Nano-G research laboratory for a spacecraft

An acceleration free research laboratory is provided that is confined within a satellite but free of any physical engagement with the walls of the satellite, wherein the laboratory has adequate power, heating, cooling, and communications services to conduct basic research and development. An inner part containing the laboratory is positioned at the center-of-mass of a satellite within the satellite's outer shell. The satellite is then positioned such that its main axes are in a position parallel to its flight velocity vector or in the direction of the residual acceleration vector. When the satellite is in its desired orbit, the inner part is set free so as to follow that orbit without contacting the inside walls of the outer shell. Sensing means detect the position of the inner part with respect to the outer shell, and activate control rockets to move the outer shell; thereby, the inner part is repositioned such that it is correctly positioned at the center-of-mass of the satellite. As a consequence, all disturbing forces, such as drag forces, act on the outer shell, and the inner part containing the laboratory is shielded and is affected only by gravitational forces. Power is supplied to the inner part and to the laboratory by a balanced microwave/laser link which creates the kind of environment necessary for basic research to study critical phenomena such as the Lambda transition in helium and crystal growth, and to perform special metals and alloys research, etc

Protonospheric electron concentration profiles Final report

Protonospheric electron concentration profiles based on Doppler and Faraday effect

The two-frequency, bistatic radar-occultation method for the study of planetary ionospheres scientific reports no. 1 and no. 7

Method for study of planetary ionospheres based on radio wave propagation between earth and spacecraf

The measurements of vehicle glow on the Space Shuttle

From the combined data set of glow observations on STS-3, STS-4 and STS-5 some of the properties of the shuttle glow were observed. Comparison of the STS-3 (240 km) and STS-5 (305 km) photographs show that the intensity of the glow is about a factor of 3.5 brighter on the low altitude (STS-3) flight. The orbiter was purposely rotated about the x axis in an experiment on STS-5 to observe the dependence of the intensity on the angle of incidence between the spacecraft surface normal and the velocity vector. For a relatively large angle between the velocity vector and the surface normal there is an appreciable glow, provided the surface is not shadowed by some other spacecraft structure. As the angle becomes less the glow intensifies. The grating experiments (STS-4 photography only, STS-5 image intensifier photography) provided a preliminary low resolution spectra of the spacecraft glow. Accurate wavelength calibrations of the STS-5 instrument permitted measuring of the spectrum and intensity of the Earth's airglow

The effects of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol on the dopamine system

Δ(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, is a pressing concern to global mental health. Patterns of use are changing drastically due to legalisation, availability of synthetic analogues (‘spice’), cannavaping and aggrandizements in the purported therapeutic effects of cannabis. Many of THC’s reinforcing effects are mediated by the dopamine system. Due to complex cannabinoid-dopamine interactions there is conflicting evidence from human and animal research fields. Acute THC causes increased dopamine release and neuron activity, whilst long-term use is associated with blunting of the dopamine system. Future research must examine the long-term and developmental dopaminergic effects of the drug