SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AEROSPACE REPORTS

A Biweekly Publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VOLUME 43, ISSUE 19 - SEPTEMBER 23, 2006

19 SPACECRAFT INSTRUMENTATION AND ASTRIONICS
Includes the design, manufacture, or use of devices for the purpose of measuring, detecting, controlling, computing, recording, or processing data related to the operation of space vehicles or platforms.

For related information see also 06 Avionics and Aircraft Instrumentation; for spaceborne instruments not integral to the vehicle itself see 35 Instrumentation and Photography; for spaceborne telescopes and other astronomical instruments see 89 Astronomy.

20050210237 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Recent Single Event Effects Results for Candidate Spacecraft Electronics for NASA

O’Bryan, Martha V.; LaBel, Kenneth A.; Ladbury, Ray L.; Howard, James W., Jr.; Kniffin, Scott D.; Forney, James D.; Irwin, Tim; Kim, H.; Buchner, Stephen P.; Oldham, Timothy R., et al.; [2005]; 10 pp.; In English; 2005 IEEE Nuclear and Space Radiation Effects Conference (NSREC), 15 Jul. 2005, Seattle, WA, USA; Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy

Vulnerability of a variety of candidate spacecraft electronics to proton and heavy ion induced single event effects is studied. Devices tested include digital, linear bipolar, and hybrid devices. Author

Electronics; Bipolarity; Protons; Vulnerability; Ions; Spacecraft Instruments

20050212120 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Wide Field Camera 3 Accommodations for HST Robotics Servicing Mission

Ginyard, Amani; [2005]; 22 pp.; In English; 2005 NASA Contamination and Coatings Workshop, 2-3 Aug. 2005; Original contains color illustrations; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy

This slide presentation discusses the objectives of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Robotics Servicing and Deorbit Mission (HRSDM), reviews the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3), and also reviews the contamination accomodations for the WFC3. The objectives of the HRSDM are (1) to provide a disposal capability at the end of HST’s useful life, (2) to upgrade the hardware by installing two new scientific instruments: replace the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR) with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), and to replace the Wide Field/Planetary Camera-2 (WFPC2) with Wide Field Camera-3, and (3) Extend the Scientific life of HST for a minimum of 5 years after servicing. Included are slides showing the Hubble Robotic Vehicle (HRV) and slides describing what the HRV contains. There are also slides describing the WFC3. One of the mechanisms of the WFC3 is to serve partially as replacement gyroscopes for HST. There are also slides that discuss the contamination requirements for the Rate Sensor Units (RSUs), that are part of the Rate Gyroscope Assembly on the WFC3. CASI

Cameras; Contamination; Hubble Space Telescope

20050212133 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Prototype Cryospheric Experimental Synthetic Aperture Radiometer (CESAR)

Hilliard, Lawrence M.; Phelps, Norman L.; Riley, J. Thomas; Markus, Thorsten M.; Bland, Geoffrey L.; Ruf, Christopher; Lawrence, Roland W.; Reising, Steven C.; Pichel, Thomas; May 10, 2005; 19 pp.; In English; 25th Anniversary IGARSS 2005 Society Meeting International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium, 25-29 Jul. 2005, Seoul, Korea, Republic of; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy

Present satellite microwave radiometers typically have a coarse spatial resolution of several kilometers or more. This is only adequate only over homogenous areas. Significantly enhanced spatial resolution is critically important to reduce the uncertainty of estimated cryospheric parameters in heterogeneous and climatically-sensitive areas. Examples include: (1) dynamic sea ice areas with frequent lead and polynya developments and variable ice thicknesses, (2) mountainous areas that require improved retrieval of snow water equivalent, and (3) melting outlet glacier or ice shelf areas along the coast of Greenland and Antarctica. For these situations and many others, an Earth surface spot size of no more than 100 m is necessary to retrieve the information needed for significant new scientific progress, including the synthesis of field observations with satellite observations with high confidence. Author

Synthetic Apertures; Microwave Radiometers; Prototypes; Spatial Resolution

20050212419 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Automation, Operation, and Data Analysis in the Cryogenic, High Accuracy, Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS)

Frey, Bradley J.; Leviton, Douglas B.; [2005]; 12 pp.; In English; SPIE Annual Conference, 31 Jul. - 6 Aug. 2005, San Diego, CA, USA; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy

The Cryogenic High Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center has been enhanced in a number of ways in the last year to allow the system to accurately collect refracted beam deviation readings automatically over a range of temperatures from 15 K to well beyond room temperature with high sampling density in both wavelength and temperature.

The engineering details which make this possible are presented.

The methods by which the most accurate angular measurements are made and the corresponding data reduction methods used to reduce thousands of observed angles to a handful of refractive index values are also discussed. Author

Refractivity; Refractometers; Data Reduction

20050214085 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA

Development and Optimization of Kinematic Mounts for NIRCam: a JWST Science Instrument

Young, Daniel; Bartoszyk, Andrew; Cofie, Emmanuel; Johnston, John; Kunt, Cengiz; [2005]; 1 pp.; In English; NASA/GSFC FEMCI Workshop, Design and Analysis of the JWST ISIM Metering Structure, 4-5 May 2005, Greenbelt, MD, USA; Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy

Finite element analysis was vital to the design and optimization of the kinematic mounts for the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument The design had to meet dueling structural requirements driven by 12G launch loads, a survivability of bulk cool down from room temperature to 22 K, minimum first mode of 50 Hz and mass allocation constraints. Additionally the design has to meet stability and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) interfaces when cooled to 22K. Derived from text

Cameras; Design Optimization; Finite Element Method; Infrared Instruments; Spacecraft Modules; Supports

Source: NASA.