Comparison of Electrooptic Modulation Methods

A comparison is made among normal AM, wide-band analog FM, and PCM as applied to transmission of real-time TV pictures via an electrooptic space communication system. The comparison is based on the requirement to receive a subjectively noise-free TV picture. Based on the results of this comparison, it is concluded that analog-FM subcarrier modulation is the best practical choice for transmission of real-time TV pictures in space via a laser beam. In addition to providing performance equivalent to that of coherent PCM, this type of modulation can be implemented with comparatively simple equipment.     

Geochemical Consequences of Widespread Clay Mineral Formation in Mars’ Ancient Crust

Clays form on Earth by near-surface weathering, precipitation in water bodies within basins, hydrothermal alteration (volcanic- or impact-induced), diagenesis, metamorphism, and magmatic precipitation. Diverse clay minerals have been detected from orbital investigation of terrains on Mars and are globally distributed, indicating geographically widespread aqueous alteration. Clay assemblages within deep stratigraphic units in the Martian crust include Fe/Mg smectites, chlorites and higher temperature hydrated silicates. Sedimentary clay mineral assemblages include Fe/Mg smectites, kaolinite, and sulfate, carbonate, and chloride salts. Stratigraphic sequences with multiple clay-bearing units have an upper unit with Al-clays and a lower unit with Fe/Mg-clays. The typical restriction of clay minerals to the oldest, Noachian terrains indicates a distinctive set of processes involving water-rock interaction that was prevalent early in Mars history and may have profoundly influenced the evolution of Martian geochemical systems. Current analyses of orbital data have led to the proposition of multiple clay-formation mechanisms, varying in space and time in their relative importance. These include near-surface weathering, formation in ice-dominated near-surface groundwaters, and formation by subsurface hydrothermal fluids. Near-surface, open system formation of clays would lead to fractionation of Mars’ crustal reservoir into an altered crustal reservoir and a sedimentary reservoir, potentially involving changes in the composition of Mars’ atmosphere. In contrast, formation of clays in the subsurface by either aqueous alteration or magmatic cooling would result in comparatively little geochemical fractionation or interaction of Mars’ atmospheric, crustal, and magmatic reservoirs, with the exception of long-term sequestration of water. Formation of clays within ice would have geochemical consequences intermediate between these endmembers. We outline the future analyses of orbital data, in situ measurements acquired within clay-bearing terrains, and analyses of Mars samples that are needed to more fully elucidate the mechanisms of martian clay formation and to determine the consequences for the geochemical evolution of the planet.     

Comparative Performance of Optical-Radar Detection Techniques

The statistical performances of energy- and heterodyne-detection techniques in pulsed optical radar applications are compared. The results show that, under conditions frequently encountered in practice, energy-detection can provide the better target-detection capability, in spite of the far greater complexity of the heterodyne receiver. The velocity-measurement capability of an energy-detection system can also be superior from the point of view of the error probabilities achieved. The advantages of the more complex and critical heterodyne technique lie in its vastly superior velocity-resolution capability and in its superior performance in very noisy environments.     

The polarization of celestial X-rays

The processes by which X-radiation may be emitted by celestial sources are investigated, and the net polarization such radiation would possess is predicted. The amount of polarization observed at the Earth would depend both on the mechanism producing the radiation and on the fractional extent of the source over which it is coherently polarized. Highly polarized X-radiation would suggest synchrotron emission as the source mechanism. Radiation whose polarization is low but nonzero would be produced by synchrotron emission from a source whose magnetic fields are inhomogeneous on a large scale, or by bremsstrahlung of electrons whose velocity vectors lie in one predominant direction. Nonobservable polarization would result from sources of synchrotron radiation whose magnetic fields show small-scale irregularities, from the bremsstrahlung of electrons whose velocity vectors are either random or spherically symmetric in direction over the entire source, or from sources whose mechanism of producing the radiation imparts no net polarization, e.g., thermal radiation from neutron stars, line radiation from electronic shell transitions within atoms, and the inverse Compton effect. Measurement of the net polarization of the X-rays from the several known celestial sources could thus lead to the specification of the mechanisms capable of producing the radiation from such sources.     

Multi-Spectral Imager on the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous Mission

A multispectral imager has been developed for a rendezvous mission with the near-Earth asteroid, 433 Eros. The Multi-Spectral Imager (MSI) on the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft uses a five-element refractive optical telescope, has a field of view of 2.93 × 2.25°, a focal length of 167.35 mm, and has a spatial resolution of 16.1 × 9.5 m at a range of 100 km. The spectral sensitivity of the instrument spans visible to near infrared wavelengths, and was designed to provide insight into the nature and fundamental properties of asteroids and comets. Seven narrow band spectral filters were chosen to provide multicolor imaging and to make comparative studies with previous observations of S asteroids and measurements of the characteristic absorption in Fe minerals near 1 µm. An eighth filter with a much wider spectral passband will be used for optical navigation and for imaging faint objects, down to visual magnitude of +10.5. The camera has a fixed 1 Hz frame rate and the signal intensities are digitized to 12 bits. The detector, a Thomson-CSF TH7866A Charge-Coupled Device, permits electronic shuttering which effectively varies the dynamic range over an additional three orders of magnitude. Communication with the NEAR spacecraft occurs via a MIL-STD-1553 bus interface, and a high speed serial interface permits rapid transmission of images to the spacecraft solid state recorder. Onboard image processing consists of a multi-tiered data compression scheme. The instrument was extensively tested and calibrated prior to launch; some inflight calibrations have already been completed. This paper presents a detailed overview of the Multi-Spectral Imager and its objectives, design, construction, testing and calibration.     

Evaluating NASA's role in risk communication process surrounding space policy decisions

In an effort to standardize evaluations of agency communications with stakeholders, a recent NASA report outlined the need to consider metrics that could be used to measure effectiveness over time by monitoring communications output and examining the outcome of communication activities. While evaluating agency communications in this way seems straightforward, actually carrying out such an evaluation is fraught with potential problems. This is especially true of communications surrounding risky or stigmatized activities, as evaluations of this type may lead to an overemphasis on negative participant reactions and an obscuring of those areas where competent work is being done. To help avoid this, an alternative is to conduct evaluations of the process involved in creating agency communications, rather than people's reactions to the communication programs themselves. Adopting this approach de-emphasizes the supposed requirement for researchers to correlate an individual or group's behavior with comprehension or agreement with agency communications. This paper outlines 5 criteria for such a process and discusses them in the context of an evaluation of the risk communication program surrounding the Cassini mission to Saturn.     

The Radio Observatory on the Lunar Surface for Solar studies

The Radio Observatory on the Lunar Surface for Solar studies (ROLSS) is a concept for a near-side low radio frequency imaging interferometric array designed to study particle acceleration at the Sun and in the inner heliosphere. The prime science mission is to image the radio emission generated by Type II and III solar radio burst processes with the aim of determining the sites at and mechanisms by which the radiating particles are accelerated. Specific questions to be addressed include the following: (1) Isolating the sites of electron acceleration responsible for Type II and III solar radio bursts during coronal mass ejections (CMEs); and (2) Determining if and the mechanism(s) by which multiple, successive CMEs produce unusually efficient particle acceleration and intense radio emission. Secondary science goals include constraining the density of the lunar ionosphere by searching for a low radio frequency cutoff to solar radio emission and constraining the low energy electron population in astrophysical sources. Key design requirements on ROLSS include the operational frequency and angular resolution. The electron densities in the solar corona and inner heliosphere are such that the relevant emission occurs at frequencies below 10 MHz. Second, resolving the potential sites of particle acceleration requires an instrument with an angular resolution of at least 2°, equivalent to a linear array size of approximately 1000 m. Operations would consist of data acquisition during the lunar day, with regular data downlinks. No operations would occur during lunar night.     

The extravehicular mobility unit: A review of environment, requirements, and design changes in the US spacesuit

Requirements are rarely static, and are ever more likely to evolve as the development time of a system stretches out and its service life increases. In this paper, we discuss the evolution of requirements for the US spacesuit, the extravehicular mobility unit (EMU), as a case study to highlight the need for flexibility in system design. We explore one fundamental environmental change, using the Space Shuttle EMU aboard the International Space Station, and the resulting EMU requirement and design changes. The EMU, like other complex systems, faces considerable uncertainty during its service life. Changes in the technical, political, or economic environment cause changes in requirements, which in turn necessitate design modifications or upgrades. We make the case that flexibility is a key attribute that needs to be embedded in the design of long-lived, complex systems to enable them to efficiently meet the inevitability of changing requirements after they have been fielded.