Technology control regimes and the globalization of space industry

This paper provides theoretical underpinnings for further discussions on the future direction of the international aerospace community in an era of globalization. It points out that changes in the international distribution of resources are placing strains on the basic operating principles of the current technology control regime, but at this stage the social groupings do not appear to be in place to overturn the current paradigm. Instead, this paper suggests that current operating principles could be modified in order for the current regime to keep pace with globalization. These changes would include: (1) a shift in the monitoring mechanism of the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) requiring looser supervision but greater transparency; (2) greater inclusion of private industry as a stakeholder in MTCR proceedings; and (3) much more focus on the list of prescribed technologies to include only those which are most critical to the development of military missiles.     

Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous: Mission Overview

The Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) mission launched successfully on February 17, 1996 aboard a Delta II-7925. NEAR will be the first mission to orbit an asteroid and will make the first comprehensive scientific measurements of an asteroid's surface composition, geology, physical properties, and internal structure. It will orbit the unusually large near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros for about one year, at a minimum altitude of about 15 km from the surface. NEAR will also make the first reconnaissance of a C-type asteroid during its flyby of the unusual main belt asteroid 253 Mathilde. The NEAR instrument payload is: a multispectral imager (MSI), a near infrared spectrometer (NIS), an X-ray/gamma ray spectrometer (XRS/GRS), a magnetometer (MAG), and a laser rangefinder (NLR), while a radio science investigation (RS) uses the coherent X-band transponder. NEAR will improve our understanding of planetary formation processes in the early solar system and clarify the relationships between asteroids and meteorites. The Mathilde flyby will occur on June 27, 1997, and the Eros rendezvous will take place during February 1999 through February 2000.     

On the Design of a Large Aperture Radar for Target Imaging

This paper describes the design, construction, and performance of an experimental radar, in which an electronically scanned X-band array is employed as the receiving antenna. Backscatter from targets uniformly illuminated from a separate transmitting antenna is intercepted by 128 horn antennas, unequally spaced over a nine-foot circular aperture. The received signals are processed electronically to provide a complete scan of a 30X30 degree field every ten milliseconds. Resulting target images were displayed on a cathode ray tube and recorded on 16-mm motion picture film, for varying conditions of target motion using monochromatic and frequency-modulated X-band illumination. Sequences of motion picture frames obtained from a rotating copper cone are presented, which demonstrate significant changes in the image and side-lobe interference patterns for small changes in target aspect angle. Side-lobe interference effects were reduced by integrating many antenna scans as the target rotated; a clear image of a foil letter R is presented that demonstrated this result. The main objective of this work was to test this radar technique as an approach to target recognition.     

The LEO Archipelago: A system of earth-rings for communications,mass-transport to space,solar power,and control of global warming

Man's quest to get into space is hindered by major problems (e.g., system-development and capital costs, expense of putting mass into orbit, trapped-radiation belts, and environmental impact of a large increase in rocket launches). A multi-purpose low-earth-orbit system of rings circling the earth – the “LEO ARCHIPELAGO^TM” – is proposed as a means of solving or bypassing many of them. A fiber-optic ring about the earth would be an initial testing and developmental stage for the Ring Systems, while providing cash-flow through a LEO-based, high-band-width, world-wide communication system. A low-earth-orbit-based space-elevator system, “Sling-on-a-Ring^TM”, is proposed as the crucial developmental stage of the LEO Archipelago. Being a LEO-based heavy-mass lifter, rather than earth- or GEO-based, it is much less massive and therefore less costly than other proposed space-elevators. With the advent of lower-cost, higher-mass transport to orbit, the options for further space development (e.g., space solar power, radiation, and space-debris dampers, sun shades, and permanent LEO habitation) are greatly expanded.This paper provides an update of the Sling-on-a-Ring concept in terms of new materials, potential applications, and trade-offs associated with an earlier model. The impact of Colossal Carbon Tubes, CCT, a new material with high tensile strength, extremely-low density, and other favorable properties, and other new technologies (e.g., solar-powered lasers, power beaming to near-space and earth, and thermal-control systems) on the development of associated LEO-Ring systems is also explored. The material's effect on the timeline for the system development indicates the feasibility of near-term implementation of the system (possibly within the decade). The Sling-on-a-Ring can provide a less-expensive, environment-friendly mode of access to space. This would pave the way (via eventual operation at >1000 t per day by 2050) for large scale development of space-based technologies.     

Effects of Mental and Manual Rotation Training on Mental and Manual Rotation Performance

Previous research has shown that training can improve mental rotation performance and has found connections between mental and manual rotation. Here we examine how practice in mental or manual (virtual) rotation, affects performance on mental and manual rotation tasks, compared to a control condition. Experiment 1 examined improvement on a mental rotation task following practice in mental or manual rotation. Both mental and manual rotation practice led to more efficient posttest performance. Experiment 2 examined improvement on a manual rotation task. Practice in manual but not mental rotation led to improved performance. Analyses of the manual rotation trajectories revealed no evidence of strategy differences. These results suggest that manual rotation may require additional processes outside of those needed for mental rotation. In terms of training effects, manual rotation training improved both manual and mental rotation performance, whereas mental rotation only significant improved mental rotation performance.     

Processes that Promote and Deplete the Exosphere of Mercury

It has been speculated that the composition of the exosphere is related to the composition of Mercury’s crustal materials. If this relationship is true, then inferences regarding the bulk chemistry of the planet might be made from a thorough exospheric study. The most vexing of all unsolved problems is the uncertainty in the source of each component. Historically, it has been believed that H and He come primarily from the solar wind (Goldstein, B.E., et al. in J. Geophys. Res. 86:5485–5499, 1981), Na and K come from volatilized materials partitioned between Mercury’s crust and meteoritic impactors (Hunten, D.M., et al. in Mercury, pp. 562–612, 1988; Morgan, T.H., et al. in Icarus 74:156–170, 1988; Killen, R.M., et al. in Icarus 171:1–19, 2004b). The processes that eject atoms and molecules into the exosphere of Mercury are generally considered to be thermal vaporization, photon-stimulated desorption (PSD), impact vaporization, and ion sputtering. Each of these processes has its own temporal and spatial dependence. The exosphere is strongly influenced by Mercury’s highly elliptical orbit and rapid orbital speed. As a consequence the surface undergoes large fluctuations in temperature and experiences differences of insolation with longitude. Because there is no inclination of the orbital axis, there are regions at extreme northern and southern latitudes that are never exposed to direct sunlight. These cold regions may serve as traps for exospheric constituents or for material that is brought in by exogenic sources such as comets, interplanetary dust, or solar wind, etc. The source rates are dependent not only on temperature and composition of the surface, but also on such factors as porosity, mineralogy, and space weathering. They are not independent of each other. For instance, ion impact may create crystal defects which enhance diffusion of atoms through the grain, and in turn enhance the efficiency of PSD. The impact flux and the size distribution of impactors affects regolith turnover rates (gardening) and the depth dependence of vaporization rates. Gardening serves both as a sink for material and as a source for fresh material. This is extremely important in bounding the rates of the other processes. Space weathering effects, such as the creation of needle-like structures in the regolith, will limit the ejection of atoms by such processes as PSD and ion-sputtering. Therefore, the use of laboratory rates in estimates of exospheric source rates can be helpful but also are often inaccurate if not modified appropriately. Porosity effects may reduce yields by a factor of three (Cassidy, T.A., and Johnson, R.E. in Icarus 176:499–507, 2005). The loss of all atomic species from Mercury’s exosphere other than H and He must be by non-thermal escape. The relative rates of photo-ionization, loss of photo-ions to the solar wind, entrainment of ions in the magnetosphere and direct impact of photo-ions to the surface are an area of active research. These source and loss processes will be discussed in this chapter.     

Development of a thin section device for space exploration: Rock cutting mechanism

We have developed a rock cutting mechanism for in situ planetary exploration based on abrasive diamond impregnated wire. Performance characteristics of the rock cutter, including cutting rate on several rock types, cutting surface lifetime, and cut rock surface finish are presented. The rock cutter was developed as part of a broader effort to develop an in situ automated rock thin section (IS-ARTS) instrument. The objective of IS-ARTS was to develop an instrument capable of producing petrographic rock thin sections on a planetary science spacecraft. The rock cutting mechanism may also be useful to other planetary science missions with in situ instruments in which sub-sampling and rock surface preparation are necessary.     

Mid-Continent LORAN-C Expansion

The Coast Guard is extending the Continental United States (CONUS) LORAN-C coverage as part of the Federal Aviation Administration project to incorporate LORAN-C into the National Airspace System. The increased coverage will expand the number of airports approved for LORAN-C non-precision instrument approaches and enable direct Instrumental Flight Rules (IFR) routing by suitably equipped aircraft in and through the mid-continent region of the United States. The project will involve construction of a new LORAN-C chain which will be linked to the existing CONUS chains. In addition to the aviation benefits, the Mid-Continent LORAN-C Expansion will broaden the availability of LORAN-C positioning to a growing number of terrestrial users such as resource management, emergency response and fleet management.     

Morphological biosignatures and the search for life on Mars

This report provides a rationale for the advances in instrumentation and understanding needed to assess claims of ancient and extraterrestrial life made on the basis of morphological biosignatures. Morphological biosignatures consist of bona fide microbial fossils as well as microbially influenced sedimentary structures. To be recognized as evidence of life, microbial fossils must contain chemical and structural attributes uniquely indicative of microbial cells or cellular or extracellular processes. When combined with various research strategies, high-resolution instruments can reveal such attributes and elucidate how morphological fossils form and become altered, thereby improving the ability to recognize them in the geological record on Earth or other planets. Also, before fossilized microbially influenced sedimentary structures can provide evidence of life, criteria to distinguish their biogenic from non-biogenic attributes must be established. This topic can be advanced by developing process-based models. A database of images and spectroscopic data that distinguish the suite of bona fide morphological biosignatures from their abiotic mimics will avoid detection of false-positives for life. The use of high-resolution imaging and spectroscopic instruments, in conjunction with an improved knowledge base of the attributes that demonstrate life, will maximize our ability to recognize and assess the biogenicity of extraterrestrial and ancient terrestrial life.     

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap

The NASA Astrobiology Roadmap provides guidance for research and technology development across the NASA enterprises that encompass the space, Earth, and biological sciences. The ongoing development of astrobiology roadmaps embodies the contributions of diverse scientists and technologists from government, universities, and private institutions. The Roadmap addresses three basic questions: How does life begin and evolve, does life exist elsewhere in the universe, and what is the future of life on Earth and beyond? Seven Science Goals outline the following key domains of investigation: understanding the nature and distribution of habitable environments in the universe, exploring for habitable environments and life in our own solar system, understanding the emergence of life, determining how early life on Earth interacted and evolved with its changing environment, understanding the evolutionary mechanisms and environmental limits of life, determining the principles that will shape life in the future, and recognizing signatures of life on other worlds and on early Earth. For each of these goals, Science Objectives outline more specific high-priority efforts for the next 3-5 years. These 18 objectives are being integrated with NASA strategic planning.