Acceleration Measurements - Acceleration Measurements

The Space Acceleration Measurement System II (SAMS-II) measures accelerations caused by vehicle, crew and equipment disturbances. These vibratory/transient accelerations occur in the frequency range 0.01 to 300 Hertz. To complement the SAMS-II measurements, the Microgravity Acceleration Measurement System (MAMS) records accelerations caused by the aerodynamic drag created as the Space Station moves through space. It also measures accelerations created as the vehicle rotates and vents water. These small, quasi-steady accelerations occur in the frequency range below 1 Hertz.

Using data from both accelerometer systems, the Principal Investigator Microgravity Services (PIMS) project at the Glenn Research Center helps investigators characterize accelerations that influence their Space Station experiments. The acceleration data is available to researchers during the mission via the World Wide Web. It is updated nominally every two minutes as new data are transmitted from the Station to Glenn's Telescience Support Center. A catalog of acceleration sources also is maintained.