS) device was used to detect the presence of volatile amine compounds in the headspace of decomposing fish. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) largely relies on olfactory discrimination with respect to fresh and spoiled, frozen and unfrozen fish. The fish are delivered at ship docks on pallets, and each pallet of fish can range from 30-40 thousand dollars in value. Fresh fish were placed in a teflon bag and the direct headspace was interrogated. In the first three days, only low molecular weight volatile amines were detected. On the fourth day, a number of spectral signatures were observed which indicated the presence of 1,5-diaminopentane, cadaverine. Analyses typically took from 0.5-1 minute.

Snyder, A. Peter↗
NASA NTRS1993

Application of flight data to Space Shuttle CCD star tracker catalog design

The new Shuttle Solid-State Tracker (SSST) is an improved but transparent replacement for the analog version which has flown on every Shuttle mission. This paper will examine the data collected from four Shuttle flights to establish parameters for selection of acceptable navigation stars, and apply those parameters to establish a star catalog which will be sufficient to ensure the ability of the SSST to perform attitude updates while docked to the Space Station.

Barry, Karen↗
NASA NTRS1993

Telerobot local-remote control architecture for space flight program applications

The JPL Supervisory Telerobotics (STELER) Laboratory has developed and demonstrated a unique local-remote robot control architecture which enables management of intermittent communication bus latencies and delays such as those expected for ground-remote operation of Space Station robotic systems via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) communication platform. The current work at JPL in this area has focused on enhancing the technologies and transferring the control architecture to hardware and software environments which are more compatible with projected ground and space operational environments. At the local site, the operator updates the remote worksite model using stereo video and a model overlay/fitting algorithm which outputs the location and orientation of the object in free space. That information is relayed to the robot User Macro Interface (UMI) to enable programming of the robot control macros. This capability runs on a single Silicon Graphics Inc. machine. The operator can employ either manual teleoperation, shared control, or supervised autonomous control to manipulate the intended object. The remote site controller, called the Modular Telerobot Task Execution System (MOTES), runs in a multi-processor VME environment and performs the task sequencing, task execution, trajectory generation, closed loop force/torque control, task parameter monitoring, and reflex action. This paper describes the new STELER architecture implementation, and also documents the results of the recent autonomous docking task execution using the local site and MOTES.

Zimmerman, Wayne↗
NASA NTRS1995

Adaptive Attitude Control System For Space Station

Report presents theoretical foundation for attitude control system for proposed Space Station Freedom in orbit around Earth. Intended to maintain space station in torque equilibrium with designated axes of its structure aligned with local vertical, local along-trajectory horizontal, and local across-trajectory horizontal axes, respectively. System required to provide desired combination of control performance and stability in presence of disturbances (e.g., variations in masses of payloads, movements of astronauts and equipment, atmospheric drag, gravitational anomalies, and interactions with docking spacecraft).

Boussalis, Dhemetrios↗