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NASA NTRS1997

A Technology Plan for Enabling Commercial Space Business

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Advanced Space Transportation Program is a customer driven, focused technology program that supports the NASA Strategic Plan and considers future commercial space business projections. The initial cycle of the Advanced Space Transportation Program implementation planning was conducted from December 1995 through February 1996 and represented increased NASA emphasis on broad base technology development with the goal of dramatic reductions in the cost of space transportation. The second planning cycle, conducted in January and February 1997, updated the program implementation plan based on changes in the external environment, increased maturity of advanced concept studies, and current technology assessments. The program has taken a business-like approach to technology development with a balanced portfolio of near, medium, and long-term strategic targets. Strategic targets are influenced by Earth science, space science, and exploration objectives as well as commercial space markets. Commercial space markets include those that would be enhanced by lower cost transportation as well as potential markets resulting in major increases in space business induced by reductions in transportation cost. The program plan addresses earth-to-orbit space launch, earth orbit operations and deep space systems. It also addresses all critical transportation system elements; including structures, thermal protection systems, propulsion, avionics, and operations. As these technologies are matured, integrated technology flight experiments such as the X-33 and X-34 flight demonstrator programs support near-term (one to five years) development or operational decisions. The Advanced Space Transportation Program and the flight demonstrator programs combine business planning, ground-based technology demonstrations and flight demonstrations that will permit industry and NASA to commit to revolutionary new space transportation systems beginning at the turn of the century and continuing far into the future.

Lyles, Garry M.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Center for the development of commercial crystal growth in space

The second year of operation of the Center for Commercial Crystal Growth in Space is described. This center is a consortium of businesses, universities and national laboratories. The primary goal of the Center's research is the development of commercial crystal growth in space. A secondary goal is to develop scientific understanding and technology which will improve commercial crystal growth on earth. In order to achieve these goals the Center's research is organized into teams by growth technique; melt growth, solution growth, and vapor growth. The melt growth team is working on solidification and characterization of bulk crystals of gallium arsenide and cadmium telluride. They used high resolution X-ray topography performed at the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Streak-like features were found in the diffraction images of semi-insulating undoped LEC GaAs. These were shown to be (110) antiphase boundaries, which have not been reported before but appear to be pervasive and responsible for features seen via less-sensitive characterization methods. The results on CdTe were not as definitive, but indicate that antiphase boundaries may also be responsible for the double peaks often seen in X-ray rocking curves of this material. A liquid encapsulated melt zone system for GaAs has been assembled and techniques for casting feed rods developed. It was found that scratching the inside of the quartz ampoules with silicon carbide abrasive minimized sticking of the GaAs to the quartz. Twelve floating zone experiments were done.

Wilcox, William R.↗

NASA NTRS2017

An Overview of Materials Structures for Extreme Environments Efforts for 2015 SBIR Phases I and II

Technological innovation is the overall focus of NASA's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The program invests in the development of innovative concepts and technologies to help NASA's mission directorates address critical research and development needs for Agency projects. This report highlights innovative SBIR 2015 Phase I and II projects that specifically address areas in Materials and Structures for Extreme Environments, one of six core competencies at NASA Glenn Research Center. Each article describes an innovation, defines its technical objective, and highlights NASA applications as well as commercial and industrial applications. Ten technologies are featured: metamaterials-inspired aerospace structures, metallic joining to advanced ceramic composites, multifunctional polyolefin matrix composite structures, integrated reacting fluid dynamics and predictive materials degradation models for propulsion system conditions, lightweight inflatable structural airlock (LISA), copolymer materials for fused deposition modeling 3-D printing of nonstandard plastics, Type II strained layer superlattice materials development for space-based focal plane array applications, hydrogenous polymer-regolith composites for radiation-shielding materials, a ceramic matrix composite environmental barrier coating durability model, and advanced composite truss printing for large solar array structures. This report serves as an opportunity for NASA engineers, researchers, program managers, and other personnel to learn about innovations in this technology area as well as possibilities for collaboration with innovative small businesses that could benefit NASA programs and projects.

integrated reacting fluid dynamics and predictive ↗

NASA NTRS1996

Spaceport Florida Authority: Business Plan

The Spaceport Florida Authority (SFA) was established under Florida Statute by the Governor and Legislature to assist the development of our nation's space transportation industry and to generate new space-related jobs, investment and opportunities statewide. Included in the Authorities' business plan is the statement of work and list of team members involved in creating the report, SFA's current operating concept, market analysis, assessment of accomplishments, a sample operating concept and a "roadmap to success".

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NASA NTRS2002

Conceptual Design of a Supersonic Business Jet Propulsion System

NASA's Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Program (UEETP) is developing a suite of technology to enhance the performance of future aircraft propulsion systems. Areas of focus for this suite of technology include: Highly Loaded Turbomachinery, Emissions Reduction, Materials and Structures, Controls, and Propulsion-Airframe Integration. The two major goals of the UEETP are emissions reduction of both landing and take-off nitrogen oxides (LTO-NO(x)) and mission carbon dioxide (CO2) through fuel burn reductions. The specific goals include a 70 percent reduction in the current LTO-NO(x) rule and an 8 percent reduction in mission CO2 emissions. In order to gain insight into the potential applications and benefits of these technologies on future aircraft, a set of representative flight vehicles was selected for systems level conceptual studies. The Supersonic Business Jet (SBJ) is one of these vehicles. The particular SBJ considered in this study has a capacity of 6 passengers, cruise Mach Number of 2.0, and a range of 4,000 nautical miles. Without the current existence of an SBJ the study of this vehicle requires a two-phased approach. Initially, a hypothetical baseline SBJ is designed which utilizes only current state of the art technology. Finally, an advanced SBJ propulsion system is designed and optimized which incorporates the advanced technologies under development within the UEETP. System benefits are then evaluated and compared to the program and design requirements. Although the program goals are only concerned with LTO-NO(x) and CO2 emissions, it is acknowledged that additional concerns for an SBJ include take-off noise, overland supersonic flight, and cruise NO(x) emissions at high altitudes. Propulsion system trade-offs in the conceptual design phase acknowledge these issues as well as the program goals. With the inclusion of UEETP technologies a propulsion system is designed which performs at 81% below the LTO-NO(x) rule, and reduces fuel burn by 23 percent compared to the current technology.

Bruckner, Robert J.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Systems simulation for an airport trailing vortex warning system

The approach, development, and limited system studies associated with a system simulation for an Airport Trailing Vortex Warning System are documented. The usefulness is shown of a systems engineering approach to the problem of developing a system, as dictated by aircraft vortices, which will increase air-traffic flow in the takeoff/landing corridors of busy airports while maintaining the required safety factor for each operation. The simulation program has been developed in a modular form which permits new, more sophisticated component models, when they become available and are required, to be incorporated into the program with a minimum of program modifications. This report documents a limited system study that has been performed using this Total System Simulation Model. The resulting preliminary system requirements, conclusions, and recommendations are given.

Jeffreys, H. B.↗

NASA NTRS2006

From Planetary Imaging to Enzyme Screening

Based in San Diego, KAIROS Scientific develops molecular biology methods, instrumentation, and computer algorithms to create solutions to challenging problems in the medical and chemical industries. company s pioneering efforts in digital imaging spectroscopy (DIS) enable researchers to obtain spectral and/or time-dependent information for each pixel or group of pixels in a two-dimensional scene. In addition to having Yang s NASA experience at its foundation, KAIROS Scientific was established with the support of many government grants and contracts. Its first was a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant, from Ames Research Center, to develop HIRIM, a high-resolution imaging microscope embodying both novel hardware and software that can be used to simultaneously acquire hundreds of individual absorbance spectra from microscopic features. Using HIRIM s graphical user interface, MicroDIS, scientists and engineers are presented with a revolutionary new tool which enables them to point to a feature in an image and recall its associated spectrum in real time.

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NASA NTRS1999

Project Final Report

The initial focus of this GSRP project was to model and develop systems for optimized use of the Microwave lamp for use in bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS). The microwave lamp, which has been developed for use in BLSS as part of a NASA small business innovation research (SBIR) grant, exhibits a number of characteristics that make it an excellent candidate for use in BLSS. However, we decided to shift the focus of the project, after discussions with scientists at KSC, to a broader question. Specifically, we decided to investigate the possibility of developing a decision tool for characterizing overall fighting system effectiveness in a plant growth system. It seemed pointless to optimize a microwave lamp for BLSS when there was no good way to decide what exactly an optimized system would look like. The problem is a complex one, involving multiple, conflicting objectives with irreconcilable units, significant constraints, and a wide range of relative importance among the objectives. The project would involve not only characterizing this complex decision process, but also would require some investigations into the physical properties of the lighting systems being considered. Thus, we turned to the field of Decision Modeling as a means of meeting this objective. After a thorough investigation of the literature, a technique was chosen and carefully developed. Implementation and analysis of the system are still in progress, and should be completed during the summer of 1999. Ancillary studies, which were conducted in the course of the project, have also been conducted, and are summarized below.

Ciolkosz, Daniel↗

NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of spacecraft technology programs (effects on communication satellite business ventures), volume 1

Commercial organizations as well as government agencies invest in spacecraft (S/C) technology programs that are aimed at increasing the performance of communications satellites. The value of these programs must be measured in terms of their impacts on the financial performane of the business ventures that may ultimately utilize the communications satellites. An economic evaluation and planning capability was developed and used to assess the impact of NASA on-orbit propulsion and space power programs on typical fixed satellite service (FSS) and direct broadcast service (DBS) communications satellite business ventures. Typical FSS and DBS spin and three-axis stabilized spacecraft were configured in the absence of NASA technology programs. These spacecraft were reconfigured taking into account the anticipated results of NASA specified on-orbit propulsion and space power programs. In general, the NASA technology programs resulted in spacecraft with increased capability. The developed methodology for assessing the value of spacecraft technology programs in terms of their impact on the financial performance of communication satellite business ventures is described. Results of the assessment of NASA specified on-orbit propulsion and space power technology programs are presented for typical FSS and DBS business ventures.

Greenburg, J. S.↗

NASA NTRS1974

San Francisco floating STOLport study

The operational, economic, environmental, social and engineering feasibility of utilizing deactivated maritime vessels as a waterfront quiet short takeoff and landing facility to be located near the central business district of San Francisco was investigated. Criteria were developed to evaluate each site, and minimum standards were established for each criterion. Predicted conditions at the two sites were compared to the requirements for each of the 11 criteria as a means of evaluating site performance. Criteria include land use, community structure, economic impact, access, visual character, noise, air pollution, natural environment, weather, air traffic, and terminal design.

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NASA NTRS1994

An intelligent ground operator support system

This paper presents first results of the project 'Technologien fuer die intelligente Kontrolle von Raumfahrzeugen' (TIKON). The TIKON objective was the demonstration of feasibility and profit of the application of artificial intelligence in the space business. For that purpose a prototype system has been developed and implemented for the operation support of the Roentgen Satellite (ROSAT), a scientific spacecraft designed to perform the first all-sky survey with a high-resolution X-ray telescope and to investigate the emission of specific celestial sources. The prototype integrates a scheduler and a diagnosis tool both based on artificial intelligence techniques. The user interface is menu driven and provides synoptic displays for the visualization of the system status. The prototype has been used and tested in parallel to an already existing operational system.

Goerlach, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2000

Crew Factors in Flight Operations: A Survey of Fatigue Factors in Corporate/Executive A Viation Operations - 8

Corporate flight crews face unique challenges including unscheduled flights, quickly changing schedules, extended duty days, long waits, time zone changes, and peripheral tasks. Most corporate operations are regulated by Part 91 FARs which set no flight or duty time limits. The objective of this study was to identify operationally significant factors that may influence fatigue, alertness, and performance in corporate operations. In collaboration with the National Business Aircraft Association and the Flight Safety Foundation, NASA developed and distributed a retrospective survey comprising 107 questions addressing demographics, home sleep habits, flight experience, duty schedules, fatigue during operations, and work environment. Corporate crewmembers returned 1,488 surveys. Respondents averaged 45.2 years of age, had 14.9 years of corporate flying experience, and 9,750 total flight hours. The majority (89%) rated themselves as 'good' or 'very good' sleepers at home. Most (82%) indicated they are subject to call for duty and described an average duty day of 9.9 h. About two-thirds reported having a daily duty time limit and over half (57%) reported a daily flight time limit. Nearly three-quarters (71%) acknowledged having 'nodded off' during a flight. Only 21% reported that their flight departments offer training on fatigue issues. Almost three-quarters (74%) described fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' concern, and a majority (61%) characterized it as a common occurrence. Most (85%) identified fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' safety issue.

Rosekind, Mark R.↗

NASA NTRS1998

The Inside View

Bio-Imaging Research, Inc., has been included in Spinoff 1990 and 1993 with spinoffs from their ACTIS (Advanced Computed Tomography Inspection System) product developed under a Marshall Space Flight Center SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract. The latest application is for noninvasive nuclear waste drum inspection. With the ACTIS CT (computed tomography, CATScan) scanner, radioactive waste is examined to prove that they do not contain one-half percent free liquid or that the drum wall has lost integrity before being moved across state lines or before being permanently disposed.

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NASA NTRS1998

High-Tech, Low-Temp Insulation

Under an SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract with Ames, S.D. Miller & Associates developed new manufacturing methods for multi-layer metal spacecraft insulation that could significantly reduce launch weight and launch costs. The new honeycomb structure is more efficient than fibers for insulation. Honeycombs can be made from metals for high temperature uses, even plastic insulation from recycled milk bottles. Under development are blankets made from recycled milk bottles which will be field tested by the Red Cross and ambulance companies. Currently available are honeycomb mittens based on the same technology.

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NASA NTRS1998

Medical Practice Makes Perfect

Cedaron Medical Inc., was founded in 1990 as a result of a NASA SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) grant from Johnson Space Center to develop a Hand Testing and Exercise Unit for use in space. From that research came Dexter, a comprehensive workstation that creates a paperless environment for medical data management.

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NASA NTRS1995

Software Bridge

I-Bridge is a commercial version of software developed by I-Kinetics under a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. The software allows users of Windows applications to gain quick, easy access to databases, programs and files on UNIX services. Information goes directly onto spreadsheets and other applications; users need not manually locate, transfer and convert data.

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NASA NTRS1993

Laser Analyzer

Dopant level analysis is important to the laser system designer because it allows him to model the laser's performance. It also allows the end user to determine what went wrong when a laser fails to perform as expected. Under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, Scientific Materials Corporation has developed a process for producing uniform laser rods in which the amount of water trapped in the crystal during growth is reduced. This research led to the formation of a subsidiary company, Montana Analytical Services, which conducts analysis of laser rods for dopant ion concentrations. This is a significant advance in laser technology.

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NASA NTRS1980

Cellulose Insulation

Fire retardant cellulose insulation is produced by shredding old newspapers and treating them with a combination of chemicals. Insulating material is blown into walls and attics to form a fiber layer which blocks the flow of air. All-Weather Insulation's founders asked NASA/UK-TAP to help. They wanted to know what chemicals added to newspaper would produce an insulating material capable of meeting federal specifications. TAP researched the query and furnished extensive information. The information contributed to successful development of the product and helped launch a small business enterprise which is now growing rapidly.

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