Theodore T Finne, 45Vienna, VA

8525110, Sep 3, 2013

Sep 28, 2011

13/247168

Federico Herrero - Glenn Dale MD, US
Hollis H. Jones - Gassville AR, US
Theodore T. Finne - Fairfax VA, US
Andrew Nicholas - Olney MD, US

The United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics Space Administration - Washington DC

H01J 49/26

250288, 250281, 250282

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to an apparatus that provides four simultaneous ion and neutral measurements as a function of altitude with variable sensitivity for neutral atmospheric species. The variable sensitivity makes it possible to extend the measurements over the altitude range of 100 to more than 700 kilometers. The four instruments included in the apparatus are a neutral wind-temperature spectrometer, an ion-drift ion-temperature spectrometer, a neutral mass spectrometer, and an ion mass spectrometer. The neutral wind-temperature spectrometer and ion-drift ion-temperature spectrometer are configured to separate O and Nand O+ from H+ while the neutral mass spectrometer and the ion mass spectrometer are configured to separate mass with a resolution of one in sixty-four to enable metallic ion identification in the lower thermosphere. The energy analyzer features of the wind-temperature spectrometer and ion-drift ion-temperature spectrometer also enable the measurement of the thermosphere-to-exosphere transition in the Earth's upper atmosphere.

2011018, Jul 28, 2011

Jan 28, 2010

12/695478

FEDERICO A. HERRERO - GLENN DALE MD, US
THEODORE T. FINNE - ARLINGTON VA, US

NASA HQ's - Washington DC

H01J 49/02
H01J 49/44

250282, 250281

A wind and temperature spectrometer (WTS) may detect the angular and energy distributions of neutral atoms/molecules and ions in two mutually perpendicular planes. The measured energy distribution at a known angle near the peak may be used to infer the full wind vector W. A WTS having a single ion source may be used in conjunction with a crossed small-deflection energy analyzer (SDEA). The crossed SDEA may combine the angular and energy distributions in the two mutually perpendicular planes into a single spectrometer with a single optical axis. A WTS having a single ion source may use less energy and occupy less space than a WTS with two ion sources.

2022029, Sep 15, 2022

Mar 12, 2022

17/654581

- Arlington VA, US
Theodore Finne - Vienna VA, US
Charles Brown - Beltsville MD, US
Christoph Englert - Springfield VA, US

G01N 21/94
G01N 21/88
G01N 21/47
G01V 8/20

Methods and systems are provided for foreign object debris monitoring in an environment with a dynamic debris field, such as an environment for operating an aircraft. The debris monitoring technique includes generating a light beam and dispersing it to create a virtual witness plate, which is a two-dimensional sheet of light that covers a detection area. The technique also include detecting scattered light from the virtual witness plate caused by debris passing through it. A debris event may be generated based on the scattered light, indicating the presence of debris in the detection area.

2015010, Apr 9, 2015

Jul 25, 2014

14/341159

Andrew C. Nicholas - Glenelg MD, US
Nelson Creamer - Waldorf MD, US
Theodore T. Finne - Fairfax VA, US
Federico A. Herrero - Glenn Dale MD, US

The Government of the United States of America, as represented by the Secretary of the Navy - Washington DC

B64G 1/36
B64G 1/10

702154

A method and system is described for determining attitude for a satellite. A two-axis ram sensor head measures neutral winds and provides a density of the neutral winds. A three-axis magnetometer measures a geomagnetic field. A measurement interface module calculates attitude information, which includes three-axis attitude knowledge of a satellite relative to a local-vertical local-horizontal orbit frame, based on the combined ram measurements and magnetic field measurements, and provides the attitude information to a satellite that comprises the attitude sensor system.