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NASA NTRS2004

The New National Vision for Space Exploration

From the Apollo landings on the Moon, to robotic surveys of the Sun and the planets, to the compelling images captured by advanced space telescopes, U.S. achievements in space have revolutionized humanity s view of the universe and have inspired Americans and people around the world. These achievements also have led to the development of technologies that have widespread applications to address problems on Earth. As the world enters the second century of powered flight, it is appropriate to articulate a new vision that will define and guide U.S. space exploration activities for the next several decades. Today, humanity has the potential to seek answers to the most fundamental questions posed about the existence of life beyond Earth. Telescopes have found planets around other stars. Robotic probes have identified potential resources on the Moon, and evidence of water - a key ingredient for life - has been found on Mars and the moons of Jupiter. Direct human experience in space has fundamentally altered our perspective of humanity and our place in the universe. Humans have the ability to respond to the unexpected developments inherent in space travel and possess unique skills that enhance discoveries. Just as Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo challenged a generation of Americans, a renewed U.S. space exploration program with a significant human component can inspire us - and our youth - to greater achievements on Earth and in space. The loss of Space Shuttles Challenger and Columbia and their crews are a stark reminder of the inherent risks of space flight and the severity of the challenges posed by space exploration. In preparation for future human exploration, we must advance our ability to live and work safely in space and, at the same time, develop the technologies to extend humanity s reach to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The new technologies required for further space exploration also will improve the Nation s other space activities and may provide applications that could be used to address problems on Earth. Like the explorers of the past and the pioneers of flight in the last century, we cannot today identify all that we will gain from space exploration; we are confident, nonetheless, that the eventual return will be great. Like their efforts, the success of future U.S. space exploration will unfold over generations. The fundamental goal of this new national vision is to advance U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust space exploration program. In support of this goal, the United States will: 1) Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond; 2) Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of IMars and other destinations; 3) Develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration; and 4) Promote international and commercial participation in exploration to further U.S. scientific, security, and economic interests.

Sackheim, Robert L.↗

NASA NTRS1994

Low Cost Approach to Mars Pathfinder and Small Landers

NASA'sMars Surveyor Program will launch several small orbiters to Mars, each carrying subsets fo the Mars Observer instruments, starting as early as '96, to achieve the Mars Observer Mission objectives. Small landers will follow, as early as '98, accomplishing surface investigations as determined by the NASA AO process.

Mars Pathfinder Pathfinder low cost faster better ↗

NASA NTRS2006

A New Heavy-Lift Capability for Space Exploration: NASA's Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle

The U.S. vision for space exploration is to: a) Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond b) Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for the human exploration of Mars and other destinations c) Develop the innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human exploration, and d) Promote international and commercial participation in exploration.

Dumbacher, Daniel L.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Return to the Moon: NASA's LCROSS AND LRO Missions

NASA s goals include objectives for robotic and human spaceflight: a) Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to explore the solar system and beyond; b) Extend human presence across the solar system, starting with a human return to the Moon by the year 2020, in preparation for human exploration of Mars and other destinations; c) A lunar outpost is envisioned. Site Considerations: 1) General accessibility of landing site (orbital mechanics) 2) Landing site safety 3) Mobility 4) Mars analog 5) Power 6) Communications 7) Geologic diversity 8) ISRU considerations

Morales, Lester↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lightning Protection System

A new Lightning Protection System (LPS) was designed and built at Launch Complex 39B (LC-39B), at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, in 2009, for NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) program. A comprehensive lightning monitoring system was additionally designed and the LC-39B lightning instrumentation started incremental deployment early 2011. By March 2011, the LC-39B lightning monitoring system was activated with short outages during construction and renovations of the LC-39B. Since 2011, the LC-39B LPS has been directly struck at least once per year. The earliest and latest in a year that the LPS has been directly struck by lightning has been January 7th and October 1st (both 2017), respectively. During the summer of 2018, the Mobile Launcher 1 (ML-1) lightning monitoring system was deployed and partially active during ML-1 construction/testing. Since 2018, the ML-1 has been parked at the LC-39B for different durations of time for integrated testing. Early August 2019 (6th and 9th ) multiple lightning strikes terminated directly on the LPS at three different locations in addition to a nearby strike within the Pad perimeter and multiple nearby strikes outside the Pad Perimeter, triggering both, the LC-39B and the ML-1 lightning monitoring systems. This has been the first time direct lightning strikes have terminated on the LPS or within the LC-39B perimeter while the ML-1 has been at the LC-39B. This paper summarizes direct and close nearby lightning strikes to LC-39B from 2011 until the summer of 2019.

Angel G Mata↗

NASA NTRS2023

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture – Expanding Our Future

NASA is going to the Moon. And it will don a new spacesuit when it reaches its destination. NASA is partnering with industry to build the spacesuit and supporting systems (i.e., surface mobility tools) that astronauts will use on the Moon, starting with Artemis III. The Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program (EHP) is managing this effort, and the U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program is expanding its scope to help. For 15 years, the SKC Program has collected, archived, and disseminated decades of spacesuit-related knowledge, as appropriate, to help NASA scientists, technicians, and engineers support space exploration. The SKC Program captures its knowledge by hosting and recording subject-matter expert (SME) lectures, interviews, and workshops. It also collects retired SMEs’ reports, drawings, and schematics containing legacy spacesuit knowledge. To build a technically capable spacesuit essential for future lunar exploration, spacesuit professionals borrowed much of their knowledge from legacy Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuits. Most of the SKC Program’s captured knowledge has focused on legacy and current spacesuits. To support EHP, the SKC Program is expanding its knowledge capture focus beyond the spacesuit and will seek to collect knowledge from other pertinent topics (e.g., Lunar Terrain Vehicle and EVA tools). In 2007, the SKC Program began as an independent source, without funding. As demand for capturing essential spacesuit knowledge increased, consequently, the SKC Program’s funding increased. Expansion of the SKC Program was evident in 2019, when it seized the opportunity to capture the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) buildup at JSC. In 2021, its collaboration with the xEMU Technical Community of Practice facilitated training and knowledge sharing with the xEMU team. In 2022, the SKC Program began supporting EHP. This paper describes the SKC Program’s expansive evolution, plans to support EHP, and more.

Cinda Chullen↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development Of 12 Kw Hall Thrusters for Nasa Lunar Gateway Power And Propulsion Element

NASA is embarking on a new and exciting era of human exploration to the Moon and its vicinity. As part of the Artemis program, NASA is developing the lunar Gateway, an orbiting platform in Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) about the Moon. The first two elements of the Gateway will be launched in 2024 and will be transferred from a high Earth orbit to the NRHO via the use of Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP). The SEP system is located on the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) which will provide up to 60 kW of power. Aerojet Rocketdyne is developing the 12 kW flight Hall thrusters to be used for transferring the PPE and the Habitat and Logistics Outpost (HALO) module to NRHO. Work is continuing on the development testing, and these results will be described in the paper. The project has also recently completed its critical design review and is transitioning to the fabrication of the three flight thrusters. The 12 kW Hall thrusters are being developed under the NASA Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) program. As part of the AEPS program, AR built two Engineering Test Unit (ETU) Hall thrusters based on the NASA HERMeS engine and conducted a series of tests to validate the design. One series of tests focused on environments and functional testing, while the other series was mainly focused on long duration test blocks. Results from these tests were used to compare with NASA data from the HERMeS thruster. The comparison of the test results showed no change to the critical performance and lifetime parameters, which enabled the next phase of the program to proceed. Currently testing is continuing on the Engineering Development Units (EDU) as part of the flight qualification activities. The successful completion of the CDR serves as the starting point for the flight thruster fabrication, which is now underway to support the launch of the Gateway modules in 2024. The development and qualification of the AEPS 12 kW Hall thrusters is proceeding well. As the program completes CDR and transitions into flight builds of the three 12 kW Hall thrusters that will be used to transfer the combined PPE and HALO stack to the NRHO, the results of the development testing are reviewed in this presentation, and a status of the program and future plans is provided. The launch of the two Gateway modules and the transfer of this large payload to cislunar orbit will mark a significant milestone in electric propulsion, as it will demonstrate the ability of SEP to transfer very large payloads over great distances. This establishes the precedent that could lead to cargo transfers from the Earth to the Moon or even to Mars using SEP.

Hall thrusters↗

NASA NTRS1990

Search for near-Earth asteroids with the spacewatch camera

The Spacewatch Program began as an engineering development of the discovery of near-earth asteroids and comets, with the firs observations starting in 1983, using an RCA charge coupled device (CCD) that has 320 x 512 pixels. Extensive software was written to scan the sky and learn how to do astrometry for precise orbits of newly discovered objects. The merit of the concept was proven, with many observations reported and comets recovered. The precision of astrometric observations for comets and asteroids was improved. For efficient scanning and discovery of new objects, a Tektronix 2048 x 2048 CCD was obtained and is now permanently on the Spacewatch Telescope. Other aspects of the Spacewatch Program are briefly discussed.

Gehrels, T.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Low Gravity Materials Science Research for Space Exploration

On January 14, 2004, the President of the United States announced a new vision for the United States civil space program. The Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has the responsibility to implement this new vision. The President also created a Presidential Commission 'to obtain recommendations concerning implementation of the new vision for space exploration.' The President's Commission recognized that achieving the exploration objectives would require significant technical innovation, research, and development in focal areas defined as 'enabling technologies.' Among the 17 enabling technologies identified for initial focus were advanced structures; advanced power and propulsion; closed-loop life support and habitability; extravehicular activity system; autonomous systems and robotics; scientific data collection and analysis; biomedical risk mitigation; and planetary in situ resource utilization. The Commission also recommended realignment of NASA Headquarters organizations to support the vision for space exploration. NASA has aggressively responded in its planning to support the vision for space exploration and with the current considerations of the findings and recommendations from the Presidential Commission. This presentation will examine the transformation and realignment activities to support the vision for space exploration that are underway in the microgravity materials science program. The heritage of the microgravity materials science program, in the context of residence within the organizational structure of the Office of Biological and Physical Research, and thematic and sub-discipline based research content areas, will be briefly examined as the starting point for the ongoing transformation. Overviews of future research directions will be presented and the status of organizational restructuring at NASA Headquarters, with respect to influences on the microgravity materials science program, will be discussed. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

Clinton, R. G., Jr.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Hubble Space Telescope: Cycle 1 calibration plan. Version 1.0

The framework for quantitative scientific analysis with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) will be established from a detailed calibration program, and a major responsibility of staff in the Telescope & Instruments Branch (TIB) is the development and maintenance of this calibration for the instruments and the telescope. The first in-orbit calibration will be performed by the SI Investigation Definition Teams (IDTs) during the Science Verification (SV) period in Cycle 0 (expected to start 3 months after launch and last for 5 months). Subsequently, instrument scientists in the TIB become responsible for all aspects of the calibration program. Because of the long lead times involved, TIB scientists have already formulated a calibration plan for the next observing period, Cycle 1 (expected to last a year after the end of SV), which has been reviewed and approved by the STScI Director. The purpose here is to describe the contents of this plan. Our primary aim has been to maintain through Cycle 1 the level of calibration that is anticipated by the end of SV. Anticipated accuracies are given here in tabular form - of course, these accuracies can only be best guesses because we do not know how each instrument will actually perform on-orbit. The calibration accuracies are expected to satisfy the normal needs of both the General Observers (GOs) and the Guaranteed Time Observers (GTOs).

Stanley, Peggy↗

NASA NTRS1994

Advanced composites in Japan

The JTEC Panel on Advanced Composites surveyed the status and future directions of Japanese high-performance ceramic and carbon fibers and their composites in metal, intermetallic, ceramic, and carbon matrices. Because of a strong carbon and fiber industry, Japan is the leader in carbon fiber technology. Japan has initiated an oxidation-resistant carbon/carbon composite program. With its outstanding technical base in carbon technology, Japan should be able to match present technology in the U.S. and introduce lower-cost manufacturing methods. However, the panel did not see any innovative approaches to oxidation protection. Ceramic and especially intermetallic matrix composites were not yet receiving much attention at the time of the panel's visit. There was a high level of monolithic ceramic research and development activity. High temperature monolithic intermetallic research was just starting, but notable products in titanium aluminides had already appeared. Matrixless ceramic composites was one novel approach noted. Technologies for high temperature composites fabrication existed, but large numbers of panels or parts had not been produced. The Japanese have selected aerospace as an important future industry. Because materials are an enabling technology for a strong aerospace industry, Japan initiated an ambitious long-term program to develop high temperature composites. Although just starting, its progress should be closely monitored in the U.S.

Diefendorf, R. Judd↗

NASA NTRS2008

Exploration Supply Chain Simulation

The Exploration Supply Chain Simulation project was chartered by the NASA Exploration Systems Mission Directorate to develop a software tool, with proper data, to quantitatively analyze supply chains for future program planning. This tool is a discrete-event simulation that uses the basic supply chain concepts of planning, sourcing, making, delivering, and returning. This supply chain perspective is combined with other discrete or continuous simulation factors. Discrete resource events (such as launch or delivery reviews) are represented as organizational functional units. Continuous resources (such as civil service or contractor program functions) are defined as enabling functional units. Concepts of fixed and variable costs are included in the model to allow the discrete events to interact with cost calculations. The definition file is intrinsic to the model, but a blank start can be initiated at any time. The current definition file is an Orion Ares I crew launch vehicle. Parameters stretch from Kennedy Space Center across and into other program entities (Michaud Assembly Facility, Aliant Techsystems, Stennis Space Center, Johnson Space Center, etc.) though these will only gain detail as the file continues to evolve. The Orion Ares I file definition in the tool continues to evolve, and analysis from this tool is expected in 2008. This is the first application of such business-driven modeling to a NASA/government-- aerospace contractor endeavor.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1998

The NASA Low-Pressure Turbine Flow Physics Program

An overview of the NASA Lewis Low-Pressure Turbine (LPT) Flow Physics Program will be presented. The program was established in response to the aero-engine industry's need for improved LPT efficiency and designs. Modern jet engines have four to seven LPT stages, significantly contributing to engine weight. In addition, there is a significant efficiency degradation between takeoff and cruise conditions, of up to 2 points. Reducing the weight and part count of the LPT and minimizing the efficiency degradation will translate into fuel savings. Accurate prediction methods of LPT flows and losses are needed to accomplish those improvements. The flow in LPT passages is at low Reynolds number, and is dominated by interplay of three basic mechanisms: transition, separation and wake interaction. The affecting parameters traditionally considered are Reynolds number, freestream turbulence intensity, wake frequency parameter, and the pressure distribution (loading). Three-dimensional effects and additional parameters, particularly turbulence characteristics like length scales, spectra and other statistics, as well as wake turbulence intensity and properties also play a role. The flow of most interest is on the suction surface, where large losses are generated as the flow tends to separate at the low Reynolds numbers. Ignoring wakes, a common flow scenario, there is laminar separation, followed by transition on the separation bubble and turbulent reattachment. If transition starts earlier the separation will be eliminated and the boundary layer will be attached leading to the well known bypass transition issues. In contrast, transition over a separation bubble is closer to free shear layer transition and was not investigated as well, particularly in the turbine environment. Unsteadiness created by wakes complicates the picture. Wakes induce earlier transition, and the calmed regions trailing the induced turbulent spots can delay or eliminate separation via shear stress modification. Three-dimensional flow physics and geometry will have strong effects. Altogether a very complex and challenging problem emerges. The objective of the program is to provide improved models and physical understanding of the complex flow, which are essential for accurate prediction of flow and losses in the LPT. Experimental, computational and analytical work as complementing and augmenting approaches are used. The program involves industry, universities and research institutes, and other government laboratories. It is characterized by strong interaction among participants, quick dissemination of results, and responsiveness to industry's needs. The presentation will describe the work elements. Highlighting some activities in progress are experiments on simulated blade suction surface in low-speed wind tunnels, on curved wall, and on a flat-plate, both with pressure gradient. In the area of computation, assessment of existing models is performed using RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes) simulations. Laminar flow DNS was completed. Analytical studies of instability and receptivity in attached and separated flows were started. In the near future the program is moving to include wake effects and development of improved modeling. Experimental work in preparation stages are: (1) Addition of wakes to the curved tunnel experiment; (2) Low-speed rotating rig experiment on GE90 engine LPT; and (3) Transonic cascade. In the area of computation, it is expected to move from model assessment towards development of improved models. In addition, a new project of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of LPT is to begin and will provide numerical data bases. It is planned to implement the emerging improved models in a multistage turbomachinery code and to validate against the GE90 engine LPT.

Ashpis, David E.↗

NASA NTRS1995

Rheoencephalographic (REG) Assessment of Head and Neck Cooling for use with Multiple Sclerosis Patients

We have prepared a computer program (RHEOSYS:RHEOencephalographic impedance trace scanning SyStem) that can be used to automate the analysis of segmental impedance blood flow waveforms. This program was developed to assist in the post test analysis of recorded impedance traces from multiple segments of the body. It incorporates many of the blood flow, segmental volume, and vascular state indices reported in the world literature. As it is currently programmed, seven points are selected from each blood flow pulse and associated ECG waveforrn: 1. peak of the first ECG QRS complex, 2. start of systolic slope on the blood flow trace, 3. maximum amplitude of the impedance pulse, 4. position of the dicrotic notch, 5. maximum amplitude of the postdicrotic segment, 6. peak of the second ECG QRS complex, and 7. start of the next blood flow pulse. These points we used to calculate various geometric, area, and time-related values associated with the impedance pulse morphology. RHEOSYS then calculates a series of 34 impedance and cardiac cycle parameters which include pulse amplitudes; areas; pulse propagation times; cardiac cycle times; and various measures of arterial and various tone, contractility, and pulse volume. We used this program to calculate the scalp and intracranial blood flow responses to head and neck cooling as it may be applied to lower the body temperatures of multiple sclerosis patients. Twelve women and twelve men were tested using a commercially available head and neck cooling system operated at its maximum cooling capacity for a period of 30 minutes. Head and neck cooling produced a transient change in scalp blood flow and a significant, (P<0.05) decrease of approx. 30% in intracranial blood flow. Results of this experiment will illustrate how REG and RHEOSYS can be used in biomedical applications.

Montogomery, Leslie D.↗

NASA NTRS1980

Boundary layer stability analysis of a natural laminar flow glove on the F-111 TACT airplane

A natural laminar flow airfoil has been developed as a part of the aircraft energy efficiency program. A NASA flight program incorporating this airfoil into partial wing gloves on the F-111 TACT airplane was scheduled to start in May, 1980. In support of this research effort, an extensive boundary layer stability analysis of the partial glove has been conducted. The results of that analysis show the expected effects of wing leading-edge sweep angle, Reynolds number, and compressibility on boundary layer stability and transition. These results indicate that it should be possible to attain on the order of 60% laminar flow on the upper surface and 50% laminar flow on the lower surface for sweep angles of at least 20 deg, chord Reynolds numbers of 25 x 10 to the 6th and Mach numbers from 0.81 to 0.85.

Runyan, L. J.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Concentrator Development

During the years of technology development by the Parabolic Dish program, the problems peculiar to tracking dishes have been explored in depth with particular emphasis on economics. Starting with the Precursor Concentrator, testing techniques and apparatus such as calorimeters and the flux mapper were developed. At the same time, mirrors were developed to have a long operating life as well as high performance. Commercially available equipment was evaluated as well. Building on all these elements, the Test Bed Concentrators were designed and built. With a peak intensity in the focal plane of over 17,500 suns and an average concentrator ratio over 3000 on an eight inch diameter aperture, they have proven to be the work horses of the technology. With a readily adjustable mirror array, they have proved to be an essential tool in the development of dish components, receivers, heat transport systems, instrumentation, controls, engines, and materials - all necessary to cost effective modules and plants. Utilizing the lessons learned from this technology, most cost effective systems were designed. These included Parabolic Dish Number 1 (PDC-1) and PDC-2 currently in final design by Acurex Corporation. Even more advanced concepts are being worked on, such as the Cassegranian systems by BDM Corporation.

Owen, W. A.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Planning actions in robot automated operations

Action planning in robot automated operations requires intelligent task level programming. Invoking intelligence necessiates a typical blackboard based architecture, where, a plan is a vector between the start frame and the goal frame. This vector is composed of partially ordered bases. A partial ordering of bases presents good and bad sides in action planning. Partial ordering demands the use of a temporal data base management system.

Das, A.↗

NASA NTRS1993

SeaTrack: Ground station orbit prediction and planning software for sea-viewing satellites

An orbit prediction software package (Sea Track) was designed to assist High Resolution Picture Transmission (HRPT) stations in the acquisition of direct broadcast data from sea-viewing spacecraft. Such spacecraft will be common in the near future, with the launch of the Sea viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) in 1994, along with the continued Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) series on NOAA platforms. The Brouwer-Lyddane model was chosen for orbit prediction because it meets the needs of HRPT tracking accuracies, provided orbital elements can be obtained frequently (up to within 1 week). Sea Track requires elements from the U.S. Space Command (NORAD Two-Line Elements) for the satellite's initial position. Updated Two-Line Elements are routinely available from many electronic sources (some are listed in the Appendix). Sea Track is a menu-driven program that allows users to alter input and output formats. The propagation period is entered by a start date and end date with times in either Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) or local time. Antenna pointing information is provided in tabular form and includes azimuth/elevation pointing angles, sub-satellite longitude/latitude, acquisition of signal (AOS), loss of signal (LOS), pass orbit number, and other pertinent pointing information. One version of Sea Track (non-graphical) allows operation under DOS (for IBM-compatible personal computers) and UNIX (for Sun and Silicon Graphics workstations). A second, graphical, version displays orbit tracks, and azimuth-elevation for IBM-compatible PC's, but requires a VGA card and Microsoft FORTRAN.

Lambert, Kenneth S.↗