Development of a high stability pointing mechanism for wide application

A recurrent requirement of spaceborne instruments and communications equipment is that of accurate pointing. This need is recognizable in such diverse applications as Star Sensor trimming, Momentum Wheel gimballing, in-orbit adjustment or alignment of equipment, inter-satellite communication and Antenna Pointing. A pointing mechanism of novel design having several advantages over the more conventional gimbal, centre-pivoted, or cross axis pointing concepts is described

A modular docking mechanism for in-orbit assembly and spacecraft servicing

A Docking Mechanism concept is described which is suitable for use with autonomous docking systems. The central feature of using simple cylindrical handles on one side and a type of prism seating on the other is offered as a practical method of achieving a standardized structural interface without freezing continued development of the latches, either technically or commercially. The main emphasis in docking mechanism concepts is in two directions: (1) a very simple docking mechanism, involving mainly the latch mechanism to achieve a structural link; and (2) a sophisticated Docking Mechanism, where the latch mechanism is designed for nonrigid spacecraft and the achievement of very low dynamic interactions between spacecraft during the docking process

Design principles of a rotating medium speed mechanism

Design principles of a medium speed mechanism (MSM) are presented, including discussion on the relative merits of beryllium and aluminium as structural materials. Rotating at a speed of 60 rpm, the application envisaged for the MSM was as a despin bearing for the despun platform or despun antenna of a spin stabilized satellite. The MSM was built and tested to qualification level and is currently undergoing real time life testing

The impact of international volunteering on returned volunteers’ engagement with social action in relation to international development

International development volunteering is a potential route to returned volunteers’ engagement in social action on development issues after placement. Using data from a two-stage qualitative study with returned Voluntary Services Overseas volunteers, and by considering the pre-conditions and motivations for social action, this article shows that although returned volunteers commit to social action, they face challenges to engagement. Motivated by deepened, critical understandings of development, they reject some forms of action, whilst other action they value proves problematic and does not sustain. Barriers include how others respond and the lack of meaningful opportunities provided by organisations at home. Despite these challenges, some returned volunteers develop alternative, sustainable ways of engaging that have greater direct impact on development. This is significant in informing how organisations support returned volunteers (RVs) in taking action

Jeremiah’s Temple Sermon and the Hermeneutics of Tradition: A Theological Reading of Jeremiah 7:1–15 and 26:1–24

Reading the Old Testament confronts interpreters with the hermeneutical interrelationship between theological traditions that have contributed to the production and growth of the canonical text and interpretative traditions that seek to understand it within a contemporary context. In the present study, Jeremiah’s temple sermon constitutes an illuminating case study in the ways that hermeneutical frameworks influence the interpretation of biblical literature, as well as an opportunity to explore the possible resources that contemporary theological traditions might offer for understanding texts that have been shaped by ancient theological traditions. The purpose of this thesis is to provide a theologically-oriented reading of the two accounts of the temple sermon in Jeremiah 7:1–15 and 26:1–24 from the perspective of the Christian tradition. I argue that both texts may be understood to communicate a conditional message of judgment aimed at provoking the repentance of its audience, and that the hermeneutical relationship between the two texts reinforces this interpretation. The first two chapters provide an orientation to the subject matter and approach of the thesis, as well as an extended critique of two existing frameworks that have influenced the modern understanding of the temple sermon. The third chapter then proposes a reframing of the discussion, by focusing upon the nature of tradition in philosophical and theological perspectives. Chapters four and five offer extended theological readings of Jeremiah 7:1–15 and 26:1–24, respectively, seeking to demonstrate that contemporary theological discourse may provide potentially illuminating resources for biblical interpretation