Presented is one of a series of publications of National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) facts about the exploration of Mars. The Viking mission to Mars, consisting of two unmanned NASA spacecraft launched in August and September, 1975, is described. A description of the spacecraft and their paths is given. A diagram identifying the…

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) program of lunar and planetary exploration produced a flood of scientific information about the moon, planets and the environment of interplanetary space. This book is an account of the people, machines, and the events of this scientific enterprise. It is a story of organizations,…

This report describes the technical aspects and potential applications of a computer-based model simulating the flow of airmen through basic training and entry-level technical training. The objective of the simulation is to assess the impacts of alternative recruit classification and training policies under a wide variety of assumptions regarding…

Knowledge of the environment has grown to such an extent that information technology (IT) is essential to make sense of the available data. An example of this is remote sensing by satellite. In recent years this field has grown in importance and remote sensing is used for a range of uses including the automatic survey of wheat yields in North…

This report gives an overview of a study conducted by the Space Applications Board (SAB) on the practical applications of space systems. In this study, the SAB considered how the nation's space capability might be used to solve problems such as the shortage of food and energy; the improvement of the physical environment; inventorying and…

This report summarizes the findings of one of fourteen panels that studied progress in space science applications and defined user needs potentially capable of being met by space-system applications. The study was requested by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and was conducted by the Space Applications Board. The panels…

This plan for 1978 describes the initiatives carried out by federal agencies of the United States which support or contribute to the goals of the World Weather Program (WWP). This document has four sections and a list of acronyms. Section one contains a summary of a recently concluded Data Systems Test. The results and lessons learned from this…

With respect to the preparation of filmed program instruction, considerations involved in the choice between slides and filmstrips are discussed. The considerations of revision, quantity, length, storage, recycling, aspect ratio, change time, random access, and continuous repetition are presented. A comparison of the cost of preparing a master of…

A study of the problems posed by the use of natural language in various aspects of aviation is presented. The study, part of a larger investigation of the feasibility of voice input/output interfaces for communication in aviation, looks at representative real examples of accidents and near misses resulting from language confusions and omissions.…

This report points out that the communications satellite appears to be on its way to becoming one of the most dominant and controlling technologies of our time, and this requires that a new evaluation be made of our entire communications process. The first section of the report discusses many aspects of the history of satellites, including the…

The Air Force has been plagued with the rising cost of technical training and has increasingly turned to computer-assisted instruction (CAI) for better cost effectiveness. Toward this aim a trial of PLATO IV, a CAI system utilizing a graphic display and centered at the University of Illinois, was initiated at the Chanute and Sheppard training…

The rate training manual is designed as a self-study text for Navy and Naval Reserve personnel preparing for advancement to Petty Officer Third Class (TD 3) to Second Class (TD 2) in the rating of Tradevman. Chapter 1 provides information on the enlisted rating structure, the TD rating, requirements and procedures for advancement, study references…

The training analyst must be able to specify training media requirements during the early stages of weapon systems development. Also, training specialists frequently need to make training media selections for center or base level courses. This report provides such personnel with information to assist them in the development of training equipment…

A digital simulation of a model for the processing of visual images is derived from known aspects of the human visual system. The fundamental principle of computation suggested by a biological model is a transformation that distributes information contained in an input stimulus everywhere in a transform domain. Each sensory input contributes under…

NASA will launch Space Station Freedom piece by piece in the cargo bay of space shuttles. The process is scheduled to start in 1995 and be completed in 1999. This pamphlet presents factual information and accompanying hands-on science activities concerning the following aspects of the project: (1) the space shuttle's role in transport; (2) the…