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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 595 records · Page 33
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

The Benefits of Virtual Presence in Space (VPS) to Deep Space Missions

Understanding our place in the Universe is one of mankind's greatest scientific and technological challenges and achievements. The invention of the telescope, the Copernican Revolution, the development of Newtonian mechanics, and the Space Age exploration of our solar system; provided us with a deeper understanding of our place in the Universe; based on better observations and models. As we approach the end of the first decade of the new millennium, the same quest, to understand our place in the Universe, remains a great challenge. New technologies will enable us to construct and interact with a "Virtual Universe" based on remote and in situ observations of other worlds. As we continue the exploration that began in the last century, we will experience a "Virtual Presence in Space (VPS)" in this century. This paper describes VPS technology, the mechanisms for VPS product distribution and display, the benefits of this technology, and future plans. Deep space mission stereo observations and frames from stereo High Definition Television (HDTV) mission animations are used to illustrate the effectiveness of VPS technology.

deep space missions↗
NASA NTRS2024

Enabling America on the Space Frontier: The Evolution of NASA’s Commercial Space Development Toolkit

Throughout NASA’s history, the Agency has supported the development and growth of the U.S. commercial space sector via various mechanisms that have nurtured the technology, companies, people, and ideas driving an industry that today is a significant contributor to the American and global economies. This report identifies 17 such mechanisms and qualitatively examines how they have been applied across four distinct periods in NASA’s history: 1915–1960, which covers NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA), and NASA’s pre-Apollo years; 1961–1980, the Apollo era; 1981–2010, the Space Shuttle era; and 2011–present, the post-Shuttle commercial era. These eras are defined by dominant technologies, programs, or economic trends. Not all 17 mechanisms were applied during each era; some are relatively recent conceptions, while others have been used throughout the history of NASA and NACA. Additionally, there is inevitably some overlap between the mechanisms; this overlap adds an element of subjectivity to the categorizations in this report. In most eras, and for most mechanisms, there are far more examples than can reasonably be summarized in a single document. Therefore, this report should not be considered an exhaustive review of every iteration of any given mechanism’s implementation. Finally, with many of these mechanisms, such as contracts, commercial space capabilities sometimes resulted as a serendipitous by-product rather than a planned outcome.

economic policy↗
DOE OSTI2014

Two-dimensional relativistic space charge limited current flow in the drift space

Relativistic two-dimensional (2D) electrostatic (ES) formulations have been derived for studying the steady-state space charge limited (SCL) current flow of a finite width W in a drift space with a gap distance D. The theoretical analyses show that the 2D SCL current density in terms of the 1D SCL current density monotonically increases with D/W, and the theory recovers the 1D classical Child-Langmuir law in the drift space under the approximation of uniform charge density in the transverse direction. A 2D static model has also been constructed to study the dynamical behaviors of the current flow with current density exceeding the SCL current density, and the static theory for evaluating the transmitted current fraction and minimum potential position have been verified by using 2D ES particle-in-cell simulation. The results show the 2D SCL current density is mainly determined by the geometrical effects, but the dynamical behaviors of the current flow are mainly determined by the relativistic effect at the current density exceeding the SCL current density.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2014

Mode-space energy distribution in instability-driven plasma turbulence

Energy transfer to damped modes in gyrokinetic ion temperature gradient driven turbulence is studied to understand the transfer dynamics and find scaling representations for the heavily populated mode space. Proper orthogonal and linear eigenmode decompositions are introduced and examined to assess whether modes are well-resolved and what scales they encompass. It is observed that damped modes across a range of inhomogeneous scales receive energy simultaneously and directly from the unstable mode, constituting a form of parallel transfer, distinct from the serial mode-to-mode transfer of the wavenumber cascade of hydrodynamic turbulence. Controlling for modes that are well resolved and labeling the modes of the linear decomposition in order of damping rate, energy transfer in the mode space satisfies an equipartition of the energy dissipation rate, leading to a simple rule for the distribution of energy in the space of damped modes. Energy dissipation rate equipartition is the form that the canonical nonlinear invariance of energy transfer assumes in a dissipation range with parallel rather than serial transfer.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2015

The joint space-time statistics of macroweather precipitation, space-time statistical factorization and macroweather models

Over the range of time scales from about 10 days to 30–100 years, in addition to the familiar weather and climate regimes, there is an intermediate “macroweather” regime characterized by negative temporal fluctuation exponents: implying that fluctuations tend to cancel each other out so that averages tend to converge. We show theoretically and numerically that macroweather precipitation can be modeled by a stochastic weather-climate model (the Climate Extended Fractionally Integrated Flux, model, CEFIF) first proposed for macroweather temperatures and we show numerically that a four parameter space-time CEFIF model can approximately reproduce eight or so empirical space-time exponents. In spite of this success, CEFIF is theoretically and numerically difficult to manage. We therefore propose a simplified stochastic model in which the temporal behavior is modeled as a fractional Gaussian noise but the spatial behaviour as a multifractal (climate) cascade: a spatial extension of the recently introduced ScaLIng Macroweather Model, SLIMM. Both the CEFIF and this spatial SLIMM model have a property often implicitly assumed by climatologists that climate statistics can be “homogenized” by normalizing them with the standard deviation of the anomalies. Physically, it means that the spatial macroweather variability corresponds to different climate zones that multiplicatively modulate the local, temporal statistics. This simplified macroweather model provides a framework for macroweather forecasting that exploits the system's long range memory and spatial correlations; for it, the forecasting problem has been solved. We test this factorization property and the model with the help of three centennial, global scale precipitation products that we analyze jointly in space and in time.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2016

Controllable transition from positive space charge to negative space charge in an inverted cylindrical magnetron

The combined effect of magnetic field (B), gas pressure (P), and the corresponding discharge voltage on the discharge properties of argon in inverted cylindrical magnetron has been investigated. In the experiment, anode is biased with continuous 10 ms sinusoidal half wave. It is observed that at a comparatively higher magnetic field (i.e., >200 gauss) and lower operating pressure (i.e., <1 × 10{sup −3} mbar), the discharge extinguishes and demands a high voltage to reignite. Discharge current increases with increase in magnetic field and starts reducing at sufficiently higher magnetic field for a particular discharge voltage due to restricted electron diffusion towards the anode. It is observed that B/P ratio plays an important role in sustaining the discharge and is constant for a discharge voltage. The discharge is transformed to negative space charge regime from positive space charge regime at certain B/P ratio and this ratio varies linearly with the discharge voltage. The space charge reversal is indicated by the radial profile of the floating potential and plasma potential in between two electrodes for different magnetic fields. At a particular higher magnetic field (beyond 100 gauss), the floating potential increases gradually with the radial distance from cathode, whereas it remains almost constant at lower magnetic field.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2020

EVOLUTION OF SPACE REACTOR QUALIFICATION METHODS AND A PATH FORWARD FOR NEW SPACE REACTORS UNDER CONSIDERATION

These slides outline the evolution of space reactor system qualifications and provide a potential framework for qualification of current space reactor concepts. Qualification approaches for SNAP 10A, SP-100, TOPAZ II, and Prometheus reactor systems will be discussed. Several qualification approaches from past reactors will be reviewed including: a component qualification approach demonstrated in the SNAP reactor program, a system level approach in the SP-100 program, adding additional features to an existing design in the TOPAZ program, and a combination of a computational and basic testing approach for the Prometheus reactor. Past and present test facilities will also be discussed and the impact of test facility availability (or existence) is discussed. A suggested approach that complies with the updated Presidential Directive (NSPM-20, August 2019) that is derived from previous program approaches will be discussed for qualification of future space reactors.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗
NASA NTRS1998

Analysis of water from the Space Shuttle and Mir Space Station by ion chromatography and capillary electrophoresis

Drinking water and condensate samples collected from the US Space Shuttle and the Russian Mir Space Station are analyzed routinely at the NASA-Johnson Space Center as part of an ongoing effort to verify water quality and monitor the environment of the spacecraft. Water quality monitoring is particularly important for the Mir water supply because approximately half of the water consumed is recovered from humidity condensate. Drinking water on Shuttle is derived from the fuel cells. Because there is little equipment on board the spacecraft for monitoring the water quality, samples collected by the crew are transported to Earth on Shuttle or Soyuz vehicles, and analyzed exhaustively. As part of the test battery, anions and cations are measured by ion chromatography, and carboxylates and amines by capillary electrophoresis. Analytical data from Shuttle water samples collected before and after several missions, and Mir condensate and potable recovered water samples representing several recent missions are presented and discussed. Results show that Shuttle water is of distilled quality, and Mir recovered water contains various levels of minerals imparted during the recovery processes as designed. Organic ions are rarely detected in potable water samples, but were present in humidity condensate samples.

NASA Discipline Environmental Health↗
NASA NTRS1995

Space shuttle operations at the NASA Kennedy Space Center: the role of emergency medicine

The Division of Emergency Medicine at the University of Florida coordinates a unique program with the NASA John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to provide emergency medical support (EMS) for the United States Space Transportation System. This report outlines the organization of the KSC EMS system, training received by physicians providing medical support, logistic and operational aspects of the mission, and experiences of team members. The participation of emergency physicians in support of manned space flight represents another way that emergency physicians provide leadership in prehospital care and disaster management.

Emergency Medicine/education/organization & admini↗
NASA NTRS2012

The International Space Station: Unique In-Space Testbed as Exploration Analog

Final assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) was completed in 2011. As articulated in the 2011 NASA Strategic Plan, the Agency's first goal is to extend and sustain human activities across the solar system. Thus, the emerging NASA vision is to launch a bold and ambitious new space initiative to enable human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit to Lagrange points, the moon, near-Earth asteroids (NEAs), and Mars and its environs. To accomplish this vision, it is necessary to develop and validate innovative exploration technologies and operational concepts. With the extended life of the ISS to 2020 and possibly 2028, NASA has a mandate to maximize the potential of the Nation's newest National Laboratory. Exploration and ISS teams within NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) have initiated a cooperative effort: the ISS Testbed for Analog Research (ISTAR), a high-fidelity operational analog that complements existing NASA terrestrial laboratory and field testing. To maximize use of the ISS platform to evaluate new exploration technologies, capabilities, and operational concepts to better comprehend and mitigate human spaceflight risks, ISTAR seeks out and encourages investigations dubbed "exploration detailed test objectives" (xDTOs). These xDTOs, building blocks of ISTAR missions, develop and optimize the operations concepts and the use of new technologies that should reduce risks and challenges facing astronauts on long exploration spaceflight voyages. In this paper, we describe (1) the rationale behind ISTAR, (2) a five-year strategic plan, (3) the approach for mission formulation, development, integration, and execution, (4) concepts for near-term missions that implement a phased approach for using ISS as an exploration testbed, and (5) the planned Mars mission simulation using the ISS. This paper will also document several challenges ISTAR must address to execute its missions.

Analog Mission↗
NASA NTRS2015

Emerging US Space Launch, Trends and Space Solar Power

Reviews the state of the art of emerging US space launch and spacecraft. Reviews the NASA budget ascontext, while providing example scenarios. Connects what has been learned in space systems commercial partnershipsto a potential path for consideration by the space solar power community.

space solor power↗
NASA NTRS2016

Veggie: Space Vegetables for the International Space Station and Beyond

The Veggie vegetable production system was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2014. Veggie was designed by ORBITEC to be a compact, low mass, low power vegetable production system for astronaut crews. Veggie consists of a light cap containing red, blue, and green LEDs, an extensible transparent bellows, and a baseplate with a root mat reservoir. Seeds are planted in plant pillows, small growing bags that interface with the reservoir. The Veggie technology validation test, VEG-01, was initiated with the first test crop of 'Outredgeous' red romaine lettuce. Prior to flight, lettuce seeds were sanitized and planted in a substrate of arcillite (baked ceramic) mixed with controlled release fertilizer. Upon initiation, astronauts open the packaged plant pillows, install them in the Veggie hardware, and prime the system with water. Operations include plant thinning, watering, and photography. Plants were grown on the ISS for 33 days, harvested, and returned frozen to Earth for analysis. Ground controls were conducted at Kennedy Space Center in controlled environment chambers reproducing ISS conditions of temperature, relative humidity, and CO2. Returned plant samples were analyzed for microbial food safety and chemistry including elements, antioxidants, anthocyanins and phenolics. In addition the entire plant microbiome was sequenced, and returned plant pillows were analyzed via x-ray tomography. Food safety analyses allowed us to gain approvals for future consumption of lettuce by the flight surgeons and the payload safety office. A second crop of lettuce was grown in 2015, and the crew consumed half the produce, with the remainder frozen for later analysis. This growth test was followed by testing of a new crop in Veggie, zinnias. Zinnias were grown to test a longer duration flowering crop in preparation for tests of tomatoes and other fruiting crops in the future. Zinnias were harvested in February. Samples from the second harvest of lettuce and the zinnia harvest are frozen on the ISS and will return with the next cargo return flight. Some challenges occurred in all tests, especially in the area of watering, with plants receiving insufficient or excess water leading to stressed growth. Zinnia plants were also challenged with fungal growth. Initial tests with Veggie have given us great insight into future crop production scenarios as we work to develop regular supplemental salad crop production on ISS and larger food production systems for our journey to Mars. Funding for this research comes from NASA's Space Biology Program.

Food Safety↗
NASA NTRS2016

Study of Lateral Misalignment Tolerance of a Symmetric Free-Space Optical Link for Intra International Space Station Communication

This paper describes the study of lateral misalignment tolerance of a symmetric high-rate free-space optical link (FSOL) for use between International Space Station (ISS) payload sites and the main cabin. The link will enable gigabit per second (Gbps) transmission of data, which is up to three orders of magnitude greater than the current capabilities. This application includes 10-20 meter links and requires minimum size, weight, and power (SWaP). The optical power must not present an eye hazard and must be easily integrated into the existing ISS infrastructure. On the ISS, rapid thermal changes and astronaut movement will cause flexure of the structure which will potentially misalign the free space transmit and receive optics 9 cm laterally and 0.2 degrees angularly. If this misalignment is not accounted for, a loss of the link or degradation of link performance will occur. Power measurements were collected to better understand the effect of various system design parameters on lateral misalignment. Parameters that were varied include: the type of small form pluggable (SFP) transceivers, type of fiber, and transmitted power level. A potential solution was identified that can reach the lateral misalignment tolerance (decenter span) required to create an FSOL on the ISS by using 105 m core fibers, a duplex SFP, two channels of light, and two fiber amplifiers.

free space↗
NASA NTRS2016

Study of Lateral Misalignment Tolerance of a Symmetric Free-Space Optical Link for Intra International Space Station Communication

This paper describes the study of lateral misalignment tolerance of a symmetric high-rate free-space optical link (FSOL) for use between International Space Station (ISS) payload sites and the main cabin. The link will enable gigabit per second (Gbps) transmission of data, which is up to three orders of magnitude greater than the current capabilities. This application includes 10-20 meter links and requires minimum size, weight, and power (SWaP). The optical power must not present an eye hazard and must be easily integrated into the existing ISS infrastructure. On the ISS, rapid thermal changes and astronaut movement will cause flexure of the structure which will potentially misalign the free space transmit and receive optics 9 cm laterally and 0.2 degrees angularly. If this misalignment is not accounted for, a loss of the link or degradation of link performance will occur. Power measurements were collected to better understand the effect of various system design parameters on lateral misalignment. Parameters that were varied include: the type of small form pluggable (SFP) transceivers, type of fiber, and transmitted power level. A potential solution was identified that can reach the lateral misalignment tolerance (decenter span) required to create an FSOL on the ISS by using 105 m core fibers, a duplex SFP, two channels of light, and two fiber amplifiers.

optical communications↗
NASA NTRS2020

Space Weather Architecture Options to Support Human and Robotic Deep Space Exploration

Understanding solar energetic particle (SEP) event characteristics is critical to the proper design of human and robotic space missions. This report details a study of operational response time for monitoring space weather for crewed flights, specifically targeting lunar and Mars missions. The NESC assessment team evaluated the required minimum latency for data streams and forecasts that will directly affect mission operations using a 41-year database (i.e., European Space Agency (ESA) Solar Energetic Particle Environment Modeling (SEPEM) RSDv2.0) of SEP events. The database contained 192 SEP events that resulted in a dose increase above background levels. Of those, 10% were “multiple events,” or events that occurred in quick succession. The analysis provides probabilistic values for time to peak flux and dose rate for the duration of each event. This NESC assessment also evaluated the SEP threshold levels for exploration missions to determine the relevant energy range of required proton measurements.

Solar energetic particle↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Habitable Working and Living Spaces in the Deep Space Science Vessel

The Deep Space Science Vessel (DSSV) is a conceptual design of a very large spacecraft intended as a mobile microgravity science platform. It represents an effort to conceptualize the systems and internal architectures needed to support a forty-eight-person crew for multi-year missions throughout the inner solar system and potentially beyond. The general arrangement of the DSSV is a modular spacecraft. Considering only the pressurized, habitable elements, the DSSV includes two large pressurized modules (Hab and Lab) docked together along with eight smaller node modules completing the habitable configuration. The Hab and Lab modules are docked side by side, with the longitudinal axes parallel to each other and a single docking port connecting them. A node module is docked to each dome on the Hab and Lab modules, such that the two small node modules on each end of the large Hab and Lab domes are docked both to each other and to the Hab and Lab. This creates a “racetrack” translation path on the interior. The other four node modules are docked at the center of the Hab and Lab modules, two on each side, creating another “racetrack” translation path perpendicular to the first one. The DSSV has a generally vertical orientation. Within the Hab and Lab modules the decks are perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The node modules are oriented with their longitudinal axes perpendicular to those of the Hab and Lab modules, so the nodes have a horizontal internal orientation. Decks are numbered one through nine, with decks two and eight representing the “top” and “bottom” domes of the Hab and Lab modules. The Hab Module decks encompass the ship’s galley, crew quarters, waste, hygiene, portions of crew exercise, and group recreation. The Lab Module contains food production facilities, the life science lab, the ship’s infirmary, the physical science lab, and the maintenance and fabrication workshop. The Node Modules serve a number of different functions. The two Exercise Nodes are docked to deck five of both the Hab and Lab modules and contain most of the aerobic and resistive exercise devices. Also docked to deck five but on the opposite side of the Hab and Lab modules are the Observation Deck and Space Café. These two node modules provide social gathering space for small numbers of crew. The Mission Operations Node is on deck nine directly above the Galley and contains spacecraft monitoring and commanding capabilities. Docked to it is the EVA Operations Node, which contains suit maintenance and storage. (The airlock is a separate, external element docked to the EVA Operations Node.) The Subsystems Node is on deck one beneath the maintenance and fabrication workshop. Docked to it is the Stowage Node. This node does not house DSSV primary stowage, but is a staging point where stowage brought in from logistics modules can be sorted, unpacked, or repacked as needed prior to distribution to the appropriate sections of the spacecraft.

Deep Space Habitat↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SCaN: Space Communication and Navigation - 5G in Space

NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) program office builds, operates, and maintains NASA’s two primary communications networks – the Near Space Network and the Deep Space Network. These networks allow spacecraft near and far to send critical tracking, telemetry, command, and science data to Earth. SCaN also investigates new communications and navigation technologies so that these networks can support advanced missions. SCaN’s Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) office is dedicated to creating robust partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies to advance communications and navigation capabilities.

5G↗