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NASA NTRS1996

Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control Program: Technology Development Requirements

Human missions in space, from the International Space Station on towards potential human exploration of the moon, Mars and beyond into the solar system, will require advanced systems to maintain an environment that supports human life. These systems will have to recycle air and water for many months or years at a time, and avoid harmful chemical or microbial contamination. NASA's Advanced Environmental Monitoring and Control program has the mission of providing future spacecraft with advanced, integrated networks of microminiaturized sensors to accurately determine and control the physical, chemical and biological environment of the crew living areas. This document sets out the current state of knowledge for requirements for monitoring the crew environment, based on (1) crew health, and (2) life support monitoring systems. Both areas are updated continuously through research and space mission experience. The technologies developed must meet the needs of future life support systems and of crew health monitoring. These technologies must be inexpensive and lightweight, and use few resources. Using these requirements to continue to push the state of the art in miniaturized sensor and control systems will produce revolutionary technologies to enable detailed knowledge of the crew environment.

Jan, Darrell↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Metabolic Vessel for Impedance Spectroscopy and Electrochemistry (MVISE): The Ground Mapping Unit for the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications (LEIA)

The BioSensor payload on the upcoming LEIA platform aboard a CLPS lander will carry yeast to the moon to study response to radiation and lunar gravity. The LEIA BioSensor is designed to monitor metabolic activity using absorbance in conjunction with alamarBlue for measuring colorimetric changes as proxy measurement for redox potential. The science data returned from small spacecraft mission modules like LEIA is limited as it relies solely on optical measurements, necessitating a corresponding ground mapping unit that is equipped with multiple electrochemical sensors for accurate mapping of the optical data and operates fully automatically. This technology development work discusses the extensive design and optimization efforts put into the ground mapping unit, MVISE. MVISE is a custom designed, 3D-printed vessel with an agitation system, with six different electrochemical sensor probes, and ports for sample collection and a pressure release valve. The sensors provide real-time data, with dry absorbance measurements aligning with LEIA flight hardware and wet measurements demonstrating invasive sensor design enabling a comparison between the two setups. The 3D printer resin was tested for mechanical robustness, biocompatibility, and resistance to autoclave sterilization. The inner walls were coated with food-grade epoxy, ensuring a smooth finish to prevent microbial lodging and dye staining. The MVISE has successfully passed a week-long leak test and is now undergoing active biology tests. The MVISE prototype will be prepared for radiation tests, with three identical units being tested for varying radiation levels and culture compositions at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory in November 2024. The integrated sensor approach proposed in this work will enable the accurate mapping of the BioSentinel/LEIA optical flight data to six sensor parameters on the ground unit for better science data return and will enable the first effort to evaluate classical biochemical sensor measurements by comparing and contrasting their responses.

Chinmayee Govinda Raj↗

NASA NTRS2006

The Validation of Vapor Phase Hydrogen Peroxide Microbial Reduction for Planetary Protection and a Proposed Vacuum Process Specification

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in conjunction with the NASA Planetary Protection Officer, has selected the vapor phase hydrogen peroxide sterilization process for continued development as a NASA approved sterilization technique for spacecraft subsystems and systems. The goal is to include this technique, with an appropriate specification, in NPR 8020.12C as a low temperature complementary technique to the dry heat sterilization process.To meet microbial reduction requirements for all Mars in-situ life detection and sample return missions, various planetary spacecraft subsystems will have to be exposed to a qualified sterilization process. This process could be the elevated temperature dry heat sterilization process (~115 C for 40 hours) which was used to sterilize the Viking lander spacecraft. However, with utilization of such elements as highly sophisticated electronics and sensors in modern spacecraft, this process presents significant materials challenges and is thus an undesirable bioburden reduction method to design engineers. The objective of this work is to introduce vapor hydrogen peroxide (VHP) as an alternative to dry heat microbial reduction to meet planetary protection requirements.The VHP process is widely used by the medical industry to sterilize surgical instruments and biomedical devices, but high doses of VHP may degrade the performance of flight hardware, or compromise material properties. Our goal for this study was to determine the minimum VHP process conditions to achieve microbial reduction levels acceptable for planetary protection.

planetary protection↗

NASA NTRS2017

Developing Model Benchtop Systems for Microbial Experimental Evolution

Understanding how microbes impact an ecosystem has improved through advances of molecular and genetic tools, but creating complex systems that emulate natural biology goes beyond current technology. In fact, many chemical, biological, and metabolic pathways of even model organisms are still poorly characterized. Even then, standard laboratory techniques for testing microbial impact on environmental change can have many drawbacks; they are time-consuming, labor intensive, and are at risk of contamination. By having an automated process, many of these problems can be reduced or even eliminated. We are developing a benchtop system that can run for long periods of time without the need for human intervention, involve multiple environmental stressors at once, perform real-time adjustments of stressor exposure based on current state of the population, and minimize contamination risks. Our prototype device allows operators to generate an analogue of real world micro-scale ecosystems that can be used to model the effects of disruptive environmental change on microbial ecosystems. It comprises of electronics, mechatronics, and fluidics based systems to control, measure, and evaluate the before and after state of microbial cultures from exposure to environmental stressors. Currently, it uses four parallel growth chambers to perform tests on liquid cultures. To measure the population state, optical sensors (LED/photodiode) are used. Its primary selection pressure is UV-C radiation, a well-studied stressor known for its cell- and DNA-damaging effects and as a mutagen. Future work will involve improving the current growth chambers, as well as implementing additional sensors and environmental stressors into the system. Full integration of multiple culture testing will allow inter-culture comparisons. Besides the temperature and OD sensors, other types of sensors can be integrated such as conductivity, biomass, pH, and dissolved gasses such as CO and O. Additional environmental stressor systems like temperature (extreme heat or cold), metal toxicity, and other forms of radiation will increase the scale and testing range.

Developing↗

NASA NTRS2019

Employing Automated Experimental Evolution to Understand Survival Strategies of Lab-Grown Extremophiles

Experimental evolution (EE) exposes microbes to intentional stressors to improve resistance through artificial mutation. The resulting changes to metabolic pathways, protein structure, and genetic sequences, along with traditional genetic engineering tools, to can help understand the mechanisms of improved tolerance. An automated experimental set-up -- the Automated Adaptive Directed Evolution Chamber (AADEC) -- with minimal scope for human interference was developed at NASA Ames. A second- generation device integrating more real-time biochemical sensors has been developed recently. Added sensors include pH for indicating metabolic products, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) for indicating available/consumed metabolic energy, dissolved oxygen (DO) for indicating aerobic/anaerobic growth cycles, and electrical conductivity (EC) as an additional indicator of metabolic products. With four additional sensors, the system is biochemically more informative in real-time. More importantly, each sensor parameter can be used as a selection pressure, individually or in combination with others, to artificially create and control inhospitable environments analogous to extremophile habitats for microbial growth in the lab. Potential stressors to be added in the future include thermal, reactive oxygen species, metal-ion concentrations, and varying nutrient availability.

Automated↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Biomarkers Detection With the Autonomous and Remotely Operated SOLID-LDChip Instrument in A Mars Drilling Simulating Campaign

One of the main goals in Mars exploration is to determine whether life has ever existed on the red planet. To achieve this goal, it is important to verify the performance, robustness, and maturity of instrumentation devoted to life detection, for example through field-testing in Mars analog environments.The Atacama Desert is considered one of the best terrestrial analogs of the surface of Mars due to abrupt temperature shifts, dryness, high UV radiation, and extremely low biomass. This, together with the lack of vegetation and the geochemistry of the regolith, make it an ideal scenario for testing instrumentation, performance, and concepts of operations. The Atacama Rover Astrobiology Drilling Studies (ARADS) is a NASA PSTAR project conceived for maturing and testing life-detection instrumentation in the Atacama Desert(1). The project is based on the K-REX2 rover equipped with a robotic 1-meter arm that delivers samples toon board instruments. This includes SOLID3.1 (Signs of Life Detector), designed as a life-detection instrument for finding complex organic molecules by means of the LDCHip (Life Detector Chip), an antibody microarray sensor(2). The instrument can extract organic compounds from soil, rocks, and sediments into a liquid solvent in the extraction cell (EC), allowing the search for hundreds of microbial molecular biomarkers at once (3). The robustness and reliability of SOLID were tested in the 2019 ARADS Mars drilling simulating campaign and confirmed with other analytical methods.

M Moreno-Paz↗

NASA NTRS2004

Microbial Response to Microgravity and Other Low Shear Environments

Microbial existence and survival requires the ability to sense and respond to environmental changes, including changes in physical forces. This is because microbes inhabit an amazingly diverse range of ecological niches and therefore must constantly adapt to a wide variety of changing environmental conditions, including alterations in temperature, pH, nutrient availability, oxygen levels, and osmotic pressure gradients. Microbes sense their environment through a variety of sensors and receptors which serve to integrate the different signals into the appropriate cellular response(s) that is optimal for survival. While numerous environmental stimuli have been examined for their effect on microorganisms, effects due to changes in mechanical and/or physical forces are also becoming increasingly apparent. Recently, several important studies have demonstrated a key role for microgravity and the low fluid shear dynamics associated with microgravity in the regulation of microbial gene expression, physiology and pathogenesis. The mechanosensory response of microorganisms to these environmental signals, which are relevant to those encountered during microbial life cycles on Earth, may provide insight into their adaptations to physiologically relevant conditions and may ultimately lead to eludicidation of the mechanisms important for mechanosensory transduction in living cells. This review summarizes the recent and potential future research trends aimed at understanding the effect of changes in mechanical forces that occur in microgravity and other low shear environments on different microbial parameters. The results of these studies provide an important step towards understanding how microbes integrate information from multiple mechanical stimuli to an appropriate physiological response.

Nickerson, C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Microbial Vessel for Impedance Spectroscopy and Electrochemistry (Mvise): an Extensible, Interoperable Data Acquisition Platform for Liquid Culture Studies in Space Biology Research

The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) has declared 2023 to be the Year of Open Science following an initiative to democratize scientific knowledge. Simultaneously, new sensor technologies have broadened the experimental space available to bioastronautics research. With these open-science goals and technological advances in mind, we have designed and constructed a data acquisition platform for high-precision, real-time monitoring of liquid culture systems. The vessel rig is fitted with six Atlas Scientific probes (micro pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, liquid temperature, air CO2) and a custom optical density probe similar to the one on BioSentinel’s BioSensor payload. A custom dielectric spectroscopy probe is also planned. The structure of the vessel is resin 3-D printed on a hobbyist-level machine, reducing the production cost and iteration time by over 60% each while increasing extensibility. Data acquisition and storage is controlled with a standalone C state machine-based program running on a Raspberry Pi 3 Model B. When not running headless, an additional program automatically generates and updates plots for live data visualization. Validation of the rig as a data collection system was performed with a yeast liquid culture experiment. While the vessel rig is currently used for standalone experiments, it can also be used as the base perception unit in a self-driving laboratory (SDL). SDLs are high-throughput data collection systems that employ automation and artificial intelligence to conduct and manage routine experiments. Here, we envision an SDL driven by several vessel rigs in which an automated script compares key results, informing the design of future experiments. A vessel rig SDL would streamline many operations, including 1) strain selection for the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) investigation and 2) the study of bioregenerative life support systems (BLSS). Ultimately, the datasets that can now be acquired will provide crucial information for accelerating bioastronautics application development in the era of commercial space.

Stephen Lantin↗

NASA NTRS2017

A PCR Based Microbial Monitoring Alternative Method of Detection and Identification of Microbes Aboard ISS

Previous research has shown that microorganisms and potential human pathogens have been detected on the International Space Station (ISS) with additional introduction of new microflora occurring with every exchange of crew or addition of equipment and supplies. These microbes are readily transferred between crew and subsystems (i.e. ECLSS, environmental control and life support systems). As this can be detrimental to astronaut health and optimal performance of ISS systems, monitoring of systems such as ECLSS to include identification of microbial contaminants could prevent adverse effects on human health and life support systems. Current monitoring on ISS is laborious and utilizes culture based methods followed by sample return to Earth for complete analysis. Future, long-distance spaceflight missions will require real-time monitoring capabilities that enable efficient and rapid assessments of the microbial environment allowing for expedited decisions and more targeted response to cope with anomalies. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), a molecular microbial monitoring method was chosen and numerous PCR instruments investigated for their potential to perform in microgravity conditions. Using ISS as a test bed for PCR verification in microgravity will enable NASA to assess whether molecular based microbiological sensors may be components of reliable, closed-loop life support and habitation systems in spacecraft, enhancing infrastructure capabilities through increased efficiency, reliability, and time savings by enabling sample analysis on orbit. NASA selected the Water Monitoring Suite as one of the rapid spaceflight hardware demonstration activities utilizing a streamlined process to minimize the time required to fly experimental flight hardware. The RAZOR EX (BioFire Defense, Salt Lake City, UT) system was part of the water monitoring suite and is a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) real-time PCR instrument designed for field work. The RAZOR EX was originally designed for Department of Defense (DoD) under a small business innovative research (SBIR) grant and is ruggedized, compact and provides a rapid, sample to answer in less than an hour. PCR assays using a fluorescent probe were optimized and spiked with known concentrations of DNA (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) ranging from 0.002 to 20 ng. PCR reagents were lyophilized and configured in customized pouches and tested for flight readiness. Three types of water were used to rehydrate the reagents and demonstrate the fidelity of the PCR reaction in microgravity. Molecular grade deionized water served as a control while filtered and unfiltered ISS potable water served to test for chemical or biological inhibitors. All three types were compared to parallel ground test results. Nine tests were run on ISS (3 of each water type) and the critical threshold cycle (Ct) was compared to parallel ground tests completed at Kennedy Space Center, FL and Johnson Space Center, TX. All concentrations of Pseudomonas aeruginosa DNA were detected. A comparison of the Ct produced in real time PCR indicated similarity between flight and ground samples. There appeared to be no significant difference between flight or ground PCR reactions or between any of the three water types. This testing demonstrated the ability to perform molecular testing during spaceflight operations with similar sensitivity. It will allow for future ground development of molecular protocols and minimize the need for spaceflight testing. Future testing will include development of additional targets including environmental and health related organisms.

Christina Khodadad↗

NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2013

Topics include: Single-Photon-Sensitive HgCdTe Avalanche Photodiode Detector; Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Using Silica Whispering-Gallery Mode Resonators; 3D Hail Size Distribution Interpolation/Extrapolation Algorithm; Color-Changing Sensors for Detecting the Presence of Hypergolic Fuels; Artificial Intelligence Software for Assessing Postural Stability; Transformers: Shape-Changing Space Systems Built with Robotic Textiles; Fibrillar Adhesive for Climbing Robots; Using Pre-Melted Phase Change Material to Keep Payloads in Space Warm for Hours without Power; Development of a Centrifugal Technique for the Microbial Bioburden Analysis of Freon (CFC-11); Microwave Sinterator Freeform Additive Construction System (MS-FACS); DSP/FPGA Design for a High-Speed Programmable S-Band Space Transceiver; On-Chip Power-Combining for High-Power Schottky Diode-Based Frequency Multipliers; FPGA Vision Data Architecture; Memory Circuit Fault Simulator; Ultra-Compact Transputer-Based Controller for High-Level, Multi-Axis Coordination; Regolith Advanced Surface Systems Operations Robot Excavator; Magnetically Actuated Seal; Hybrid Electrostatic/Flextensional Mirror for Lightweight, Large-Aperture, and Cryogenic Space Telescopes; System for Contributing and Discovering Derived Mission and Science Data; Remote Viewer for Maritime Robotics Software; Stackfile Database; Reachability Maps for In Situ Operations; JPL Space Telecommunications Radio System Operating Environment; RFI-SIM: RFI Simulation Package; ION Configuration Editor; Dtest Testing Software; IMPaCT - Integration of Missions, Programs, and Core Technologies; Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) Toolkit; Wind-Driven Wireless Networked System of Mobile Sensors for Mars Exploration; In Situ Solid Particle Generator; Analysis of the Effects of Streamwise Lift Distribution on Sonic Boom Signature; Rad-Tolerant, Thermally Stable, High-Speed Fiber-Optic Network for Harsh Environments; Towed Subsurface Optical Communications Buoy; High-Collection-Efficiency Fluorescence Detection Cell; Ultra-Compact, Superconducting Spectrometer-on-a-Chip at Submillimeter Wavelengths; UV Resonant Raman Spectrometer with Multi-Line Laser Excitation; Medicine Delivery Device with Integrated Sterilization and Detection; Ionospheric Simulation System for Satellite Observations and Global Assimilative Model Experiments - ISOGAME; Airborne Tomographic Swath Ice Sounding Processing System; flexplan: Mission Planning System for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; Estimating Torque Imparted on Spacecraft Using Telemetry; PowderSim: Lagrangian Discrete and Mesh-Free Continuum Simulation Code for Cohesive Soils; Multiple-Frame Detection of Subpixel Targets in Thermal Image Sequences; Metric Learning to Enhance Hyperspectral Image Segmentation; Basic Operational Robotics Instructional System; Sheet Membrane Spacesuit Water Membrane Evaporator; Advanced Materials and Manufacturing for Low-Cost, High-Performance Liquid Rocket Combustion Chambers; Motor Qualification for Long-Duration Mars Missions.

Source record↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Automating the Study of Microbial Adaptation Dynamics on and off the ISS

The International Space Station (ISS) not only serves as a unique environment for humans, but also the microorganisms that join alongside. Many microbes present on the spacecraft arrive via humans, and as they interact with different surfaces they begin to inhabit those locations. Much like how human health has shown to be impacted by these extreme environments, microbial viability and response to stress also changes. Experimental evolution (EE) can aid in studying how microbes’ growth and activity changes within the ISS environments by applying controlled stressors to microbial cultures and monitoring their response over generations. EE studies are commonly done manually in laboratories, but, with multiple environmental variables to measure and adjust, it becomes highly labor-intensive, prone to human error, and challenging to scale. A multipurpose automated EE system named the AADEC has been developed to address these problems. This system integrates multiple sensors into a single fluidic chamber using UV-C flux, temperature, and media composition as stressors. AADEC contains five sensors: oxidation-reduction potential, electrical conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and optical density. On their own, each is able to provide certain information on growth rate or metabolism; together, they show in detail how stressors affect life. AADEC studies can be conducted on Earth and repeated aboard the ISS to see how behavior changes when exposed to space mission stressors such as microgravity and radiation. AADEC’s auxiliary systems include peristaltic pumps for media exchange, magnetic rods for agitation, and a Raspberry Pi microprocessor to monitor, store, and adjust stressor levels real-time. This allows researchers to gather information within rapid generations, data and accuracy which is challenging to achieve through manual studies. With further miniaturization and automation, such as a more robust single-piece fluidics card, AADEC has the potential to be developed as a spacecraft payload. Support: NASA Ames CIF Award

Automating↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA SmallSat LEARN Forum Briefing: BioSentinel

We will focus on the technologies developed for BioSentinel, primarily the science payloads. One of them, the BioSensor, is a microfluidics-based instrument that houses a series of fluidic cards and manifolds. The fluidic cards can be loaded with microbial organisms to study the effect of the space environment on biology. For BioSentinel, we used the budding yeast as our model organism to study the response to the radiation environment in both low Earth orbit (ISS) and in deep space. The second instrument is a radiation spectrometer. This sensor allows the quantification of ionizing radiation as well as the characterization of the different particles based on the linear energy transfer or LET. Given that BioSentinel launched this past November (Artemis I), part of the presentation will include lessons learned and how we will apply them to future missions, including LEIA. LEIA was recently selected for a mission to the lunar surface on a CLPS lander vehicle, and is primarily based at NASA Ames.

BioSentinel↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploring rock-regolith interfaces in Jezero crater with Mars 2020 SHERLOC

The Perseverance rover successfully landed in Jezero crater, Mars in February 2021 at the Octavia E. Butler landing site and began its mission to explore and sample an ancient crater lake basin. Principal goals of the Mars 2020 mission include characterizing the geology of Mars and seeking signs of ancient microbial life via the spacecraft cameras and spectroscopic instruments onboard. The Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument is a deep UV Raman spectrometer that utilizes a 248.6nm pulsed laser. Part of SHERLOC is a color camera known as the Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON). The SHERLOC suite provides coordinated, spectroscopic and imaging capabilities at high spatial resolution, to detect minerals and organic molecules in microtextural context. By pairing high spatial resolution (~100 μm) resonance Raman and native fluorescence spectroscopy with microscopic imaging in a novel spacecraft capability, SHERLOC enables texture-specific molecular composition measurements of rock and regolith targets on Mars. Coordinated rock-regolith observations illuminate unique insights into weathering processes and thereby to primary properties of rocks in Jezero crater. This work describes the potential of rock-regolith interfaces to preserve unique records of geological processes in Jezero crater and can powerfully supplement observations of the more general rock record on Mars. Linking observations of local rock texture with associated regolith reveals important lithologic information based on the interrelationship between differential weathering behavior and mineralogy, grain size, and cement chemistry. Preliminary observations indicate that the polygonally fractured lithotype common near the Octavia E. Butler landing site may weather by granular disintegration and/or surface creep, a relation that can be uniquely observed at the rock-regolith interface. SHERLOC -specific observations of microtextural and elemental composition transitions presented here trace rock-regolith boundaries at multiple indurated surfaces adjacent to regolith. At these locales, grain-scale based examinations suggest chemical weathering could be related to a variably distributed coating or rind on dark rock targets that may be mafic in composition. Granule deposits overlying widely distributed fine-grained material are also observable. Mineral identifications of each phase are presented, with cross-scale comparisons to the remote insights gained by the SuperCam instrument.

Emily L. Cardarelli↗

NASA NTRS2012

NASA Tech Briefs, July 2012

Topics covered include: Instrument Suite for Vertical Characterization of the Ionosphere-Thermosphere System; Terahertz Radiation Heterodyne Detector Using Two-Dimensional Electron Gas in a GaN Heterostructure; Pattern Recognition Algorithm for High-Sensitivity Odorant Detection in Unknown Environments; Determining Performance Acceptability of Electrochemical Oxygen Sensors; Versatile Controller for Infrared Lamp and Heater Arrays; High-Speed Scanning Interferometer Using CMOS Image Sensor and FPGA Based on Multifrequency Phase-Tracking Detection; Ultra-Low-Power MEMS Selective Gas Sensors; Compact Receiver Front Ends for Submillimeter-Wave Applications; Dynamically Reconfigurable Systolic Array Accelerator; Blocking Losses With a Photon Counter; Motion-Capture-Enabled Software for Gestural Control of 3D Mod; Orbit Software Suite; CoNNeCT Baseband Processor Module Boot Code SoftWare (BCSW); Trajectory Software With Upper Atmosphere Model; ALSSAT Version 6.0; Employing a Grinding Technology to Assess the Microbial Density for Encapsulated Organisms; Demonstration of Minimally Machined Honeycomb Silicon Carbide Mirrors; Polyimide Aerogel Thin Films; Nanoengineered Thermal Materials Based on Carbon Nanotube Array Composites; Composite Laminate With Coefficient of Thermal Expansion Matching D263 Glass; Robust Tensioned Kevlar Suspension Design; Focal Plane Alignment Utilizing Optical CMM; Purifying, Separating, and Concentrating Cells From a Sample Low in Biomass; Virtual Ultrasound Guidance for Inexperienced Operators; Beat-to-Beat Blood Pressure Monitor; Non-Contact Conductivity Measurement for Automated Sample Processing Systems; An MSK Radar Waveform; Telescope Alignment From Sparsely Sampled Wavefront Measurements Over Pupil Subapertures; Method to Remove Particulate Matter from Dusty Gases at Low Pressures; Terahertz Quantum Cascade Laser With Efficient Coupling and Beam Profile; Measurement Via Optical Near-Nulling and Subaperture Stitching; 885-nm Pumped Ceramic Nd:YAG Master Oscillator Power Amplifier Laser System; Airborne Hyperspectral Imaging System; Heat Shield Employing Cured Thermal Protection Material Blocks Bonded in a Large-Cell Honeycomb Matrix; and Asymmetric Supercapacitor for Long-Duration Power Storage.

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NASA NTRS2005

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXVI, Part 3

Topics discussed include: Characterization of Non-Organized Soils at Gusev Crater with the Spirit Rover Data; Searching for Life with Rovers: Exploration Methods & Science Results from the 2004 Field Campaign of the "Life in the Atacama" Project and Applications to Future Mars Missions; Analysis of the Lunar Surface with Global Mineral and Mg-Number Maps ALH77005: The Magmatic History from Rehomogenized Melt Inclusions; New 70-cm Radar Mapping of the Moon; Cryptomare Deposits Revealed by 70-cm Radar; Construction of a PZT Sensor Network for Low and Hypervelocity Impact Detection; Palmer Quest: A Feasible Nuclear Fission "Vision Mission" to the Mars Polar Caps; Physical Properties of Volcanic Deposits on Venus from Radar Polarimetry; Science Alert Demonstration with a Rover Traverse Science Data Analysis System; Earth and Mars, Similar Features and Parallel Lives? Didactic Activities; Expected Constraints on Rhea s Interior from Cassini; Microbially Induced Precipitates: Examples from CO3, Si-, Mn- and Fe-rich Deposits; Li, B - Behavior in Lunar Basalts During Shock and Thermal Metamorphism: Implications for H2O in Martian Magmas; Evaluation of CO Self-Shielding as a Possible Mechanism for Anomalous Oxygen Isotopic Composition of Early Solar System Materials; Effect of Ground Ice on Apparent Thermal Inertia on Mars; Utah Marbles and Mars Blueberries: Comparative Terrestrial Analogs for Hematite Concretions on Mars; Newly Discovered Meteor Crater Metallic Impact Spherules: Report and Implications; and Evidence of Very Young Glacial Processes in Central Candor Chasma, Mars.

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NASA NTRS2000

Monitoring Geothermal Features in Yellowstone National Park with ATLAS Multispectral Imagery

The National Park Service (NPS) must produce an Environmental Impact Statement for each proposed development in the vicinity of known geothermal resource areas (KGRAs) in Yellowstone National Park. In addition, the NPS monitors indicator KGRAs for environmental quality and is still in the process of mapping many geothermal areas. The NPS currently maps geothermal features with field survey techniques. High resolution aerial multispectral remote sensing in the visible, NIR, SWIR, and thermal spectral regions could enable YNP geothermal features to be mapped more quickly and in greater detail In response, Yellowstone Ecosystems Studies, in partnership with NASA's Commercial Remote Sensing Program, is conducting a study on the use of Airborne Terrestrial Applications Sensor (ATLAS) multispectral data for monitoring geothermal features in the Upper Geyser Basin. ATLAS data were acquired at 2.5 meter resolution on August 17, 2000. These data were processed into land cover classifications and relative temperature maps. For sufficiently large features, the ATLAS data can map geothermal areas in terms of geyser pools and hot springs, plus multiple categories of geothermal runoff that are apparently indicative of temperature gradients and microbial matting communities. In addition, the ATLAS maps clearly identify geyserite areas. The thermal bands contributed to classification success and to the computation of relative temperature. With masking techniques, one can assess the influence of geothermal features on the Firehole River. Preliminary results appear to confirm ATLAS data utility for mapping and monitoring geothermal features. Future work will include classification refinement and additional validation.

Spruce, Joseph↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Growth Curve Parameterization of Metabolic Activity of Yeast Cells for BioSentinel

The goal of the BioSentinel small satellite payload is to measure the effect of deep space radiation on the growth and metabolic activity of yeast cells. Raw test data is generated by fluidics cards containing yeast cells rehydrated at different periods, with metabolic activity measured by the reduction of alamarBlue. Each card well has a sensor array that measures the amount of red, green, and infrared light transmitted through the yeast culture. This illumination data is then converted to absorbance values, which are further converted into concentrations. The ultimate objective is to convert these concentrations into biologically-relevant metrics that can be compared against one another to determine changes due to differential radiation exposure. Beginning with IR absorbance data (corresponding to cell density) from ground studies, three parameters from a sigmoidal growth curve were extracted and analyzed: 𝜆 (lag phase), 𝜇 (max growth rate), and A (max cell growth). The data was fit to the Gompertz model of microbial growth using non-linear regression (Minitab), as the fit error was reduced compared to the simpler logistic growth curve. Graphs showed that the data contained a discrepancy (drift) in the lag phase that is attributable to a slow, constant loss of moisture. Correcting this discrepancy by fitting the first 25 hours of the data to a power function and subtracting these values from the absorbance readings obtained a better statistical fit to the growth curve in the lag phase. A power fit was selected over a linear fit because it reflected the effects of constant volume loss. This correction to the BioSentinel data analysis pipeline will enable quantitative statistical analysis of the effect of different levels of deep space radiation on yeast cells. Future work includes automation of drift correction and curve modeling to extract these parameters directly from data.

Growth Curve↗

NASA NTRS2012

NASA Tech Briefs, March 2012

The topics include: 1) Spectral Profiler Probe for In Situ Snow Grain Size and Composition Stratigraphy; 2) Portable Fourier Transform Spectroscopy for Analysis of Surface Contamination and Quality Control; 3) In Situ Geochemical Analysis and Age Dating of Rocks Using Laser Ablation-Miniature Mass Spectrometer; 4) Physics Mining of Multi-Source Data Sets; 5) Photogrammetry Tool for Forensic Analysis; 6) Connect Global Positioning System RF Module; 7) Simple Cell Balance Circuit; 8) Miniature EVA Software Defined Radio; 9) Remotely Accessible Testbed for Software Defined Radio Development; 10) System-of-Systems Technology-Portfolio-Analysis Tool; 11) VESGEN Software for Mapping and Quantification of Vascular Regulators; 12) Constructing a Database From Multiple 2D Images for Camera Pose Estimation and Robot Localization; 13) Adaption of G-TAG Software for Validating Touch and Go Asteroid Sample Return Design Methodology; 14) 3D Visualization for Phoenix Mars Lander Science Operations; 15) RxGen General Optical Model Prescription Generator; 16) Carbon Nanotube Bonding Strength Enhancement Using Metal Wicking Process; 17) Multi-Layer Far-Infrared Component Technology; 18) Germanium Lift-Off Masks for Thin Metal Film Patterning; 19) Sealing Materials for Use in Vacuum at High Temperatures; 20) Radiation Shielding System Using a Composite of Carbon Nanotubes Loaded With Electropolymers; 21) Nano Sponges for Drug Delivery and Medicinal Applications; 22) Molecular Technique to Understand Deep Microbial Diversity; 23) Methods and Compositions Based on Culturing Microorganisms in Low Sedimental Fluid Shear Conditions; 24) Secure Peer-to-Peer Networks for Scientific Information Sharing; 25) Multiplexer/Demultiplexer Loading Tool (MDMLT); 26) High-Rate Data-Capture for an Airborne Lidar System; 27) Wavefront Sensing Analysis of Grazing Incidence Optical Systems; 28) Foam-on-Tile Damage Model; 29) Instrument Package Manipulation Through the Generation and Use of an Attenuated-Fluent Gas Fold; 30) Multicolor Detectors for Ultrasensitive Long-Wave Imaging Cameras; 31) Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Command and Data Handling Flight Electronics Subsystem; and 32) Electro-Optic Segment-Segment Sensors for Radio and Optical Telescopes.

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