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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 55 records · Page 3
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dragonfly mass spectrometer titan environment optical damage testing

The Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) being developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will use a solid-state 266-nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser perform compositional analysis on the surface of Titan. Due to the high fluence of the focused pulse energy on the laser’s beam steering unit (BSU) and the mass spectrometer window, the damage threshold of these optics in a Titan atmosphere needed to be characterized. This paper details the test setup and the successful demonstration of testing the highest fluence optics for the expected mission duration of 2 million laser pulses in a Titan-relevant atmosphere.

Matt Mullin↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Damage Threshold Testing of UV Optics Under a Titan Environment for NASA’s Dragonfly Mission

The Dragonfly Mass Spectrometer (DraMS) being developed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center will use a solid-state 266-nm pulsed Nd:YAG laser to perform compositional analysis on the surface of Titan. Due to the high fluence of the focused pulse energy on the laser’s beam steering unit (BSU) and the mass spectrometer window, the damage threshold of these optics in a Titan atmosphere needed to be characterized. This paper details the test setup and the successful demonstration of testing the highest fluence optics for the expected mission duration of 2 million laser pulses in a Titan-relevant atmosphere.

Paul R Stysley↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dragonfly’s EDL Approach, Post-PDR Update

Dragonfly is the fourth NASA New Frontiers mission and will send an MMRTG-powered rotorcraft lander to the surface of Titan to study the composition of a wide variety of surface sites and complete the first comprehensive in situ study of Titan’s chemical diversity and complexity. This presentation will provide an update on the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) approach to be implemented during Titan arrival, following the mission successfully passing its preliminary design review (PDR).

K. E. Hibbard↗
NASA NTRS2023

Dragonfly: A Case Study in Dynamic Stability Characterization

Next decade, the Dragonfly probe will enter Titan’s atmosphere on a mission to explore and characterize its unique and complex organic chemistry. In contrast to Mars entry missions, where the challenge is to slow down in its tenuous atmosphere before impacting the surface, Titan’s thick atmosphere provides generous drag. However, Titan has its own unique EDL challenges. Among these challenges is the long time (on the order of 90 minutes!) the vehicle will need to descend unguided through flow regimes where blunt-body entry probes are known to be dynamically unstable. This elongated timeline, both prior to drogue parachute deployment, and during the ensuing descent, has the potential to allow adverse dynamic instability properties to produce large amplitude oscillations in angle-of-attack. This, in-turn may lead to non-compliance in vehicle attitude requirements for EDL events such as parachute deployment, and lander release, or in the most extreme case, tumbling of the aeroshell and near-assured loss of mission.

EDL↗
NASA NTRS2023

Dragonfly: A Case Study in Dynamic Stability Characterization

Next decade, the Dragonfly probe will enter Titan’s atmosphere on a mission to explore and characterize its unique and complex organic chemistry. In contrast to Mars entry missions, where the challenge is to slow down in its tenuous atmosphere before impacting the surface, Titan’s thick atmosphere provides generous drag. However, Titan has its own unique EDL challenges. Among these challenges is the long time (on the order of 90 minutes!) the vehicle will need to descend unguided through flow regimes where blunt-body entry probes are known to be dynamically unstable. This elongated timeline, both prior to drogue parachute deployment, and during the ensuing descent, has the potential to allow adverse dynamic instability properties to produce large amplitude oscillations in angle-of-attack. This, in-turn may lead to non-compliance in vehicle attitude requirements for EDL events such as parachute deployment, and lander release, or in the most extreme case, tumbling of the aeroshell and near-assured loss of mission.

EDL↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dragonfly

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Dragonfly↗
NASA NTRS2018

Preliminary Interplanetary Mission Design and Navigation for the Dragonfly New Frontiers Mission Concept

Dragonfly is one of two mission concepts selected in December 2017 to advance into Phase A of NASA’s New Frontiers competition. Dragonfly would address the Ocean Worlds mission theme by investigating Titan’s habitability and prebiotic chemistry and searching for evidence of chemical biosignatures of past (or extant) life. A rotorcraft lander, Dragonfly would capitalize on Titan’s dense atmosphere to enable mobility and sample materials from a variety of geologic settings. This paper describes Dragonfly’s baseline mission design giving a complete picture of the inherent tradespace and outlines the design process from launch to atmospheric entry.

Laipert, Frank E.↗