ALBERT

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the use Automatic Fusion of Image Data System (AFIDS) for Automatic Co-Registration of QuickBird Data to ascertain if changes have occurred in images. The process is outlined, and views from Iraq and Los Angelels are shown to illustrate the process.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the carbon atmospheric exchange with Arctic tundra. In the Arctic the ecosystem has been a net carbon sink. The project investigates the question of how might climate warming effect high latitude ecosystems and the Earth ecosystems and how to measure the changes.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the principles of establishing and verifying the traceability of remote sensing measurements to national and international scales. Doing this allows comparisons to be made independent of time or locale, and improves understanding of instrument performance, provides confidence in the accuracy of the measurements, improves measurement accuracy and helps contractors understand and meet agency requirements, protecting contractor and customer.

Beschreibung: The high resolution X-Ray Spectrometer (XRS) has been designed to provide the Suzaku Observatory with very high spectral resolution, non-dispersive spectroscopy from 0.3 to 12 keV. This energy range encompasses the most diagnostically-rich part of the x-ray band. The sensor consists of a 32 channel array of x-ray of microcalorimeters, each with an energy resolution of about 6 eV. The very low temperature required for operation of the array (60 mK) is provided by a four-stage cooling system containing a single stage ADR, superfluid He Cryostat, solid Ne Dewar, and a single-stage Stirling-cycle cooler. The Suzaku/XRS is the first orbiting x-ray microcalorimeter spectrometer and has been designed to last more than three years in orbit. The early verification phase of the mission demonstrated that the instrument was working properly and that the cryogen consumption rate was low enough to ensure a mission lifetime exceeding 3 years. However, the liquid He cryogen was completely vaporized two weeks after opening the dewar guard vacuum vent. The problem has been traced to inadequate venting of the dewar He and Ne gases out of the spacecraft into space. In this paper we present the design of the XRS instrument and describe the in-flight performance.

Beschreibung: The twin Mars Exploration Rovers (MER) delivered an unprecedented array of image sensors to the Mars surface. These cameras were essential for operations, science, and public engagement. The Multimission Image Processing Laboratory (MIPL) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was responsible for the first-order processing of all of the images returned by these cameras. This processing included reconstruction of the original images, systematic and ad hoc generation of a wide variety of products derived from those images, and delivery of the data to a variety of customers, within tight time constraints. A combination of automated and manual processes was developed to meet these requirements, with significant inheritance from prior missions. This paper describes the image products generated by MIPL for MER and the processes used to produce and deliver them.

Beschreibung: A flight-worthy high speed color video system has been developed. Extensive system development and ground and environmental. testing hes yielded a flight qualified High Speed Video System (HSVS), This HSVS was initially used on the F-15B #836 for the Lifting Insulating Foam Trajectory (LIFT) project.

Beschreibung: Personnel living in a space environment as well as technicians and engineers preparing spacecraft for launch can potentially be exposed to small amounts of hazardous gases. It is therefore important to be able to detect, identify and quantify the presence of a gas especially when its presence could lead to a fatal situation. The use of small and sensitive sensors can allow for the placement of these devices over a large area, thus allowing for a more precise and timely determination of a gas leak. ASRC Aerospace and its research partners are developing nano sensors for detection of various gases, including but not limited to: H2, NH3, N2O4, hydrazine and others. Initial laboratory testing has demonstrated the capability to detect the gases in concentrations lower than parts per million. Testing and development is continuing to improve the response and recovery times, to increase the sensitivity of the devices. Different coatings and electrodes are currently being evaluated to determine the optimum configuration of a variety of gases. The small footprint of the Nano sensors allows for several devices, each responsive in a different way to different gases, to be placed into a single substrate. Multiple devices embedded into a single substrate results in increased reliability and in a decrease for periodic calibrations. The use of different coatings will result in a small electronic nose capable of distinguishing between different gases. A multi-channel signal conditioner amplifier built on a small multi chip module is used to process the output of the sensors and to deliver a signal that can be remotely monitored. All the data is digitized and transmitted over the same cable pair used to power the amplifier. Multiple outputs can be connected to a single cable pair in order to minimize the added weight and expense associated with cabling in a spacecraft. The sensors will be run through a qualification process to evaluate their suitability for space applications we are expecting to have fully functional sensors available for initial field deployment and testing by the end of the year 2006.

Beschreibung: This report describes a comparison of data from ultrasonic and propeller-and-vane anemometers on 5 wind towers at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The ultrasonic sensors are scheduled to replace the Legacy propeller-and-vane sensors under the Range Standardization and Automation (RSA) program. Because previous studies have noted differences between peak wind speeds reported by mechanical and ultrasonic wind sensors, the latter having no moving parts, the 30th and 45th Weather Squadrons wanted to understand possible differences between the two sensor types. The period-of-record was 13-30 May 2005, A total of 357,626 readings of 1-minute average and peak wind speed/direction from each sensor type were used. Statistics of differences in speed and direction were used to identify 15 out of 19 RSA sensors having the most consistent performance, with respect to the Legacy sensors. RSA average wind speed data from these 15 showed a small positive bias of 0.38 kts. A slightly larger positive bias of 0.94 kts was found in the RSA peak wind speed.

Beschreibung: The standard approach in Digital Particle Image Velocimetry (DPIV) data processing is to use Fast Fourier Transforms to obtain the cross-correlation of two single exposure subregions, where the location of the cross-correlation peak is representative of the most probable particle displacement across the subregion. This standard DPIV processing technique is analogous to Matched Spatial Filtering, a technique commonly used in optical correlators to perform the crosscorrelation operation. Phase only filtering is a well known variation of Matched Spatial Filtering, which when used to process DPIV image data yields correlation peaks which are narrower and up to an order of magnitude larger than those obtained using traditional DPIV processing. In addition to possessing desirable correlation plane features, phase only filters also provide superior performance in the presence of DC noise in the correlation subregion. When DPIV image subregions contaminated with surface flare light or high background noise levels are processed using phase only filters, the correlation peak pertaining only to the particle displacement is readily detected above any signal stemming from the DC objects. Tedious image masking or background image subtraction are not required. Both theoretical and experimental analyses of the signal-to-noise ratio performance of the filter functions are presented. In addition, a new Symmetric Phase Only Filtering (SPOF) technique, which is a variation on the traditional phase only filtering technique, is described and demonstrated. The SPOF technique exceeds the performance of the traditionally accepted phase only filtering techniques and is easily implemented in standard DPIV FFT based correlation processing with no significant computational performance penalty. An "Automatic" SPOF algorithm is presented which determines when the SPOF is able to provide better signal to noise results than traditional PIV processing. The SPOF based optical correlation processing approach is presented as a new paradigm for more robust cross-correlation processing of low signal-to-noise ratio DPIV image data."

Beschreibung: A figure is shown that depicts a proposed miniature ion-mobility spectrometer that would share many features of design and operation of the instrument described in another article. The main differences between that instrument and this one would lie in the configuration and mode of operation of the filter and detector electrodes. A filter electrode and detector electrodes would be located along the sides of a drift tube downstream from the accelerator electrode. These electrodes would apply a combination of (1) a transverse AC electric field that would effect differential transverse dispersal of ions and (2) a transverse DC electric field that would drive the dispersed ions toward the detector electrodes at different distances along the drift tube. The electric current collected by each detector electrode would be a measure of the current, and thus of the abundance of the species of ions impinging on that electrode. The currents collected by all the detector electrodes could be measured simultaneously to obtain continuous readings of abundances of species. The downstream momentum of accelerated ions would be maintained through neutralization on the electrodes; the momentum of the resulting neutral atoms would serve to expel gases from spectrometer, without need for a pump.

Beschreibung: A proposed compact, portable instrument would sample micron-sized airborne particles, would discriminate between biological ones (e.g., bacteria) and nonbiological ones (e.g., dust particles), and would collect the detected biological particles for further analysis. The instrument is intended to satisfy a growing need for means of rapid, inexpensive collection of bioaerosols in a variety of indoor and outdoor settings. Purposes that could be served by such collection include detecting airborne pathogens inside buildings and their ventilation systems, measuring concentrations of airborne biological contaminants around municipal waste-processing facilities, monitoring airborne effluents from suspected biowarfare facilities, and warning of the presence of airborne biowarfare agents

Beschreibung: PixelLearn is an integrated user-interface computer program for classifying pixels in scientific images. Heretofore, training a machine-learning algorithm to classify pixels in images has been tedious and difficult. PixelLearn provides a graphical user interface that makes it faster and more intuitive, leading to more interactive exploration of image data sets. PixelLearn also provides image-enhancement controls to make it easier to see subtle details in images. PixelLearn opens images or sets of images in a variety of common scientific file formats and enables the user to interact with several supervised or unsupervised machine-learning pixel-classifying algorithms while the user continues to browse through the images. The machinelearning algorithms in PixelLearn use advanced clustering and classification methods that enable accuracy much higher than is achievable by most other software previously available for this purpose. PixelLearn is written in portable C++ and runs natively on computers running Linux, Windows, or Mac OS X.

Beschreibung: The T-wave residuum (TWR) is a relatively new 12-lead ECG parameter that may reflect cardiac repolarization heterogeneity. TWR shows clinical promise and may become an important diagnostic tool if accurate, consistent, and convenient methods for its calculation can be developed. However, there are discrepancies between the methods that various investigators have used to calculate TWR, as well as some questions about basic methodology and assumptions that require resolution. The presence of a DC offset or very low frequency AC component to the ECG is often observed. Many researchers have attempted to compensate for these by high pass filters and by median beat techniques. These techniques may help minimize the contribution of a low frequency AC component to the TWR, but they will not eliminate a DC offset inherent within the instrumentation. The present study examined the presence of DC offsets in the ECG record, and their effect on TWR. Specifically, in healthy individuals, a DC offset was added to all 8 channels collectively or to each channel selectively. Even with offsets that were relatively small compared to T-wave amplitude, the addition of either collectively or individually applied offsets was observed to produce very significant changes in the TWR, affecting its value by as much as an order of magnitude. These DC offsets may arise from at least two possible sources: a transient artifact from EMG or electrode movement resulting in a transient baseline offset in one or more channels. Since highpass filters have a settling time of several seconds, these artifacts will contribute to a transitory baseline offset lasting 1020 cycles. The machine hardware may also introduce an offset. Regardless of the cause or source of a DC offset, this study demonstrates that offsets have a very significant impact on TWR, and that future studies must not ignore their presence, but rather more appropriately compensate for them.

Beschreibung: We investigated the use of a simultaneous-phase acquisition interferometer (a 4D FizCamTM 1500) for determining the PSD of the extremely-high aspect ratio (500: 1) glass mirrors for the Constellation-X SXT telescope. We found that the results obtained are strongly influenced by the methodology employed while collecting the data and outline a best method for this type of measurement.

Beschreibung: The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is a next-generation high-energy gamma-ray telescope for studying high energy gamma-ray emission from astrophysical sources. The main instrument is the Large Area Telescope (LAT) which operated in the energy band from 20 MeV to greater than 300 GeV. A second instrument, the Glast Burst Monitor to provide supportive observations of gamma-ray bursts at lower energies. The LAT is a solid state pair-conversion telescope which will have capabilities well beyond those achieved by the highly successful EGRET instrument on the Compton Gamma-ray Observatory. The sensitivity achieved on the entire sky after a single day's observation is similar to the point source sensitivity of EGRET for its entire mission. The large effective area will allow flares from AGN to be detected at much lower flux levels and on far shorter time intervals that has previously been possible from space. The very large field of view will make it possible to monitor approx. 20% of the sky at any instant, and the entire sky on timescale of a few hours. In this talk I will describe the design of the GLAST instruments and discuss their science capabilities.

Beschreibung: A primary goal of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is to characterize the birth and evolution of galaxies by imaging and spectroscopic observations. The telescope will use a Near Infrared Camera and a Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) to carry out this program. The 3.6 x 3.6 field of NIRSpec will contain thousands of candidate high redshift galaxies. With such a high candidate object density, simultaneous multi-object capability is essential. This capability requires a programmable object selection mask to eliminate sky background and to reduce source confusion caused. We are developing a two-dimensional programmable field mask for NIRSpec. These masks employ micromechanical (MEMS) techniques to provide source selection over the NIRSpec field of view. The first flight format arrays (171x365 shutters) have been fabricated and full functionality of these arrays has been demonstrated in lab tests. Qualification tests are in progress to demonstrate readiness for flight, and will be complete in the early fall of 2006. In this paper, I describe performance of this critical new technology, and progress in making the devices ready for a 2008 delivery to ESA for inclusion in the NIRSpec.

Beschreibung: Over the last few years NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been developing an Enhanced Vision System (EVS) to aid pilots while flying in poor visibility conditions. The EVS captures imagery using two infrared video cameras. The cameras are placed in an enclosure that is mounted and flown forward-looking underneath the NASA LaRC ARIES 757 aircraft. The data streams from the cameras are processed in real-time and displayed on monitors on-board the aircraft. With proper processing the camera system can provide better-than-human-observed imagery particularly during poor visibility conditions. However, to obtain this goal requires several different stages of processing including enhancement, registration, and fusion, and specialized processing hardware for real-time performance. We are using a real-time implementation of the Retinex algorithm for image enhancement, affine transformations for registration, and weighted sums to perform fusion. All of the algorithms are executed on a single TI DM642 digital signal processor (DSP) clocked at 720 MHz. The image processing components were added to the EVS system, tested, and demonstrated during flight tests in August and September of 2005. In this paper we briefly discuss the EVS image processing hardware and algorithms. We then discuss implementation issues and show examples of the results obtained during flight tests.

Beschreibung: The Solar-B spacecraft was launched from the Uchinoura Space Center into a circular, sun-synchronous, polar orbit by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency in late September 2006. The spacecraft carries thee scientific instruments designed to follow the flow of magnetic energy from the photosphere to the corona to improve our understanding of both steady state and transient energy release. This goal will be achieved through coordinated observations of three highly advanced solar telescopes developed cooperatively by teams from Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom. The three telescopes are a 0.5m aperture, diffraction limited, solar optical telescope (SOT), an X-ray telescope (XRT) designed for full sun imaging with 1.0 arcsec pixels and an EUV imaging spectrometer (EIS) with an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over past instruments. The SOT focal plane contains three instruments, a spectropolarimeter for measuring vector magnetic fields, a broadband filter imager for recording images of the photosphere and chromosphere at the highest resolution the telescope is capable of, and a narrow band filter imager that will record Doppler grams and vector magnetograms. The XRT has broad temperature coverage and a spatial a resolution three times as high as Yohkoh. EIS covers a broad range of transition region and coronal temperatures in two spectral bands. Both XRT and EIS have 2 arcsec spatial resolution (1 arcsec pixels). Instrument first light occurred after five weeks on orbit to allow for out gassing and the opening of the telescopes doors. The initial observation sequences are designed to test the functionality of the different operating modes and for calibration. After this commissioning phase is complete a series of observations are planned to demonstrate the ability of the instruments to meet NASA's mission minimum success criteria. Data is downloaded every orbit to the Norwegian high latitude ground station at Svalbard. The data are transmitted to ISAS where they are reformatted into FITS files and archived as Level 0 data on the ISAS DARTS system. Once the initial observation period is complete, approximately six months after launch, the mission data will be open and freely available to researchers shortly after receipt at the DARTS data archive hosted in Japan and at NASA s Solar Data Analysis Center at the Goddard Space Flight Center. Scientific operations will be conducted from the ISAS facility in Sagamihara, Japan and the observatory will become available for performing joint operations with both ground and space based instruments and for conducting observing programs proposed by non-team members. This process will be described together with a status report from the initial operation of the observatory, showing examples of the first observations.

Beschreibung: An overview of STEP, the Satellite test of the Equivalence Principle will be presented. This space-based experiment will test the Universality of free fall and is designed to advance the present state of knowledge by over 5 orders of magnitude. The international STEP collaboration is pursuing a development plan to improve and verify the technology readiness of key systems. We will discuss recent advances with an emphasis on accelerometer fabrication and test. The transfer of critical technologies successfully demonstrated in flight by the Gravity Probe B mission will be described.

Beschreibung: We describe progress in the fabrication, characterization, and production of detector arrays for the Atacama Cosmology Telescope (ACT). The completed ACT instrument is specified to image simultaneously at 145, 225, and 265 GHz using three 32x32 filled arrays of superconducting transition edge sensors (TES) read out with time-division-multiplexed SQUID amplifiers. We present details of the pixel design and testing including the optimization of the electrical parameters for multiplexed readout. Using geometric noise suppression and careful tuning of operation temperature and device bias resistance, the excess noise in the TES devices is balanced with detector speed for interfacing with the ACT optics. The design also accounts for practical tolerances such as transition temperature gradients and scatter that occur in the production of multiple wafers to populate fully the kilopixel cameras. We have developed an implanted absorber layer compatible with our silicon-on-insulator process that allows for tunable optical resistance with requisite on-wafer uniformity and wafer-to-wafer reproducibility. Arrays of 32 elements have been tested in the laboratory environment including electrical, optical, and multiplexed performance. Given this pixel design, optical tests and modeling are used to predict the performance of the filled array under anticipated viewing conditions. Integration of the filled array of pixels with a tuned backshort and dielectric plate in front of the array maximize absorption and the focal plane and suppress reflections. A mechanical design for the build of the full structure is completed and we report on progress toward the construction of a prototype array for first light on the ACT.

Beschreibung: Applications of polymeric foams in our modern society continue to grow because of their light weight, high strength, excellent thermal and mechanical insulation, and the ease of engineering. Among others, closed-cell foam has been structurally used for thermally insulating the shuttle external tank. However, internal defects of the foams were difficult to observe non-invasively due to limited sensitivity to the low-density structures possessed by traditional imaging tools such as computed X-ray tomography By combining phase contrast X-ray imaging with pressure loading, we succeeded in precisely mapping intact cellular structure and defects inside the bulk of layered foam and visualizing its subsequent response to the pressure in three-dimensional space. The work demonstrated a powerfir1 approach for yielding insight into underlying problems in lightweight cellular materials otherwise unobtainable.

Beschreibung: NASA's Vision for Space Exploration has specific goals aimed at exploring the Solar System. This vision, under presidential mandate includes landing humans on the moon before the end of the next decade, paving the way for eventual journeys to Mars and beyond. The first missions to the moon will be in the form of both Orbiters and Landers, with the goal of paving the way for human return. One of the instruments we are currently working on,in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory, is a lunar orbiter fluorescent x-ray spectrometer to finely map the light elements (down to Carbon) on surface of the moon. Funded NASA s Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program the instrument is based on silicon drift detector arrays read out by custom ASICs. These offer the promise of high spectral resolution, necessary for resolving weak lines against a strong background continuum, and very low power requirements, necessary for large areas (greater than 500 square centimeters) required for future lunar missions. Further, the inherent radiation hardness of these detectors makes them ideal candidates for exploring the Jovian system, where the harsh radiation environment from Jupiter s radiation belts creates unfavorable detector conditions. Looking beyond our solar system, in the hard x-ray regime (20-80keV.), we are studying Cadmium-Zinc-Telluride pixilated detectors as feasible candidates for focal plane detectors of a hard x-ray telescope. This energy region bridges the gap between thermal and non-thermal x-ray emission from astronomical sources, will allow us to better understand supernovae nucleosynthesis (such as through the Ti-44 lines at 68keV and 78keV), Active Galactic Nuclei and other compact objects, more completely. The detectors that we are characterizing are 2mm in thickness and are pixilated with a 16x16 array of 300 micrometer pitch pixels (50micometer gap). These detectors are designed at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, material is from eV Products, and polymer flip-chip assembly was performed by a commercial vendor. An energy resolution of 2.0% at 60keV (or better) should allow us to sufficiently distinguish lines of interest from background continuum, and the detector spatial resolution should be fine enough to over-sample the focal spot from the x-ray focusing optics by about a factor of two. Full technical details of these developments will be presented.

Beschreibung: An image sensor includes pixels formed on a semiconductor substrate. Each pixel includes a photoactive region in the semiconductor substrate, a sense node, and a power supply node. A first electrode is disposed near a surface of the semiconductor substrate. A bias signal on the first electrode sets a potential in a region of the semiconductor substrate between the photoactive region and the sense node. A second electrode is disposed near the surface of the semiconductor substrate. A bias signal on the second electrode sets a potential in a region of the semiconductor substrate between the photoactive region and the power supply node. The image sensor includes a controller that causes bias signals to be provided to the electrodes so that photocharges generated in the photoactive region are accumulated in the photoactive region during a pixel integration period, the accumulated photocharges are transferred to the sense node during a charge transfer period, and photocharges generated in the photoactive region are transferred to the power supply node during a third period without passing through the sense node. The imager can operate at high shutter speeds with simultaneous integration of pixels in the array. High quality images can be produced free from motion artifacts. High quantum efficiency, good blooming control, low dark current, low noise and low image lag can be obtained.

Beschreibung: A correlated-noise source has been developed for use in calibrating an airborne or spaceborne Earth-observing correlation microwave polarimeter that operates in a in a pass band that includes a nominal frequency of 10.7 GHz. Deviations from ideal behavior of the hardware of correlation polarimeters are such as to decorrelate the signals measured by such an instrument. A correlated-noise source provides known input signals, measurements of which can be processed to estimate and correct for the decorrelation effect.

Beschreibung: A system that automatically regulates the concentration of glucose or pH in a liquid culture medium that is circulated through a rotating-wall perfused bioreactor is described. Another system monitors the concentration of oxygen in the culture medium.

Beschreibung: The cryospheric advanced sensor (CAS) is a developmental airborne (and, potentially, spaceborne) radar-based instrumentation system for measuring and mapping the thickness of sea ice. A planned future version of the system would also provide data on the thickness of snow covering sea ice. Frequent measurements of the thickness of polar ocean sea ice and its snow cover on a synoptic scale are critical to understanding global climate change and ocean circulation.

Beschreibung: Topics covered include: Spatial Response; Reflectance Radiometry; Positional Accuracy; Stationary Atmospheric Monitoring; Laboratory Calibration; Thermal Radiometry; Hyperspectral Radiometry; and Portable Atmospheric Monitoring.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the creation of a prototype algorithm for atmospheric correction using high spatial resolution earth observing imaging systems. The objective of the work was to evaluate accuracy of a prototype algorithm that uses satellite-derived atmospheric products to generate scene reflectance maps for high spatial resolution (HSR) systems. This presentation focused on preliminary results of only the satellite-based atmospheric correction algorithm.

Beschreibung: Objectives: a) To determine the magnitude of radiometric tarp BRDF; b) To determine whether an ASD FieldSpec Pro spectroradiometer can be used to perform the experiment. Radiometric tarps with nominal reflectance values of 52%, 35%, and 3.5%, deployed for IKONOS. QuickBird, and OrbView-3 overpasses Ground-based spectroradiometric measurements of tarp and Spectralon@ panel taken during overpass using ASD FieldSpec Pro spectroradiometer, and tarp reflectance calculated. Reflectance data used in atmospheric radiative transfer model (MODTRAN) to predict satellite at-sensor radiance for radiometric calibration. Reflectance data also used to validate atmospheric correction of high-spatial-resolution multispectral image products

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the characterization of radiometric data by NASA. The objective was to perform radiometric vicarious calibrations of imagery and compare with vendor-provided calibration coefficients. The approach was to use multiple, well-characterized sites. These sites are widely used by the NASA science community for radiometric characterization of airborne and space borne sensors. Using the data from these sites, the investigators performed independent characterizations with independent teams. Each team has slightly different measurement techniques and data processing methods.

Beschreibung: RMSE based methods distort circular error estimates (up to 50% overestimation). The empirical approach is the only statistically unbiased estimator offered. Ager modification to Shultz approach is nearly unbiased, but cumbersome. All methods hover around 20% uncertainty (@ 95% confidence) for low geopositional bias error estimates. This requires careful consideration in assessment of higher accuracy products.

Beschreibung: Objective: Compare vendor-provided image coordinates with known references visible in the imagery. Approach: Use multiple, well-characterized sites with 〉40 ground control points (GCPs); sites that are a) Well distributed; b) Accurately surveyed; and c) Easily found in imagery. Perform independent assessments with independent teams. Each team has slightly different measurement techniques and data processing methods. NASA Stennis Space Center. South Dakota State University.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation regards one element of a larger project on the integration of NASA science models and data into the Hazards U.S. Multi-Hazard (HAZUS-MH) Hurricane module for hurricane damage and loss risk assessment. HAZUS-MH is a decision support tool being developed by the National Institute of Building Sciences for the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). It includes the Hurricane Module, which employs surface roughness maps made from National Land Cover Data (NLCD) maps to estimate coastal hurricane wind damage and loss. NLCD maps are produced and distributed by the U.S. Geological Survey. This presentation discusses an effort to improve upon current HAZUS surface roughness maps by employing ASTER multispectral classifications with QuickBird "ground reference" imagery.

Beschreibung: Characterization was conducted under the Memorandum of Understanding among Orbital Sciences Corp., ORBIMAGE, Inc., and NASA Applied Sciences Directorate. Acquired five OrbView-3 panchromatic images of the permanent Stennis Space Center edge targets painted on a concrete surface. Each image is available at two processing levels: Georaw and Basic. Georaw is an intermediate image in which individual pixels are aligned by a nominal shift in the along-scan direction to adjust for the staggered layout of the panchromatic detectors along the focal plane array. Georaw images are engineering data and are not delivered to customers. The Basic product includes a cubic interpolation to align the pixels better along the focal plane and to correct for sensor artifacts, such as smile and attitude smoothing. This product retains satellite geometry - no rectification is performed. Processing of the characterized images did not include image sharpening, which is applied by default to OrbView-3 image products delivered by ORBIMAGE to customers. Edge responses were extracted from images of tilted edges in two directions: along-scan and cross-scan. Each edge response was approximated with a superposition of three sigmoidal functions through a nonlinear least-squares curve-fitting. Line Spread Functions (LSF) were derived by differentiation of the analytical approximation. Modulation Transfer Functions (MTF) were obtained after applying the discrete Fourier transform to the LSF.

Beschreibung: A ferromagnetic thin-film based magnetic field sensor with first and second sensitive direction sensing structures each having a nonmagnetic intermediate layer with two major surfaces on opposite sides thereof having a magnetization reference layer on one and an anisotropic ferromagnetic material sensing layer on the other having a length in a selected length direction and a smaller width perpendicular thereto and parallel to the relatively fixed magnetization direction. The relatively fixed magnetization direction of said magnetization reference layer in each is oriented in substantially parallel to the substrate but substantially perpendicular to that of the other. An annealing process is used to form the desired magnetization directions.

Beschreibung: Systems and methods for measuring a contour match between adjacent components are disclosed. In one embodiment, at least two pressure sensors are located between adjacent components. Each pressure sensor is adapted to obtain a pressure measurement at a location a predetermined distance away from the other pressure sensors, and to output a pressure measurement for each sensor location. An output device is adapted to receive the pressure measurements from at least two pressure sensors and display the pressure measurements. In one aspect, the pressure sensors include flexible thin film pressure sensors. In accordance with other aspects of the invention, a method is provided for measuring a contour match between two interfacing components including measuring at least one pressure applied to at least one sensor between the interfacing components.

Beschreibung: The present invention provides a delay line SAW device fabricated on a lithium niobate substrate and coated with a bilayer of nanocrystalline or other nanomaterials such as nanoparticles or nanowires of palladiumn and metal free pthalocyanine which will respond to hydrogen gas in near real time, at low (room) temperature, without being affected by CO, O.sub.2, CH.sub.4 and other gases, in air ambient or controlled ambient, providing sensitivity to low ppm levels.

Beschreibung: A Microscope Imaging System (CMIS) with intelligent controls is disclosed that provides techniques for scanning, identifying, detecting and tracking mic?oscopic changes in selected characteristics or features of various surfaces including, but not limited to, cells, spheres, and manufactured products subject to difficult-to-see imperfections. The practice of the present invention provides applications that include colloidal hard spheres experiments, biological cell detection for patch clamping, cell movement and tracking, as well as defect identification in products, such as semiconductor devices, where surface damage can be significant, but difficult to detect. The CMIS system is a machine vision system, which combines intelligent image processing with remote control capabilities and provides the ability to autofocus on a microscope sample, automatically scan an image, and perform machine vision analysis on multiple samples simultaneously.

Beschreibung: Method and apparatus are disclosed for monitoring an oxygen partial pressure in an air mask and providing a tactile warning to the user. The oxygen partial pressure in the air mask is detected using an electrochemical sensor, the output signal from which is provided to a comparator. The comparator compares the output signal with a preset reference value or range of values representing acceptable oxygen partial pressures. If the output signal is different than the reference value or outside the range of values, the air mask is vibrated by a vibrating motor to alert the user to a potentially hypoxic condition.

Beschreibung: Optical spectrometry can provide means to characterize rocket engine exhaust plume impurities due to eroded materials, as well as combustion mixture ratio without any interference with plume. Fiberoptic probes and cables were designed, fabricated and installed on Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), allowing monitoring of the plume spectra in real time with a Commercial of the Shelf (COTS) fiberoptic spectrometer, located in a test-stand control room. The probes and the cables survived the harsh engine environments for numerous hot-fire tests. When the plume was seeded with a nickel alloy powder, the spectrometer was able to successfully detect all the metallic and OH radical spectra from 300 to 800 nanometers.

Beschreibung: Aerial images from the Follow-On Radar, Enhanced and Synthetic Vision Systems Integration Technology Evaluation (FORESITE) flight tests with the NASA Langley Research Center's research Boeing 757 were acquired during severe haze and haze/mixed clouds visibility conditions. These images were enhanced using the Visual Servo (VS) process that makes use of the Multiscale Retinex. The images were then quantified with visual quality metrics used internally with the VS. One of these metrics, the Visual Contrast Measure, has been computed for hundreds of FORESITE images, and for major classes of imaging--terrestrial (consumer), orbital Earth observations, orbital Mars surface imaging, NOAA aerial photographs, and underwater imaging. The metric quantifies both the degree of visual impairment of the original, un-enhanced images as well as the degree of visibility improvement achieved by the enhancement process. The large aggregate data exhibits trends relating to degree of atmospheric visibility attenuation, and its impact on limits of enhancement performance for the various image classes. Overall results support the idea that in most cases that do not involve extreme reduction in visibility, large gains in visual contrast are routinely achieved by VS processing. Additionally, for very poor visibility imaging, lesser, but still substantial, gains in visual contrast are also routinely achieved. Further, the data suggest that these visual quality metrics can be used as external standalone metrics for establishing performance parameters.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the control system for the interferometer nuller for the two Keck 10 meter telescopes. This reviews the control system that was implemented to enable operation of the Keck interferometer nuller. An overview of the control system is included.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the requirements, chamber location, shutter system design, stepper motor specifications, dry lubrication, control system, the environmental cryogenic function testing and the test results of the Focal Plane Array Shutter mechanism for the James Webb Space Telescope Near Infrared Spectrum Detector system. Included are design views of the location for the Shutter Mechanism, lubricant (lubricated with Molybdenum Di Sulfide) thickness, and information gained from the cryogenic testing.

Beschreibung: We discuss the contamination 'Haze' anomaly for the Cassini Narrow Angle Camera (NAC), one of two optical telescopes that comprise the Imaging Science Subsystem (ISS). Cassini is a Saturn Orbiter with a 4-year nominal mission. The incident occurred in 2001, five months after Jupiter encounter during the Cruise phase and ironically at the resumption of planned maintenance decontamination cycles. The degraded optical performance was first identified by the Instrument Operations Team with the first ISS Saturn imaging six weeks later. A distinct haze of varying size from image to image marred the images of Saturn. A photometric star calibration of the Pleiades, 4 days after the incident, showed stars with halos. Analysis showed that while the halo's intensity was only 1 - 2% of the intensity of the central peak of a star, the halo contained 30 - 70% of its integrated flux. This condition would impact science return. In a review of our experiences, we examine the contamination control plan, discuss the analysis of the limited data available and describe the one-year campaign to remove the haze from the camera. After several long conservative heating activities and interim analysis of their results, the contamination problem as measured by the camera's point spread function was essentially back to preanomaly size and at a point where there would be more risk to continue. We stress the importance of the flexibility of operations and instrument design, the need to do early infight instrument calibration and continual monitoring of instrument performance.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) that is on the Aqua satellite. The expectations that were had about AIRS have been exceeded. The lessons learned from AIRS are reviewed. These lessons are used to enhance the next generation hyperspectral sounder, being planned.

Beschreibung: The Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) is a joint NASA/ESA mission to detect and measure gravitational waves with periods from 1 s to 10000 s. The systems engineering challenges of developing a giant interferometer, 5 million kilometers on a side, an: numerous. Some of the key challenges are presented in this paper. The organizational challenges imposed by sharing the engineering function between three centers (ESA ESTEC, NASA GSFC, and JPL) across nine time zones are addressed. The issues and approaches to allocation of the acceleration noise and measurement sensitivity budget terms across a traditionally decomposed system are discussed. Additionally, using LISA to detect gravitational waves for the first time presents significant data analysis challenges, many of which drive the project system design. The approach to understanding the implications of science data analysis on the system is also addressed.

Beschreibung: We have exploited the artificial atomlike properties of epitaxially self-assembled quantum dots for the development of high operating temperature long wavelength infrared (LWIR) focal plane arrays. Quantum dots are nanometer-scale islands that form spontaneously on a semiconductor substrate due to lattice mismatch. QDIPs are expected to outperform quantum well infrared detectors (QWIPs) and are expected to offer significant advantages over II-VI material based focal plane arrays. QDIPs are fabricated using robust wide bandgap III-V materials which are well suited to the production of highly uniform LWIR arrays. We have used molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technology to grow multi-layer LWIR quantum dot structures based on the InAs/InGaAs/GaAs material system. JPL is building on its significant QWIP experience and is basically building a Dot-in-the-Well (DWELL) device design by embedding InAs quantum dots in a QWIP structure. This hybrid quantum dot/quantum well device offers additional control in wavelength tuning via control of dot-size and/or quantum well sizes. In addition the quantum wells can trap electrons and aide in ground state refilling. Recent measurements have shown a 10 times higher photoconductive gain than the typical QWIP device, which indirectly confirms the lower relaxation rate of excited electrons (photon bottleneck) in QDPs. Subsequent material and device improvements have demonstrated an absorption quantum efficiency (QE) of approx. 3%. Dot-in-the-well (DWELL) QDIPs were also experimentally shown to absorb both 45 deg. and normally incident light. Thus we have employed a reflection grating structure to further enhance the quantum efficiency. JPL has demonstrated wavelength control by progressively growing material and fabricating devices structures that have continuously increased in LWIR response. The most recent devices exhibit peak responsivity out to 8.1 microns. Peak detectivity of the 8.1 micrometer devices has reached approx. 1 x 10(exp 10) Jones at 77 K. Furthermore, we have fabricated the first long-wavelength 640x512 pixels QDP focal plane array. This QDIP focal plane may has produced excellent infrared imagery with noise equivalent temperature difference of 40 mK at 60K operating temperature. In addition, we have managed to increase the quantum efficiency of these devices from 0.1% (according to the data published in literature) to 20% in discrete devices. This is a factor of 200 increase in quantum efficiency. With these excellent results, for the first time QDIP performance has surpassed the QWIP performance. Our goal is to operate these long-wavelength detectors at much higher operating temperature than 77K which can be passively achieved in space. This will be a huge leap in high performance infrared detectors specifically applicable to space science instruments.

Beschreibung: The nulling coronagraph is one of 5 instrument concepts selected by NASA for study for potential use in the TPF-C mission. This concept for extreme starlight suppression has two major components, a nulling interferometer to suppress the starlight to ~10(sup -10) per airy spot within 2 (lamda)/D of the star, and a calibration interferometer to measure the residual scattered starlight. The ability to work at 2 (lamda)/D dramatically improves the science throughput of a space based coronagraph like TPF-C. The calibration interferometer is an equally important part of the starlight suppression system. It measures the measures the wavefront of the scattered starlight with very high SNR, to 0.05nm in less than 5 minutes on a 5mag star. In addition, the post coronagraph wavefront sensor will be used to measure the residual scattered light after the coronagraph and subtract it in post processing to 1~2x10(sup -11) to enable detection of an Earthlike planet with a SNR of 5~10.

Beschreibung: A description of adaptive nulling for Terrestrial Planet Finder Interferometer (TPFI) is presented. The topics include: 1) Nulling in TPF-I; 2) Why Do Adaptive Nulling; 3) Parallel High-Order Compensator Design; 4) Phase and Amplitude Control; 5) Development Activates; 6) Requirements; 7) Simplified Experimental Setup; 8) Intensity Correction; and 9) Intensity Dispersion Stability. A short summary is also given on adaptive nulling for the TPFI.

Beschreibung: To determine the lowest attainable phonon noise equivalent power (NEP) for membrane-isolation bolometers, we fabricated and measured the thermal conductance of suspended Si3N4 beams with different geometries via a noise thermometry technique. We measured beam cross-sectional areas ranging from 0.35 x 0.5 (micro)m(sup 2) to 135 x 1.0 (micro)m(sup 2) and beam lengths ranging from (micro)m to 8300 (micro)m. The measurements directly imply that membrane-isolation bolometers are capable of reaching a phonon noise equivalent power (NEP) of 4 x 10(sup -20)W/Hz(sup 1)/O . This NEP adequate for the Background-Limited Infrared-Submillimeter Spectrograph (BLISS) proposed for the Japanese SPICA observatory, and adequate for NASA's SAFIR observatory, a 10-meter, 4 K telescope to be deployed at L2. Further, we measured the heat capacity of a suspended Si〈base〉3N〈base〉4 membrane and show how this result implies that one can make membrane-isolation bolometers with a response time which is fast enough for BLISS.

Beschreibung: The Fourier-Kelvin Stellar Interferometer (FKSI) is a mission concept for an imaging and nulling interferometer in the near to mid-infrared spectral region (3-8 microns), and will be a scientific and technological pathfinder for upcoming missions including TPF-I/DARWIN, SPECS, and SPIRIT. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we have constructed a symmetric Mach-Zehnder nulling testbed to demonstrate techniques and algorithms that can be used to establish and maintain the 10(exp 4) null depth that will be required for such a mission. Among the challenges inherent in such a system is the ability to acquire and track the null fringe to the desired depth for timescales on the order of hours in a laboratory environment. In addition, it is desirable to achieve this stability without using conventional dithering techniques. We describe recent testbed metrology and control system developments necessary to achieve these goals and present our preliminary results.

Beschreibung: Aerial imagery of the Earth is an invaluable tool for the assessment of ground features, especially during times of disaster. Researchers at the NASA Langley Research Center have developed techniques which have proven to be useful for such imagery. Aerial imagery from various sources, including Langley's Boeing 757 Aries aircraft, has been studied extensively. This paper discusses these studies and demonstrates that better-than-observer imagery can be obtained even when visibility is severely compromised. A real-time, multi-spectral experimental system will be described and numerous examples will be shown.

Beschreibung: The nulling mode of the Keck Interferometer is being commissioned at the Mauna Kea summit. The nuller combines the two Keck telescope apertures in a split-pupil mode to both cancel the on-axis starlight and to coherently detect the residual signal. The nuller, working at 10 um, is tightly integrated with the other interferometer subsystems including the fringe and angle trackers, the delay lines and laser metrology, and the real-time control system. Since first 10 um light in August 2004, the system integration is proceeding with increasing functionality and performance, leading to demonstration of a 100:1 on-sky null in 2005. That level of performance has now been extended to observations with longer coherent integration times. An overview of the overall system is presented, with emphasis on the observing sequence, phasing system, and differences with respect to the V2 system, along with a presentation of some recent engineering data.

Beschreibung: We present a formal comparison of the performance of algorithms used for synthesis imaging with optical/infrared long-baseline interferometers. Five different algorithms are evaluated based on their performance with simulated test data. Each set of test data is formatted in the OI-FITS format. The data are calibrated power spectra and bispectra measured with an array intended to be typical of existing imaging interferometers. The strengths and limitations of each algorithm are discussed.

Beschreibung: Direct detection of planets around nearby stars requires the development of high-contrast imaging techniques, because of their very different respective fluxes. We thus investigated the innovative coronagraphic approach based on the use of a four-quadrant phase mask (FQPM). Simulations showed that, combined with high-level wavefront correction on an unobscured off-axis section of a large telescope, this method allows high-contrast imaging very close to stars, with detection capability superior to that of a traditional coronagraph. A FQPM instrument was thus built to test the feasibility of near-neighbor observations with our new off-axis approach on a ground-based telescope. In June 2005, we deployed our instrument to the Palomar 200-inch telescope, using existing facilities as much as possible for rapid implementation. In these initial observations, using data processing techniques specific to FQPM coronagraphs, we reached extinction levels of the order of 200:1. Here we discuss our simulations and on-sky results obtained so far.

Beschreibung: A primary goal of the astrobiology program is the search for fossil records. The astrobiology exploration strategy calls for the location and return of samples indicative of environments conducive to life, and that best capture and preserve biomarkers. Successfully returning samples from environments conducive to life requires two primary capabilities: (1) in situ mapping of the mineralogy in order to determine whether the desired minerals are present; and (2) nondestructive screening of samples for additional in-situ testing and/or selection for return to laboratories for more in-depth examination. Two of the most powerful identification techniques are micro-imaging and visible/infrared spectroscopy. The design and test results are presented from a compact rugged instrument that combines micro-imaging and spectroscopic capability to provide in-situ analysis, mapping, and sample screening capabilities. Accurate reflectance spectra should be a measure of reflectance as a function of wavelength only. Other compact multispectral microimagers use separate LEDs (light-emitting diodes) for each wavelength and therefore vary the angles of illumination when changing wavelengths. When observing a specularly-reflecting sample, this produces grossly inaccurate spectra due to the variation in the angle of illumination. An advanced design and test results are presented for a multispectral microimager which demonstrates two key advances relative to previous LED-based microimagers: (i) acquisition of actual reflectance spectra in which the flux is a function of wavelength only, rather than a function of both wavelength and illumination geometry; and (ii) increase in the number of spectral bands to eight bands covering a spectral range of 468 to 975 nm.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the calibration of the Earth's orientation by using the Deep Space Network (DSN) e Very Large Base Integration (VLBI). The topics include: 1) Background: TEMPO; 2) Background: UT1 Knowledge Error; 3) e-VLBI: WVSR TEMPO Overview; 4) e-VLBI: WVSR TEMPO Turnaround; 5) e-VLBI: WVSR TEMPO R&D Tests; and 6) WVSR TEMPO Test Conclusion.

Beschreibung: The Cassini mission to Saturn is complex with 12 science teams conducting distributed operations across the United States and Europe. Each Team includes scientists from around the world who actively participate in operations, including observation design, instrument commanding, downlink processing, and archiving. This represents a change in how JPL complex deep-space missions have been operated. Since Saturn Orbit Insertion (SOI), the Cassini Project has spent 17 months conducting science operations and has gained real-world experience that has tested the assumptions and rationale for this approach. We have learned that many of the expected benefits have been realized, but there were numerous unexpected challenges as well. This paper will discuss the lessons learned from the Cassini Tour experience to date. It will revisit the assumptions and rationale behind the distributed instrument operations design and will describe the results, good and bad, of implementing this method of operations. We will describe how Instrument Teams are structured, their roles and responsibilities, what challenges they faced going into orbital operations (the 'tour') and what creative solutions were proposed when funding limitations and schedule milestones prevented optimum solutions. We will also discuss the problems that have been encountered both on the ground and with the instruments, how these problems and anomalies were overcome, and what was learned along the way about the characteristics of distributed instrument operations.

Beschreibung: The advances in large scale applications of carbon nanotubes demand a reliable supply of raw and processed materials. It is imperative to have a consistent quality control of these nanomaterials to distinguish material inconsistency from the modifications induced by processing of nanotubes for any application. NASA Johnson Space Center realized this need five years back and started a program to standardize the characterization methods. The JSC team conducted two workshops (2003 and 2005) in collaboration with NIST focusing on purity and dispersion measurement issues of carbon nanotubes [1]. In 2004, the NASA-JSC protocol was developed by combining analytical techniques of SEM, TEM, UV-VIS-NIR absorption, Raman, and TGA [2]. This protocol is routinely used by several researchers across the world as a first step in characterizing raw and purified carbon nanotubes. A suggested practice guide consisting of detailed chapters on TGA, Raman, electron microscopy and NIR absorption is in the final stages and is undergoing revisions with input from the nanotube community [3]. The possible addition of other techniques such as XPS, and ICP to the existing protocol will be presented. Recent activities at ANSI and ISO towards implementing these protocols as nanotube characterization standards will be discussed.

Beschreibung: Instrument purchase requirements and dialogue with manufacturers have established hardware parameters for alignment, stability, and reproducibility, which have helped improve the precision and accuracy of electron microprobe analysis (EPMA). The development of correction algorithms and the accurate solution to quantitative analysis problems requires the minimization of systematic errors and relies on internally consistent data sets. Improved hardware and computer systems have resulted in better automation of vacuum systems, stage and wavelength-dispersive spectrometer (WDS) mechanisms, and x-ray detector systems which have improved instrument stability and precision. Improved software now allows extended automated runs involving diverse setups and better integrates digital imaging and quantitative analysis. However, instrumental performance is not regularly maintained, as WDS are aligned and calibrated during installation but few laboratories appear to check and maintain this calibration. In particular, detector deadtime (DT) data is typically assumed rather than measured, due primarily to the difficulty and inconvenience of the measurement process. This is a source of fundamental systematic error in many microprobe laboratories and is unknown to the analyst, as the magnitude of DT correction is not listed in output by microprobe operating systems. The analyst must remain vigilant to deviations in instrumental alignment and calibration, and microprobe system software must conveniently verify the necessary parameters. Microanalysis of mission critical materials requires an ongoing demonstration of instrumental calibration. Possible approaches to improvements in instrument calibration, quality control, and accuracy will be discussed. Development of a set of core requirements based on discussions with users, researchers, and manufacturers can yield documents that improve and unify the methods by which instruments can be calibrated. These results can be used to continue improvements of EPMA.

Beschreibung: A breadboard is under development to demonstrate the calibration of spectral errors in microarcsecond stellar interferometers. Analysis shows that thermally and mechanically stable hardware in addition to careful optical design can reduce the wavelength dependent error to tens of nanometers. Calibration of the hardware can further reduce the error to the level of picometers. The results of thermal, mechanical and optical analysis supporting the breadboard design will be shown.

Beschreibung: WISE, the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer, is scheduled for launch in June 2010. The mission operations system for WISE requires a software modeling tool to help plan, integrate and simulate all spacecraft pointing and verify that no attitude constraints are violated. In the course of developing the requirements for this tool, an investigation was conducted into the design of similar tools for other space-based telescopes. This paper summarizes the ground software and processes used to plan and validate pointing for a selection of space telescopes; with this information as background, the design for WISE is presented.

Beschreibung: An astronomical beam combiner combines the two beams of starlight to form white-light fringes. It is desirable that the dispersion of the beam combiner be minimized across the observation wavelength range. We present here an analysis of the phase dispersion from coatings for a symmetric beam combiner. The sensitivity of the dispersion to a slight mismatch in beamsplitter coatings is also studied.

Beschreibung: A corner cube (CC) articulation model has been developed to evaluate the SIM internal metrology (IntMet) optical delay bias (with the accuracy of picometer) due to the component imperfections, such as vertex offset, reflection coating index error, dihedral error, and surface figure error at each facet. This physics-based and MATLAB-implemented geometric optics model provides useful guidance on the flight system design, integration, and characterization. The first portion of this paper covers the CC model details. Then several feature of the model, such as metrology beam footprint visualization, roofline straddling/crossing analysis, and application to drive the sub-system design and the error budget flow-down, are demonstrated in the second part.

Beschreibung: The Space Interferometry Mission (SIM), consisting of an orbiting pair of telescopes, will be used for characterization of extrasolar planetary systems and for associated astrophysics research. To maximize the capabilities of this instrument, extensive technology development has been performed, much of it to understand and verify the performance of precision structures.

Beschreibung: High-contrast imaging, particularly direct detection of extrasolar planets, is a major science driver for the next generation of extremely large telescopes such as the segmented Thirty Meter Telescope. This goal requires more than merely diffraction-limited imaging, but also attention to residual scattered light from wavefront errors and diffraction effects at the contrast level of 10-8-10-9. Using a wave-optics simulation of adaptive optics and a diffraction suppression system we investigate diffraction from the segmentation geometry, intersegment gaps, obscuration by the secondary mirror and its supports. We find that the large obscurations pose a greater challenge than the much smaller segment gaps. In addition the impact of wavefront errors from the primary mirror, including segment alignment and figure errors, are analyzed. Segment-to-segment reflectivity variations and residual segment figure error will be the dominant error contributors from the primary mirror. Strategies to mitigate these errors are discussed.

Beschreibung: A low-complexity, adaptive predictive technique for lossless compression of hyperspectral imagery is described. This technique is designed to be suitable for implementation in hardware such as a field programmable gate array (FPGA); such an implementation could be used for high-speed compression of hyperspectral imagery onboard a spacecraft. The predictive step of the technique makes use of the sign algorithm, which is a relative of the least mean square (LMS) algorithm from the field of low-complexity adaptive filtering. The compressed data stream consists of prediction residuals encoded using a method similar to that of the JPEG-LS lossless image compression standard. Compression results are presented for several datasets including some raw Airborne Visible/ Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) datasets and raw Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) datasets. The compression effectiveness obtained with the technique is competitive with that of the best of previously described techniques with similar complexity.

Beschreibung: Topics covered include: NASA Applied Sciences Program; USGS Land Remote Sensing: Overview; QuickBird System Status and Product Overview; ORBIMAGE Overview; IKONOS 2004 Calibration and Validation Status; OrbView-3 Spatial Characterization; On-Orbit Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) Measurement of QuickBird; Spatial Resolution Characterization for QuickBird Image Products 2003-2004 Season; Image Quality Evaluation of QuickBird Super Resolution and Revisit of IKONOS: Civil and Commercial Application Project (CCAP); On-Orbit System MTF Measurement; QuickBird Post Launch Geopositional Characterization Update; OrbView-3 Geometric Calibration and Geopositional Accuracy; Geopositional Statistical Methods; QuickBird and OrbView-3 Geopositional Accuracy Assessment; Initial On-Orbit Spatial Resolution Characterization of OrbView-3 Panchromatic Images; Laboratory Measurement of Bidirectional Reflectance of Radiometric Tarps; Stennis Space Center Verification and Validation Capabilities; Joint Agency Commercial Imagery Evaluation (JACIE) Team; Adjacency Effects in High Resolution Imagery; Effect of Pulse Width vs. GSD on MTF Estimation; Camera and Sensor Calibration at the USGS; QuickBird Geometric Verification; Comparison of MODTRAN to Heritage-based Results in Vicarious Calibration at University of Arizona; Using Remotely Sensed Imagery to Determine Impervious Surface in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Estimating Sub-Pixel Proportions of Sagebrush with a Regression Tree; How Do YOU Use the National Land Cover Dataset?; The National Map Hazards Data Distribution System; Recording a Troubled World; What Does This-Have to Do with This?; When Can a Picture Save a Thousand Homes?; InSAR Studies of Alaska Volcanoes; Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) Data Products; Improving Access to the USGS Aerial Film Collections: High Resolution Scanners; Improving Access to the USGS Aerial Film Collections: Phoenix Digitizing System Product Distribution; System and Product Characterization: Issues Approach; Innovative Approaches to Analysis of Lidar Data for the National Map; Changes in Imperviousness near Military Installations; Geopositional Accuracy Evaluations of QuickBird and OrbView-3: Civil and Commercial Applications Project (CCAP); Geometric Accuracy Assessment: OrbView ORTHO Products; QuickBird Radiometric Calibration Update; OrbView-3 Radiometric Calibration; QuickBird Radiometric Characterization; NASA Radiometric Characterization; Establishing and Verifying the Traceability of Remote-Sensing Measurements to International Standards; QuickBird Applications; Airport Mapping and Perpetual Monitoring Using IKONOS; OrbView-3 Relative Accuracy Results and Impacts on Exploitation and Accuracy Improvement; Using Remotely Sensed Imagery to Determine Impervious Surface in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Applying High-Resolution Satellite Imagery and Remotely Sensed Data to Local Government Applications: Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Automatic Co-Registration of QuickBird Data for Change Detection Applications; Developing Coastal Surface Roughness Maps Using ASTER and QuickBird Data Sources; Automated, Near-Real Time Cloud and Cloud Shadow Detection in High Resolution VNIR Imagery; Science Applications of High Resolution Imagery at the USGS EROS Data Center; Draft Plan for Characterizing Commercial Data Products in Support of Earth Science Research; Atmospheric Correction Prototype Algorithm for High Spatial Resolution Multispectral Earth Observing Imaging Systems; Determining Regional Arctic Tundra Carbon Exchange: A Bottom-Up Approach; Using IKONOS Imagery to Assess Impervious Surface Area, Riparian Buffers and Stream Health in the Mid-Atlantic Region; Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy Civil Implementation Update; USGS Commercial Remote Sensing Data Contracts (CRSDC); and Commercial Remote Sensing Space Policy (CRSSP): Civil Near-Term Requirements Collection Update.

Beschreibung: In this paper we present protograph codes with a small number of degree-3 nodes and one high degree node. The iterative decoding threshold for proposed rate 1/2 codes are lower, by about 0.2 dB, than the best known irregular LDPC codes with degree at least 3. The main motivation is to gain linear minimum distance to achieve low error floor. Also to construct rate-compatible protograph-based LDPC codes for fixed block length that simultaneously achieves low iterative decoding threshold and linear minimum distance. We start with a rate 1/2 protograph LDPC code with degree-3 nodes and one high degree node. Higher rate codes are obtained by connecting check nodes with degree-2 non-transmitted nodes. This is equivalent to constraint combining in the protograph. The condition where all constraints are combined corresponds to the highest rate code. This constraint must be connected to nodes of degree at least three for the graph to have linear minimum distance. Thus having node degree at least 3 for rate 1/2 guarantees linear minimum distance property to be preserved for higher rates. Through examples we show that the iterative decoding threshold as low as 0.544 dB can be achieved for small protographs with node degrees at least three. A family of low- to high-rate codes with minimum distance linearly increasing in block size and with capacity-approaching performance thresholds is presented. FPGA simulation results for a few example codes show that the proposed codes perform as predicted.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews four years of absolute calibration of hyperspectral data from the AIRS instrument located on the EOS AQUA spacecraft. The following topics are discussed: 1) A quick overview of AIRS; 2) What absolute calibration accuracy and stability are required for climate applications?; 3) Validating of radiance accuracy and stability: Results from four years of AIRS data; and 4) Conclusions.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph document reviews the topography of the Itokawa asteroid. It summarizes some of the relevant information about the asteroid, and how using the imaging from Hayabusa and LIDAR data, a topographic image of Itokawa was derived.

Beschreibung: A history and motivation of stellar interferometry is presented. The topics include: 1) On Tides, Organ Pipes, and Soap Bubbles; 2) Armand Hippolyte Fizeau (1819-1896); 3) Fizeau Suggests Stellar Interferometry 1867; 4) Edouard Stephan (1837-1923); 5) Foucault Refractor; 6) Albert A. Michelson (1852-1931); 7) On the Application of Interference Methods to Astronomy (1890); 8) Moons of Jupiter (1891); 9) Other Applications in 19th Century; 10) Timeline of Interferometry to 1938; 11) 30 years goes by; 12) Mount Wilson Observatory; 13) Michelson's 20 ft Interferometer; 14) Was Michelson Influenced by Fizeau? 15) Work Continues in the 1920s and 30s; 16) 50 ft Interferometer (1931-1938); 17) Light Paths in the 50 ft Interferometer; 18) Ground-level at the 50 ft; 19) F.G. Pease (1881-1938); 20) Timeline of Optical Interferometry to 1970; 21) A New Type of Stellar Interferometer (1956); 22) Intensity Interferometer (1963- 1976; 23) Robert Hanbury Brown; 24) Interest in Optical Interferometry in the 1960s; 25) Interferometry in the Early 1970s; and 26) A New Frontier is Opened up in 1974.

Beschreibung: Usage Scenarios: I) Identify candidate targets: a) Locate rocks; b) Select points on rocks. II) Identify and prioritize candidate targets: a) Locate rocks; b) Select points on rocks; c) Extract rock properties; and d) Prioritize points based on rock properties.

Beschreibung: A range of thin film sensor technology has been demonstrated enabling measurement of multiple parameters either individually or in sensor arrays including temperature, strain, heat flux, and flow. Multiple techniques exist for refractory thin film fabrication, fabrication and integration on complex surfaces and multilayered thin film insulation. Leveraging expertise in thin films and high temperature materials, investigations for the applications of thin film ceramic sensors has begun. The current challenges of instrumentation technology are to further develop systems packaging and component testing of specialized sensors, further develop instrumentation techniques on complex surfaces, improve sensor durability, and to address needs for extreme temperature applications. The technology research and development ongoing at NASA Glenn for applications to future launch vehicles, space vehicles, and ground systems is outlined.

Beschreibung: This viewgraph presentation reviews the modeling of Quantum Well Infrared Detectors (QWIP) and Quantum Dot Infrared Detectors (QDIP) in the development of Focal Plane Arrays (FPA). The QWIP Detector being developed is a dual band detector. It is capable of running on two bands Long-Wave Infrared (LWIR) and Medium Wavelength Infrared (MWIR). The same large-format dual-band FPA technology can be applied to Quantum Dot Infrared Photodetector (QDIP) with no modification, once QDIP exceeds QWIP in single device performance. Details of the devices are reviewed.

Beschreibung: For real-time stereo vision systems, the standard method for estimating sub-pixel stereo disparity given an initial integer disparity map involves fitting parabolas to a matching cost function aggregated over rectangular windows. This results in a phenomenon known as 'pixel-locking,' which produces artificially-peaked histograms of sub-pixel disparity. These peaks correspond to the introduction of erroneous ripples or waves in the 3D reconstruction of truly Rat surfaces. Since stereo vision is a common input modality for autonomous vehicles, these inaccuracies can pose a problem for safe, reliable navigation. This paper proposes a new method for sub-pixel stereo disparity estimation, based on ideas from Lucas-Kanade tracking and optical flow, which substantially reduces the pixel-locking effect. In addition, it has the ability to correct much larger initial disparity errors than previous approaches and is more general as it applies not only to the ground plane.

Beschreibung: Using the Cryogenic, High-Accuracy Refraction Measuring System (CHARMS) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, we have measured the absolute refractive index of five specimens taken from a very large boule of Corning 7980 fused silica from temperatures ranging from 30 to 310 K at wavelengths from 0.4 to 2.6 microns with an absolute uncertainty of plus or minus 1 x 10 (exp -5). Statistical variations in derived values of the thermo-optic coefficient (dn/dT) are at the plus or minus 2 x 10 (exp -8)/K level. Graphical and tabulated data for absolute refractive index, dispersion, and thermo-optic coefficient are presented for selected wavelengths and temperatures along with estimates of uncertainty in index. Coefficients for temperature-dependent Sellmeier fits of measured refractive index are also presented to allow accurate interpolation of index to other wavelengths and temperatures. We compare our results to those from an independent investigation (which used an interferometric technique for measuring index changes as a function of temperature) whose samples were prepared from the same slugs of material from which our prisms were prepared in support of the Kepler mission. We also compare our results with sparse cryogenic index data from measurements of this material from the literature.

Beschreibung: The Solar High Angular Resolution Photometric Imager (SHARPI)/Planet Imaging Concept Testbed Using a Rocket Experiment (PICTURE) Sounding Rocket Telescope is described. The topics include: 1) Lightweight precision mirror development; 2) Two sounding rocket concepts sharing a telescope; 3) Optical Telescope Assembly (OTA) overview; 4) PM development program; 5) PM figure testing; 6) Mirror coatings; 7) PM mount and verification; 8) Secondary Mirror (SM); and 9) OTA.

Beschreibung: Because of the complications of polarization experiments, I will concentrate on them. First I'll discuss general characteristics of polarization experiments, including their ability to deal with foreground emission. Then I'll compare some current and planned experiments.

Beschreibung: A multilayer thin film strain sensor for large temperature range use is under development using a reactively-sputtered process. The sensor is capable of being fabricated in fine line widths utilizing the sacrificial-layer lift-off process that is used for micro-fabricated noble-metal sensors. Tantalum nitride films were optimized using reactive sputtering with an unbalanced magnetron source. A first approximation model of multilayer resistance and temperature coefficient of resistance was used to set the film thicknesses in the multilayer film sensor. Two multifunctional sensors were fabricated using multilayered films of tantalum nitride and palladium chromium, and tested for low temperature resistivity, TCR and strain response. The low temperature coefficient of resistance of the films will result in improved stability in thin film sensors for low to high temperature use.

Beschreibung: We present a conceptual design for a scalable (10-50 meter segmented filled-aperture) space observatory operating at UV-optical-near infrared wavelengths. This telescope is designed for assembly in space by robots, astronauts or a combination of the two, as envisioned in NASA s Vision for Space Exploration. Our operations concept for this-space telescope provides for assembly and check-out in an Earth Moon L2 (EML2) orbit, and transport to a Sun-Earth L2 (SEL2) orbit for science operations and routine servicing, with return to EML2 for major servicing. We have developed and analyzed initial designs for the optical, structural, thermal and attitude control systems for a 30-m aperture space telescope. We further describe how the separate components are packaged for launch by heavy lift vehicle(s) and the approach for the robot assembly of the telescope from these components.

Beschreibung: Systems and techniques to realize pointing and tracking applications with CMOS imaging devices. In general, in one implementation, the technique includes: sampling multiple rows and multiple columns of an active pixel sensor array into a memory array (e.g., an on-chip memory array), and reading out the multiple rows and multiple columns sampled in the memory array to provide image data with reduced motion artifact. Various operation modes may be provided, including TDS, CDS, CQS, a tracking mode to read out multiple windows, and/or a mode employing a sample-first-read-later readout scheme. The tracking mode can take advantage of a diagonal switch array. The diagonal switch array, the active pixel sensor array and the memory array can be integrated onto a single imager chip with a controller. This imager device can be part of a larger imaging system for both space-based applications and terrestrial applications.

Beschreibung: A long-wave infrared hyperspectral sensor device employs a combination of an interferometer with an uncooled microbolometer array camera to produce hyperspectral images without the use of bulky, power-hungry motorized components, making it suitable for UAV vehicles, small mobile platforms, or in extraterrestrial environments. The sensor device can provide signal-to-noise ratios near 200 for ambient temperature scenes with 33 wavenumber resolution at a frame rate of 50 Hz, with higher results indicated by ongoing component improvements.

Beschreibung: The purpose of this document is to present and document GFO performance analyses and results. This is the fifth Assessment Report since the initial report. This report extends the performance assessment since acceptance to 26 December 2005. The initial GFO Altimeter Engineering Assessment Report, March 2001 (NASA/TM-2001-209984/Ver.1/Vol.1) covered the GFO performance from Launch to Acceptance (10 February 1998 to 29 November 2000). The second of the series covered the performance from Acceptance to the end of Cycle 20 (29 November 2000 to 21 November 2001). The third of the series covered the performance from Acceptance to the end of Cycle 42 (29 November 2000 to 30 November 2002). The fourth of the series covered the performance from Acceptance to the end of Cycle 64 (29 November 2000 to 17 December 2003). The fifth of the series covered performance from Acceptance to the end of Cycle 86 (29 November 2000 to 17 December 2004). Since launch, we have performed a variety of GFO performance studies; an accumulative index of those studies is provided in Appendix A.

Beschreibung: An improved photon-emission-microscope (PEM) instrumentation system has been developed for use in diagnosing failure conditions in semiconductor devices, including complex integrated circuits. This system is designed primarily to image areas that emit photons, at wavelengths from 400 to 1,100 nm, associated with device failures caused by leakage of electric current through SiO2 and other dielectric materials used in multilayer semiconductor structures. In addition, the system is sensitive enough to image areas that emit photons during normal operation.

Beschreibung: "Micro-CPI" (wherein "CPI" signifies "cloud-particle imager") is the name of a small, lightweight electronic camera that has been proposed for use in research on clouds. It would acquire and digitize high-resolution (3- m-pixel) images of ice particles and water drops at a rate up to 1,000 particles (and/or drops) per second.

Beschreibung: Practical space-based coherent laser radar systems envisioned for global winds measurement must be very efficient and must contend with unique problems associated with the large platform velocities that the instruments experience in orbit. To compensate for these large platform-induced Doppler shifts in space-based applications, agile-frequency offset-locking of two single-frequency Doppler reference lasers was thoroughly investigated. Such techniques involve actively locking a frequency-agile master oscillator (MO) source to a comparatively static local oscillator (LO) laser, and effectively producing an offset between MO (the lidar slave oscillator seed source, typically) and heterodyne signal receiver LO that lowers the bandwidth of the receiver data-collection system and permits use of very high-quantum-efficiency, reasonably- low-bandwidth heterodyne photoreceiver detectors and circuits. Recent work on MO/LO offset locking has focused on increasing the offset locking range, improving the graded-InGaAs photoreceiver performance, and advancing the maturity of the offset locking electronics. A figure provides a schematic diagram of the offset-locking system.

Beschreibung: A simplified schematic diagram of a tilt-sensing unequal-path interferometer set up to measure the orientation of the normal vector of one surface of a cube mounted on a structure under test is described herein. This interferometer has been named a "theoferometer" to express both its interferometric nature and the intention to use it instead of an autocollimating theodolite. The theoferometer optics are mounted on a plate, which is in turn mounted on orthogonal air bearings for near-360 rotation in azimuth and elevation. Rough alignment of the theoferometer to the test cube is done by hand, with fine position adjustment provided by a tangent arm drive using linear inchwormlike motors.

Beschreibung: A method of processing the digitized output of a charge-coupled device (CCD) image detector has been devised to enable reduction of the error in computed centroid of the image of a point source of light. The method involves model-based estimation of, and correction for, the contributions of bias and noise to the image data. The method could be used to advantage in any of a variety of applications in which there are requirements for measuring precise locations of, and/or precisely aiming optical instruments toward, point light sources. In the present method, prior to normal operations of the CCD, one measures the point-spread function (PSF) of the telescope or other optical system used to project images on the CCD. The PSF is used to construct a database of spot models representing the nominal CCD pixel outputs for a point light source projected onto the CCD at various positions incremented by small fractions of a pixel.

Beschreibung: Theodolite ring lights have been invented to ease a difficulty encountered in the well-established optical-metrology practice of using highly reflective spherical tooling balls as position references. A theodolite ring light produces a more easily visible reflection and eliminates the need for an autocollimating device. A theodolite ring light is a very bright light source that is well centered on the optical axis of the instrument. It can be fabricated, easily and inexpensively, for use on a theodolite or telescope of any diameter.

Beschreibung: The engine spectrometer probe and method of using the same of the present invention provides a simple engine spectrometer probe which is both lightweight and rugged, allowing an exhaust plume monitoring system to be attached to a vehicle, such as the space shuttle. The engine spectrometer probe can be mounted to limit exposure to the heat and debris of the exhaust plume. The spectrometer probe 50 comprises a housing 52 having an aperture 55 and a fiber optic cable 60 having a fiber optic tip 65. The fiber optic tip 65 has an acceptance angle 87 and is coupled to the aperture 55 so that the acceptance angle 87 intersects the exhaust plume 30. The spectrometer probe can generate a spectrum signal from light in the acceptance angle 506 and the spectrum signal can be provided to a spectrometer 508.

Beschreibung: Lunar soil will potentially be used for oxygen generation, water generation, and as filler for building blocks during habitation missions on the Moon. NASA s in situ fabrication and repair program is evaluating portable technologies that can assess the chemistry of lunar soil and lunar soil simulants. This Technical Memorandum summarizes the results of the JSC 1 lunar soil simulant analysis using the TRACeR III IV handheld x-ray fluorescence analyzer, manufactured by KeyMaster Technologies, Inc. The focus of the evaluation was to determine how well the current instrument configuration would detect and quantify the components of JSC-1.

Beschreibung: This slide presentation reviews the development of Multiple Waveband Temperature Sensor (MWTS). The MWTS project will result in a highly stable, monolithically integrated, high resolution infrared detector array sensor that records registered thermal imagery in four infrared wavebands to infer dynamic temperature profiles on a laser-irradiated ground target. An accurate surface temperature measurement of a target in extreme environments in a non-intrusive manner is required. The development challenge is to: determine optimum wavebands (suitable for target temperatures, nature of the targets and environments) to measure accurate target surface temperature independent of the emissivity, integrate simultaneously readable multiband Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs) in a single monolithic focal plane array (FPA) sensor and to integrate the hardware/software and system calibration for remote temperature measurements. The charge was therefore to develop and demonstrate a multiband infrared imaging camera with the detectors simultaneously sensitive to multiple distinct color bands for front surface temperature measurements Wavelength ( m) measurements. Amongst the requirements are: that the measurement system will not affect target dynamics or response to the laser irradiation and that the simplest criterion for spectral band selection is to choose those practically feasible spectral bands that create the most contrast between the objects or scenes of interest in the expected environmental conditions. There is in the presentation a review of the modeling and simulation of multi-wave infrared temperature measurement and also a review of the detector development and QWIP capacities.

Beschreibung: The present invention discloses an inertial sensor comprising a planar mechanical resonator with embedded sensing and actuation for substantially in-plane vibration and having a central rigid support for the resonator. At least one excitation or torquer electrode is disposed within an interior of the resonator to excite in-plane vibration of the resonator and at least one sensing or pickoff electrode is disposed within the interior of the resonator for sensing the motion of the excited resonator. In one embodiment, the planar resonator includes a plurality of slots in an annular pattern; in another embodiment, the planar mechanical resonator comprises four masses; each embodiment having a simple degenerate pair of in-plane vibration modes.

Beschreibung: The present invention discloses a resonator gyroscope including an isolated resonator. One or more flexures support the isolated resonator and a baseplate is affixed to the resonator by the flexures. Drive and sense elements are affixed to the baseplate and used to excite the resonator and sense movement of the gyroscope. In addition, at least one secondary element (e.g., another electrode) is affixed to the baseplate and used for trimming isolation of the resonator. The resonator operates such that it transfers substantially no net momentum to the baseplate when the resonator is excited. Typically, the isolated resonator comprises a proof mass and a counterbalancing plate.

Beschreibung: A CMOS time-of-flight TOF system-on-a-chip SoC for precise time interval measurement with low power consumption and high counting rate has been developed. The analog and digital TOF chip may include two Constant Fraction Discriminators CFDs and a Time-to-Digital Converter TDC. The CFDs can interface to start and stop anodes through two preamplifiers and perform signal processing for time walk compensation (110). The TDC digitizes the time difference with reference to an off-chip precise external clock (114). One TOF output is an 11-bit digital word and a valid event trigger output indicating a valid event on the 11-bit output bus (116).

Beschreibung: A device for confining an object to a region proximate to a fluid flow stagnation point includes one or more inlets for carrying the fluid into the region, one or more outlets for carrying the fluid out of the region, and a controller, in fluidic communication with the inlets and outlets, for adjusting the motion of the fluid to produce a stagnation point in the region, thereby confining the object to the region. Applications include, for example, prolonged observation of the object, manipulation of the object, etc. The device optionally may employ a feedback control mechanism, a sensing apparatus (e.g., for imaging), and a storage medium for storing, and a computer for analyzing and manipulating, data acquired from observing the object. The invention further provides methods of using such a device and system in a number of fields, including biology, chemistry, physics, material science, and medical science.