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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 433 records · Page 24
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NASA NTRS2013

Creating the Deep Space Environment for Testing the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA Johnson Space Center's Chamber A

Chamber A is the largest thermal vacuum chamber at the Johnson Space Center and is one of the largest space environment chambers in the world. The chamber is 19.8 m (65 ft.) in diameter and 36.6 m (120 ft.) tall and is equipped with cryogenic liquid nitrogen panels (shrouds) and gaseous helium shrouds to create a simulated space environment. It was originally designed and built in the mid 1960 s to test the Apollo Command and Service Module and several manned tests were conducted on that spacecraft, contributing to the success of the program. The chamber has been used since that time to test spacecraft active thermal control systems, Shuttle DTO, DOD, and ESA hardware in simulated Low Earth Orbit (LEO) conditions. NASA is now moving from LEO towards exploration of locations with environments approaching those of deep space. Therefore, Chamber A has undergone major modifications to enable it to simulate these deeper space environments. Environmental requirements were driven, and modifications were funded by the James Webb Space Telescope program, and this telescope, which will orbit Solar/Earth L2, will be the first test article to benefit from the chamber s new capabilities. To accommodate JWST, the Chamber A high vacuum system has been modernized, additional LN2 shrouds have been installed, the liquid nitrogen system has been modified to minimize dependency on electrical power and increase its reliability, a new helium shroud/refrigeration system has been installed to create a colder more stable and uniform heat sink, and the controls have been updated to increase the level of automation and improve operator interfaces. Testing of these major modifications was conducted in August of 2012 and this initial test was very successful, with all major systems exceeding their performance requirements. This paper will outline the changes in overall environmental requirements, discuss the technical design data that was used in the decisions leading to the extensive modifications, and describe the new capabilities of the chamber.

Homan, Jonathan L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Toxicological Assessment of ISS Air Quality: April - May 2013

A summary of the analytical results from 4 mini-grab sample (mGSCs) collected on ISS and returned aboard 33S is shown in Table 1. Due to the launch delay of the ATV4 resupply mission, monthly samples were reduced in April and May by omitting sampling of the Service Module in order to ensure contingency samplers were available if needed. Complete data tables of all measured concentrations and corresponding T-values based on 180-day SMACs are enclosed. detection limit for all target compounds, except m/p-xylenes and hexachloro-1, 3-butadiene was 0.025 mg/cu m. The detection limit for m/p-xylenes and hexachloro-1, 3-butadiene and all non-target compounds was 0.05 mg/cu m. The average recoveries of the 3 surrogate standards from the mGSCs were as follows: C-13-acetone, 116 +/- 12%; D-5-fluorobenzene, 117 +/- 7%; and D-5-chlorobenzene, 111 +/- 15%. Initial measured sample pressures were between 13.9 and 14.1 psia for all samples, indicating nominal sample collection. A summary of the analytical results from 3 pairs of passive-diffusion formaldehyde badges collected on ISS and returned aboard 33S is also provided in Table 1. In an effort to conserve samples due to the delay of the ATV4 resupply mission, FMK sampling was only conducted in the US Lab in May. Positive control recoveries (1 trip and 2 lab controls) were 79%, 87%, and 116% respectively.

Meyers, Valerie↗
NASA NTRS2014

Chronic Lunar Dust Exposure on Rat Cornea: Evaluation by Gene Expression Profiling

Lunar dust is capable of entering habitats and vehicle compartments by sticking to spacesuits or other objects that are transferred into the spacecraft from the lunar surface and has been reported to cause irritation upon exposure. During the Apollo missions, crewmembers reported irritation specifically to the skin and eyes after contamination of the lunar and service modules. It has since been hypothesized that ocular irritation and abrasion might occur as a result of such exposure, impairing crew vision. Recent work has shown that both ultrafine and unground lunar dust exhibited minimal irritancy of the ocular surface (i.e., cornea); however, the assessment of the severity of ocular damage resulting from contact of lunar dust particles to the cornea has focused only on macroscopic signs of mechanical irritancy and cytotoxicity. Given the chemical reactive properties of lunar dust, exposure of the cornea may contribute to detrimental effects at the molecular level including but not limited to oxidative damage. Additionally, low level chronic exposures may confound any results obtained in previous acute studies. We report here preliminary results from a tissue sharing effort using 10‐week‐old Fischer 344 male rats chronically exposed to filtered air or jet milled lunar dust collected during Apollo 14 using a Jaeger‐NYU nose‐only chamber for a total of 120 hours (6 hours daily, 5 days a week) over a 4‐week period. RNA was isolated from corneas collected from rats at 1 day and 7 days after being exposed to concentrations of 0, 20, and 60 mg/m3 of lunar dust. Microarray analysis was performed using the Affymetrix GeneChip Rat Genome 230 2.0 Array with Affymetrix Expression Console and Transcriptome Analysis Console used for normalization and secondary analysis. An Ingenuity iReport"TM" was then generated for canonical pathway identification. The number of differentially expressed genes identified increases with dose compared to controls suggesting a more severe response to the lunar dust insult at higher levels. Pathways of interests that have been identified in all exposed samples include oxidative stress response, mitochondrial dysfunction, fibrosis, epithelial healing, TGF-Beta signaling, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Several biological processes related to cell migration, cellular proliferation, and eye development were also identified to be altered by exposure to lunar dust. Our preliminary results suggest that even a chronic insult of lunar dust as low as 20 mg/m(exp 3) elicits a molecular response in cornea tissue. Lunar dust on the surface of the moon would have the added properties of ionization and activation potentially leading to further damage to the cornea and greater sensitivity to any other environmental insult such as exposure to radiation. Additional studies are required to fully assess the risk of vision impairment and the mechanistic responses initiated in cornea exposed to lunar dust as well as the potential for long‐term effects to astronaut health

Theriot, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Definition ofthe Design Trajectory and Entry Flight Corridor for the NASA Orion Exploration Mission 1 Entry Trajectory Using an Integrated Approach and Optimization

One of the key design objectives of NASA's Orion Exploration Mission 1 (EM- 1) is to execute a guided entry trajectory demonstrating GN&C capability. The focus of this paper is defining the flyable entry corridor for EM-1 taking into account multiple subsystem constraints such as complex aerothermal heating constraints, aerothermal heating objectives, landing accuracy constraints, structural load limits, Human-System-Integration-Requirements, Service Module debris disposal limits and other flight test objectives. During the EM-1 Design Analysis Cycle 1 design challenges came up that made defining the flyable entry corridor for the EM-1 mission critical to mission success. This document details the optimization techniques that were explored to use with the 6-DOF ANTARES simulation to assist in defining the design entry interface state and entry corridor with respect to key flight test constraints and objectives.

McNamara, Luke W.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Toxicological Assessment of ISS Air Quality: June - September 2013 (Increment 36)

Fourteen mini grab sample containers (msGSCs) were collected on ISS between June and September 2013 and were returned on 34S; however, the ATV-4 first ingress mGSC did not contain sufficient sample to report results (initial sample pressure = 1.2 psia). Of the remaining 13 mGSCs, 12 were collected as routine monthly samples in the Russian Service Module (SM), US Laboratory (Lab), and either the Japanese Pressurized Module (JPM) or the Columbus module (Col), and 1 was collected during HTV-4 first ingress. A summary of the analytical results from the 13 valid mGSCs is shown.

Meyers, Valerie↗
NASA NTRS2014

Trajectory Design Analysis over the Lunar Nodal Cycle for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2)

The first crewed mission, Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2), for the MPCV Orion spacecraft is scheduled for August 2021, and its current mission is to orbit the Moon in a highly elliptical lunar orbit for 3 days. A 21-year scan was performed to identify feasible missions that satisfy the propulsive capabilities of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) and MPCV Service Module (SM). The mission is divided into 4 phases: (1) a lunar free return trajectory, (2) a hybrid maneuver, during the translunar coast, to lower the approach perilune altitude to 100 km, (3) lunar orbit insertion into a 100 x 10,000 km orbit, and (4) lunar orbit loiter and Earth return to a splashdown off the coast of Southern California. Trajectory data was collected for all feasible missions and converted to information that influence different subsystems including propulsion, power, thermal, communications, and mission operations. The complete 21-year scan data shows seasonal effects that are due to the Earth-Moon geometry and the initial Earth parking orbit. The data and information is also useful to identify mission opportunities around the current planned launch date for EM-2.

Gutkowski, Jeffrey P.↗
NASA NTRS2012

EMI from Spacecraft Docking Systems Spacecraft Charging - Plasma Contact Potentials

The plasma contact potential of a visiting vehicle (VV), such as the Orion Service Module (SM), is determined while docking at the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV). Due to spacecraft charging effects on-orbit, the potential difference between the CEV and the VV can be large at docking, and an electrostatic discharge (ESD) could occur at capture, which could degrade, disrupt, damage, or destroy sensitive electronic equipment on the CEV and/or VV. Analytical and numerical models of the CEV are simulated to predict the worst-case potential difference between the CEV and the VV when the CEV is unbiased (solar panels unlit: eclipsed in the dark and inactive) or biased (solar panels sunlit: in the light and active).

Norgard, John D.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Recent Ground Hold and Rapid Depressurization Testing of Multilayer Systems

In the development of flight insulation systems for large cryogenic orbital storage (spray on foam and multilayer insulation), testing need include all environments that are experienced during flight. While large efforts have been expended on studying, bounding, and modeling the orbital performance of the insulation systems, little effort has been expended on the ground hold and ascent phases of a mission. Historical cryogenic in-space systems that have flown have been able to ignore these phases of flight due to the insulation system being within a vacuum jacket. In the development phase of the Nuclear Mars Vehicle and the Shuttle Nuclear Vehicle, several insulation systems were evaluated for the full mission cycle. Since that time there had been minimal work on these phases of flight until the Constellation program began investigating cryogenic service modules and long duration upper stages. With the inception of the Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer Technology Demonstration Mission, a specific need was seen for the data and as such, several tests were added to the Cryogenic Boil-off Reduction System liquid hydrogen test matrix to provide more data on a insulation system. Testing was attempted with both gaseous nitrogen (GN2) and gaseous helium (GHe) backfills. The initial tests with nitrogen backfill were not successfully completed due to nitrogen liquefaction and solidification preventing the rapid pumpdown of the vacuum chamber. Subsequent helium backfill tests were successful and showed minimal degradation. The results are compared to the historical data.

Space Environment Simulation↗
NASA NTRS2016

Paving the Path for Human Space Exploration: The Challenges and Opportunities

Lauri Hansen, Director of Engineering at NASA Johnson Space Center will discuss the challenges of human space exploration. The future of human exploration begins with our current earth reliant missions in low earth orbit. These missions utilize the International Space Station to learn how to safely execute deep space missions. In addition to serving as an exploration test bed and enabling world class research, the International Space Station enables NASA to build international and commercial partnerships. NASA's next steps will be to enable the commercialization of low earth orbit while concentrating on developing the spacecraft and infrastructure necessary for deep space exploration and long duration missions. The Orion multi-purpose crew vehicle and the Space Launch System rocket are critical building blocks in this next phase of exploration. There are many challenges in designing spacecraft to perform these missions including safety, complex vehicle design, and mass challenges. Orion development is proceeding well, and includes a significant partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop and build the Service Module portion of the spacecraft. Together, NASA and ESA will provide the capability to take humans further than we have ever been before - 70,000 km past the moon. This will be the next big step in expanding the frontiers of human exploration, eventually leading to human footprints on Mars.

Hansen, Lauri↗
NASA NTRS2017

Orion Ammonia Boiler System Preflight Test Preparations

The Environmental Controls and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) branch at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is currently undergoing preparations for ground testing of the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) to prepare its subsystems for EM-1 (Exploration Mission-1). EM-1, Orions second unmanned flight, is a three-week long lunar mission during which the vehicle will complete a 6-day retrograde lunar orbit before returning to Earth. This paper focuses on the work done during the authors 16-week internship with the Mechanical Engineering Branch of KSCs Engineering Directorate. The authors project involved assisting with the preparations for testing the Orion MPCVs ammonia boiler system. The purpose of the ammonia boiler system is to keep the spacecraft sufficiently cool during the reentry portion of its mission, from service module (SM) separation to post-landing. This system is critical for keeping both the spacecraft (avionics and electronics) and crew alive during reentry, thus a successful test of the system is essential to the success of EM-1. XXXX The author was able to draft a detailed outline of the procedure for the ammonia system functional test. More work will need to be done on the vehicle power-up and power-down portions of the procedure, but the ammonia system testing portion of the procedure is thorough and includes vehicle test configurations, vehicle commands, and GSE. The author was able to compile a substantial list of questions regarding the ammonia system functional test with the help of her mentors. A significant number of these questions were answered in the teleconferences with Lockheed Martin.

Ammonia↗
NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Space Launch System: Enabling Exploration and Discovery

As NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle continues to mature toward its first flight and beyond, so too do the agency's plans for utilization of the rocket. Substantial progress has been made toward the production of the vehicle for the first flight of SLS - an initial "Block 1" configuration capable of delivering more than 70 metric tons (t) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). That vehicle will be used for an uncrewed integrated test flight, propelling NASA's Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit before it returns safely to Earth. Flight hardware for that launch is being manufactured at facilities around the United States, and, in the case of Orion's service module, beyond. At the same time, production has already begun on the vehicle for the second SLS flight, a more powerful Block 1B configuration capable of delivering more than 105 t to LEO. This configuration will be used for crewed launches of Orion, sending astronauts farther into space than anyone has previously ventured. The 1B configuration will introduce an Exploration Upper Stage, capable of both ascent and in-space propulsion, as well as a Universal Stage Adapter - a payload bay allowing the flight of exploration hardware with Orion - and unprecedentedly large payload fairings that will enable currently impossible spacecraft and mission profiles on uncrewed launches. The Block 1B vehicle will also expand on the initial configuration's ability to deploy CubeSat secondary payloads, creating new opportunities for low-cost access to deep space. Development work is also underway on future upgrades to SLS, which will culminate in about a decade in the Block 2 configuration, capable of delivering 130 t to LEO via the addition of advanced boosters. As the first SLS draws closer to launch, NASA continues to refine plans for the human deep-space exploration it will enable. Planning currently focuses on use of the vehicle to assemble a Deep Space Gateway, which would comprise a habitat in the lunar vicinity allowing astronauts to gain experience living and working in deep space, a testbed for new systems and capabilities needed for exploration beyond, and a departure point for NASA and partners to send missions to other destinations. Assembly of the Gateway would be followed by a Deep Space Transport, which would be a vehicle capable of carrying astronauts farther into our solar system and eventually to Mars. This paper will give an overview of SLS' current status and its capabilities, and discuss current utilization planning.

Schorr, Andrew↗
NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Space Launch System: Enabling Exploration and Discovery

As NASA's new Space Launch System (SLS) launch vehicle continues to mature toward its first flight and beyond, so too do the agency's plans for utilization of the rocket. Substantial progress has been made toward the production of the vehicle for the first flight of SLS - an initial "Block 1" configuration capable of delivering more than 70 metric tons (t) to Low Earth Orbit (LEO). That vehicle will be used for an uncrewed integrated test flight, propelling NASA's Orion spacecraft into lunar orbit before it returns safely to Earth. Flight hardware for that launch is being manufactured at facilities around the United States, and, in the case of Orion's service module, beyond. At the same time, production has already begun on the vehicle for the second SLS flight, a more powerful Block 1B configuration capable of delivering more than 105 metric tons to LEO. This configuration will be used for crewed launches of Orion, sending astronauts farther into space than anyone has previously ventured. The 1B configuration will introduce an Exploration Upper Stage, capable of both ascent and in-space propulsion, as well as a Universal Stage Adapter - a payload bay allowing the flight of exploration hardware with Orion - and unprecedentedly large payload fairings that will enable currently impossible spacecraft and mission profiles on uncrewed launches. The Block 1B vehicle will also expand on the initial configuration's ability to deploy CubeSat secondary payloads, creating new opportunities for low-cost access to deep space. Development work is also underway on future upgrades to SLS, which will culminate in about a decade in the Block 2 configuration, capable of delivering 130 metric tons to LEO via the addition of advanced boosters. As the first SLS draws closer to launch, NASA continues to refine plans for the human deep-space exploration it will enable. Planning currently focuses on use of the vehicle to assemble a Deep Space Gateway, which would comprise a habitat in the lunar vicinity allowing astronauts to gain experience living and working in deep space, a testbed for new systems and capabilities needed for exploration beyond, and a departure point for NASA and partners to send missions to other destinations. Assembly of the Gateway would be followed by a Deep Space Transport, which would be a vehicle capable of carrying astronauts farther into our solar system and eventually to Mars. This paper will give an overview of SLS' current status and its capabilities, and discuss current utilization planning.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Orion European Structural Test Article Propellant Tank Fill and Drain Carts

Environmental testing of the Orion European Structural Test Article (E-STA), which contains the Orion European Service Module (ESM), required that the onboard propellant tanks be filled and drained with fuel and oxidizer simulant fluids as well as pressurized and de-pressurized with an ullage gas. This conference paper will elaborate on how these objectives were fulfilled by presenting the development of derived requirements definition, initial fill and drain concepts, selection of simulant fluids, finalization of pump and pressurization design, selection of components, selection of transfer hoses and interface connections, as well as development and maintenance of budgets, schedules, reviews, construction, documentation, and test procedures. This paper also describes implementation of checkout and commissioning activities leading to successful fluid cart pumping and pressurization operations for the test campaign. The development, construction, and operation of the fluid cart pumping and pressurization systems for the Environmental testing of the Orion European Structural Test Article (E-STA), took place at the NASA Glenn Research Center's Plum Brook Station Space Environments Complex (SEC) during 2015 and 2016.

Pressurization↗
NASA NTRS2018

Orion European Structural Test Article Propellant Tank Fill and Drain Carts

Environmental testing of the Orion European Structural Test Article (E-STA), which contains the Orion European Service Module (ESM), required that the onboard propellant tanks be filled and drained with fuel and oxidizer simulant fluids as well as pressurized and depressurized with an ullage gas. This conference paper will elaborate on how these objectives were fulfilled by presenting the development of derived requirements definition, initial fill and drain concepts, selection of simulant fluids, finalization of pump and pressurization design, selection of components, and selection of transfer hoses and interface connections as well as development and maintenance of budgets, schedules, reviews, construction, documentation, and test procedures. This paper also describes the implementation of checkout and commissioning activities leading to successful fluid cart pumping and pressurization operations for the test campaign. The development, construction, and operation of the fluid cart pumping and pressurization systems for the environmental testing of the Orion E-STA, took place at NASA's Plum Brook Station Space Environments Complex (SEC) during 2015 and 2016.

FLUID TRANSFER↗
NASA NTRS2015

Development of an Ablative 3D Quartz / Cyanate Ester Composite for the Orion Spacecraft Compression Pad

With the successful flight test of the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle last December, NASA is well on its way to sending humans into deep space with the goal of putting astronauts on Mars in the 2030s. Orion will receive some upgrades for its next launch in 2018 including a newly developed 3D Quartz Cyanate Ester composite material for the compression pad. The compression pads are 10-inches in diameter and 3-inches thick. The pucks are at 4 locations in the heat shield that serve as a part of the mechanism for holding the Crew and Service modules together during most mission phases prior to separation followed by Earth re-entry. Thus the compression pad has structural, aerothermal and thermal protection requirements.This paper describes the approach used for developing the new 3D composite, including continuous 3D weaving on an automated loom followed by resin transfer molding. Mechanical, thermal and arc jet testing of the 3D composite are also described.

Feldman, Jay↗
NASA NTRS2015

Development of an Ablative 3D Quartz / Cyanate Ester Composite for the Orion Spacecraft Compression Pad

With the successful flight test of the Orion Multipurpose Crew Vehicle last December, NASA is well on its way to sending humans into deep space with the ultimate goal of putting astronauts on Mars in the 2030s. Orion will receive some upgrades for its next launch in 2018 including a newly developed 3D quartz / cyanate ester composite material for the compression pad. Multiple pad locations in the heat shield serve as a part of the mechanism for holding the Crew and Service Modules together during most mission phases prior to separation followed by Earth re-entry of the Crew Module. Thus the compression pad must survive structural and aerothermal loads, and protect the adjascent structure and heat shield materials from over-heating.This paper describes the approach used for developing the new 3D composite, including continuous 3D weaving on an automated loom followed by resin transfer molding. Mechanical, thermal, arc jet ,and stress relaxation testing of the 3D composite are also described.

Feldman, Jay D.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Exploration Toilet Integration Challenges on the International Space Station

On the International Space Station (ISS) there are currently two toilets. One is located in the Russian segment's Service Module and the other is located in the U.S. segment's Node 3. A new Exploration Toilet will be integrated next to the existing Node 3 Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC). The Toilet will be evaluated as a technology demonstration for a minimum of three years. In addition, it will support an increase in ISS crew size due to Commercial Crew flights to ISS. The Toilet is designed to minimize mass and volume for Orion, the first Exploration vehicle. Currently ISS does not have a designated volume for an additional Toilet. Furthermore, operating the Toilet on ISS presents a different set of challenges as it must integrate into existing vehicle systems for urine processing. To integrate the Toilet on ISS, a suite of hardware was developed to provide mechanical, electrical, data, and fluid interfaces. This paper will provide an overview of the Toilet Integration Hardware design as well as the engineering challenges, crew interface provisions and vehicle integration complexities encountered during the concept and design phases.

Integration Hardware↗