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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

New frontiers in design synthesis

The Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE), which is one of the major strategic technologies under development at NASA centers and the University of Virginia, is described. One of the major objectives of ISE is to significantly enhance the rapid creation of innovative affordable products and missions. ISE uses a synergistic combination of leading-edge technologies, including high performance computing, high capacity communications and networking, human-centered computing, knowledge-based engineering, computational intelligence, virtual product development, and product information management. The environment will link scientists, design teams, manufacturers, suppliers, and consultants who participate in the mission synthesis as well as in the creation and operation of the aerospace system. It will radically advance the process by which complex science missions are synthesized, and high-tech engineering Systems are designed, manufactured and operated. The five major components critical to ISE are human-centered computing, infrastructure for distributed collaboration, rapid synthesis and simulation tools, life cycle integration and validation, and cultural change in both the engineering and science creative process. The five components and their subelements are described. Related U.S. government programs are outlined and the future impact of ISE on engineering research and education is discussed.

User-Computer Interface↗
NASA NTRS1999

Assessment of Human Factors

Human Factors Engineering, often referred to as Ergonomics, is a science that applies a detailed understanding of human characteristics, capabilities, and limitations to the design, evaluation, and operation of environments, tools, and systems for work and daily living. Human Factors is the investigation, design, and evaluation of equipment, techniques, procedures, facilities, and human interfaces, and encompasses all aspects of human activity from manual labor to mental processing and leisure time enjoyments. In spaceflight applications, human factors engineering seeks to: (1) ensure that a task can be accomplished, (2) maintain productivity during spaceflight, and (3) ensure the habitability of the pressurized living areas. DSO 904 served as a vehicle for the verification and elucidation of human factors principles and tools in the microgravity environment. Over six flights, twelve topics were investigated. This study documented the strengths and limitations of human operators in a complex, multifaceted, and unique environment. By focusing on the man-machine interface in space flight activities, it was determined which designs allow astronauts to be optimally productive during valuable and costly space flights. Among the most promising areas of inquiry were procedures, tools, habitat, environmental conditions, tasking, work load, flexibility, and individual control over work.

Mount, Frances↗
NASA NTRS2007

Modeling Lunar Radar Scattering from Icy Regoliths

The Apollo 15, 16, and 17 core tubes show that the uppermost few meters of the lunar regolith are interlaced layers of a fine grained powders and blocky crater ejecta. The layers of crater ejecta have dielectric constants in the range of 7-9 while the fine-grained powders has dielectric constant on the order of 2.7. These differences in dielectric constant, in turn, create radar reflections that are both refracted and reflected back through the space-regolith interface. Note that for a dielectric constant of 2.7 for the lunar regolith, radio waves incident on the lunar surface at the angle of 30-degrees from the normal will propagate in the regolith at an angle of 18-degrees. At the limb, radio waves incident on the lunar surface at an angle near 90-degrees from the normal will propagate in the regolith at an angle of about 37-degrees. These angles are within the range where radar backscatter is in the quasi-specular regime. When these buried crater ejecta layers are modeled using Hagfors' formulation (Hagfors,1963), echo powers match the behavior observed for average lunar backscatter at centimeter wavelengths for higher (30 to 90) angles of incidence. In addition, Hagfors et al. (1965) conducted an experiment where the Moon was illuminated at 23-cm wavelength with circular polarization and the differences were observed in orthogonal linear polarizations. Modeling of these observations and assuming again that the buried crater ejecta scatter in a quasi-specular manner, echo differences in horizontal and vertical linear polarizations are in good agreement with the observations.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS2015

Designing Interfaces for Astronaut Autonomy in Space

As we move towards human deep space missions, astronauts will no longer be able to say, Houston, we have a problem. The restricted contact with mission control because of the incredible distance from Earth will require astronauts to make autonomous decisions. How will astronauts take on the roles of mission control? This is an area of active research that has far reaching implications for the future of distant spaceflight. Come to this talk to hear how we are using design and user research to come up with innovative solutions for astronauts to effectively explore the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

design↗
NASA NTRS2022

Space Induced Discharge Model to Be Used on Interface Circuit Vulnerability Assessment

Charging can occur in space due to plasma and high energy particles. Charging is especially severe in certain earth orbits such as geostationary orbit, medium earth orbit and highly inclined orbit. A spacecraft that travels to other planets such as Jupiter also encounters high level of charging due to Jupiter’s radiation belt. The major concern for spacecraft operation due to charging is the survival of sensitive electrical circuits. Dielectrics and floating metal can charge up and discharge onto interface circuits. The electrical circuits need to be evaluated for survival from the electrostatic-discharge (ESD) threat. Both ESD induced upset and damage need to be assessed. The interface circuits are often located inside a shielded unit in the spacecraft structure or a shielded vault with sufficient radiation shielding to avoid surface and internal charging. The materials external to the highly shielded area can charge up and discharge onto wires that can directly dissipate the ESD onto the interface circuits. Figure 1 shows a possible discharge mechanism onto the interfacing circuits. If the wire has an external shield or a coaxial line, some or most of the discharge can flow on the shield to chassis ground. There is always coupling from external discharge. If the wire has no shield, the discharge flows onto the interface circuit. Fig. 1 Possible discharge paths onto the interface circuits. The purpose of this article is to address how to model the ESD threat to be used as the discharge source onto the interface circuit based on the electron beam test data. Different models are needed for different impedances associated with the interface circuits. Once those models are derived, one needs to analyze the interface circuit with the corresponding model using an electrical simulation tool. Then, the circuit’s front-end components can be assessed for damage and upset. Upset is highly dependent on the circuit operation and system requirements, and thus it is not addressed any further. Damage of electrical parts is often rated under Human-Body-Model (HBM) ESD. One can utilize this industry-wide available information to assess the damage vulnerability due to space discharges. However, the HBM waveform does not always match the discharge waveform. To estimate the damage vulnerability of the circuit and set margin, one needs to compare the equivalent energy delivered to the victim between a HBM discharge and the results from an ESD source model based on actual discharges. This paper presents such a comparison for a few select cases.

Xie, Julie↗
NASA NTRS2004

EXPRESS Pallet Payload Interface Requirements

A viewgraph presentation describing the EXPRESS Pallet Space Station payload interface requirements is shown. The topics include: 1) External Payload Sites; 2) EXPRESS Pallet with Six Payload Envelopes; 3) EXPRESS Pallet in Payload Bay Representative Layout; 4) EXPRESS Pallet Installation SSRMS positions pallet for PAS mating on S3 truss; 5) EXPRESS Pallet Major Components; 6) EXPRESS Pallet Adapter; 7) EXPRESS Pallet Center Location Payload Envelope; 8) Envelope Restriction for EXPRESS Pallet Corner Payload Locations; 9) EXPRESS Pallet-PAS Truss Configuration; and 10) EXPRESS Pallet Payload Services and Specifications.

Holt, Alan C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

User interface and operational issues with thermionic space power systems

Thermionic space power systems have unique features which facilitate predeployment operations, provide operational flexibility and simplify the interface with the user. These were studied in some detail during the SP-100 program from 1983 to 1985. Three examples are reviewed in this paper: (1) system readiness verification in the prelaunch phase; (2) startup, shutdown, and dormancy in the operations phase; (3) part-load operation in the operations phase.

Dahlberg, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space station automation and robotics study. Operator-systems interface

This is the final report of a Space Station Automation and Robotics Planning Study, which was a joint project of the Boeing Aerospace Company, Boeing Commercial Airplane Company, and Boeing Computer Services Company. The study is in support of the Advanced Technology Advisory Committee established by NASA in accordance with a mandate by the U.S. Congress. Boeing support complements that provided to the NASA Contractor study team by four aerospace contractors, the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), and the California Space Institute. This study identifies automation and robotics (A&R) technologies that can be advanced by requirements levied by the Space Station Program. The methodology used in the study is to establish functional requirements for the operator system interface (OSI), establish the technologies needed to meet these requirements, and to forecast the availability of these technologies. The OSI would perform path planning, tracking and control, object recognition, fault detection and correction, and plan modifications in connection with extravehicular (EV) robot operations.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1971

Modular space station phase B extension: Shuttle interface requirements

The interface requirements cover both the ground and orbital phases of operation from the launch of the first MSS module until the initial modular station has been manned and in routine operation. As a point of reference, the two-stage, fully reusable space shuttle was selected. The space shuttle is briefly described from the standpoint of its features most important to the interface requirements with the MSS. The environment induced upon the MSS elements when transported to and from orbit by the shuttle orbiter also is included. The mission operation includes the space shuttle launch facilities, the ground flow of the MSS modules, and the orbital operations of rendezvous, MSS buildup, resupply of the manned station, and orbiter descent and landing. The shuttle's once-around abort case is described as it affects the MSS interface requirements. The interfaces between the orbiter and the MSS resulting from the ground and orbital operations, are also described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1987

The feasibility of using TAE as the UIL for the space station and for other internal NASA tasks and projects

This description of the Transportable Applications Executive (TAE) is intended to serve to test the feasibility of its use as the Space Station User Interface Language (SSUIL). TAE was developed by the Space Data and Computing Division, Space and Earth Sciences Directorate of NASA/GSFC, and by Century Computing, Inc. in 1980. TAE is an executive program which ties a system of application programs into a single easily operated whole and supports users' operations of programs through a consistent friendly and flexible interactive user interface. TAE also supplies the interface between the user and the various application programs in a particular computer system. It appears to be an effective user interface for infrequent as well as for expert users.

Gill, Esther Naomi↗
NASA NTRS2003

Standardized Spacecraft Onboard Interfaces

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS), an international organization of national space agencies, is branching out to provide new standards to enhanced reuse of onboard spacecraft equipment and software. These Spacecraft Onboard Interface (SOIF) standards will be, in part, based on the well-known Internet protocols. This paper will provide a description of the SOIF work by describing three orthogonal views: the Services View that describes data communications services, the Interoperability view shows how to exchange data and messages between different spacecraft elements, and the Protocol view, that describes the SOIF protocols and services. We will also provide a description of the present state of the services that will be provided to SOIF users, and are the basis of the utility of these standards.

space interfaces↗
NASA NTRS1987

The impact of launch vehicle constraints on U.S. Space Station design and operations

The assembly of the Space Station is examined in terms of user and operational requirements. The Space Shuttle/Space Station interface is analyzed. The effect of the changing space transportation environment on the Space Station assembly requirements and the lift capabilities of the Shuttle are investigated. Consideration is given to crew replacement and the Shuttle launch rate; the use of the advanced solid rocket motor to increase the lifting capability of the Shuttle to 52,000 lbs; and the use of ELVs for launching modules of the Space Station.

Ambrus, Judith H.↗