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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2003

Development of Enhanced Avionics Flight Hardware Selection Process

The primary objective of this research was to determine the processes and feasibility of using commercial off-the-shelf PC104 hardware for flight applications. This would lead to a faster, better, and cheaper approach to low-budget programs as opposed to the design, procurement. and fabrication of space flight hardware. This effort will provide experimental evaluation with results of flight environmental testing. Also, a method and/or suggestion used to bring test hardware up to flight standards will be given. Several microgravity programs, such as the Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment, Self-Diffusion in Liquid Elements, and various other programs, are interested in PC104 environmental testing to establish the limits of this technology.

Smith, K.↗
NASA NTRS2024

Off-Earth Servicing Component Advancement (OESCA) Flight-like Coriolis Mass Flowmeter Development

With the completion of this initial technology development effort, additional work will be required for infusion and advancement through TRL 7. The remainder of the flight-level environmental testing (electromagnetic interference and compatibility or electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC), thermal vacuum or TVAC, along with vibration and shock testing) and post-test functional checkouts will need to be completed and are currently planned as part of an awarded STMD Early Career Initiative (ECI) Project called Advancement of Exploration Components for In-Space Servicing or AXCIS. The results and reports from these additional tests during the ECI effort will complete the technology development package, advancing the TRL to 5 or 6 while providing a vendor capable of manufacturing flight units and a flight-ready design as well as lessons-learned from the environmental testing. The Coriolis flowmeter development unit would then be incorporated into a demonstration testbed system for microgravity testing to further understand how it functions and performs in a space-like environment, advancing the developed technology to TRL 6 or 7. Following this infusion path will enable NASA program(s)/proposal(s) to procure a flight-rated high accuracy Coriolis mass flowmeter for incorporation into in-space and Lunar/Martian surface spacecraft propellant resupply systems which, after successful mission use, will bring the TRL to 7+.

Amy Felt↗
NASA NTRS2017

Alignment and Testing of Critical Interface Fixtures for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASAs James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.6m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy. The JWST Observatory architecture includes the Primary Mirror Backplane Support Structure (PMBSS) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Electronics Compartment (IEC) which is designed to integrate to the spacecraft bus via six cupcone interfaces. Prior to integration to the spacecraft bus the JWST observatory must undergo environmental testing, handling, and transportation. Multiple fixtures were developed to support these tasks including the vibration fixture and handling and integration fixture (HIF). This work reports on the development of the nominal alignment of the six interfaces and metrology operations performed for the JWST observatory to safely integrate them for successful environmental testing.

instrument development↗
NASA NTRS2017

Alignment and Testing of Critical Interface Fixtures for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a 6.6m diameter, segmented, deployable telescope for cryogenic IR space astronomy. The JWST Observatory architecture includes the Primary Mirror Backplane Support Structure (PMBSS) and Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) Electronics Compartment (IEC) which is designed to integrate to the spacecraft bus via six cup/cone interfaces. Prior to integration to the spacecraft bus the JWST observatory must undergo environmental testing, handling, and transportation. Multiple fixtures were developed to support these tasks including the vibration fixture and handling and integration fixture (HIF). This work reports on the development of the nominal alignment of the six interfaces and metrology operations performed for the JWST observatory to safely integrate them for successful environmental testing.

technology development↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design, Fabrication, Testing and Validation of a Ruggedized Fiber Optic Sensing System (FOSS) for Launch Application

Fiber-optic sensors based on fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is desirable for structural health monitoring and is used for various aerospace applications such as measuring strain and temperature, where a single optical fiber can multiplex hundreds of FBG sensors. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Armstrong Flight Research Center (AFRC) (Edwards, California) has been developing an optical fiber-based sensing suite called Fiber Optics Sensing System (FOSS) over the past two decades. Successful strain monitoring flight demonstrations such as the NASA Ikhana (General Atomics, San Diego, California) remotely piloted aircraft and the X-56A Multi-Utility Technology Testbed (Lockheed Martin Corporation, Bethesda, Maryland) remotely piloted subscale aircraft have been performed. Interest in adapting fiber-optic sensors for aerospace applications has led to commissioning the development of a ruggedized FOSS system for spaceflight through the NASA Launch Services Program (LSP) at the NASA Kennedy Space Center (KSC) (Merritt Island, Florida). In this paper, a ruggedized FOSS suitable for a launch environment is discussed in detail. Thermal analysis and enclosure design will be discussed as well as environmental testing such as shock, random vibration, thermal vacuum, and electromagnetic interference/electromagnetic compatibility (EMI/EMC). With all relevant environmental testing completed, a ruggedized FOSS unit has successfully passed all testing and is now deemed space-launch ready.

Allen R. Parker, Jr↗
NASA NTRS1981

Development of thin wraparound junction silicon solar cells

The state of the art technologies was applied to fabricate 50 micro thick 2x4 cm, coplanar back contact (CBC) solar cells with AMO efficiency above 12%. A requirement was that the cells have low solar absorptance. A wraparound junction (WAJ) with wraparound metallization was chosen. This WAJ approach avoided the need for very complex fixturing, especially during rotation of the cells for providing adequate contacts over dielectric edge layers. The contact adhesion to silicon was considered better than to an insulator. It is indicated that shunt resistance caused by poor WAJ diode quality, and series resistance from the WAJ contact, give good cell performance. The cells developed reached 14 percent AMO efficiency (at 25 C), with solar absorptance values of 0.73. Space/cell environmental tests were performed on these cells and the thin CSC cells performed well. The optimized design configuration and process sequence were used to make 50 deliverable CBC cells. These cells were all above 12 percent efficiency and had an average efficiency of -13 percent. Results of environmental tests (humidity-temperature, thermal shock, and contact adherence) are also given.

Ho, F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

A statistical approach to deriving subsystem specifications

In order to produce cost effective environmental test programs, the test specifications must be realistic and to be useful, they must be available early in the life of a program. This paper describes a method for achieving such specifications for subsystems by utilizing the results of a statistical analysis of data acquired at subsystem mounting locations during system level environmental tests. The paper describes the details of this statistical analysis. The resultant recommended levels are a function of the subsystems' mounting location in the spacecraft. Methods of determining this mounting 'zone' are described. Recommendations are then made as to which of the various problem areas encountered should be pursued further.

Keegan, W. B.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Development of space stable thermal control coatings for use on large space vehicles

The evaluation and environmental testing of zinc orthotitanate pigments for use as space stable thermal control coatings on large space vehicles are discussed. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of the pigments and their precursor compounds are examined. A continuing study of the spectral intensity of mercury-argon and mercury-xenon sources in reported. Results of long term environmental testing of commercially available, strippable, protective coatings are discussed.

Gilligan, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Testing of Environmentally Preferable Aluminum Pretreatments and Coating Systems for Use on Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB)

The solid rocket booster (SRB) has historically used a chromate conversion coating prior to protective finish application. After conversion coating, an organic paint system consisting of a chromated epoxy primer and polyurethane topcoat is applied. An overall systems approach was selected to reduce waste generation from the coatings application and removal processes. While the most obvious waste reduction opportunity involved elimination of the chromate conversion coating, several other coating system configurations were explored in an attempt to reduce the total waste. This paper will briefly discuss the use of a systems view to reduce waste generation from the coating process and present the results of the qualification testing of nonchromated aluminum pretreatments and alternate coating systems configurations.

Clayton, C.↗
DOE OSTI2021

MiniCarb: a passive, occultation-viewing, 6U CubeSat for observations of CO 2 , CH 4 , and H 2 O

In this report we present the final design, environmental testing, and launch history of MiniCarb, a 6U CubeSat developed through a partnership between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. MiniCarb’s science payload, developed at Goddard, was an occultation-viewing, passive laser heterodyne radiometer for observing methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere at ~1.6 µm s -1 . MiniCarb’s satellite, developed at Livermore, implemented their CubeSat Next Generation Bus plug-and-play architecture to produce a modular platform that could be tailored to a range of science payloads. Following the launch on 5 December 2019, MiniCarb traveled to the International Space Station and was set into orbit on 1 February 2020 via Northrop Grumman’s Cygnus capsule which deployed MiniCarb with tipoff rotation of about 20° s (significantly higher than the typical rate of 3° s -1 from prior CubeSats), from which the attitude control system was unable to recover resulting in a loss of power. In spite of this early failure, MiniCarb had many successes including rigorous environmental testing, successful deployment of its solar panels, and a successful test of the radio and communication through the Iridium network. This prior work and enticing cost (approximately $\$2$ M for the satellite and $\$$250 K for the payload) makes MiniCarb an ideal candidate for a low-cost and rapid rebuild as a single orbiter or constellation to globally observe key greenhouse gases.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

LANL Test Engineering’s Structural Dynamics Research and Development Efforts [Slides]

LANL's priority roles are serving as a nuclear weapons design agency and a nuclear weapons production agency; addressing nuclear threats; and performing national security science, technology, and engineering. LANL’s Test Engineering organization serves the national mission of maintaining a strategic nuclear deterrent by providing high-quality, empirical evidence through the execution and assessment of weapons system and component testing. Shock and vibration environmental testing provides one key piece of evidence for evaluation and qualification of these systems and components in the service environments incurred during a lifetime in the stockpile. LANL’s Test Engineering group continuously pursues research and development in structural dynamics to improve shock and vibration testing capabilities, processes, and analysis techniques to increase the fidelity of service environment recreations in laboratory testing settings. This talk will highlight several ongoing projects to represent these R&D efforts.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1973

Entry environmental simulation testing of REI-Mullite TPS

Glassy fibrous mullite coatings exhibit noncatalytic surface characteristics which limit surface temperature rise under certain convective heat flux conditions. Thermal conductivity design curves provide good agreement with test results. The inclusion of shine-in effects results in improved accuracy of transient temperature gradient predictions for the materials.

Florence, D. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

The modular power subsystem for the multimission modular spacecraft

The block diagram, subsystems, and components of the modular power subsystem for the multimission modular spacecraft (MMS) are described. The basic design studies were guided by considerations of cost, efficiency, simplicity, and flexibility to serve a variety of missions. Components discussed are the power regulator unit, the power control unit, the signal conditioning assembly, bus protection assembly, and the 20 Ah and 50 Ah batteries. The plan for the modular power subsystem protoflight module tests is shown. The testing has four phases: (1) component level tests, (2) subsystem integration and initial performance test, (3) subsystem protoflight environmental tests, and (4) subsystem final performance tests, qualification/acceptance review and delivery.

Harris, D. W.↗