SENSORS A prime objective of the space program is to detect, measure and characterize the aerospace environment which surrounds us. Figure 20 illustrates the multiplicity of energy sources, natural characteristics and man-made phenomena of interest. A paradox in the evolution of solid state electronics is the limited application of this technology to sensor systems. Research is being pursued to alleviate this problem. Advances in solid state electronics have resulted in development of photo detectors having increased sensitivity, reduced size, weight and power consumption and spectral ranges extending into the infrared. Figure 21 illustrates a prototype facsimile camera developed at Langley Research Center which uses solid state silicon detectors in place of tubes. Through suitable electromechanical processing, the camera can produce high quality color images as illustrated by the aircraft and automobile in the figure. The camera is being developed as a planetary imaging sensor and will be included in the experiment package aboard the Viking lander. An additional advantage of the solid state detector is that its spectral response can be extended to wavelengths which could be useful in identifying planetary surface materials. This aspect of the camera development will be studied during Fiscal Year 1972. Another example of sensor system development is illustrated in Figure 22. Shown in the figure is an example of air pollution caused by a burning field in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. The smoke rises until it encounters a mixing layer or inversion in the atmosphere and then diffuses laterally across the valley. A laser radar sensing system, developed at Langley Research Center, has been used to provide an accurate measure of the height to which particulate pollution and water vapor were mixed and their spatial distribution. This data provided the first confirmation of the cause of pollution in the valley. State officials are now considering procedures for minimizing the pollution as a result of the tests. In other sensor areas, solid state devices are being studied for use as humidity, temperature and strain sensors. This work will be extended into Fiscal Year 1972 with increased emphasis on the development of lightweight, low power, high performance sensors for a large variety of applications. SUMMARY The broad character of research and development in Guidance, Control and Information Systems has been described by example in the preceding pages. The importance of these activities to continued progress in the advancement of the nation's aeronautical and space capabilities must not be minimized. Electronics technology offers the means for solving the tangled web of air transportation; it promises the development of sensors and detectors which can be used to measure and develop controls for atmospheric pollution; it provides advanced capabilities for space vehicles which can be used to extend our understanding of the universe or to provide increased benefits to man through the measurement of earth resources and the characteristics of the atmosphere which affect our day-to-day existence. The advantages to be gained from this technology are furthered through the support of research and advanced development in selected areas where significant improvements in capability can be obtained. The objectives of the Guidance, Control and Information Systems program is to provide this support. |