Aeronautical Engineering: A Continuing Bibliography with Indexes (supplement 194)

This bibliography lists 369 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in November 1985

Trajectory design and control for formation flying spaceborne interferometers

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2009.Includes bibliographical references (p. 125-127).Spaceborne interferometry promises to greatly expand our knowledge of astronomy and astrophysics, and open the doors to many new discoveries. The purpose of this study is to investigate optimal resource management techniques for separated space-craft interferometers to successfully synthesize images. Assuming optimal imaging configurations that satisfy astronomical requirements have been selected, a two-step approach is taken to satisfy these requirements: (1) develop a framework to man-age control effort among different satellites during observation and retargeting of the spacecraft formations, to thereby maximize the number of observations that can be taken with a given amount of consumables, and (2) determine computationally efficient control techniques to minimize control effort while meeting image synthesis metrics. First, issues relating to planning optimal trajectories that trade imaging metrics for spacecraft design metrics such as mission length and spacecraft mass are addressed. The determination of optimal spacecraft locations or trajectories for image acquisition is studied to satisfy astronomical constraints. These positioning requirements lead to the computation of trajectories for the retargeting of formation flying interferometers to capture images of a new astronomical target. Second, the trajectories planned under this approach are used in the formulation of a tracking control problem for spaceborne interferometric apertures.(cont.) The assumptions made in the control problem are used as a basis for the development of different control techniques that trade image quality for fuel expenditure, and evaluated according to scenarios involving different properties relevant to synthetic imaging. The result from these two steps are then applied to the SPHERES testbed, a six-degree-of-freedom facility designed for the incremental maturation of formation flight technologies in a risk-tolerant microgravity environment. Results from simulations and experiments on board the space station are presented and compared to their theoretical outcomes.by Christophe Ph. Mandy.S.M

Proceedings of the Workshop on Computational Aspects in the Control of Flexible Systems, part 2

The Control/Structures Integration Program, a survey of available software for control of flexible structures, computational efficiency and capability, modeling and parameter estimation, and control synthesis and optimization software are discussed

Underwater Vehicles

For the latest twenty to thirty years, a significant number of AUVs has been created for the solving of wide spectrum of scientific and applied tasks of ocean development and research. For the short time period the AUVs have shown the efficiency at performance of complex search and inspection works and opened a number of new important applications. Initially the information about AUVs had mainly review-advertising character but now more attention is paid to practical achievements, problems and systems technologies. AUVs are losing their prototype status and have become a fully operational, reliable and effective tool and modern multi-purpose AUVs represent the new class of underwater robotic objects with inherent tasks and practical applications, particular features of technology, systems structure and functional properties

Aeronautical Engineering: A continuing bibliography with indexes

This bibliography lists 499 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in August 1985

Aeronautical Engineering, a continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 173

This bibliography lists 704 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in March 1984

Aeronautical Engineering: A special bibliography with indexes, supplement 91, January 1978

This bibliography lists 359 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in December 1977

FAA/NASA Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research, 1992-1993

The research conducted during the academic year 1992-1993 under the FAA/NASA sponsored Joint University Program for Air Transportation Research is summarized. The year end review was held at Ohio University, Athens, Ohio, 17-18 June 1993. The Joint University Program is a coordinated set of three grants sponsored by the Federal Aviation Administration and NASA Langley Research Center, one each with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Ohio University, and Princeton University. Completed works, status reports, and annotated bibliographies are presented for research topics, which include navigation, guidance, and control theory and practice, aircraft performance, human factors and air traffic management. An overview of the year's activities for each university is also presented

Aeronautical Engineering. A continuing bibliography with indexes, supplement 142

This bibliography lists 398 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in November 1981