The iterative solution of the problem of orbit determination using Chebyshev series

A method of orbit determination is investigated which employs Picard iteration and Chebyshev series. The method is applied to the problem of determining the orbit of an earth satellite from range and range-rate observations contaminated by noise. It is shown to be readily applicable and to possess linear convergence

Special Perturbations Using Back-Correction Methods of Numerical Integration

A new class of linear multistep methods for numerical integration of differential equations is reported that permits satellite computation solutions to be corrected at certain points in the past as the integration advances in time. Algorithms have been developed for the solution of both first- and second-order differential equations. The back correction method appears to be more efficient than classical methods when dominant and perturbing forces can be separated

The development of accurate and efficient methods of numerical quadrature

Some new methods for performing numerical quadrature of an integrable function over a finite interval are described. Each method provides a sequence of approximations of increasing order to the value of the integral. Each approximation makes use of all previously computed values of the integrand. The points at which new values of the integrand are computed are selected in such a way that the order of the approximation is maximized. The methods are compared with the quadrature methods of Clenshaw and Curtis, Gauss, Patterson, and Romberg using several examples

Delta method, an empirical drag buildup technique

An empirical drag correlation technique was developed from analysis of 19 subsonic and supersonic military aircraft and 15 advanced or supercritical airfoil configurations which can be applied in conceptual and advanced aircraft design activities. The Delta Method may be used for estimating the clean wing drag polar for cruise and maneuver conditions up to buffet onset, and to approximately Mach 2.0. This technique incorporates a unique capability of predicting the off-design performance of advanced or supercritical airfoil sections. The buffet onset limit may also be estimated. The method is applicable to wind tunnel models as well as to full scale configurations. This technique has been converted into a computer code for use on the IBM 360 and CDC 7600 computer facilities at NASA AMES. Results obtained using this method to predict known aircraft characteristics are good and agreement can be obtained within a degree of accuracy judged to be sufficient for the initial processes of preliminary design

The Coastal Barrier Island Network (CBIN): Future management strategies for barrier islands

Barrier islands are ecosystems that border coastal shorelines and form a protective barrier between continental shorelines and the wave action originating offshore. In addition to forming and maintaining an array of coastal and estuarine habitats of ecological and economic importance, barrier island coastlines also include some of the greatest concentrations of human populations and accompanying anthropogenic development in the world. These islands have an extremely dynamic nature whereby major changes in geomorphology and hydrology can occur over short time periods (i.e. days, hours) in response to extreme episodic storm events such as hurricanes and northeasters. The native vegetation and geological stability of these ecosystems are tightly coupled with one another and are vulnerable to storm-related erosion events, particularly when also disturbed by anthropogenic development. (PDF contains 4 pages

Leadership Matters: Building Leadership Capacity

Explores strategies that school administrators employ in schools where student learning has improved. Outlines the key conditions for accelerating student achievement, and provides criteria for determining the quality of project-based learning

Communications and tracking expert systems study

The original objectives of the study consisted of five broad areas of investigation: criteria and issues for explanation of communication and tracking system anomaly detection, isolation, and recovery; data storage simplification issues for fault detection expert systems; data selection procedures for decision tree pruning and optimization to enhance the abstraction of pertinent information for clear explanation; criteria for establishing levels of explanation suited to needs; and analysis of expert system interaction and modularization. Progress was made in all areas, but to a lesser extent in the criteria for establishing levels of explanation suited to needs. Among the types of expert systems studied were those related to anomaly or fault detection, isolation, and recovery