A simplified closed artificial ecosystem--recycling of organic matter into wheat plants.

A simplified closed system consisting of a plant growth chamber coupled to a decomposition chamber was used to study carbon exchange dynamics. The CO2 produced via the decomposition of wheat straw was used for photosynthetic carbon uptake by wheat plants. The atmosphere of the two chambers was connected through a circuit of known flow rate. Thus, monitoring the CO2 concentrations in both compartments allowed measurement of the carbon exchange between the chambers, and estimation of the rate of respiration processes in the decomposition chamber and photosynthetic rate in the producer chamber. The objective for CELSS research was to simulate a system where a compartment producing food via photosynthesis, would be supplied by CO2 produced from respiration processes. The decomposition of biomass by the decomposer simulated both the metabolism of a crew and the result of a recycling system for inedible biomass. Concerning terrestrial ecosystems, the objective was to study organic matter decomposition in soil and other processes related to permanent grasslands.     

An adventure in technology and marketing: a personal account. Tripto the Orient via the Moon

Early in the sixties when President Kennedy announced the goal to land a man on the Moon and return him safely to Earth, there was no way to gauge, accurately and reliably, the millions of pounds of fuel and oxidizer in the proposed rocket. Late in the sixties, when Phillips Petroleum and Marathon Oil contracted to provide large-scale, long term, ocean transport of Liquefied Natural Gas, no system existed to satisfactorily gauge this stream of high value cargoes for commercial transactions. The adventure in solving these related problems led to a worldwide market for LNG Custody Transfer Systems, a successful transfer of technology from a NASA program to commercial use     

An Engineering Approach to Software Configuration Management

Increasingly, digital computers are being incorporated as major hard-ware subsystems in today's large support and operational systems. As a result, computer programs and complex operational procedures, software, are also becoming major system elements. Contrary to much current practice, software must be managed, engineered, and controlled in the same manner as hardware if past pitfalls are to be avoided. NASA's NPC 500-1 and the USAF 375 series establish a basis for an effective hardware/software systems development methodology that must be adopted by both hardware and software engineers and managers.     

High Data Rate SHF Communication Receiver

This paper describes an SHF receiver capable of demodulating analog or digital information rates of up to 50 Mc/s. The receiver is a dual conversion superheterodyne design having a first IF of 1660 Mc/s and a second IF of 445 Mc/s. The model was developed as part of an Air Force contract to study and evaluate design techniques aimed at increasing reliability of aerospace SHF communication equipment. Semiconductor circuitry is used throughout, in addition to numerous deposited thin film circuits for reliability enhancement. The second IF amplifier design is unique in that all circuit components, with the exception of the semiconductors, are deposited, whereas more conventional microelectronics approaches to date have employed externally connected, discrete-component, frequency-selective devices, such as tunable IF coils or filter networks.     

Some Electrical/Electronic Areas Requiring Emphasis in Preparation for Future Space Programs

A panel session held at the 1965 Aerospace Conference, Houston,Tex., June 23, 1965. Panelists discussed Life-Suppport interfaces with Electric Power; Communications; Navigation; System Integration for Future Space Programs; and Reliability.     

The Impact of Integrated Electronics on Aerospace Avionic Subsystems

Integrated electronics or microelectronics is one of today's major technical frontiers. Possibilities offered to the designer of avionics subsystems, for aerospace vehicles, by these techniques, are almost limitless, from the point of view of performance capabilities as well as reliability and maintainability. Application will change current engineering practices in avionics design. Some changes will be easy; in others, problems will appear. This paper discusses these changes, indicating potential gains to be expected as well as potential problem areas. The rise in the application of integrated electronics is expected to be high for the next 10 to 15 years. By 1980, integrated circuitry will have largely replaced the use of discrete components, and the rate-of-increase-of-application curves will level off.     

Analysis of static loading for a helicopter tubular skid landing gear

We compare the results of analyzing the stress strain state for the tubular skid landing gear with regard for the physically and geometrically nonlinear scheme of deformation; the analysis is carried out by the finite element method and with the aid of a special beam-type design model. The analysis has been performed for a real helicopter design. The peculiarities of deforming the aircraft structures of the type under study are shown based on the comparison results.     

What Are Special About Ground-Level Events?

Ground level events (GLEs) occupy the high-energy end of gradual solar energetic particle (SEP) events. They are associated with coronal mass ejections (CMEs) and solar flares, but we still do not clearly understand the special conditions that produce these rare events. During Solar Cycle 23, a total of 16 GLEs were registered, by ground-based neutron monitors. We first ask if these GLEs are clearly distinguishable from other SEP events observed from space. Setting aside possible difficulties in identifying all GLEs consistently, we then try to find observables which may unmistakably isolate these GLEs by studying the basic properties of the associated eruptions and the active regions (ARs) that produced them. It is found that neither the magnitudes of the CMEs and flares nor the complexities of the ARs give sufficient conditions for GLEs. It is possible to find CMEs, flares or ARs that are not associated with GLEs but that have more extreme properties than those associated with GLEs. We also try to evaluate the importance of magnetic field connection of the AR with Earth on the detection of GLEs and their onset times. Using the potential field source surface (PFSS) model, a half of the GLEs are found to be well-connected. However, the GLE onset time with respect to the onset of the associated flare and CME does not strongly depend on how well-connected the AR is. The GLE onset behavior may be largely determined by when and where the CME-driven shock develops. We could not relate the shocks responsible for the onsets of past GLEs with features in solar images, but the combined data from the Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) and the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) have the potential to change this for GLEs that may occur in the rising phase of Solar Cycle 24.