Space test program of high-voltage solar array-space plasma interactions

Future spacecraft, notably the proposed Space Station, will require power systems much larger than have previously been flown. It is recognized that at higher voltages, and at the relatively high plasma density present at low Earth orbital altitudes, undesirable interactions between the high voltage solar array and the space plasma will occur. Space experiments on high voltage solar array space plasma interactions in low Earth orbit are an absolute requirement for confident design of a higher voltage solar array. Experiments are presently being identified to provide the necessary space data for calibration of ground testing, validation of analytical models, and development of design guidelines required for confident design of high voltage solar arrays in space. A proposed flight experiment program which is designed to obtain the required data is summarized

Participation in the police promotional process for the rank of sergeant within the Fairfax County Police Department Fairfax, Virginia

Police Departments across the country are experiencing vast numbers of veteran supervisory and command personnel retiring from public service. Without careful planning, these retirements can create a leadership void that will be difficult to fill with well-qualified candidates. These separations pose a loss of institutional knowledge, expertise and leadership continuity. The research conducted focused on the underlying reasons why highly-competent, experienced police officers are refusing to advance their law enforcement careers in becoming supervisors. The study included a review of the published literature and surveys being administered to 105 non-supervisory Fairfax County Police Officers on their interest in becoming a supervisor at the entry rank of sergeant. The fostering of future leaders should be made a priority and it should be the responsibility of those in leadership positions to identify, mentor and assist aspiring supervisory candidates to obtain the training and experience required to become a successful police manager

Advanced power sources for space missions

Approaches to satisfying the power requirements of space-based Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) missions are studied. The power requirements for non-SDI military space missions and for civil space missions of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are also considered. The more demanding SDI power requirements appear to encompass many, if not all, of the power requirements for those missions. Study results indicate that practical fulfillment of SDI requirements will necessitate substantial advances in the state of the art of power technology. SDI goals include the capability to operate space-based beam weapons, sometimes referred to as directed-energy weapons. Such weapons pose unprecedented power requirements, both during preparation for battle and during battle conditions. The power regimes for these two sets of applications are referred to as alert mode and burst mode, respectively. Alert-mode power requirements are presently stated to range from about 100 kW to a few megawatts for cumulative durations of about a year or more. Burst-mode power requirements are roughly estimated to range from tens to hundreds of megawatts for durations of a few hundred to a few thousand seconds. There are two likely energy sources, chemical and nuclear, for powering SDI directed-energy weapons during the alert and burst modes. The choice between chemical and nuclear space power systems depends in large part on the total duration during which power must be provided. Complete study findings, conclusions, and eight recommendations are reported