Hardware math for the 6502 microprocessor

A floating-point arithmetic unit is described which is being used in the Ground Facility of Large Space Structures Control Verification (GF/LSSCV). The experiment uses two complete inertial measurement units and a set of three gimbal torquers in a closed loop to control the structural vibrations in a flexible test article (beam). A 6502 (8-bit) microprocessor controls four AMD 9511A floating-point arithmetic units to do all the computation in 20 milliseconds

Tetherline system for orbiting satellites

A system for tethering one orbiting space vehicle to another was designed so that a tetherline between the vehicles is controlled by a motorized reel which in turn is controlled to deploy, retrieve, or maintain a constant line length while effecting a stabilizing influence on the line. This is accomplished by applying a tension to the line which takes into account the instantaneous length of the line, rate of change of the length of the line, and certain constants which vary depending upon the mode of operation, deployment, retrieval, or station keeping

Organic chemistry of cometary dust as derived from PUMA 1 data

Onboard the Halley Fly-By spacecrafts Vega 1, Vega 2, and Giotto were the dust impact mass spectrometers PUMA 1, PUMA 2, and PIA respectively. PUMA 1 was the most sensitive instrument among them. From its data the occurrence of masslines greater than 60 Daltons could be shown to be statistically significant. An analysis of these masslines lead to a scenario, which could explain the masslines as fragment ions from larger molecules which characterize the chemical nature of cometary organic matter as: (1) highly unsaturated hydrocarbons; (2) some of them containing oxygen; (3) less containing nitrogen; and (4) a few containing oxygen and nitrogen as heteroatoms. From the properties of the spectrometer, also some physical parameters of the dust particles could be inferred, such as their density and structure

CoMA: A high resolution Time-Of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (TOF-SIMS) for in situ analysis of cometary matter

A lot of clues concerning the origin of the solar system can be found by sending an exploring spacecraft to a rendezvous with a comet. The space experiment CoMA, which will measure the elemental, isotopic, and molecular composition of cometary dust grains is described. It will be flown on NASA's Comet Rendezvous Asteroid Flyby (CRAF) mission

Solar site test module

A solar site test module using the Rockwell AIM 65microcomputer is described. The module is designed to work at any site where an IBM site data acquisition system (SDAS) is installed and is intended primarily as a troubleshooting tool. It collects sensor information (temperatures, flow rates, etc.) and displays or prints it immediately in calibrated engineering units. It will read one sensor on demand, periodically read up to 10sensors or periodically read all sensors. Performance calculations can also be included with sensor data. Unattended operation is possible to, e.g., monitor a group of sensors once per hour. Work is underway to add a data acquisition system to the test module so that it can be used at sites which have no SDAS

Anomalous accelerations of the Pageos spacecraft

Anomalous accelerations of Pageos satellite and application of theory to predict perturbations in mean motio

Anticipated results from dust experiments on cometary missions

The major scientific objectives of a mission are: to determine the chemical nature and physical structure of comet nuclei, and to characterize the changes that occur as a function of time orbital position; to characterize the chemical and physical nature of the atmospheres and ionospheres of comets as well as the processes that occur in them, and to characterize the development of the atmospheres and ionospheres as functions of time and orbital position; and to determine the nature of comet tails and processes by which they are formed, and to characterize the interaction of comets with the solar wind. Since dust is a major constituent of a comet, the achievement of these goals requires the intensive study of the paticulate emission from a comet

After Dunn what?

The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of mainstreaming. It will review literature concerned with special educators\u27 dissatisfaction with traditional special education, the goals and philosophy of mainstreaming and the effects of mainstreaming upon EMR children, the teacher and the school system

The Embark® Protocol: Dog Genomics in Genetics Laboratories

In a world of ever-advancing technology, it is imperative that young pre-health professionals are educated according to the most relevant research. One of the most fundamental, foundational concepts of health is genetics. This field is rapidly expanding, and quickly engraining itself into the realm of healthcare. Genetic testing and gene therapies, once subjects of science fiction, have become commonplace. It is more important than ever that health professionals have a concrete knowledge of genetics, and this begins with the proper education of pre-health students. With this idea in mind, a laboratory protocol was designed for students of the Bisc 336 course at the University of Mississippi to enhance their knowledge of significant genetic concepts. The main focus is understanding genetic diversity and its significance to health. Other key concepts include the distinction between being a carrier and being at risk for a disease, incomplete compared to complete penetrance, and the inheritance of maternal and paternal haplotypes. This protocol was formulated as a worksheet and is structured around having students navigate the online Embark® platform, a collection of canine breed, trait and health information associated with direct-to-consumer DNA genotyping. A pilot study was conducted during the Fall 2019 semester in a Bisc 336 Honors Genetics class to test the efficacy of the worksheet and student question preferences. Assessment of the results was used to revise the worksheet in preparation for future implementation. Intake and exit surveys were designed to test students’ comprehension of the concepts taught and their personal opinions on the protocol