Ground and on-orbit command and data handling architectures for the Active Rack Isolation System microgravity flight experiment

The Active Rack Isolation System [ARIS] International Space Station [ISS] Characterization Experiment, or ARIS-ICE for short, is a long duration microgravity characterization experiment aboard the ISS. The objective of the experiment is to fully characterize active microgravity performance of the first ARIS rack deployed on the ISS. Efficient ground and on-orbit command and data handling [C&DH] segments are the crux in achieving the challenging objectives of the mission. The objective of the paper is to provide an overview of the C&DH architectures developed for ARIS-ICE, with the view that these architectures may serve as a model for future ISS microgravity payloads. Both ground and on-orbit segments, and their interaction with corresponding ISS C&DH systems are presented. The heart of the on-orbit segment is the ARIS-ICE Payload On-orbit Processor, ARIS-ICE POP for short. The POP manages communication with the ISS C&DH system and other ISS subsystems and payloads, enables automation of test/data collection sequences, and provides a wide range of utilities such as efficient file downlinks/uplinks, data post-processing, data compression and data storage. The hardware and software architecture of the POP is presented and it is shown that the built-in functionality helps to dramatically streamline the efficiency of on-orbit operations. The ground segment has at its heart special ARIS-ICE Ground Support Equipment [GSE] software developed for the experiment. The software enables efficient command and file uplinks, and reconstruction and display of science telemetry packets. The GSE software architecture is discussed along with its interactions with ISS ground C&DH elements. A test sequence example is used to demonstrate the interplay between the ground and on-orbit segments.     

Collision Risk Mitigation in Geostationary Orbit

The short- and long-term effects of spacecraft explosions, as a function of the end-of-life re-orbit altitude above the geostationary orbit (GEO), were analyzed in terms of their additional contribution to the debris flux in the GEO ring. The simulated debris clouds were propagated for 72yrs, taking into account all the relevant orbital perturbations.The results obtained show that 6–7 additional explosions in GEO would be sufficient, in the long term, to double the current collision risk with sizable objects in GEO. Unfortunately, even if spacecraft were to re-orbit between 300 and 500km above GEO, this would not significantly improve the situation. In fact, an altitude increase of at least 2000km would have to be adopted to reduce by one order of magnitude the long-term risk of collision among geostationary satellites and explosion fragments. The optimal debris mitigation strategy should be a compromise between the reliability and effectiveness of spacecraft end-of-life passivation, the re-orbit altitude and the acceptable debris background in the GEO ring. However, for as long as the re-orbit altitudes currently used are less than 500km above GEO, new spacecraft explosions must be avoided in order to preserve the geostationary environment over the long term.     

Microgravity effects on water supply and substrate properties in porous matrix root support systems.

The control of water content and water movement in granular substrate-based plant root systems in microgravity is a complex problem. Improper water and oxygen delivery to plant roots has delayed studies of the effects of microgravity on plant development and the use of plants in physical and mental life support systems. Our international effort (USA, Russia and Bulgaria) has upgraded the plant growth facilities on the Mir Orbital Station (OS) and used them to study the full life cycle of plants. The Bulgarian-Russian-developed Svet Space Greenhouse (SG) system was upgraded on the Mir OS in 1996. The US developed Gas Exchange Measurement System (GEMS) greatly extends the range of environmental parameters monitored. The Svet-GEMS complex was used to grow a fully developed wheat crop during 1996. The growth rate and development of these plants compared well with earth grown plants indicating that the root zone water and oxygen stresses that have limited plant development in previous long-duration experiments have been overcome. However, management of the root environment during this experiment involved several significant changes in control settings as the relationship between the water delivery system, water status sensors, and the substrate changed during the growth cycles.     

One year old and growing: a status report of the International Space Station and its partners.

The International Space Station (ISS), as the largest international science and engineering program in history, features unprecedented technical, cost, scheduling, managerial, and international complexity. A number of major milestones have been accomplished to date, including the construction of major elements of flight hardware, the development of operations and sustaining engineering centers, astronaut training, and eight Space Shuttle/Mir docking missions. International partner contributions and levels of participation have been baselined, and negotiations and discussions are nearing completion regarding bartering arrangements for services and new hardware. As ISS is successfully executed, it can pave the way for more inspiring cooperative achievements in the future.     

An innovative approach for distributed and integrated resources planning for the Space Station Freedom

The widely distributed nature of the Space Station Freedom program, plus continuous multi-year operations will force program planners to develop innovative planning concepts. The traditional centralized planning operation will not be adequate. It will be replaced by multiple small planning centers working within guidelines issued by a central planning authority. Plans will not be optimized; rather, operating efficiency and user flexibility will be blended to satisfy program goals. The key to this new approach is the application of new planning methodologies and system development technologies to accommodate distributed resources that must be integrated. Resources will be distributed to the multiple planning entities in such a way that, when the several plans are built and then integrated, they will fit together with minimal modification. The plan itself will be an envelope schedule containing resource limits and constraint boundaries within which users will be free to make choices of the specific activities they will execute, up to the time of execution. Some level of margin within program guidelines will be built in to allow for variation and unforeseen change. This paper presents the authors' recommended planning approach and cites two NASA systems being developed that will utilize these resource distribution/integration planning concepts, methodologies and development technologies.     

Planetary Missions of the 20th Century*

Among of the highlights of the 20^th century were flights of spacecraft to other bodies of the Solar System. This paper describes briefly the missions attempted, their goals, and fate. Information is presented in five tables on the missions launched, their goals, mission designations, dates, discoveries when successful, and what happened if they failed. More detailed explanations are given in the accompanying text. It is shown how this enterprise developed and evolved step by step from a politically driven competition to intense scientific investigations and international cooperation. Initially, only the USA and USSR sent missions to the Moon and planets. Europe and Japan joined later. The USSR carried out significant research in Solar System exploration until the end of the 1980s. The Russian Federation no longer supports robotic planetary exploration for economic reasons, and it remains to be seen whether the invaluable Russian experience in planetary space flight will be lost. Collaboration between Russian and other national space agencies may be a solution.     

The applications of lower power satellites for direct television broadcasting

The use of 12 GHz satellites for TV broadcasting directly to individual homes and small communities has been the subject of analysis and design study by groups in many countries. Implementation of the concept has been slow to follow because of the high satellite transmitter powers of from 100 to 450 W that have usually been determined to be necessary. Accumulated experience in Canada with 12 GHz operation and the evolution of technology are leading to changes in the concept of direct broadcasting such that lower power satellites may be capable of meeting the requirements.

Hermes, the Canadian/U.S. 12/14 GHz Communications Technology Satellite, has been in use for over 3 years in a program of experiments and measurements. This program has included an extensive six month experiment in direct broadcasting to 7 small communities. Experience with Hermes has shown that the signal strength is stable over long periods of time and that in Canada, significant precipitation attenuation at 12 GHz is of relatively short duration and typically occurs only during certain seasons. Operation with low propagation margins is feasible if some picture degradation and some outages at these times are acceptable. The frequency and duration of occurrence of outages can be controlled by the Earth station G/T which is cost sensitive. An individual may choose to use a low cost system with a small antenna and accept a degraded picture and outages at some times. A small community may choose to pay more for a larger antenna and lower noise receiver to achieve better performance.

Developments in technology are reducing the noise figure of mass-producible receivers from more than 6 dB to as low as 4 dB. Another technology contribution is the use of reduced bandwidth and other signal processing techniques in low-cost receivers. While use of such techniques may introduce distortions that would be unacceptable in rebroadcasting systems, there is little impact for individual and community reception. Use of both technologies reduce the required satellite EIRP or ground terminal G/T.

A field trial was begun in April 1979 to test these concepts for use in television program delivery. One hundred Earth stations capable of being tuned across a 500 MHz band and having antennas with diameters of either 1.2 m or 1.8 m are being installed for a test in Canada to receive TV signals from the 20 W transponders of ANIK-B (peak EIRP of 51 dBw) on an experimental basis. The acceptability of the video signals and the technical performance of the low-cost terminals in the bands of non-technical users are being evaluated.

The paper will summarize the concept of TV broadcasting with lower power satellites and describe the results to date of the ANIK-B field trials.     

Low-velocity detonations in cast and pressed high explosives

A model of low velocity detonations in charges of cast and pressed high explosives confined in metal tubes with thin walls is suggested. An analytical solution is obtained and velocities and pressures of stationary LVD waves are calculated as functions of the parameters of the wall confinement. The fraction of the total chemical energy transferred to maintain the shock wave and the average rate of reaction in the wave are estimated and the dynamics of transient predetonation processes are analysed. An explanation of the causes of the secondary shock wave formation in the transition from deflagration to normal detonations is suggested and the delay of this secondary wave is calculated and compared with experimental data.     

Influence of Trapped Plasma on the Structure of Collisionless Thin Current Sheets

Using both analytical and numerical models of the collisionless anisotropic current sheet generated by the impinging flows of transient ions, we have studied the self-consistent solutions taking the plasma trapped in the sheet into account. It is demonstrated that there exists a limited window in the space of system parameters where self-consistent solutions can exist. When the density of the quasi-trapped plasma is sufficiently large, a redistribution of the total current can be a cause of the sheet decay, when the local current of the trapped particles compensate (totally or in part) the main current in the center and at the edges of the sheet, while the total current generated by ions on the trapped trajectories vanishes.     

Bubble detector characterization for space radiation

In light of the importance of the neutron contribution to the dose equivalent received by space workers in the near-Earth radiation environment, there is an increasing need for a personal dosimeter that is passive in nature and able to respond to this neutron field in real time. Recent Canadian technology has led to the development of a bubble detector, which is sensitive to neutrons, but insensitive to low linear energy transfer (LET) radiation. By changing the composition of the bubble detector fluid (or “superheat”), the detectors can be fabricated to respond to different types of radiation. This paper describes a preliminary ground-based research effort to better characterize the bubble detectors of different compositions at various charged-particle accelerator facilities, which are capable of simulating the space radiation field.