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Radio science at Jupiter: past investigations, current results, and future prospects

The latest mission to Jupiter, Juno, includes the most advanced radio science instrumentation to date. With Juno’s unique polar orbit and dual frequency radio links, it is able to probe the planet’s deep interior structure and zonal wind profile with measurements of the gravitational field and probe the electron densities in the Io plasma torus, a doughnut-shaped ring around Jupiter charged with particles emitted by the volcanic activity on Io. Upcoming missions, such as the planned NASA’s Europa Clipper multiple flyby mission in 2022, potential follow-on Europa Lander, and the ESA’s Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer mission in 2022, may make further strides in the study of the planet and its moons utilizing radio science.

Oudrhiri, Kamal↗

The Effect of Temperature on the Preservation of Volatile-Rich Lunar Samples

Introduction. The Moon’s south pole is a high-priority target for human exploration and scientific study. This interest is, in part, due to the presence of Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs), which could contain high concentrations of unique volatiles at cryogenic temperatures [1]. Returned samples from PSRs may include a unique combination of rocks, regolith, and volatile species, providing unprecedented insights into the history of the Solar System and the potential for resource utilization on the Moon. However, because PSR samples are cryogenic up-on collection, lunar polar sample return will eventually require cold stowage for the journey from the Moon to Earth. Without cold stowage, PSR sample return will likely result in phase changes and chemical reactions within the volatile component of the sample, which would negatively impact the resulting scientific studies of those samples. This abstract summarizes the initial results from an ongoing characterization of analog PSR samples at a range of temperatures, with the goal of defining the temperatures needed for a flight cold stowage freezer. Background. Based on remote sensing observations of the Moon [2], south polar PSRs range in temperature from ~120K for small and/or shallow PSRs to ~20K at the most extreme locations in large, deep PSRs. A range of volatiles have been hypothesized to exist at the surface or subsurface of the lunar poles [3-5 and others]. This hypothesis was verified when the LCROSS mission impacted the <50-K PSR in the crater Cabeus, detecting a range of volatiles from water to low condensation temperature species such as H2S and methane [6]. Species such as H2S and ammonia (also detected by LCROSS) are also highly reactive, and increase the likelihood of chemical reactions at elevated (non-cryogenic) temperatures. At the Johnson Space Center’s Planetary Exploration and Astromaterials Research Laboratory (JSC-PEARL), we have developed a volatile-bearing lunar simulant that incorporates several of the species detected by LCROSS [Table 1] mixed cryogenically with the USGS Lunar Highlands Type (LHT) regolith simulant. The new volatile-regolith simulant will be used to assess the degree of sample alteration at room temperature, -20°C, -80°C, and -196°C (liquid nitro-gen), over a two-week period. Room temperature samples represent those likely to be returned during initial missions without cold stowage, -20°C provides an analog to Apollo cold curated samples, -80°C is the temperature of multiple flight payload freezers (e.g., MELFI), and -196°C is analogous to lunar PSRs. Two weeks is an approximation of the time between sample collection and Earth return for initial Artemis missions. Over this period of time, sample head-space gases will be analyzed using a Universal Gas Analyzer (UGA, a type of mass spectrometer) coupled with a Baratron pressure sensor. After testing, the regolith component of the simulant will be purged of volatiles and preserved for future electron beam and/or FTIR analysis. Experimental Procedure. Volatile-regolith simulants will be produced as an initial homogenous batch; this batch will then be distributed into aliquots (gas chromatography/GC vials or cryo vials), ensuring that each sample has the same starting composition and conditions [Fig. 1]. In addition to the “full” simulant shown in Table 1, less complex simulant compositions will be used as baseline and control samples [Table 2]. Aliquots will be produced in triplicate for each simulant composition, storage temperature, and date of sampling. Headspace gases in all Day 0 samples will be analyzed by the UGA immediately. Cold storage samples for future analytical days will be placed in freezers appropriate to their target temperatures (-20°C, -80°C, -196°C). For ambient-temperature samples, regolith and regolith-water samples will be stored in a fume hood, while the full simulant will be stored in a sealed Parr vessel for safety; no other simulants (RWCM/ RWCM+) will be stored at ambient temperature for this test. Samples will be analyzed by UGA in this manner on each Analysis Day outlined in Table 2. Analytical Data. The UGA measures the partial pressures in a single sample aliquot over a set mass range of 0-105 atomic mass units (AMU) [Figure 2]; this set range was selected to slightly exceed the mass of the highest-mass expected reaction product (H2SO4). The Baratron complements the UGA by measuring the total pressure in the headspace of a sample vial. Coupled together, the quantitative abundances of gases will be monitored throughout the test. UGA analyses of the triplicate samples for each storage temperature, day, and simulant composition will be averaged, and standard deviations for each will be calculated. The compositions of starting species (shown in Table 1) will be characterized as a function of time, and the presence of any new compounds (reaction products) will be monitored as well. Total pressures will be recorded for each sample analysis, and any samples that show signs of leakage (e.g., a significant reduction in pressure or simulant volatiles) will be discarded. Anticipated Results. Testing is planned to begin in January 2022. The resulting data will allow compositional and phase changes in the volatile component of the simulants to be determined. Both the reduction in initial compounds and the addition of reaction products are expected to be observed. In addition, the relative efficacy of the different temperatures at pre-serving the initial composition of the simulants will be quantified. Finally, the regolith component of each sample will be argon-purged and stored in a controlled environment for future laboratory analysis. Compositional and morphological changes in the regolith are expected for samples above 0°C. This test will be repeated three times over the course of 2022. Understanding the effect of temperature on both the volatile and regolith components of analog lunar materials will allow requirements for a cold stowage freezer to be developed. The implementation of cold stowage for lunar polar missions will maximize the preservation of returned samples, enabling ground-breaking lunar and Solar System volatiles science for decades to come.

J L Mitchell↗

From Source to Surface: An Investigation of Magmatic Lunar Volatiles

Lunar missions led by NASA discovered water ice on the Moon’s surface [1-3], revolutionizing views of the abundance, distribution, and potential sources of H2O and other volatiles. Volatiles play an important role in affecting the rheological properties of minerals and melts and influencing magma eruption processes. In order to determine the indigenous volatile inventory of the Moon, it is vital to identify the magmatic and secondary processes that may have affected the volatile contents in lunar minerals [4]. As part of the Apollo Next Generation Sample Analysis (ANGSA) program we are investigating the petrogenesis of a set of four Apollo lunar basalts collected from the rim of Steno Crater 71035, 71037, 71055, and specially curated sample 71036. Our team is studying the petrology in 2D and 3D (this work), chronology (Pomeroy et al., LPSC 2022), oxidation state of sulfur in apatite (Brounce et al., LPSC 2022), and volatile inventory of the sample set in order to understand the age and genetic relationships among the basalts, their magma ascent conditions and eruptive signatures, and their degassing and surface histories. Here we present the first detailed study of the 2D and 3D mineralogy, textures, 3D vesiculation, and chemistry of these basalts to shed light on their magmatic, volcanic, and post-eruptive histories. Note: Extended abstract on document.

Z. E. Wilbur↗

Towards Automated Analytics of Research Publications

For readers of scientific publications it remains a big challenge to unambiguously relate the published research with the data used. To a substantial degree it is attributed to authors, journals, editors, and reviewers not prioritizing correct data citation, which impacts traceability, repeatability, and giving credits to published authors and their funding sources. Furthermore, uniform classification of the content of the published research is hampered by journals using journal specific topics and letting authors to assign free text keywords to their papers. We demonstrate automated analytics methods for extracting and relating datasets used and the research application areas by processing 1,300 research papers that referenced the NASA Giovanni service (but probably not the datasets in particular) as supporting their publication process. This presentation was given during the 2022 ESIP January meeting held virtually in January 2022.

Irina Gerasimov↗

NESC Assessment – Recommendations on Use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Parts for NASA Missions

This is to present the NESC assessment "Recommendations on Use of Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts for NASA Missions" at the Microelectronics Reliability and Qualification Workshop hosted by Aerospace Corporation in February 8-10, 2022. The assessment has two Phases, Phase I on NASA Center current practices on use of COTS and Phase II on DoD and FAA current practices on use of COTS and NESC guidance on COTS selection, application and verification processes. Phase I report was published as NASA/TM−20205011579 and NESC-RP-19-01490 in December 2020. The presentation also includes the scope of the Phase II of the assessment, which is expected to be completed in March-April, 2022.

EEE parts↗

New Global Ocean Color Sensor: OCI on PACE

- OCI will provide TOA radiances at ~1km spatial resolution, from 340nm (315nm?) to 2260nm, hyperspectral from 340nm to 890nm, 2 day global coverage - OCI will continue and enhance NASA’s earth system data records for ocean color (heritage sensors: SeaWiFS, MODIS, VIIRS) - OCI flight unit is close to being ready for testing (planned for March 2022 to September 2022) - OCI ETU (Engineering Test Unit) completed testing summer 2021, results look promising (see next presentation) - On-orbit calibration will combine successful trending approaches from previous sensors (2 solar diffusers, QVD, lunar gain trending, spectral trending) - New calibration approaches for OCI: large QVD, dim diffuser for linearity trending, lunar hysteresis trending - OCI will be characterized prelaunch with an ambitious goal of 0.5% relative uncertainty; absolute uncertainty will be about 2% (before vicarious calibration); expected on-orbit gain trending accuracy is 0.2% or better - More info on PACE and OCI can be found at https://pace.oceansciences.org/

radiometer↗

Indigenous Organic Matter Associated with Unusual Low Temperature Aqueous Secondary Phases in the Mars Meteorite Nakhla

In freshly fractured chips of the Mars meteorite Nakhla, we found carbonaceous phases intimately associated with secondary aqueous alteration phases, both mineral and amorphous, interpreted to have formed through the low-temperature, mineral-water dissolution of the host Martian basalt.We have characterized the nature of carbonaceous matter and spatially associated secondary phases within Nakhla using a multidisciplinary suite of optical and electron beam instrumentation(Thomas-Keprta et al., 2022). Secondary Phases: The preserved secondary mineral phases are best described as ‘juvenile’ hydrated amorphous silica formed when water interacts with mafic rocks. Although amorphous silica on Earth rarely persists through geologic time due to alteration into other phases, e.g.,microcrystalline opal-CT and eventually quartz, the lack of maturation of primarily amorphous silica with embedded nano phase ferrihydrite in Nakhla infers these phases formed in a limited water environment by low temperature, circumneutral pH fluids stabilized by the presence of coexisting amorphous silica.Additionally, we report the presence of the ferrous hydroxycarbonate mineral chukanovite (Fe2(OH)2CO3)within some of the secondary mineral aggregates studied. Organic Matter:Indigenous Nakhla carbonaceous matter is present both in condensed phases and in a dispersed state spatially associated with secondary alteration phases. In the former, discrete refractory micron to submicron assemblages were identified that appear macromolecular in nature and, in several cases, associated with F and, in one case, significant N. While organically bound Fhas yet to be detected remotely on Mars, the identification of organic N within one of the carbonaceous phases is considered a prerequisite for Martian astrobiological potential. Summary: Neither the intimate association of carbonaceous matter with secondary phases nor the identification of chukanovite have been previously reported in any of the Martian meteorites.A variety of habitability-related metastable solid-phase, oxidation-reduction, and organic-molecular sample attributes in Nakhla formed hundreds of millions of years ago near Mars’ surface; these alteration products persisted on Mars until very recentlyand resemble the amorphous materials observed at Gale crater by Mars Science Laboratory CuriosityRover (Rampe et al., 2020).Similar phases may be expected to occur elsewhere on Mars (e.g., Jezerocrater). References: Rampe E. B. et al.(2020) Mineralogy and geochemistry of sedimentary rocks and eolian sediments in Gale crater, Mars: A review after six Earth years of exploration with Curiosity.Geochemistry80, 125605; Thomas-Keprta K.L. et al. (2022) Indigenous carbon-rich matter associated with unusual aqueous alteration features in Nakhla: Complex formation and preservation history. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta320, 41-78 (online).

Mars meteorite↗

Using the Dimensionality Reduction (DR) Approach to Treat Singular and Near-Singular Source and Test Integrals on Triangles for Moment Methods

Recently, the authors presented preliminary results of an initial study of a dimensional reduction scheme for treating (near-)singular integrals (D. R. Wilton et al., “Dimensionality Reduction Approach for Treating Singular and Near-Singular Multidimensional Integrals of Electromagnetics,” 2022 URSI USNC National Radio Science Meeting, Boulder, CO, Jan. 2022). The approach reported there refined and extended several ideas appearing in a recent paper (R. R. Chang, Z. Wang, and Q. Xie, "Fast Convergent Quadrature Method for Evaluating the RWG- and SWG-Related Convolutional Integrals," IEEE Trans. Antennas Propagat., 69, Dec. 2021). That paper reported a curated collection of important, previously published results all leading to very efficient and accurate line integral methods for handling the most common (near-)singular integrals associated with triangles and tetrahedrons with RWG and SWG bases, respectively. Our contributions provided a simpler exposition as well as a more unified, systematic, and robust overall framework for deriving and applying the approach. This presentation further elucidates our extensions to the approach and broadens our initial study to examine the convergence behaviors of the various potential forms over a wider range of triangular source element shape and observation point parameters for various smoothing transformations; we also examine convergence, not just at the subtriangle level, but also overcomplete triangles. In addition, we investigate the application of the recently reported “vertex function” concept to develop faster converging test integrals (Rivero et al., “Acceleration of the Surface Test Integral Using Vertex Functions,” 2021 IEEE Int’l Symp. Ant. Propagat. and USNC-URSI Rad. Sci. Meeting,” Singapore, 4-10 Dec. 2021). Combining these separate schemes has the potential for yielding a near-optimal approach for accurately evaluating singular and near-singular integrals for moment methods.

Singular Integrals↗

Astrobee: Improving Capabilities for Free Flying Robotic Technology Demonstrations

The Astrobee Project has completed three years operating inside the ISS. Three Astrobee Free Flyers reached the ISS in April 2019 and are currently hosting a variety of users. During this time, Astrobee has advanced the state of the art in free-flying robots on ISS, operated over 100 sessions, logged over 750 hours of free-flyer operation, and made several capability improvements. Astrobee’s primary objective is to provide a highly flexible and capable free-flying robotic research platform to enable future guest scientist investigations. However, Astrobee is also demonstrating the feasibility of intra-vehicular robots (IVR) for performing key caretaking functions within exploration vehicles as part of NASA’s Moon-to-Mars exploration strategy. IVR capabilities will be especially vital during uncrewed mission phases. For example, current plans call for the lunar Gateway to be uncrewed >85% of the time. Astrobee’s baseline implementation supports free-flying camera and sensor survey use cases. Astrobee guest scientists can deploy software updates and hardware payloads to extend its capabilities. Astrobee is continuously improving its navigation robustness, general flight software maturity, and ISS interior maps, both through the baseline Astrobee operations and with the help of the ISAAC project. Astrobee began with mapping, localization, and operations in the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), and has expanded to mapping in Node 2 and the US Lab. Astrobee has improved localization and operational robustness through improved mapping processes, algorithm updates (Soussan 2022) that reduce the occurrences of lost localization as well as developed recovery techniques to return to a good localization fix when loss of localization does occur. Future guest science experiments currently in development could demonstrate cargo transfer, fault isolation, free flyer and stationary robot collaboration, microgravity fluid transfer, and new docking mechanisms, among others. This presentation will focus on 1) Astrobee technical capabilities 2) What Astrobee can provide to a guest science experiment 3) Astrobee’s recent improvements 4) Possibilities for using Astrobee for future investigations. Soussan, R., Kumar, V., Coltin, B. and Smith, T. (2022) AstroLoc: An Efficient and Robust Localizer for a Free-flying Robot, Proc. Int. Conf. Rob. Autom. (ICRA) [to appear]

Astrobee↗

Western Sonoran Desert Water Resources: Evaluating Rock Pool Hydroperiod Fluctuation using Climate Variables to Inform Habitat Monitoring and Protection in the Western Sonoran Desert

Ephemeral freshwater rock pools, known as tinajas, have great biologic and cultural importance as sources of surface water in the western Sonoran Desert (WSD). Tinaja flooding and drying cycles, known as hydroperiods, vary based on meteorologic and climatologic conditions; however, a lack of extensive research relating climatic impacts to tinajas puts these critical ecosystems further at risk. The National Park Service (NPS) and the University of Arizona monitor the physical and ecological condition of tinajas in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (OPCNM), AZ, using resource-intensive strategies: in situ trail cameras and direct measurements. To aid monitoring efforts, the NASA DEVELOP team aimed to incorporate remote sensing into NPS strategies by analyzing spatiotemporal climate data and tinaja hydroperiods in OPCNM between 1979–2022. Using Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometers (MODIS), University of Idaho Gridded Surface Meteorological Dataset (gridMET), and OpenET data, the team generated climatology maps and time series for OPCNM. The team compared these data to daily in situ hydroperiod observations from the University of Arizona between 2019–2022. Climate maps and time series showed increases in temperature and solar radiation (p<0.05), while analyses of in situ data showed correlations of hydroperiods with precipitation and evapotranspiration. End products identified high-risk tinajas and demonstrated that Earth observations can successfully be correlated with in situ hydroperiod observations. These results will support NPS efforts to prioritize water resource management and inform protocols driving the conservation of tinajas in OPCNM.

Anne Britton↗

Identification and Study of Validation Level Test Cases for Computational Modeling of Non-Charring Ablators

Computational modeling of Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials, used for aerospace applications, provides numerous advantages in preliminary selection and design of a heatshield material and shape for atmospheric entry vehicles. However, to serve as a reliable tool for prediction of material thermal and ablative behavior, the modeling approach needs to be validated against real experimental and flight data, preferably at a range of applied conditions. The validation study is typically very complex as it requires reliable measured data not only for the material thermal response and surface recession, but also well characterized environmental conditions. The validation problem becomes even more complex when the material thermal response is dictated by multi-physics effects such as solid conduction, in-depth thermal decomposition, pyrolysis gas flow and chemical reactions. The multi-physics effects complicate not only the modeling effort, but also the experimental measurement for validation of various aspects of the highly coupled problem. In this study, an attempt is made to identify suitable experimental data that could serve as a source for validation of material thermal response modeling tools. To reduce the computational complexity, this study focuses only on non-charring ablators, where the material thermal response could be modeled with a single governing equation for solid conduction and the ablation is limited only to the surface of the material. With a well characterized and publicly available experimental data being sparse, the study is limited in presenting test cases for only three materials: camphor, graphite and FiberForm® in the sequence of increased modeling complexity. Graphite is a commonly used TPS material for aerospace applications, both for leading edges of high-speed vehicles and internal insulation of solid rocket motors. FiberForm® is a porous carbon pre-form used in preparation of the well known PICA material Tran et al. [1996]. Inclusion of camphor into the list is conditioned with the relative simplicity in modeling the material thermal and chemical response and the low-enthalpy flow environment. In addition, camphor has been used as a simple test material for study of flow transition behavior by Stock and Ginoux [1973] and assessment of a heatshield shape change at flight relevant conditions by Rotondi et al. [2022]. In this work, the identified experimental data was extracted from the public literature and test cases that yet have been published. As it was found from the review, not a single test case contains an exhaustive set of data that would validate every aspect of the material physics. However, in the data collected, various aspects of the material behavior can be still validated, such as surface and in-depth temperature, amount of recession and a shape change. The identified experimental data for each case is accompanied with a characterized flow environment and simulated boundary conditions predicted by a Data-Parallel Line Relaxation (DPLR) code Wright et al. [1998]. In addition, material thermal response numerical simulations in each test case are performed with Kentucky Aerothermodynamics and Thermal Response System (KATS-MR) Zibitsker et al. [2022] providing a comparative study and a sanity check for the proposed validation data. Sample results from the performed numerical study are shown below. Figure 1 shows distribution of surface heat flux and pressure values on a hemi-cylinder model made of FiberForm® and tested in HyMETS arc-jet facility. The results are shown for the high pressure condition among the two tests. Flow simulation was performed with DPLR code on a quarter of original geometry. In the figure, the quarter shape was mirrored across zx and xy planes to show the complete distribution. Figure 2 shows the material response results for the high pressure case (7500 Pa), simulated with KATS-MR and a comparison to the experimental data for the surface temperature and shape shape. The simulation was performed on a 2-D slice, extracted in the xy plane at the middle of the sample. Figure 3 shows the material response simulation for the low pressure case (3500 Pa) and a comparison to the experimental data for surface temperature and shape change.

ablation↗

Increasing Cognitive Ability/Reserve Using Software – Pilot (ICARUS-Pilot)

BACKGROUND This research study was competitively awarded under the 2022 JSC Innovation Charge Account (ICA) program administered by NASA Johnson Space Center’s Joint Technology Working Group. Study period of performance was May through September 2022, with a maximum allowed procurement budget of $10K. The study sought to quantify and assess the potential benefit of using commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) cognitive training software to improve cognitive performance in an astronaut-like terrestrial population. METHODS Five volunteer research participants were recruited from the JSC employee population to mimic certain demographic characteristics of the NASA astronaut population (age, education/discipline). Participant cognitive performance was assessed before and after executing eighteen sessions of remote cognitive training executed nominally three times per week using six exercises within an adaptive app-based COTS software package (BrainHQ, Posit Science) on study-provided tablets. Pre- and post-training cognitive performance was measured using internal assessments in BrainHQ as well as Cognition Test Battery (CTB) version ISS B01 v3 (3.0.9-201710021500), an independent software test developed specifically for NASA and used currently in research studies on astronauts. BrainHQ exercises were posited to map well or partially to several CTB sub-tests. Participants provided feedback on their study experience formally via semi-structured interview at the conclusion of testing and informally throughout the study if they encountered issues. RESULTS The enrolled ICARUS-Pilot study participants generally matched Artemis crew demographic characteristics. Four of five participants have completed study training and assessment activities as of the writing of this abstract. These test participants complied well with desired training session frequency and duration yielding an average cumulative active training duration of 15 hours over an average of 45 days; participants showed 78% average improvement in metric performance for the six trained exercises, with an associated overall 33%ile ranking increase against performance of the entire BrainHQ subscribing population for internal pre/post assessment, agreeing with post-study survey self-reported performance increases. CTB overall feedback scoring, not corrected for learning effects, showed an average of 19% performance improvement across its 10 performance measures over the training period for the completed participants. Detailed analyses will be conducted once participant data collection for the study is complete and the resulting dataset is fully populated. DISCUSSION These preliminary results provide a positive trend for the effectiveness of the training approach, but further analysis will be needed to establish significance, investigate far transfer, and suggest the needed participant pool size for subsequent efforts to achieve statistically significant outcomes given similar results. The pilot study has already been helpful by allowing the study team to learn a great deal about the capabilities and limitations of the COTS software package that will be reflected in future proposals along with revised timelines for study execution and test participant management. From participant feedback, one common thread regarding the COTS training was that it felt overly repetitive – future proposals should reassess overall training duration, available levels for each trained exercise, and the behavior of the BrainHQ internal scheduler in determining which exercises should be trained and for how long. If the final analysis of this feasibility study ultimately supports it, the study team will recommend further investigation to fully evaluate this potential countermeasure and optimize its implementation. Future proposals would cite this feasibility study’s outcome and would seek to refine the training protocol and obtain statistically significant results for cognitive performance increases as well as retention data.

cognitive training↗

NASA’s Human Data Repositories: An In Depth Look at the New Data Request Process

As NASA transitions its focus to travel back to the moon and on to new destinations, the need to ensure the capture, analysis, and application of research and medical data is of greater urgency than at any other previous time. In this era of limited resources and challenging schedules, the Human Research Program (HRP), based at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC), recognizes the need to extract the greatest possible amount of information from the data already captured. To this end, the HRP Chief Scientist Office (CSO), HRP Program Planning and Control (PP&C) Office, and the Space Medicine Operations Division have been working together to make reuse of both research data and medical monitoring data more accessible to the user community through the Life Science Data Archive (LSDA) and the Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health (LSAH) Repositories. The task of both LSDA and LSAH repositories is to acquire, preserve, and distribute retrospective research (LSDA) and medical (LSAH) data and information both within the NASA community and to the science community at large, for knowledge discovery, retrospective analysis, and planning of future research studies. An additional goal is to encourage collaboration with non-NASA institutions also faced with enhancing human performance in extreme environments. In September 2022, the LSDA website and its contents transitioned to a new NASA Life Sciences Portal (https://nlsp.nasa.gov/explore/lsdahome). This site continues to feature publicly releasable information such as non-attributable datasets, experiment descriptions (from Project Mercury to ISS, as well as from multiple flight analog missions), descriptions of medical monitoring data, and LSAH newsletters (1992 - 2022). The website also provides an updated portal to request additional research and medical data not accessible from the public website. This presentation will provide an in-depth look at the new system as it relates to finding and requesting retrospective data. We will also detail processes from making a request to delivering data for different types of data requests (i.e., attributable, or non-attributable). This includes descriptions of various approval boards, what information and actions the requestor is responsible for, and key milestones in making data available for reuse.

D. M. Thomas↗

Learjet Test Update

An update on the Learjet acoustic flight test was presented. The intent of the effort was to acquire flight data for the development of flight corrections to scale-model data. The flights were completed on September 8, 2022. Weather measurements were acquired with a combination of an instrumented drone and a ground based LiDAR system. Acquisition of comparative scale-model data will be completed on October 7, 2022.

jet noise↗

ISS EVA80 EMU Water in the Helmet Failure and Associated Analytical Response

On March 23rd, 2022, during Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) 80 aboard the International Space Station (ISS) crew identified an 8-10-inch diameter thin film of water in the pressure bubble of the suit during repress. This launched an investigation to determine the cause of the water in the helmet as well as short- and long-term mitigation efforts to enable return to EVA as quickly as possible. The investigation analysis efforts in combination with hardware inspection and testing determined the most likely cause of the water in the helmet to be sublimator carryover as a result of high latent loading put on the system. In parallel with this investigation, efforts were being made to mitigate any future water in the helmet events. The short-term mitigation strategy developed is to install absorbent material in the pressure bubble to capture water as it enters the helmet before it can impact the astronauts. This hardware is referred to as the Helmet Absorption Band (HAB) and Helmet Absorption Pad – Extender (HAP-E). Longer-term mitigation strategies include a device to capture small water events before entering the helmet by installing a water capture system in the vent loop of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU). This effort is coined the T2 Water Capture System. Additionally, developing an on-orbit sublimator challenge test which will be able to verify sublimator performance before and after EVAs. The sublimator is the hardware which condenses water vapor and removes it from the vent loop, and this hardware is referred to as the EMU Moisture Injection Test System (EMITS). Based on the investigation and short-term water capture solutions the ISS Program decided to return to nominal EVAs on October 7, 2022. With the addition of the long-term mitigation strategies, the team hopes to be able to prevent any future water in the helmet events.

Veronica Lee Pizor↗

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome: A Brief for Astronaut Candidates

INTRODUCTION: Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) was first described in 2011 as a clinical process involving degradation of visual acuity and structural changes of the eye when exposed to microgravity. This syndrome poses a risk to astronaut vision, safety, and mission performance, especially during extended-duration missions. The modern astronaut cohort is a diverse group of men and women including scientists, engineers, teachers, pilots, business professionals, and artists. Given their diverse backgrounds, it is imperative all crews are educated on SANS risks and potential countermeasures. This education must be comprehensive and easily understood, regardless of academic background or specific expertise. TOPIC: A PowerPoint was created to serve as a presentation and stand-alone educational aid for all astronaut candidates (ASCANS). This medium was chosen as it can be updated dynamically as new information emerges. The brief was split into sections to facilitate organized delivery of complex content in easy-to-understand components. Sections included descriptive statistics, signs and symptoms, outcomes, myths and ongoing research, countermeasures, ongoing surveillance, and unknown and future directions. More research is necessary in order to understand this syndrome, and without continued ASCAN participation in research, acquisition of data will not be possible. These efforts will become increasingly critical with deep space and exploration missions. APPLICATION: We recommend regular use of this brief for all ASCANS, and potentially veteran crewmembers, given the high risks and potentially poor outcomes associated with SANS. For ASCANS, recommendations include that this brief be provided at the start of their training, with a bi-annual refresher course for all astronauts. This ensures they are current on SANS information, given the dynamic nature of this syndrome. Additionally, this brief will be made available to all as a self-study aid, utilized as a refresher immediately prior to launch. It is anticipated that this brief will promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of professional and private crews alike, during and after long-duration spaceflight. RESOURCES: Brunstetter, T., Tarver, B., & Tsung, A. (2022, October). Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (Sans) and its Risk to Nasa Astronauts. JSC Aerospace Medicine Clerkship. Houston, TX; Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. Laurie, S. S., Macias, B. R., Pardon, L. P., Brunstetter, T., Tarver, W. J., Gibson, C. R., Greenwald, S. H., Jasien, K. V., Mason, S., & Tsung, A. (2022). (rep.). Evidence Report: Risk of Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS). Houston, TX: National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Mader, T. H., Gibson, C. R., Pass, A. F., Kramer, L. A., Lee, A. G., Fogarty, J., ... & Polk, J. D. (2011). Optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal folds, and hyperopic shifts observed in astronauts after long-duration space flight. Ophthalmology, 118(10), 2058-2069. LEARNING OBJECTIVES: • The audience will be able to describe current Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) findings, significance, and countermeasures. • The audience will understand the importance of astronauts’ familiarity with SANS prior to flying and the large risks associated with this syndrome. CME QUESTIONS (3 QUESTIONS, MULTIPLE CHOICE A-D): 1. What is the approximate prevalence rate of SANS in astronauts? A. 22% B. 50% C. 66% D. 80% Answer: C. 2. Which of the ocular findings are NOT associated with SANS? A. Optic disc edema B. Retinal detachment C. Globe flattening D. Chorioretinal folds Answer: B. 3. Which of the following diagnostic technologies are NOT available in-flight? A. Ocular ultrasound B. Retinal photography C. MRI Orbit D. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) Answer: C.

Sara Stroble Mason↗

Stratospheric Circulation Changes Associated with the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai Eruption

The 15 January 2022 eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai underwater volcano (20.5°S, 175.4°W) injected a record amount of water directly into the stratosphere. This study attempts to quantify this impact on the temperature, as well as the subsequent changes to the stratospheric circulation, during the months following the eruption based on reanalysis fields. The extreme nature of the temperature, wind, and circulation changes are tracked through comparisons of the first six months of 2022 with the previous 42 years. Examination of the data assimilation process shows that at 20 hPa the thermal observations are forcing significant cooling, compensating for the absence of the excess stratospheric moisture in the model used for the reanalysis. In response to this cooling the atmosphere adjusts by creating strong westerly winds above the temperature anomaly and large changes to the downward and poleward mean meridional circulation.

Volcano↗

Geologically Recent Areas as One Key Target for Identifying Active Volcanism on Venus

The recently selected NASA VERITAS and DAVINCI missions, the ESA EnVision, the Roscosmos Venera-D will open a new era in the exploration of Venus. One of the key targets of the future orbiting and in-situ investigations of Venus is the identification of volcanically active areas on the planet. The study of the areas characterized by recent or ongoing volcano-tectonic activity can inform us on how volcanism and tectonism are currently evolving on Venus. Following this key target, the manuscript by Brossier et al. (2022) (https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099765) extends the successful approach and methodology used by previous works to Ganis Chasma in Atla Regio. We comment here on the main results of the manuscript published by Brossier et al. (2022) (https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL099765) and discuss the important implications of their work for the future orbiting and in-situ investigations of Venus. Their results add further lines of evidence indicating possibly recent volcanism on Venus.

Solar system↗