Digital Commons Network^™

Paper Session Ii-B - The Department Of Defense Space Test Program, Mark E. Pestana

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Department of Defense (DOD) Space Test Program (STP), a tri-service activity under the executive management of the Air Force, is chartered and funded to provide spaceflight opportunities for DOD research experiments and agencies that are not authorized their own means of spaceflight. In its 25 years of existence, the program has flown over 170 experiments on over 50 missions. Experiment sponsors include the Navy, Army, Air Force, DARPA, DNA, NSA, NASA, and other government agencies.

In the mid 1960s, high level management in the DOD recognized the need for an on-orbit research and test capability for the timely, cost …

Paper Session Ii-A - Space Station Freedom Accommodation Of The Human Exploration Initiative, Barry D. Meredith, Lewis L. Peach, Peter R. Ahlf, Rudolph J. Saucillo

Space Congress® Proceedings

In his July 20th speech commemorating the 20th anniversary of the first Apollo Moon landing, President Bush proposed "...a sustained program of manned exploration of the solar system...and the permanent settlement of space." The President's plan for the future of America's manned space program calls for Space Station Freedom to be operational in the 1990's followed by a return to the Moon for the new century, "this time to stay", and then a manned mission to Mars. Space Station Freedom is a fundamental part of this long-range, evolutionary, human exploration initiative. It will support continuous human presence in Earth orbit …

Paper Session Ii-B - A Look At Nasa's In-Space Technology Experiments Program, Lenwood G. Clark

Space Congress® Proceedings

In 1986, NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) initiated the In-Space Technology Experiments Program to sponsor the verification and/or validation of unique, innovative space technologies in the space environment. The program includes technology experiments from U.S. industry, U.S. universities and NASA centers which have a demonstrable requirement for evaluation of validation in the space environment or under microgravity conditions. Currently, over 40 experiments have been funded for either feasibility definition or development and additional experiments are expected to be selected for funding in the near future. These experiments are in the categories of space structures; space environmental effects; …

Paper Session Ii-B - The Electric Insertion Transfer Experiment (Elite): An Air Force Critical Experiment To Revolutionize Space Transportation, Richard S. Matlock, Jason R. Feig, Michael R. Dickey

Space Congress® Proceedings

As the Air Force mission in space continues to expand, the cost of delivering the necessary resources to assure mission accomplishment has become a critical issue. With the amount of payload delivered to high earth orbit driven by the characteristics of the upper stage, significant benefits can be achieved by reducing its weight and/or increasing its performance. Highly efficient electric propulsion stages can provide advantages in both areas. Ongoing studies at Air Force Space Command and Space Systems Division have identified some payoffs of using this revolutionary propulsion method to power future orbit transfer vehicles. Preliminary results indicate that an …

Paper Session Ii-C - Commercial Space Initiatives, Barbara A. Stone, Peter W. Wood

Space Congress® Proceedings

Traditionally, space technology has been developed and used primarily to meet the needs of civil and military government initiatives. In the future, it will be increasingly featured in two emerging trends: new space enterprises and the national drive to achieve a more competitive global economic position. To realize this potential, private sector initiatives and investment must adapt space technology and access to space to economically attractive, competitive ventures.

While commercial development of space must be carried out in the private sector, it is clear that the Government has an important enabling role. NASA has established the Commercial Programs Advisory Committee …

Paper Session Ii-C - Ssi's Commercial Space Launch Services, Donald K. Slayton

Space Congress® Proceedings

The delivery of small payloads to both suborbital and orbital space ia a developing market for commercial launch services companies, the market size is becoming more defined and the rate of growth for the next several years is predicted. Since 1982, Space Services Incorporated (SSI) has had a demonstrated capability to meet the needs of small payload users. SSI's launch of Conestoga I in 1982 demonstrated the company's capability to design, procure, integrate and launch a spaceflight vehicle from an unimproved launch site. SSI provides small payload launch services for a variety of missions. The Conestoga family of launch vehicles …

Paper Session Ii-A - Space Station Payload Adaptation System, Kenneth R. Taylor, Charles L. Adams

Space Congress® Proceedings

The internal, pressurized payloads used on early flight of the Space Station will consist of many payloads and on-going investigations carried over from the Shuttle. Therefore, the Space Station will require a small payload carrier that can adapt Shuttle payloads to the Space Station and also offer these transitional payloads the full advantages of Space Station capabilities such as longer microgravity periods, increased crew availability, and increased resources such as power, data and heat rejection capability.

An end-to-end systems analysis of payload integration activities dictates the need for improved containers to fully exploit Space Station resources, improved operation efficiency and …

Paper Session Ii-A - Lunar Vehicle Assembly And Processing On Space Station Freedom, Patrick A. Troutman, George G. Ganoe

Space Congress® Proceedings

Space Station Freedom has been designed with the capability to evolve in functionality and size. A likely direction for Freedom evolution will be toward the establishment of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) transportation node for solar system exploration vehicles. The Human Exploration Initiative proposed by President Bush in July of 1989 takes advantage of Freedom's evolutionary nature by utilizing Freedom's on orbit resources for the assembly, check-out and refurbishment of lunar and Mars transfer vehicles. This paper discusses a concept for accommodating lunar vehicles on Space Station Freedom. Lunar vehicle processing requirements and their associated impacts on Freedom are evaluated …

Paper Session Ii-A - Space Station Assured Crew Return Vehicle (Acrv) System And Operational Considerations, George F. Fraser

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Space Station currently is being designed to maximize crew safety through fault tolerance, safehaven provisions, and crew delivery and return using the Space Transportation System (STS). Studies have identified the need for assured crew return capability through a space-based "lifeboat" that is always available for use in contingencies encompassing (1) medical emergencies, (2) Space Station failures, and (3) interruption of STS services. This paper reviews major mission, operational, and system requirements and the process for evaluating a range of practical vehicle and operational options. It describes flight and ground system design concepts and the major trade studies being performed …

Paper Session Ii-A - Columbus Elements Processing Needs At Ksc, Dieter Husung

Space Congress® Proceedings

The COLUMBUS Attached Laboratory will form an integral part of the Space Station Freedom and the COLUMBUS Free Flying Laboratory will use the Space Station Freedom as a servicing base.

The COLUMBUS Attached Laboratory will be launched by NSTS in the late Space Station Freedom assembly period. This laboratory is presently planned to be launched without the complete payload, due to launch mass restrictions, requiring additional outfitting missions utilizing NASA Pressurized Logistics Carriers. The COLUMBUS Free Flyer will be launched by the ARIANE 5 and is configured to sustain nominal mission operations by HERMES visits between servicing events at the …

Paper Session Ii-C - Pegasus And Taurus Launch Vehicles, Edwin G. Rutkowski, Chris C. Schade

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Pegasus Air-Launched Space Booster is an innovative new space launch vehicle now in full scale development and initial production. Pegasus, developed by a privately-funded joint venture of Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) and Hercules Aerospace Company, is a three-stage, solid-propellant, inertially-guided, winged vehicle that is launched from a carrier aircraft at 40,000 ft and Mach .8. This 50 ft long, 41,000 Ib vehicle can deliver a payload of 900 Ib into a low inclination, 150 nmi Earth orbit. The first two Pegasus flights are sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), with additional missions currently reserved by the …

Paper Session Ii-C - Spacehab: Accommodations For Commercial Microgravity Experimentation, James E. Shepard

Space Congress® Proceedings

The August 1992 flight of the first SPACEHAB module aboard the Space Shuttle initiates a new era of opportunity for commercial experimentation in a pressurized, crew-tended, microgravity environment. The SPACEHAB module's flexible design allows tailoring of each mission's payload complement to maximize the number of experiments flown within the 3000 pound total payload capacity. Up to 71 lockers, or 51 lockers and 2 racks may be integrated in the module. Two crewmen can perform tasks simultaneously; and a full service Command and Data Management System and Environmental Control System are available to support experiments. In addition to the physical accommodations, …

Paper Session Ii-B - Sensor Data Display For Telerobotic Systems, Margaret M. Clarke, Davoud Manouchehri

Space Congress® Proceedings

Future earth orbiting, lunar and planetary missions will require the performance of tasks that are beyond human capability or are in an environment where human entry would be too costly or too hostile. These tasks will be candidates for performance by telerobotic systems whereby an electro-mechanical manipulator device performs the task in the remote hostile environment and the operator controlling or supervising the task remains at a work station in a safe location. Efficient operator participation in a telerobotic task occurs only when operators experience "telepresence", that is they "feel" that they are present at the remote site in making …

Paper Session Ii-A - Space Station Requirements And Transportation Options For Lunar Outpost, Archie C. Young, John A. Mulqueen, James W. Mccarter, Margaret C. Varner

Space Congress® Proceedings

The 1990's and Space Station Freedom are the next critical, steps in our space endeavors which will be stepping stones for the new century permanent exploration of the moon and the solar system. Freedom Station and transportation requirements for the lunar outpost are partitioned into three phases - the emplacement phase, the consolidation phase, and the utilization phase. The Earth-to-orbit transportation system must ferry vehicles, cargo, crew, and propellant to low Earth orbit (LEO) to support these lunar outpost phase requirements. The lunar transportation system is designed to move crew, science instruments, and support equipment from LEO to the surface …

Meeting Minutes, Wku University Senate

Faculty Senate

Meeting regarding salaries, elections and budget.

Paper Session I-C - Reusable Reentry Satellite: An Essential Capability For Microgravity And Space Life Science Experiemnts, Robert G. Efrus

Space Congress® Proceedings

Reusable Reentry Satellites have been flown since the early days of the U.S. and Soviet space programs in support of materials and space life science experiments. In the wake of the Challenger accident, and the limited number of extended duration flight opportunities for both U.S. and international microgravity payloads, "dusting off' the recovery capsule concept has become increasingly attractive to the U.S. and international investigators.

Characteristics of reusable reentry satellites include launch by an expendable launch vehicle, mission duration up to 60 days, microgravity levels up to 10 -5, self recovery to a selected landing point, and refurbishable for reflight …

Paper Session I-C - Autonomous Microgravity Industrial Carrier (Amica) Initiative, William J. Caime, Wolfgang Kohler-Naumann

Space Congress® Proceedings

GE Astro-Space Division, Pnnceton, New Jersey, has joined with MBB-ERNO of Germany* Aerltalla, and MATRA, in proposing a program employing two spacecraft which would offer flight opportunities to the space science community in the 1990s. The first of these spacecraft would be obtained by transfer of the European Retrievable Carrier (EURECA) to this initiative. EURECA is a spacecraft currently under development, scheduled for launch in May 1991 and retrieval in January 1992. The second spacecraft, called the - Autonomous Microgravity Industrial Carrier (AMIGA), would also be built, as a' duplicate of EURECA... The entire program is referred to as the …

Paper Session I-C - Mikroba -Mission Opportunity For Microgravity Payloads, A. Tegtmeier, K. Kretzschmar

Space Congress® Proceedings

The MIKROBA-system (MIKRO-g with BAlloon drop capsules) is a new facility in the German Microgravity Programme providing reduced gravity at a level <, 10~^ g for time periods of approximately 57 - 60 seconds.

The drop capsule is attached to a stratospheric balloon (volume » 600.000 cubic meter) and will be carried up to altitudes between 40 and 45 km. After reaching its floating altitude the capsule will be released via telecommand. During the free-fall inside the capsule microgravity condition is realized. The aerodynamic drag (induced by increasing air density and velocity of the capsule especially at the end of the drop phase) is compensated by a controlable cold gas thrust system. …

Paper Session I-B - The Great Observatories Program, Edward J. Weiler

Space Congress® Proceedings

Although astronomy has been practiced since ancient times, the universe remains veiled in mystery. Limited for centuries to observations in the visible band of the electromagnetic spectrum, the ability to place instruments in space above the filtering atmosphere has given scientists access to the Universe at virtually all wavelengths revealing intriguing objects and events. Over the past two decades, NASA has introduced increasingly sensitive telescopes into space to make observations across the electromagnetic spectrum. Each successive telescope has exploited newly developed technologies to extend the limits of sensitivity and provide greater insight into the structure of stars, galaxies, and the …

Paper Session I-A - Advanced Liquid Feed Experiment (Alfe), Bao K. Nguyen

Space Congress® Proceedings

During the Advanced Spacecraft Feed System Study, conducted by the McDonnell Douglas Astronautics Company (MDAC) under contract to the Astronautics Laboratory - Air Force Systems Command (AL/AFSC), several key fluid system components were developed for potential application to a new generation of highly reliable, storable propellant spacecraft. These components demonstrated the capability to electronically control the pressurization schedule in the propellant feed tanks, to accurately gauge the available on board propellants, and to reliably track the propellant usage throughout the mission. In comparison with conventional mechanical regulators and capacitance type propellant gaging systems, they afford lower system cost and weight. …

Paper Session I-C - Drop Tower Bremen -Short Time Microgravity Experiments During Free Fall, H. Dittus, C. Eigenbrod, U. Kaezmarczik, J. Middelberg

Space Congress® Proceedings

In September 1990, the Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity (ZARM) of the University of Bremen, West, Germany, will start the operations for the Drop Tower "Bremen". Drop Towers enable short time experiments under microgravity condititons, and are thus lowcost research facilities complementing the existing and, projected space laboratories for microgravity research. Developed by ZARM in close cooperation with the Bremen based companies MBB/ERNO Raumfahrttechnik, OHB-System and Krupp Atlas Elektronik, the tower will realize up to several times per day to produce microgravitational condititons for approximately 4.7 s in free fall over 110 m. A powerful pumping system by …

Paper Session I-B - Kiss -The Kiepenheuer Institute Solar Spectograph, Rudiger Gerndt, Edgar Holzle

Space Congress® Proceedings

KISS is intended to be one of the focal plane instruments of NASA's Orbiting Solar Laboratory (OSL). It will be a German contribution to the OSL program. KISS is aimed at spectroscopic studies of dynamical aspects of the solar atmosphere with time scales down to some tei seconds. Spatially resolved dynamical information will be drawn from the solar atmosphere's velocity field, obtained from of spectral line structures induced by Doppler effect. The scientific goals make great demands on the optical and mechanical design of KISS which will be presented herewith.

Paper Session I-B - Science Payloads, Robert H. Benson

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Flight Systems Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C., has overall management responsibility for OSSA Spacelab and Shuttle-attached payload flight programs. These programs include a variety of science and applications investigations carried in and on Shuttle payload carriers such as Spacelab modules and pallets, Multipurpose Equipment Support Structures (MPESS), Get Away Special (GAS) canisters, and Hitchhiker-G equipment platforms (see Figure 1).

In addition to the payload bay experiment carriers shown in Figure 1, science and applications experiments can be flown in standard stowage lockers in the crew compartment middeck. Locker space for experiments in the crew compartment is at …

Paper Session I-C - Low Gravity Investigations On Suborbital Rockets, Francis C. Wessling, Charles A. Lundquist

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Consortium for Materials Development in Space has initiated two series of suborbital rocket missions to promote goals of the NASA Office of Commercial Programs, The broad objectives of the new missions are twofold: 1) to accomplish materials and biotechnology investigations in microgravity and 2) to stimulate the commercial rocket industry in the United States. The first series, designated the Consort missions, provide six to eight minutes of microgravity. Their launch and recovery operations are performed at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. A Consort 1 flight occurred on March 29,1989. All rocket and payload systems operated successfully. …

Paper Session I-A - Neutral Particle Beam Overview, Michael T. Toole, Jay C. Willis

Space Congress® Proceedings

The goal of the Neutral Particle Beam (NPB) technology program is to develop a multimission directed energy weapon (DEW) system which can function as an effective component in a Strategic Defense System. The NPB has the capability to be used as both a weapon and discriminator platform. It can kill missiles and reentry vehicles in the boost, post-boost, and mid-course portion of an ICBM trajectory as well as discriminated objects during the midcourse phase. Objects from those boosters and "buses" not engaged in the boost and post boost phase would be engaged once the reentry vehicles and decoys have been …

Paper Session I-A - Employing Artificial Intelligence To Meet Space Requirements, James M. Skinner, Richard Higgens

Space Congress® Proceedings

In January 1989, AFSTC began the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Initiative as a means of accomplishing two objectives: 1) to determine requirements in the Air Force space community that could best be met employing AI techniques and 2) to ensure current programs were adequate to meet these requirements. The approach was to determine requirements by surveying the users, identify current programs, and then identify redundancies and omissions for the purpose of recommending a future course of action.

Ten requirements were identified as being well-suited for AI techniques. Three of these requirements were determined to have high payoff and be attainable in …

Paper Session I-B - Prelaunch Processing Scientific Payloads Since Challenger: Lessons Learned Exercise, R. L. Schuiling

Space Congress® Proceedings

The Kennedy Space Center is responsible for processing a large number of payloads for integration and launch with the Space Shuttle. The processing of unclassified Shuttle mission payloads is the responsibility of the KSC Payload Management and Operations Directorate and its NASA-McDonnell Douglas personnel.

Each individual STS mission may involve several payload elements such as deployable satellites, upperstages, free flying platforms, scientific instrument carriers, as well as flight support equipment. As of this writing, 1990 will see the KSC payload processing organizations supporting the launch and/or download of fifteen different payload elements on eight separate STS launches.

The variety of …

Paper Session I-A - Smart Structures/ Skins Program Overview, Douglas Dehart

Space Congress® Proceedings

Future United States Air Force (USAF) and National Air and Space Administration (NASA) space systems such as Space Based Radar (SBR) , Space Based Laser (SBL) , and Space Station will incorporate smart structures/skins as part of their active vibration control system to sense, evaluate, and damp out any natural and spurious vibrations and health monitoring system to sense any degradation to the structure. The concept called smart structures/skins, is identified as one of the Project Forecast II technology areas. A smart structure/skin is defined as the embedment of sensors, actuators, and microprocessors in the material which forms the structure. …

Paper Session I-B - Earth Observing System, Stanley Wilson

Space Congress® Proceedings

To understand global change and the increasing demands of human activity, it is essential that we document and comprehend how the Earth works as a system. The international scientific community is organizing research efforts to advance our knowledge of both natural and human-induces global change. The U.S. Global Change Research Program, a consensus interagency plan, defines the U.S. element of those efforts.

Mission to Planet Earth, the central NASA contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program, includes two proposed initiatives in the FY 1991 Federal budget: the Earth Observing System (EOS) and Earth Probes.

EOS consists of a space-based …

Paper Session I-A - Starlab Overview, Randall G. Oliver, John E. Moye

Space Congress® Proceedings

Stariab, a test bed designed to be flown on NASA's Space Shuttle, will be used to conduct a series of acquisition, tracking, and pointing (ATP) experiments that are relevant to the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) Mission. In the primary experiment, Stariab will acquire, track, and precisely point a laser beam at an instrumented 4-stage booster rocket known as Starbird. Simultaneously, booster plume data will be collected at a variety of wavelengths and at resolutions never before achieved in space. Stariab will also be used to demonstrate advanced adaptive optics techniques using a booster plume source, rapid optical retargeting, and laser …