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At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Understanding Plant Nitrogen Form Preference Responses to Elevated CO2 Earth and Space Environments

Future long-duration missions to the International Space Station (ISS) and beyond will require a sustainable supply of food to support human crews. The spaceflight cabin environment often contains very high concentrations of CO2, and it is therefore crucial to understand plant responses to elevated CO2 (eCO2) environments. Much focus has been given to plant photosynthetic and performance parameters in response to eCO2, but studies on the effects of eCO2 on nitrogen uptake are poorly understood. Our previous work at The University of Sheffield, UK using novel stable isotope approaches has shown enhanced ammonium uptake and preference compared to nitrate at eCO2 in varieties of spring barley, hypothesized to be an indirect consequence of changes in photosynthesis and photorespiration. However, several varieties did not display altered preference under eCO2 and the universality of this response remains to be understood. In this NASA NPP project, several candidate crop species such as lettuce, radish and tomato will be screened using stable isotopes to assess whether N preference changes in favor of ammonium in response to eCO2 and whether this remains true at super-elevated CO2 (seCO2), which is often experienced on the ISS. Photosynthetic and related measurements will help to disentangle the relationship between these responses and photosynthesis. This work will enable the development of optimized nutrient regimes for candidate crops in space and in future Lunar and Martian habitats and will pave the way for selection of crop varieties adapted to an eCO2 and/or seCO2 environment. Moreover, this research will further our understanding of plant responses to the eCO2 environment brought about by climate change, allowing the development of future-proof crops that will help to maintain food security. This NPP Fellowship is funded by NASA Space Biology.

Luke Leslie Fountain↗
NASA NTRS1983

Study of noise transmission through double wall aircraft windows

Analytical and experimental procedures were used to predict the noise transmitted through double wall windows into the cabin of a twin-engine G/A aircraft. The analytical model was applied to optimize cabin noise through parametric variation of the structural and acoustic parameters. The parametric study includes mass addition, increase in plexiglass thickness, decrease in window size, increase in window cavity depth, depressurization of the space between the two window plates, replacement of the air cavity with a transparent viscoelastic material, change in stiffness of the plexiglass material, and different absorptive materials for the interior walls of the cabin. It was found that increasing the exterior plexiglass thickness and/or decreasing the total window size could achieve the proper amount of noise reduction for this aircraft. The total added weight to the aircraft is then about 25 lbs.

Vaicaitis, R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Challenges for Life Support Systems in Space Environments, Including Food Production

Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) refer to the technologies needed to sustain human life in space environments. Histor ically these technologies have focused on providing a breathable atmo sphere, clean water, food, managing wastes, and the associated monitoring capabilities. Depending on the space agency or program, ELCSS has sometimes expanded to include other aspects of managing space enviro nments, such as thermal control, radiation protection, fire detection I suppression, and habitat design. Other times, testing and providing these latter technologies have been associated with the vehicle engi neering. The choice of ECLSS technologies is typically driven by the mission profile and their associated costs and reliabilities. These co sts are largely defined by the mass, volume, power, and crew time req uirements. For missions close to Earth, e.g., low-Earth orbit flights, stowage and resupply of food, some 0 2, and some water are often the most cost effective option. But as missions venture further into spa ce, e.g., transit missions to Mars or asteroids, or surface missions to Moon or Mars, the supply line economics change and the need to clos e the loop on life support consumables increases. These are often ref erred to as closed loop or regenerative life support systems. Regardless of the technologies, the systems must be capable of operating in a space environment, which could include micro to fractional g setting s, high radiation levels, and tightly closed atmospheres, including perhaps reduced cabin pressures. Food production using photosynthetic o rganisms such as plants by nature also provides atmospheric regenerat ion (e.g., CO2 removal and reduction, and 0 2 production), yet to date such "bioregenerative" technologies have not been used due largely t o the high power requirements for lighting. A likely first step in te sting bioregenerative capabilities will involve production of small a mounts of fresh foods to supplement to crew's diet. As humans venture further into space, regenerative life support technologies will becom e more important, and gathering accurate data on their performance an d reliabilities will require long lead times. As we learn more about sustainable living in space, we almost certainly learn more about sust ainable living on Earth.

Wheeler, Raymond M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Adsorption processes in spacecraft environmental control and life support systems

The environmental control and life support system on a spacecraft maintains a safe and comfortable environment in which the crew can live and work by supplying oxygen and water and by removing carbon dioxide, water vapor, and trace contaminants from cabin air. Although open-loop systems have been used successfully in the past for short-duration missions, the economics of current and future long-duration missions in space will make nearly complete recycling of air and water imperative. A variety of operations will be necessary to achieve the goal of nearly complete recycling. These include separation and reduction of carbon dioxide, removal of trace gas-phase contaminants, recovery and purification of humidity condensate, purification and polishing of wastewater streams, and others. Several of these can be performed totally or in part by adsorption processes. These processes are good candidates to perform separations and purifications in space due to their gravity independence, high reliability, relative high energy efficiency, design flexibility, technological maturity, and regenerative nature. For these reasons, adsorption has historically played a key role in life support on U.S. and Russian piloted spacecraft. Among the life support applications that can be achieved through use of adsorption technology are removal of trace contaminants and carbon dioxide from cabin air and recovery of potable water from waste streams. In each of these cases adsorption technology has been selected for use onboard the International Space Station. The requirements, science, and hardware for these applications are discussed. Human space exploration may eventually lead to construction of planetary habitats. These habitats may provide additional opportunities for use of adsorption processes, such as control of greenhouse gas composition, and may have different resources available to them, such as gases present in the planetary atmosphere. Separation and purification processes based on adsorption can be expected to continue to fulfill environmental control and life support needs on future missions.

Review, Tutorial↗
NASA NTRS1975

Simplified APC for Space Shuttle applications

This paper describes an 8 kbps adaptive predictive digital speech transmission system which was designed for potential use in the Space Shuttle Program. The system was designed to provide good voice quality in the presence of both cabin noise on board the Shuttle and the anticipated bursty channel. Minimal increase in size, weight, and power over the current high data rate system was also a design objective.

Hutchins, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A Lightweight Loudspeaker for Aircraft Communications and Active Noise Control

A series of new, lightweight loudspeakers for use on commercial aircraft has been developed. The loudspeakers use NdFeB magnets and aluminum alloy frames to reduce the weight. The NdFeB magnet is virtually encapsulated by steel in the new speaker designs. Active noise reduction using internal loudspeakers was demonstrated to be effective in 1983. A weight, space, and cost efficient method for creating the active sound attenuating fields is to use the existing cabin loudspeakers for both communication and sound attenuation. This will require some additional loudspeaker design considerations.

Warnaka, Glenn E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Design of a Shuttle air and water prefilter for reduced gravity operation

The first design concept of the Space Shuttle humidity separator prefilter, developed to remove debris from the air/water stream which flows from the cabin condensing heat exchanger to the humidity separator, was flown on STS-40 in June 1991. This paper discusses the design of the first prefilter (which was found not to pass water at a constant rate, resulting in a tendency to slug the humidity separator) and explains the on-orbit performance of the prefilter. The redesigned prefilter (made using the results of the flight test of the first prefilter) is described, with particular attention given to the features which would allow successful reduced gravity operation.

Ungar, Eugene K.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurement for STS-87: Launched November 19, 1997

Two accelerometer systems, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment and the Space Acceleration Measurement System, were used to measure and record the microgravity environment of the Orbiter Columbia during the STS-87 mission in November-December 1997. Data from two separate Space Acceleration Measurement System units were telemetered to the ground during the mission and data plots were displayed for investigators of the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload experiments in near real-time using the World Wide Web. Plots generated using Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data (telemetered to the ground using a tape delay) were provided to the investigators using the World Wide Web approximately twelve hours after data recording. Disturbances in the microgravity environment as recorded by these instruments are grouped by source type: Orbiter systems, on-board activities, payload operations, and unknown sources. The environment related to the Ku-band antenna dither, Orbiter structural modes, attitude deadband collapses, water dump operations, crew sleep, and crew exercise was comparable to the effects of these sources on previous Orbiter missions. Disturbances related to operations of the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment and Space Acceleration Measurement Systems that were not observed on previous missions are detailed. The effects of Orbiter cabin and airlock depressurization and extravehicular activities are also reported for the first time. A set of data plots representing the entire mission is included in the CD-ROM version of this report.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Summary Report of Mission Acceleration Measurement for STS-87, Launched November 19, 1997

Two accelerometer systems, the Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment and the Space Acceleration Measurement System, were used to measure and record the microgravity environment of the Orbiter Columbia during the STS-87 mission in November-December 1997. Data from two separate Space Acceleration Measurement System units were telemetered to the ground during the mission and data plots were displayed for investigators of the Fourth United States Microgravity Payload experiments in near real-time using the World Wide Web. Plots generated using Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment data (telemetered to the ground using a tape delay) were provided to the investigators using the World Wide Web approximately twelve hours after data recording. Disturbances in the microgravity environment as recorded by these instruments are grouped by source type: Orbiter systems, on-board activities, payload operations, and unknown sources. The environment related to the Ku-band antenna dither, Orbiter structural modes, attitude deadband collapses, water dump operations, crew sleep, and crew exercise was comparable to the effects of these sources on previous Orbiter missions. Disturbances related to operations of the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment and Space Acceleration Measurement Systems that were not observed on previous missions are detailed. The effects of Orbiter cabin and airlock depressurization and extravehicular activities are also reported for the first time. A set of data plots representing the entire mission is included in the CD-ROM version of this report.

Rogers, Melissa J. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

High Sensitive and Low Power Nanosensors for Space and Terrestrial Applications

Nanotechnology offers the ability to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organization. It is essentially concerned with materials, devices, and systems whose structures and components exhibit novel and significantly improved physical, chemical and biological properties, phenomena, and process control due to their nanoscale size. A nanosensor technology has been developed at NASA Ames using nanostructure, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs). The nanosensors have achieved low detection limit of chemicals in the concentration range of ppm to ppb. Due to large surface area, low surface energy barrier and high thermal and mechanical stability, nanostructured chemical sensors offer higher sensitivity, lower power consumption and a more robust solution than most state-of-the-art systems making them attractive for space and terrestrial applications. An example of a sensor module, the first space flown nano device, will be introduced in this presentation. Such sensors have drawn attention from space community for global weather monitoring, space exploration, life search in the universe, and launch pad fuel leak detection and in-flight cabin air and life support system monitoring, and engine operation monitoring. Additionally, the wireless capability of such sensors can be leveraged to network mobile and fixed-base detection and warning systems for civilian population centers, military bases and battlefields, as well as other high-value or high-risk assets and areas in industry.

Jing Li↗
NASA NTRS2011

Amine Swingbed Payload Project Management

The International Space Station (ISS) has been designed as a laboratory for demonstrating technologies in a microgravity environment, benefitting exploration programs by reducing the overall risk of implementing such technologies in new spacecraft. At the beginning of fiscal year 2010, the ISS program manager requested that the amine-based, pressure-swing carbon dioxide and humidity absorption technology (designed by Hamilton Sundstrand, baselined for the ORION Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, and tested at the Johnson Space Center in relevant environments, including with humans, since 2005) be developed into a payload for ISS Utilization. In addition to evaluating the amine technology in a flight environment before the first launch of the ORION vehicle, the ISS program wanted to determine the capability of the amine technology to remove carbon dioxide from the ISS cabin environment at the metabolic rate of the full 6-person crew. Because the amine technology vents the absorbed carbon dioxide and water vapor to space vacuum (open loop), additional hardware needed to be developed to minimize the amount of air and water resources lost overboard. Additionally, the payload system would be launched on two separate Space Shuttle flights, with the heart of the payload the swingbed unit itself launching a full year before the remainder of the payload. This paper discusses the project management and challenges of developing the amine swingbed payload in order to accomplish the technology objectives of both the open-loop ORION application as well as the closed-loop ISS application.

Hayley, Elizabeth↗
NASA NTRS2013

Amine Swingbed Payload Project Management

The International Space Station (ISS) has been designed as a laboratory for demonstrating technologies in a microgravity environment, benefitting exploration programs by reducing the overall risk of implementing such technologies in new spacecraft. At the beginning of fiscal year 2010, the ISS program manager requested that the amine-based, pressure-swing carbon dioxide and humidity absorption technology (designed by Hamilton Sundstrand, baselined for the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle, and tested at the Johnson Space Center in relevant environments, including with humans, since 2005) be developed into a payload for ISS Utilization. In addition to evaluating the amine technology in a flight environment before the first launch of the Orion vehicle, the ISS program wanted to determine the capability of the amine technology to remove carbon dioxide from the ISS cabin environment at the metabolic rate of the full 6 ]person crew. Because the amine technology vents the absorbed carbon dioxide and water vapor to space vacuum (open loop), additional hardware needed to be developed to minimize the amount of air and water resources lost overboard. Additionally, the payload system would be launched on two separate Space Shuttle flights, with the heart of the payload-the swingbed unit itself-launching a full year before the remainder of the payload. This paper discusses the project management and challenges of developing the amine swingbed payload in order to accomplish the technology objectives of both the open -loop Orion application as well as the closed-loop ISS application.

Walsch, Mary↗
NASA NTRS2005

Development of a Low-Power CO2 Removal and Compression System for Closed-Loop Air Revitalization in Future Spacecraft

The current CO2 removal technology of NASA is very energy intensive and contains many non-optimized subsystems. This paper discusses the design and prototype development of a two-stage CO2 removal and compression system that will utilize much less power than NASA s current CO2 removal technology. This integrated system contains a Nafion membrane followed by a residual water adsorber that performs the function of the desiccant beds in the four-bed molecular sieve (4BMS) system of the International Space Station (ISS). The membrane and the water adsorber are followed by a two-stage CO2 removal and compression subsystem that satisfies the operations of the CO2 adsorbent beds of the 4BMS aid the interface compressor for the Sabatier reactor connection. The two-stage compressor will utilize the principles of temperature-swing adsorption (TSA) compression technology for CO2 removal and compression. The similarities in operation and cycle times of the CO2 removal (first stage) and compression (second stage) operations will allow thermal coupling of the processes to maximize the efficiency of the system. In addition to the low-power advantage, this processor will maintain a lower CO2 concentration in the cabin than that can be achieved by the existing CO2 removal systems. The compact, consolidated, configuration of membrane gas dryer and CO2 separator and compressor will allow continuous recycling of humid air in the cabin and supply of compressed CO2 to the reduction unit for oxygen recovery. The device has potential application to the International Space Station and future, long duration, transit, and planetary missions.

Mulloth, Lila M.↗
NASA NTRS2017

A Simulation Base Investigation of High Latency Space Systems Operations

NASA's human space program has developed considerable experience with near Earth space operations. Although NASA has experience with deep space robotic missions, NASA has little substantive experience with human deep space operations. Even in the Apollo program, the missions lasted only a few weeks and the communication latencies were on the order of seconds. Human missions beyond the relatively close confines of the Earth-Moon system will involve missions with durations measured in months and communications latencies measured in minutes. To minimize crew risk and to maximize mission success, NASA needs to develop a better understanding of the implications of these types of mission durations and communication latencies on vehicle design, mission design and flight controller interaction with the crew. To begin to address these needs, NASA performed a study using a physics-based subsystem simulation to investigate the interactions between spacecraft crew and a ground-based mission control center for vehicle subsystem operations across long communication delays. The simulation, built with a subsystem modeling tool developed at NASA's Johnson Space Center, models the life support system of a Mars transit vehicle. The simulation contains models of the cabin atmosphere and pressure control system, electrical power system, drinking and waste water systems, internal and external thermal control systems, and crew metabolic functions. The simulation has three interfaces: 1) a real-time crew interface that can be use to monitor and control the vehicle subsystems; 2) a mission control center interface with data transport delays up to 15 minutes each way; 3) a real-time simulation test conductor interface that can be use to insert subsystem malfunctions and observe the interactions between the crew, ground, and simulated vehicle. The study was conducted at the 21st NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) mission between July 18th and Aug 3rd of year 2016. The NEEMO mission provides ideal conditions for this study with crew in the loop, an active control center, and real-time flow of high latency communications and data. NEEMO crew and ground support will work through procedures including activation of the transit vehicle power system, opening the hatch between the transit vehicle and a Mars ascent vehicle, transferring simulated crewmembers between vehicles, overcoming subsystem malfunctions, sending simulated crewmember on extra-vehicular activities, and other housekeeping activities. This study is enhancing the understanding of high latency operations and the advantages and disadvantages of different communication methods. It is also providing results that will help improve the design of simulation interfaces and inform the design of Mars transit vehicles.

Li, Zu Qun↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Artemis Human Landing Systems

The Human Landing System (HLS) is the mode of transportation that will take astronauts to the lunar surface in NASA's Artemis lunar exploration program. On early missions, the astronauts will live inside the pressurized crew cabin portion of the lander for up to a week. The HLS program, based at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is working closely with commercial partners to build innovative and technically advanced lunar landers, leveraging decades of human spaceflight experience and the speed of the commercial sector. In addition to the NextSTEP-2 Broad Agency Announcement Appendix H Option A contract that includes one uncrewed and one crewed demonstration mission to the lunar surface, the HLS program is taking steps to establish a regular cadence of crewed missions to the surface of the Moon. This paper will discuss the HLS program’s latest development activities.

Lisa Watson-Morgan↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Status of the Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber ISS Technology Demonstration 2023-2024

The Four Bed Carbon Dioxide Scrubber (FBCO2) flight demonstration is presently operating as a primary CO 2 removal system onboard the International Space Station (ISS). After activation in October 2021, FBCO2 has been removing metabolic CO 2 from the ISS cabin where it is supplementing or fully replacing the heritage systems. This paper describes the past year’s accomplishments and forward outlook. The performance of the new blower, efforts toward closed-loop operation, and further on-orbit modifications will also be detailed. System reliability, software changes, and ongoing efforts will be summarized.

Life Support↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Interaction of Spacecraft Cabin Atmospheric Quality and Water Processing System Performance

Although designed to remove organic contaminants from a variety of waste water streams, the planned U.S.- and present Russian-provided water processing systems onboard the International Space Station (ISS) have capacity limits for some of the more common volatile cleaning solvents used for housekeeping purposes. Using large quantities of volatile cleaning solvents during the ground processing and in-flight operational phases of a crewed spacecraft such as the ISS can lead to significant challenges to the water processing systems. To understand the challenges facing the management of water processing capacity, the relationship between cabin atmospheric quality and humidity condensate loading is presented. This relationship is developed as a tool to determine the cabin atmospheric loading that may compromise water processing system performance. A comparison of cabin atmospheric loading with volatile cleaning solvents from ISS, Mir, and Shuttle are presented to predict acceptable limits to maintain optimal water processing system performance.

Perry, Jay L.↗