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NASA NTRS1986

FEDS - An experiment with a microprocessor-based orbit determination system using TDRS data

An experiment in microprocessor-based onboard orbit determination has been conducted at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. The experiment collected forward-link observation data in real time from a prototype transponder and performed orbit estimation on a typical low-earth scientific satellite. This paper discusses the hardware and organizational configurations of the experiment, the structure of the onboard software, the mathematical models, and the experiment results.

Shank, D.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A laser communication experiment utilizing the ACT satellite and an airborne laser transceiver

The launch of a laser communication transmitter package into geosynchronous Earth orbit onboard the Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) will present an excellent opportunity for the experimental reception of laser communication signals transmitted from a space orbit. The ACTS laser package includes both a heterodyne transmitter (Lincoln Labs design) and a direct detection transmitter (Goddard Space Flight Center design) with both sharing some common optical components. NASA Lewis Research Center's Space Electronics Division is planning to perform a space communication experiment utilizing the GSFC direct detection laser transceiver. The laser receiver will be installed within an aircraft provided with a glass port for the reception of the signal. This paper describes the experiment and the approach to performing such an experiment. Described are the constraints placed on the NASA Lewis experiment by the performance parameters of the laser transmitter and by the ACTS spacecraft operations. The conceptual design of the receiving terminal is given; also included is the anticipated capability of the detector.

Provencher, Charles E., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The JPL MSAT mobile laboratory and the pilot field experiments

A Mobile Laboratory/Propagation Measurement Van (PMV) was developed to support the field experiments of the Mobile Satellite Experiment (MSAT-X) Project. This van was designed to provide flexibility, self-sufficiency and data acquisition to allow for both measurement of equipment performance and the mobile environment. The design philosophy and implementation of the PMV are described. The Pilot Field Experiments and an overall description of the three experiments in which the PMV was used are described.

Berner, Jeff B.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Experiment scheduling for Spacelab missions

The Experiment Scheduling Program (ESP) is the heart of a group of programs developed at NASA-Marshall to schedule the experiment activities of Spacelab and other Shuttle missions. Other programs in the group either prepare input data for ESP or produce derivative information based on the schedule produced by ESP. The task of experiment scheduling can be simply stated as positioning the experiment activities in a mission to that they collect their desired data without interfering with other activities. The program's capabilities as seen by the user are described along with mission constraints the program handles, and how the expert system in the program handles these constraints.

Jaap, John↗

NASA NTRS1987

Results from a series of tethered rocket experiments

This paper reports the results of three tethered rocket experiments conducted as part of a U.S.-Japan joint program under way since 1980. The major purpose of the experiments is to obtain technical and scientific data supporting the figure electrodynamic tethered subsatellite experiments by the Space Shuttle. Vehicle charging due to dc beam emission up to 80 mA in the 150-200 km altitude range was repeatedly measured by both Langmuir and floating probes, and was found to be usually less than 10 V. During the 80 mA emission, clear evidence for the ignition of a beam-plasma discharge was obtained. In a tether deployment experiment, it was found that the tether wire acted as an antenna whose impedance decreased with the extension of the wire both in high-frequency and very low-frequency bands. Substantial rocket charging was observed during periods of electron-beam very low-frequency pulsing.

Sasaki, S.↗

NASA NTRS1988

The first ISLSCP field experiment (FIFE)

The background and planning of the first International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) field experiment (FIFE) are discussed. In FIFE, the NOAA series of satellites and GOES will be used to provide a moderate-temporal resolution coarse-spatial resolution data set, with SPOT and aircraft data providing the high-spatial resolution pointable-instrument capability. The paper describes the experiment design, the measurement strategy, the configuration of the site of the experiment (which will be at and around the Konza prairie near Manhattan, Kansas), and the experiment's operations and execution.

Sellers, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Acceleration ground test program to verify GAS payload No. 559 structure/support avionics and experiment structural integrity

Acceleration ground tests were conducted on the Get Away Special (GAS) payload 559 to verify the structural integrity of the structure/support avionics and two of the planned three flight experiments. The ITA (Integrated Test Area) Standardized Experiment Module (ISEM) structure was modified to accommodate the experiments for payload 559. The ISEM avionics consisted of a heavy duty sliver zinc power supply, three orthogonal-mounted low range microgravity accelerometers, a tri-axis high range accelerometer, a solid state recorder/programmer sequencer, and pressure and temperature sensors. The tests were conducted using the Gravitational Plant Physiology Laboratory Centrifuge of the University City Science Center in Philadelphia, PA. The launch-powered flight steady state acceleration profile of the shuttle was simulated from lift-off through jettison of the External Tank (3.0 g's). Additional tests were conducted at twice the nominal powered flight acceleration levels (6 g's) and an over-test condition of four times the powered flight loads to 12.6 g's. The present test program has demonstrated the value of conducting ground tests to verify GAS payload experiment integrity and operation before flying on the shuttle.

Cassanto, John M.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Computerized monitoring and control of experiments in space

The computer subsystem of the Villanova University GAS (Get Away Special) experiment apparatus is discussed. The function of the computer subsystem is to provide data acquisition and control system support to the experiments. The computer subsystem will provide high availability, low power consumption and highly reliable data retention. The general layout of the subsystem provides for redundant processing units, control modules, and multiple data acquisition modules. Each of the two redundant processing units will be composed of a microprocessor, control logic, PROM, RAM, non-volitile memory, timers, self-check logic and data ports to the data acquisition and control modules. One unit will control the experiment while the other shadows the primary unit operation. The data acquisition module gathers data from the experiment. The data is transfered to the processing unit in digital form. The control module validates the data, decodes it and executes the command.

Janisch, Thomas V.↗

NASA NTRS1988

PiFEx propagation experiments

An overview is presented of the Pilot Field Experiments (PiFEx) performed under the Mobile Satellite Experiment Program (MSAT-X) on the performance of MSAT-X equipment and subsystems. A brief history of PiFEx and plans for future experiments are given. Some results from the satellite experiment held last August are discussed.

Emerson, Richard F.↗

NASA NTRS1988

In-space technology experiments program: InSTEP

Information is given in viewgraph form on space research and technology strategy, space shuttle experiments, experiments' planning, industry/university experiments, plasma arc welding in space, and international in-space experiments.

Ambrus, Judith H.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Some test/analysis issues for the space station structural characterization experiment

The Space Station Structural Characterization Experiment (SSSCE) 1,2 is an early space flight experiment that uses the space station as a generic structure to study the dynamic characteristics of Large Space Structures (LSS). On-orbit modal testing will be conducted to determine natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping of dominant structural modes of the space structure assembly. This experiment will utimately support the development of system identification and analytical modeling techniques for Large Space Structures. In order to ensure the success of SSSCE (in-space validation of modeling techniques for LSS), adequate measurement and instrumentation requirements have to be established during the experiment-definition study. Among the issues affecting these requirements, spatial and modal coverages of the modal test data are of particular interest. Topics such as total number of sensors, type of measurements (translation and rotation), optimal sensor locations (measurement degrees-of-freedom), selection of target modes, effects of modal superposition and truncation, separation of global and local modes, etc., are all a fundamental importance and must be investigated.

Chou, Chaur-Ming↗

NASA NTRS1987

Crystal-liquid-vapor equilibrium experiments at high temperature (less than or equal to 1800 C) and low, controlled oxygen and hydrogen pressure (10(-1) to 10(-9) PA)

Evidence from carbonaceous chrondrites points to refractory oxides in the system CaO-MgO-Al2O3-TiO2-SiO2-Fe-O as being among the earliest phases to condense from the solar nebula. It is necessary to establish the equilibrium relationships between the relevant crystalline and amorphous phases before the chemical constraints can be meaningfully applied to models of solar system history. Preliminary experiments on earth show that such experiments are feasible. Earth-based experiments suffer from several unavoidable problems. These problems can be overcome by experimentation in the Space Station where the experiments can be conducted under near static pressure conditions and where total pressure equals the sum of controlled hydrogen and oxygen pressures and can be controlled for periods exceeding several hours.

Mysen, B. O.↗

NASA NTRS1987

Containerless high-pressure petrology experiments in the microgravity environment of the Space Station

The genesis of igneous rocks on terrestrial planets can only be understood through experiments at pressures corresponding to those in planetary mantles (10 to 50 kbar). Such experiments typically require a piston-cylinder apparatus, and an apparatus that has the advantage of controllable pressure and temperature, adequate sample volume, rapid sample quench, and minimal danger of catastrophic failure. It is proposed to perform high-pressure and high-temperature piston-cylinder experiments aboard the Space Station. The microgravity environment in the Space Station will minimize settling due to density contrasts and may, thus, allow experiments of moderate duration to be performed without a platinoid capsule and without the sample having to touch the container walls. The ideal pressure medium would have the same temperatures. It is emphasized, however, that this proposed experimental capability requires technological advances and innovations not currently available.

Boynton, W. V.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Isothermal dendritic growth: A low gravity experiment

The Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment is an active crystal growth experiment designed to test dendritic growth theory at low undercoolings where convection prohibits such studies at 1 g. The experiment will be essentially autonomous, though limited in-flight interaction through a computer interface is planned. One of the key components of the apparatus will be a crystal growth chamber capable of achieving oriented single crystal dendritic growth. Recent work indicates that seeding the chamber with a crystal of the proper orientation will not, in and of itself, be sufficient to meet this requirement. Additional flight hardware and software required for the STS flight experiment are currently being developed at NASA Lewis Research Center and at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Glicksman, M. E.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The experiments of LIPS 3

LIPS 3 is a member of the Living Plume Shield series of spacecraft. In each LIPS project, the plume shield, a simple sheet metal cone, was structurally stiffened, and an active satellite was then built around it. The original purpose of the plume shield was to prevent the plume from solid propellent engines, which are fired outside the atmosphere after the aerodynamic shroud is jettisoned, from reaching the primary payload. The surface of LIPS 3 facing the plume also functioned in this manner, but the anterior surfaces were unaffected, and it was there that all solar arrays, sensors, and experiments were mounted. The purpose of LIPS 3 was to provide a test bed for new space power sources. With the long delays projected for schedules of the STS and other major launch systems, it appeared that a decade might pass before long term flight data could be obtained on many new and innovative power sources. The fact that a launch scheduled for early in 1987 required a plume shield was seen as a unique opportunity to obtain some of this data in a timely manner. The LIPS 3 system, the experiments placed aboard, and the experiment data acquisition subsystem are described. Various problems were encountered during integration and after launch; those which appear to effect the accuracy of experimental results are discussed. A preliminary description is given of the accuracy of the flight experiment data.

Severns, J. G.↗

NASA NTRS1987

UNIX-based data management system for the Mobile Satellite Propagation Experiment (PiFEx)

A new method is presented for handling data resulting from Mobile Satellite propagation experiments such as the Pilot Field Experiment (PiFEx) conducted by JPL. This method uses the UNIX operating system and C programming language. The data management system is implemented on a VAX minicomputer. The system automatically divides the large data file housing data from various experiments under a predetermined format into various individual files containing data from each experiment. The system also has a number of programs written in C and FORTRAN languages to allow the researcher to obtain meaningful quantities from the data at hand.

Kantak, Anil V.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Life science research objectives and representative experiments for the space station

A workshop was convened to develop hypothetical experiments to be used as a baseline for space station designer and equipment specifiers to ensure responsiveness to the users, the life science community. Sixty-five intra- and extramural scientists were asked to describe scientific rationales, science objectives, and give brief representative experiment descriptions compatible with expected space station accommodations, capabilities, and performance envelopes. Experiment descriptions include hypothesis, subject types, approach, equipment requirements, and space station support requirements. The 171 experiments are divided into 14 disciplines.

Johnson, Catherine C.↗

NASA NTRS1989

An artificial gravity demonstration experiment

An artificial gravity experiment which is tethered to a Delta second stage and which uses the Small Expendable Deployer System is proposed. Following tether deployment, the Delta vehicle performs the required spin-up maneuver and can then be passivated. A surplus reentry vehicle houses the artificial gravity life science experiments. When the experiments are completed, the reentry phase of the experiment is initiated by synchronizing the spin of the configuration with the required deorbit impulse.

Rupp, C.↗