Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Date allocation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of Crew Operations for Transit to Mars

Crewed Mars missions are estimated to be 700-1,200 days in length which is two to three times longer than any continuous human spaceflight mission to date. When architecting a Mars mission there are numerous resources that must be considered, evaluated, and planned for, including—but not limited to—mass, cost, performance, and risk. Crew time is a limited resource that will need to be appropriately allocated during future Mars missions. NASA’s “Moon to Mars Objectives” specifically recognizes as Recurring Tenets the need to return crews safely to Earth while mitigating adverse impacts to crew health and maximizing crew time available for science and engineering activities within planned mission durations. Crew operations and the crew time allocation for a Mars missions will likely be different than current operational planning aboard the ISS due to communication delays, crew health and performance needs, transportation system needs, potential vehicle dormancy, and mass ejection. Crew will need to operate much more Earth independently and potentially be responsible for more operations since traditional Earth ground support will be delayed. Incidents requiring immediate crew action will therefore either be the responsibility of the crew or an automated feature of the transit vehicle. This paper discusses the operational challenges of a Mars transit mission and the associated activities that will need to take place during each operational phase of transit to and from Mars.

Crew Time↗
NASA NTRS2022

A Generalized Approach to Aircraft Trajectory Prediction via Supervised Deep Learning

As research advances diverse forms and missions of aircraft, the National Airspace System (NAS) will become increasingly crowded, limiting current communications resources to accommodate aviation operations. Ongoing research proposes a paradigm of airspace communications, such that resources are autonomously and dynamically allocated via intelligent agents; this allocation requires accurate representations of the NAS, including the predicted positions of aircraft. State-of-the-art research emphasizes the importance of a hybrid-recurrent framework for trajectory prediction and compares the impact of commonly considered weather data on prediction accuracy. However, current research has been limited in its scope of efforts, frequently utilizing a unique flight route, architecture, set of weather data, and date range. This article considers the challenges of generalizing hybrid-recurrent predictive models for flight trajectories. Results illustrate an increase in error variance when identical models are trained over a generalized set of flights; this may be mitigated with careful tuning of hyperparameters, both in the network structure and optimization algorithms. Even so, an irreducible vertical error was identified, resulting from the complex takeoff and landing procedures which can not be correlated to functions of weather or additional assumptions of aircraft behavior. Finally, the use of a test route indicates that generalized models still do not possess sufficient knowledge for general aircraft predictions, with mean error increases ranging from 70-500%. These results illustrate the need for continued efforts on improving model versatility, as well as potential limitations for spectrum allocation near airports and other centers.

Nathan Schimpf↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Aerosciences Implications for Uranus Aerocapture

Exploration of Uranus has been indicated as the highest priority new flagship planetary science missions for NASA in the 2022 Decadal Survey. Due to Uranus’ location as the second furthest planet from the Sun, interplanetary flight times of a traditional propulsive-capture orbiter can expect to take 13-15 years to reach Uranus while requiring up to two-thirds of the launch mass budget to be allocated to propellant alone. Aerocapture presents an alternative means to capture orbit around Uranus by using aerodynamic forces generated from flight through the planetary atmosphere to decelerate to orbital insertion while reducing time in interplanetary transit time and increasing on-orbit payload mass. To date, only one spacecraft (Voyager 2) has visited Uranus, and there have been no missions which have entered its atmosphere. While knowledge of planetary entry at rocky terrestrial planets with Air (N2/O2) and CO2 dominated atmospheres has greatly advanced over the past decades with a variety of missions to learn from, the H2/He composition and much larger atmosphere of ice giants such as Uranus poses new aerosciences implications which are not fully understood. These implications must be better understood not only for aerocapture, but for planetary entry at Uranus as a whole (such as a Uranus probe, as proposed by the 2022 Decadal Survey), as well as other ice giants like Neptune. To conduct a proper analysis of aerocapture methods, aerodynamic and aerothermal analysis of flight trajectories in Uranus atmosphere are required. Previous work has investigated aerocapture at Neptune (with similar atmosphere to Uranus) using a Mid-L/D configuration. Additional previous work considers the convective heating experienced in H2/He atmospheres. The current work looks to use heritage Low-L/D configurations, adding technical depth and maturation to analysis previously performed by Girija. Atmospheric flight at ice giants presents unique challenges, including but not limited to: fidelity of atmospheric models, large entry velocities due to location in the solar system, extended flight in rarefied flow conditions due to atmospheric scale, and unusual aerodynamic flow properties specific to Uranus and Ice Giant atmospheres.

Eli Shellabarger↗
NASA NTRS1980

Enhancement of remote sensing through microwave technology

This overview begins with a brief look at remote sensing to date, focusing on the state of the art and the benefits that have been derived from it. Current and future microwave sensing developments are discussed pointing out special advantages and capabilities and noting the anticipated benefits. The frequency requirements of microwave sensing are outlined and the particular need to both allocate, and when necessary, protect active and passive operational sensing frequencies is emphasized.

Cehelsky, M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Solar System Observations with Spitzer Space Telescope: Preliminary Results

The programs of observations of Solar System bodies conducted in the first year of the operation of the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of the Guaranteed Observing Time allocations are described. Initial results include the determination of the albedos of a number of Kuiper Belt objects and Centaurs from observations of their flux densities at 24 and 70 microns, and the detection of emission bands in the spectra of several distant asteroids (Trojans) around 10 and 25 microns. The 10 Kuiper Belt objects observed to date have albedos in the range 0.08 - 0.15, significantly higher than the earlier estimated 0.04. An additional KBO [(55565) 2002 AW(sub l97)] has an albedo of 0.17 plus or minus 0.03. The emission bands in the asteroid spectra are indicative of silicates, but specific minerals have not yet been identified. The Centaur/comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 has a nucleus surface albedo of 0.025 plus or minus 0.01, and its dust production rate was calculated from the properties of the coma. Several other investigations are in progress as the incoming data are processed and analyzed.

Cruikshank, Dale P.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Searching for Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in a Contaminated Meteorite: Amino Acid Analyses of the Canakkale L6 Chondrite

Amino acids can serve as important markers of cosmochemistry, as their abundances and isomeric and isotopic compositions have been found to vary predictably with changes in parent body chemistry and alteration processes. Amino acids are also of astrobiological interest because they are essential for life on Earth. Analyses of a range of meteorites, including all groups of carbonaceous chondrites, along with H, R, and LL chondrites, ureilites, and a martian shergottite, have revealed that amino acids of plausible extraterrestrial origin can be formed in and persist after a wide range of parent body conditions. However, amino acid analyses of L6 chondrites to date have not provided evidence for indigenous amino acids. In the present study, we performed amino acid analysis on larger samples of a different L6 chondite, Canakkale, to determine whether or not trace levels of indigenous amino acids could be found. The Canakkale meteor was an observed fall in late July, 1964, near Canakkale, Turkey. The meteorite samples (1.36 and 1.09 g) analyzed in this study were allocated by C. Y. Ornek, along with a soil sample (1.5 g) collected near the Canakkale recovery site.

Burton, A. S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Characterizing Debris in the Infrared with UKIRT

The United Kingdom Infrared Telescope (UKIRT) has been a major asset for the NASA Orbital Debris Program Office (OPDO) since March, 2014. With the UKIRT current contract coming to an end at the finish of FY15, there is a golden opportunity for this community to fund and gain access to UKIRT as an SSA asset through HCAR (Hawaii Center for Astronautics Research). UKIRT is the only telescope on Mauna Kea dedicated to infrared bands. Spectral coverage ranges from the near- (0.8-5μm) to the mid- to far-infrared (8-25 micrometer) regime. To date, debris observations have been collected with three instruments. Near-Infrared photometry with ZYJHK filters has been obtained with the Wide Field Camera (WFCam). Near-Infrared (1-2.5 micrometer) spectra are the focus of observations taken with the UKIRT Imager SpecTrometer (UIST). And Michelle (Mid Infrared escCHELLE) is a thermal imager-spectrometer designed for the 8-25 micrometer regime. With 35% of the telescope time allocated to ODPO, a very steady stream of data has been collected on a variety of debris targets using all the above instrumentation. Initial results from WFCam were discussed at AMOS and NISOI including analyses on IDCSPs, the MSG cooler and baffle covers. The cylindrical HS-376 buses were the focus of recent WFCam runs. Summary analyses of these works will be presented. Focus will be given to initial results of the data collected with the Cassegrain instruments, UIST and Michelle. UIST spectra were collected in September 2014, March and April 2015. Targets included a suite of HS-376 buses, well suited to investigate the signatures of blue solar panels; several dead satellites with solar array wings; Titan 3C transtage debris; the CTA Array cover, and others. In addition, Michelle mid-IR photometry was collected on a select few objects during the April 2015 run. Using WFCam, UIST and Michelle the Lockheed Martin has been observing operational satellites in the near- mid and far-infrared regime in an attempt to understand the health and status of several satellites that are based on the Lockheed Martin A2100 bus. The potential insights into debris characterization using this range of assets, and early analyses will be discussed, as well as the opportunities possible for utilizing UKIRT as an SSA asset.

Lederer, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The 100th Anniversary of the Fall of Nakhla: The Subdivision of BM1913,25

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the fall of Nakhla, a cumulate clinopyroxenite of martian origin that fell near Alexandria, Egypt in 1911. Multiple fragments of the meteorite were seen to fall over an area of 4.5 km in diameter. Approximately 40 stones were recovered with a combined weight of about 10 kg. Most of the larger specimens found their way to museums and meteorite collections in Cairo, Paris, Berlin, and the Smithsonian, to name a few. In 1998, the British Museum sent a 641g (BM1913,25), fully fusion crusted stone of Nakhla to the Johnson Space Center (JSC) for processing in the Antarctic Meteorite Lab in order to allocate samples to the scientific community. The stone was split in half in a dry nitrogen glove box. One half of the stone was sent back to the museum and the other half (346g) was used for sample allocations. From 1998-2001, 37 scientists requested 65 separate samples of Nakhla, including 2 thin sections This set of allocations was especially important in that all of the sample splits are from the same piece of Nakhla and it had a known history since it was acquired by the museum in 1913. With the multiple fragments of Nakhla, it is not known from what pieces the main bulk of research has been done, what variation may exist between all the pieces and to what contaminants the fragments may have been exposed, (i.e. water, solvents or cutting fluids, etc.). All of the allocations prepared at JSC were processed in a nitrogen cabinet using only stainless steel, aluminum, and Teflon tools and containers to reduce the chance of introducing any new contaminants. The focused effort to subdivide and distribute samples of Nakhla to the meteorite community resulted in enhanced under-standing of Nakhla and nakhlites in general: organic geochemistry, weathering, sulfur isotopes, radiometric age, and magmatic history. There are 13 Nakhlites that have been recovered to date: Nakhla, Layfayette, Governador Valdares, three from NW Africa, three from Yamato and four from Miller Range regions in Antarctica. The Yamato Nakhlites are paired as are the Miller Range samples.

McBridge, Kathleen M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Achieving Large-Scale, High-Resolution, Full Shell Replicated X-Ray Optics: Budgeting for Sources of Spatial Resolution Errors

Technology for a large-area, high-angular resolution mirror module for a future Great Observatory x-ray mission is progressing along different paths. To date, none of these are fully developed. Work at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) seeks to leverage the benefits of full shell optics while exploring the limits of using shell replication technology for optics production. Here, we provide an updated accounting of spatial-resolution-constraining error terms to give context to recent improvements in MSFC replicated optics, as well as guidance and justification for current and future directions of research. Content includes strawman error allocations for an optical system that is parametrically Lynx-like, where the replicated-optics technology stands relative to these allocations, and methodology for mapping development plans to efficiently identify the limiting factors and approaches to overcoming these.

error budget↗
NASA NTRS1980

Future challenges in V/STOL flight propulsion control integration

A survey of propulsion control requirements forming part of an advanced V/STOL control requirements study has to date determined, among other findings: (1) that the dependence of V/STOL flying qualities on propulsive lift makes it necessary to identify propulsion control requirements early in a development program; (2) that V/STOL controls of the future should relieve the pilot of control functions and elevate him to the position of a flight operations manager, with substantial gains in capability and/or safety; and (3) that research is required to define the V/STOL control system reliability requirements and specific component reliability allocations. An interactive, integrated design process for the realization of these objectives is also described.

Roth, S. P.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Modeling Snow Ablation over the Western United States Mountains: Patterns and Controlling Factors

When compared with differences in snow accumulation predicted by widely used hydrological models, there is a much greater divergence among otherwise “good” models in their simulation of the snow ablation process. Here, we explore differences in the performance of the Variable Infiltration Capacity model (VIC), Noah land surface model with multiparameterization options (Noah-MP), the Catchment model, and the third-generation Simplified Simple Biosphere model (SiB3) in their ability to reproduce observed snow water equivalent (SWE) during the ablation season at 10 Snowpack Telemetry (SNOTEL) stations over 1992–2012. During the ablation period, net radiation generally has stronger correlations with observed melt rates than does air temperature. Average ablation rates tend to be higher (in both model predictions and observations) at stations with a large accumulation of SWE. The differences in the dates of last snow between models and observations range from several days to approximately a month (on average 5.1 days earlier than in observations). If the surface cover in the models is changed from observed vegetation to bare soil in all of the models, only the melt rate of the VIC model increases. The differences in responses of models to canopy removal are directly related to snowpack energy inputs, which are further affected by different algorithms for surface albedo and energy allocation across the models. We also find that the melt rates become higher in VIC and lower in Noah-MP if the shrub/grass present at the observation sites is switched to trees.

Snow↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Challenges, Considerations, and Opportunities for Exercise and Medical Accommodation Inside a Small Pressurized Rover

Pressurized Rovers (PR) can enable crew to explore away from a lander or surface habitat at distances not possible on foot or even in unpressurized rovers. Sustaining crew for multiple days, they can rove for weeks, independent of other surface elements. Because these are essentially mobile habitats, it is critical that they provide sufficient volume to accommodate the exercise and medical systems to maintain human health in remote, low gravity environments such as the Moon and Mars. This is an area of extensive unknowns as requirements have not yet been developed for exercise or medical systems in pressurized rovers. Yet they must be considered in vehicle sizing studies as they are significant volume drivers, requiring allocation for stowed and deployed hardware inside the rover cabin. Previously flown spacecraft have allocated varying amounts of volume based on the expected crew mission and the state of the art in these systems. NASA-STD-3001 provides high-level requirements for standards of medical care and exercise capabilities. Crew injuries are possible both inside the cabin and on extravehicular activities (EVA), therefore requiring medical capability. Exercise countermeasures are needed to counteract the debilitating effects of lowered gravity. This may include both reconditioning following a lengthy microgravity transit as well as ongoing countermeasures against the effect of low surface gravity. The NASA reference concept for the PR dates back to the Constellation Program and prototypes have been extensively tested in NASA’s Desert Research and Technology Studies (DRATS) program as well as at the NASA Johnson Space Center. The PR cabin is designed to accommodate two crewmembers and is subdivided into a forward cockpit area and a main body for crew habitation. EVAs are accomplished by transitioning through suit ports in the aft bulkhead into spacesuits. While no exercise devices have been developed for the PR, some have been prototyped and demonstrated in DRATS analog missions. A cycle ergometer performed reasonably well in DRATS testing as an aerobic exercise device and recent analysis work has theorized that a combination aerobic and resistive device could be packaged into a form factor similar to the DRATS ergometer. It is therefore suitable for use as an initial volumetric placeholder. No sensorimotor devices have been considered for the PR to aid in adaptation to surface gravity. However, there are commercially available treadmills that at minimum represent examples of the type of exercise system that could potentially be used for such a purpose. A combination of field test data, analysis, and CAD modeling will be used to perform a first pass assessment of whether these exercise devices can be stowed and deployed within the PR. Medical inventories from the International Space Station will be used as a volume placeholder for the PR medical system. A configuration will be discussed for medical deployment, including positioning of caregiver, patient, and medical equipment / supplies.

Pressurized Rover↗
NASA NTRS2004

Ground Based Microgravity Emissions Testing Of Flight Hardware

To control microgravity environment on the International Space Station (ISS), NASA developed payloads have to meet the payload integration requirements of the Space Station Program, specifically a microgravity allocation plan. The Microgravity Emissions Laboratory (MEL) was developed at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) for verification of the payloads compliance with payload integration requirements. MEL is a 6 degree of freedom inertial measurement system capable of characterizing the microgravity emissions, generated by a disturber, down to a micro g. Microgravity Emissions tests provide a payload developer with a tool to assess payload's compliance with the requirements, i.e. forces and moments, generated by the payload at its center of gravity. Forces and moments are presented in time domain for both stationary and transient signals, and in frequency domain for the stationary signals. To date, MEL conducted over thirty tests of ISS hardware. The test results are being successfully used by the payload developers for design verification and improvement.

Samorezov, Sergey↗
NASA NTRS1997

Radar Monitoring of Wetlands for Malaria Control

Malaria is the most important vector-borne tropical disease (Collins and Paskewitz, 1995) and there is no simple and universally applicable form of vector control. While new methods such as malaria vaccine or genetic manipulation of mosquitoes are being explored in the laboratories, the need for more field research on malaria transmission remains very strong. For the foreseeable future many malaria programs must focus on controlling the vector, the anopheline mosquito, often under the specter of shrinking budgets. Therefore information on which human populations are at the greatest risk is especially valuable when allocating scarce resources. The goal of the Radar Monitoring of Wetlands for Malaria Control Project is to demonstrate the feasibility of using Radarsat or other comparable satellite radar imaging systems to determine where and when human populations are at greatest risk for contracting malaria. The study area is northern Belize, a region with abundant wetlands and a potentially serious malaria problem. A key aspect of this study is the analysis of multi-temporal satellite imagery to track seasonal flooding of anopheline mosquito breeding sites. Radarsat images of the test site in Belize have been acquired one to three times a month over the last year, however,, to date only one processed image has been received from the Alaska SAR Facility for analysis. Therefore analysis at this stage is focussed on determining the radar backscatter characteristics of known anopheline breeding sites, with future work to be dedicated toward seasonal changes.

Pope, Kevin O.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Reference H Cycle 3 Stability, Control, and Flying Qualities Batch Assessments

This work is an update of the assessment completed in February of 1996, when a preliminary assessment report was issued for the Cycle 2B simulation model. The primary purpose of the final assessment was to re-evaluate each assessment against the flight control system (FCS) requirements document using the updated model. Only a limited number of final assessments were completed due to the close proximity of the release of the Langley model and the assessment deliverable date. The assessment used the nonlinear Cycle 3 simulation model because it combines nonlinear aeroelastic (quasi-static) aerodynamic with hinge moment and rate limited control surface deflections. Both Configuration Aerodynamics (Task 32) and Flight Controls (Task 36) were funded in 1996 to conduct the final stability and control assessments of the unaugmented Reference H configuration in FY96. Because the two tasks had similar output requirements, the work was divided such that Flight Controls would be responsible for the implementation and checkout of the simulation model and Configuration Aerodynamics for writing Madab "script' files, conducting the batch assessments and writing the assessment report. Additionally, Flight Controls was to investigate control surface allocations schemes different from the baseline Reference H in an effort to fulfill flying qualities criteria.

Henderson, Dennis K.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Galileo mission planning for Low Gain Antenna based operations

The Galileo mission operations concept is undergoing substantial redesign, necessitated by the deployment failure of the High Gain Antenna, while the spacecraft is on its way to Jupiter. The new design applies state-of-the-art technology and processes to increase the telemetry rate available through the Low Gain Antenna and to increase the information density of the telemetry. This paper describes the mission planning process being developed as part of this redesign. Principal topics include a brief description of the new mission concept and anticipated science return (these have been covered more extensively in earlier papers), identification of key drivers on the mission planning process, a description of the process and its implementation schedule, a discussion of the application of automated mission planning tool to the process, and a status report on mission planning work to date. Galileo enhancements include extensive reprogramming of on-board computers and substantial hard ware and software upgrades for the Deep Space Network (DSN). The principal mode of operation will be onboard recording of science data followed by extended playback periods. A variety of techniques will be used to compress and edit the data both before recording and during playback. A highly-compressed real-time science data stream will also be important. The telemetry rate will be increased using advanced coding techniques and advanced receivers. Galileo mission planning for orbital operations now involves partitioning of several scarce resources. Particularly difficult are division of the telemetry among the many users (eleven instruments, radio science, engineering monitoring, and navigation) and allocation of space on the tape recorder at each of the ten satellite encounters. The planning process is complicated by uncertainty in forecast performance of the DSN modifications and the non-deterministic nature of the new data compression schemes. Key mission planning steps include quantifying resource or capabilities to be allocated, prioritizing science observations and estimating resource needs for each, working inter-and intra-orbit trades of these resources among the Project elements, and planning real-time science activity. The first major mission planning activity, a high level, orbit-by-orbit allocation of resources among science objectives, has already been completed; and results are illustrated in the paper. To make efficient use of limited resources, Galileo mission planning will rely on automated mission planning tools capable of dealing with interactions among time-varying downlink capability, real-time science and engineering data transmission, and playback of recorded data. A new generic mission planning tool is being adapted for this purpose.

Gershman, R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Conceptual Design of a Departure Planner Decision Aid

Terminal area Air Traffic Management handles both arriving and departing traffic. To date, research work on terminal area operations has focused primarily on the arrival flow and typically departures are taken into account only in an approximate manner. However, arrivals and departures are highly coupled processes especially in the terminal airspace, with complex interactions and sharing of the same airport resources between arrivals and departures taking place in practically every important terminal area. Therefore, the addition of automation aids for departures, possibly in co-operation with existing arrival flow automation systems, could have a profound contribution in enhancing the overall efficiency of airport operations. This paper presents the conceptual system architecture for such an automation aid, the Departure Planner (DP). This architecture can be used as a core in the development of decision-aiding systems to assist air traffic controllers in improving the performance of departure operations and optimize runway time allocation among different operations at major congested airports. The design of such systems is expected to increase the overall efficiency of terminal area operations and yield benefits for all stakeholders involved in Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations, users as well as service providers.

Anagnostakis, Ioannis↗
NASA NTRS2023

Flexible User Radio for Lunar Missions

NASA’s Artemis program and other lunar exploration and development programs are planning over 40 lunar missions before 2030. Lunar missions, both crewed and uncrewed, include orbiters, landers, rovers, and surface stations. All these missions require communications with Earth, either via Direct to Earth (DTE) links or through relays in lunar orbit. Multiple DTE options are available among existing and planned ground stations: Deep Space Network (DSN), European Space Agency, and others. Relay options include the planned Lunar Gateway, LunaNet compliant relays, and some lunar landers propose to launch dedicated orbiters. The dilemma for lunar system designers is to identify a communication link which meets mission requirements but does not have issues of limited access (e.g. DSN is in high demand supporting deep space missions with high priority and some with inflexible schedules), system impacts (high power Radio Frequency (RF) for DTE links), cost (dedicated relay), or operational date. To avoid this difficult decision, a Flexible Radio for Lunar Missions is proposed, which will enable system designs to proceed prior to any final decision on the communication network to be used, by enabling compatibility with any of multiple DTE or orbital relay communication systems. The Flexible Radio will support the necessary frequency, bandwidth, modulation, and power requirements to interoperate with the majority of known or planned DTE or relay systems, and can be designed into a lunar mission without prior knowledge of which link will ultimately be used. Furthermore, the link being used can be changed as needed during the mission, in near real time. The Flexible Radio design will leverage work already completed at NASA in the areas of Wideband RF, Software Defined Radio, Adaptive Coding and Modulation, and Phased Array antennas. The Flexible Radio requires sufficient bandwidth to cover the allocated frequencies for both the operation of links in cislunar space and for space-to-Earth links; the flexibility to support multiple modulations, data rates, and coding schemes; the ability to identify available relays, detect and recognize the signals of those relays, and adapt its own frequency, modulation, symbol rate, and code rate to operate with the detected relay (or DTE station); and finally, it requires appropriate software to support network configuration and interoperability with the detected network. The Flexible Radio can be designed in a sufficiently small, lightweight, and low-power package to be used in a wide variety of lunar systems. The initial implementation, as proposed, will focus on the Ka-band, supporting up to 2 GHz bandwidth around the 27 GHz frequency for return links, and 23 GHz for forward links. Other frequency bands are under consideration for future configurations. The software defined modem will support OQPSK, BPSK, and NASA-defined modulations which also support two-way ranging with data. For near-real time adaptation, the Flexible Radio will scan the sky for available relays, using a phased array antenna with Adaptive/Cognitive Communications. It will then configure for network interoperability supporting DTN and other protocol options. The Flexible Radio will support scheduled connections and on-demand use when available.

Lunar Space Communications↗