Predictions of AMOS Observations of Space Shuttle Engine Firings. Draft

Abstract

Engine firings of the Space Shuttle primary control system (PRCS) thrusters can give rise to radiation observable from ground-based telescopes such as AMOS. Such observations would yield valuable information on the environment near the spacecraft during engine operation. The radiation and the mechanisms that produce it are also important to characterize because such radiation can be a significant background noise source for telescopes mounted on spacecraft in low-Earth-orbit or LEO in general. Furthermore, observations of radiation associated with engine firings can give valuable information on fundamental chemical reactions that can be studied over the very large length scales, high energies, and rarefied conditions that are achievable in space but are especially difficult to reproduce in ground-based laboratories.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 02, 2005
Accession Number
ADA439770

Entities

People

  • Larry Bernstein
  • Marty Venner
  • Matthew Braunstein
  • Rainer A. Dressler

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Atmospheric Attenuation
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Detectors
  • Earth Orbits
  • Energy
  • Engines
  • Ground Based
  • Low Earth Orbits
  • Measurement
  • Noise
  • Observation
  • Radiation
  • Space Shuttles
  • Spacecraft
  • Spectrometers
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Aerospace Propulsion Engineering.
  • Space/Atmospheric Physics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster
  • Space - Space Objects