Exploration of planetesimals by a tripartite tethered spacecraft

Asteroids and comets exert such a small gravitational force that it is not practical to survey them from orbit. One must instead continuously accelerate using maneuvering rockets to move around the surface. A space exploration craft in three parts connected by lightweight cables can survey asteroids and comets, and deploy landers, without requiring the large thrusters and the continuous depletion of fuel required by a single craft. The spacecraft is deployed by spinning up from a compact configuration using low thrust jets, and then maintain surveying orbit without any major expenditure of energy. The triangular tether arrangement is stable, but care must be taken in changing orbits and with deploying and recovering samples, as can be demonstrated with a simple simulation. Even 100 km long tethers occupy a low payload fraction

Cancellation of residual spacecraft accelerations for zero-G space physics experiments

The Drop Dynamics Module houses an acoustic positioning system which counteracts the effects of small accelerations of a spacecraft and thus allows long-term study of free-floating materials such as liquid drops. The acoustic positioning system provides an acoustic 'well' in the center of the experiment chamber. Data collection is by cinematographic photography. The module subsystems are discussed

Chemical Environment Selectivity in Mössbauer Diffraction from 57Fe3Al

Mössbauer diffraction was used to measure different autocorrelation functions for 57Fe atoms in different chemical environments. The sample was polycrystalline 57Fe3Al with the ordered DO3 structure. Diffraction peaks from a fcc structure with a doubled unit cell were detected when the incident radiation was tuned to the Mössbauer resonance of the Wyckoff 4(b) Fe site, but not for tuning to the 8(c) site, thereby distinguishing the spatial arrangements of these two Fe sites

Sampler of gas borne particles

An atmosphere sample is described which includes a very thin filter element with straight-through holes on the order of 1 micron. A sample of air with particles to be examined is driven by means of a pressurized low molecular weight gas, e.g., He to the filter element front side. A partial vacuum may be present at the back side of the filter element. The pressure differential across the filter element is just below the rupture point of the filter element. Particles smaller than filter holes are deposited on the filter element. When using a filter element of plastic material of a thickness on the order of 10 microns, a stainless steel back-up plate and a diffusion member are used to support the filter element when subjected to a pressure differential on the order of a few hundred atmospheres

Microbalance including crystal oscillators for measuring contaminates in a gas system Patent

Describing crystal oscillator instrument for detecting condensible gas contaminants in vacuum apparatu

Low-cost solar tracking system

Smaller heat-collector is moved to stay in focus with the sun, instead of moving reflector. Tracking can be controlled by storing data of predicted solar positions or by applying conventional sun-sensing devices to follow solar movement