31st Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium

held at

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center

May 14, 15 and 16, 1997

Hosted by National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Sponsored by Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space
and the Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium Committee

Table of Contents

Symposium Objectives

This symposium is concerned with the problems of design, fabrication, test, and operational use of aerospace mechanisms. Emphasis is on hardware developments. The symposium provides both a social and technical forum for personnel active in the field of mechanisms technology, as well as providing a source of information for others with an interest in this field. The symposium rotates annually between eight NASA centers and attracts papers and attendees internationally.

Symposium Location

The Huntsville Marriott is the site for the technical sessions. The Huntsville Marriott is located on the grounds of the U.S. Space and Rocket Center. The telephone number for urgent messages to attendees during the symposium is (205) 830-2222 ext. 6152; please mention the 31st Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium.

Symposium Activities

The technical and social activities planned provide an opportunity for attendees not only to become professionally acquainted, but also to develop personal contacts.

Early Registration

On Tuesday evening, May 13 from 7:00-9:00 PM, registration or check-in will be in the pre-function area of the Huntsville Marriott. Symposium materials, including the symposium proceedings and a computerized index of past AMS and European Space Mechanisms & Tribology Symposium papers will be available.

Reception

On Wednesday evening, May 14, an informal reception will be held at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center (located one block from the Huntsville Marriott - in case of rain a bus will be provided for transportation) from 6:00 - 9:00. The reception is open to all attendees and guests. The Center will be open for self-guided tours as well as the Spacedome Theater, where you'll feel the rumble and hear the roar of a shuttle launch watching an OMNIMAX movie on a 67-foot curved screen. You'll discover new frontiers at the world's largest space science exhibition, where you touch the past, present and future of cosmic exploration.

Symposium Banquet

On Thursday, May 15, the principal social event of the symposium will be held at Ditto Landing Picnic Pavilion on the Tennessee River. Entertainment will be provided by a local bluegrass band. There will be a social hour at the pavilion with a cash bar followed by a southern-style cookout featuring catfish and barbecue. Bus transportation is provided between the hotel and the landing.

Marshall Facilities Tour

On Friday afternoon, May 16, there will be a special tour of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center facilities. Unique facilities include the Space Station Mockup, Manufacturing Facility, Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, and Test Facility. This tour is open to all attendees and guests. Buses depart from the hotel after lunch and return to the hotel after the tour. Participants needing to go to the airport are taken directly from the tour to the airport. Please indicate when registering if you and your guests will participate. Also note that non-USA citizens are required to pre-register to participate in the tour.

Guest Activities

On Wednesday, May 14, interested guests will visit Lynchburg, TN, the home of the Jack Daniel Distillery, the oldest registered distillery in the U.S., tour downtown Lynchburg, and dine at the world-famous Miss Bobo's Boarding House on southern country gourmet-style dishes. On Thursday, May 15, guests will tour the Burritt Museum and Park. This site contains one of Huntsville's most unusual architectural landmarks, the Burritt Mansion, which contains exhibits relating to natural and cultural history. The park area contains several 19th-century structures. Dining will be at Huntsville's most popular tea room, Victoria's.

Authors' Meetings

Presenting authors are required to join their Session Chair at a special breakfast on the day of their presentation at the time noted in the program schedule. This gathering gives the session participants an opportunity to meet one another and review the session arrangements. The Symposium Projectionist is available at this time to discuss presentation requirements.

Symposium Information

Registration

Advance registration is requested to facilitate planning. To register, return the registration card or submit a letter indicating name, mailing address, affiliation, e-mail address, and citizenship. Enclose the registration fee of $160 ($100 for students and educators, $25 for retirees (sessions only)). This fee covers all sessions, proceedings, break refreshments, reception, symposium banquet, and specified bus transportation. Guest tickets for the symposium social events are available at check-in.

Please note on the registration card or letter your interest in the NASA Marshall Facilities Tour. Also indicate your guest's interest in the NASA Tour, the social events, and Guests' Program.

NOTE: Foreign nationals interested in the Facilities Tour must register by April 15, 1997 to allow adequate processing time.

Checks are to be made payable to the 31st Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium and submitted with the registration card or letter to:

Ms. Pat Burrow
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, EP43
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812
Tel: (205) 544-7171
Fax: (205) 544-8585

Please do not send purchase orders, foreign currency, or credit card charges. If registering at the symposium, cash, checks and money orders are accepted, but no credit cards. Checks/money orders must be drawn on a US bank in US dollars.

Registration also takes place at the Huntsville Marriott on Tuesday evening, May 13, and each day of the symposium.

Hotel Reservations

A block of rooms is set aside at the symposium hotel. A special single or double rate of $61 plus tax (this is equal to the lodging allowable for the area) has been arranged. A special rate of $68 plus tax will be available for Friday and Saturday nights as well. Attendees are responsible for making their own reservations directly with the hotel. Attendees must mention the 31st Aerospace Mechanisms Symposium to obtain the special rate. Requests for reservations must be made by April 22, 1997 to ensure obtaining the symposium rate. After this date, the hotel will honor the special rate on a space-available basis only. "No shows" are billed for the first night's stay. All cancellations must be made no later than 6:00 PM on the day of arrival to avoid this charge.
The hotel address is:

Huntsville Marriott
5 Tranquility Base
Huntsville, Alabama 35805
(205) 830-2222
Fax: (205) 895-0904

Transportation

The Huntsville area is served by the Huntsville International Airport. Complimentary hotel transportation is provided upon request. Taxi service and car rentals are also available requiring approximately 20 minutes travel time to the Huntsville Marriott. Limousine service from the Huntsville International Airport to the Huntsville Marriott costs $13.00.

Dr. George Herzl Award

Each year a plaque is awarded to the author(s) of the "Best Paper." The award is based on paper content, presentation delivery, and visual aids. This award was established in honor of Dr. George Herzl of Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space, a co-founder of the Aerospace Mechanisms Symposia.

Symposium Schedule

TUESDAY, 13 MAY 1997
7:00-9:00 EARLY REGISTRATION AND/OR CHECK-IN
Pre-Function area

WEDNESDAY, 14 MAY 1997
8:00 WEDNESDAY AUTHORS' BREAKFAST - Season's Cafe
8:30 REGISTRATION AND REFRESHMENTS
Pre-Function Area
9:30 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS
Carlton L. Foster, Host Chairman
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
Stuart H. Loewenthal, General Chairman
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space, Sunnyvale, CA

CENTER WELCOME
J. Wayne Littles, Center Director
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
10:00 SESSION I - INSTRUMENT MECHANISMS
Derek Binge, Session Chair
TECSTAR Inc., Oxnard, CA
  • The FUSE Mirror Mechanism
    Paul Nikulla, Swales and Associates, Beltsville, MD
  • Two Unique Methods of Micro-positioning as Implemented in the FUSE Focal Plane Assemblies
    Jeffrey Lees, Gregg Allison, John Andrews, James Green & James Westfall, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
  • A Reactionless, Bearingless Linear Shutter Mechanism for the Multispectral Pushbroom Imaging Radiometer
    Les Krumel, Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
  • Vibration Isolation, Steering, and Suppression Mechanism for Space-Based Sensors
    Steve Bennett & Torey Davis, Honeywell Satellite Systems Operation, Glendale, AZ; Richard Cobb & Jeanne Sullivan, U.S. Air Force, Kirtland, NM
12:00 LUNCH
1:15 SESSION II - BEARINGS & TRIBOLOGY
Dennis Smith, Session Chair
Honeywell Satellite Systems Operation, Glendale, AZ
  • Selection, Preparation and Lubrication of Middle-Size Ball Bearings for Infrared Instruments
    Jean Lizon, European Southern Observatory, Munich, Germany
  • The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A, Antenna #2 Bearing Life Test
    Charles Powers, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
  • The GSFC Combined Approach of ODC Stockpiling and Tribological Testing to Mitigate the Risks of ODC Elimination
    Roamer Predmore & Claudia LeBoeuf, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD; Andrew Hovanec, Unisys, Greenbelt, MD
  • Bearing Assembly, Thermal Radiator Rotary Joint
    Ed Kibel, Honeywell Satellite Systems Operation, Glendale, AZ
  • The Chemical and Physical Properties of Aerospace Grade Lubricants
    Paul Bessette, Nye Lubricants, Inc., New Bedford, MA
3:45-5:30 VENDOR DISPLAYS
Invited component and software vendors will display their wares
6:00-9:00 RECEPTION AT U.S. SPACE AND ROCKET CENTER
6:00 Welcome
6:15-7:00 OMNIMAX Movie
7:00-8:30 Buffet and Self-Guided Tour
8:30-9:00 Space Station Presentation "Outpost in Space"

THURSDAY, 15 MAY 1997
7:00 THURSDAY AUTHORS' BREAKFAST - Season's Cafe
8:00 SESSION III - LOW SHOCK
Scott Tibbetts, Session Chair
Starsys Research Corp., Boulder, CO
  • Development of a New, No-Shock Separation Mechanism for Spacecraft Release Applications
    Shawn Smith, Starsys Research Corp., Boulder CO; Bill Purdy, Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C.; Bill Nygren, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO
  • Environmental Sensor Boom Experiment Using Shape Memory Alloys for Release, Deployment and Final Lockup
    Steven Robinson, Robert Gammon, John Koch & Jerry Stephenson, Boeing Defense & Space Group, Kent, WA
  • Shape Memory Activated Adaptive Antenna
    Bernie Carpenter & Duane Grosskrueger, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Denver, CO
  • The Cassini Magnetospheric Imaging Instrument Ion and Neutral Camera Shutter Door Mechanism Design
    Douglas Mehoke & Steven Vernon, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD
10:00 BREAK
10:15 SESSION IV - MECHANISMS
Ernie Schaeffer, Session Chair
Schaeffer Magnetics Inc., Chatsworth, CA
  • SEPTA 14 Gear Development
    Luc Chatenet & Frederic Canedi, Socit Europenne de Propulsion, France
  • The Cassini Main Engine Assembly Cover Mechanism
    Donald R. Sevilla, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
  • Hexapod Pointing System for Space Applications
    Luis Genovese & Walter Gallieni, ADS Italia S.r.l., Lecco, Italy; Piero Galione & Josˇ Gavira, European Space Agency, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
  • The Galileo Tape Recorder Rewind Operation Anomaly
    Michael Johnson & Greg Levanas, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
12:15 LUNCH
1:15 SESSION V - MOTORS & GIMBALS
Peter Welch, Session Chair
Aerojet Electrosystems, Azusa, CA
  • Design Improvements for a Second Generation Mirror Gimbal
    Scott Stanley, Ruben Nalbandian & Jeffrey Williams, Schaeffer Magnetics, Inc., Chatsworth, CA
  • Updating Gimbal Actuators for the Long Journey to Saturn
    Theodore Iskenderian, Benjamin Joffe & Edward Litty, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA
  • Design and Qualification of the CRSS Antenna Gimbal
    G. Cameron Dales & Mark Calassa, Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space, Sunnyvale, CA
2:45 BREAK
3:00 SESSION VI - TETHERED SATELLITE MISSION AND FAILURE ANALYSIS
Anthony R. Lavoie, Session Chair & former Chief Engineer of Tethered
Satellite Project, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
  • Re-Flight of the Deployable Retrievable Booms
    Carlton Foster & Edward Litkenhous, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
  • TSS-1R Failure Mode Evaluation
    Jason Vaughn, Matthew McCollum & Rachel Kamenetzky, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
  • Invited speaker: Robert J. Schwinghamer, Associate Director, Technical
    NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
    Fault Tree Design
    A unique perspective on the subject of failure investigations drawn from more than 30 years' experience and involvement in numerous investigations, including: Apollo 13, Challenger, Tethered Satellite, TWA 800, and others.
5:15-10:00 COOKOUT AT DITTO LANDING PICNIC PAVILION
5:15 Buses depart Huntsville Marriot
6:00-7:00 Social Hour
7:00-8:30 Dinner
8:30-9:30 Entertainment provided by Pinhook Creek, a local bluegrass band
9:30 Buses leave Ditto Landing and return to hotel

FRIDAY, 16 MAY 1997
7:00 FRIDAY AUTHORS' BREAKFAST - Season's Cafe
8:00 SESSION VII - MORE MECHANISMS
Benjamin E. Goldberg, Session Chair
NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL
  • Robotic Materials Handling in Space: Mechanical Design of the Robot Operated Materials Processing System HitchHiker Experiment
    George Voellmer, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD
  • 3 d.o.f. Robotic Wrist Actuator Redesign
    Tom Bonner, NASA Kennedy Space Center, FL; Gabor Tamasi, PLD Advanced Automation Systems, Inc., Rockledge, FL
  • NASA Space Shuttle Light Weight Seats - The Final Chapter
    Steven King, Lockheed Martin Engineering & Sciences, Houston, TX
  • Ion Thruster Alignment Mechanism for Artemis: Qualification Test Results and Lessons Learned
    Manfred Falkner, Christian Schwarzinger & Donald Johnson, sterreichische Raumfahrt-und Systemtechnik, Vienna, Austria
  • Rotary Mechanism for Contactless Data and Power Transfer in Spacecraft
    Gwyn Roberts & P. Hadfield, Industrial Development Bangor Ltd., Bangor, United Kingdom; M. Humphries, MMS Space Systems Ltd., Filton, United Kingdom; F. Bauder, Mecanex SA, Nyon, Switzerland; J. Gavira Izquierdo, ESA, Noordwijk, The Netherlands
10:30 BREAK
10:45 NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER OVERVIEW
G. Sherman Jobe, Director, Science and Engineering Directorate
11:15 PRESENTATION OF THE HERZL AWARD
John W. Redmon, Sr., NASA MSFC (ret)
11:15 CLOSING REMARKS
Edward A. Boesiger, Operations Chairman
Lockheed Martin Missiles & Space
11:30 LUNCH AND CHECK-OUT
12:30 BUSES DEPART HOTEL FOR MSFC TOUR
1:00-3:00 NASA MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER FACILITY TOUR
Space Station Mockup, Manufacturing Facility, Neutral Buoyancy Simulator, Test Facility

Carlton L. Foster, Host Chairman, NASA MSFC

Symposium Organizing Committee
Stuart H. Loewenthal
Edward A. Boesiger
Charles W. Coale		 General Chairman, Lockheed Martin
Operations Chairman, Lockheed Martin
Organizational Chairman, Lockheed Martin (ret)
Obie H. Bradley, Jr.
Michael J. Eiden
David F. Engelbert
Robert L. Fusaro
Claef F. Hakun
Alan C. Littlefield
Edward C. Litty
Ronald E. Mancini
Fred G. Martwick
Stewart C. Meyers
Douglas A. Rohn
John F. Rogers
William C. Schneider
Donald R. Sevilla
Sterling W. Walker
Edward A. Wegner		 NASA LaRC
ESA/ESTeC
NASA ARC
NASA LeRC
NASA GSFC
NASA KSC
JPL
NASA ARC
NASA ARC
NASA GSFC
NASA LeRC
NASA LaRC
NASA JSC
JPL
NASA KSC
Lockheed Martin (ret)
Symposium Advisory Committee
Aleck C. Bond
H. Mervyn Briscoe
Otto H. Fedor
Angelo Giovannetti
John E. Harbison
Harvey H. Horiuchi
Frank T. Martin
John W. Redmon, Sr.
Alfred L. Rinaldo
Bowden W. Ward, Jr.
Nathan D. Watson		 NASA JSC (ret)
ESA/ESTeC (ret)
Lockheed Martin (ret)
NASA ARC (ret)
NASA MSFC (ret)
JPL
NASA GSFC (ret)
NASA MSFC (ret)
Lockheed Martin (ret)
NASA GSFC (ret)
NASA LaRC (ret)