Dynamics of Momentum Biased Spacecraft in a Near-Polar Orbit

The equations of motion of a momentum biased spacecraft are derived in a general form. The spacecraft is assumed to be orbiting in a near-elliptical orbit. An aerodynamic torque model which accounts for the atmospheric superrotation is assumed. The equilibrium attitude angles are obtained in terms of modified Bessel functions. Analytic expressions for the long-term motion of the momentum biased axis are derived for special cases. The analysis is applicable to the Magsat mission.     

Transient Nonstationary Behavior of a Delay Line Discriminator

The development of numerical methods for studying the transient nonstationary behavior of a delay line discriminator is presented. Expressions are developed for the mean and the variance of the output noise process. For the cases where the output is stationary, power density spectra are found.     

Performance Degradation Due to Specular Multipath Intersymbol Interference

Plots of performance degradation are used to compare the effects of fading and intersymbol interference in a two- component specular multipath digital communications channel. Similar plots are then used to compare two practical receivers designed to combat the interference. Degradation plots are shown to allow easy identification of each receiver's range of usefulness, as well as identification of variance bounds demanded of channel parameter estimates which the receivers require.     

Detection of suprathermal ionospheric O+ ions inside the plasmasphere

The plasma diagnostic experiments on the AUREOL-3 satellite have revealed flows of low energy 0⁺ ions deep inside the night plasmasphere during a large substorm. Flux gradients of the 0⁺ ions were accompanied by enhancements of ELF electric field noise. The appearance of suprathermal ions at $\text{L ? 2.5 – 3}$ is interpreted within the framework of electrostatic ion-cyclotron acceleration of ionospheric ions in the diffuse auroral zone /12/ followed by a radial displacement of these ions inside the plasmasphere driven by azimuthal electric fields during substorm activity. Electrostatic oscillations observed inside the plasmasphere are apparently associated with gradient instability at the sharp boundaries of suprathermal ion flows.     

Project Trinidad

The first intercontinental satellite communication link, which involved the NASA Echo I balloon, a transmitting station on the Island of Trinidad, and a receiving station at Floyd, NY, is discussed. Rome Air Development Center (RADC) experimental stations were set up using a great deal of ingenuity and makeshift equipment and on a very small budget. Much of the equipment was salvaged from unrelated systems, while some was hand-built for this project. The implementation of the system, the testing of the system using moon bounce, the first orbital launch of the Echo I balloon, and the early difficulties encountered in the project are reviewed     

A pure-Cartesian formulation for tracking filters

A pure-Cartesian formulation is presented for angle-only and angle-plus-range tracking filters. Unlike conventional angle-only filters, which use target elevation and bearing as measurements, the filter expresses the sensor measurements in Cartesian coordinates. Consequently, the filter performs equally well for any line-of-sight (LOS) geometry, even when target elevation approaches or is equal to ±90°     

Simultaneous dual wavelength observations of an impulsive microwave burst using the V.L.A.

Simultaneous observations of a microwave burst at 2 and 6 cm wavelengths were carried out with the Very Large Array (VLA). The 6 cm burst source is located close to a magnetic neutral line, presumably near the top of a flaring loop, while the 2 cm emission originates from the footpoints of the loop. It is concluded that the 6 cm emission is dominated by gyrosynchrotron radiation of the thermal electrons in the bulk heated plasma at a temperature of ～ 4 × 10⁷ K, while the 2 cm emission is due to nonthermal particles released and accelerated during the flare process. From the observed low degree of polarization and the lack of the 2 cm source cospatiality with the 6 cm source a magnetic field of 200–350 G and δ ? 4 are estimated in the flare energy release site. A DC electric field flare model is invoked to explain the long delay between the peaks at the two wavelengths. From the delay, the strength of the electric field is estimated to be 0.2–4 μ statvolt cm^?1 in the flaring region.     

Anaerobic degradation of inedible crop residues produced in a Controlled Ecological Life Support System.

An anaerobic reactor seeded with organisms from an anaerobic lagoon was used to study the degradation of inedible crop residues from potato and wheat crops grown in a closed environment. Conversion of this biomass into other products was also evaluated. Degradation of wheat volatile solids was about 25% where that of potato was about 50%. The main product of the anaerobic fermentation of both crops was acetic acid with smaller quantities of propionate and butyrate produced. Nitrate, known to be high in concentration in inedible potato and wheat biomass grown hydroponically, was converted to ammonia in the anaerobic reactor. Both volatile fatty acid and ammonia production may have implications in a crop production system.     

Processing of nutritious, safe and acceptable foods from CELSS candidate crops.

A controlled ecological life-support system (CELSS) is required to sustain life for long-duration space missions. The challenge is preparing a wide variety of tasty, familiar, and nutritious foods from CELSS candidate crops under space environmental conditions. Conventional food processing technologies will have to be modified to adapt to the space environment. Extrusion is one of the processes being examined as a means of converting raw plant biomass into familiar foods. A nutrition-improved pasta has been developed using cowpea as a replacement for a portion of the durum semolina. A freeze-drying system that simulates the space conditions has also been developed. Other technologies that would fulfill the requirements of a CELSS will also be addressed.     

Containing military autotest cost growth through the use ofcommercial standard equipment architectures

The 1990s have been stressful for commercial airline industry: fierce competition has caused the demise of several carriers. The resulting drive to slash operating expenses has bolstered development of avionics industry standards for automated test equipment. Rockwell's Collins Air Transport Division (CATD) has begun to market compliant test gear that airline maintenance departments wishing to acquire modern high performance test systems without the development cost penalty have eagerly received. A similar situation now confronts the military. The various branches can no longer justify the maintenance of independent autotest architectures. This paper describes the CATD implementation of the commercial-standard architecture; shows how we have designed the system to avoid obsolescence; and indicates the considerations that are necessary for adapting it to military scenarios