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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 253 records · Page 14

The New Landsat Collection-2 Digital Elevation Model

The Landsat Collection-2 distribution introduces a new global Digital Elevation Model (DEM) for scene orthorectification. The new global DEM is a composite of the latest and most accurate freely available DEM sources and will include reprocessed Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM) data (called NASADEM), high-resolution stereo optical data (ArcticDEM), a new National Elevation Dataset(NED) and various publicly available national datasets including the Canadian Digital Elevation Model (CDEM) and DEMs for Sweden, Norway and Finland (SNF). The new DEM will be available world-wide with few exceptions. It is anticipated that the transition from theCollection-1 DEM at 3 arcsecond to the new DEM will be seamless because processing methods to maintain a seamless transition were employed, void filling techniques were used, where persistent gaps were found, and the pixel spacing is the same between the two collections. Improvements to the vertical accuracy were realized by differencing accuracies of other elevation datasets to the new DEM. The greatest improvement occurred where ArcticDEM data were used, where an improvement of 35 meters was measured. By using theses improved vertical values in a line of sight algorithm, horizonta improvements were noted in some of the most mountainous regions over multiple 30-meter Landsat pixels. This new DEM will be used to process all of the scenes from Landsat 1-8 in Collection-2 processing and will be made available to the public by the end of 2020.

Shannon Franks↗

Upping the Ante: The TESS Mission Shortens Full Frame Images to 10 Minutes and Introduces a Twenty-Second Data Collection Mode

The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) recently completed its initial two-year, near all-sky survey, identifying over 79 exoplanets and over 2000 exoplanet candidates. The mission is well on its way to find at least 50 small, nearby exoplanets for which masses can be ascertained and whose atmospheres can be characterized by ground- and space-based follow-on observations. TESS has unveiled a plethora of exciting non-exoplanet astrophysics results, such as asteroseismology, asteroids, and supernova. In the extended mission, TESS is collecting full frame images (FFIs) at 10-minute intervals rather than at 30-minute intervals, as was the case for the two-year primary mission. TESS is also collecting and providing photometry for up to 1000 20-sec targets in addition to the 20,000 target star postage stamps collected at 2-min intervals. The extended mission will also feature a five-month interval in which the 24°x96° field of view (FOV) will be rotated by 90°from its normal North-South orientation to observe a swath of the ecliptic plane. The FOVs for the remainder of the extended mission will be offset in latitude from those of the prime mission to help fill in the gaps in the full sky coverage. We discuss the performance and behavior of the data products generated by the TESS Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC) at NASA Ames Research Center and highlight the new 20-sec data mode and the 10-min FFIs. The TESS Mission is funded by NASA's Science Mission Directorate as an Astrophysics Explorer Mission.

TESS↗

The MODIS TEBs Calibration and Look-up Table Delivery Process for Collections 6 and 6.1

MODIS is a cross-track, whisk-broom scanning imaging radiometer with a double-sided scan mirror that collects data in 36 spectral bands. Sixteen of the 36 MODIS spectral bands are Thermal Emissive Bands (TEBs) whose spectral wavelengths range from 3.5 μm to 14.4 μm. The TEB detectors are calibrated on a scan-by-scan basis using a quadratic calibration algorithm by observing both the MODIS on-board blackbody (BB) and a background space view reference. Blackbody warm-up/cool-down (WUCD) events are performed quarterly to track on-orbit changes associated with the TEB detectors' non-linearity. Following each WUCD, the calibration coefficients in the quadratic algorithm, and their associated contributions to the total uncertainty, are updated and delivered through separate look-up tables (LUTs) when all update criteria are met. Afterwards, the LUTs are incorporated into the Level 1B (L1B) product. Since the Terra MODIS mission began, a steady increase in electronic cross-talk has been observed for TEBs 27{30. Starting from Collection 6.1, an algorithm has been applied using correction coefficients derived from regularly-scheduled lunar observations, with the correction LUT update dependent on its impact on the current L1B product. The MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) has established a comprehensive set of procedures to assure timely and accurate LUT updates, and maintain the quality and accuracy of the L1B and science products. This paper provides an overview of the current calibration and LUT delivery process for the MODIS TEBs in Collections 6 and 6.1.

MODIS↗

New Initiatives for the NASA Cosmic Dust Collections

The NASA Cosmic Dust Collections (CDC) have steadily grown over its forty-one-year residence at Johnson Space Center. CDC features an active acquisition program which collects new material and accessions new collections within NASA’s purview. An overview of current initiatives is described here.

M Fries↗

Petrologic Sub-types, Sub-groups, and Pairing for CV Chondrites in the US Antarctic Meteorite Collection

Carbonaceous chondrites of the Vigarano group (CV) are primitive meteorites that provide a wealth of information about the early solar system, including constraints on chondrule formation, origin of calcium-aluminum inclusions, stability of organic compounds, and redox conditions. The US Antarctic meteorite collection contains 119 CV samples from 15 dense collection areas (DCAs) from the Trans-Antarctic Mountains. These samples have been assigned a preliminary classification as CVs, but have not been assigned to the subgroups Oxidized A, Oxidized B, and Reduced. Additionally, variation in petrologic grade can be determined non-destructively using Raman spectroscopy. In order to update classification of both subgroups and petrologic types in the collection, we have acquired magnetic susceptibility, metal and sulfide compositions, and Raman spectra, for as many samples as possible. We use the recent assessment and delineation of CV sub-groups of as a guide.

solar nebula↗

Nomenclature for the OSIRIS-REx Returned Sample Collection to be Curated at NASA Johnson Space Center

The Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security–Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) space-craft collected material from the asteroid Bennu on October 20, 2020. The OSIRIS-REx Sample Return Capsule (SRC) is planned to return to Earth on September 24, 2023. The OSIRIS-REx returned sample collection to be curated at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) will include both the asteroid material and the flight hardware. We expect most of the asteroid material to be inside the head of the Touch-and-Go Sample Acquisition Mechanism (TAGSAM), and that this material will include a broad range of particles sizes from as large as a few centimeters to less than a micrometer across in their longest dimension. In addition, asteroid material may have been returned along with the flight hardware: intentionally by the contact pads or screens on the witness plates, or serendipitously wedged into or adhering to hardware items. The nomenclature for this new astromaterials collection must accommodate the different types of samples it comprises.

asteroid↗

Developing a Tool to Collect Microbiological Samples in Space

We developed and tested a tool to collect aseptic samples during extravehicular activity or space walks. This tool can withstand the extreme temperature (-92 – 90 ˚C) and pressure variations without compromising the sterility of the collection device or the integrity of the sample. Results from ground testing the tool demonstrate that external surfaces of space suits are not sterile and that a wide variety of human associated bacteria and some fungi can survive at least seven hours of exposure to vacuum. These bacteria include non-spore forming organisms like Staphylococcus that are not normally considered extremophiles We plan to use this tool to characterize the exterior of the International Space Station. We expect the results of this work to guide the planetary protection requirements and contamination control strategy for crewed missions to Mars. This tool could also be used to monitor contamination associated with the Artemis missions to the moon or collect aseptic samples robotically in environments that are not suitable for human exploration.

A B Regberg↗

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

Model Evaluation and Intercomparison Using Data Collected by the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar in Hampton, Virginia

Throughout the year 2022, the Langley Mobile Ozone Lidar (LMOL) has been frequently collecting ozone and aerosol measurements in the lower troposphere. The lidar is located in the parking lot behind the Atmospheric Sciences building at NASA Langley in Hampton, Virginia, approximately 37.095 N, -76.389 W. The data was collected during a range of several distinct atmospheric conditions, including stratospheric intrusions, surface frontal passages, and long-range transported wildfire smoke plumes. We use this data to evaluate and intercompare the forecast accuracy of two atmospheric chemistry models: the GEOS Composition Forecasting model (GEOS-CF) and the Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem). Both models make daily three-dimensional forecasts of many trace gases and species for the contiguous United States. Over a range of ten distinct collection events, each spanning 36 hours to nearly seven days, the forecast models predict tropospheric ozone at NASA Langley with reasonable accuracy. The models best predict the timing and shape of the observed stratospheric intrusions in the middle troposphere but often vary in the magnitude of the ozone mixing ratios. For other atmospheric conditions, there is more variability in the model accuracy. Here, we summarize the accuracy of the models for all events and investigate reasons for differences between the models and the lidar.

Daniel B. Phoenix↗

Automated Collection of Scientific Publications Linked to NASA Earth Science Datasets

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) began dataset Digital Object Identifier (DOI) registration in 2012. The number of dataset DOIs registered as of January of 2023 exceeds 11,000. As the research community becomes aware of the importance of sharing data through Open Science and optimizing data reuse through Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, and Reuse (FAIR) data management principles, datasets are increasingly being cited in scientific publications. When datasets are cited explicitly by DOI within published works, automated methods can be developed for collecting these published works from a variety of bibliometric sources. The coverage of the sources varies, so each source can collect citations that are only available within it. Using major citation databases such as Scopus and Web of Science, the Google Scholar search engine, the CrossRef Open Citation Index, and the dataset DOI registry DataCite, we present an automated workflow for dataset citation collection. By harvesting citations automatically, a citation library is created explicitly linking EOSDIS datasets to publications that cite them. Using Zotero, a free and open-source citation manager, we demonstrate how to access and browse this library by the tags indicating bibliometric sources, dataset DOI, and the dataset archive center. We also demonstrate temporary trends in the number of publications harvested from bibliometric sources.

Infometrics↗

ISS External Microorganisms: Tools and Techniques for Collecting Planetary Protection Samples During Extravehicular Activity

We have designed, built, and tested a sampling kit (Fig. 1) to aseptically collect microbiological samples from exterior surfaces on the ISS (International Space Station). The kit was flown to ISS as part of the NG-19 commercial cargo mission in August of 2023. Astronauts will use the kit to collect samples from six exterior surfaces on ISS. These samples will be frozen at -80°C after collection and returned to the ground for next generation DNA sequencing. The results of this experiment will help inform planetary protection requirements for crewed missions. We hypothesize that there are detectable microbial communities outside ISS and that these communities originate from inside ISS. Current life support systems do not include any components for reducing microbial leakage. Gases are vented from inside ISS without filtration and there are currently no protocols in place to minimize bioburden on space suit exteriors prior to use. It is important to quantify the bioburden on current vehicles so that achievable limits can be set for crewed missions to astrobiologically relevant locations like Mars.

Planetary Protection↗

Extension of the ADC Charge-Collection Model to Include Multiple Junctions

The ADC model is a charge-collection model derived for simple p-n junction silicon diodes having a single reverse-biased p-n junction at one end and an ideal substrate contact at the other end. The present paper extends the model to include multiple junctions, and the goal is to estimate how collected charge is shared by the different junctions.

drift-diffusion↗

Effect of MODIS Terra Radiometric Calibration Improvements on Collection 6 Deep Blue Aerosol Products: Validation and Terra/Aqua Consistency

The Deep Blue (DB) algorithm's primary data product is midvisible aerosol optical depth (AOD). DB applied to Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) measurements provides a data record since early 2000 for MODIS Terra and mid-2002 for MODIS Aqua. In the previous data version (Collection 5, C5), DB production from Terra was halted in 2007 due to sensor degradation; the new Collection 6 (C6) has both improved science algorithms and sensor radiometric calibration. This includes additional calibration corrections developed by the Ocean Biology Processing Group to address MODIS Terra's gain, polarization sensitivity, and detector response versus scan angle, meaning DB can now be applied to the whole Terra record. Through validation with Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) data, it is shown that the C6 DB Terra AOD quality is stable throughout the mission to date. Compared to the C5 calibration, in recent years the RMS error compared to AERONET is smaller by approximately 0.04 over bright (e.g., desert) and approximately 0.01-0.02 over darker (e.g., vegetated) land surfaces, and the fraction of points in agreement with AERONET within expected retrieval uncertainty higher by approximately 10% and approximately 5%, respectively. Comparisons to the Aqua C6 time series reveal a high level of correspondence between the two MODIS DB data records, with a small positive (Terra-Aqua) average AOD offset <0.01. The analysis demonstrates both the efficacy of the new radiometric calibration efforts and that the C6 MODIS Terra DB AOD data remain stable (to better than 0.01 AOD) throughout the mission to date, suitable for quantitative scientific analyses.

Collection 6 Deep Blue↗

Dynamic Cloud-Based Data Collection System

A schema-less cloud-based distributed data collection system with dynamic validation and comprehensive system status and alerting provided a reconfigurable data collection system to solve evolving incoming data schemas. Successful adaptation of the dynamic validation was useful in conforming to the evolution of incoming data.

dynamic data collection↗

NASA Institutional Scientific Collection and Biospecimen Sharing Program at Ames Research Center

For decades, NASA and their international partners have flown and conducted non-human biological experiments in space to understand the effects of spaceflight and address potential biological hazards. It is imperative to understand the basic science and health risks associated with spaceflight, along with developing countermeasures, as humanity ventures back to the Moon, and then to Mars and beyond. Sending organisms into space is a costly endeavor which makes space-flown biological specimens a valuable resource. To enable maximum scientific return, samples not required by the Principal Investigators are harvested, preserved and archived in NASA’s Institutional Scientific Collection (ISC) at Ames Research Center (ARC). These specimens are collected according to well-established SOPs that maintain their quality and integrity. To enable new discoveries, the samples are then made available to the international scientific community through NASA’s Biospecimen Sharing Program (BSP). The NASA ISC currently stores over 32,000 specimens from Shuttle, International Space Station and ground-based investigations. Tissues are predominantly from mice and rats, though samples are also available from bacteria and quail. The specimens include tissues from all biological systems including musculoskeletal, neurosensory, reproductive, respiratory, circulatory, and digestive and are stored at -80°C, -20°C, +4°C, or ambient. Descriptive metadata is available for all samples. Historically, these tissues have been used for a wide range of analyses, including histology, genomics, and transcriptomics. Also available through the ISC are tissue from NASA’s Space Radiation Laboratory. To study the effects of space radiation, researchers irradiate biological specimens and unused samples are made available through the LSDA. These biospecimens and data are made available through the public Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA) website to promote basic discovery, pre-clinical and clinical science. Visit the NASA ISC-BSP website for more information. Websites: https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/ ; https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/isc-bsp

Space Flown Biospecimens↗

False Cape Data Collection Annex, Solid Waste Management Unit 113, Limited Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Investigation Report, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) Report summarizes groundwater investigation activities performed between July 2020 and October 2023 at the False Cape Data Collection Annex (FCDC) (Solid Waste Management Unit [SWMU] 113) located at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The purpose of the RFI is to characterize the nature and extent of volatile organic compound (VOC)-contaminated groundwater at FCDC; evaluate the fate and transport of VOC contamination; collect sufficient data to evaluate potential future requirements for the site, such as corrective measures, long term monitoring, or No Further Action; and conduct a human health preliminary risk evaluation (PRE) based on the groundwater data.

False Cape Data Collection Annex↗

Removable well in reaction flask facilitates carbon dioxide collection

Removable plastic well with a flange that seats on the rim of an Erlenmeyer screwcap flask aids quantitative collection of carbon dioxide liberated in the flask. The well can be removed without danger of cross-contamination. It can collect other gases using appropriate absorbents.

Source record↗