Status of solar sail technology within NASA

In the early 2000s, NASA made substantial progress in the development of solar sail propulsion systems for use in robotic science and exploration of the solar system. Two different 20-m solar sail systems were produced. NASA has successfully completed functional vacuum testing in their Glenn Research Center’s Space Power Facility at Plum Brook Station, Ohio. The sails were designed and developed by Alliant Techsystems Space Systems and L’Garde, respectively. The sail systems consist of a central structure with four deployable booms that support each sail. These sail designs are robust enough for deployment in a one-atmosphere, one-gravity environment and are scalable to much larger solar sails – perhaps as large as 150 m on a side. Computation modeling and analytical simulations were performed in order to assess the scalability of the technology to the larger sizes that are required to implement the first generation of missions using solar sails. Furthermore, life and space environmental effects testing of sail and component materials was also conducted.     

The solar wind in the outer solar system

The properties of the solar wind including magnetic fields, plasma, and plasma waves are briefly reviewed with emphasis on conditions near and beyond the orbit of Jupiter. An extrapolation of the steady-state wind to large distances, evolution of disturbances and structure, modulation of cosmic rays, interactions with planetary bodies (bow shocks and magnetosheaths), and interactions with interstellar neutral helium and hydrogen are briefly discussed. Some comments on instrumentation requirements to observationally define the above phenomena are also included.This is one of the publications by the Science Advisory Group.     

Adaptive Control of a Flexible Beam Using Least Square Lattice Filters

An indirect adaptive control scheme for the control of flexible structures using least square lattice filters for on-line identification of the number of modes, mode shapes, and modal amplitudes is presented. The control law is based on modal pole placement. The system requires on-line validation of the results of the identification scheme before allowing changes in control law parameters. Successful adaptive control is demonstrated using the simulations for the 12 ft free-free beam apparatus at NASA Langley Research Center.     

Remote sensing of winds and atmospheric turbulence by cross-correlation of passive optical signals

This paper describes a new method for the remote measurement of winds and atmospheric turbulence by the cross-correlation of passive optical signals. If small local variations in atmospheric density, temperature or other parameter cause fluctuations in scattered or thermal radiation detected by a radiometer on the ground, then the cross-correlation of the fluctuations detected by two radiometers with crossed fields of view can yield turbulence information pertaining to the region about this intersection point. When the fields of view are not quite crossed turbulent eddies will be convected through the fields of view sequentially, and the transit times of the eddies identified by the correlation procedure will yield wind information.The successful application of this technique, detecting fluctuations in scattered sunlight, has demonstrated both the potential, and the present limitations of the method, which are discussed in this paper. Results for the power spectrum of the fluctuations and for winds at an altitude of 61 m are shown, and the wind measurements are compared to similar measurements made with a standard anemometer located on top of a 61 m tower.     

Autonomy architecture for aerobot exploration of Saturnian moon Titan

The Huygens probe arrived at Saturn's moon, Titan, January 14,2005, unveiling a world that is radically different from any other in the solar system. The data obtained, complemented by continuing observations from the Cassini spacecraft, show methane lakes, river channels and drainage basins, sand dunes, cryovolcanos and sierras. This has led to an enormous scientific interest in a follow-up mission to Titan, using a robotic lighter-than-air vehicle (or aerobot). Aerobots have modest power requirements, can fly missions with extended durations, and have very long distance traverse capabilities. They can execute regional surveys, transport and deploy scientific instruments and in-situ laboratory facilities over vast distances, and also provide surface sampling at strategic science sites. This describes our progress in the development of the autonomy technologies that will be required for exploration of Titan. We provide an overview of the autonomy architecture and some of its key components. We also show results obtained from autonomous flight tests conducted in the Mojave Desert.     

Two color temporally correlated infrared background measurements

The use of high speed multicolor imaging sensors provides a valuable tool for characterizing both the infrared signatures of missiles as well as clutter. Over 14 flight hours worth of collections were made of difficult to characterize clutter. This additional data can be utilized to develop and improve missile warning algorithms for better false alarm rates. These analyses show that although a two color staring system could have multiple advantages over a single color system in false alarm rejection, the clutter rejection capabilities can be limited by the relatively low inter-band correlations between the red and blue bands     

A bull market [GPS]

An overview of GPS is provided from the perspective of a magazine editor, with an emphasis on marketplace applications of the technology. Maritime, aviation, and vehicle tracking uses are discussed, focusing growth in the civil sector. Reliability issues and future developments are considered