Integrated Navigation System: Not a Sum of Its Parts

Similar to the evolutionary process for living organisms, marine navigation systems are becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated. Both by design and function, shipboard and shore-based navigation systems are no longer individual equipment components operating independently. Instead, the trend is toward integration, data fusion and synergy. One example of this are new Performance Standards being considered by IMO to achieve a “harmonized” presentation of all navigation-related information on the display of an integrated navigation system (INS). Unlike a dedicated display for ECDIS or radar, the new INS displays will be a task-oriented composite presentations that enable the mariner to configure the display for an operational situation by selecting specific chart, radar, radar plotting aids (ARPA) and AIS information that is required for the task-at-hand. This paper gives a brief overview of the trend toward the development of INS. In addition to a brief summary of IMO performance standards for navigation equipment/systems, specific mention is made about a BSH (Germany) report on the “Functional Scope and Model of INS.” A discussion is provided about the challenges of providing navigation safety information that goes beyond traditional boundaries of products and services. Currently, many agencies continue to produce individual products and services on a component basis. Hydrographic offices grapple with trying to provide multiple products and services for paper charts, raster navigational charts (RNCs) and electronic navigational charts (ENCs) while a same time, Coast Guard and Maritime Safety agencies focus on improving Aids-to-Navigation (AtoN), Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), AIS networks -- and more recently, port security. In some respects, the continued concentration on separate products and services represents an organizational reluctance to change. This in turn, results in a fragmented, sub-optimal approach to the safety-of-navigation caused by the inability to provide mariners with “seamless” information at reasonable cost. In particular, hydrographic offices must be willing to recognize that chart information can no longer be considered to be separate, individual products. When it comes to the provision and use of chart-related information for use in an INS, the focus needs to shift to what information is actually desired, how it will be provided, what other information it will be used with, and whether it is truly up-todate

Collection of Press Receipts Advertising for Volunteer Soldiers

An assortment of vouchers and receipts made out to Capts. J.C. Grafton and R.B. Brown in the 2nd Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment advertising for new recruits, 1863-4. Taken from the Paul W. Bean Collection, Box no. 278, f.29https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/paul_bean_papers/1044/thumbnail.jp

Analysis of the Higher Education Act Reauthorizations: Financial Aid Policy Influencing College Access and Choice

The original goal of the Higher Education Act of 1965, the amendments to that act in 1972, and reauthorizations through 1998 was to increase accessibility of higher education to all. Initially these system-level efforts substantially enhanced equity, but recent enrollment trends raise the question: Is our system becoming more or less equitable? By conducting a policy analysis of the HEA reauthorizations and other legislation, in respect to policy decision-making and policy implementation on federal and state levels, this paper examines how financial aid policy influences college access and choice for low- to moderate-income undergraduate students. Key elements in the federal policy process are examined and recommendations for future state policy are addressed

Paper Session III-C - Technology Reuse on the Spacelift Ranges

The Range Standardization and Automation (RSA) program is designed to completely update both of Air Force Space Command’s ranges: the Eastern Range at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Florida, and the Western Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. As part of this modernization, several new technologies are under consideration to improve system performance and reduce operating and maintenance costs. Several of these technologies have the potential to reduce costs to vehicles launched off the ranges, and change the format of tracking data from the range. The RSA program is planned for three phases. Phase I was awarded by the Space and Missile Systems Center to the Harris Corp. in 1993. It addresses some of the more pressing needs on the ranges such as a new communications system for the Eastern Range and new telemetry processing systems for both ranges. Phase IIA was awarded to Lockheed Martin in 1995 to develop a completely modernized architecture for both ranges, and complete the upgrade of all command, control, and communications systems, and other systems such as weather and optics. Phase IIB, planned for award in 2002, will implement the fixed instrumentation part of the Phase IIA architecture

A Satellite Link Analysis Tool for a Portable Ground Station

The product of this research effort is a comprehensive and integrated software package for the analysis of digital satellite links. The system is designed to run on the IBM PC, and would be a useful addition to any portable ground station based on a compatible personal computer. The system performs three basic classes of functions: satellite orbital analysis, antenna gain pattern plotting, and link analysis. The first class of functions includes the computation of such quantities as velocity, orbital period, and coverage area for satellites in circular and elliptical orbits. The second class of functions is concerned with plotting the gain patterns for horns, helixes, parabolic reflectors, and phased arrays of dipoles. The last class of functions represents the major thrust of the system, and entails computing such items as the G/T figure of merit, received useful power, carrier-to-noise ratio, bit error rate, maximum data rate, and power margin. Inherent within this class are mathematical models for computing the attenuation due to rainfall and atmospheric absorption. The link budget itself appears as a color-coded display with two columns: one for the uplink path, and one for the downlink path. The user also has the capability to change certain key inputs, and then have the system automatically recompute the entire link budget with the modified data

Paper Session III-A - Environmental Sensitivities of the Combined Release and Radiation Effects Satellite (CRRES)

CRRES on-orbit experiments frequently required reconfiguration to meet test objectives. Our analysis of the environmental conditions, during the time of these satellite anomalies, indicated a probable environmental cause. We examined possible contributing factors; such as geomagnetic storms, proton enhancements, and transient, high-energy electron fluxes; to develop experiment reconfiguration thresholds. This paper specifies each threshold f s accuracy as an alert or warning criteria and indicates the time-dependence of satellite vulnerability, particularly after the major solar flare of 22 March 1991. We further suggest implications for other similarly radiation hardened satellites or satellite subsystems

Naval gunnery from user's point of view

This paper pointed out that although Internal Ballistics forms only one part of the whole problem, if this subject were neglected, the guns would not fire straight nor to the correct range, and however skilful the men and however complicated the fire control machinery, it would not be possible to hit the target. The scientific study of Internal Ballistics was therefore, of the greatest importanc

The Department of Defense Space Test Program

For over twenty-five years, the Department of Defense Space Test Program has provided spaceflights for DOD experiment payloads, using almost every kind of booster and satellite in service during that period. This paper discusses briefly the mission and history of STP. The diversity of STP projects is illustrated by descriptions of several current projects. Finally, STP\u27s future plans are discussed