Retention and application of Skylab experiences to future programs

The problems encountered and special techniques and procedures developed on the Skylab program are described along with the experiences and practical benefits obtained for dissemination and use on future programs. Three major topics are discussed: electrical problems, mechanical problems, and special techniques. Special techniques and procedures are identified that were either developed or refined during the Skylab program. These techniques and procedures came from all manufacturing and test phases of the Skylab program and include both flight and GSE items from component level to sophisticated spaceflight systems

Driving and latching of the Starlab pointing mirror doors

The Starlab Experiment, a major SDIO technology initiative, is an attached payload which will be delivered into Earth orbit aboard NASA's Space Shuttle in 1991. Starlab will generate and aim an 80 cm diameter laser beam into space through a large opening in the structure which houses the pointing mirror. Two doors, each somewhat larger than a desktop, cover the opening when the laser optics system is nonoperational. Latch Mechanism Assemblies hold the doors shut during liftoff and ascent and, again, during Orbiter reentry. Each door is powered by a Door Drive System during the many open/close cycles between various experiments. The design, testing, and resultant failure modes of these mechanisms are examined

Implementation of the 64-meter-diameter Antennas at the Deep Space Stations in Australia and Spain

The management and construction aspects of the Overseas 64-m Antenna Project in which two 64-m antennas were constructed at the Tidbinbilla Deep Space Communications Complex in Australia, and at the Madrid Deep Space Communications Complex in Spain are described. With the completion of these antennas the Deep Space Network is equipped with three 64-m antennas spaced around the world to maintain continuous coverage of spacecraft operations. These antennas provide approximately a 7-db gain over the capabilities of the existing 26-m antenna nets. The report outlines the project organization and management, resource utilization, fabrication, quality assurance, and construction methods by which the project was successfully completed. Major problems and their solutions are described as well as recommendations for future projects

Raduga experiment: Multizonal photographing the Earth from the Soyuz-22 spacecraft

The main results of the scientific research and 'Raduga' experiment are reported. Technical parameters are presented for the MKF-6 camera and the MSP-4 projector. Characteristics of the obtained materials and certain results of their processing are reported

Permanent and separable aerospace tubing/ fitting evaluation program, volume 1

The tube fitting evaluation program was conducted to develop a standard overall test program including methods, procedures, and equipment as well as recommended test sequences for qualifying fitting/tubing assemblies. The program consisted of testing the MS flareless (separable) fitting and utilizing the results as baseline data from which all other fittings will be evaluated. Five separable designs and five permanent designs were tested in three sizes with two types of tubing materials. The basic design requirements were 4,000 psi operating pressure within the temperature range of minus 65 F to plus 450 F while also being compatible with 21-6-9 and titanium 3Al-2.5V tubing alloys

Novelty Ice Cream Assembly Prototype

Cool Beans USA is a novelty ice cream startup company founded by Keith Zachow. In the winter of 2022, our team began working with Mr. Zachow to develop a machine to automate parts of the production process for his product. This product consists of two hemispherical ice-cream cone shell halves filled with soft serve ice cream and pressed together. The assembled pods are around the size and shape of a small walnut and are intended to be sold in stores as a frozen finger food. At the time of project inception, this product was in its early stages and was being assembled in small batches by hand. Our team’s task was to design and manufacture a machine that would pick up two shells, orient them appropriately such that they could be filled with soft serve ice cream, join them cleanly together, and deposit them into a freezer while meeting increased throughput and food safety requirements. Over nine months our team brainstormed and prototyped designs. This project culminated in the manufacture our final prototype assembly machine. In November of 2022, we delivered our completed machine to Mr. Zachow. The final prototype can join shells as intended and can be operated via a simple graphic user interface. We hope that this machine will remove the production bottleneck of joining shells and allow Cool Beans USA to increase their production and sell their product in stores

Study of tooling concepts for manufacturing operations in space Final report

Mechanical linkage device for manufacturing operations with orbital workshop

Design of Small-Scale Furnace for Fire Resistance Testing of Building Construction Materials

Fire resistance testing helps promote the strategic placement of fire rated walls, partitions, and floor or roof assemblies in order to meet the fire and life safety objectives prescribed by building codes. The ratings of these assemblies are determined by fire resistant test procedures, such as ASTM E119. Specific ratings are measured by an assembly’s time to failure under a standardized fire exposure. Full-scale E119 furnace testing is expensive and thus the goal of this project was to build a small-scale furnace apparatus capable of performing fire resistance tests. Analyses supporting the design, manufacture and operation of a small-scale furnace test apparatus were conducted to establish correspondence between the small-scale furnace and the full-scale E119 furnace

Design of Small-Scale Furnace for Fire Resistance Testing of Building Construction Materials

Fire resistance testing helps promote the strategic placement of fire rated walls, partitions, and floor or roof assemblies in order to meet the fire and life safety objectives prescribed by building codes. The ratings of these assemblies are determined by fire resistant test procedures, such as ASTM E119. Specific ratings are measured by an assembly’s time to failure under a standardized fire exposure. Full-scale E119 furnace testing is expensive and thus the goal of this project was to build a small-scale furnace apparatus capable of performing fire resistance tests. Analyses supporting the design, manufacture and operation of a small-scale furnace test apparatus were conducted to establish correspondence between the small-scale furnace and the full-scale E119 furnace

Life testing of metal-ceramic CO2 lasers

The main purpose of this program was to determine the life characteristics of nine space-qualified, metal-ceramic CO2 lasers. Lifetimes ranged between about 400 hours to over 2000 hours (the limit of testing) with a high degree of consistency in like groups. In all cases the tubes which had failed could be restored to near their original power by doubling the cathode current for 30 minutes. Periodic rejuvenation allowed operation for the full 2000 hours on all tubes. The failure mechanism appears to involve formation of NiO and C on the nickel cathode emission surface with subsequent absorption of tube gases