Modeling satellite drag coefficients with response surfaces

Satellite drag coefficients are a major source of uncertainty in predicting the drag force on satellites in low Earth orbit. Among other things, accurately predicting the orbit requires detailed knowledge of the satellite drag coefficient. Computational methods are an important tool in computing the drag coefficient but are too intensive for real-time and predictive applications. Therefore, analytic or empirical models that can accurately predict drag coefficients are desired. This work uses response surfaces to model drag coefficients. The response surface methodology is validated by developing a response surface model for the drag coefficient of a sphere where the closed-form solution is known. The response surface model performs well in predicting the drag coefficient of a sphere with a root mean square percentage error less than 0.3% over the entire parameter space. For more complex geometries, such as the GRACE satellite, the Hubble Space Telescope, and the International Space Station, the model errors are only slightly larger at about 0.9%, 0.6%, and 1.0%, respectively.     

Potential climatic impact of organic haze on early Earth

We have explored the direct and indirect radiative effects on climate of organic particles likely to have been present on early Earth by measuring their hygroscopicity and cloud nucleating ability. The early Earth analog aerosol particles were generated via ultraviolet photolysis of an early Earth analog gas mixture, which was designed to mimic possible atmospheric conditions before the rise of oxygen. An analog aerosol for the present-day atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan was tested for comparison. We exposed the early Earth aerosol to a range of relative humidities (RHs). Water uptake onto the aerosol was observed to occur over the entire RH range tested (RH=80-87%). To translate our measurements of hygroscopicity over a specific range of RHs into their water uptake ability at any RH < 100% and into their ability to act as cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) at RH > 100%, we relied on the hygroscopicity parameter κ, developed by Petters and Kreidenweis. We retrieved κ=0.22?±0.12 for the early Earth aerosol, which indicates that the humidified aerosol (RH < 100 %) could have contributed to a larger antigreenhouse effect on the early Earth atmosphere than previously modeled with dry aerosol. Such effects would have been of significance in regions where the humidity was larger than 50%, because such high humidities are needed for significant amounts of water to be on the aerosol. Additionally, Earth organic aerosol particles could have activated into CCN at reasonable-and even low-water-vapor supersaturations (RH > 100%). In regions where the haze was dominant, it is expected that low particle concentrations, once activated into cloud droplets, would have created short-lived, optically thin clouds. Such clouds, if predominant on early Earth, would have had a lower albedo than clouds today, thereby warming the planet relative to current-day clouds.     

Nitrous oxide as a rocket propellant

Nitrous oxide is introduced as a multi-purpose propellant for spacecraft. Potential space applications of this propellant are given. Based on comparison to conventional systems, a multi-mode nitrous oxide propulsion concept is expected to deliver higher performance. Main features of a self-pressurising, nitrous oxide storage system are described. A nitrous oxide catalytic decomposition technique is suggested for restartable spacecraft propulsion. Up-to-date experimental results are presented. A conclusion describes the long-term feasibility of novel nitrous oxide propulsion option concepts.     

Sequence CLEAN: a modified deconvolution technique for microwaveimages of contiguous targets

High resolution range profiles usually suffer from range sidelobe artifacts which cause reduction in the dynamic range. The sidelobes can be greatly reduced by a deconvolution technique called Coherent CLEAN. The Coherent CLEAN algorithm is based on the assumption that the scene consists of isolated and independent targets. However, many real-life targets are contiguous. Even if we approximate the contiguous targets by very closely spaced point sources, they can hardly be assumed to radiate independently. The sidelobes and the mainlobes of these closely spaced point sources can interact constructively and destructively causing spurious peaks and peak mislocations. These problems are studied and a variation in the existing Coherent CLEAN algorithm, called Sequence CLEAN, is proposed. Sequence CLEAN is found to work well with actual targets     

Comparison of the transport codes HZETRN,HETC and FLUKA for a solar particle event

The protection of astronauts and instrumentation from galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events is one of the primary constraints associated with mission planning in low earth orbit or deep space. To help satisfy this constraint, several computational tools have been developed to analyze the effectiveness of various shielding materials and structures exposed to space radiation. These tools are now being carefully scrutinized through a systematic effort of verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification. In this benchmark study, the deterministic transport code HZETRN is compared to the Monte Carlo transport codes HETC-HEDS and FLUKA for a 30 g/cm² water target protected by a 20 g/cm² aluminum shield exposed to a parameterization of the February 1956 solar particle event. Neutron and proton fluences as well as dose and dose equivalent are compared at various depths in the water target. The regions of agreement and disagreement between the three codes are quantified and discussed, and recommendations for future work are given.     

A new strategic revolution?

Professor Freedman examines the argument that, with the claimed potential of ballistic missile defence deriving from SDI, there has been a strategic revolution in favour of the defence. He argues that such a revolution will only come despite technological trends and not because of them, ie from building an entirely new strategic relationship with the active cooperation of the USSR, and concludes that the strident advocacy of strategic defensive systems allows the opportunity of avoiding the real dilemmas that confront us in the nuclear age by pretending that there is a technological way out.     

Are intruder alarm systems effective as crime prevention measures?

Intruder alarm systems, IAS, are seen by many as an essential part of the United Kingdom's defence against the crime of burglary. IAS are intended either to deter the potential intruder or detect and give warning of an intruder directly or indirectly to the police. Unfortunately the false alarm rate, at over 90%, is so high that it leads to ineffectual use of police resources and calls into question the ability of IAS to perform effectively either as a deterrent or detector. To try and improve the situation the Police Forces in the UK have in conjunction with the alarm industry, over the past few years, implemented special measures in an attempt to reduce the number of false alarms and improve the effectiveness of the systems. However, from a study of available data on the deterrent effect of alarm systems, the national statistics for all alarm call types, the numbers of arrests arising from the calls, etc., this paper concludes that IAS on their own are not an effective police crime prevention measure. Thus a radical rethink of their use is required. The paper also suggests an alternative strategy which may improve the situation     

Quantization Noise in Digital Moving Target Indication Systems

This paper deals precisely with the effect of quantum or step size in an analog-to-digital converter on the quantization noise in the output of MTI (moving target indication) radar processors. The correlation between quantization errors on successive pulses is considered in the analysis and is shown to have a small quieting effect on the output quantization noise.     

Surface and downhole prospecting tools for planetary exploration: tests of neutron and gamma ray probes

The ability to locate and characterize icy deposits and other hydrogenous materials on the Moon and Mars will help us understand the distribution of water and, therefore, possible habitats at Mars, and may help us locate primitive prebiotic compounds at the Moon's poles. We have developed a rover-borne neutron probe that localizes a near-surface icy deposit and provides information about its burial depth and abundance. We have also developed a borehole neutron probe to determine the stratigraphy of hydrogenous subsurface layers while operating within a drill string segment. In our field tests, we have used a neutron source to "illuminate" surrounding materials and gauge the instruments' efficacy, and we can simulate accurately the observed instrument responses using a Monte Carlo nuclear transport code (MCNPX). An active neutron source would not be needed for lunar or martian near-surface exploration: cosmic-ray interactions provide sufficient neutron flux to depths of several meters and yield better depth and abundance sensitivity than an active source. However, for deep drilling (>or=10 m depth), a source is required. We also present initial tests of a borehole gamma ray lithodensity tool and demonstrate its utility in determining soil or rock densities and composition.     

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter Investigation on the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Mission

The Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) is an instrument on the payload of NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft (LRO) (Chin et al., in Space Sci. Rev. 129:391–419, 2007). The instrument is designed to measure the shape of the Moon by measuring precisely the range from the spacecraft to the lunar surface, and incorporating precision orbit determination of LRO, referencing surface ranges to the Moon’s center of mass. LOLA has 5 beams and operates at 28 Hz, with a nominal accuracy of 10 cm. Its primary objective is to produce a global geodetic grid for the Moon to which all other observations can be precisely referenced.