{"title":"Technology for spaceborne passive microwave Earth remote sensing","authors":"A. Gasiewski","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148029","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148029","url":null,"abstract":"Three technology areas in passive microwave remote sensing are discussed: (1) radiometer calibration and wideband load optimization; (2) electronic polarization basis rotation for polarization sensitive scanning instruments; and (3) large space antennas for precision high spatial resolution radiometric imaging. It is noted that precise radiometric calibration, dual polarization sensitivity, and narrow beam multiband scanning antennas with high main lobe efficiencies are critical to the success of future Earth remote sensing systems. Narrow efficient main beams impose stringent structural requirements on space antennas, particularly for geosynchronous or low-frequency application. Meeting this will require either large filled aperture antennas with surface control or potentially, synthetic aperture or phased array radiometers. Technological advances are expected to improve the accuracy and spatial resolution, reduce the risk of failure, and increase the number of observable degrees of freedom of spaceborne passive microwave imaging radiometers.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"208 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"115903495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Clutter measurements by millimeter-wave radars","authors":"Y. Kuga, A. Nashashibi, F. Ulaby","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148044","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148044","url":null,"abstract":"An extensive radar clutter database was generated by the University of Michigan's millimeter-wave mobile polarimetric radar system. The database includes millimeter-wave observations of snow, trees, vegetation, and soil and road surfaces at 35, 94, 140, and 215 GHz. The radar measurements were often augmented with close-up observations of the targets including such measurements as water content and surface roughness when appropriate. For each data set, a summary of the observations and photographs of the target scene are provided. The millimeter-wave system consists of truck-mounted radars capable of making observations from a 20 m high platform at incidence angles between 0 and 70 degrees . The 35 and 94 GHz radars are fully polarimetric and capable obtaining the Mueller matrix in situ.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114320327","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A hazard control system for a robot in Space Shuttle applications","authors":"R. C. Carter, A.J. Rad","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148053","url":null,"abstract":"The authors describe a systematic approach being taken to control hazards that could result from introducing robotics technology in the space environment. System safety management and engineering principles, techniques, and requirements are discussed as they relate to Shuttle payload design and operation in general. The concepts of hazard, hazard category, and hazard control, as defined by the Shuttle payload safety requirements, are explained. How these general safety management and engineering principles are being implemented on an actual project is shown. An example of hazard control system scheme for controlling one of the hazards identified for the first test (Development Test Flight-1) of the Flight Telerobotic Servicer, a teleoperated space robot, is presented.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"9 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"122060466","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The Lincoln Laboratory 35 GHz airborne SAR imaging radar system","authors":"J. C. Henry","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148045","url":null,"abstract":"The Lincoln Laboratory 35 GHz airborne SAR (synthetic aperture radar) imaging radar system consists of an instrumentation-quality Ka-band airborne radar plus a ground processing and archive system. This state-of-the-art radar system provides data collection in SAR and RAR (real aperture radar) modes, full polarization, high resolution (in both range and cross range), and archiving of fully calibrated data. The airborne radar system was developed to provide data inputs to advance the understanding of millimeter-wave imaging phenomenology and to develop and test algorithms for detecting and classifying stationary targets of military interest. The resulting images stored in the database are completely calibrated, fully polarimetric, and complex. The system performance specifications associated with the fully processed, calibrated imagery are listed. The operational modes and performance characteristics of the airborne system are described, and an overview of its major components is provided. The major systems of the ground-based processing, and analysis system are also described.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"12 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132688472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Flight Telerobotic Servicer: the design and evolution of a dexterous space telerobot","authors":"H. McCain, J. Andary, D. Hewitt, P.D. Spidaliere","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148051","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148051","url":null,"abstract":"The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) Project is developing an advanced telerobotic system to assist in and reduce the crew extravehicular activity for Space Station Freedom. The FTS will provide a telerobotic capability to the Freedom Station in the early assembly phases of the program and will be employed for assembly, maintenance, and inspection applications throughout the lifetime of the Space Station. Appropriately configured elements of the FTS may also be employed for robotic manipulation in remote satellite servicing applications and possibly the Lunar/Mars Program. The authors describe the FTS design approach for evolution to more autonomous capabilities. Some specific task applications of the FTS and partial automation approaches of these tasks are also discussed.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"28 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"133338872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"DSCS III Receive Multiple Beam Antenna performance improvement","authors":"Y. Loh, R.T. Goalwin","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148004","url":null,"abstract":"In an effort to cope with the increasing demand of services on the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS) and more stringent ECCM (electronic counter-countermeasures) requirements, the performance limitations on the DSCS III Receive Multiple Beam Antenna (RMBA) imposed by random and systematic perturbations have been addressed. The concept of VPSFT (variable phase shifter fine tuning) closed-loop control has been investigated thoroughly, first by simulation and then by antenna-range tests and on-orbit measurement. As a result, its feasibility and utility have been firmly established. The VPSFT closed-loop scheme represents a technical breakthrough for extending the RMBA performance beyond its original design.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"5 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"117016184","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A software tool for precision munition control design","authors":"W. Laidig, H.L. Pastrick, D.L. Eison","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.147982","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.147982","url":null,"abstract":"Using and maintaining digital simulations representing detailed motion and performance prediction for missile systems are often hindered by the model's own complexity. Additionally, varying hardware platforms, operating systems, and design languages account for a large amount of diversity and non-standardization among munition models. The retrofitting of these mainframe-based models with a non-intrusive, graphical user interface named GUIDANCE proves to be both a product enhancement and a cost-saving measure. The GUIDANCE toolkit allows the transition of ownership and execution to non-expert users, while supporting all of the model's features and flexibility. Detailing the attachment of GUIDANCE to a gun launched precision munition simulation (PGMSIM) demonstrates the use of such an interface. Both the ease of inputting data and viewing results from the Ada-based guided munition simulation PGMSIM are displayed. The use of a local standard as defined by one graphical interface serving multiple models is also demonstrated as a tool for resurrecting archived simulations within a research firm's modeling library.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"102 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"132495870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Autonomous Landing Guidance concept validation","authors":"M. McCarty","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.147984","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.147984","url":null,"abstract":"The Autonomous Landing Guidance system is intended to provide pilots visibility and landing guidance at night regardless of the weather and without the need for standard, ground-based navigation aids. The basic system concept, employing precision-updated INS (inertial navigation system) guidance with multispectral imaging on a heads-up display (HUD), has been validated and system demonstration data gathered. The multi-year validation program included concept validation through flight simulation. The baseline concept was validated using simulated sensor imagery and flight guidance symbols presented to the pilot on a HUD. The challenges that were addressed in the design and development of an autonomous, forward vision augmented, landing guidance system were associated with HUD image resolution and registration, pilot disorientation, and inertial navigation system drift. The use of a forward-looking infrared imaging sensor system on the High Technology Test Bed airplane is described.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"25 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"126661948","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Active-element, phased-array radar: affordable performance for the 1990s","authors":"W.P. Hull, R.D. Nordmeyer","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148015","url":null,"abstract":"Active-element, electronically scanned, phased-array (AESA) radars have been shown to offer unique solutions for future airborne weapons systems. Flight demonstrations have validated AESA technologies and have clearly shown the advantages of AESA radars. These technologies are the product of research programs carried out over the past 25 years that led to airborne demonstration of AESA radars in 1989/90. Substantial performance and reliability improvements over conventional radars can now be realized. In-flight operational performance has been demonstrated. Reliability demonstrations for microwave transmit/receive (T/R) modules, digital control circuitry, and low-voltage power supplies have been completed successfully. Recent developments in monolithic microwave integrated circuit components provide the final link in the practicality of AESA radar-affordability.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114272170","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Control of an omni-directional robotic vehicle with Mecanum wheels","authors":"S. Dickerson, B. D. Lapin","doi":"10.1109/NTC.1991.148039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1109/NTC.1991.148039","url":null,"abstract":"The authors explore three aspects of the Mecanum wheeled vehicles, the ability to maneuver in congested spaces, the kinematics of wheel design, and considerations for wheel loading and traction. It is shown how omni-directional capability greatly reduces the amount of area and time required for maneuvers, and how the Mecanum wheel in particular reduces time because of the absence of singularities. The algorithms to convert desired motions to required wheel motions do not require excessive computation even in the case where they include compensation for wheel slip detection and correction. The authors also present some novel concepts, the multiple row driven wheel and the screw type variation of the Mecanum wheel.<<ETX>>","PeriodicalId":320008,"journal":{"name":"NTC '91 - National Telesystems Conference Proceedings","volume":"6 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"1991-03-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"128757157","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}