SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “LAB”
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
WetLab-2: Wet Lab RNA SmartCycler Providing PCR Capability on ISS
The WetLab-2 system will provide sample preparation and qRT-PCR analysis on-board the ISS, a capability to enable using the ISS as a real laboratory. The system will be validated on SpX-7, and is planned for its first PI use on SpX-9.
Lab Animal Allergies - A Common Problem in an Uncommon Place - The ISS
No abstract available
IT Labs Proof-of-Concept Project: Technical Data Interoperability (TDI) Pathfinder Via Emerging Standards
No known system is in place to allow NASA technical data interoperability throughout the whole life cycle. Life Cycle Cost (LCC) will be higher on many developing programs if action isn't taken soon to join disparate systems efficiently. Disparate technical data also increases safety risks from poorly integrated elements. NASA requires interoperability and industry standards, but breaking legacy ways is a challenge.
Lab Demonstration of the Hybrid Doppler Wind Lidar (HDWL) Transceiver
The recommended design approach for the 3D Tropospheric Winds mission is a hybrid Doppler lidar which combines the best elements of both a coherent aerosol Doppler lidar operating at 2 micron and a direct detection molecular Doppler lidar operating at 0.355 micron. In support of the mission, we built a novel, compact, light-weighted multi-field of view transceiver where multiple telescopes are used to cover the required four fields of view. A small mechanism sequentially selects both the "transmit" and "receive" fields of view. The four fields are combined to stimulate both the 0.355 micron receiver and the 2 micron receiver. This version is scaled (0.2 micron diameter aperture) from the space-based version but still demonstrates the feasibility of the hybrid approach. The primary mirrors were conventionally light-weighted and coated with dielectric, high reflectivity coatings with high laser damage thresholds at both 2 micron and 0.355 micron. The mechanical structure and mounts were fabricated from composites to achieve dimensional stability while significantly reducing the mass. In the laboratory, we demonstrated the system level functionality at 0.355 micron and at 2 micron raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 2 to 4.
Lab Demonstration of the Hybrid Doppler Wind Lidar (HDWL) Transceiver
The recommended design approach for the 3D Tropospheric Winds mission is a hybrid Doppler lidar which combines the best elements of both a coherent aerosol Doppler lidar operating at 2 microns and a direct detection molecular Doppler lidar operating at 0.355 microns. In support of the mission, we built a novel, compact, light-weighted multi-field of view transceiver where multiple telescopes are used to cover the required four fields of view. A small mechanism sequentially selects both the "transmit" and "receive" fields of view. The four fields are combined to stimulate both the 0.355 micron receiver and the 2 micron receiver. This version is scaled (0.2 m diameter aperture) from the space-based version but still demonstrates the feasibility of the hybrid approach. The primary mirrors were conventionally light-weighted and coated with dielectric, high reflectivity coatings with high laser damage thresholds at both 2 microns and 0.355 microns. The mechanical structure and mounts were fabricated from composites to achieve dimensional stability while significantly reducing the mass. In the laboratory, we demonstrated the system level functionality at 0.355 microns and at 2 microns, raising the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) from 2 to 4.
Development of the Science Data System for the International Space Station Cold Atom Lab
Cold Atom Laboratory (CAL) is a facility that will enable scientists to study ultra-cold quantum gases in a microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS) beginning in 2016. The primary science data for each experiment consists of two images taken in quick succession. The first image is of the trapped cold atoms and the second image is of the background. The two images are subtracted to obtain optical density. These raw Level 0 atom and background images are processed into the Level 1 optical density data product, and then into the Level 2 data products: atom number, Magneto-Optical Trap (MOT) lifetime, magnetic chip-trap atom lifetime, and condensate fraction. These products can also be used as diagnostics of the instrument health. With experiments being conducted for 8 hours every day, the amount of data being generated poses many technical challenges, such as downlinking and managing the required data volume. A parallel processing design is described, implemented, and benchmarked. In addition to optimizing the data pipeline, accuracy and speed in producing the Level 1 and 2 data products is key. Algorithms for feature recognition are explored, facilitating image cropping and accurate atom number calculations.
VR Lab ISS Graphics Models Data Package
All the ISS models are saved in AC3D model format which is a text based format that can be loaded into blender and exported to other formats from there including FBX. The models are saved in two different levels of detail, one being labeled "LOWRES" and the other labeled "HIRES". There are two ".str" files (HIRES _ scene _ load.str and LOWRES _ scene _ load.str) that give the hierarchical relationship of the different nodes and the models associated with each node for both the "HIRES" and "LOWRES" model sets. All the images used for texturing are stored in Windows ".bmp" format for easy importing.
NASA's Hybrid Reality Lab: One Giant Leap for Full Dive
This presentation demonstrates how NASA is using consumer VR headsets, game engine technology and NVIDIA's GPUs to create highly immersive future training systems augmented with extremely realistic haptic feedback, sound, additional sensory information, and how these can be used to improve the engineering workflow. Include in this presentation is an environment simulation of the ISS, where users can interact with virtual objects, handrails, and tracked physical objects while inside VR, integration of consumer VR headsets with the Active Response Gravity Offload System, and a space habitat architectural evaluation tool. Attendees will learn how the best elements of real and virtual worlds can be combined into a hybrid reality environment with tangible engineering and scientific applications.
Spring Internship 2018 at the Prototype Development Lab: A place of Dreamers and Makers
This paper covers the role of the design process and the methodology of creating a trophy during my Spring 2018 Internship at the Prototype Development Laboratory at the Kennedy Space Center. In the course of this project I used many new machines and materials while trying to deliver a professional product for a competition that invites college student teams from across the country. The machines covered in this paper include the wood chop saw, CNC mill, water jet, laser engraver, and the 3D printer. This paper also serves as an assembly guide for the trophy.
Hydrovolcanic Astromaterials in the Lab
Zag and Monahans (1998) are H chondrite regolith breccias that contain 4.5 GY old halite crystals which in turn contain abundant inclusions of aqueous fluids, solids and organics. We have previously proposed that these halites originated on a hydrovolcanically-active C class asteroid, probably Ceres, or a trans-neptunian object (TNO - or P- or D-class asteroid) injected into the inner solar system during giant planet migration. We have begun a detailed analysis of organics and other solids trapped within the halite, which we hypothesize sample the mantle of the halite parent object, and are examining a halite-bearing C1 chondrite clast also found in Zag, which is similar to the solids in the halite. These investigations will reveal the water-rock interactions on the hydrovolcanically-active parent world.
BEST: Biomolecule Extraction and Sequencing Technology Utilizing the Station's Miniature Molecular Lab to Create Big Data
No abstract available
The KSC Augmented/Virtual reality Lab
To investigate the new XR technologies that are coming onto the market, learn how they work, determine their strengths and weaknesses, and recommend potential applications of these technologies to the work we do at KSC, processing spacecraft, launch delivery systems, and ground support equipment.
A Lab with a View: Findings from NASA's Aircraft Bioaerosol Collector
Airborne microorganisms in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere remain elusive due to a lack of reliable sample collection systems. To address this problem, we designed, installed, and flight-validated a novel Aircraft Bioaerosol Collector (ABC) for NASA's C-20A that can make collections for microbiological research investigations up to altitudes of 13.7 km. Herein we report results from the first set of science flights-four consecutive missions flown over the United States (US) from 30 October to 2 November, 2017. To ascertain how the concentration of airborne bacteria changed across the tropopause, we collected air during aircraft Ascent/Descent (0.3 to 11 km), as well as sustained Cruise altitudes in the lower stratosphere (~12 km). Bioaerosols were captured on DNA-treated gelatinous filters inside a cascade air sampler, then analyzed with molecular and culture-based characterization. Several viable bacterial isolates were recovered from flight altitudes, including Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp., Arthrobacter sp., and Staphylococcus sp. from Cruise samples and Brachybacterium sp. from Ascent/Descent samples. Using 16S V4 sequencing methods for a culture-independent analysis of bacteria, the average number of total OTUs was 305 for Cruise samples and 276 for Ascent/Descent samples. Surprisingly, our results revealed a homogeneous distribution of bacteria in the atmosphere up to 12 km. The observation could be due to atmospheric conditions producing similar background aerosols across the western US, as suggested by modeled back trajectories and satellite measurements. However, the influence of aircraft-associated bacterial contaminants could not be fully eliminated and that background signal was reported throughout our dataset. Considering the tremendous engineering challenge of collecting biomass at extreme altitudes where contamination from flight hardware remains an ever-present issue, we note the utility of using the stratosphere as a proving ground for planned life detection missions across the solar system.
Overview of the System Integration Lab and Its Role in the Space Launch System
No abstract available
Summary and Status of 5 Mechanical Pumped Fluid Loop (MPFL) Projects Currently in Process at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the Planned Europa Mission, Mars 2020, Ecosystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS), Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO-3), and Cold Atom Lab (CAL)
No abstract available