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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 NTRS1979

Space science on the Space Shuttle - Plans and prospects

The paper gives an overview of current planning for the use of the Space Shuttle and Spacelab for carrying out NASA's program in Space Science. Attention is given to the major categories of use: (1) as a launch and service vehicle; (2) as an experiment platform for carrying out passive observations; (3) as a component in active and controlled experiments in space; and (4) as a manned orbiting laboratory for carrying out investigations requiring hands-on access to equipment and samples. Examples of each type of use are given. Also discussed are some of the multi-user facility instruments which are planned for early development. Finally, payloads to be carried on the early missions are discussed with particular emphasis on the capabilities of the Shuttle/Spacelab.

Rosendhal, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1988

NASA's Zero-g aircraft operations

NASA's Zero-g aircraft, operated by the Johnson Space Center, provides the unique weightless or zero-g environment of space flight for hardware development and test and astronaut training purposes. The program, which began in 1959, uses a slightly modified Boeing KC-135A aircraft, flying a parabolic trajectory, to produce weightless periods of 20 to 25 seconds. The program has supported the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and Shuttle programs as well as a number of unmanned space operations. Typical experiments for flight in the aircraft have included materials processing experiments, welding, fluid manipulation, cryogenics, propellant tankage, satellite deployment dynamics, planetary sciences research, crew training with weightless indoctrination, space suits, tethers, etc., and medical studies including vestibular research. The facility is available to microgravity research organizations on a cost-reimbursable basis, providing a large, hands-on test area for diagnostic and support equipment for the Principal Investigators and providing an iterative-type design approach to microgravity experiment development. The facility allows concepts to be proven and baseline experimentation to be accomplished relatively inexpensively prior to committing to the large expense of a space flight.

Williams, R. K.↗
DOE OSTI2025

NeuroCoreX: Brain-Inspired Computing from Code to Circuit

NeuroCoreX is an open-source codebase that enables the implementation of brain-inspired, energy-efficient neuromorphic computing models on FPGA hardware. Designed to support real-time learning, all-to-all neural connectivity, and flexible network architectures, NeuroCoreX offers a hands-on, accessible platform for exploring biologically inspired models of neural computation. It empowers researchers, students, and developers to implement and experiment with adaptive systems—bringing the power of neuromorphic computing to a broader community through a low-cost, scalable, and reconfigurable framework.

Gautam, Ashish [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORN↗
NASA NTRS1989

The 3D model control of image processing

Telerobotics studies remote control of distant robots by a human operator using supervisory or direct control. Even if the robot manipulators has vision or other senses, problems arise involving control, communications, and delay. The communication delays that may be expected with telerobots working in space stations while being controlled from an Earth lab have led to a number of experiments attempting to circumvent the problem. This delay in communication is a main motivating factor in moving from well understood instantaneous hands-on manual control to less well understood supervisory control; the ultimate step would be the realization of a fully autonomous robot. The 3-D model control plays a crucial role in resolving many conflicting image processing problems that are inherent in resolving in the bottom-up approach of most current machine vision processes. The 3-D model control approach is also capable of providing the necessary visual feedback information for both the control algorithms and for the human operator.

Nguyen, An H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Utility experience with two demonstration wind turbine generators

Edison has committed 360 MW of nameplate generating capacity to wind energy by year 1990 in its long-range generation plan. To reach this goal the Company's wind energy program focuses on three areas: the continuous evaluation of the wind resource, the hands-on demonstration of wind turbine generators (WTG) and an association with wind park developers. Two demonstration WTGs have been installed and operated at Edison's Wind Energy Center near Palm Springs, California: a 3 MW horizontal axis Bendix/Schachle WTG and a 500 kW vertical axis Alcoa WTG. They are part of a one to two year test program during which the performance of the WTGs will be evaluated, their system operation and environmental impact will be assessed and the design criteria of future WTGs will be identified. Edison's experience with these two WTGs is summarized and the problems encountered with the operation of the two machines are discussed.

Wehrey, M. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A Space and Atmospheric Visualization Science System

SAVS (a Space and Atmospheric Visualization Science system) is an integrated system with user-friendly functionality that employs a 'push-button' software environment that mimics the logical scientific processes in data acquisition, reduction, analysis, and visualization. All of this is accomplished without requiring a detailed understanding of the methods, networks, and modules that link the tools and effectively execute the functions. This report describes SAVS and its components, followed by several applications based on generic research interests in interplanetary and magnetospheric physics (IMP/ISTP), active experiments in space (CRRES), and mission planning focused on the earth's thermospheric, ionospheric, and mesospheric domains (TIMED). The final chapters provide a user-oriented description of interface functionalities, hands-on operations, and customized modules, with details of the primary modules presented in the appendices. The overall intent of the report is to reflect the accomplishments of the three-year development effort and to introduce potential users to the power and utility of the integrated data acquisition, analysis, and visualization system.

Szuszczewicz, E. P.↗
NASA NTRS1981

University/industry collaboration in remote sensing education

A graduate level course covering the development and structure of geographical information systems and the acquisition and processing of LANDSAT data for input to these systems is described. A portion of the course was devoted to hands-on classification of LANDSAT digital tapes utilizing both university and private industry processing systems. This industry/university collaboration was extremely successful and resulted in a high quality course. It gave the students an excellent experience in working in a real-world client/consultant relationship undertaken to accomplish a specific task. There were two key factors in the success of the collaboration. First, there was a very careful product definition and advance meetings between the University faculty and the company personnel to be involved. Second, the students were not taken into the industrial facility until late in the course, after they had a reasonable knowledge of the physical bases of remote sensing, the concept of spectral signatures, and the fundamentals of pattern analysis.

Ragan, R. M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Muckleshoot Indian Tribe-Energy Deployment (MITED) Project

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe (MIT) collaborated with our Project Partner, GRID Alternatives (GRID), to install 132 kilowatts of direct current (kW-DC) of rooftop solar on three Tribal facilities. The three facilities are the Tribe’s Youth Drop-In Center, Canoe Shed, and Water Treatment Facility. The solar PV systems were originally anticipated to offset approximately 45% of the aggregate annual electricity usage of the three buildings. A major aspect of the MIT-ED project was providing hands-on paid training to five Muckleshoot Building Maintenance workers in solar PV installations, operations, and maintenance. The scope of work aligns with the Tribe’s goals of building local capacity and providing real world work experience and potential career opportunities in solar PV to its citizens. The Building Maintenance Department committed five of its current FTE employees to the project. GRID provided guidance for the MIT project team on identifying paid trainees as well as end goals of skill development through training, including a long-term Operations and Maintenance (O&M) plan tailored to the Tribe’s goals of local capacity building and stewardship of natural resources.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1989

Elementary and middle school science improvement project

The Alabama A and M University Elementary and Middle School Science Improvement Project (Project SIP) was instituted to improve the science knowledge of elementary and middle school teachers using the experimental or hands-on approach. Summer workshops were conducted during the summers of 1986, 1987, and 1988 in the areas of biology, chemistry, physics, and electricity, and magnetism. Additionally, a manual containing 43 lessons which included background information, experiments and activities for classroom and home use was provided to each teacher. During the course of the project activities, the teachers interacted with various university faculty members, scientists, and NASA staff. The administrative aspects of the program, the delivery of the services to participating teachers, and the project outcome are addressed.

Mcguire, Saundra Y.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Petite Amateur Navy Satellite (PANSAT)

The Naval Postgraduate School's (NPS) Space Systems Academic Group (SSAG) is designing and developing a small communications satellite for launch aboard the shuttle as a complex autonomous payload (CAP). The objectives of PANSAT are three-fold. First, PANSAT will provide an ideal educational tool for the officer students at NPS supporting Space Systems Engineering and Space Systems Operations with hands-on hardware development. Second, the satellite will provide digital store-and-forward communications, or packet radio, for the amateur radio community. The third objective is to provide a low-cost, space-based platform for small experiments. PANSAT will be launched from the shuttle at a nominal altitude of 200 n.m. and an inclination of at least 37 degrees. The satellite weight is 150 lbs. Since there is no attitude control, eight dipole whip antennas will be used to provide isotropic ground coverage for communications. FM digital communications will be used with up-link and down-link on a single frequency in the amateur band of 437.25 MHz. A maximum 50 kHz of bandwidth is envisioned for the satellite. The expected lifetime of the satellite is 1 1/2 to 2 years before atmospheric reentry. The PANSAT design consists of the following: communications subsystem (COMM); computer, or data processor and sequencer (DP&S); power subsystem; structure subsystem; and experiment payload.

Sakoda, D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Some considerations in low-cost image processing on a university main frame: The Penn State (ORSER) experience

The ORSER System as implemented on the Penn State University Computation Center's IBM main frame is an exceptionally useful mechanism for instructing the present and future remote sensing community in the theory and practice of automated analysis of digitized data. From its beginning, the system was used as the hands-on back-bone of a graduate level "Multispectral Remote Sensing" one-term course taught annually in the School of Forest Resources. It was also used at the end of a senior-level undergraduate "Introduction to Remote Sensing" course, and in teaching a variety of short courses, ranging in length from a few days for small groups of remote sensing consultants with specific application interests, to a 2-week course oganized by NASA for regional and urban planners who had little or no previous exposure to remote sensing. Because of its modular construction, the ORSER is suitable for all classes of remote sensing users. Although in a beginning course only 6 to 10 of the programs are generally used, the researcher has a set of about 35 programs available for his analyses.

Turner, B. J.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quality Control of Silicon Sensor Modules for Particle Detectors

The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) will produce a higher rate of particle collisions than the current Large Hadron Collider (LHC), requiring important upgrades to the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) to handle an increased amount of data. An important upgrade is the Phase-2 Outer Tracker Upgrade, which consists of 13,000 silicon sensor modules made of two parallel silicon sensors and readout electronics. These modules undergo careful quality control checks both during and after module assembly to ensure precise and reliable detector performance. This project focuses on precision testing for quality control of silicon sensor modules at Fermilab. Hands-on work includes visual inspection, current-voltage testing, module testing, and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of modules showing abnormal current-voltage behavior. The ultraviolet exposure process improves the abnormal sensor readout data by placing the selected sensor side of the module directly under the UV light inside a controlled box. In addition to laboratory testing and ultraviolet experiments, I developed a Python-based data tool that connects to a module database and allows selected testing conditions and module information to be retrieved and displayed efficiently. These different testing procedures, experimental processes, and computational tools support the broader goal of identifying module issues and improving modules that will be used in the CMS Outer Tracker Phase-2 Upgrade.

Siddiqui, Hooriya [DuPage Coll.] (ORCID:0009000151↗
DOE OSTI2026

Quality Control of Silicon Sensor Modules for Particle Detectors

The High-Luminosity Large Hadron Collider (HL-LHC) will produce a higher rate of particle collisions than the current Large Hadron Collider (LHC), requiring significant upgrades to the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) to handle the increased amount of data. An important upgrade is the Phase-2 Outer Tracker Upgrade, which consists of 13,000 silicon sensor modules made of two parallel silicon sensors and readout electronics. These modules undergo careful quality control checks both during and after module assembly to ensure precise and reliable detector performance. This project focuses on precision testing for quality control of silicon sensor modules at Fermilab. Hands-on work includes visual inspection, current-voltage testing, module testing, and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure of modules showing abnormal current-voltage behavior. The ultraviolet exposure process improves the abnormal sensor readout data by placing the selected sensor side of the module directly under the UV light inside a controlled box. In addition to laboratory testing and ultraviolet experiments, I developed a Python-based data tool that connects to a module database and allows selected testing conditions and module information to be retrieved and displayed efficiently. These different testing procedures, experimental processes, and computational tools support the broader goal of identifying module issues and improving modules that will be used in the CMS Outer Tracker Phase-2 Upgrade.

Siddiqui, Hooriya [DuPage Coll.; Fermilab] (ORCID:↗
NASA NTRS1994

Life in the Universe: Foundation for exciting multidisciplinary science activities for middle and elementary school classes

Young students find extra-terrestrial life one of the most intriguing of all topics. A project funded by the National Science Foundation and NASA, and administered by the SETI Institute, is underway to devise science lessons for grades 3-9 that draw upon this fascination. The lessons are designed by teachers and persons with long experience at curriculum design, tested in classrooms, revised and retested. Six guides, each containing some 6-10 science lessons, will be finished by summer, 1994.The theme Life in the Universe lends itself naturally to integrated treatment of facts and concepts from many scientific disciplines. The lessons for two completed guides span the origin of planet systems, evolution of complex life, chemical makeup of life, astronomy, spectroscopy, continental drift, mathematics and SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). All lessons are hands-on, interesting, and successful.

Milne, D.↗
DOE OSTI2024

Experiments and Project-Based Enhancements for STEM Learning

Motivating K-12 students to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) is an effort that requires consistent engagement. Throughout the K-12 student timeline, STEM educators need to continuously pivot their teaching and update their educational materials to motivate the next generation of students. Once students begin their undergraduate education, university professors need to encourage them to consider pursuing graduate studies to ensure that a qualified future workforce can be developed for research and teaching. In this paper, we present our work on developing STEM materials for K-12 student engagement. Our K-12 materials target the grid integration of hydrogen assets that are suitable to engage students in the classroom. Our undergraduate materials target hands-on projects and collaboration with industry to connect classroom learning with real-world applications and needs in renewable energy. Our work leverages available open-source models and tools to create projects for undergraduate students and motivate their interest in pursuing research topics in graduate-level education.

ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1990

Project LASER

NASA formally launched Project LASER (Learning About Science, Engineering and Research) in March 1990, a program designed to help teachers improve science and mathematics education and to provide 'hands on' experiences. It featured the first LASER Mobile Teacher Resource Center (MTRC), is designed to reach educators all over the nation. NASA hopes to operate several MTRCs with funds provided by private industry. The mobile unit is a 22-ton tractor-trailer stocked with NASA educational publications and outfitted with six work stations. Each work station, which can accommodate two teachers at a time, has a computer providing access to NASA Spacelink. Each also has video recorders and photocopy/photographic equipment for the teacher's use. MTRC is only one of the five major elements within LASER. The others are: a Space Technology Course, to promote integration of space science studies with traditional courses; the Volunteer Databank, in which NASA employees are encouraged to volunteer as tutors, instructors, etc; Mobile Discovery Laboratories that will carry simple laboratory equipment and computers to provide hands-on activities for students and demonstrations of classroom activities for teachers; and the Public Library Science Program which will present library based science and math programs.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2026

Oak Ridge Computing Academy: An HPC cluster deployment and management pilot

The High Performance Computing Technologies (HPCT) course is a hands-on High Performance Computing (HPC) cluster deployment and management training program offered as part of the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) and the International Center for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) Master in High Performance Computing (MHPC) specialization. Here, this training program introduces students to key concepts in cluster configuration. which include networking, software stack provisioning, job scheduling, and monitoring. The publicly available course materials feature several examples and underlying methods that are broadly applicable to cluster deployment and management. This paper discusses the design of a new workforce development program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory that is based on HPCT, the Oak Ridge Computing Academy (ORCA). The ORCA pilot program was hosted by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) in Summer 2025. As a part of this discussion, HPCT and ORCA course contents and infrastructure are outlined, ORCA participant experiences are detailed, and potential opportunities for improvement are discussed.

Education↗
DOE OSTI2025

Immersive Digital Twin Laboratory for Engineering Education (CRADA Final Report)

This project aimed to create an immersive digital twin laboratory that incorporates advanced tracking and visualization capabilities. In collaboration with Fort Lewis College, NREL designed a state-of-the-art physical visualization laboratory, developed a software platform to enable interaction with tracked physical objects in the laboratory, and provided proof-of-concept curricula that included manipulating these tracked objects. The project was initiated to address the growing need for innovative educational tools in engineering education. As renewable energy systems, particularly solar installations, become more complex, there is a pressing need to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. Traditional methods of teaching solar engineering concepts often fall short of providing students with a comprehensive, hands-on understanding. This immersive digital twin laboratory was conceived to fill that gap by creating a safe, non-energized setting where students can interact with augmented solar installation objects, gaining valuable insights into system performance, design, and maintenance. The project utilized extended reality (XR) technologies, including head-mounted displays (HMDs) and a whole-room optical motion tracking system, to connect physical objects with their digital twins in real time. The laboratory was equipped with MagicLeap 2 HMDs, supported by a Vicon Vero 2.2 Optical Tracking System, which provided precise 6-degrees-of-freedom (6-DOF) tracking. We developed a software platform to manage the interaction between the tracked physical objects and their virtual counterparts, enabling real-time data synchronization, object recognition, and virtual overlays. We designed the system to be flexible and extendable, allowing for future integration of additional objects and curriculum. This research advances the field of engineering education by demonstrating the potential of immersive digital twin environments. The laboratory provides a dynamic learning space where students can experiment, collaborate, and learn without the risks associated with live experimentation. The ability to simulate and manipulate solar installation objects under various conditions has broad implications for workforce development, particularly in renewable energy. The project also highlights the economic feasibility of using XR technologies in educational settings, offering a cost-effective solution for institutions looking to enhance their curriculum. By fostering a deeper understanding of solar energy systems, this work contributes to the broader goal of supporting the global energy transition and preparing the next generation of engineers and technicians.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗