The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

quantum mechanics
A major branch of modern physics concerned with the
way matter and energy behave on a very small scale.
quantum vacuum
“Empty space,” when seen at the subatomic level, is far
from empty; instead, it seethes with energy, the rapid
appearance and disappearance of all sorts of elementary
particles, and fluctuations in the fabric of space-time
itself. It is the subject of the Quantum Vacuum Forces
Project and the source of zero point energy, which is
seen as a potential basis for radically new forms of
propulsion in the far future. 256
Quantum Vacuum Forces Project
A project, sponsored by the Breakthrough Propulsion
Physics Program, to study ways of influencing the energy
density of the quantum vacuum with a view to possible
applications in spacecraft propulsion. It is being conducted
by a team of scientists from various academic and
corporate institutions in the United States and Mexico.
quasistationary orbit
An orbit that is almost, but not quite, a geostationary
orbit (GSO). In a quasistationary orbit, a satellite does
not hang still relative to Earth, but moves in a complex
elliptical trajectory. As seen from the ground, the path of
the satellite has the form of a closed intersecting loop,
elongated along the horizon, and having angular dimensions
of around 30° in azimuth and 5° to 6° in elevation.
Quasistationary orbits offer a number of advantages for
carrying out reconnaissance (spy) tasks, including a large
monitoring area and the possibility of taking multiposition
bearings on radio emitters to pinpoint their location.
They were first proved out by the Canyonseries and have
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become a characteristic feature of American SIGINT
(signals intelligence) satellites. In distinction to a GSO,
which has an altitude of 35,800 km and an inclination of
0°, quasistationary orbits used by SIGINT satellites have
a perigee (low point) of 30,000 to 33,000 km, an apogee
(high point) of 39,000 to 42,000 km, and an inclination
of 3° to 10°.
QuikScat (Quick Scatterometer)
A satellite, built under a NASA rapid delivery contract,
that carries the SeaWinds scatterometer for remote sensing
of ocean winds. QuikScat is among the first missions
in NASA’s EOS (Earth Observing System).
Launch
Date: June 20, 1999
Vehicle: Titan II
Site: Vandenberg Air Force Base
Orbit: 804 × 806 km × 98.6°
QuikTOMS (Quick Total Ozone
Mapping Spectrometer)
The fifth launch of NASA’s TOMS instrument. TOMS-5
had been scheduled to fly aboard the Russian Meteor-
3M(2) satellite, but this mission was terminated in April
1999. Because of the urgent need to continue daily
mapping of the global distribution of atmospheric
ozone, TOMS-5 was moved to a modified Microstar
bus tailored for the QuikTOMS mission and procured
through the Goddard Space Flight Center’s Rapid
Spacecraft Development Office. It took off on September
21, 2001, aboard a Taurus rocket as a secondary payload
alongside the OrbView-4 satellite but ended up in
the Indian Ocean minutes later, after the launch vehicle
malfunctioned.