NASA TECHNICAL NOTE NASA TN D-2377

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FLASHING-BEACON EXPERIMENT FOR

MERCURY-ATLAS 9 (MA-9) MISSION

by Charles C, Laney, Jr.

Ldngley Research Center
Lmgley Station, Hampton, Va.

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS A N D SPACE ADMINISTRATION WASHINGTON, D. C. AUGUST 1964 P

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 TECH LIBRARY KAFB, NM

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1

FLASHING-BEACON EXPERIMENT FOR MERCURY-ATLAS 9 MA-^) MISSION

By C h a r l e s C. Laney, Jr.

Langley R e s e a r c h C e n t e r
Langley Station, Hampton, Va.

N A T I O N A L AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

For sale by the Office of Technical Services, Department of Commerce,

Washington, D.C. 20230 -- Price $0.75
 FWECtNG-BEACON EXPEEIMENT FOR MERCURY-ATLAS 9 (MA-9) MISSION

By Charles C. Laney, Jr.

Langley Research Center

This paper describes t h e research, design, and evaluation of t h e f l a s h i n g

beacon developed and used f o r t h e Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) v i s u a l perception t e s t .
The u n i t i s designed t o produce l i g h t pulses a t t h e rate of 1 p e r second which
a t distances of 10 s t a t u t e miles (approximately 8.7 i n t e r n a t i o n a l n a u t i c a l miles)
v i s u a l l y appear as b r i g h t as a second-magnitude s t a r . The l i g h t package i s
capable of surviving t h e v i b r a t i o n conditions of t h e MA-9 launch and of oper-
a t i n g i n an o r b i t 100 n a u t i c a l miles I n a l t i t u d e f o r a t l e a s t 5 hours. Elec-
t r i c a l design and packaging techniques a r e discussed. D a t a obtained on t h e
s p h e r i c a l l i g h t outputs, c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s , and t h e r e s u l t s of t h e thermal envi-
ronmental t e s t s of space a r e presented, as well a s p e r t i n e n t information
obtained on individual components.

INTRODUCTION

The progress made i n t h e next f e w years i n t h e United S t a t e s manned space

e f f o r t depends l a r g e l y on t h e a b i l i t y t o rendezvous and dock i n space. One of
t h e major problems i s t h a t of l o c a t i n g another object i n o r b i t with which
rendezvous can be effected. A possible s o l u t i o n t o t h i s problem i s t h e use of
a flashing beacon attached t o t h e object. When t h i s method i s used, t h e r e are
many questions which must be answered. These questions include: How much l i g h t
energy p e r f l a s h of l i g h t i s needed? Should t h e l i g h t be "white"? Can a
f l a s h i n g l i g h t be distinguished against a s t a r background?

To answer these questions it w a s proposed t h a t a f l a s h i n g beacon of known

luminosity be b u i l t . This u n i t w a s t o be launched from t h e Mercury spacecraft
while i n o r b i t and observed by t h e Astronaut as i t s d i s t a n c e from t h e spacecraft
varied. The o r b i t , hence t h e distance f r o m t h e spacecraft as a function of
time, can be calculated when t h e b a l l i s t i c number of t h e beacon, t h e launch
velocity, and t h e angle at which t h e beacon w a s launched a r e known. Since t h e
energy p e r f l a s h of l i g h t and t h e d i s t a n c e from t h e observer are known, t h e
Astronaut's readings can give designers an i n s i g h t i n t o t h e requirements f o r
perception of f l a s h i n g beacons i n space and can e s t a b l i s h t h e requirements f o r
ground-based simulation experiments. This paper i s a report o f t h e development
of a source t o meet t h e Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) mission requirements.
 SYMBOLS

r a t i o of s o l a r r a d i a t i o n absorptance t c material emittance

capacitor; capacitance, pf

b a t t e r y voltage, v

frequency, cps o r f l a s h e s p e r minute

acceleration due t o g r a v i t y a t surface of earth, f t / s e c 2

current, amp

peak current, amp

i n t e n s i t y , candles o r lumens

r e s i s t o r ; resistance, ohm

r e s i s t a n c e of flashlamp under conductance, ohm

time, s e c

voltage, v

i n t r i n s i c standoff r a t i o

angle between d e t e c t o r and a x i s through t h e two flashlamps, deg

Subscripts :

1,2,3, -- designate p a r t i c u l a r component o r t i m e

Component designations:

B battery

(FT 1 flashtube

Q transistor

S switch

( SCR 1 s i l i c o n controlled r e c t i f i e r

T transformer

2
 REQUIREMENTS

The b a s i c requirements for t h e f l a s h i n g beacon a r e d i c t a t e d primarily by

t h e physics of t h e experiment and secondarily by t h e weight l i m i t a t i o n s of t h e
MA-9 mission. The beacon must be s p h e r i c a l and i t s l i g h t output, omnidirec-
t i o n a l i n space. Other requirements a r e as follows:

Maximum diameter, excluding lamps, i n . ............

Weight, l b . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Minimum operating l i f e , h r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Flashing r a t e , per s e c . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Maximum v a r i a t i o n of allowable l i g h t output, percent . . . . . 20
Maxi” storage period, month ................. 1

Also, t h e r e must be a m i n i m l i g h t output; t h a t is, t h e f l a s h i n g beacon must

appear ( v i s u a l l y ) as a second-magnitude star at a d i s t a n c e of 1 0 s t a t u t e miles
(approximately 8.7 n a u t i c a l miles) from t h e observer. The environmental con-
d i t i o n s i n which t h e f l a s h i n g beacon m u s t operate a r e as follows:

......
Acceleration of launch f o r 3 minutes, g u n i t s . . . . . . up t o 15
Shock of launch f o r l l m i l l i s e c o n d s , g u n i t s
20
Vacuum range, t o r r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.75 x 10-6 t o
7.3 x 10-lO
Minimum launch temperature, OF ............. 70
Vibration of launch, cps, f o r 100 seconds a t
k3g..
e g . .
.. .. .. .. ....... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..... .. .. .. .. .. .. . . i 1o o5 tt oo 51 00 00
sog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 0 0 t o 2,000
Vibration of launch f o r O.3-inch double amplitude,
c p s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 t o 15
There should a l s o be t h e condition of unattenuated s o l a r r a d i a t i o n .

PROCEDURE

Design C r i t e r i a

Spectra.- The average s p e c t r a l response curve f o r t h e human eye may be

described as b e l l shaped with zero s e n s i t i v i t y a t 4,000 and 7,000 angstroms and
maximum s e n s i t i v i t y a t 5,550 angstroms. From t h e standpoint of energy conver-
sion, it i s d e s i r a b l e t o use a source which has a peak energy close t o
5,500 angstroms o r a blackbody temperature of about 5,000° C. The s p e c t r a l out-
put of a xenon lamp meets t h i s requirement f a i r l y well; t h e lamp has a high-
energy conversion e f f i c i e n c y and a l a r g e amount of conti~uumand l i n e s t r u c t u r e
i n t h e v i s i b l e region of t h e spectrum. The xenon s p e c t r a l output may be

3
described as a continuous spread of energy over t h e e n t i r e v i s u a l region with
broad superimposed l i n e s of xenon.

Flashlamp output.- The minimum l i g h t energy output of t h e flashlamp must

be such t h a t a t a distance of approximately 8.7 n a u t i c a l miles it has an
"effective" i n t e n s i t y equal t o t h a t of a second-magnitude s t a r . According t o
t h e work of reference 1, t h e threshold f o r t h e dark-adapted eye f o r l i g h t - p u l s e
(intensity-time-history) durations -up t o 0.10 second i s energy dependent ( i . e . ,
t h e eye tends t o i n t e g r a t e ) , and t h a t energy i s constant. I n o t h e r words, t h e
l i g h t energy required t o be barely perceived by t h e dark-adapted eye i s con-
s t a n t f o r pulse durations below 0.10 second. For time durations of 0.1 second
and longer, threshold f o r t h e dark-adapted eye i s i n t e n s i t y dependent, and t h a t
i n t e n s i t y i s constant. The t r a n s i t i o n from It = Constant t o I = Constant
i s f a i r l y abrupt and occurs a t about 0.10 second. This f a c t i s very u s e f u l i n
predicting t h e mount of pulsed l i g h t energy o r steady illumination needed f o r
threshold i f one or t h e other i s known. For t h e c a l c u l a t i o n of t h e amount of
energy needed i n a pulse of l i g h t t h a t w i l l equal a steady second-magnitude
star, t h e following proportion w a s s e t up with t h e assumption t h a t t h e response
of t h e eye i s l i n e a r f r o m threshold t o i n t e n s i t i e s of a second-magnitude star:

Minimum detectable pulse energy, lumen-sec/sq cm - Second-magnitude pulse energy, lumen-sec/sq cm

Minimum detectable steady illumination, lumen/sq cm Second-magnitude steady illumination, lumen/sq cm

According t o reference 1,

Minimum d e t e c t a b l e pulse energy

~~

= 0 . 1 second
Minimum detectable steady illumination

Second-magnitude steady illumination equals 3.315 x lumen/sq cm

( r e f . 2); therefore, t h e second-magnitude pulse energy i s

0.1(3.315 x 10-I1>= 0.3315 x lumen-sec/sq cm

= 0.308 x lumen-sec/sq f t

A t a distance of approximately 8.7 n a u t i c a l miles (10 s t a t u t e miles) t h i s

value corresponds t o t h e following source power:

4n(52,800)2(0.308 x = 107.8 lumen-sec

It should be noted here t h a t when t h e Blondel-Rey equation of reference 3 i s

used, t h e figure f o r source power agrees with t h e r e s u l t s of reference 1,
assuming t h a t a = 0.1:

4
where

Ie e f f e c t i v e i n t e n s i t y (steady l i g h t )

Lr2 I dt t o t a l energy of l i g h t pulse

t2 - tl t i m e duration of l i g h t pulse

a constant (0.2 sec a t threshold, l e s s than 0.2 sec a t i n t e n s i t i e s

above threshold)

The r e s u l t s of references 2 and 3 disagree a t threshold by a f a c t o r of 2.

Electrical-System Analysis

On t h e b a s i s of t h e physiological requirements f o r t h e l i g h t output, t h e

f l a s h i n g beacon must emit a m i n i m of about 100 lumen-seconds i n t o 4r( s t e -
radians. When a lamp e f f i c i e n c y of 25 lumen-seconds p e r watt-second i s assumed,
4 watt-seconds p e r lamp i s required. Figure 1 i s a c i r c u i t diagram of t h e c i r -
c u i t r y f o r t h e f l a s h i n g beacon which meets t h i s requirement. The c i r c u i t con-
s i s t s b a s i c a l l y of four parts; namely, t h e power supply, t h e storage capacitors,
t h e timing module, and t h e flashlamps. Upon closure of t h e switches Si and s2J
t h e c i r c u i t i s s e t i n operation. The power supply, b a t t e r y B1, charges t h e
storage capacitors C 1 and C 2 through t h e charging r e s i s t o r s R 1 and R2, respec-
t i v e l y , and a l s o charges capacitors C 3 and C4 i n t h e timing module. One
second a f t e r S2 i s closed, t h e unijunction t r a n s i s t o r Q1 i n t h e relaxation
o s c i l l a t o r supplies a gate t o t h e s i l i c o n control r e c t i f i e r s (SCR)l and (SCR)2,
which i n t u r n discharge (23 and C4, respectively, through transformers TI and T2,
thus t r i g g e r i n g flashtubes and (FT)2. The t r i g g e r pulse ionizes t h e
flashlamps and allows t h e storage capacitors t o discharge through them. The
l i g h t given off i s approximately 100 lumen-seconds p e r l a m p .

Power supply.- The power supply B 1 i s a s t a c k of mercury b a t t e r i e s con-

nected i n s e r i e s . Their open-circuit voltage i s approximately 1.37 v o l t s , which
gives t h e power supply an open-circuit voltage of approximately 272 v o l t s .
Mercury b a t t e r i e s were chosen as t h e power supply because of t h e i r high r a t i o
of energy t o volume and weight (30 watt-hours per pound, 5.0 watt-hours per
cubic inch; see r e f . 4), t h e i r a b i l i t y t o function dependably a f t e r long periods
of i d l e n e s s (3-percent decrease i n capacity a f t e r 6 months; see r e f . 5 ) , and
t h e i r r e s i s t a n c e t o impact v i b r a t i o n and acceleration. The primary d i f f i c u l t y
i n using mercury b a t t e r i e s i s t h e i r poor performance a t low temperatures ( i . e . ,
lower than TO0 F ) .

The mercury b a t t e r i e s used f o r t h i s i n v e s t i g a t i o n a r e r a t e d a t

1,000 milliamp-hours and are recommended f o r use with loads from 1 t o

5
20 milliamps. Power supply B 1 must supply peak currents of approximately
185 milliamps once a second f o r a m i n i m of 5 hours. I n order t h a t t h e bat-
t e r i e s could be t e s t e d under t h e s e adverse conditions, a t e s t c i r c u i t as shown
i n f i g u r e 2 w a s constructed. Note t h a t t h e peak current drawn i n t h e t e s t c i r -
c u i t i s nearly t h r e e times t h a t drawn i n t h e a c t u a l c i r c u i t and t h a t t h e energy
p e r u n i t c e l l i s r e l a t i v e l y close t o t h a t of t h e a c t u a l c i r c u i t (0.04- watt-
second i n t h e a c t u a l c i r c u i t and 0.039 watt-second i n t h e t e s t c i r c u i t ) .
Approximately 10 mercury b a t t e r i e s were t e s t e d with t h i s c i r c u i t . Figure 3
shows t h e t y p i c a l results of t h e s e tests. On t h e b a s i s of t h e s e tests it can
be concluded t h a t i f t h e mercury b a t t e r i e s a r e operated a t temperatures no lower
t h a n 7 5 O F, t h e power supply B 1 w i l l last i n excess of 7 hours. A t higher t e m -
p e r a t u r e s t h e l i f e of t h e b a t t e r y i s extended, and at lower temperatures t h e
l i f e i s decreased.

The c i r c u i t i n f i g u r e 3 w a s again employed t o t e s t t h e b a t t e r i e s f o r

recovery under adverse temperature conditions (650 F ) .
Several b a t t e r i e s were
coated with s i l i c o n rubber and were submerged i n water a t 650 F, a f t e r which
l i f e t e s t s w e r e conducted. When t h e b a t t e r y voltage reached 0.7 v o l t , t h e bat-
t e r i e s were removed from t h e water and were heated t o approximately 85' F. The
r e s u l t s of t h i s t e s t a r e shown i n f i g u r e 4.

Storage capacitgr.s.- Two storage capacitors, one f o r each flashtube, a r e

used i n t h e f l a s h i n g beacon. The type chosen f o r t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n i s an
aluminum-foil e l e c t r o l y t i c capacitor. The capacitors were b u i l t e s p e c i a l l y f o r
t h i s a p p l i c a t i o n t o meet t h e following s p e c i f i c a t i o n s :

Capacitance, p f ..................... 150

Direct-current voltage r a t i n g .............. 250
Temperature range, OC . . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 0.1 oo rt ol e 85
I n t e r n a l s e r i e s resistance, ohm ss
Leakage current, m a . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.2 o r l e s s
Watt-second r a t i n g ................... 4
A l t i t u d e of operation i n vacuum of space,
n a u t i c a l miles .................... 100 t o 150
......
Withstanding of launch v i b r a t i o n at log, cps 13 t o 23
to
Minimum number of times energy must be supplied
a flashlamp (approximately 1 ohm) ........... 30, ooo
Trigger c i r c u i t r y . - The t r i g g e r c i r c u i t supplies a high-voltage pulse t o
each of t h e flashlamps a t 1-second i n t e r v a l s . This c i r c u i t c o n s i s t s b a s i c a l l y
of two s i l i c o n controlled r e c t i f i e r s with a charged capacitor i n s e r i e s with a n
i g n i t i o n transformer across t h e anode and a unijunction r e l a x a t i o n o s c i l l a t o r
which g a t e s t h e r e c t i f i e r s at 1-second i n t e r v a l s . When t h e r e l a x a t i o n o s c i l l a -
t o r g a t e s t h e r e c t i f i e r s , t h e high-voltage pulse output of t h e i g n i t i o n t r a n s -
formers t r i g g e r s t h e two flashlamps simultaneously. The s i l i c o n controlled
r e c t i f i e r s a r e three-junction hermetically sealed semiconductor devices func-
tioning, i n t h i s application, s i m i l a r l y t o a thyratron.

The r e l a x a t i o n o s c i l l a t o r i s used as t h e timing c i r c u i t f o r t h e system and

g a t e s t h e two s i l i c o n controlled r e c t i f i e r s . The unijunction t r a n s i s t o r , which
i s t h e h e a r t of t h e timing c i r c u i t , i s a three-terminal semiconductor device with

6
t h e s e f e a t u r e s : (1)a s t a b l e f i r i n g voltage which i s a f i x e d f r a c t i o n of t h e
applied i n t e r b a s e voltage, ( 2 ) a very low value of firing current, (3) a
negative-resistance c h a r a c t e r i s t i c which i s uniform from u n i t t o u n i t and s t a b l e
with temperature and l i f e , and ( 4 ) t h e c a p a b i l i t y of a high-pulse current. (See
r e f . 6.) Figure 5 shows t h e t r i g g e r c i r c u i t r y i n operation and t h e waveforms
at various p o i n t s i n t h e c i r c u i t .

The frequency of o s c i l l a t i o n i n cps i s determined by t h e following

e quat ion:

f =
R C
75
loge
(
7
3
where q i s t h e i n t r i n s i c standoff r a t i o (0.62 nominal f o r t h i s u n i j u n c t i o n ) .
The r e s i s t a n c e f o r R7 i s s e l e c t e d from 100 t o 180 kilohms t o y i e l d a frequency
of approximately 1 cps f o r each combination of C 5 and q. The t y p i c a l value
of R 7 i s 120 kilohms. For temperature compensation, R 5 i s used. A t i t s
value of 150 ohms, t h e o s c i l l a t o r frequency would s h i f t approximately 2 percent
higher when t h e temperature of t h e unijunction t r a n s i s t o r goes from 25O C t o
850 C. The r e s i s t a n c e f o r R5 i s s e t a t t h i s value t o compensate f o r t h e
increase i n C 5 and, consequently, t h e decrease i n frequency when t h e tempera-
t u r e i s increased. Typical temperature c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e complete timing
module a t two d i f f e r e n t room-temperature frequency s e t t i n g s , t h e unijunction
t r a n s i s t o r , and C5, a r e shown i n f i g u r e 6.

Note t h a t t h e timing module has a separate power supply B2. (See f i g . 1.)
The power supply i s made up of 1 2 series-connected mercury b a t t e r i e s similar t o
those discussed i n t h e s e c t i o n e n t i t l e d "Power Supply." On t h e b a s i s of t h e
capacity of t h e s e c e l l s and t h e load imposed by t h e timing module, power supply
B2 should l a s t i n excess of 150 hours.

When t h e unijunction r e l a x a t i o n o s c i l l a t o r g a t e s (SCR)1 and (SCR)2, C 3

and C4, which a r e charged t o an approximate voltage of B1, discharge through
T i and T2, c r e a t i n g an ionizing voltage of approximately 6 k i l o v o l t s t o be
applied t o (FT)l and (FT)2.

F1ashlamps.- The flashlamps used i n t h e f l a s h i n g beacon c o n s i s t of a

U-shaped g l a s s bulb f i l l e d with xenon a t a pressure of about 150 ma of H g . It
i s recommended f o r stroboscopic use a t energies between 0.1 and 1 0 watt-seconds. .
The operating voltage range i s from 160 t o 300 v o l t s .

For t h i s ' a p p l i c a t i o n , t h e flashlamp must f l a s h a m i n i m u m of 18,000 t i m e s

at maximum energy inputs of 5 watt-seconds. The flashlamp w a s t e s t e d and it
w a s found t h a t f o r energy inputs of 20 watt-seconds over 21,000 f l a s h e s a t
1 f l a s h per second could be obtained. I n addition, t h e flashlamp w a s vibrated
i n t h r e e d i r e c t i o n s , with no f a i l u r e , at 5.6g from 15 t o 25 cps, 14g from 25
t o 2,000 cps t o 20g from 30 t o 50 cps, and at 55g from 50 t o 2,000 cps.

7
 Construction of Flashing Beacon

The physical requirements f o r t h e f l a s h i n g beacon are t h a t t h e m a x i m

diameter be 52 inches (excluding l a m p s ) and t h a t t h e minimum weight be 10 pounds.
4
Figure 7 shows t h e component layout of t h e f l a s h i n g beacon (the sphere diameter
i s 5f inches). The component package i s contained i n a 2024-T4 aluminum-alloy

s h e l l with a 3 inch
>- outer diameter and a 1/16-inch thickness which i s coated
4
i n s i d e with 8 m i l s of Teflon. A mold i n which t h e components a r e assembled f o r
p o t t i n g and which has t h e same dimensions as those of t h e i n s i d e of t h e com-
ponent housing i s a l s o coated i n s i d e with 8 m i l s of Teflon. The component
package i s constructed i n t h r e e parts: t h e timing module (unijunction relaxa-
t i o n o s c i l l a t o r ) , t h e flashlamp module, and t h e power supply. The timing module
c o n s i s t s of two of t h e power supply b a t t e r i e s B2, C5, R5, R6, R7, and Ql, a l l
potted i n s i l i c o n e rubber. The timing module i s 1.875 inches long and
0.656 inch i n diameter. The flashlamp module c o n s i s t s of t h e flashlamp and t h e
i g n i t i o n transformer; t h e i g n i t i o n transformer i s coated with Glyptal, and t h e
flashlamp and i g n i t i o n transformer a r e i n s t a l l e d i n a flashlamp-module mold,
a f t e r which s i l i c o n e rubber i s added f o r p o t t i n g . The f i n i s h e d flashlamp module
i s 1.875 by 0.69 by 0.69 inch, excluding t h e protruding lamp. The b a t t e r y
stacks consist of t h r e e t o seven b a t t e r i e s connected i n s e r i e s and a r e b u i l t as
follows. The anode t a b i s removed from all b a t t e r i e s . The batteries are then
placed i n t h e wooden clamp j i g , and t h e cathode tabs are soldered t o t h e anode
( c a s e ) of t h e b a t t e r y ahead of it. The s t a c k of b a t t e r i e s i s then removed,
sanded t o remove any sharp edges, and then taped with two l a y e r s of 3 . 5 - m i l
Teflon tape. The components a r e then b u i l t up i n s i d e t h e mold as shown i n f i g -
ure 8. A l l wiring i s AWG 20, lO/3O stranded, 1/64-inch thermoplastic insula-
t i o n . After t h e w i r i n g i s completed, t h e mold i s placed i n t h e f a c i l i t y f o r
vacuum p o t t i n g . The s i l i c o n e rubber i s pumped i n t o t h e mold which i s i n a pres-
s u r e environment of 28 mm of Hg and held at t h i s pressure f o r 11
2
hours t o assure
no voids i n t h e component package. A t t h i s t i m e t h e pressure i s changed t o
100 l b / s q i n . f o r 24 hours, a f t e r which t h e mold i s cured a t 140° F f o r 1 2 hours.
The component package i s then removed from t h e mold, t h e (FT)l and (F*T)2 f l a s h -
lamp modules are i n s t a l l e d , and t h e component package i s placed i n t h e aluminum
s h e l l ; t h e completed f l a s h i n g beacon i s shown i n f i g u r e 9. The protruding brass
devices are used t o hold switches S 1 and S2 open t o keep t h e s a t e l l i t e i n an
inoperative s t a t e . The t o t a l w e i g h t of t h e f l a s h i n g beacon i s 10.0 pounds and
i s comprised of t h e weights of t h e components, 6.7 pounds; t h e s h e l l , 1.0 pound;
t h e s i l i c o n e rubber, 1.8 pounds; and t h e lead, 0.5 pound. The lead i s added t o
assure t h e proper b a l l i s t i c number. The volume i n s i d e t h e s h e l l i s 89.5 cubic
inches, of which 48 cubic inches i s occupied by t h e components.

Thermal Problems i n t h e Flashing S a t e l l i t e Program

The problem of temperature control i n t h e case of t h e flashing beacon

departs from many s a t e l l i t e s i t u a t i o n s because of t h e l a r g e amount of heat
generated within t h e sphere by t h e l i g h t c i r c u i t . I n most s a t e l l i t e s , t h e

8
i n t e r n a l l y generated heat i s only a f r a c t i o n of t h e heat received from t h e sun
a n d t h e e a r t h and t h e r e f o r e can be s a f e l y neglected i n t h e heat-balance anal-
y s i s . However, i n t h i s problem more heat i s generated i n t e r n a l l y than i s
received from e x t e r n a l sources, and t h e i n t e r n a l temperatures are always above
t h e skin temperatures. This high power density of t h e sphere presented a prob-
lem i n heat d i s s i p a t i o n which had t o be solved i f t h e temperature l i m i t a t i o n s
of t h e e l e c t r o n i c components were not t o be exceeded. The desired sphere con-
d i t i o n s were a m a x i m u m component temperature of approximately 130° F a f t e r
5 hours of operation.
Thermally, t h e sphere c o n s i s t s of e l e c t r o n i c components ( capacitors,
r e s i s t o r s , b a t t e r i e s , and s o f o r t h ) , all potted i n a rubbery i n s u l a t o r ( s i l i c o n e
rubber) and contained i n a t h i n s p h e r i c a l aluminum s h e l l . I n addition, t h e b a t -
t e r i e s have t o be wrapped with Teflon t a p e because t h e m e t a l b a t t e r y case serves
as a terminal. The t o t a l power d i s s i p a t e d as heat i s assumed t o be generated
i n f o u r r e s i s t o r s which a r e close t o t h e aluminum s h e l l and positioned more o r
less symmetrically with respect t o t h e center of t h e sphere.

The b e s t means of c o n t r o l l i n g t h e temperature within t h e sphere seemed t o

be t o change t h e r a t i o of s o l a r absorptance t o long wavelength emittance a/e
of t h e surface of t h e o u t e r s h e l l and/or t o r e p o s i t i o n t h e e l e c t r o n i c com-
ponents within t h e sphere and t o provide b e t t e r conductive paths f o r heat d i s -
s i p a t i o n ( p u t t i n g r e s i s t o r s on m e t a l rods attached t o t h e s h e l l , and s o f o r t h )
The f i r s t method, which w a s by f a r t h e more simple, w a s used.

TEST PROCEDURES AND RESULTS

The completed f l a s h i n g beacon w a s exposed t o a s e r i e s of t e s t s t o study

i t s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i n space. There were t h r e e main t e s t s performed: (1)
operation of t h e f l a s h i n g beacon i n a thermal vacuum f a c i l i t y , ( 2 ) s p a t i a l -
d i s t r i b u t i o n t e s t s of t h e l i g h t output, and ( 3 ) high-altitude v i s u a l t e s t s .

Operation of Flashing Beacon i n a Thermal Vacuum F a c i l i t y

A number of t e s t s were conducted i n a thermal simulation f a c i l i t y t o deter-

mine an optimum surface coating of t h e s a t e l l i t e and t o analyze any p e c u l i a r
e l e c t r i c a l and light-output e f f e c t s caused by operation i n t h e space environ-
ment. The t e s t f a c i l i t y used operates a t a pressure of 2.5 x 10-5 t o r r ,
equivalent t o an a l t i t u d e of about 80 n a u t i c a l m i l e s . A shield, cooled with
l i q u i d nitrogen, p a r t i a l l y surrounds t h e t e s t specimen, simulating t h e radia-
t i o n heat sink of space. A pyrheliometer located near t h e model i s used t o
c o n t r o l a carbon-arc system used f o r t h e solar-heat f l u x . The spheres t e s t e d
were i n t e r n a l l y instrumented with thermocouples t o give a temperature t i m e
h i s t o r y as t h e carbon a r c w a s regulated t o simulate t h e day-night conditions
of t h e expected 105-minute o r b i t .

The f i r s t model t e s t e d had a polished aluminum surface (a/e = 4 t o 6 ) .

The t e s t r e s u l t s showed t h a t t h e i n t e r n a l temperature r i s e (350 F p e r hour) w a s
t o o g r e a t f o r t h e e l e c t r i c a l components t o be expected t o operate r e l i a b l y f o r

9
 periods up t o 5 hours. The successful t e s t model w a s coated with white s i l i c o n e
p a i n t t o give a diff'use white appearance w i t h an a/e of approximately 0.25.
By coating t h e aluminum with t h i s paint, t h e infrared r a d i a t i v e q u a l i t y of t h e
sphere w a s v a s t l y improved. The r e s u l t s of models t e s t e d with t h i s coating
( f i g . 10) showed a s u b s t a n t i a l decrease i n i n t e r n a l temperature r i s e . After
5 hours of "space" operation, t h e average internal-component temperature of t h e
painted sphere w a s 130° F, compared with 230' F f o r t h e polished aluminum
sphere. Figure ll shows t h e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of a coated s a t e l l i t e 1aunched.at
7 5 O F.
I n addition t o t h e overheating problem, t h e r e i s a low-temperature problem
d i c t a t e d primarily by t h e cold low-capacity c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of t h e mercury bat-
t e r i e s . S t a r t i n g with an e j e c t i o n temperature of 650 F, loo below t h a t
expected, output measurements were made under t h e simulated o r b i t a l conditions.
The r e s u l t s ( f i g . 1 2 ) showed a reduced voltage output f o r about 100 minutes,
a f t e r which t h e voltage remained within 1 0 percent of t h a t expected. The
r e s u l t s of a t e s t i n which t h e e j e c t i o n temperature w a s 60° F showed t h a t t h e
output was extremely l o w f o r t h e f i r s t 45 minutes a f t e r launch and then became
very i r r e g u l a r i n frequency and l i g h t output.

S p a t i a l D i s t r i b u t i o n of L i g h t Energy Output

The s p a t i a l d i s t r i b u t i o n of l i g h t energy output w a s measured by t h e

National Bureau of Standards by use of a photometer, s p e c i a l l y developed f o r
measurement of e f f e c t i v e i n t e n s i t y of capacitor-discharge l i g h t s . The k e s u l t s
of t h e s e t e s t s a r e shown i n f i g u r e 13. The f l a s h i n g beacon w a s positioned a s
shown i n t h e f i g u r e and r o t a t e d around t h e a x i s shown. Note t h a t i n t h i s case
t h e i n t e n s i t i e s of t h e two lamps a r e not equal. This apparent a t t e n u a t i o n
occurs because t h e switch-holding devices were not removed during t h i s t e s t ;
t h u s t h e l i g h t output w a s attenuated. Under a c t u a l conditions t h e outputs
w i l l be equal. Also note i f t h e i n t e n s i t y i s assumed t o be 137 lumen-seconds,
t h e v a r i a t i o n w i l l i n no case a t any o r i e n t a t i o n be g r e a t e r than 20 percent.

A t y p i c a l time h i s t o r y of t h e l i g h t output f o r a s i n g l e f l a s h i s shown

i n f i g u r e 14. The time base i s 50 microseconds p e r d i v i s i o n and t h e i n t e n s i t y
s c a l e i s 0.33 megalumens p e r division. The t o t a l l i g h t energy under t h e curve

i s 123 lumen-seconds, as ascertained by evaluating t h e i n t e g r a l s,' I dt.

High-Altitude Visual Tests

'I!he f l a s h i n g beacon w a s attached under t h e nose of a t r a i n e r airplane, as

shown i n f i g u r e s 15 and 16. The sphere i s completely covered (except f o r t h e
protruding lamps) with 1/2 inch of f i b e r g l a s s and foam i n s u l a t i o n t o p r o t e c t
it from severe l o w temperatures. This a i r p l a n e and another one p i l o t e d by
Astronaut Cooper flew at various a l t i t u d e s and distances a p a r t ( d i s t a n c e s d e t e r -
mined by radar). Astronaut Cooper, who w a s equipped with a photometer ( s m a l l
r o t a r y variable-density f i l t e r ) , w a s t o make v i s u a l readings as t o t h e apparent
i n t e n s i t y of t h e s a t e l l i t e under various conditions. "he f l i g h t w a s i n i t i a t e d

10
I

45 minutes before darkness t o allow f o r some daylight observations. The moon

was nearly full, low, and 900 i n azimuth from s i g h t of l i g h t . The r e s u l t s of
t h e s e v i s u a l t e s t s are shown i n t a b l e I.

Astronaut * s Observations i n MA-9 F l i g h t

The flashing-beacon f l i g h t model 3 w a s i n s t a l l e d i n i t s launching can on

t h e retropack a t Cape Canaveral (now Cape Kennedy) on A p r i l 9, 1963. The char-
a c t e r i s t i c s and q u a l i f i c a t i o n t e s t s of t h i s u n i t a r e given i n t a b l e 11.

The r e s u l t s of t h i s MA-9 experiment performed by Astronaut Cooper on

May 15, 1963, have been previously reported i n reference 7. I n summary, it can
be s a i d t h a t t h e f l a s h i n g beacon w a s easy t o d i s t i n g u i s h from t h e s t a r s and t h a t
t h e i n t e n s i t y appeared t o be l e s s than expected but t h a t it w a s adequate f o r
n i g h t t h e perception up t o a d i s t a n c e of 8 n a u t i c a l miles. Chronologically, t h e
beacon w a s deployed at t h e a t t i t u d e and time as planned, about 15 minutes before
sunset on t h e t h i r d o r b i t a l pass. The beacon temperature w a s estimated t o be
s l i g h t l y above 600 F. The Astronaut w a s unable t o perceive t h e beacon a f t e r
launch o r during t h e following night. The recorded comments of t h e Astronaut
i n d i c a t e t h a t he had t r o u b l e e s t a b l i s h i n g t h e d e s i r e d a t t i t u d e f o r viewing t h e
l i g h t . Going i n t o t h e second night a f t e r deployment, Astronaut Cooper f i r s t
s a w t h e beacon as a steady reddish-brown l i g h t when it w a s s t i l l i n t h e sun-
l i g h t but f a r enough be&w t h e l o c a l h o r i z o n t a l t h a t it w a s seen against a dark
e a r t h background. This observation w a s obviously s u n l i g h t r e f l e c t e d by t h e
beacon. The calculated range w a s about 3 n a u t i c a l miles. Later t h a t night a t
calculated d i s t a n c e s of 4 and 8 n a u t i c a l miles t h e beacon appeared as a second-
and third-magnitude star, respectively, one magnitude dimmer than expected.
During t h e t h i r d night some 210 minutes a f t e r deployment and a t a calculated
d i s t a n c e of 11 n a u t i c a l miles, he again perceived t h e beacon. Again, t h e
i n t e n s i t y w a s l e s s than predicted.

CONCLUDING REMARKS

A f l a s h i n g beacon operating e n t i r e l y on self-contained components and

designed f o r a Mercury-Atlas 9 (MA-9) v i s u a l perception experiment has been sue-
c e s s f u l l y used on t h e manned o r b i t a l f l i g h t as a v i s u a l perception source. The
u n i t produced l i g h t pulses a t t h e r a t e of 1 p e r second which a t distances of
10i n t e r n a t i o n d s t a t u t e miles (approximately 8.7 i n t e r n a t i o n a l n a u t i c a l miles)
appeared as b r i g h t as a second-magnitude star. It proved t o be e a s i l y d i s -
t i n g u i s h a b l e against a star background and w a s reasonably easy t o perceive.
I t s uniqueness i s i n i t s high-energy-output c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s p e r volume, and t h e
r e l a t i v e l y small change of pulsed l i g h t output with time and view angle.

It i s believed t h a t Astronaut Cooper's t r o u b l e with t h e a t t i t u d e of t h e

spacecraft kept him from perceiving t h e beacon t h e night a f t e r i t s e j e c t i o n .
This explanation i s t h e most l o g i c a l s i n c e t h e subsequent p o s i t i v e s i g h t i n g s of
normal beacon operation preclude t h e p r o b a b i l i t y t h a t t h e beacon was inoperative
t h e f i r s t night. Thermal t e s t s showed t h a t f o r t h e beacon t o operate f o r over
2 hours (second o r b i t ) t h e i n t e r n a l t e q e r a t u r e of t h e u n i t should never be
ll
below 60° F. If t h e l i g h t s had not operated t h e f i r s t night, no i n t e r n a l heat
would have been generated and t h e b a t t e r y temperature would have been near
500 F. The brightness estimations made by Astrcnaut Cooper during t h e second
and t h i r d n i g h t s were a star magnitude l e s s i n t e n s e than theory and t e s t had
predicted.

On t h e b a s i s of a l l t h e t e s t s conducted, it i s concluded t h a t the beacon

design meets a l l t h e s p e c i f i e d environmental requirements.

Langley Research Center,

National Aeronautics and Space Administration,
Langley Station, Hampton, Va., A p r i l 15, 1964.

REFERENCES

1. Long, George E.: The E f f e c t of Duration of Onset and Cessation of Light

Flash on t h e Intensity-Time Relation i n t h e Pe.riphera1 Retina. Jour.
Optical SOC. of America, vol. 41, no. 11, Nov. 1951, pp. 743-747.

2. Dole, S. H.: Visual Detection of Light Sources on o r Near t h e Moon. U.S.

Air Force P r o j e c t RAND R e s . Memo. RM-l9OO (ASTIA Doc. No. AD 133032), The
RAND C0rP.Y May 27, 1957.

3. Projector, Theodore H.: Efficiency of Flashing Lights. Illuminating

Engineering, vol. LIII, no. 11, Nov. 1958, pp. 600-604.

4. Padwo, Saul: The Battery Field, A State-of-the-Art Survey. Elect.

Desi,gn News, vol. 8, no. 1, Jan. 1963, pp. 30-41.

5. Anon.: Battery D a t a Handbook. P. R. Mallory & Co., Inc., c.1961.

6. Cleary, J. F., t e c h . ed.:

.
c .1962, pp 191- 201 . T r a n s i s t o r Manual. Sixth ed., Gen. Elec. Co.,

7. Fisher, Lewis R., Armstrong, W i l l i a m O., and Warren, Carlos S.: Special
I n f l i g h t Experiments. Mercury P r o j e c t Summary Including Results of t h e
Fourth Manned O r b i t a l F l i g h t May 15 and 16, 1963. NASA SP-45, 1963,
pp. 213-229.

12
 TABLE I.- RFSULTS OF HIGH-ALTITUDE VISUAL TESTS

Distance
Altitude, between
Time of day airplanes, Remarks
ft
nautical
miles
Daylight 2 to 2.5 Barely discernible
23 minutes after sunset 25,ooo 6 Same magnitude as Betelgeuse,
a first-magnitude star

25 minutes after sunset 24,000 7 Same magnitude as a star in

the belt of Orion, magni-
tude from 1.7 to 2

32 minutes after sunset 24,000 15 Distinguishable in the star

background

25,000 7.5 Brighter than Polaris, a

second-magnitude star
L hour after sunset
(complete darkness) 27,500 18 - If light was lost sight of,
it could be seen again at
15 nautical miles
 TABLE 11.- CHARACTERISTICS AND QUALIFICATION TESTS

OF FLASHING BEACON

Enformation ascertained 40 days before MA-9 laun&]

Weight, l b . . ......................... io. 032

Frequency, f l a s h e s p e r minute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

amp output at $ = lumen-sec:

oO,
No. 1 ( O o position, see f i g . 13) ............... 117.6
No. 2 (1800 position, see f i g . 13) .............. 117.6
Vacuum q u a l i f i c a t i o n test, t o r r ................ 4 x 10-5
Vibration q u a l i f i c a t i o n t e s t f o r 0.2-inch double
amplitude, cps ........................ 5 to 15
Vibration of launch ( 2 minutes per sweep), cps, a t -
+2g . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 to loo
k3.34g.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I . . . . . . 100 to 300
i-6.67g ............................ 5 o o t o 2,000
Life used, minutes ....................... 15

14

- .. -.- .-. ........ - ......... -- ....

E-: . - - I I I I.
 221m
2w R2

s2
4
BCPB

B Battery
C Capacitor
(IT) Flashtube
BCPB Hormallf clorsd push button
Q Transirtor
R Res ist or
s hitch
[ 6CR) Eilicon controlled rectif le*
T Tranriomer

Figure 1.- Flashing-beacon c i r c u i t r y .

 Actual Circuit Test Circuit

1.000R 1R

ipeak
= -vR = -220 =
1,200
0.1832 ampere

RC = (1,200)(0.00035) = 0.42 second ! RC = ( 2 ) ( 0 . 0 6 1 1 ) = 0.178 second

E = p1 CV2 =
1
(350 x 220)* = 8.46 watt-
- -
E = 1 ~2 = 1 ( o . 0 6 ~ ~ ) ( l . l ) =2 0.03875 watt-second
I
2 2
second
*Average v o l t a g e and resistance of the 199 batteries

~
.5
'6

*4
A1 Test circuit

0 .1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 .7 .8 .9 1.0
t, second

Figure 2 . - B a t t e r y - l i f e t e s t circuit.
 Fn closures per minute

Test c i r c u i t

Vote: R measured an i n s t a n t
before switch closure.
Cell temperature = 75’F.

1.h”
,

I I 1
I I I I I I I I I I
0.8
bo 40 60 90 100 120 140 160 1Po 200 720 2110 ?& ?RO 300 370 3110 360 380 400

t , minutes

Figure 3 . - Typical t e s t r e s u l t s of b a t t e r y under pulsed conditions.

 Test c i r c u i t

Note: E measured an i n s t a n t
before switch closure.
0-0 Battery A
m - - n Battery B

Temperature

J
.2 !s 601 I I I I I 1 1 I I I I I 1

G 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380
t , minutes

F i g u e 4.- Test r e s u l t s of two b a t t e r i e s a t low temperatures under pulsed conditions.

 16 .?
15.9 v o l t s
14.3
13 - 9

=20 v/cm
t , seconds
\ / t , millisecon6s

200
t
100
microseconds
0
t"' \ i=2.6 a i l x i a m p s

\ 22kR 1 \F*

5 h 3 2 1 0
t, milliseconds t , seconds

Note: 4.11 v o ? t a F e s a r e with

t microseconds r e s p e c t t o 'bommon"
.2 .1 3
t , milliseconds

Figure 5.- Waveforms a t various points i n t r i g g e r c i r c u i t r y .

 s tor
T r a n s i.

k Timing module
57-
6-r

5 51 I I I 1 I I I 1 I I I I I 1 1
70 flo 90 100 110 1?0 130 1110 150 1.60 170 180 190 200 21.0 220 230

Temperature, O F

Figure 6.- Typical temperature characteristics of transistor (2N491), Cs, and timing module at two different
room-temperature settings.
 Flashtube 1

U
Flashtube 2

Figure 7%- Component l a y o u t of f l a s h i n g beacon showing t h e number, type, and placement of i ndiv i diia i
b a t t e r y s t a c k s and components. ( I n t e g e r s denote number o f b a t t e r i e s p e r ?*nit.)

21
Figure 8.- Component buildup i n mold b e f o r e potting. L-63-1852
 L-65-2762
Figure 9.- Flashing beacon.
 1 SHADOW
I SUN HADO OW I SUN ISHAD OW 1 SIJN
4 00

375 Sphere

350 Aluminum
---- Coated
325

300

Y
275

,”. 250
.)

aJ
5 225
+,
al
kJ200
P
4
ti
e,
E 175

150

125 /--- Averaee

/-----e-’ /+- components
100

75

50
0 20 40 60 00 100 120 lJr0 160 180 200 220 2Jr0 260 280 300 320 3 h O 360
t, minuter;
Figure 10.- Coinparison of i n t e r n a l heating r a t e s i n coated and aluminum spheres.
 . SHADOW SUIJ I
SHADOW I SUN ISHADOW 1 SUN

240

220

200

180

160

140 Temperature of R1 and R2, OF

120

100

80 Average component temperature, OF

Frequency, flashes per minute

60
I

I I I I I J
40 I I 1 I 1 I 1 I I I 4

o 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200 220 240 260 280 300 320 340 360
t , minutes

Figure 11.- Characteristics of flashing beacon at launch temperature of 75' F.

 1; ISHADOW

240 IN

I I I
I
25 50
75 100 125 150 175 200 225 250 275 300 -325 350 375 1100 425 450 475 500 525 550 575 600 625
t, minutes

Figure 12.- Characteristics of flashing beacon at launch temperature of 65' F.

 .
SCALE: 1 i n c h = 55 l m c n - s e c o n d s

I
00
..
Figure 13.- S p a t i a l d i s t r i b u t i o n o f light-energy output from flashing s a t e l l i t e .

27
*o 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 4 SO
t, microseconds

Figure 14.- Time h i s t o r y of single f l a s h .

 S-63-1199
Figure 15.- Flashing beacon a t t a c h e d under nose o f t r a i n e r a i r p l a n e f o r h i g h - a l t i t u d e observations.
 ~ ~~ ~

Figure 16.- Close-up of f l a s h i n g beacon attached under nose of t r a i n e r airplane.

 “The aeronautical and space activities o f the United States shall be
conducted so as i o contribute . . . to the expansion of htrman Rnowl-
edge of phenomena in the atmosphere and space. T h e Administration
shall provide f o r ihe widest practicable and appropriate diuemination
of information concerning its activities and the results thereof.”
-NATIONALAERONAUTICS
AND SPACEACT OF 1958

NASA SCIENTIFIC A N D TECHNICAL PUBLICATIONS

TECHNICAL REPORTS: Scientific and technical information considered

important, complete, and a lasting contribution to existing knowledge.

TECHNICAL NOTES: Information less broad in scope but nevertheless

of importance as a contribution to existing knowledge.

TECHNICAL MEMORANDUMS: Information receiving limited distri-

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CONTRACTOR REPORTS: Technical information generated in con-

nection with a NASA contract or grant and released under NASA auspices.

TECHNICAL TRANSLATIONS: Information published in a foreign

language considered to merit NASA distribution in English.

TECHNICAL REPRINTS: Information derived from NASA activities

and initially published in the form of journal articles.

SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS: Information derived from or of value to

NASA activities but not necessarily reporting the results .of individual
NASA-programmed scientific efforts. Publications include conference
proceedings, monographs, data compilations, handbooks, sourcebooks,
and special bibliographies.

Details on the availability o f these publications may be obtained from:

SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION DIVISION

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