Background

Operation Highjump, officially known as The United States Navy Antarctic Developments Program, 1946–1947, was a significant United States Navy mission initiated shortly after World War II. The primary objective was to establish the Antarctic research base Little America IV. This operation, also referred to as Task Force 68, commenced on August 26, 1946, and concluded in late February 1947​​​.

The expedition was a monumental effort involving 4,700 personnel, 13 ships, and a fleet of aircraft which included 33 planes. It was overseen by Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd and represented the largest sea and air operation in Antarctica up to that time​​​. The mission’s scope was vast and included mapping and exploring Antarctica from the air. Aircraft from the operation returned with an impressive 49,000 photographs which provided invaluable data for cartographic and scientific purposes​​.

Beyond exploration and mapping, Operation Highjump played a crucial role in testing personnel, equipment, and techniques for establishing and operating bases in polar conditions. It provided the U.S. Navy with experience that would prove essential in understanding the feasibility of operating in such a harsh environment and the potential for future Antarctic bases​​.

The following are documents related to, or mentioning, Operation Highjump:

Report Bibliography: Operation Highjump [8 Pages, 4.57 MB] – Report Bibliography of documents from the Defense Technical Information Center

Document Archive

America on the Ice. Antarctic Policy Issues, 1990 [364 Pages, 13.70 MB] – Partial contents include: (1) Antarctica Before the Treaty, rival territorial claims–cold war dimension–international geophysical year– conference on antarctica; (2) The Antarctic Treaty System, duration–scope–an arms control agreement–a claims settlement-a science compact–an administrative framework–recommendations–convention for the conservation of antarctic seals– convention on the conservation of antarctic marine living resources; (3) Challenges to the antarctic Treaty System; antarctic resources–participation in antarctic policymaking–The sovereignty time bomb; (4) U.S. Interests in the Antarctic and Current U.S. Policy, and the U.S. Antarctic Program, scientific activities–antarctic stations–logistics support-managing the logistics program–maintaining and influential american presence in the years ahead.

Cold-Weather Engineering, Chapters 1 to 5, 1949 [122 Pages, 41.30 MB]

COMPACTED-SNOW RUNWAYS IN ANTARCTICA, DEEP FREEZE 61-64 TRIALS, Feb 1966 [51 Pages, 13.70 MB] – In Deep Freeze 61, NCEL provided technical guidance to a Navy snow- compaction team investigating the practicability of building roads on snow- covered sea ice over McMurdo Sound and runways on the deep snow cover of the Ross Ice Shelf adjacent to McMurdo Station. These investigations and trials continued through Deep Freeze 64. This work was directed toward the development of a layered, compacted-snow runway on deep snow which would support aircraft weighing up to 155,000 pounds with tires on the main wheels inflated to 135 psi; it was only partially successful. During the trials, there were intermittent areas of compacted snow capable of supporting aircraft weighing up to 100,000 pounds with main tires inflated to 90 psi, but low-strength areas prevented takeoffs and landings with aircraft weighing over 25,000 pounds with main tires inflated to 60 psi. New processing and elevating equipment introduced in the Deep Freeze 64 trials showed considerable promise of producing dense, uniform, high -strength, elevated areas of compacted snow. It was concluded that the trials should continue in Deep Freeze 65 to explore the capabilities of this equipment.

Notes on Antarctic Aviation, Aug 1993 [156 Pages, 8.92 MB] – Antarctic aviation has been evolving for the best part of a century, with regular air operations developing over the past three or four decades. Antarctica is the last continent where aviation still depends almost entirely on expeditionary airfields and ‘bush flying,’ but change seems imminent. This report describes the history of aviation in Antarctica, the types and characteristics of existing and proposed airfield facilities, and the characteristics of aircraft suitable for Antarctic use. It now seems possible for Antarctic aviation to become an extension of mainstream international aviation. The basic requirement is a well-distributed network of hard-surface airfields that can be used safely by conventional aircraft, together with good international collaboration. The technical capabilities already exist.

 Observations of Radar Propagation and Influencing Meteorological Factors during the 1946-47 Antarctic Expedition, 10 June 1947 [18 Pages, 1.42 MB] – Admiral Byrd’s antarctic expedition of 1946-47 offered an excellent opportunity to study radar wave propagation and low-level meteorological conditions which exist about the Antarctic Continent. Although a great deal has been reported concerning the general meteorology of the antarctic, the conditions which affect the ranges of radar have never been stressed due to the relatively recent development of radar and use of the radio frequencies concerned. This report deals with the radar and meteorological measurements that were made during the cruise of the Western Task Group of Operation HIGHJUMP. Most of the measurements reported were made aboard the seaplane tender USS CURRITUCK. This tender made available the convenient use of PBM and helicopter aircraft. The antarctic portion of the cruise was made during the antarctic summer months, between 22 December 1946 and 4 March 1947. The ship kept a close proximity at all times to the continental ice pack which extends about 50 to 150 miles from the continent in most regions. The area covered lay between 180 degrees east longitude and 34 degrees east longitude during the above-mentioned period.

The Polar Submarine and Navigation of the Arctic Ocean, 21 May 1959 [91 Pages, 4.94 MB] – This is a reissue of the original report without any changes (except for the inclusion of an addendum written in May 1950). The report evaluates observations made on polar voyages up to and including 1948, and discusses the equipment and modifications needed to make a Fleet-type submarine suitable for under-ice research.Th

Protecting United States Interests in Antarctica, April 1988 [124 Pages, 4.94 MB] – This thesis begins by presenting a geographic overview of the physical features and resources in Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Next, it details the history of claims and interests over Antarctic territory, with particular emphasis on United States activities. Aspects of the U.S.-initiated Antarctic Treaty regime are then explored, including management of living resources and potential exploration and exploitation of nonliving hydrocarbon and mineral resources. The thesis points out past weaknesses in U.S.-Antarctic policy making, and recommends a broader role for the Department of Defense in such areas as safety and security. The thesis also recommends that the Antarctic Treaty consultative parties resolve the issue of criminal jurisdiction over offenses committed in Antarctica before the theoretical problem arises in practice, suggesting a model fashioned somewhat after the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s Status of Forces Agreement. Finally, the thesis highlights the recent influence of the United Nations over Antarctic affairs, and proposes that the governing Antarctic Treaty consultative parties should cooperate more with the United Nations to avoid confrontation over the impending minerals regime. Suspension of South Africa from consultative status is recommended as a means of dampening United Nations’ opposition to the minerals regime, and of preventing eventual dissolution of the regime over these and other issues.

SNOW-COMPACTION EQUIPMENT–VIBRATORY FINISHERS [34 Pages, 1.24 MB] – To investigate the feasibility of surface-hardening compacted snow by vibrationand, if feasible, to develop vibratory finishers for this work.

 Some Oceanographic Observations on Operation HIGHJUMP, 07 July 1948 [103 Pages, 10.11 MB] – *CONTENTS* INTRODUCTION; PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS IN THE ANTARCTIC: Thermal Structure of the Surface Layers, Sea Surface Temperatures, Antarctic Convergence, Depth of the Surface Layer as an Indication of Currents, Internal Waves, Temperature and Salinity, Sea Water Transparency Measurements, Antarctic ‘Seeing’, and Icebergs and Sea Ice; GEOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS: Antarctic Sea Floor Sediments, Some Pacific and Antarctic Sea Floor Features, and Ice-Free Areas in Antarctica; BIOLOGICAL OBSERVATIONS: Biota, Marine Plankton Diatoms on Operation HlGHJUMP, Natural Slicks in the Pacific and Antarctic Oceans, and Deep Scattering Layer in the Pacific and Antarctic Oceans; and BIBLIOGRAPHY.

U.S. Navy Antarctic Development Project 1947: Report of Operation Highjump, 10 June 1947 [538 Pages, 14.68 MB]

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The Insectothopter was a miniature unmanned aerial vehicle developed by the United States Central Intelligence Agency’s research and development office in the 1970s. The Insectothopter was the size of a dragonfly, and was hand-painted to look like one. It was powered by a small gasoline engine to make the wings move and was fueled by a very small amount of gas. The project was abandoned when the Insectothopter was found to be too difficult to control in crosswinds.

It took nearly seven years for documents to be released on the Insectothopter. They were finally received in January of 2020 (release letter dated 16 December 2019).

The CIA also produced and released the below video, which has been available since circa 2015. However, the documents have never been released before now.

Document Archive

CIA Documents on the Insectothopter, Released December 2019 and Received January of 2020 [28 Pages, 10MB]

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Video Archive

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Project MX-800 is a nine month study and research program calling for “investigations in connection with the development of a supersonic air-to-air pilotless aircraft for use as a guided missile for the destruction of high performance hostile aircraft.”  The study and research are to provide recommendations for the continued development work required for the completion of suitable designs for all necessary components, and will include proposals for the additional engineering studies, development tests, and construction necessary for complete development of this pilot-less aircraft.

The missile is to have a tactical range of 6000 yards, a speed of the order of 1500 miles per hour, and is to be used against 750-miles per hour aircraft.

Document Archive

 Air to Air Supersonic Pilotless Aircraft Army Air Forces Project MX-800 Progress Report No. 4, March 13, 1947 [104 Pages, 4.8MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/aviation/ADC800676.pdf

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Project Orion was a study of a spacecraft intended to be directly propelled by a series of explosions of atomic bombs behind the craft (nuclear pulse propulsion). Early versions of this vehicle were proposed to take off from the ground with significant associated nuclear fallout; later versions were presented for use only in space.

The Orion concept offered high thrust and high specific impulse, or propellant efficiency, at the same time. The unprecedented extreme power requirements for doing so would be met by nuclear explosions, of such power relative to the vehicle’s mass as to be survived only by using external detonations without attempting to contain them in internal structures. As a qualitative comparison, traditional chemical rockets—such as the Saturn V that took the Apollo program to the Moon—produce high thrust with low specific impulse, whereas electric ion engines produce a small amount of thrust very efficiently. Orion would have offered performance greater than the most advanced conventional or nuclear rocket engines then under consideration. Supporters of Project Orion felt that it had potential for cheap interplanetary travel, but it lost political approval over concerns with fallout from its propulsion.

The Partial Test Ban Treaty of 1963 is generally acknowledged to have ended the project. However, from Project Longshot to Project Daedalus, Mini-Mag Orion, and other proposals which reach engineering analysis at the level of considering thermal power dissipation, the principle of external nuclear pulse propulsion to maximize survivable power has remained common among serious concepts for interstellar flight without external power beaming and for very high-performance interplanetary flight. Such later proposals have tended to modify the basic principle by envisioning equipment driving detonation of much smaller fission or fusion pellets, although in contrast Project Orion’s larger nuclear pulse units (nuclear bombs) were based on less speculative technology.

Currently, I have multiple requests for documents relating to Project Orion. They will be added when they become available.

Declassified Documents

Advanced Propulsion Concepts (4th Symposium) Palo Alto, California, April 26, 27, 28 1965. Orion Space Propulsion (Technical Status and Mission Potential). Parts 1, 2 and 3 [54 Pages, 6.9MB]

Nuclear Pulse Propulsion (Orion) Technical Status Summary and Ground-Oriented Development Plan, May 1, 1965 [43 Pages, 3.2MB]

Stability Study of Nuclear Pulse Propulsion (Orion) Engine System, April 30, 1965 [91 Pages, 3.0MB]

Nuclear Pulse Propulsion Project (Project Orion) Volume IV, Engineering Experimental Tests, Technical Summary Report, January 1965 [162 Pages, 9.3MB]

Technical Summary Report – Nuclear Pulse Propulsion Project – Volume IV, Experimental Structural Response, July 1963 [96 Pages, 6.2MB]

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Project Pluto was a United States government program to develop nuclear powered ramjet engines for use in cruise missiles. Two experimental engines were tested at the United States Department of Energy Nevada Test Site (NTS) in 1961 and 1964.

Below, you will find the declassified documents available thus far. More requests are open, and when documents are received, they will be added here.

Declassified Documents

 The Impact of the High Development Cost of Advanced Flight Propulsion Systems on Development Policy, October 1965 [75 Pages, 3.7MB] – A discussion of techniques for handling R and D funds to reduce the investment risk in implementing programs for new propulsion systems, particularly systems which are novel and advanced. To guide the funding management, relevant R and D activities are described in detail, followed by a discussion of criteria to be met before an engine qualifies for consideration.

 Nuclear Ramjet Propulsion System Applied Research and Advanced Technology (Project Pluto). Volume V. Propulsion System Test Planning and Ground Test Facility Studies, 15 February 1963 [92 Pages, 24.8MB] – Test planning studies in this report present the concept of test programs, their scope, test objectives, probable testing schedule, estimated number of test weeks and test runs, existing facilities which can be utilized, and test conditions. The schedule and test plans presented are based upon the program outlined in the Air Force Development/Plan for Pluto. Flight engine ground test facility criteria are updated to reflect the latest facility studies and test planning. The site selection core drilling program and underground air storage experiment are described.

 Nuclear Ramjet Propulsion System Applies Research and Advanced Technology (Project Pluto). Volume VI. Structural Materials Investigations, 15 February 1963 [163 Pages, 5.8MB] – This is the “best copy available.”  Although hard to read, I would recommend downloading it, and zooming in on the document with Adobe Acrobat, to get a bit of an easier reading experience.

 Nuclear Ramjet Propulsion System Applied Research and Advanced Technology (Project Pluto). Volume VII. Propulsion System Design and Structural Analysis, 15 February 1963 [163 Pages, 39MB] – This volume contains the results of design, structures, and materials studies and structures component testing of a nuclear propulsion system in support of the Pluto reactor program. These studies include design concepts, structural analysis of steady state and dynamic loads, material evaluation, and recommended dynamic and structural test programs. The methods of analysis used have been outlined in each case for reference.

 Nuclear Ramjet Propulsion System Project Pluto, 30 January 1962 [382 Pages, 37.9MB] – Contents: Propulsion System Design and Analysis — Tory IIC design data, Performance analysis, Engine performance summary, Heat transfer and thermal stress analysis, Mechanical and structural design, Neutronics, Radiation analysis and shielding, Aerodynamic experiments, Structural experiments, and Materials investigations; Propulsion System Controls — General status, Control system analysis, Control system components, and Radiation effects Testing; Flight Engine Facility and Test Planning — Facility design studies, and Underground air storage experiment.

 Aircraft Nuclear Propulsion Systems. Project Pluto, 15 November 1959 [165 Pages, 123MB] – To provide accurate and reliable control of a nuclear ramjet, it is necessary to provide materials and components for the control system which will operate in an environment dictated by the nuclear characteristics of the system. A similar problem is encountered in providing nuclear propulsion for manned aircraft. Much work has been done on establishing reliable components for this purpose; however, the environment to be encountered in missile applications is more severe. Thus, it was necessary to accumulate as much available data as possible on radiation effects and then extend the data experimentally to cover the particular problems encountered with PLUTO.

Additional Information

On January 1, 1957, the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission selected the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s (LLNL) predecessor, the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, to study the feasibility of applying heat from nuclear reactors to ramjet engines. This research became known as “Project Pluto“. The work was directed by Dr. Ted Merkle, leader of the laboratory’s R-Division.

Originally carried out at Livermore, California, the work was moved to new facilities constructed for $1.2 million on 8 square miles (21 km²) of Jackass Flats at the NTS, known as Site 401. The complex consisted of 6 miles (10 km) of roads, critical assembly building, control building, assembly and shop buildings, and utilities. Also required for the construction was 25 miles (40 km) of oil well casing which was necessary to store the approximately 1,000,000 pounds (450,000 kg) of pressurized air used to simulate ramjet flight conditions for Pluto.

The principle behind the nuclear ramjet was relatively simple: motion of the vehicle pushed air in through the front of the vehicle (ram effect), a nuclear reactor heated the air, and then the hot air expanded at high speed out through a nozzle at the back, providing thrust.

The notion of using a nuclear reactor to heat the air was fundamentally new. Unlike commercial reactors, which are surrounded by concrete, the Pluto reactor had to be small and compact enough to fly, but durable enough to survive a 7,000-mile (11,000 km) trip to a potential target. The nuclear engine could, in principle, operate for months, so a Pluto cruise missile could be left airborne for a prolonged time before being directed to carry out its attack.

The success of this project would depend upon a series of technological advances in metallurgy and materials science. Pneumatic motors necessary to control the reactor in flight had to operate while red-hot and in the presence of intense radiation. The need to maintain supersonic speed at low altitude and in all kinds of weather meant the reactor, code named “Tory”, had to survive high temperatures and conditions that would melt the metals used in most jet and rocket engines. Ceramic fuel elements would have to be used; the contract to manufacture the 500,000 pencil-sized elements was given to the Coors Porcelain Company.

The proposed use for nuclear-powered ramjets would be to power a cruise missile, called SLAM, for Supersonic Low Altitude Missile. In order to reach ramjet speed, it would be launched from the ground by a cluster of conventional rocket boosters. Once it reached cruising altitude and was far away from populated areas, the nuclear reactor would be made critical. Since nuclear power gave it almost unlimited range, the missile could cruise in circles over the ocean until ordered “down to the deck” for its supersonic dash to targets in the Soviet Union. The SLAM as proposed would carry a payload of many nuclear weapons to be dropped on multiple targets, making the cruise missile into an unmanned bomber. After delivering all its warheads, the missile could then spend weeks flying over populated areas at low altitudes, causing tremendous ground damage with its shock wave. When it finally lost enough power to fly, and crash-landed, the engine would have a good chance of spewing deadly radiation for months to come.

On May 14, 1961, the world’s first nuclear ramjet engine, “Tory-IIA”, mounted on a railroad car, roared to life for a few seconds. Three years later, “Tory-IIC” was run for five minutes at full power. Despite these and other successful tests the Pentagon, sponsor of the “Pluto project”, had second thoughts. The weapon was considered “too provocative”, and it was believed that it would compel the Soviets to construct a similar device, against which there was no known defense. Intercontinental ballistic missile technology had proven to be more easily developed than previously thought, reducing the need for such highly capable cruise missiles. On July 1, 1964, seven years and six months after it was started, “Project Pluto” was canceled.

The above was provided by Wikipedia.

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The following documents were received that pertain to research into the development and use of Autonomous Robots.

Autonomous Robots

In chronological order from newest to oldest

Cooperative Autonomous Robots for Reconnaissance, June 3, 2009 [9 Pages, 25  KB] – Collaborating mobile robots equipped with WiFi transceivers are configured as a mobile ad-hoc network. Algorithms are developed to take advantage of the distributed processing capability inherent to multi-agent systems. The focus of this study was to determine the optimal amount of communication which allows the robots to share a sufficiently detailed global map, while keeping their processing time and energy usage to a minimum. A hardware testbed is described, which will be used to examine these trade-offs in an indoor laboratory-scale test area.

Lethality and Autonomous Robots: An Ethical Stance, 2007 [4 Pages, 196 KB] -This paper addresses a difficult issue confronting the designers of intelligent robotic systems: their potential use of lethality in warfare. To fully understand the consequences of the deployment of autonomous machines capable of taking human life under military doctrine and tactics, a systematic ethical evaluation needs to be conducted to guide users (e.g., warfighters), system designers, policy makers, and commanders regarding the intended future use of this technology. This study needs to be conducted prior to the deployment of these systems, not as an afterthought. Toward that end, a 3-year research effort on this topic is being conducted at the Georgia Institute of Technology for the Army Research Office, of which the authors are currently in the first year. Two topics are being investigated: What is acceptable?, and What can be done? A survey is being conducted on the use of lethality by autonomous systems. The survey investigates the points of view of various demographic groups on this issue, including the public, robotics researchers, policy makers, and military personnel. The authors also are designing a computational implementation of an ethical code within an existing autonomous robotic system (i.e., an artificial conscience) that will be able to govern an autonomous system’s behavior in a manner consistent with the rules and laws of war. This paper describes the survey’s design and administration. The independent variables used for the survey are as follows: (1) community type; (2) level of authority; (3) demographic variables, such as age, gender, level of education, etc.; and (4) the extent of participants’ knowledge of robots and their capabilities. In addition to finding out what the terms of acceptance are for using lethal robots in warfare, the authors would like to see if, and how, the level of acceptance varies among the different community types, according to certain demographics factors, and for the three levels of autonomy.

If Our Robots Are So Smart, Why Aren’t We All Rich? (The Challenges of Integrating Autonomous Robots) November 8, 1999 [43 Pages, 997 KB] – Presentation of military research efforts into the development and applications of robotic systems.

A Technique for Coordinating Autonomous Robots, April 12, 1986 [7 Pages, 910 KB] – This paper describes a technique for coordinating the subsystems of autonomous robots which takes advantage of a distributed blackboard mechanism and a high degree of functional distribution between subsystems to minimize communications and simplify the interfaces. Distributed blackboard memory contains a world model which represents knowledge about itself and its surroundings as collections of objects important to the task and the relations between them. Objects or instances are represented as lists of object-attribute- value-accuracy-confidence-timestamp tuples which are organized into a class tree with inheritance properties and active functions.

Current Technical Research Issues of Autonomous Robots Employed in Combat, September 1984 [6 Pages, 200 KB] – The recent upsurge in interest in autonomous robots for combat applications has focused considerable attention on several of the obvious technical issues (e.g. target recognition, autonomous navigation, route planning) . However, several technical issues exist which remain unapproached and, in some cases, even unacknowledged by the robotics community. This paper explores three such issues: (1) robot fault tolerance, (2) robot security and (3) multi-robot coordination. These issues are discussed in terms of the technology limitations and the research issues associated with those limitations. A common message which occurs several times during this discussion denotes the importance in modular implementation and well defined interfaces between subsystems in the development of autonomous combat robots.

Autonomous Satellites

Autonomous Mission Management for Satellite Systems, August 15, 2015 [67 Pages, 7.6MB] – It’s almost humorous they would send this document to me, as a response to a FOIA request. You will note, it is nearly entirely redacted, with the exception of the footer, and the distribution list.

Abstract: Satellite intelligence information is being used increasingly for real-time operations. This requires satellites that can be quickly tasked for new objectives and that can respond to opportunistic situations and external threats. Unfortunately, today’s satellites rely on ground operators to control them. This means there is a large delay between when a new task is requested, or a new threat or target of opportunity is identified, and the response by the satellite. TRACLabs proposes the The HAMMER system, which is designed to operate on-board a satellite, controlling the satellite”s goal-oriented activities and responding to threats even when it is not in communication with the ground or when time constraints require immediate response to threats and faults. The HAMMER system attempts to meet mission objectives even in the face of threats and faults. HAMMER prioritizes multiple, competing user goals and requests and determines a satisfactory ordering of satellite tasks to conserve resources and maximize capability. HAMMER autonomously executes the tasks by issuing commands to the host satellite system. BENEFIT: We believe that HAMMER provides the following benefits to the Air Force: 1) Rapid and continuous response: does not require ground to be in the loop; 2) Self-defense responses to threats; 3) Immediate mission replanning due to disturbances or opportunities; 4) Guaranteed safety (from modeled threats, given defensive response capabilities); 5) High-level tasking of spacecraft: planning and execution framework fills in fine-grain command details; and 6) Increased spacecraft productivity: more observations, more tasks accomplished. This work has commercial applications in enabling the automation of vehicles such as satellites, unmanned vehicles (e.g., unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs), etc.), and manned vehicles (e.g., aircraft, spacecraft, ships, etc.). This work also has commercial applications in the oil and gas industry and in the industrial robotics industry.

Autonomous Mission Management for Satellite Systems, January 2002 [67 Pages, 3.9MB] – This report summarizes mobile foundations Phase I SBIR project entitled An Automated Tool to Enable the Distributed Operations of Air Force Satellites. The overall goal of the project was to proved the feasibility of enhancing US Air Force space operations through the use of advanced automation to provide distributed situational awareness. Such an approach will help the Air Force meet the vision of Next Generation Space Operations laid out in the Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) Strategic Master Plan. This report documents the human effectiveness and systems analyses mobile foundations used as a basis for its proof-of-concept prototype. The report also describes the software prototype (called FASAT, Fast Access Situational Awareness) that mobile foundations developed and demonstrated to prove the feasibility of its approach to developing a next-generations distributed operations system.

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This study was tasked with the purpose of conducting a thorough literature and program search to carry out and document a technical assessment of the latest concepts in science and engineering that show promise of leading to a major advance in Earth-to-orbit (ETO) propulsion.

The study also reviewed and evaluated a select number of credible far-term breakthrough propulsion physics concepts pertaining to R&D work done on or related to gravity/inertia modification, spacetime metric modification, and the extraction of energy from the space vacuum environment. The results of the study are presented and summarized in this report. A combined bibliography of advanced propulsion references was assembled and is presented. The report includes an overview of the recent history and present state-of-the-art of ETO launch vehicle and propulsion concepts.

Also included is an outline and summary of the criteria and operative guidelines that the author used to examine, select and recommend advanced propulsion concepts. The author identified and selected five promising advanced propulsion concepts, and provides a detailed technical evaluation of their breakthrough potential for ETO propulsion.

The Advanced Propulsion Study is divided into two phases. Phase I is a review and documentation of the latest concepts in science and engineering that show promise of leading to a major advance in propulsion, especially Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) propulsion. This phase also included a study of all the concepts pertaining to R&D work done on or related to gravity/inertia modification, spacetime metric modification (i.e., traversable wormholes, space warps, polarizable vacuum representation of general relativity, etc.), and the extraction of energy from the space vacuum environment. At the completion of this phase the author recommended five promising advanced propulsion concepts for further evaluation.

The author then presented an oral review and technical summary of the recommended advanced propulsion concepts at the AFRL Propulsion Directorate at Edwards AFB, CA on January 5, 2004. Phase II involved a detailed evaluation of the concepts identified and selected in Phase I, which were deemed by the author to have the greatest breakthrough potential for ETO propulsion. Phase II collated all of the results and presents them in this final report.

The report contains four chapters. Chapter 1 is an overview of the present state-of-the-art of ETO launch vehicle and propulsion concepts. The chapter also outlines and summarizes the criteria and operative guidelines that were used by the author to examine, select and recommend advanced propulsion concepts. Chapter 2 is a review and summary of a substantial number of advanced propulsion concepts the author evaluated for the study. Chapter 3 presents the author’s five recommended advanced propulsion concepts, which includes a detailed technical evaluation of their breakthrough potential for ETO propulsion. Chapter 4 is a review and summary of a select number of far-term advanced propulsion concepts. The far-term propulsion concepts are comprised of breakthrough propulsion physics concepts that are very credible and rigorous. The report concludes with a combined list of references.

Download the Study

 Advanced Propulsion Study, February 2004 [103 Pages, 4.3MB]

https://documents.theblackvault.com/documents/aviation/ADA426465.pdf

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Artificial intelligence (AI) is the intelligence exhibited by machines or software. It is also the name of the academic field of study which studies how to create computers and computer software that are capable of intelligent behavior. Major AI researchers and textbooks define this field as “the study and design of intelligent agents”, in which an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chances of success. John McCarthy, who coined the term in 1955, defines it as “the science and engineering of making intelligent machines”.

The following are documents relating to artificial intelligence. Since the evolution of technology moves very quickly, I have started the archive to appear chronologically (then alphabetically) to differentiate the difference is scientific knowledge and technological capabilities over the decades.

Declassified Documents

 Some Problems and Proposals for Knowledge Representation, 06 August 1987 [44 Pages, 5.5MB] – Knowledge representation is widely regarded as a central problem in artificial intelligence. However, there appears to be no convergence of opinion as to the form a knowledge representation system should take, the principles it should embody, or even what its goal should be. While progress in the past decade has led to a number of interesting theories and useful programming formalisms, this research has also raised doubts about the adequacy of the foundations of many of these ideas. This paper presents some observations about the knowledge representation schemes now in common use. Some of these observations are critiques of these schemes, or extensions of critiques made by others. To remedy some of these problems, a new theory of knowledge representation is proposed. The theory attempts to encompass representational ideas that have emerged from different schools of thought, in particular from work in semantic networks, frames, frame semantics, and Conceptual Dependency.

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The VZ-9-AV Avrocar (official designation but often listed as VZ-9) was a Canadian VTOL aircraft developed by Avro Aircraft Ltd. as part of a secret U.S. military project carried out in the early years of the Cold War.

The Avrocar intended to exploit the Coandă effect to provide lift and thrust from a single “turborotor” blowing exhaust out the rim of the disk-shaped aircraft to provide anticipated VTOL-like performance. In the air, it would have resembled a flying saucer.

Two prototypes were built as “proof-of-concept” test vehicles for a more advanced USAF fighter and also for a U.S. Army tactical combat aircraft requirement. In flight testing, the Avrocar proved to have unresolved thrust and stability problems that limited it to a degraded, low-performance flight envelope; subsequently, the project was cancelled in 1961.

Declassified Documents

The Avrocar Flight Test Plan, 15 July 1959 [14 Pages, 1mb]

 Analysis of Tests of the Avrocar in the NASA 40 x 80ft Wind Tunnel, Ames Research Center, February 1961 [298 Pages, 187MB] – An analysis is presented of some aspects of the full scale wind tunnel tests of the Avrocar vehicle. Methods used to analyze force and pressure data are formulated and results are compared with theory and small scale model tests. Aerodynamically, the performance demonstrated by the first Avrocar vehicle in its initial configuration was disappointing in that a low lift curve slop, a large nose-up pitching moment and insufficient jet vectoring capability precluded flight in free air and in the ground cushion above about 35 mph. Modifications to the aircraft based on these and other test results have been made, the major change being in the redesign of the trailing edge region where a rearwardfacing nozzle, containing a pitch control vane to provide adequate jet vectoring control, has been incorporated. The jet flap effect thus obtained is expected to allow flight in free-air as well as at higher speeds in the ground cushion.

History of the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, California, 1 January – 30 June 1961 [4 Pages, 1.69mb] – This is a partial release of this document, which includes only the portion on the Avrocar and the title page.

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In the early 1960s, Bell Aerosystems built a rocket pack which it called the “Bell Rocket Belt” or “man-rocket” for the US Army, using hydrogen peroxide as fuel. This concept was revived in the 1990s and today these packs can provide powerful, manageable thrust. This rocket belt’s propulsion works with superheated water vapor. A gas cylinder contains nitrogen gas, and two cylinders containing highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide. The nitrogen presses the hydrogen peroxide onto a catalyst, which decomposes the hydrogen peroxide into a mixture of superheated steam and oxygen with a temperature of about 740 °C. This was led by two insulated curved tubes to two nozzles where it blasted out, supplying the recoil. The pilot can vector the thrust by altering the direction of the nozzles through hand-operated controls. To protect from resulting burns the pilot had to wear insulating clothes.

One Bell Rocket Belt is on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s, National Air and Space Museum annex, the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, located near Dulles Airport.

Document Archive

 Small Rocket Lift Device, November 1961 [ 186 Pages, 4.54MB ]

Individual Lift Device Records from the U.S. Army, 15 October 1967 [ 93 Pages, 4.54MB ]

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