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

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At least 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC) Testing in Liquid Oxygen (LOX)

The measured Total Hydrocarbon Content (THC) levels in liquid oxygen (LOX) systems at Stennis Space Center (SSC) have shown wide variations. Examples of these variations include the following: 1) differences between vendor-supplied THC values and those obtained using standard SSC analysis procedures; and 2) increasing THC values over time at an active SSC test stand in both storage and run vessels. A detailed analysis of LOX sampling techniques, analytical instrumentation, and sampling procedures will be presented. Additional data obtained on LOX system operations and LOX delivery trailer THC values during the past 12-24 months will also be discussed. Field test results showing THC levels and the distribution of the THC's in the test stand run tank, modified for THC analysis via dip tubes, will be presented.

Meneghelli, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The Space Telescope SI C&DH system

The Hubble Space Telescope Scientific Instrument Control and Data Handling Subsystem (SI C&DH) is designed to interface with five scientific instruments of the Space Telescope to provide ground and autonomous control and collect health and status information using the Standard Telemetry and Command Components (STACC) multiplex data bus. It also formats high throughput science data into packets. The packetized data is interleaved and Reed-Solomon encoded for error correction and Pseudo Random encoded. An inner convolutional coding with the outer Reed-Solomon coding provides excellent error correction capability. The subsystem is designed with the capacity for orbital replacement in order to meet a mission life of fifteen years. The spacecraft computer and the SI C&DH computer coordinate the activities of the spacecraft and the scientific instruments to achieve the mission objectives.

Gadwal, Govind R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

The Fluids and Combustion Facility

Microgravity is an environment with very weak gravitational effects. The Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) on the International Space Station (ISS) will support the study of fluid physics and combustion science in a long-duration microgravity environment. The Fluid Combustion Facility's design will permit both independent and remote control operations from the Telescience Support Center. The crew of the International Space Station will continue to insert and remove the experiment module, store and reload removable data storage and media data tapes, and reconfigure diagnostics on either side of the optics benches. Upon completion of the Fluids Combustion Facility, about ten experiments will be conducted within a ten-year period. Several different areas of fluid physics will be studied in the Fluids Combustion Facility. These areas include complex fluids, interfacial phenomena, dynamics and instabilities, and multiphase flows and phase change. Recently, emphasis has been placed in areas that relate directly to NASA missions including life support, power, propulsion, and thermal control systems. By 2006 or 2007, a Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) and a Combustion Integrated Rack (CIR) will be installed inside the International Space Station. The Fluids Integrated Rack will contain all the hardware and software necessary to perform experiments in fluid physics. A wide range of experiments that meet the requirements of the international space station, including research from other specialties, will be considered. Experiments will be contained in subsystems such as the international standard payload rack, the active rack isolation system, the optics bench, environmental subsystem, electrical power control unit, the gas interface subsystem, and the command and data management subsystem. In conclusion, the Fluids and Combustion Facility will allow researchers to study fluid physics and combustion science in a long-duration microgravity environment. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Kundu, Sampa↗
NASA NTRS2001

Duplex Direct Data Distribution System

The NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing and demonstrating communications and network technologies that are helping to enable the near-Earth space Internet. GRC envisions several service categories. The first of these categories is direct data distribution or D3 (pronounced "D-cubed"). Commercially provided D3 will make it possible to download a data set from a spacecraft, like the International Space Station. as easily as one can extract a file from a remote server today, using a file transfer protocol. In a second category, NASA spacecraft will make use of commercial satellite communication (SATCOM) systems. Some of those services will come from purchasing time on unused transponders that cover landmasses. While it is likely there will be gaps in service coverage, Internet services should be available using these systems. This report addresses alternative methods of implementing a full duplex enhancement of the GRC developed experimental Ka-Band Direct Data Distribution (D3) space-to-ground communication link. The resulting duplex version is called the Duplex Direct Data Distribution (D4) system. The D4 system is intended to provide high-data-rate commercial direct or internet-based communications service between the NASA spacecraft in low earth orbit (LEO) and the respective principal investigators associated with these spacecraft. Candidate commercial services were assessed regarding their near-term potential to meet NASA requirements. Candidates included Ka-band and V-band geostationary orbit and non-geostationary orbit satellite relay services and direct downlink ("LEO teleport") services. End-to-end systems concepts were examined and characterized in terms of alternative link layer architectures. Alternatives included a Direct Link, a Relay Link, a Hybrid Link, and a Dual Mode Link. The direct link assessment examined sample ground terminal placements and antenna angle issues. The SATCOM-based alternatives examined existing or proposed commercial SATCOM services that could be available in the 2005 time frame. The alternatives were evaluated and compared in terms of average daily system throughput and cost per bit. Throughput was estimated based on hypothetical scenarios supporting the International Space Station and polar orbiting missions. The feasibility of using standard TCP and a modified TCP was evaluated and risks were identified. An estimate of the TCP acknowledgment data rate required to support a return channel rate of 622 Mbps was developed using OPNET.

Greenfield, Israel↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Reducing Barriers in Space Weather Research and Operations with Next-Generation Simulation Services at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC)

Space weather forecasting capabilities are becoming increasingly important to the health of advanced technological infrastructure. The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC, https://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov) serves as a key liaison in the US space weather program between the research and operations communities by providing a wide range of tools and capabilities that help to evaluate, compare, exercise, and archive the results of simulations of a growing list of space weather models. With its unique toolset, CCMC supports space weather research and model development that advances our understanding of space weather phenomena and improves forecasting skill, while also facilitating development of space weather applications and deployment of operational capabilities. Guided by experience from over 20 years of providing simulation services, feedback from its research, operational and educational users world-wide, recommendations from CCMC Advisory Group and Programmatic Review Panel, the CCMC has begun work on the next generation system for its simulation services and model output archives. The new system has been envisioned to employ state-of-the-art technologies and standards to provide a user-oriented experience while improving ease of access, transparency, interoperability with partner systems, and enhancing reliability by incorporating advanced automation for performance monitoring and intelligent failover. In the presentation, we will give an overview of the current CCMC ecosystem and discuss updates to some of the key services of the system, including Runs-on-Request, Instant Runs, and Continuous Runs. We will also describe how a planned expansion and standardization of data archival activities will enhance the role of CCMC as a world-class provider of heliophysics information for the research and analysis of space weather. It is our hope that this evolution of the services can further reduce the barriers and burdens on researchers, forecasters and decision makers who rely on CCMC for their daily research and operations.

Space Weather↗
DOE OSTI2026

Scientific Discovery with Physics-Informed System Identification (Abbreviated Report)

My fellowship research focused on making physics-based simulations faster and more useful through machine learning. Many problems in science and engineering are governed by partial differential equations, but high-fidelity simulations are often too expensive to run repeatedly. I worked on improving Latent Space Dynamics Identification (LaSDI), a reduced-order modeling framework that compresses large simulation data sets into a smaller representation and then learns how that representation evolves over time. The motivation was to develop reduced models that remain accurate for more challenging systems, especially when predictions must remain reliable over long time intervals or when the underlying dynamics are more complicated than standard methods can easily handle. I also contributed to related work on Quandary, a high-performance software effort for simulation and control of open quantum systems, before focusing primarily on Latent Space Dynamics Identification methods. The main outcomes of the fellowship were two new algorithms (both of which were published), Rollout-LaSDI and Higher-Order LaSDI, together with supporting work on multi-stage Latent Space Dynamics Identification. Rollout-LaSDI improved long-term prediction by training the model to stay accurate over extended time horizons, and Higher-Order LaSDI broadened the method so it could model systems with higher-order time dynamics. My contributions to multistage Latent Space Dynamics Identification also helped show that its later training stages could be simplified without losing effectiveness, and that this behavior held across different model architectures and training strategies. Taken together, these advances improved the accuracy, flexibility, and practical value of reduced-order modeling tools for computational science.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS2002

ISAIA: Interoperable Systems for Archival Information Access

The ISAIA project was originally proposed in 1999 as a successor to the informal AstroBrowse project. AstroBrowse, which provided a data location service for astronomical archives and catalogs, was a first step toward data system integration and interoperability. The goals of ISAIA were ambitious: '...To develop an interdisciplinary data location and integration service for space science. Building upon existing data services and communications protocols, this service will allow users to transparently query hundreds or thousands of WWW-based resources (catalogs, data, computational resources, bibliographic references, etc.) from a single interface. The service will collect responses from various resources and integrate them in a seamless fashion for display and manipulation by the user.' Funding was approved only for a one-year pilot study, a decision that in retrospect was wise given the rapid changes in information technology in the past few years and the emergence of the Virtual Observatory initiatives in the US and worldwide. Indeed, the ISAIA pilot study was influential in shaping the science goals, system design, metadata standards, and technology choices for the virtual observatory. The ISAIA pilot project also helped to cement working relationships among the NASA data centers, US ground-based observatories, and international data centers. The ISAIA project was formed as a collaborative effort between thirteen institutions that provided data to astronomers, space physicists, and planetary scientists. Among the fruits we ultimately hoped would come from this project would be a central site on the Web that any space scientist could use to efficiently locate existing data relevant to a particular scientific question. Furthermore, we hoped that the needed technology would be general enough to allow smaller, more-focused community within space science could use the same technologies and standards to provide more specialized services. A major challenge to searching for data across a broad community is that information that describe some data products are either not relevant to other data or not applicable in the same way. Some previous metadata standard development efforts (e.g., in the earth science and library communities) have produced standards that are very large and difficult to support. To address this problem, we studied how a standard may be divided into separable pieces. Data providers that wish to participate in interoperable searches can support only those parts of the standard that are relevant to them. We prototyped a top-level metadata standard that was small and applicable to all space science data.

Hanisch, Robert J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Non-Deterministic, Non-Traditional Methods (NDNTM)

The review effort identified research opportunities related to the use of nondeterministic, nontraditional methods to support aerospace design. The scope of the study was restricted to structural design rather than other areas such as control system design. Thus, the observations and conclusions are limited by that scope. The review identified a number of key results. The results include the potential for NASA/AF collaboration in the area of a design environment for advanced space access vehicles. The following key points set the context and delineate the key results. The Principal Investigator's (PI's) context for this study derived from participation as a Panel Member in the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (AF/SAB) Summer Study Panel on 'Whither Hypersonics?' A key message from the Summer Study effort was a perceived need for a national program for a space access vehicle whose operating characteristics of cost, availability, deployability, and reliability most closely match the NASA 3rd Generation Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV). The Panel urged the AF to make a significant joint commitment to such a program just as soon as the AF defined specific requirements for space access consistent with the AF Aerospace Vision 2020. The review brought home a concurrent need for a national vehicle design environment. Engineering design system technology is at a time point from which a revolution as significant as that brought about by the finite element method is possible, this one focusing on information integration on a scale that far surpasses current design environments. The study therefore fully supported the concept, if not some of the details of the Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE). It became abundantly clear during this study that the government (AF, NASA) and industry are not moving in the same direction in this regard, in fact each is moving in its own direction. NASA/ISE is not yet in an effective leadership position in this regard. However, NASA does have complementary software interoperability efforts that should be a part of any major ISE program. Software standards that assure interoperability of data systems and modeling representations are enabling for the proposed research advocated herein and should be a major element in the ISE initiative. The international standard for data interchange is known by the acronym 'STEP.' The NASA participation and lead for that effort is at the Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA/GRC is leading an effort to define CAD geometry standards through the Object Management Group (OMG). To enable the design environment so necessary to the above national vision for a unique space vehicle will require an integrating software environment with interoperability standards that allow the development and widespread deployment of tools and toolsets, rather than traditional "shrink-wrapped" software used by engineers today.

Cruse, Thomas A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

CNES-NASA Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) Interoperability

Future missions requiring robust internetworking services may use Delay-Disruption-Tolerant Networking (DTN) technology. CNES, NASA, and other international space agencies are committed to using CCSDS standards in their space and ground mission communications systems. The experiment described in this presentation will evaluate operations concepts, system performance, and advance technology readiness for the use of DTN protocols in conjunction with CCSDS ground systems, CCSDS data links, and CCSDS file transfer applications

experiment design↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space Shuttle navigation validation

The validation of the guidance, navigation, and control system of the Space Shuttle is explained. The functions of the ascent, on-board, and entry mission phases software of the navigation system are described. The common facility testing, which evaluates the simulations to be used in the navigation validation, is examined. The standard preflight analysis of the operational modes of the navigation software and the post-flight navigation analysis are explained. The conversion of the data into a useful reference frame and the use of orbit parameters in the analysis of the data are discussed. Upon entry the data received are converted to flags, ratios, and residuals in order to evaluate performance and detect errors. Various programs developed to support navigation validation are explained. A number of events that occurred with the Space Shuttle's navigation system are described.

Ragsdale, A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Grid Resolution Study over Operability Space for a Mach 1.7 Low Boom External Compression Inlet

This paper presents a statistical methodology whereby the probability limits associated with CFD grid resolution of inlet flow analysis can be determined which provide quantitative information on the distribution of that error over the specified operability range. The objectives of this investigation is to quantify the effects of both random (accuracy) and systemic (biasing) errors associated with grid resolution in the analysis of the Lockheed Martin Company (LMCO) N+2 Low Boom external compression supersonic inlet. The study covers the entire operability space as defined previously by the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) High Speed Research (HSR) program goals. The probability limits in terms of a 95.0% confidence interval on the analysis data were evaluated for four ARP1420 inlet metrics, namely (1) total pressure recovery (PFAIP), (2) radial hub distortion (DPH/P), (3) ) radial tip distortion (DPT/P), and (4) ) circumferential distortion (DPC/P). In general, the resulting +/-0.95 delta Y interval was unacceptably large in comparison to the stated goals of the HSCT program. Therefore, the conclusion was reached that the "standard grid" size was insufficient for this type of analysis. However, in examining the statistical data, it was determined that the CFD analysis results at the outer fringes of the operability space were the determining factor in the measure of statistical uncertainty. Adequate grids are grids that are free of biasing (systemic) errors and exhibit low random (precision) errors in comparison to their operability goals. In order to be 100% certain that the operability goals have indeed been achieved for each of the inlet metrics, the Y+/-0.95 delta Y limit must fall inside the stated operability goals. For example, if the operability goal for DPC/P circumferential distortion is ≤0.06, then the forecast Y for DPC/P plus the 95% confidence interval on DPC/P, i.e. +/-0.95 delta Y, must all be less than or equal to 0.06.

Grid↗
NASA NTRS2025

Evolving the SpaceFOM: Lessons Learned and Future Development

For over fifty years, simulation has been a cornerstone technology for space missions. In many cases, one single simulator, developed by one team, is not enough to meet the simulation objectives. Astronaut crew training, docking, vehicle testing and complex mission planning all require several simulations to be connected and to interoperate, in order to achieve the goal of the simulation. To facilitate the development of interoperable simulations, an open standard, the SISO SpaceFOM was developed in collaboration between government, industry and academia. The standard was released in 2020. The initial release of SpaceFOM focuses on the core interoperability topics for space simulation: (i) specifying spatial data using several, well defined reference frames, (ii) managing time (including real-time, hard real-time, and as-fast-as-possible execution), (iii) composition of systems with subsystems such as space vehicles, and (iv) execution control, such as initializing, running, pausing, and terminating simulations. The initial release of SpaceFOM focuses on the core interoperability topics for space simulation: (i) specifying spatial data using several, well defined reference frames, (ii) managing time (including real-time, hard real-time, and as-fast-as-possible execution), (iii) composition of systems with subsystems such as space vehicles, and (iv) execution control, such as initializing, running, pausing, and terminating simulations. A number of requirements for the next version of SpaceFOM have been identified and proposed solutions are already under development. One key area is the object classes used for data exchange, where a richer set of classes have been proposed, based on practical use cases. For time management, the use of variable time resolutions and variable time steps is also proposed. For execution control, save and restore of simulations is considered as well as improved robustness, to handle failing components. A number of clarifications are also under consideration. This paper provides both a forward-looking view of the technical developments underway and a retrospective on the standard's evolution. The authors emphasize that prioritizing core challenges and delivering a practical first version were crucial steps. While not every idea was implemented in the initial release, the timely delivery of a functional standard enabled real-world applications, the growth of a user community, and the collection of valuable insights to shape future versions. The authors look forward to working with the next version of SpaceFOM together with the growing user community.

Simulation Interoperability↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evolving the SpaceFOM: Lessons Learned and Future Development

For over fifty years, simulation has been a cornerstone technology for space missions. In many cases, one single simulator, developed by one team, is not enough to meet the simulation objectives. Astronaut crew training, docking, vehicle testing and complex mission planning all require several simulations to be connected and to interoperate, in order to achieve the goal of the simulation. To facilitate the development of interoperable simulations, an open standard, the SISO SpaceFOM was developed in collaboration between government, industry and academia. The standard was released in 2020. The initial release of SpaceFOM focuses on the core interoperability topics for space simulation: (i) specifying spatial data using several, well defined reference frames, (ii) managing time (including real-time, hard real-time, and as-fast-as-possible execution), (iii) composition of systems with subsystems such as space vehicles, and (iv) execution control, such as initializing, running, pausing, and terminating simulations. A number of requirements for the next version of SpaceFOM have been identified and proposed solutions are already under development. One key area is the object classes used for data exchange, where a richer set of classes have been proposed, based on practical use cases. For time management, the use of variable time resolutions and variable time steps is also proposed. For execution control, save and restore of simulations is considered as well as improved robustness, to handle failing components. A number of clarifications are also under consideration. This paper provides both a forward-looking view of the technical developments underway and a retrospective on the standard's evolution. The authors emphasize that prioritizing core challenges and delivering a practical first version were crucial steps. While not every idea was implemented in the initial release, the timely delivery of a functional standard enabled real-world applications, the growth of a user community, and the collection of valuable insights to shape future versions. The authors look forward to working with the next version of SpaceFOM together with the growing user community.

FOMs↗
NASA NTRS2001

Flight Computer Design for the Space Technology 5 (ST-5) Mission

As part of NASA's New Millennium Program, the Space Technology 5 mission will validate a variety of technologies for nano-satellite and constellation mission applications. Included are: a miniaturized and low power X-band transponder, a constellation communication and navigation transceiver, a cold gas micro-thruster, two different variable emittance (thermal) controllers, flex cables for solar array power collection, autonomous groundbased constellation management tools, and a new CMOS ultra low-power, radiation-tolerant, +0.5 volt logic technology. The ST-5 focus is on small and low-power. A single-processor, multi-function flight computer will implement direct digital and analog interfaces to all of the other spacecraft subsystems and components. There will not be a distributed data system that uses a standardized serial bus such as MIL-STD-1553 or MIL-STD-1773. The flight software running on the single processor will be responsible for all real-time processing associated with: guidance, navigation and control, command and data handling (C&DH) including uplink/downlink, power switching and battery charge management, science data analysis and storage, intra-constellation communications, and housekeeping data collection and logging. As a nanosatellite trail-blazer for future constellations of up to 100 separate space vehicles, ST-5 will demonstrate a compact (single board), low power (5.5 watts) solution to the data acquisition, control, communications, processing and storage requirements that have traditionally required an entire network of separate circuit boards and/or avionics boxes. In addition to the New Millennium technologies, other major spacecraft subsystems include the power system electronics, a lithium-ion battery, triple-junction solar cell arrays, a science-grade magnetometer, a miniature spinning sun sensor, and a propulsion system.

Speer, David↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dark Matter Velocity Distributions for Direct Detection: Astrophysical Uncertainties Are Smaller Than They Appear

The sensitivity of direct detection experiments depends on the phase-space distribution of dark matter near the Sun, which can be modeled theoretically using cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way–like galaxies. However, capturing the halo-to-halo variation in the local dark matter speeds—a necessary step for quantifying the astrophysical uncertainties that feed into experimental results—requires a sufficiently large sample of simulated galaxies, which has been a challenge. In this Letter, we quantify this variation with nearly 100 Milky Way–like galaxies from the tng50 simulation, the largest sample to date at this resolution. Moreover, we introduce a novel phase-space scaling procedure that endows every system with a reference frame that accurately reproduces the local standard-of-rest speed of our Galaxy, providing a principled way of extrapolating the simulation results to real-world data. The ensemble of predicted speed distributions is well characterized by the standard halo model, a Maxwell-Boltzmann distribution truncated at the escape speed, though the individual distributions can deviate from it, especially at high speeds. The dark matter–nucleon cross section limits placed by these speed distributions vary by ∼ 60% about the median. This places the 1⁢𝜎 astrophysical uncertainty at or below the level of the systematic uncertainty of current ton-scale detectors, even down to the energy threshold. The predicted uncertainty remains unchanged when subselecting on those TNG 50 galaxies with merger histories similar to the Milky Way. Tabulated speed distributions, as well as Maxwell-Boltzmann fits, are provided for use in computing direct detection bounds or projecting sensitivities.

Milky Way↗
NASA NTRS1985

Material sciences experiments under microgravity conditions with MAUS

Project MAUS is a part of the German material sciences program and provides autonomous payloads for the Space Shuttle. These payloads are housed in canisters which are identical with those of NASA's Get-Away-Special program. The main components of the hardware are: a standard system consisting of power supply, experiment control, data acquisition and the experiment modules containing experiment specific hardware. So far, three MAUS modules with experiments from the area of material sciences have been flown as GAS payloads.

G.H. Otto↗
NASA NTRS1987

Recent results from MAUS payloads

Project MAUS is a part of the German material sciences program and provides autonomous payloads for the Space Shuttle. These payloads are housed in canisters which are identical with those of NASA's Get-Away-Special program. The main components of the hardware are: a standard system consisting of power supply, experiment control, data acquisition and the experiment modules containing experiment specific hardware. Up to now, three MAUS modules with experiments from the area of material sciences have been flown as GAS payloads. Results will be reported from GAS Payload Number G-27 and G-28 flown aboard STS-51G.

Otto, G. H.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Compact, Low-Overhead, MIL-STD-1553B Controller

A compact and flexible controller has been developed to provide MIL-STD- 1553B Remote Terminal (RT) communications and supporting and related functions with minimal demand on the resources of the system in which the controller is to be installed. (MIL-STD-1553B is a military standard that encompasses a method of communication and electrical-interface requirements for digital electronic subsystems connected to a data bus. MIL-STD-1553B is commonly used in defense and space applications.) Many other MIL-STD-1553B RT controllers are complicated, and to enable them to function, it is necessary to provide software and to use such ancillary separate hardware devices as microprocessors and dual-port memories. The present controller functions without need for software and any ancillary hardware. In addition, it contains a flexible system interface and extensive support hardware while including on-chip error-checking and diagnostic support circuitry. This controller is implemented within part of a modern field-programmable gate array.

Katz, Richard↗