Design sounding rocket payload system to study vehicle charging phenomena

The objectives of this contract are the following: (1) reassemble and test the A31.603 rocket payload, previously flown at WSMR in January of 1978. Conduct spacecraft charging tests in a plasma using the vacuum chamber at Johnson Space Flight Center, Texas; (2) design a sounding rocket payload for the measurement of vehicle charging due to charge ejection in accordance with the results of the reassembly and retest of the A31.603 payload, and in accordance with specifications for the instrumentation for the instrumentation for the spacecraft charging rocket-2 payload; (3) fabricate and test a negative charge ejection system; (4) fabricate and test rocket payload sensor systems to measure the vehicle-to-plasma potential difference; (5) fabricate and test sensor systems to measure and identify charged particle return to the payload; (6) fabricate and test sensor systems to measure rapid changes in vehicle potential; (7) fabricate and test a microprocessor-based sounding rocket experiment controller. (8) fabricate and test one set of ground support equipment; (9) integrate at contractor's facility the above sensor systems with a rocket payload structure and instrumentation provided by the government.