Abstract: A method and device for protecting a first stage liquid rocket booster from impact damage and environmental damage so as to permit recovery from a sea water landing and reuse without major rehaul of the rocket engine of the booster. A cylindrical double walled structural member encircles the nozzles of the rocket engine and precludes impact damage after the booster has landed nose first in the water. A flexible water impervious sleeve means is carried within the double walled structural member and deployed prior to impact. The sleeve extends from the booster and collapses inwardly upon itself to prevent entry of sea water into the rocket engine and associated equipment.

Abstract: The disclosure is directed to a distance measurement system for monitoring changes in distances between a source of illumination and a reflective surface. A white light source is directed into a transmit fiber optic element which terminates at a graded index lens (grin) which collimates the light. The light output from the grin lens passes through a single grating or a plurality of different gratings which dispose the white light into a spectrum which is directed to the reflective surface spaced therefrom at an unknown distance. The dispersed light bouncing off the reflective surface enters a receiver fiber optic device connected to a detection system for determining the spaced distance between the grating or gratings and the reflective surface.

Abstract: A rail gun utilizing a combination of chemical energy for propelling a piston and a projectile. The piston movement creates electromagnetic energy in rails which further increases the velocity of the projectile as it leaves the gun barrel. In operation, propellants are introduced into the gun and ignited. High pressure gas produced from the combustion accelerates the piston and the projectile along the rails. An external field normal to the piston is applied from a dipole magnet wound around the gun bore. The piston movement induces emf thus charging the rails which act as an inductor. The current flowing in the rails further increases the velocity of the projectile along the barrel to its final exit velocity.

Abstract: A fastener for connecting structures having significantly different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) which substantially eliminates thermal stress with varying ambient temperatures, while allowing said structures to be either abutting or spaced from each other. A frusto-conical bore through a wall of a first structure receives a frusto-conical surface of an elongated fastener which is coincident with said bore. The fastener has a base secured to a second structure. A shoulder is formed on the first structure around the narrow end of the bore, the shoulder having a frusto-conical outer edge. A flange member is secured to the vertex end of said fastener, the flange member having a surface configured to engage the outer edge in a coincident relationship. The fastener is tightened to bring both pairs of coincident conical surfaces into pressure contact. Both parts of conic surface preferably have a common vertex which lies outside the fastener.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a model support system for wind tunnel testing. The two embodiments of the model support use a conventual 2-shell strain gauge balance in conjunction with aerodynamically shaped support vanes with one attached to each end of the inner rod (non-metric) of balance with one half below and the other half above the balance.

Abstract: An aerobrake for an orbital transfer vehicle that permits recovery of the vehicle for refurbishment and reuse after a payload has been deployed in a desired geo-synchronous earth orbit by slowing the vehicle for reentry of the vehicle to a low earth orbit for return to earth by a shuttle vehicle on the like for recovery and reuse. The aerobrake includes a flexible thermal blanket that is folded inwardly against the vehicle in a predetermined stored manner and which, after the payload is deployed, is driven to an extended position by power hinges that drive a plurality of supporting panel members that cooperate with drag links to provide a lightweight strong supporting structure for the thermal blanket.

Abstract: A pulsed transformer utilizing the transition of the primary winding from a superconducting state to a normal state to increase the efficiency of energy transfer to the secondary winding thereof and hence to a load across the secondary winding. The primary winding is constructed as a composite which has minimal resistance when in a superconductive state and significantly higher resistance when in a normal or critical state.

Abstract: The invention provides structure and method for improving the efficiency of nonlinear optical processes where two light beams interact in a material to produce an output beam at a new frequency. Effective phase matching is accomplished by periodically removing the output beam energy so that it does not destructively interfere with the input. The invention can also be utilized to increase the efficiency of optical devices where partial phase matching is present without further adjusting the phase of the beams involved in the nonlinear interaction. The invention also provides effective beam phase matching where the beams passing through the nonlinear material cannot normally be phased matching by present methods.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to separate and detect a weak frequecy converted signal light beam (f.sub.s +f.sub.p) which is in the presence of a much stronger pump light beam (f.sub.p) at a slightly different frequency. Such a device is useful in laser radars and laser transmitted communication systems where the information is transmitted as a light beam of frequency f.sub.s but more conveniently selected at another frequency f.sub.s tf.sub.p. A specific example would be laser communication system using a carbon dioxide laser (10.6 micron wavelength 3.times.10.sup.13 Hz frequency). In some applications a cooled detector (required for most efficient detection at this frequency) may not be feasible and a frequency conversion detector, operating with uncooled detectors, would be preferred. The device comprises a nonlinear crystal which first receives a properly phased matched pump light beam (f.sub.p) and a signal light beam (f.sub.s) and produces a third beam (f.sub.s +f.sub.p) at a different frequency.

Abstract: An indexing and locating component to be used with a fixture for precision machining of parts. The component includes a housing that is positioned on the upper surface of the fixture and which contains a bevel gear arrangement which moves a locating pin arrangement in a predetermined vertical direction to provide a precise locating support point for a workpiece. The gear arrangement may be operated at a position remote from the component.

Abstract: A metal skin trimming device which cuts an edge of a first metal skin to a net shape that is complementary to the edge of a second metal skin that has been previously attached to a frame, such as the airframe of an aircraft fuselage. A guide carried by the device is adjustable to set the gap that will appear between the edges of the first and second metal skins when they are attached as by riveting to the airframe.