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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 487 records · Page 27
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2002

Fluid Mechanics of Capillary-Elastic Instabilities in Microgravity Environment

The aim of this project is to investigate the closure and reopening of lung airways due to surface tension forces, coupled with airway elasticity. Airways are liquid-lined, flexible tubes and closure of airways can occur by a Rayleigh instability of the liquid lining, or an instability of the elastic support for the airway as the surface tension of the air-liquid interface pulls the tube shut, or both. Regardless of the mechanism, the airway is closed because the liquid lining has created a plug that prevents axial gas exchange. In the microgravity environment, surface tension forces dominate lung mechanics and would lead to more prevalent, and more uniformly distributed air-way closure, thereby creating a potential for respiratory problems for astronauts. Once closed the primary option for reopening an airway is by deep inspiration. This maneuver will pull the flexible airways open and force the liquid plug to flow distally by the incoming air stream. Airway reopening depends to a large extent on this plug flow and how it may lead to plug rupture to regain the continuity of gas between the environment and the alveoli. In addition to mathematical modeling of plug flows in liquid-lined, flexible tubes, this work has involved benchtop studies of propagating liquid plugs down tube networks that mimic the human airway tree. We have extended the work to involve animal models of liquid plug propagation in rat lungs. The liquid is radio-opaque and x-ray video imaging is used to ascertain the movement and distribution of the liquid plugs so that comparisons to theory may be made. This research has other uses, such as the delivery of liquids or drugs into the lung that may be used for surfactant replacement therapy or for liquid ventilation.

Grotberg, James B.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Velocity Distribution of Isolated Radio Pulsars

We infer the velocity distribution of radio pulsars based on large-scale 0.4 GHz pulsar surveys. We do so by modelling evolution of the locations, velocities, spins, and radio luminosities of pulsars; calculating pulsed flux according to a beaming model and random orientation angles of spin and beam; applying selection effects of pulsar surveys; and comparing model distributions of measurable pulsar properties with survey data using a likelihood function. The surveys analyzed have well-defined characteristics and cover approx. 95% of the sky. We maximize the likelihood in a 6-dimensional space of observables P, dot-P, DM, absolute value of b, mu, F (period, period derivative, dispersion measure, Galactic latitude, proper motion, and flux density). The models we test are described by 12 parameters that characterize a population's birth rate, luminosity, shutoff of radio emission, birth locations, and birth velocities. We infer that the radio beam luminosity (i) is comparable to the energy flux of relativistic particles in models for spin-driven magnetospheres, signifying that radio emission losses reach nearly 100% for the oldest pulsars; and (ii) scales approximately as E(exp 1/2) which, in magnetosphere models, is proportional to the voltage drop available for acceleration of particles. We find that a two-component velocity distribution with characteristic velocities of 90 km/ s and 500 km/ s is greatly preferred to any one-component distribution; this preference is largely immune to variations in other population parameters, such as the luminosity or distance scale, or the assumed spin-down law. We explore some consequences of the preferred birth velocity distribution: (1) roughly 50% of pulsars in the solar neighborhood will escape the Galaxy, while approx. 15% have velocities greater than 1000 km/ s (2) observational bias against high velocity pulsars is relatively unimportant for surveys that reach high Galactic absolute value of z distances, but is severe for spatially bounded surveys; (3) an important low-velocity population exists that increases the fraction of neutron stars retained by globular clusters and is consistent with the number of old objects that accrete from the interstellar medium; (4) under standard assumptions for supernova remnant expansion and pulsar spin-down, approx. 10% of pulsars younger than 20 kyr will appear to lie outside of their host remnants. Finally, we comment on the ramifications of our birth velocity distribution for binary survival and the population of inspiraling binary neutron stars relevant to some GRB models and potential sources for LIGO.

Arzoumanian, Z.↗
NASA NTRS2002

International Heliophysical Year

In 1957 a program of international research, inspired by the International Polar Years of 1882-83 and 1932-33, was organized as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) to study global phenomena of the Earth and geospace. The IGY involved about 60,000 scientists from 66 nations, working at thousands of stations, from pole to pole to obtain simultaneous, global observations on Earth and in space. There had never been anything like it before. The fiftieth anniversary of the International Geophysical Year will occur in 2007. We propose to organize an international program of scientific collaboration for this time period called the International Heliophysical Year (IHY). Like it predecessors, the IHY will focus on fundamental global questions of Earth science.

Davila, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

STS-112 Crew Interviews - Magnus

STS-112 Mission Specialist 2 Sandra H. Magnus is seen during a prelaunch interview. She answers questions about her inspiration to become an astronaut and her career path. She gives details on the mission's goals, the most significant of which will be the installation of the S-1 truss structure on the International Space Station (ISS). The installation, one in a series of truss extending missions, will be complicated and will require the use of the robotic arm as well as extravehicular activity (EVA) by astronauts. Magnus also describes her function in the performance of transfer operations. Brief descriptions are given of experiments on board the ISS as well as on board the Shuttle.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-112 Crew Interviews: Ashby

STS-112 Mission Commander Jeffrey Ashby is seen during this preflight interview, answering questions about his inspiration in becoming an astronaut and his career path and provides an overview of the mission. Ashby outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the docking and extravehicular activities (EVAs). He describes the payload (S1 truss) and the importance that the S1 truss will have in the development of the International Space Station (ISS). Ashby discusses the delivery and installation of the S1 truss scheduled to be done in the planned EVAs in some detail. He touches on the use and operation of the Canadarm 2 robotic arm in this process and outlines what supplies will be exchanged with the resident crew of the ISS during transfer activities. He ends with his thoughts on the value of the ISS in fostering international cooperation.

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NASA NTRS2002

Using the Process and Excitement of Science and Technology to Empower Teachers and Engage their Students

Students United with NASA Becoming Enthusiastic About Math and Science (SUNBEAMS) is a Partnership between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) and the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS). It empowers teachers and inspires students with the process and excitement of science and technology. SUNBEAMS is being developed as a model urban intervention program for sixth grade teachers and their students. The teachers come to Goddard for five weeks during the summer. They partner with Goddard mentors and work much the same way that summer students do. In addition, the teachers are responsible for developing lesson plans that they pilot at their schools and post on the SUNBEAMS web site. During the school year, each teacher brings one class to Goddard for a full week of total immersion in math and science.

Crannell, Carol Jo↗
NASA NTRS2002

Starting A New Project: Thoughts from NGST

Some key elements of the history of NGST (Next Generation Space Telescope) that made a new mission possible will be reviewed, from the very beginnings to the present moment in the middle of selecting a prime contractor. A few forecasts of the possible discoveries will be made that may precede the launch of a new UV telescope, in hopes of inspiring sufficiently ambitious goals that they will still be exciting in 15 or 20 years. We will also discuss the enabling technology for NGST and my thoughts on enabling technology for a UV telescope Flint: they are not all about detectors and Mirrors!

Mather, John C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Small Business Innovations (Exoskeletons)

The Dexterous Hand Master (DHM), a 1989 winner of an R&D 100 Award, is an exoskeleton device for measuring the joints of the human hand with extreme precision. It was originally developed for NASA by Arthur D. Little, and is sold commercially by EXOS, Inc. The DHM is worn on the hand and connected to a computer that records hand motions. The resulting data is transmitted as control signals to robots and other computers, enabling robotic hands to emulate human hand actions. Two additional spinoff products were also inspired by the DHM.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-113 Crew Interviews: John Herrington, Mission Specialist 2

STS-113 Mission Specialist 2 John Herrington is seen during a prelaunch interview. He answers questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path, as well as his thoughts on becoming the first Native American in space. He gives details on the mission's goals and significance, which include the transfer of the International Space Station's (ISS) Expedition 6 crew for the Expedition 5 crew, as well as the installation of the ISS's P-1 integrated truss structure. Herrington, who will participate in three EVAs (extravehicular activity), provides details on the installation of the truss structure. He also describes the process of crew transfer, which also involves the transfer of soft goods and scientific experiments, such as the MEMS (microelectromechanical systems)-based Picosatellite Inspector (MEPSI) which will be ejected from the shuttle shortly after it undocks from the ISS.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-113 Crew Interviews: Jim Wetherbee, Commander

STS-113 Commander Jim Wetherbee is seen during this preflight interview where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Wetherbee outlines his role in the mission, what his responsibilities will be, what the crew exchange will be like (transferring the Expedition 6 crew in place of the Expedition 5 crew on the International Space Station (ISS)) and what the importance of the primary payload (the P1 truss) will be. He also provides a detailed account of the three planned extravehicular activities (EVAs) and additional transfer duties. He ends by offering his thoughts on the success of the ISS as the second anniversary of continuous human occupation of the ISS approaches.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-111 Crew Interviews: Phillippe Perrin, Mission Specialist 1

STS-111 Mission Specialist 1 Phillippe Perrin is seen during this preflight interview, where he gives a quick overview of his mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Perrin outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the docking and extravehicular activities (EVAs). He describes what the crew exchange will be like (transferring the Expedition 5 crew in place of the Expedition 4 crew on the International Space Station (ISS)) and the payloads (Mobile Base System (MBS) and the Leonardo Multi-Purpose Logistics Module). Perrin discusses the planned EVAs in detail and outlines what supplies will be left for the resident crew of the ISS. He also provides his thoughts about the significance of the mission to France and the value of the ISS.

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NASA NTRS2002

Expedition 6 Crew Interviews: Don Pettit, Flight Engineer 2/ International Space Station (ISS) Science Officer (SO)

Expedition 6 member Don Pettit (Flight Engineer 2/ International Space Station (ISS) Science Officer (SO)) is seen during a prelaunch interview. He answers questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Pettit, who had been training as a backup crewmember, discusses the importance of training backups for ISS missions. He gives details on the goals and significance of the ISS, regarding experiments in various scientific disciplines such as the life sciences and physical sciences. Pettit also comments on the value of conducting experiments under microgravity. He also gives an overview of the ISS program to date, including the ongoing construction, international aspects, and the routines of ISS crewmembers who inhabit the station for four months at a time. He gives a cursory description of crew transfer procedures that will take place when STS-113 docks with ISS to drop off Pettit and the rest of Expedition 6, and retrieve the Expedition 5 crew.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-113 Crew Interviews: Paul Lockhart, Pilot

STS-113 Pilot Paul Lockhart is seen during this preflight interview, where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Lockhart outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the docking and extravehicular activities (EVAs). He describes the primary mission payload (the P1 truss) and the crew transfer activities (Expedition 6 crew will replace the Expedition 5 Crew). Lockhart discusses the planned EVAs in detail and mentions what supplies will be left for the resident crew of the International Space Station (ISS). He ends with his thoughts about the importance of the ISS as the second anniversary of continuous human occupation of the space station approaches.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-113 Crew Interviews: Michael Lopez-Alegria, Mission Specialist 1

STS-113 Mission Specialist 1 Michael Lopez-Alegria is seen during this preflight interview where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Lopez-Alegria outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the docking and extravehicular activities (EVAs). He describes the payload (P1 truss) and the crew transfer activities (the crew of Expedition Six is replacing the crew of Expedition Five on the International Space Station (ISS)). Lopez-Alegria discusses the planned EVAs in detail and outlines what supplies will be left for the resident crew. He ends with his thoughts on the importance of the ISS as the second anniversary of human occupation of the Space Station approaches.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-111 Crew Interviews: Franklin Chang-Diaz, Mission Specialist 2

STS-111 Mission Specialist 2 Franklin Chang-Diaz is seen during this interview, where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Chang-Diaz outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the extravehicular activities (EVAs). He describes in great detail his duties in the three EVAs which involved preparing the Mobile Remote Servicer Base System (MBS) for installation onto the Space Station's Mobile Transporter, attaching the MBS onto the Space Station and replacing a wrist roll joint on the station's robot arm. Chang-Diaz also discusses the science experiments which are being brought on board the Space Station by the STS-111 mission. He also offers thoughts on how the International Space Station (ISS) fits into NASA's vision and how his previous space mission experience will benefit the STS-111 flight.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-107 Crew Interviews: Kalpana Chawla MS2

STS-107 Mission Specialist 2 Kalpana Chawla is seen during this preflight interview where she gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about her inspiration to become an astronaut and her career path. Chawla outlines her role in the mission in general, and specifically in conducting the on-board science experiments. She discusses the following experiments in detail: MEIDEX (Mediterranean Israel Dust Experiment), CM2 (Combustion Module 2), MIST (Water Mist Fire Suppression), SOFBALL (Structures of Flame Balls at Low Lewis-Number), LSP (Laminar Soot Processes), MGM (Mechanics of Granular Materials) and BDS (Biotechnology Demonstration System). She also discusses the potential benefits of space research, the dual-work shift of the mission and the rewards of international cooperation.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-107 Crew Interviews: David Brown MS1

STS-107 Mission Specialist 1 David Brown is seen during this preflight interview where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career. Brown outlines his role in the mission in general, and specifically during the conducting of on-board science experiments. Brown discusses the following instruments and experiments in detail: ARMS (Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System), MEIDEX (Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment), Combustion Module 2, and FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Enables Science Technology and Research). He also describes the new primary payload carrier, the SPACEHAB research double module which doubles the amount of space available for research. Brown shares his thoughts about the importance of international cooperation in mission planning and the need for scientific research in space.

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NASA NTRS2002

STS-107 Crew Interviews: Rick D. Husband, Commander

STS-107 Commander Rick Husband is seen during this preflight interview, where he gives a quick overview of the mission before answering questions about his inspiration to become an astronaut and his career path. Husband outlines what his role in the mission will be, what training the crew received, what crew member responsibilities will be, particularly during launch and reentry, what day to day life will be like on an extended duration mission, and what science experiments are going to be conducted onboard. He discusses the following science experiments and instruments in detail: MEIDEX (Mediterranean Israeli Dust Experiment), SOLSE (Shuttle Ozone Limb Sounding Experiment, FREESTAR (Fast Reaction Enabling Science Technology and Research) and various student projects. Husband also touches on the importance of space research, the value of international cooperation, the reason for dual crew shifts on the mission and the role of crew members as research subjects.

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