Integrated Planning and Execution for Autonomous Spacecraft

An autonomous spacecraft must balance long-term and short-term considerations. It must perform purposeful activities that ensure long-term science and engineering goals are achieved and ensure that it maintains positive resource margins. This requires planning in advance to avoid a series of shortsighted decisions that can lead to failure. However, it must also respond in a timely fashion to a somewhat dynamic and unpredictable environment. Thus, in terms of high-level, goal-oriented activity, spacecraft plans must often be modified due to fortuitous events such as early completion of observations and setbacks such as failure to acquire a guidestar for a science observation. This describes an integrated planning and execution architecture that supports continuous modification and updating of a current working plan in light of a changing operating context.     

Detection of Thin Lines using Low-Quality Video from Low-Altitude Aircraft in Urban Settings

A novel thin line detection algorithm for use in low-altitude aerial vehicles is presented. This algorithm is able to detect thin obstacles such as cables, power lines, and wires. The system is intended to be used during urban search and rescue operations, capable of dealing with low-quality images, robust to image clutter, bad weather, and sensor artifacts. The detection process uses motion estimation at the pixel level, combined with edge detection, followed by a windowed Hough transform. The evidence of lines is tracked over time in the resulting parameter spaces using a dynamic line movement model. The algorithm's receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) is shown, based on a multi-site dataset with 86 videos with 10160 wires spanning in 5576 frames.     

A technique for selecting a rational variant of a multifunctional aircraft system

A technique for selecting a rational variant of a multifunctional aircraft system using the analytic hierarchy process is proposed and a solution of a practical problem is presented.     

Investigation of the infrared characteristics of the rocket nozzle

Investigation of the infrared characteristics of a rocket nozzle is very important for the study of infrared initiating technology. The Narrow-Band Zone model is developed for that purpose. The spectral transmission and absorption factors are introduced, and the equations between radiative heat flux and the temperature of waill surfaces and gas are developed. The radiative heat transfer in one axisymmetric cylindrical enclosure filled with homogeneous radiative participating medium is computed with the Narrow-Band Zone model and compared with those in the reference documents. The comparison shows good agreement. The radiative heat transfer to the nozzle of one rocket engine is also calculated with the Narrow-Band Zone model, and the outgoing radiative energy flux and energy rate integrated in a mid-wave infrared band 2-6 pm, a long-wave infrared band 8-14 pm and the full wave band are analyzed. The following conclusions can be derived: the spectral radiation from the inlet and outlet of the nozzle show apparent spectral discontinuity, which appears greater in the 2.7-2.95 pm than in the neighboring wave band. The spectral outgoing radiative energy flux of nozzle wail is similar to that of gray body, which decreases with wavelength in 2-14 pm. The outgoing radiative energy flux on the nozzle wall is greater in the cylindrical and contracting section of nozzle, but smaller in the divergent section, which is determined by temperature. The nozzle of the rocket engine radiates most energy in the mid-wave surfaces by absorption. The most important feature of gas radiation is the strong selection of the waveband, so the detailed study of the infrared characteristics of nozzle of the rocket engine should be carried out on narrow-band computation.     

Investigating Earth’s Atmospheric Electricity: a Role Model for Planetary Studies

The historical development of terrestrial atmospheric electricity is described, from its beginnings with the first observations of the potential gradient to the global electric circuit model proposed by C.T.R. Wilson in the early 20th century. The properties of the terrestrial global circuit are summarised. Concepts originally needed to develop the idea of a global circuit are identified as “central tenets”, for example, the importance of radio science in establishing the conducting upper layer. The central tenets are distinguished from additional findings that merely corroborate, or are explained by, the global circuit model. Using this analysis it is possible to specify which observations are preferable for detecting global circuits in extraterrestrial atmospheres. Schumann resonances, the extremely low frequency signals generated by excitation of the surface-ionosphere cavity by electrical discharges, are identified as the most useful single measurement of electrical activity in a planetary atmosphere.     

DEMETER Observations of EM Emissions Related to Thunderstorms

The paper is related to specific emissions at frequency <3 MHz observed by the low altitude satellite DEMETER in relation with the thunderstorm activity. At its altitude (～700 km), the phenomena observed on the E-field and B-field spectrograms recorded by the satellite are mainly dominated by whistlers. Particular observations performed by DEMETER are reported. It concerns multiple hop whistlers and interaction between whistlers and lower hybrid noise. Two new phenomena discovered by the satellite are discussed. First, V-shaped emissions up to 20 kHz are observed at mid-latitude during night time. They are centered at the locations of intense thunderstorm activity. By comparison with VLF saucers previously observed by other satellites in the auroral zones it is hypothesized that the source region is located below the satellite and that the triggering mechanism is due to energetic electrons accelerated during sprite events. Second, emissions at frequency ～2 MHz are observed at the time of intense whistlers. These emissions are produced in the lower ionosphere in probable relation with Transient Luminous Events (TLEs).     

NOAA -14 September 28, 2006 (DOY 271) tumble anomaly

This describes a NOAA-14 spacecraft loss of control event and the lessons learned. The lessons learned are in two categories: contingency recovery operations; and on-orbit propulsion system isolation methods. The work is motivated in recognition of the effort of the NOAA off-line engineering support team and their NOAA civil servant mission leads and operations support staff.     

Experiences in Managing the Prometheus Project

Congress authorized NASA's Prometheus Project in February 2003, with the first Prometheus mission slated to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. The project had two major objectives: 1) to develop a nuclear reactor that would provide unprecedented levels of power and show that it could be processed safely and operated reliably in space for long-duration, deep-space exploration; and 2) to explore the three icy moons of Jupiter - Callisto, Ganymede, and Europa - and return science data that would meet the scientific goals as set forth in the Decadal Survey Report of the National Academy of Sciences. Early in project planning, it was determined that the development of the Prometheus nuclear-powered spaceship would be complex and require the intellectual knowledge residing at numerous organizations across the country. In addition, because of the complex nature of the project and the multiple partners, approaches beyond those successfully used to manage a typical JPL project would be needed. This describes the key experiences in managing Prometheus, which should prove useful for future projects of similar scope and magnitude.     

Air transport security and crisis management

Network management is one of the key technologies needed to fulfill the requirements. In other words, a new paradigm for network management is also needed, in order to address the requirements arising both from the ATN side and the telecommunication side of the new telecommunication infrastructure. In particular, the new network management paradigm will incorporate the ATN management framework consisting of related standards, along with the telecommunication management framework, notably Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) standards from ITU-T.