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Briefs: Motion Control
Crowned races have been proposed for crossed roller bearings. Crowning of the races is expected to reduce scuffing of the cylindrical rollers. Crowning of the races is expected to be especially...
Briefs: Software
Software for Automated Planning of Spacecraft Missions
An artificial-intelligence computer program generates and evaluates plans for spacecraft missions subject to constraints associated with spacecraft designs. The input to the program includes spacecraft design parameters (e.g., slew rates and battery capacities) and mission parameters (e.g.,...
Briefs: Medical
Generalized-Time-Line Program for Planning and Scheduling
Generalized Timelines API is a computer program that provides (1) a means of representing arbitrary realworld state and resource information for use in planning, scheduling, and plan- and schedule-executing software and (2) an application-programming interface (API) that accelerates the...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
Fabricating Sapphire Optical Fibers for High-Temperature Use
A process for the fabrication of coated sapphire multimode optical fibers has been developed. Sapphire multimode optical fibers are suitable for use as embedded sensors for measuring mechanical and thermal stresses and strains in material specimens at temperatures up to about 1,500 °C.
Briefs: Motion Control
A rectangular array of Y-junction electro-optical switches has been proposed as a prototype of reliable, high-speed cross-point switches for fiber-optic-based photonic communication...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
An optoelectronic device based on interferometry in a resonant microcavity has been proposed for use in measuring the direction of arrival of a circularly polarized beam of light...
Briefs: Photonics/Optics
A process that would include a combination of dry and wet chemical etching has been proposed for making facets for low-loss mirrors on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) optical waveguides. Heretofore,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Remote Monitoring and Alarm System
The Remote Monitoring and Alarm System (RMAS) is a system of electronic hardware and software for monitoring of fiber-optic video transmission equipment at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The RMAS could also monitor other equipment that generates discrete contact closures and/or analog voltages. The hardware includes...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Failure-Reporting Device Concept for Spacecraft and Remote Vehicles
Failure-reporting devices somewhat similar to the “black box” data recorders on aircraft have been proposed. These devices were conceived for use on spacecraft, but might also be useful on terrestrial autonomous underwater vessels or terrestrial remote exploratory robots. The...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Program Uses Terrain-Image Data To Locate Safe Landing Site
A computer program under continuing development strives to locate a safe landing site for a spacecraft through realtime processing of image data acquired by a video camera aimed at the terrain below while the spacecraft descends. The program might also be useful for aiding the selection of...
Briefs: Software
A proposed technique of bistatic radar altimetry would utilize information available in Global Positioning System (GPS) signals reflected from the ocean surface. The signals would be...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Hybrid Electric-Field Sensor
The hybrid electric-field sensor (HEFS) has been proposed for measuring quasi-static electric fields — especially those associated with thunderstorms. The HEFS would combine the relative compactness, low cost, and low power consumption of prior inductionprobe- type electric-field sensors with the higher sensitivity of...
Briefs: Communications
A proposed communication antenna for a helicopter would feature radiating elements in or on the blades of the main rotor, with a novel rotary radio-frequency coupling between the antenna and the radio...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A method of determining the attitude of a vehicle equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver with multiple nonaligned antennas has been invented. As used here, “nonaligned...
Briefs: Materials
Improved Conversion Coating for Protection of Metals
A simple, cost effective, environmentally friendly conversion-coating process has been developed for protecting a variety of metals against wear and corrosion and to increase adhesion of paints. This process results in the deposition of a thin, adherent coats of iron phosphate on treated metal...
Briefs: Materials
Improved lightweight composite-material structures have been invented to protect persons and equipment during aircraft and ground-vehicle crashes. These structures are designed to hold...
Briefs: Materials
Crystalline phases of compounds of general composition (Cuw, CuxFey, or Tiz)Mo6Se8 [where w<4, x<2, y<1, and z<1] have been investigated for potential utility as thermoelectric...
Briefs: Materials
Alkyl pyrocarbonates have been found to be useful as electrolyte additives for improving the low-temperature performances of rechargeable lithium-ion electrochemical cells. The...
Briefs: Energy
Partially fluorinated alkyl carbonate liquid compounds have been found to be excellent electrolyte cosolvents for rechargeable lithium-ion electrochemical cells. The benefits afforded...
Briefs: Materials
Non-polymeric N,N´-di-N-hydrocarbyl- 2,5-diamino-1,4-benzoquinones (where the hydrocarbyl substituents are alkyl or aryl) have been found to be useful as corrosion-inhibiting additives for...
Briefs: Software
Multiple-Cavity Masers as 32-GHz LNAs
Improved multiple-cavity ruby masers are under development for use as low-noise amplifiers (LNAs) for receiving very weak radio signals in frequency bands up to and including one centered approximately at 32 GHz. These masers were designed specifically to be incorporated into receivers in ground stations of...
Briefs: Software
Program for Tracking Air-Purification Cartridges
The Cartridge Automated Reliance Tracking (CART) computer program enables authorized requesters associated with NASA to gain access to the most recent tracking data on LiOH-based airpurification cartridges used during space-shuttle flights. CART could also be adapted to suit the needs of other...
Briefs: Software
Software for Implementing Fuzzy Logic on Microcontrollers
Fuzzy Inference System Translator (FIST) is a computer program that facilitates the implementation of fuzzy-logic software on commercial or other viable microcontrollers. In the original application for which FIST was developed, there was a need to implement plantgrowth- chamber (PGC)...
Briefs: Software
Software for Constructing a Facility-Management Database
Facility Management Tracking System (FMTS) is a computer program for constructing an integrated database that defines any event in a managed facility. FMTS provides a simple user interface for entering all relevant data connected to the event. The entered data, as displayed and processed by...
Briefs: Software
Software Implements Telemetry Protocols
The CCSDS Telemetry and Telecom Software Library provides a reference implementation of the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) international protocol standard for the transmission and reception of telemetry and telecommand data in radio communications with spacecraft. The library supports...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Software for Parallel Processing of Telemetry
Parallel Telemetry Processor (PTEP) is a high-speed, robust, extensible, Javalanguage computer program that (1) enables the parallel processing of a serial stream of telemetric data and (2) generates a graphical display for monitoring the processing. Originally intended for application to spacecraft...
Briefs: Software
Software for Global Forecasting of Winds and Waves
The WorldWinds™ software system generates high-resolution global weather forecasts, with emphasis on wind and ocean-wave vectors, in nearly real time. WorldWinds™ was developed primarily to serve organizations and individuals needing accurate forecasts for scientific, safety, or economic...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
A coder/decoder system (codec) is being developed for use in a digital voice communication system in which speech is encoded as a series of frames of data and transmitted over a noisy or lossy channel. Called a...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Software for Modeling Spacecraft Electric Power
Multi-Mission Power Analysis Tool (MMPAT) is a computer program for constructing computational models of the generation, storage, consumption, and flow of electric power in a spacecraft. Heretofore, such modeling has been accomplished by means of unique software for each application. In contrast,...
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