Feasibility Study for an Atmospheric Density Specification Satellite

Feasibility Study for an Atmospheric Density Specification Satellite
Author: T. L. Killeen
Publisher:
Total Pages: 92
Release: 1989
Genre: Artificial satellites
ISBN:

The purpose of the Atmospheric Density Specification (ADS) mission (AFGL-705) is to generate a coordinated and comprehensive global set of lower thermospheric state variables (density, temperature, and wind) in the altitude range 100 - 300 kilometers. This data set will be analyzed by a team of scientists including experimentalists and theoreticians to improve the performance of the density specification models of this region of the atmosphere, which currently provide density predictions to a typical accuracy of approx. 15 percent. The instrument complement of the proposed mission includes an ion/neutral mass spectrometer capable of determining absolute neutral densities to approx. 5 percent, an electrostatic triaxial accelerometer for satellite drag and cross-track wind determination, a Fabry-Perot interferometer for the determination of altitude profiles of vector winds, temperatures and composition, and an ion mass spectrometer capable of determining neutral winds and ion neutral constituent abundances.

Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022

Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022
Author: National Research Council
Publisher: National Academies Press
Total Pages: 399
Release: 2012-01-30
Genre: Science
ISBN: 0309224640

In recent years, planetary science has seen a tremendous growth in new knowledge. Deposits of water ice exist at the Moon's poles. Discoveries on the surface of Mars point to an early warm wet climate, and perhaps conditions under which life could have emerged. Liquid methane rain falls on Saturn's moon Titan, creating rivers, lakes, and geologic landscapes with uncanny resemblances to Earth's. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 surveys the current state of knowledge of the solar system and recommends a suite of planetary science flagship missions for the decade 2013-2022 that could provide a steady stream of important new discoveries about the solar system. Research priorities defined in the report were selected through a rigorous review that included input from five expert panels. NASA's highest priority large mission should be the Mars Astrobiology Explorer Cacher (MAX-C), a mission to Mars that could help determine whether the planet ever supported life and could also help answer questions about its geologic and climatic history. Other projects should include a mission to Jupiter's icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean, and the Uranus Orbiter and Probe mission to investigate that planet's interior structure, atmosphere, and composition. For medium-size missions, Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 recommends that NASA select two new missions to be included in its New Frontiers program, which explores the solar system with frequent, mid-size spacecraft missions. If NASA cannot stay within budget for any of these proposed flagship projects, it should focus on smaller, less expensive missions first. Vision and Voyages for Planetary Science in the Decade 2013-2022 suggests that the National Science Foundation expand its funding for existing laboratories and establish new facilities as needed. It also recommends that the program enlist the participation of international partners. This report is a vital resource for government agencies supporting space science, the planetary science community, and the public.

1970 NASA Authorization

1970 NASA Authorization
Author: United States. Congress. House. Committee on Science and Astronautics
Publisher:
Total Pages: 712
Release: 1969
Genre:
ISBN: