ANALYTICAL AND PRELIMINARY SIMULATION STUDY OF A PILOT'S ABILITY TO CONTROL THE TERMINAL PHASE OF A RENDEZVOUS WITH SIMPLE OPTICAL DEVICES AND A TIMER,
Abstract
A combined analytical and preliminary simulation study was conducted to determine the ability of a human pilot to control the rendezvous by using visual sightings made during the initial collision-course control to obtain the range and closure rate. The analytical phase of the study reviewed the geometric relations between the vehicles and formed the basis for techniques to transform the angular sightings into range and closure rate. A preliminary simulation was then made to investigate the accuracy of these techniques. The simulation consisted of an analog computer, an oscilloscope to represent the view a pilot would have with a stabilized sight, and a timer. Results indicate that pilots, using an optical sight and a timer, can successfully arrest the angular motion of the line of sight between two rendezvous vehicles and obtain relative range and closure rate with sufficient accuracy to perform the final braking maneuver successfully. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1961
- Accession Number
- AD0264743
Entities
People
- Edgar C. Lineberry Jr.
- Max C. Kurbjun
- Roy F. Brissenden
Organizations
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration