Preliminary report on the CTS transient event counter performance through the 1976 spring eclipse season

The transient event counter (TEC), senses and counts transients having a voltage rise of greater than five volts in three separate wire harnesses: the attitude control harness, the solar array instrumentation harness and the solar array power harness. The operational characteristics of TEC are defined and the preliminary results obtained through the first 90 days of operation including the spring 1976 eclipse season are presented. The results show that the Communications Technology Satellite was charged to the point where discharges occurred. The discharge induced transients did not cause any anomalous events in spacecraft operation. The data indicate that discharges can occur at any time during the day without preference to any local time quadrant. The number of discharges occurring in the one second sample interval are greater than anticipated. The compilation and review of the data is continuing

Environmental charging of spacecraft surfaces: Tests of thermal control materials for use on the global positioning system flight space vehicle. Part 1: Specimens 1 to 5

The NASA/USAF program on Environmental Charging of Spacecraft Surfaces consists of experimental efforts directed toward evaluating the response of materials to the environmental charged particle flux. Samples of thermal blankets and second surface mirrors of the type to be used on the Global Positioning System Flight Space Vehicle were tested to determine their response to electron flux. The primary result observed was that the ground connection of the metal layers of the blanket, as made by the baseline grounding technique using serrated washers and grommets, deteriorated with time at test. The discharges observed on the blankets were the glow type, not the 'lightning' strike observed on past specimens. Testing was performed at ambient laboratory temperatures

A Behavioral Guidance System for Fish Using Acoustics Customized to Target Fish Hearing

The overall goal of this research was to determine the feasibility of using sound to divert fish at electric power generating facilities. Consequently, the approach had to use a signal development process which could be customized to animals and site conditions at any plant location. We developed a new approach to using sound and obtained an avoidance response of traps by two species of upstream and downstream migrating salmonids which was 75 to 100% successful. Normal environmental stimuli like water temperature, sunrise, and sunset did not disrupt the response. This new patented approach is to use the sound frequencies and duration, amplitudes and patterns of sounds produced by a species of fish for the creation of the avoidance stimulus, on the basis of the hypothesis that sounds produced by fish are used for communication and, therefore, fall within the most sensitive range of hearing of that species. The avoidance responses observed are sufficiently high to suggest such sounds could be an effective and efficient means of guiding fish away from power plant intakes