Abstract: The present invention is a system for replenishing an article of equipment with a supply of lubricant. A housing is provided which defines a reservoir. The housing includes an open end connected to the equipment article such that the reservoir and the equipment article are in fluid communication. Lubricant is disposed in the reservoir and a check valve is secured at the open end of the housing to allow one-way flow of lubricant from the reservoir to the housing. Heating the lubricant to a predetermined temperature results in a precisely ascertainable mass of lubricant being forced from the reservoir to the equipment article.

Abstract: The attitude of a spacecraft can be effectively controlled in three axes using the combination of a gravity gradient boom and three electromagnets. The electromagnets are controlled according to a control law that takes into consideration signals from a magnetometer and a signal indicating the orbital angular velocity of the spacecraft.During the acquisition phase of the flight, the gravity gradient boom is not extended and electromagnets are operated according to a control law that only takes into account the output of the magnetometer. After the acquisition phase is complete, the gravity gradient boom is extended and the spacecraft enters the libration phase of the flight. In the libration phase of the flight, electromagnets are controlled according to a control law that takes into account both the output of the magnetometer and a signal which indicates the orbital angular velocity of the spacecraft.

Abstract: Articles such as glass jars filled with food products are inspected for defects by scanning an x-ray image to provide video signals which are processed in a novel manner to provide increased sensitivity to detect very small foreign particles without decreasing a tolerance for normal variations, to inspect substantially the entire contents of a container such as a jar even if it has a varying diameter, without the need for precise positioning of the articles within an inspection zone, and without a need for an x-ray or optical mask tailored to fit each type of jar to be inspected.