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Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP) have resisted explanation and have received little formal scientific attention for 75 years. A primary objective of the Galileo Project is to build an integrated software and instrumentation system designed to conduct a multimodal census of aerial phenomena and to recognize anomalies. Here we present key motivations for the study of UAP and address historical objections to this research. We describe an approach for highlighting outlier events in the high-dimensional parameter space of our census measurements. We provide a detailed roadmap for deciding measurement requirements, as well as a science traceability matrix (STM) for connecting sought-after physical parameters to observables and instrument requirements. We also discuss potential strategies for deciding where to locate instruments for development, testing, and final deployment. Our instrument package is multimodal and multispectral, consisting of (1) wide-field cameras in multiple bands for targeting and tracking of aerial objects and deriving their positions and kinematics using triangulation; (2) narrow-field instruments including cameras for characterizing morphology, spectra, polarimetry, and photometry; (3) passive multistatic arrays of antennas and receivers for radar-derived range and kinematics; (4) radio spectrum analyzers to measure radio and microwave emissions; (5) microphones for sampling acoustic emissions in the infrasonic through ultrasonic frequency bands; and (6) environmental sensors for characterizing ambient conditions (temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind velocity), as well as quasistatic electric and magnetic fields, and energetic particles. The use of multispectral instruments and multiple sensor modalities will help to ensure that artifacts are recognized and that true detections are corroborated and verifiable. Data processing pipelines are being developed that apply state-of-the-art techniques for multi-sensor data fusion, hypothesis tracking, semi-supervised classification, and outlier detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Moving objects have characteristic signatures in multi-spectral images made by Earth observation satellites that use push broom scanning. While the general concept is applicable to all satellites of this type, each satellite design has its own unique imaging system and requires unique methods to analyze the characteristic signatures. We assess the feasibility of detecting moving objects and measuring their velocities in one particular archive of satellite images made by Planet Labs Corporation with their constellation of SuperDove satellites. Planet Labs data presents a particular challenge in that the images in the archive are mosaics of individual exposures and therefore do not have unique time stamps. We explain how the timing information can be restored indirectly. Our results indicate that the movement of common transportation vehicles, airplanes, cars, and boats, can be detected and measured. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Galileo Project aims to shed light on the nature and characteristics of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). We are developing a multi-modal instrumentation suite that will monitor the sky in seven electromagnetic and three audio bands. Computing will play a critical role in this project, enabling the automated collection and processing of data. In this paper, we provide a brief overview of data sources, and describe our plan for computing infrastructure and architecture. We present a proposed real-time pipeline for distinguishing between natural and human-made phenomena, and for detecting objects that fall outside the phenomenological envelope of known phenomena. In addition, we outline the algorithms we will test and evaluate for use in offline data analysis. While preliminary, our work represents a significant step towards a unified data capture and analysis platform for the systematic detection and rigorous scientific study of unusual aerial phenomena in a regional airspace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The acoustic monitoring, omni-directional system (AMOS) in the Galileo Project is a passive, multi-band, field microphone suite designed to aid in the detection and characterization of aerial phenomena. Acoustic monitoring augments the Project's electromagnetic sensors suite by providing a relatively independent physical signal modality with which to validate the identification of known phenomena and to more fully characterize detected objects. The AMOS system spans infrasonic frequencies down to 0.05 Hz, all of audible, and ultrasonic frequencies up to 190 kHz. It uses three distinct systems with overlapping bandwidths: infrasonic (0.05 Hz – 20 Hz), audible (10 Hz – 20 kHz), and ultrasonic (16 kHz – 190 kHz). The sensors and their capture devices allow AMOS to monitor and characterize the tremendous range of sounds produced by natural and human-made aerial phenomena, and to encompass possible acoustic characteristics of novel sources. Sound signals from aerial objects can be captured and classified with a single microphone under the following conditions: the sound reaches the sensor; the sound level is above ambient noise; and the signal has not been excessively distorted by the transmission path. A preliminary examination of the signal and noise environment required for the detection and characterization of aerial objects, based on theoretical and empirical equations for sound attenuation in air, finds that moderately loud audible sources (100 dB) at 1 km are detectable, especially for frequencies below 1 kHz and in quiet, rural environments. Infrasonic sources are detectable at much longer distances and ultrasonic at much shorter distances. Preliminary aircraft recordings collected using the single, omni-directional audible microphone are presented, along with basic spectral analysis. Such data will be used in conjunction with flight transponder data to develop algorithms and corresponding software for quickly identifying known aircraft and characterizing the sound transmission path. Future work will include multi-sensor audible and infrasonic arrays for sound localization; analysis of larger and more diverse data sets; and exploration of machine learning and artificial intelligence integration for the detection and identification of many more types of known phenomena in all three frequency bands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative three-dimensional (3D) position and velocity estimates obtained by passive radar will assist the Galileo Project in the detection and classification of aerial objects by providing critical measurements of range, location, and kinematics. These parameters will be combined with those derived from the Project's suite of electromagnetic sensors and used to separate known aerial objects from those exhibiting anomalous kinematics. SkyWatch, a passive multistatic radar system based on commercial broadcast FM radio transmitters of opportunity, is a network of receivers spaced at geographical scales that enables estimation of the 3D position and velocity time series of objects at altitudes up to 80 km, horizontal distances up to 150 km, and at velocities to ± 2 km/s (± 6 Mach). The receivers are designed to collect useful data in a variety of environments varying by terrain, transmitter power, relative transmitter distance, adjacent channel strength, etc. In some cases, the direct signal from the transmitter may be large enough to be used as the reference with which the echoes are correlated. In other cases, the direct signal may be weak or absent, in which case a reference is communicated to the receiver from another network node via the internet for echo correlation. Various techniques are discussed specific to the two modes of operation and a hybrid mode. Delay and Doppler data are sent via internet to a central server where triangulation is used to deduce time series of 3D positions and velocities. A multiple receiver (multistatic) radar experiment is undergoing Phase 1 testing, with several receivers placed at various distances around the Harvard–Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), to validate full 3D position and velocity recovery. The experimental multistatic system intermittently records raw data for later processing to aid development. The results of the multistatic experiment will inform the design of a compact, economical receiver intended for deployment in a large-scale, mass-deployed mesh network. Such a network would greatly increase the probability of detecting and recording the movements of aerial objects with anomalous kinematics suggestive of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we review some of the extant literature on the study of interstellar objects (ISOs). With the forthcoming Vera C. Rubin Telescope and Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), we find that 0. 3 8 − 8 4 'Oumuamua-like interstellar objects are expected to be detected in the next 10 years, with 95% confidence. The feasibility of a rendezvous trajectory has been demonstrated in previous work. In this paper, we investigate the requirements for a rendezvous mission with the primary objective of producing a resolved image of an interstellar object. We outline the rendezvous distances necessary as a function of resolution elements and object size. We expand upon current population synthesis models to account for the size dependency on the detection rates for reachable interstellar objects. We assess the trade-off between object diameter and occurrence rate, and conclude that objects with the size range between a third of the size and the size of 'Oumuamua will be optimal targets for an imaging rendezvous. We also discuss expectations for surface properties and spectral features of interstellar objects, as well as the benefits of various spacecraft storage locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date, there are little reliable data on the position, velocity and acceleration characteristics of Unidentified Aerial Phenomena (UAP). The dual hardware and software system described in this document provides a means to address this gap. We describe a weatherized multi-camera system which can capture images in the visible, infrared and near infrared wavelengths. We then describe the software we will use to calibrate the cameras and to robustly localize objects-of-interest in three dimensions. We show how object localizations captured over time will be used to compute the velocity and acceleration of airborne objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Author(s): Vincent Fleury (corresponding author) [1]; Wesley A. Watters [1]; Levy Allam [2]; Thierry Devers [2] Electrochemical techniques for depositing metal films and coatings[sup. [1]] have a long history[sup. [2, [...]

Abstract: One important, almost ubiquitous, tool for understanding the surfaces of solid bodies throughout the solar system is the study of impact craters. While measuring a distribution of crater diameters and locations is an important tool for a wide variety of studies, so too is measuring a crater's “depth.” Depth can inform numerous studies including the strength of a surface and modification rates in the local environment. There is, however, no standard data set, definition, or technique to perform this data‐gathering task, and the abundance of different definitions of “depth” and methods for estimating that quantity can lead to misunderstandings in and of the literature. In this review, we describe a wide variety of data sets and methods to analyze those data sets that have been, are currently, or could be used to derive different types of crater depth measurements. We also recommend certain nomenclature in doing so to help standardize practice in the field. We present a review section of all crater depths that have been published on different solar system bodies which shows how the field has evolved through time and how some common assumptions might not be wholly accurate. We conclude with several recommendations for researchers which could help different data sets to be more easily understood and compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On average, secondary impact craters are expected to deepen and become more symmetric as impact velocity ( v i) increases with downrange distance ( L). We have used high-resolution topography (1-2 m/pixel) to characterize the morphometry of secondary craters as a function of L for several well-preserved primary craters on Mars. The secondaries in this study ( N = 2644) span a range of diameters (25 m ≤ D≤400 m) and estimated impact velocities (0.4 km/s ≤ v i≤2 km/s). The range of diameter-normalized rim-to-floor depth ( d/ D) broadens and reaches a ceiling of d/ D≈0.22 at L≈280 km ( v i= 1-1.2 km/s), whereas average rim height shows little dependence on v i for the largest craters ( h/ D≈0.02, D > 60 m). Populations of secondaries that express the following morphometric asymmetries are confined to regions of differing radial extent: planform elongations ( L< 110-160 km), taller downrange rims ( L < 280 km), and cavities that are deeper uprange ( L< 450-500 km). Populations of secondaries with lopsided ejecta were found to extend to at least L ∼ 700 km. Impact hydrocode simulations with iSALE-2D for strong, intact projectile and target materials predict a ceiling for d/ D versus L whose trend is consistent with our measurements. This study illuminates the morphometric transition from subsonic to hypervelocity cratering and describes the initial state of secondary crater populations. This has applications to understanding the chronology of planetary surfaces and the long-term evolution of small crater populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We present observations and models that together explain many hallmarks of the structure and growth of small impact craters forming in targets with aligned fractures. Endurance Crater at Meridiani Planum on Mars (diameter≈150m) formed in horizontally-layered aeolian sandstones with a prominent set of wide, orthogonal joints. A structural model of Endurance Crater is assembled and used to estimate the transient crater planform. The model is based on observations from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity: (a) bedding plane orientations and layer thicknesses measured from stereo image pairs; (b) a digital elevation model of the whole crater at 0.3m resolution; and (c) color image panoramas of the upper crater walls. This model implies that the crater’s current shape was mostly determined by highly asymmetric excavation rather than long-term wind-mediated erosion. We show that modal azimuths of conjugate fractures in the surrounding rocks are aligned with the square component of the present-day crater planform, suggesting excavation was carried farther in the direction of fracture alignments. This was previously observed at Barringer Crater in Arizona and we show the same relationship also holds for Tswaing Crater in South Africa. We present models of crater growth in which excavation creates a “stellate” transient cavity that is concave–cuspate in planform. These models reproduce the “lenticular-crescentic” layering pattern in the walls of some polygonal impact craters such as Endurance and Barringer Craters, and suggest a common origin for tear faults and some crater rays. We also demonstrate a method for detailed error analysis of stereogrammetric measurements of bedding plane orientations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stratigraphic architecture of a terminal Proterozoic carbonate ramp system (ca. 550 Ma, Nama Group, Namibia) was mapped quantitatively with digital surveying technologies. The carbonate ramp consists of a shoaling-upward ramp sequence in which thrombolite-stromatolite reefs developed at several stratigraphic levels. The reefs are associated with grainstone and heterolithic facies and exhibit diverse geometries and dimensions related to the position in the sequence-stratigraphic framework. Laterally extensive reefs with a tabular geometry developed when accommodation was relatively low, whereas discontinuous oblate dome-shaped reefs developed during times when accommodation space was relatively high. Collecting sedimentological and stratigraphic data digitally in an extensive canyon system allowed a comprehensive documentation of the three-dimensional (3-D) architecture and dimensions of the reefal buildups. Both deterministic and stochastic methods were used to extend outcrop observations to construct 3-D models that honor the observed stratigraphy. In particular, the accuracy with which dimensions of reefal buildups can be measured is critically important in the statistical modeling of the dome-shaped buildups. Calculations and corrections can be applied directly to the digital data set and serve as input during model building. The final 3-D model faithfully reproduces the outcrop distribution of facies and geological objects and has a high spatial resolution, compared with petroleum industry reservoir models. The organization of the reefal buildups in the stratigraphic framework has direct implications for reservoir continuity and connectivity in analogous settings. The digital characterization and 3-D outcrop models presented in this article can be subsequently used to condition dynamic reservoir-simulation modeling of geologically similar areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reefs containing abundant calcified metazoans occur at several stratigraphic levels within carbonate platforms of the terminal Proterozoic Nama Group, central and southern Namibia. The reef-bearing strata span an interval ranging from approximately 550 Ma to 543 Ma. The reefs are composed of thrombolites (clotted internal texture) and stromatolites (laminated internal texture) that form laterally continuous biostromes, isolated patch reefs, and isolated pinnacle reefs ranging in scale from a meter to several kilometers in width. Stromatolite-dominated reefs occur in depositionally updip positions within carbonate ramps, whereas thrombolite-dominated reefs occur broadly across the ramp profile and are well developed as pinnacle reefs in downdip positions. The three-dimensional morphology of reef-associated fossils was reconstructed by computer, based on digitized images of sections taken at 25-micron intervals through 15 fossil specimens and additionally supported by observations of over 90 sets of serial sections. Most variation observed in outcrop can be accounted for by a single species of cm-scale, lightly calcified goblet-shaped fossils herein described as Namacalathus hermanastes gen. et sp. nov. These fossils are characterized by a hollow stem open at both ends attached to a broadly spheroidal cup marked by a circular opening with a downturned lip and six (or seven) side holes interpreted as diagenetic features of underlying biological structure. The goblets lived atop the rough topography created by ecologically complex microbial-algal carpets; they appear to have been sessile benthos attached either to the biohermal substrate or to soft bodied macrobenthos such as seaweeds that grew on the reef surface. The phylogenetic affinities of Namacalathus are uncertain, although preserved morphology is consistent with a cnidarian-like bodyplan. in general aspect, these fossils resemble some of the unmineralized, radially symmetric taxa found in contemporaneous sandstones and shales, but do not appear to be closely related to the well-skeletonized bilaterian animals that radiated in younger oceans. Nama reefs demonstrate that biohermal associations of invertebrates and thrombolite-forming microorganisms antedate the Cambrian Period., Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Abstract: Since the Moon has no atmosphere it is possible to fly over the surface at very low altitudes without experiencing drag forces. If a spacecraft flying at a low altitude were to fire a projectile into the lunar surface, a second trailing spacecraft could capture material from the resulting cloud of ejecta. This procedure could be repeated over many sites on the Moon with a fresh collector for each location. Eventually, the collector spacecraft would seal its cargo in a reentry vehicle and return to Earth with the samples. Compared with a robotic lander, the advantage of this architecture is the ability to sample locations over the entire Moon, wherever the topography will permit such maneuvers. Our crater ejecta models show that 1–10g of material can be collected from the ejecta curtain of a 2m radius crater at an altitude of 150m, assuming a collector surface area of 1 square meter. We studied numerous means of creating these craters and developed two scenarios: a reduced velocity explosive excavator (EE), and a higher velocity impact excavator (IE). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]