Coronagraphic technique to infer the nature of the Skylab particulate environment

Schuerman, D. W.; Beeson, D. E.; Giovane, F.

doi:10.1364/ao.16.001591

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Those particles were associated with expendables from Skylab, and they could be correlated to times when the astronauts were "active" (as opposed to sleeping) or when "water dumps" occurred. From densitometer scans of the bright streaks in the ATM coronagraph frames, Schuerman et al (1977) were able to determine the velocity components (less than 10 meters/sec) and the distribution of radii (5 to 100 microns) for particles that were within 200 meters of the telescope. They concluded that direct (forward) scattering of sunlight by particles larger than a few microns in radius could account for the irradiance seen in the contaminated Skylab coronagraph images.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SMM Coronagraph Observations of Particulate Contamination

Cyr

Warner

1991

International Astronomical Union Colloquium

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Some recent images taken by the white light coronagraph telescope aboard the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) observatory show bright streaks that are apparently caused by particles associated with the spacecraft. In this report we describe these observations, and we analyze the times of their occurrence. We demonstrate that the sightings occur most often near SMM’s orbital dawn, and we speculate that thermal shock is the mechanism that produces the particles. Although these sightings have not seriously affected the coronagraph’s scientific operations, the unexpected passage of bright material through the field of view of sensitive spaceborne telescopes can lead to data loss or, in some cases, serious detector damage. The topic of space debris has become a significant concern for designers of both manned and unmanned orbiting platforms. The returned samples from the SMM spacecraft and the observations reported here provide a baseline of experience for future orbital platforms that plan long duration missions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

SMM Coronagraph Observations of Particulate Contamination

Cyr

Warner

1991

International Astronomical Union Colloquium

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“…They are related by (ISSR), Carl Maag (JPL) and a future STS mission to obmethod uses a long -focal then register as out -of -focus obtained from the diameter aL = fA , (1) where f is the focal length of the system and A is the aperture of the objective.…”

Section: Distance Determinationmentioning

confidence: 99%

<title>Coronagraph: The Ultimate Device To Monitor Orbiting Particulates In The Space Transport System (STS) Environment</title>

Schuerman

Giovane

1983

SPIE Proceedings

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To extract the maximum information content of orbiting particulates from a remote -sensing particulate monitor there are three instrument design requirements:(1) the monitor must be an imaging coronagraph; (2) it must be capable of range-finding; and (3) it must yield absolute photometric measurements. When all three requirements are met, the number, size, and velocity distributions of the vehicle-induced particulates can be deduced. Examples of each of these requirements, as realized during the Shuttle -3 and Skylab -3 missions, are discussed. A design is presented for a coronagraph suitable as a particulate monitor for Shuttle missions.

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“…Video and coronographic measurements were undertaken on Skylab in 1973. 8,9 Stereo visible cameras were flown as part of the Induced Environment Contamination Monitor ͑IECM͒ diagnostic pallet on the shuttle. 10 The infrared telescope on SpaceLab 2 detected particles in its field of view.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Flashlamp instruments for measuring the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite contamination environment

Galica

Green

Atkinson³

et al. 1998

Review of Scientific Instruments

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The xenon flashlamp (XF) and krypton lamp and radiometer (KLR) are two of a suite of instruments that monitor the particulate and gaseous contamination environments of the Midcourse Space Experiment spacecraft. The near-field particulate measurement comprises the high-intensity XF that illuminates a volume of space in the field of view of a wide field-of-view visible imager. Radiation scattered by illuminated contaminant particles is imaged. The intensity of the radiation is related to a particle’s size and composition. The particle’s track yields information about its velocity and trajectory. From ground calibration data we estimate a sensitivity to detect particles smaller than 1 μm and to determine cross-field velocities from 1 mm s−1 to 50 m s−1. We present early mission particulate data from known particle-generating events and from comparatively quiescent times. These results are consistent with previous measurements. The KLR measures the local H2O density in a volume of space approximately 0.5 m from one corner of the spacecraft. The instrument comprises an array of krypton vacuum ultraviolet line source lamps that dissociate H2O and a near-UV radiometer that detects the chemiluminescence from the OH dissociation products. Ground calibrations indicate that the instrument has sufficient sensitivity to detect H2O densities as low as 1.5×107 molecules cm−3. H2O is the primary outgassed species during the early part of a spaceflight, and is a particular concern to cryogenic sensors, such as the Spatial Infrared Imaging Telescope III (SPIRIT III) on this spacecraft. Early mission results are in overall agreement with prelaunch predictions.

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Coronagraphic technique to infer the nature of the Skylab particulate environment

Cited by 9 publications

References 1 publication

SMM Coronagraph Observations of Particulate Contamination

SMM Coronagraph Observations of Particulate Contamination

<title>Coronagraph: The Ultimate Device To Monitor Orbiting Particulates In The Space Transport System (STS) Environment</title>

Flashlamp instruments for measuring the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite contamination environment

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