FEDERICO ANTONIO HERRERO
Pilots at Kedleston Rd, Glenn Dale, MD

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.

2013005, Feb 28, 2013

Aug 24, 2011

13/216479

Hollis H. Jones - Gassville AR, US
Federico A. Herrero - Glenn Dale MD, US
Duncan M. Kahle - Washington DC, US

National Aeronautios and Space Administration - Washington DC

G06F 17/40, G06M 3/00

702187, 377 26

The present invention is directed to a system and apparatus employing an ultralow power, pulsed data collection apparatus having multiple detector channels, such as 64 channels. The system and apparatus has a small volume and power requirements, enabling launch and deployment from commercial spacecraft, such as pursuit to the CubeSat and other nanosatellite protocols.

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.

8134130, Mar 13, 2012

Jul 19, 2010

12/839207

Federico A. Herrero - Glenn Dale MD, US
Patrick A. Roman - Washington DC, US

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

H01J 37/08, H01J 49/10

250427, 250423 R, 250396 R, 31511181

An ion source may include first, second, and third electrodes. The first electrode may be a repeller having a V-shaped groove. The second electrode may be an electron emitter filament disposed adjacent the base of the V-shaped groove. The third electrode may be an anode that defines an enclosed volume with an aperture formed therein adjacent the electron emitter filament. A potential of the first electrode may be less than a potential of the second electrode, and the potential of the second electrode may be less than a potential of the third electrode. A fourth electrode that is disposed between the electron emitter filament and the anode may be used to produce a more collimated electron beam.