Browse Topic: Remote sensing

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revision 2jms_bp_2 (Current)04/08/2025
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Automated Vehicle Safety Consortium
Technical Standard
Automatic Detection of Dead-End Roads in High-Resolution Satellite Image2025-01-716502/21/2025
There are dead-end roads in the road network, and many of them have the function of indicating specific target clues, which is of great significance in the fields of military, urban construction, and disaster relief and rescue. However, many of the important cut-offs are in mountainous or wilderness areas, and surveying them is difficult and costly. The research objective of this project is to extract the breakpoints in the road network using high-resolution Google satellite imagery, so as to provide clues and indications for the subsequent relevant work. Firstly, the image is corrected and pre-processed to highlight road edge information.Then the phase grouping method is improved by setting a double-angle threshold, filtering the edge operator to reduce the calculation error of the gradient angle, and the road network is extracted by the improved phase grouping method. And finally screens out the dead-end road points with the eight-neighbourhood method, and marks them on the
Liu, Ruohan, Haoping, Qi, Jingjie, Kang, Yanyan, Wu, Feifei, Li
Technical Paper
An Autonomous Ground Based Multi Sensor Data Fused TDR Prediction and Monitoring System2022-26-122705/26/2022
According to a study conducted by IATA, EASA and ICAO, runway excursions are common type of incidents that leads to major accidents. Runway excursion predominantly occur due to incorrect utilization of the touchdown zone (TDZ). A ground-based multi-sensor data fused touchdown region (TDR) prediction and monitoring system is proposed in this paper. This system autonomously analyses real-time environmental data with remote sensing capability around the runway site, gathers real-time information on flight critical parameters of approaching aircraft through an ADS-B Out data link, predicts ideal TDR over the runway TDZ for a particular aircraft, and estimates the expected contemporaneous TDR based on the monitored current approach profile. If the ideal and expected TDR do not overlap, there is a chance for an excursion. In such cases, the flight parameter that needs corrective action is determined and notified to the pilot. In order to analyze dynamic environmental data, mathematical
Nagonda, Ajay Nagarajan, Manjunath, Karthik
Technical Paper
Lenslet-Based Integral Field SpectrographTBMG-3799111/01/2020
An integral field spectrograph (IFS) is an instrument combining spectrographic and imaging capabilities. IFSs provide spectral information over a 2D field of view. In lenslet-based IFS designs, a lenslet array is placed in the spectrograph entrance plane. All beams generated by the lenslet array are fed through a dispersive element and imaged by a camera, resulting in a spectrum for each individual lenslet.
Magazine Article
Millimeter Wave Technology Joins the Fight to Prevent Future Viral OutbreaksTBMG-3785210/01/2020
The next breakthrough in the fight against deadly viral outbreaks may be just a higher frequency away. While millimeter wave (MMW) devices are more commonly associated with military applications, remote sensing, security screening and next generation telecommunications, there is an even more pressing need for this technology. That would include breaking down barriers in research in order to gain new insight into the mechanics of viral transfer.
Magazine Article
Development Software Handles High-Integrity Space ApplicationsTBMG-3721107/01/2020
AdaCore New York, NY
Magazine Article
Detailed Spectrometry Makes Dangerous-Materials Testing SaferTBMG-3639904/01/2020
Spinoff is NASA’s annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.
Magazine Article
Magneto-Optic Biosensor Using Bio-Functionalized Magnetic NanoparticlesTBMG-3582701/01/2020
Magnetic nanoparticles are leading to the development of more sensitive, rapid, and cost-effective biological sensors. These sensors can be used for a variety of applications including the detection of medical conditions and bioterrorist threats.
Magazine Article
Green’s Function Extraction from Atmospheric Acoustic PropagationTBMG-3536310/01/2019
Acoustic waves propagating in the atmosphere may undergo many effects including refraction by temperature and wind velocity gradients, scattering by atmospheric turbulence, absorption by the atmosphere (fluid), diffraction by terrain features, and absorption and reflection by a porous ground. As a result, there may be insonification in acoustic shadow zones, amplitude and phase fluctuations of the propagating sound signals, loss of signal coherence, changes in the interference maxima and minima of the direct ground reflected waves, and multipath effects. Understanding these effects is important for a variety of military applications, such as acoustic source localization and classification, noise propagation in the atmosphere, and the development of new remote sensing techniques of the atmosphere.
Magazine Article
Green's Function Extraction from Atmospheric Acoustic Propagation19AERP10_0810/01/2019
Understanding what affects acoustic waves propagating in the atmosphere is important for a variety of military applications including the development of new remote sensing techniques. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, Maryland Acoustic waves propagating in the atmosphere may undergo many effects including refraction by temperature and wind velocity gradients, scattering by atmospheric turbulence, absorption by the atmosphere (fluid), diffraction by terrain features, and absorption and reflection by a porous ground. As a result, there may be insonification in acoustic shadow zones, amplitude and phase fluctuations of the propagating sound signals, loss of signal coherence, changes in the interference maxima and minima of the direct ground reflected waves, and multipath effects. Understanding these effects is important for a variety of military applications, such as acoustic source localization and classification, noise propagation in the atmosphere, and the development of new remote
Magazine Article
Precise Temperature Measurements with Invisible LightTBMG-3513909/01/2019
A portable, stable, standards-quality radiation thermometer was invented that can measure temperatures between -50 °C (-58 °F) to 150 °C (302 °F). The corresponding infrared wavelengths are from 8 to 14 micrometers.
Magazine Article
DARPA’s latest drone swarm sprint focuses on virtual environmentsSAE-MA-0346305/13/2019
Through OFFSET, DARPA envisions swarms of 250 collaborative autonomous systems – including unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – providing critical capabilities to ground units in urban areas where challenges such as tall buildings, tight spaces, and limited sight lines constrain essential communications, sensing, maneuverability, and autonomous operations.
Kucinski, William
Magazine Article
Measurement Technique for Continuous-Wave, Modulated, and Pulsed Monochromatic RadiationTBMG-3417704/01/2019
In many applications, such as remote sensing of atmospheric trace gases, monochromatic radiation with multiple discrete wavelengths is required. To date, there no instrument or technique that measures the wavelength jitters and fluctuations in real time.
Magazine Article
High-Voltage Power Line Multi-Sensor SystemTBMG-3369402/01/2019
Government infrastructure facilities such as water treatment facilities, power plants, laboratories, and the like may be targets for terrorist attacks. Similarly, oil pipelines, power grids, warehouses, factories, laboratories, and the like in the commercial sector may be targeted by terrorists or persons engaging in industrial espionage and sabotage. When these facilities are remotely located, the limited or nonexistent power sources in the area may prevent or severely restrict the employment of cameras, sensors, and other intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) devices. Thus, there is a need to overcome these limitations while providing around-the-clock persistent support and similar capabilities.
Magazine Article
Portable Acousto-Optic SpectrometersTBMG-3339812/01/2018
Spectrometers are widely used for applications such as chemical analysis, remote sensing, quality control, environmental monitoring, spaceborne measurements, and optical measurements. Most spectrometers are based on using dispersive elements such as prisms, gratings, or etalons. These spectrometers typically have moving parts that induce spurious readings due to vibrations, and have limited use due to their limited spectral range and resolution capabilities, which in turn limit their use when needed for portable field applications.
Magazine Article
Super-Resolution Image Reconstruction (SRIR)TBMG-3322411/01/2018
Many low-cost sensors (or cameras) may spatially or electronically under-sample an image. Similarly, cameras taking pictures from great distances, such as aerial photos, may not obtain detailed information about the subject matter. This may result in aliased images in which the high-frequency components are folded into the low-frequency components in the image. Consequently, subtle or detailed information (high-frequency components) is not present in the images.
Magazine Article
A Robust Waveguide Millimeter-Wave Noise SourceTBMG-3323911/01/2018
A noise source is an enabling technology for passive millimeter-wave remote sensing applications such as atmospheric sounding, and precipitation and ice cloud measurements. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a packaged noise source that will allow calibration of the front end at the sensing frequency. This capability will eliminate or reduce the requirement of a clear view to cold space, which will reduce the mass and complexity as well as the total cost of the system.
Magazine Article
Space Debris Orbit and Attitude Prediction for Enhanced and Efficient Space Situational AwarenessTBMG-3302510/01/2018
This research deals with the problem of modelling the orbit and attitude motion of uncontrolled manmade objects in orbit about the Earth, which tumble due to the natural influences of the near-Earth space environment. A mathematical, physics-based and computational approach is taken to model the forces and torques that drive the orbit and attitude evolution of such objects. The main influence modelled is solar radiation pressure (SRP), which is the interaction of solar electromagnetic radiation with the surface of an object, leading to both forces and torques that influence the orbital and attitude motion. Other influences, such as the gravitational field of the Earth, are also modelled.
Magazine Article
Remote Sensing for Smarter Forest Fire FightingTBMG-2972107/01/2018
Spinoff is NASA's annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.
Magazine Article
Hunting New Mining Deposits with Hyperspectral ImagingTBMG-2851303/01/2018
How much gold remains to be mined on Earth? How about the lesser-known element, indium, necessary for computer and smartphone displays? With known sources of some essential metals facing depletion within the next few decades, there is more pressure on pursuing alternatives to existing mining exploration technologies. How can we more easily find needed deposits on earth and in space?
Magazine Article
Micro-Optomechanical Pressure Sensor Advances Pressure Monitoring in Biomedical ApplicationsTBMG-2797312/01/2017
A new type of pressure sensor is based on micro-optomechanical systems (MOMS) technology. Developed by imec, a research and innovation hub focusing on nanoelectronics and digital technologies, the sensor exhibits an excellent measurement precision in a large pressure range while being compact, resistant to electromagnetic interference (EMI), and having multiplexing capabilities. Leveraging imec's unique technical expertise in both MEMS and photonics, the sensor can be used in applications that require high-quality sensing, notably in the medical and life sciences domains.
Magazine Article
2.2-Micron, Uncooled, InGaAs Photodiodes and Balanced Photoreceivers up to 25-GHz BandwidthTBMG-2766310/01/2017
Traditional applications for 2-micron photodetectors have been largely dominated by passive remote sensing where detectors having bandwidth of even one megahertz are deemed sufficient. The onus in such applications is to achieve low dark current through active cooling. The advent of high-power, 2-micron-wavelength lasers has made coherent LiDARs viable for active sensing applications. Such a system needs photodetectors that can handle high local oscillator optical power and have large bandwidth. Through a combination of high coherent gain and small integration time, a large signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved. Operation at high optical power levels reduces the significance of photodiodes' dark current. As a result, uncooled operation at room temperature is feasible, simplifying the overall instrument design.
Magazine Article
Subjective Mapping of Dust-Emission Sources by Using MODIS ImageryTBMG-2765010/01/2017
Dust storms (5 to 100 km across) often originate from multiple dust-emission sources (1 to 10 km across). Remote-sensing-based dust-source identification is a challenge. A previous study developed a subjective approach for mapping dust sources by using enhanced MODIS satellite imagery; therefore, this study conducted mapping exercises to assess the reproducibility of this technique amongst multiple analysts and in different regions.
Magazine Article
Wire Sensors Detect Dangerous Conditions in the CloudsTBMG-2705706/01/2017
Spinoff is NASA's annual publication featuring successfully commercialized NASA technology. This commercialization has contributed to the development of products and services in the fields of health and medicine, consumer goods, transportation, public safety, computer technology, and environmental resources.
Magazine Article
Digital Beamforming InterferometryTBMG-2702406/01/2017
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a new radar approach that uses a single phased array antenna and a single-pass configuration to generate interferograms, known as Digital Beamforming Interferometry. A digital beamforming radar system allows the implementation of nonconventional radar techniques, known as Digital Beamforming Synthetic Aperture Radar Multimode Operation (DBSAR).
Magazine Article
Chip-Based Power Measurement SensorTBMG-2701906/01/2017
Phone signals spend at least some time traveling over fiber-optic cables. To ensure that the information gets where it needs to go, and to help researchers find better ways to ferry this information around, it’s necessary to reliably measure radiation power through these fibers. In order to calibrate a radiation power meter, researchers currently have to use a bulky cryogenic system and transfer the measurements to at least one other intermediate system. Each of these transfers increases uncertainties in the measurements, and the cryogenic systems are relatively rare and expensive to use and maintain.
Magazine Article
Active Remote Sensing RadiometerTBMG-2666904/01/2017
Millimeter-wave (mm-wave) imaging techniques are already a popular solution for imaging through dust and fog. While mm-wave offers excellent penetration to dust when compared with infrared or optical sensing, the longer wavelengths create many problems associated with the specular response of surfaces at mm-wave. Generally, at mm-wave, the geometry and orientation of the target object has a larger influence on captured contrast than material properties by several orders of magnitude. While these effects can be somewhat mitigated with a radar imager, there is still a large contrast dependence on beam-target angle, and images are still entirely derived from geometry instead of material compositions.
Magazine Article
CERTIFICATES AND SIGNATURES: How to Ensure Authentication in the IoTTBMG-2648903/01/2017
On October 21, 2016, the Internet saw a significant distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, conducted via a botnet comprising many co-opted Internet-connected devices. The attackers of the network infrastructure were able to control these Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices for a number of reasons, including a lack of strong authentication. Loaded software turned the machines into puppets that interfered with Internet traffic for millions of users.
Magazine Article
2.2-Micron, Uncooled, InGaAs Photodiodes and Balanced Photoreceivers up to 25-GHz BandwidthTBMG-2646903/01/2017
Traditional applications for 2-micron photodetectors have been largely dominated by passive remote sensing where detectors having bandwidth of even one megahertz are deemed sufficient. The onus in such applications is to achieve low dark current through active cooling. The advent of high-power, 2-micron-wave-length lasers have made coherent LiDARs viable for active sensing applications. Such a system needs photodetectors that can handle high local oscillator optical power and have large bandwidth. Through a combination of high coherent gain and small integration time, a large signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved. Operation at high optical power levels reduces the significance of photodiodes’ dark current. As a result, uncooled operation at room temperature is feasible, simplifying the overall instrument design.
Magazine Article
Researchers Turn iPhone Camera into Optical SensorTBMG-2649103/01/2017
By integrating an optical Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems, or MEMS, chip into an iPhone camera, researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed a new, cost-effective kind of hyperspectral technology. The spectral device will provide mobile device users and consumers with new ways to monitor their environments, including quick food analysis, health checks, and other Internet-connected sensing. Research team leader Anna Rissanen works actively with companies to enable commercialization and new business development based on the team's various sensors.
Magazine Article
Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam Sun SafetyTBMG-2618601/01/2017
The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) ChemCam instrument can be damaged when the Sun enters or passes through its field of view (FOV). There is no Sun cover, yet other instruments mounted with boresights pointing in the same direction must observe the Sun for scientific observations and for attitude determination. When in a Suntolerant focus range during rover motion and pointing for observations by other remote sensing instruments, the Sun must be allowed to pass through the ChemCam FOV, and when in a Sun-damage focus range for ChemCam observations, the Sun must never be allowed to enter the FOV, even after a rover system fault. Both of these scenarios depend upon knowledge of the attitude of the rover relative to the motion of the Sun. A Sun search that is guaranteed to be Sun-safe for the ChemCam, even when the location of the Sun is unknown, had to be developed.
Magazine Article
Aerodynamically Stabilized Instrument PlatformTBMG-2600512/01/2016
The AeroPod, developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Wallops Flight Facility, is a passive device that uses aerodynamic forces to stabilize an instrument package suspended from a kite or tethered blimp. The AeroPod’s design for steadying and damping payloads includes the use of a tail boom and fin combination. It is a novel design and provides a relatively simple alternative to the traditional methods for suspending equipment from kites or blimps. It is a low-altitude custom remote sensing platform craft designed for, but not limited to, agricultural and environmental research purposes. AeroPods can be used for a variety of remote sensing and in-situ observations.
Magazine Article
Elimination of Yaw Component of Gyroscope Propagation Error During Arm Activity in MSLTBMG-2532409/01/2016
When updating attitude during arm motion, gyroscope propagation error soon becomes greater than the tilt being monitored. The solution is to add an accelerometer-only mode that can update attitude without using gyroscopes, and to add the ability to monitor pitch and roll separately. Accelerometer-only mode is used only when it is safe to assume that any vehicle shifting in yaw would also be accompanied by shifting in pitch and/or roll. For surface contact operations, it is important to monitor change in tilt of the vehicle resulting from arm motion.
Magazine Article
Reconfigurable Drive Current SystemTBMG-2493907/01/2016
NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has developed compact, reconfigurable electronic devices to drive and control avionics instruments. Typical avionics systems function through centralized power distribution units (PDUs), which have complex, expensive, and time-consuming design, development, test, and evaluation (DDT&E) cycles. To increase efficiency and lower design and implementation costs, the Standardized Multipurpose Avionics with Reconfigurable Technology (SMART) has been developed, replacing the PDU and sensor signal conditioning functions. By replacing the PDU, the system is able to process commands and condition signals at the application site, thus lowering system load. SMART can also be reconfigured for new tasks without changing hardware. This means functions can be added or changed later in the DDT&E cycle and even during integration, helping to reduce cost and schedule impact while enabling responsiveness to changing application needs.
Magazine Article
2.2-Micron, Uncooled, InGaAs Photodiodes and Balanced Photoreceivers up to 25-GHz BandwidthTBMG-2458605/01/2016
Traditional applications for 2-micron photodetectors have been largely dominated by passive remote sensing where detectors having bandwidth of even one megahertz are deemed sufficient. The onus in such applications is to achieve low dark current through active cooling. The advent of high-power, 2-micron-wavelength lasers has made coherent LiDARs viable for active sensing applications. Such a system needs photodetectors that can handle high local oscillator optical power and have large bandwidth. Through a combination of high coherent gain and small integration time, a large signal-to-noise ratio can be achieved. Operation at high optical power levels reduces the significance of photodiodes’ dark current. As a result, uncooled operation at room temperature is feasible, simplifying the overall instrument design.
Magazine Article
Continental-Scale Mapping of Adélie Penguin Colonies from Landsat ImageryTBMG-2411903/01/2016
The Adélie penguin has a circum-Antarctic distribution and is widely considered a useful indicator of status and change in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems. Breeding distribution of the Adélie penguin was surveyed with Landsat-7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) over the entire continent of Antarctica. An algorithm was designed to minimize radiometric noise and to retrieve Adélie penguin colony location and spatial extent from the ETM+ data. In all, 259 ETM+ scenes were selected from the Lansdat archive from the 1999–2003 era and were used in the retrieval. Pixel clustering identified a total of 244 individual Adélie penguin colonies, ranging in size from a single pixel (900 m2) to a maximum of 875 pixels (0.788 km2). The Landsat retrievals successfully located Adélie penguin colonies that accounted for ≈96 to 97% of the regional population used as ground truth, with errors of omission and commission on the order of only 1 to 2%.
Magazine Article
Disturbance-Free, High-Resolution Imaging from SpaceTBMG-2412203/01/2016
All imaging systems from space are affected by disturbances originating in the spacecraft in the form of mechanical noise from thruster and reaction/momentum wheels, and sensor noise. A drag-free system is truly unaffected by any disturbances, as it is in pure freefall. Hence, leveraging drag-free technology can provide a quantum leap in improvement for spaceborne imaging systems.
Magazine Article
Rapid Forest Triage by Sub-Canopy Micro Air VehiclesTBMG-2408903/01/2016
Today, tree distribution maps can only be generated manually in a very time-consuming process, and real-time microclimate mapping of a large 3D volume under tree canopy is not possible. A prototype small quadrotor unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system was developed that is able to maneuver in cluttered environments like forests, and under tree canopy to map tree distributions from 3D point clouds gathered from an onboard stereo vision system. The UAV uses a small onboard sensor board to record micro-climate parameters during flight.
Magazine Article
Generating a Laser Linear Frequency Modulation Waveform for Application in Coherent Doppler LidarTBMG-2385702/01/2016
Frequency modulation of a single-frequency laser with a linear triangular waveform is of great interest to many laser remote sensing and interferometry applications. Linear frequency modulation of a continuous-wave (CW) laser beam can make target distance measurements with great precision. If the frequency modulation is perfectly linear with time, such a laser radar (lidar) system will have higher resolution and accuracy compared with pulsed lasers.
Magazine Article
Multiple-Frequency-Band Software-Defined RadiometerTBMG-2365501/01/2016
Remote sensing — the use of spacebased satellite technologies to obtain information on environmental variables — in combination with other types of data, can provide information on changes in the Earth’s surface and atmosphere that are critical for weather forecasting and responding to human welfare issues (disease outbreaks, food shortages, and floods). Satellites and other remote sensing tools have gathered a great deal of useful data on the Earth’s climate systems, drainage systems, geologic structures, thermal anomalies, geomorphologic features, and distribution of vegetation.
Magazine Article
Using Black Polyimide/Kevlar as a Metering Structure Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI)TBMG-2321211/01/2015
Metering structures of remote sensing instruments often have large openings or access holes. Shear panels that are X-shaped, such as those proposed for the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER), generally consist of C-channels and L-brackets to minimize structural distortion. This type of metering structure has large openings on the sides. Structural panels that have large access holes, such as those studied for the Landsat Operational Land Imager (OLI), generally consist of aluminum honeycomb panels with composite facesheets. Both types of metering structure require multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets to shield the internal components such as optics from sunlight and Earth albedo, and to minimize heat loss to 3K space by radiation. The issues of conventional MLI blankets for these metering structures include MLI sagging, stray light, and risk of micrometeoroid damage to optics.
Magazine Article
An Overview of Data Transmission Used in UAVs for Remote Sensing Surveillance and Environmental Management Systems2015-36-054309/22/2015
The increasing development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) technologies has allowed greater use of UAVs as remote sensing platforms to enhance satellite and manned aerial vehicle remote sensing surveillance and environmental management systems. Particularly, the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research - INPE has an Environmental Data Collection System (SCD) since 1993. Recently, the MCTI (Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation) opened the National Center for Monitoring and Early Warning of Natural Disasters (CEMADEN). Both may need additional resources for their expansions in the near future as offered by UAV technologies. These needs illustrate the potential of UAV technologies as complement to existing or future systems. This paper presents an overview of data transmission used in UAVs for remote sensing surveillance and environmental management systems. This includes post-disaster assessment, environmental management and monitoring of infrastructure development with
da Silva Araujo, Rodolfo Antonio, Rodrigues, José Antonio, de Oliveira e Souza, Marcelo Lopes
Technical Paper
Visual Environment for Remote Virtual Exploration (VERVE) v2TBMG-2286109/01/2015
VERVE is a 3D visualization system that provides situational awareness, science analysis tools, and data understanding capabilities for robotics researchers and exploration science operations. VERVE includes telemetry views that show remote system status, and can be extended to support various types of robots. VERVE is highly modular, extensible, and includes a 3D scenegraph database, interactive 3D viewer, and associated graphical user interfaces (GUIs) to OSGI (Java standards organization) plug-in based applications.
Magazine Article
Domain-Engineered Magnesium-Oxide-Doped Lithium Niobate for Lidar-Based Remote SensingTBMG-2242807/01/2015
There are several frequency conversion applications associated with lidar-based remote sensing that would benefit from the use of high-quality, complex (i.e., chirped, multi-section, or otherwise modulated) domain-engineered magnesiumoxide- doped lithium niobate (MgO:LN). While congruently melting lithium niobate (CLN) has been explored in detail over the last decades, it is known to be highly susceptible to photorefractive damage, which has limited the achievable performance of some QPM-assisted (quasi phase matching) structures that are commercially available. The demand for high-performance engineered nonlinear optical (NLO) materials, in terms of power handling, efficiency, conversion bandwidth, and accessible wavelength range, has driven the development of high-quality, large-area wafers of MgO:LN. While commercial outlets for these materials exist, there is still a need to expand the achievable performance of these structures (i.e. larger aperture bulk structures, higher
Magazine Article
Neo-Geography Toolkit (NGT) v2TBMG-2217606/01/2015
The Neo-Geography Toolkit (NGT) is a collection of open-source software tools for the automated processing of geospatial data, including images and maps. It can process raw raster data from remote sensing instruments and transform it into useful cartographic products such as visible image base maps, topographic models, etc. It can also perform data processing on extremely large geospatial data sets (up to several tens of terabytes) via parallel processing pipelines. Finally, it can transform raw metadata, vector data, and geo-tagged datasets into standard Neo-Geography data formats such as KML.
Magazine Article
Improved Calibration Shows Images’ True ColorsTBMG-2225706/01/2015
In satellite images, the true color of a body of water, or anything else they depict, is not precise. Radiometric calibration, which improves the color accuracy of an image and enables it to be used to solve remote sensing problems, has always been a costly endeavor. A cooperative effort between Stennis Space Center and Innovative Imaging and Research Corporation (I2R), a small business located on the center’s campus in southern Mississippi, is changing that.
Magazine Article
Isotope Beta-Battery Approaches for Long-Lived SensorsTBMG-2189104/01/2015
The energy density of isotopes exceeds that of chemical energy storage by six orders of magnitude. Isotopes are used in many commercial applications, and are produced and available at modest prices. The power requirements of many sensors and communications equipment can greatly reduce the power requirements of many devices such as sensors, light sources, and transmitters. Chemical batteries are the mainstay of power for these devices. However, chemical batteries have limited lifetimes. This makes remote use and replacement difficult for applications extending the lifetime use.
Magazine Article
Low Er-Doped Yttrium Gallium Garnet (YGG) as Active Media for Solid-State Lasers at 1651 nmTBMG-2180704/01/2015
The typical approach for producing laser output at the 1651-nm wavelength is via nonlinear frequency conversion. Lasers based on nonlinear conversion are complex, and it is very difficult to provide stability over time and over a wide range of operating temperatures. The efficiency of such optical sources is also low. A much more promising approach is the use of active media that allows for the development of solid-state lasers (SSL) with spectral emission at 1651 nm. An important requirement for this active medium is the ability to support in-band pumping with a low quantum defect since this approach leads to significant improvement in efficiency of SSLs and excellent beam characteristics due to low thermal stress of the active media.
Magazine Article
Products of Tomorrow: March 2015TBMG-2165503/01/2015
The technologies NASA develops don’t just blast off into space. They also improve our lives here on Earth. Life-saving search-and-rescue tools, implantable medical devices, advances in commercial aircraft safety, increased accuracy in weather forecasting, and the miniature cameras in our cellphones are just some of the examples of NASA-developed technology used in products today.
Magazine Article
Robust Gimbal System for Small-Payload ManipulationTBMG-2145702/01/2015
Spaceborne gimbal systems are typically bulky with large footprints. Such a gimbal system may consist of a forked elevation stage rotating on top of the azimuth motor, and occupy a large volume. Mounting flexibility of such a system may be limited.
Magazine Article
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