Requirements for digitized aircraft spotting (Ouija) board for use on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers

This thesis will evaluate system and process elements to initiate requirements modeling necessary for the next generation Digitized Aircraft Spotting (Ouija) Board for use on U.S. Navy aircraft carriers to track and plan aircraft movement. The research will examine and evaluate the feasibility and suitability of transforming the existing two-dimensional static board to an electronic, dynamic display that will enhance situational awareness by using sensors and system information from various sources to display a comprehensive operational picture of the current flight and hangar decks aboard aircraft carriers. The authors will evaluate the current processes and make recommendations on elements the new system would display. These elements include what information is displayed, which external systems feed information to the display, and how intelligent agents could be used to transform the static display to a powerful decision support tool. Optimally, the Aircraft Handler will use this system to effectively manage the Flight and Hangar decks to support the projection of air power from U.S. aircraft carriers.http://archive.org/details/requirementsford109454447Lieutenant Commander, United States NavyLieutenant Commander, United States Navy ReserveApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Project APEX: Advanced Phobos Exploration. Manned mission to the Martian moon Phobos

The manned exploration of Mars is a massive undertaking which requires careful consideration. A mission to the moon of Mars called Phobos as a prelude to manned landings on the Martian surface offers some advantages. One is that the energy requirements, in terms of delta 5, is only slightly higher than going to the Moon's surface. Another is that Phobos is a potential source of water and carbon which could be extracted and processed for life support and cryogenic propellants for use in future missions; thus, Phobos might serve as a base for extended Mars exploration or for exploration of the outer planets. The design of a vehicle for such a mission is the subject of our Aerospace System Design course this year. The materials and equipment needed for the processing plant would be delivered to Phobos in a prior unmanned mission. This study focuses on what it would take to send a crew to Phobos, set up the processing plant for extraction and storage of water and hydrocarbons, conduct scientific experiments, and return safely to Earth. The size, configuration, and subsystems of the vehicle are described in some detail. The spacecraft carries a crew of five and is launched from low Earth orbit in the year 2010. The outbound trajectory to Mars uses a gravitational assisted swing by of Venus and takes eight months to complete. The stay at Phobos is 60 days at which time the crew will be engaged in setting up the processing facility. The crew will then return to Earth orbit after a total mission duration of 656 days. Both stellar and solar observations will be conducted on both legs of the mission. The design of the spacecraft addresses human factors and life science; mission analysis and control; propulsion; power generation and distribution; thermal control; structural analysis; and planetary, solar, and stellar science. A 0.5 g artificial gravity is generated during transit by spinning about the lateral body axis. Nuclear thermal rockets using hydrogen as fuel are selected to reduce total launch mass and to shorten the duration of the mission. The nuclear systems also provide the primary electrical power via dual mode operation. The overall spacecraft length is 110 meters and the total mass departing from low Earth orbit is 900 metric tons

Sustainable seabed mining: guidelines and a new concept for Atlantis II Deep

The feasibility of exploiting seabed resources is subject to the engineering solutions, and economic prospects. Due to rising metal prices, predicted mineral scarcities and unequal allocations of resources in the world, vast research programmes on the exploration and exploitation of seabed minerals are presented in 1970s. Very few studies have been published after the 1980s, when predictions were not fulfilled. The attention grew back in the last decade with marine mineral mining being in research and commercial focus again and the first seabed mining license for massive sulphides being granted in Papua New Guinea’s Exclusive Economic Zone.Research on seabed exploitation and seabed mining is a complex transdisciplinary field that demands for further attention and development. Since the field links engineering, economics, environmental, legal and supply chain research, it demands for research from a systems point of view. This implies the application of a holistic sustainability framework of to analyse the feasibility of engineering systems. The research at hand aims to close this gap by developing such a framework and providing a review of seabed resources. Based on this review it identifies a significant potential for massive sulphides in inactive hydrothermal vents and sediments to solve global resource scarcities. The research aims to provide background on seabed exploitation and to apply a holistic systems engineering approach to develop general guidelines for sustainable seabed mining of polymetallic sulphides and a new concept and solutions for the Atlantis II Deep deposit in the Red Sea.The research methodology will start with acquiring a broader academic and industrial view on sustainable seabed mining through an online survey and expert interviews on seabed mining. In addition, the Nautilus Minerals case is reviewed for lessons learned and identification of challenges. Thereafter, a new concept for Atlantis II Deep is developed that based on a site specific assessment.The research undertaken in this study provides a new perspective regarding sustainable seabed mining. The main contributions of this research are the development of extensive guidelines for key issues in sustainable seabed mining as well as a new concept for seabed mining involving engineering systems, environmental risk mitigation, economic feasibility, logistics and legal aspects

Ground cloud effluent measurements during the May 30, 1974, Titan 3 launch at the Air Force eastern test range

Surface-level exhaust effluent measurements of HCl, CO, and particulates, ground-cloud behavior, and some comparisons with model predictions for the launch of a Titan 3 rocket are presented along with a limited amount of airborne sampling measurements of other cloud species (O3, NO, NOX). Values above background levels for these effluents were obtained at 20 of the 30 instrument sites; these values were lower than model predictions and did not exceed public health standards. Cloud rise rate, stabilization altitude, and volume are compared with results from previous launches

Joint ACCESS: high-speed assault connector (HSAC) for joint expeditionary logistics

Includes suppmentary materialThe current notion of seabasing requires that three Battalion Landing Teams (BLT) of a 2025 Joint Expeditionary Brigade (JEB) need to be able to transit from the Sea Base to the objective within a 10 hour period. Of the three BLTs, two of them must be transported by surface craft a distance of no more than 200nm in sea state 4 or less. The two surface bound BLTs need to be loaded onto the transporting craft and delivered to shore, whether it is a port facility or austere beachhead. There is no current or future system of connectors to meet all the time-distance, sea state, and interface flexibility requirements for this aspect of seabasing. To meet these requirements a High Speed Assault Connector (HSAC) is needed which either augments current or replaces existing connector platforms to deliver and support the required forces ashore. The Joint ACCESS is a HSAC that brings the necessary speed, payload capacity, interface capability, and mission flexibility needed to fill the Sea Base to shore transportation gap. With a maximum speed of 43kts and payload capacity of 800LT, 12 Joint ACCESS trimarans can transit 200nm and fully offload in 7 hours. Its beachable design uses a floating bow ramp to reach out to austere beaches, while its combat system suite provides self defense in addition to robust offensive capabilities.http://web.archive.org/web/20050218202650/http://www.nps.navy.mil/tsse/files/2004.htmApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited