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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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The objectives of the Program were to conduct research at the NASA Langley Research Center in the area of astronautics and to provide a comprehensive education program at the Center leading to advanced degrees in Astronautics. We believe that the program has successfully met the objectives and has been of significant benefit to NASA LaRC, the GWU and the nation.
The truly interdisciplinary nature of Earth System Science lends itself to the creation of research teams comprised of people with different scientific and technical backgrounds. In the annals of Earth System Science (ESS) education, the lack of an academic major in the discipline might be seen as a barrier to the involvement of undergraduates in the overall ESS-enterprise. This issue is further compounded at minority-serving institutions by the rarity of departments dedicated to Atmospheric Science, Oceanography or even the geosciences. At Norfolk State University, a Historically Black College, a six week, NASA-supported, summer undergraduate research program (REESS - Research Experience in Earth System Science) is creating a model that involves students with majors in diverse scientific disciplines in authentic ESS research coupled with a structured education program. The project is part of a wider effort at the University to enhance undergraduate education by identifying specific areas of student weaknesses regarding the content and process of science. A pre- and post-assessment test, which is focused on some fundamental topics in global climate change, is given to all participants as part of the evaluation of the program. Student attitudes towards the subject and the program's approach are also surveyed at the end of the research experience. In 2002, 11 undergraduates participated in REESS and were educated in the informed use of some of the vast remote sensing resources available through NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE). The program ran from June 3rd through July 12, 2002. This was the final year of the project.
In 1975 the NASA's Lewis Research Center initiated a technology specific spinoff program to more broadly utilize benefits resulting from ion thruster technology. An Ion Beam Applications Research (IBAR) program was organized to enable the development of new or improved materials, products, and processes through the nonpropulsive application of ion thruster technology. Focused efforts to identify, evaluate, develop and transfer applications to the user community were conducted. A summary of the NASA Lewis Research Center's in-house, grant, and contract projects involving IBAR is given. Specific application efforts utilizing ion beam sputter etching, deposition, and texturing are discussed as well as ion source and component technology applications.
Remote sensing of archaeological features is most successful when instrumentation and imagery are carefully selected bearing in mind the nature of the remains and the local context. Instruments need to be calibrated to local conditions, and extensive field verification studies are necessary. This is illustrated by remote sensing in two research programs in Central America: the Arena1 Research Program in Costa Rica and the Ceren Research Program in El Salvador. Satellite and aircraft remote sensing was successful in the former, while the Ceren site required the development of ground-based geophysical exploration techniques. In both cases, remote sensing contributed information that was not available by any other means, thus allowing new interpretations and a fuller understanding of ancient societies.
The program objectives were defined in the original proposal entitled "Program of Research in Flight Dynamics in the JIAFS at NASA Langley Research Center" which was originated March 20, 1975, and in yearly renewals of the research program dated December 1, 1979 to December 1, 1998. The program included three major topics: 1) Improvement of existing methods and development of new methods for flight and wind tunnel data analysis based on system identification methodology. 2) Application of these methods to flight and wind tunnel data obtained from advanced aircraft. 3) Modeling and control of aircraft, space structures and spacecraft. The principal investigator of the program was Dr. Vladislav Klein, Professor at The George Washington University, Washington, D.C.. Thirty-seven Graduate Research Scholar Assistants, two of them doctoral students, also participated in the program. The results of the research conducted during nineteen years of the total co-operative period were published in 23 NASA technical reports, 2 D.Sc. Dissertations, 14 M.S. Theses and 33 papers. The list of these publications is included. The results were also reported in more than 30 seminar lectures presented at various research establishments world-wide. For contributions to the research supported by the co-operative agreement, three NASA Awards were received: 1) NASA LARC Group Achievement Award, May 30, 1990, to Dr. V. Klein as a member of the X-29 Drop Model Team. 2) NASA Medal for Exceptional Engineering Achievement, March 27, 1992, to Dr. V. Klein for innovative contributions in the development of advanced techniques and computer programs in the field of system identification. 3) NASA LaRC Team Excellence Award, May 7, 1994, to Dr. V. Klein as a member of the X-31 Drop Model Team.
Research completed in the Earth Resources Data Analysis Program is discussed along with recommendations for future study. Projects discussed include use of the Cholesky decomposition in feature selection and classification algorithms; optimal feature selection and extraction, probability density estimation and nonparametric classifiers; use of spatial information in classification; and model for crop row reflectance. The installation of LARSYS on the ICSA's IBM 370/155 is discussed, and a list of technical reports is included.
A summary of the ion beam applications research (IBAR) program organized to enable the development of materials, products, and processes through the nonpropulsive application of ion thruster technology is given. Specific application efforts utilizing ion beam sputter etching, deposition, and texturing are discussed as well as ion source and component technology applications.
An overview of the Quiet Short Haul Research Aircraft (QSRA) Program is presented, with special emphasis on its propulsion and acoustic aspects. A description of the NASA technical participation in the program including wind tunnel testing, engine ground tests, and advanced aircraft simulation is given. The aircraft and its systems are described and, measured performance, where available, is compared to program goals. Preliminary data indicate that additional research and development are needed in some areas of which acoustics is an example. Some of these additional research areas and potential experiments using the QSRA to develop the technology are discussed. The concept of the QSRA as a national flight research facility is explained.
The ISS Research Project draws Life (non-human) and Physical Sciences investigations on the ISS, free flyer and ground-based into one coordinated project. The project has two categories: I. Exploration Research Program: a) Utilizes the ISS as a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) test bed for technology development, demonstration and problem resolution in the areas of life support, fire safety, power, propulsion, thermal management, materials technology, habitat design, etc.; b) Will include endorsement letters from other ETDP projects to show relevancy. II. Non-Exploration Research Program; a) Not directly related to supporting the human exploration program. Research conducted in the life (non-human) and physical sciences; b) The program will sustain, to the maximum extent practicable, the United States scientific expertise and research capability in fundamental microgravity research. Physical Sciences has about 44 grants, and Life Sciences has approximately 32 grants, mostly with universities, to conduct low TRL research; this includes grants to be awarded from the 2008 Fluid Physics and Life Science NRA's.
Component performance and flight operations of X-15 research airplane program, considering engine, auxiliary power and propellant system
The supersonic cruise research (SCR) program, initiated in July 1972, includes system studies and the following disciplines: propulsion, stratospheric emission impact, structures and materials, aerodynamic performance, and stability and control. In a coordinated effort to provide a sound basis for any future consideration that may be given by the United States to the development of an acceptable commercial supersonic transport, integration of the technical disciplines was undertaken, analytical tools were developed, and wind tunnel, flight, and laboratory investigations were conducted. The present bibliography covers the time period from 1977 to mid-1980. It is arranged according to system studies and the above five SCR disciplines. There are 306 NASA reports and 135 articles, meeting papers, and company reports cited.
In addition to the scientific value of publications derived from research, results from Human Research Program (HRP) research also support HRP’s goals of mitigating crew health and performance risks in space flight. Research results are used to build the evidence base characterizing crew health and performance risks, to support risk research plan development, to inform crew health and performance standards, and to provide technologies to programs for meeting those standards and optimizing crew health and performance in space. This talk will describe examples of how research results support these efforts. For example, HRP research results are used to revise or even create new standards for human space flight, which have been established to protect crew health and performance during flight, and prevent negative long-term health consequences due to space flight. These standards are based on the best available clinical and scientific evidence, as well as operational experience from previous space flight missions, and are reviewed as new evidence emerges. Research results are also used to update the HRP evidence base, which is comprised of a set of reports that provide a current record of the state of knowledge from research and operations for each of the defined human health and performance risks for future NASA exploration missions. A discussion of the role of evidence within the HRP architecture will also be presented. The scope of HRP research results extends well beyond publications, as they are used in several capacities to support HRP deliverables and, ultimately, the advancement of human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
In addition to the scientific value of publications derived from research, results from Human Research Program (HRP) research also support HRP's goals of mitigating crew health and performance risks in space flight. Research results are used to build the evidence base characterizing crew health and performance risks, to support risk research plan development, to inform crew health and performance standards, and to provide technologies to programs for meeting those standards and optimizing crew health and performance in space. This talk will describe examples of how research results support these efforts. For example, HRP research results are used to revise or even create new standards for human space flight, which have been established to protect crew health and performance during flight, and prevent negative long-term health consequences due to space flight. These standards are based on the best available clinical and scientific evidence, as well as operational experience from previous space flight missions, and are reviewed as new evidence emerges. Research results are also used to update the HRP evidence base, which is comprised of a set of reports that provide a current record of the state of knowledge from research and operations for each of the defined human health and performance risks for future NASA exploration missions. A discussion of the role of evidence within the HRP architecture will also be presented. The scope of HRP research results extends well beyond publications, as they are used in several capacities to support HRP deliverables and, ultimately, the advancement of human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit.
Mission planning for lunar and planetary exploration
Flow characteristics in the low speed Wright Brothers Wind Tunnel were studied. Calculations to check the precision of the tunnel were conducted. A program for generating computational grids around an airfoil was developed and compared with the wind tunnel model. Low Reynolds number flow phenomenon of periodic vortex shedding in a wake were also studied by applying a hot-wire anomemeter.
As its name implies, the International Space Station is a platform where the research programs of 16 partner nations are conducted. While each partner pursues its own research priorities, cooperation and coordination of the various national and agency research programs occurs at multiple levels, from strategic through tactical planning to experiment operations. Since 2000, a significant number of experiments have been carried out in the Russian ISS utilization program, which consists of the Russian national program of fundamental and applied research in 11 research areas and international cooperative programs and contract activities. The US research program began with simple payloads in 2000 and was significantly expanded with the addition of the US Laboratory module Destiny in 2001, and its outfitting with seven research racks to date. The Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have made use of international cooperative arrangements with both the US and Russia to implement a variety of investigations in diverse research areas, and in the case of ESA included the flights of crewmembers to ISS as part of Soyuz Science Missions. In the future, ESA and JAXA will add their own research modules, Columbus and Kibo, respectively, to expand research capabilities both inside and outside ISS. In the aftermath of the Columbia accident and the temporary grounding of the Space Shuttle fleet, all ISS logistics have relied on Russian Progress and Sopz vehicles. The Russian national program has continued as before the Shuttle accident, as have international cooperative programs and contract activities, both during long-duration expeditions and visiting taxi missions. In several instances, Russian international cooperative activities with JAXA and ESA have also involved the use of US facilities and crewmembers in successful truly multilateral efforts. The US research program was rapidly refocused after the Shuttle accident to rely on greatly reduced upmass, and for the first time in the ISS program, US research hardware was launched on Progress vehicles and returned with crews on Soyuz spacecraft. It is hoped that these small but significant steps in international cooperation will lead to even greater endeavors once the remaining research modules are added to ISS.
The Aviation Safety Program initiated by NASA in 1997 has put greater emphasis in safety related research activities. Ice-contaminated-tailplane stall (ICTS) has been identified by the NASA Lewis Icing Technology Branch as an important activity for aircraft safety related research. The ICTS phenomenon is characterized as a sudden, often uncontrollable aircraft nose- down pitching moment, which occurs due to increased angle-of-attack of the horizontal tailplane resulting in tailplane stall. Typically, this phenomenon occurs when lowering the flaps during final approach while operating in or recently departing from icing conditions. Ice formation on the tailplane leading edge can reduce tailplane angle-of-attack range and cause flow separation resulting in a significant reduction or complete loss of aircraft pitch control. In 1993, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and NASA embarked upon a four-year research program to address the problem of tailplane stall and to quantify the effect of tailplane ice accretion on aircraft performance and handling characteristics. The goals of this program, which was completed in March 1998, were to collect aerodynamic data for an aircraft tail with and without ice contamination and to develop analytical methods for predicting the effects of tailplane ice contamination. Extensive dry air and icing tunnel tests which resulted in a database of the aerodynamic effects associated with tailplane ice contamination. Although the FAA/NASA tailplane icing program generated some answers regarding ice-contaminated-tailplane stall (ICTS) phenomena, NASA researchers have found many open questions that warrant further investigation into ICTS. In addition, several aircraft manufacturers have expressed interest in a second research program to expand the database to other tail configurations and to develop experimental and computational methodologies for evaluating the ICTS phenomenon. In 1998, the icing branch at NASA Lewis initiated a second multi-phase research program for tailplane icing (TIP II) to develop test methodologies and tailplane performance and handling qualities evaluation tools. The main objectives of this new NASA/Industry/Academia collaborative research programs were: (1) define and evaluate a sub-scale wind tunnel test methodology for determining tailplane performance degradation due to icing. (2) develop an experimental database of tailplane aerodynamic performance with and without ice contamination for a range of tailplane configurations. Wind tunnel tests were planned with representative general aviation aircraft, i.e., the Learjet 45, and a twin engine low speed aircraft. This report summarizes the research performed during the first year of the study, and outlines the work tasks for the second year.
To evaluate the 15-year impact of a transdisciplinary research training program for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and clinical trainees focused on radiation science, entitled Strategic Training in Transdisciplinary Radiation Science for the 21st Century (STARS21) with a primary objective to build capacity in radiation research.