Application of the Volterra Series to the Analysis and Design of an Angle Track Loop

A typical function of an angle tracking loop is to keep a radar antenna pointed at a target. The error in pointing is directly related to successful operation of the tracking device; therefore, its behavior is of interest. For a tracker with a general polynomial nonlinearity, an arbitrary initial pointing error, and a bounded deterministic input, a method is developed for finding upper bounds on the magnitude of the tracking error using Volterra series techniques. Convergence regions of the Volterra series are also obtained. Applications of these results are made to a second-order tracking device.     

Is information security an oxymoron?

Although weaknesses have been demonstrated in some security techniques (encryption, protocols, mobile code such as Java, etc.), current security technology is quite strong in many areas. Despite this, information security has proved difficult to achieve in large modern software systems. Many problems have been reported in which supposedly secure systems have been penetrated and, in some cases, significant damage done. One problem considered is a buffer-overrun attack. The idea called a 〈wrapper〉 which is a layer of software that logically surrounds a software artifact and enhances the functionality of the artifact in some way, is then discussed. Most proposals for the use of wrappers assume that their presence is transparent to the artifact being wrapped. In other words, the artifact sees its operating environment as unchanged and the artifact does not have to be modified in i order to permit it to be wrapped. Wrappers have been proposed as an approach to dealing with deficiencies in existing systems, deficiencies in security for example. The use of shells as a feasible solution to the problem of security is also considered     

Spectroscopic evaluation of polyurea crosslinked aerogels,as a substitute for RTV-based chromatic calibration targets for spacecraft

Room temperature vulcanizing (RTV)-based components have been used on Mars Pathfinder, the Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, as well as the Phoenix Lander as a support matrix for pigmented panoramic camera calibration targets. RTV 655 has demonstrated superiority to other polymers due to its unique range of material properties namely mechanical stability between −115 and 204 °C and UV radiation tolerance. As a result, it has been the number one choice for many space-related missions. However, due to the high mass density and the natural tendency for electrostatic charging RTV materials have caused complications by attracting and retaining dust particles (Sabri et al., 2008). In the current project we have investigated the relevant properties of polymer-reinforced (crosslinked) silica aerogels with the objective of substituting RTV-based calibration targets with an aerogel based design. The lightweight, mechanical strength, ability to accept color pigments, and extremely low dust capture makes polyurea crosslinked aerogels a strong candidate as a chromatic standard for extraterrestrial missions. For this purpose, the reflection spectra, gravimetric analysis, and low temperature response of metal oxide pigmented, polyurea crosslinked silica aerogels have been investigated and reported here.     

Comparison of GPS TEC variations with IRI-2007 TEC prediction at equatorial latitudes during a low solar activity (2009–2011) phase over the Kenyan region

This work presents an analysis of the Total Electron Content (TEC) derived from the International GNSS Service (IGS) receivers at Malindi (mal2: 2.9^oS, 40.1^oE, dip −26.813^o), Kasarani (rcmn: 36.89^oE, 1.2^oS, dip −23.970^o), Eldoret (moiu: 35.3^oE, 0.3^oN, dip −21.037^o) and GPS-SCINDA (36.8^oE, 1.3^oS, dip −24.117^o) receiver located in Nairobi for the period 2009–2011. The diurnal, monthly and seasonal variations of the GPS derived TEC (GPS-TEC) and effects of space weather on TEC are compared with TEC from the 2007 International Reference Ionosphere model (IRI-TEC) using the NeQuick option for the topside electron density. The diurnal peaks in GPS-TEC is maximum during equinoctial months (March, April, October) and in December and minimum in June solstice months (May, June, July). The variability in GPS-TEC is minimal in all seasons between 0:00 and 04:00 UT and maximum near noon between 10:00 and 14:00 UT. Significant variability in TEC at post sunset hours after 16:00 UT (19:00 LT) has been noted in all the seasons except in June solstice. The TEC variability of the post sunset hours is associated with the occurrence of the ionization anomaly crest which enhances nighttime TEC over this region. A comparison between the GPS-TEC and IRI-TEC indicates that both the model and observation depicts a similar trend in the monthly and seasonal variations. However seasonal averages show that IRI-TEC values are higher than the GPS-TEC. The IRI-TEC also depicts a double peak in diurnal values unlike the GPS-TEC. This overestimation which is primarily during daytime hours could be due to the model overestimation of the equatorial anomaly effect on levels of ionospheric ionization over the low latitude regions. The IRI-TEC also does not show any response to geomagnetic activity, despite the STORM option being selected in the model; the IRI model generally remains smooth and underestimates TEC during a storm. The GPS-TEC variability indicated by standard deviation seasonal averages has been presented as a basis for extending the IRI-model to accommodate TEC-variability.     

E region electric fields at the dip equator and anomalous conductivity effects

Zonal and vertical electric fields were estimated at E region heights in the Brazilian sector. Zonal electric fields are obtained from the vertical electric fields based on their relation through the Hall-to-Pedersen ionospheric conductivities ratio. The technique for obtaining the vertical electric field is based on its proportionality to the Doppler velocities of type 2 irregularities as detected by coherent radars. The 50 MHz backscatter coherent (RESCO) radar was used to estimate the Doppler velocities of the type 2 irregularities embedded in the equatorial electrojet. A magnetic field-line integrated conductivity model was developed to provide the conductivities. It considers a multi-species ionosphere and a multi-species neutral atmosphere, and uses the IRI 2007, the MISIS 2000 and the IGRF 10 models as input parameters for ionosphere, neutral atmosphere and Earth’s magnetic field, respectively. The ion-neutral collision frequencies of all the species are combined through the momentum transfer collision frequency equation, and different percentages of electron-neutral collisions were artificially included for studying the implication of such increase in the zonal electric field, which resulted ranging from 0.13 to 0.49 mV/m between the 8 and 18 h (LT), under quiet magnetic conditions.     

Debris swarms seen by SMEI

The large 3° × 60° fields-of-view of the Solar Mass Ejection Imager (SMEI) instruments are oriented on the stabilized Coriolis satellite to image most of the sky each Sun-synchronous orbit. Besides observing coronal mass ejections, the SMEI mission objective, SMEI also has detected a plethora of Earth-orbiting satellites (resident space objects or RSOs) brighter than ∼8th magnitude at a rate of about 1 per minute. Occasionally, SMEI sees an RSO swarm: a sudden onset of a large number of RSOs, many more than the nominal rate, upto dozens detected in a 4-s frame. These swarms usually last for a few minutes. A sample of six such RSO ensembles is analyzed in this paper in which the distance and the direction of the velocity vector for individual objects are estimated. We present the observational evidence indicating that the swarms must be near-field objects traveling in orbits near that of Coriolis, and that the relatively speeds between the objects and Coriolis are low. Further, analyses indicate that the RSOs are quite close (<20 m) and are generally moving radially away from the satellite. The predicted encounter geometries for Coriolis passing through or near a small debris cloud is, generally, quite inconsistent with the observations. The most likely explanation consistent with the observations is that SMEI is seeing debris being ejected from the Coriolis spacecraft itself. An analysis of distance and brightness for a subset of the RSOs indicates that the median diameter of the debris particles is ∼80 μm.     

The Magnetospheric Multiscale Magnetometers

The success of the Magnetospheric Multiscale mission depends on the accurate measurement of the magnetic field on all four spacecraft. To ensure this success, two independently designed and built fluxgate magnetometers were developed, avoiding single-point failures. The magnetometers were dubbed the digital fluxgate (DFG), which uses an ASIC implementation and was supplied by the Space Research Institute of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the analogue magnetometer (AFG) with a more traditional circuit board design supplied by the University of California, Los Angeles. A stringent magnetic cleanliness program was executed under the supervision of the Johns Hopkins University’s Applied Physics Laboratory. To achieve mission objectives, the calibration determined on the ground will be refined in space to ensure all eight magnetometers are precisely inter-calibrated. Near real-time data plays a key role in the transmission of high-resolution observations stored on board so rapid processing of the low-resolution data is required. This article describes these instruments, the magnetic cleanliness program, and the instrument pre-launch calibrations, the planned in-flight calibration program, and the information flow that provides the data on the rapid time scale needed for mission success.     

Characteristics of a successful space system engineer

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite was launched on June 24, 1999, on a three-year mission to explore the universe using the technique of high-resolution spectroscopy in the far-ultraviolet spectral region. The FUSE instrument comprises many subsystems, each of which contributes in an essential way to the success of the mission. The instrument system engineer oversees the engineering of all elements in such a complex technical project. In performing system engineering for the FUSE instrument's command, telemetry, data processing and data storage functions, and in leading the engineering efforts for the development of the FUSE instrument on-board computer, the author has learned valuable lessons about the characteristics that are prerequisite to success for a space system engineer. These characteristics fall under various categories of acquired, practical know-how. These categories are described with illustrations drawn from the development of the FUSE instrument. In addition to these practical skills and the concomitant knowledge, the system engineer needs personal integrity, which is the link that connects knowledge with know-how and makes them work together to motivate a team of subsystem engineers. This, too, will be discussed     

In-Flight Alignment and Calibration of Inertial Measurement Units?Part II: Experimental Results

This is the second part of a two-part paper which summarizes work pursued by the author in 1967 [2]. The paper describes the application of minimum-variance estimation techniques for in-flight alignment and calibration of an inertial measurement unit (IMU) relative to another IMU and/or some other reference. The first paper [1] formulates the problem, and this paper reports numerical results and analyses. The approach taken is to cast the problem into the framework of Kalman-Bucy estimation theory, where velocity and position differences between the two IMU's are used as observations and the IMU parameters of interest become part of the state vector. Instrument quantization and computer roundoff errors are considered as measurement noise, and environmental induced random accelerations are considered as state noise. In this paper, numerical results for three important IMU error parameter configurations are presented and discussed. The main results of the paper determine the effects of state and observation noise levels and the nominal trajectory on the identifications of the errors for these configurations. A discussion of the minimum number of trajectory maneuvers and of the optimal trajectory maneuvering is given.