SwRI Summer 1998 Technology Today

About the Cover

The skeletal, phantom-like image of a warship is part of a numerical modeling program which calculates a ship's electromagnetic response to communications antennas that will be installed on it. The model displays a ship as a network of tubes with electromagnetic characteristics modeled as electric current flowing through a wire. Using the computer model, various trial locations for the antennas can be compared prior to actual installation, reducing time and expense.
Aerial Act
Realistic computer models are taking up where scale models and older, full-scale mockups leave off in the search for the best site for a shipboard antenna array.
Out the Window
A new, compact telescope makes an observatory of a space shuttle, or even a high-flying aircraft. The device was used on a recent shuttle mission to observe Comet Hale-Bopp as it retreated toward the sun.
Feeling the Heat
A new, handheld weather station allows accurate measurement of workplace conditions that can lead to heat stress.
Ensuring Environmental Safety
Dr. Michael MacNaughton, vice president of the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Division, discusses SwRI's role in environmental safety during destruction of chemical weapons.