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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Ares Launch Vehicles Development Awakens Historic Test Stands at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center

This paper chronicles the rebirth of two national rocket testing assets located at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center: the Dynamic Test Stand (also known as the Ground Vibration Test Stand) and the Static Test Stand (also known as the Main Propulsion Test Stand). It will touch on the historical significance of these special facilities, while introducing the requirements driving modifications for testing a new generation space transportation system, which is set to come on line after the Space Shuttle is retired in 2010. In many ways, America's journey to explore the Moon begins at the Marshall Center, which is developing the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle, along with managing the Lunar Precursor Robotic Program and leading the Lunar Lander descent stage work, among other Constellation Program assignments. An important component of this work is housed in Marshall's Engineering Directorate, which manages more than 40 facilities capable of a full spectrum of rocket and space transportation technology testing - from small components to full-up engine systems. The engineers and technicians who operate these test facilities have more than a thousand years of combined experience in this highly specialized field. Marshall has one of the few government test groups in the United States with responsibility for the overall performance of a test program from conception to completion. The Test Laboratory has facilities dating back to the early 1960s, when the test stands needed for the Apollo Program and other scientific endeavors were commissioned and built along the Marshall Center's southern boundary, with logistics access by air, railroad, and barge or boat on the Tennessee River. NASA and its industry partners are designing and developing a new human-rated system based on the requirements for safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation solutions. Given below are summaries of the Dynamic Test Stand and the Static Test Stand capabilities, along with an introduction to the new missions that these sleeping giants will be fulfilling as NASA readies the Ares I for service in the 2015 timeframe, and plans the development work for fielding the Ares V late next decade (fig. 1). Validating modern computer design models and techniques requires the sorts of data that can only be generated by these one-of-a-kind facilities.

Dumbacher, Daniel L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Collaborative Host Facility for Lunar Operations

This project establishes a new collaborative simulation connectivity capability for JSC utilizing existing facilities. The principal collaborating organizations are Safety & Mission Assurance (Code NA) and Engineering Directorate (Code EA), but the capability is open for any JSC user. The core of the connectivity resides in Code ER7’s Concept Exploration Laboratory (CEL) and is part of ER7’s Systems Engineering Simulator (SES) complex. NA Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) work proactively in situ with EA and commercial crew counterparts to evaluate Safety Review Panel (SRP) protocols for landers, habitation modules, and lunar roving systems using the same tools, terrain models and data as the designers. NA software initiated under two JSC Center Innovation Fund (CIF) and Innovation Charge account (ICA) funded projects will be used to configure the CEL to function as an EA maintained facility. Collaboration via the CEL with the U.S. Space Force (USSF) provides visibility for USSF. The potential for commercial crew and vehicle suppliers will require IT security and associated security architecture to be implemented in additional CIF based proposals.

Collaborative Simulation Hosting↗
NASA NTRS2008

Building on 50 Years of Systems Engineering Experience for a New Era of Space Exploration

Over the past 50 years, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has delivered space transportation solutions for America's complex missions, ranging from scientific payloads that expand knowledge, such as the Hubble Space Telescope, to astronauts and lunar rovers destined for voyages to the Moon. Currently, the venerable Space Shuttle, which has been in service since 1981, provides the United States (US) capability for both crew and heavy cargo to low-Earth orbit to construct the International Space Station, before the Shuttle is retired in 2010. In the next decade, NASA will replace this system with a duo of launch vehicles: the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. The goals for this new system include increased safety and reliability coupled with lower operations costs that promote sustainable space exploration for decades to come. The Ares I will loft the Orion crew exploration vehicle, while the heavy-lift Ares V will carry the Altair lunar lander, as well as the equipment and supplies needed to construct a lunar outpost for a new generation of human and robotic space pioneers. NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center manages the Shuttle's propulsion elements and is managing the design and development of the Ares rockets, along with a host of other engineering assignments in the field of scientific space exploration. Specifically, the Marshall Center's Engineering Directorate houses the skilled workforce and unique facilities needed to build capable systems upon the foundation laid by the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Shuttle programs. This paper will provide details of the in-house systems engineering and vehicle integration work now being performed for the Ares I and planned for the Ares V. It will give an overview of the Ares I system-level testing activities, such as the ground vibration testing that will be conducted in the Marshall Center's Dynamic Test Stand to verify the integrated vehicle stack's structural integrity and to validate computer modeling and simulation, as well as the main propulsion test article analysis to be conducted in the Static Test Stand. Ultimately, fielding a robust space transportation solution that will carry international explorers and essential payloads will pave the way for a new era of scientific discovery now dawning beyond planet Earth.

Dumbacher, Daniel L.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Composite Bonded Joint: Repair Development

This report documents the details of my work as a NASA KSC intern for the Fall Session from August 27th to December 14th, 2018. My efforts and contributions were with the Materials Science Branch, a staffed organization within the Laboratories, Development, & Testing (NE-L) Division of the Engineering Directorate. The principle responsibilities of the Materials Science group are to support the design, development, and operations activities for materials and processes with the purpose of providing unique solutions for flight hardware, ground support equipment, and customer requests. My role as an intern focused on assisting engineers in developing repair processes to mature bonded joint technology in support of SLS ? scale hardware. My primary goals for this internship were to become more familiar with composite materials and learn more about processes I was unfamiliar with, such as prepregs and out-of-autoclave processing. This project allowed me to learn new skills such as scarfing and curing composites. Additional goals I had were to learn more about NASA's laboratories and projects under development. This internship not only provided me with those experiences, but also allowed me to build relationships with inspiring engineers; a takeaway I will never forget.

Composite Materials↗
NASA NTRS2005

Matlab GUI for a Fluid Mixer

The Test and Engineering Directorate at NASA John C. Stennis Space Center developed an interest to study the modeling, evaluation, and control of a liquid hydrogen (LH2) and gas hydrogen (GH2) mixer subsystem of a ground test facility. This facility carries out comprehensive ground-based testing and certification of liquid rocket engines including the Space Shuttle Main engine. A software simulation environment developed in MATLAB/SIMULINK (M/S) will allow NASA engineers to test rocket engine systems at relatively no cost. In the progress report submitted in February 2004, we described the development of two foundation programs, a reverse look-up application using various interpolation algorithms, a variety of search and return methods, and self-checking methods to reduce the error in returned search results to increase the functionality of the program. The results showed that these efforts were successful. To transfer this technology to engineers who are not familiar with the M/S environment, a four-module GUI was implemented allowing the user to evaluate the mixer model under open-loop and closed-loop conditions. The progress report was based on an udergraduate Honors Thesis by Ms. Jamie Granger Austin in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Tulane University, during January-May 2003, and her continued efforts during August-December 2003. In collaboration with Dr. Hanz Richter and Dr. Fernando Figueroa we published these results in a NASA Tech Brief due to appear this year. Although the original proposal in 2003 did not address other components of the test facility, we decided in the last few months to extend our research and consider a related pressurization tank component as well. This report summarizes the results obtained towards a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the evaluation and control of the hydrogen mixer subsystem model and for the pressurization tank each taken individually. Further research would combine the two components - mixer and tank, for a more realistic simulation tool.

Barbieri, Enrique↗
NASA NTRS2023

Understanding Workforce Agility at NASA Kennedy Space Center

NASA leads the world in space research and provides other government agencies, educational institutions, and companies opportunities to explore, launch, and conduct research in and around space. NASA has 11 formal locations based around the United States, and each has different goals and objectives to help NASA meet its overall mission. 2004, President George Bush announced a new vision for the Space Exploration program. During his grand announcement, he discussed that the Space Shuttles would retire due to the 2003 Space Shuttle Columbia accident, where the crew and the space vehicle were lost. The Kennedy Space Center (KSC) would no longer manage the day-to-day operations of maintaining the US Space Shuttle fleet. Our NASA teams would continue working to finish the Space Shuttle program's mission to build the International Space Station. Afterward, NASA would transition to develop and test a new spacecraft, the Crew Exploration Vehicle. The third goal was to return to the moon by 2020 as the launching point for missions beyond, to get humans from lower Earth orbit to the moon and Mars. (Secretary, 2004) The KSC engineering workforce had to prepare to transition from Operational support of the Space Shuttle program to the design and development of over 50 subsystems for the future SLS and Orion Launch Systems at the Kennedy Space Center. These subsystems developed at the Kennedy Space Center Engineering Directorate followed a comprehensive design process that required several different product deliverables during various phases for each subsystem. (Schafer et al., 2013) What allowed these systems to be successful? What enabled NASA KSC to complete over 130 Artemis 1 Design Certification and System Acceptance Reviews, closing over 21,656 Requirements to deem the Artemis 1 rocket ready for launch? Little is known about the NASA engineering workforce agility characteristics that enabled the organization to transition from the Space Shuttle program that ended in 2011 and launch the Artemis Program's SLS rocket on November 16, 2022.

Workforce Agility↗
NASA NTRS2008

Building on 50 Years of Mission Operations Experience for a New Era of Space Exploration

The U.S. National Space Policy, I the 14-nation Global Exploration Strategy,2 and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) 2006 Strategic Plan3 provide foundational direction for far-ranging missions, from safely flying the Space Shuttle and completing construction of the International Space Station by 2010, to fielding a next generation space transportation system consisting of the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle!Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle and the Ares V Cargo Launch Vehicle!Altair Lunar Lander (fig. 1). Transportation beyond low-Earth orbit will open the frontier for a lunar outpost, where astronauts will harness in-situ resources while exploring this 4 billion-year-old archaeological site, which may hold answers to how the Earth and its satellite were formed. Ultimately, this experience will pave the way for the first human footprint on Mars. In October 2007, NASA" announced assignments for this lunar exploration work.4 The Marshall Space Flight Center is responsible for designing, developing, testing, and evaluating the Ares I and Ares V, which are Space Shuttle derived launch vehicles, along with a number of lunar tasks. The Marshall Center's Engineering Directorate provides the skilled workforce and unique manufacturing, testing, and operational infrastructure needed to deliver space transportation solutions that meet the requirements stated in the Constellation Architecture Requirements Document (CARD). While defining design reference missions to the Station and the Moon, the CARD includes goals that include reducing recurring and nonrecurring costs, while increasing safety and reliability. For this reason, future systems are being designed with operability considerations and lifecycle expenses as independent variables in engineering trade studies.

Onken, Jay F.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Activities of the Marshall Space Flight Center Natural Environments Branch Terrestrial & Planetary Environments Team

- The Natural Environments (NE) Branch is within the MSFC Engineering Directorate’s Spacecraft and Vehicle System (S&VS) Department - S&VS plans, performs and directs the technical Design, Analysis, Test, Evaluation, Verification, Integration, and Applied Research and Development of future Spacecraft and Launch Vehicle Systems - Current programs we support - Space Launch System, Human Landing System, Mars Ascent Vehicle, Orion, Gateway - NE maintains expertise in terrestrial, space, and planetary natural environments definition, characterization, and analysis - Responsibility to disseminate this expertise to Agency programs and projects in support of environment definition, requirements development, vehicle development, operations, and sustaining engineering through program’s life cycle - Branch has two teams; Terrestrial and Planetary Environments (T&PE) and Space Environments (SE) - T&PE has extensive expertise characterizing terrestrial surface and atmospheric (aloft) environments - Winds, temperature, humidity, pressure, lightning, density, precipitation, radiant energy, aerosols, sea state, sea surface temperature - Maintains climatological databases for engineering analyses

Ryan K. Decker↗
NASA NTRS2018

CAIDA CUI Confirmation for OMRS & LCC SOCRRATES Emulator and iSEE Upgrade, Operations, & Analysis

This internship has focused on providing solutions for the Customer Avionics Interface Development and Analysis (CAIDA) subsystem. The main emulator that has been used during this internship is the Software-Only CEV (Crew Exploration Vehicle) Risk Reduction Analysis and Test Engineering Simulator (SOCRRATES). This emulator uses advanced math and physics methods to simulate specific points in a mission, such as ascent, entry, and orbit. Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) must ensure that all KSC based ground systems can be properly integrated with the flight vehicle software, therefore, the Modeling and Simulation Branch (NE-XM) of the KSC (Kennedy Space Center) Engineering Directorate supports a virtual environment that simulates the interface between ground systems and the flight vehicle. A primary component in assuring that is knowing whether the emulators have incorporated the correct CUIs (Compact Unique Identifiers) into their system, as well as understanding both the static and dynamic responses of the individual CUIs. Also, an effort for verification of Operational Maintenance Requirements Specifications (OMRS) and Launch Commit Criteria (LCC) that are supported by SOCRRATES for the Orion Crew Module were part of the project tasks this semester. This internship also focused on comparing two different simulation Commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products and to determine whether or not a COTS package was a viable replacement for the current software that the iSEE (Immersive Simulations and Engineering Environment) lab uses. Upon research and testing, I found that this software was not feasible for the lab. It could not easily load CAD (Computer-Aided Design) or CREO models, give live feedback while the user is in the environment, and was not compatible with a virtual reality headset, all of which are necessary for the lab.

Bundy, Caleb↗
NASA NTRS2014

Composite Overview and Composite Aerocover Overview

Materials Science Division within the Engineering Directorate tasked by the Ares Launch Vehicle Division (LX-V) and the Fluids Testing and Technology Development Branch (NE-F6) to design, fabricate and test an aerodynamic composite shield for potential Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle infusion and a composite strut that will serve as a pathfinder in evaluating calorimeter data for the CRYOSTAT (cryogenic on orbit storage and transfer) Project. ATP project is to carry the design and development of the aerodynamic composite cover or "bracket" from cradle to grave including materials research, purchasing, design, fabrication, testing, analysis and presentation of the final product. Effort consisted of support from the Materials Testing & Corrosion Control Branch (NE-L2) for mechanical testing, the Prototype Development Branch (NE-L3) for CAD drawing, design/analysis, and fabrication, Materials & Processes Engineering Branch (NE-L4) for project management and materials selection; the Applied Physics Branch (NE-LS) for NDE/NDI support; and the Chemical Analysis Branch (NE-L6) for developmental systems evaluation. Funded by the Ares Launch Vehicle Division and the Fluids Testing and Technology Development Branch will provide ODC

Caraccio, Anne↗
NASA NTRS2011

Composite Structures Materials Testing for the Orion Crew Vehicle Heat Shield

As research is being performed for the new heat shield for the Orion capsule, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the first composite heat shield. As an intern of the Structures Branch in the Engineering Directorate (ES 2), my main task was to set up a test plan to determine the material properties of the honeycomb that will be used on the Orion Crew Module heat shield to verify that the composite is suitable for the capsule. Before conducting composite shell tests, which are performed to simulate the crush performance of the heat shield on the capsule, it is necessary to determine the compression and shear properties of the composite used on the shell. During this internship, I was responsible for developing a test plan, designing parts for the test fixtures as well as getting them fabricated for the honeycomb shear and compression testing. This involved work in Pro/Engineer as well as coordinating with Fab Express, the Building 9 Composite Shop and the Structures Test Laboratory (STL). The research and work executed for this project will be used for composite sandwich panel testing in the future as well. As a part of the Structures Branch, my main focus was to research composite structures. This involves system engineering and integration (SE&I) integration, manufacturing, and preliminary testing. The procedures for these projects that were executed during this internship included design work, conducting tests and performing analysis.

Khemani, Farah N.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of the NASA Terrestrial Environments Support Role: Data and Applications

This presentation focuses on the terrestrial environment component of the Natural Environments Branch’s (NEB’s) support role and highlights the instrumentation and data sources used, how the data are quality controlled and archived, and the analyses and use-cases of these datasets. A detailed overview is provided about some individual data sources that are used by the branch, which includes a network of instruments (e.g., wind towers, balloons, and profilers) and models, such as the Earth Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Earth-GRAM). Additionally, the data archival and quality control processes that maintain the high-quality climatological datasets from these sources are discussed, as are the implemented and pending updates to this process. Examples of the different applications for these datasets are presented to showcase the analytical and operational capabilities of the NEB and demonstrate the culmination of the entire process. This includes the Range Reference Atmospheres created and maintained by the NEB, sea-state analyses for crewed return, certification of observation systems for space flight, and the day-of-launch support process. The NEB at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) supports the NASA Engineering Directorate (ED) and Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) by providing the necessary environmental constraints to facilitate the safe design and operation of assets required for space travel. This includes, but is not limited to, the environmental considerations for assets residing at the launch sites, temporarily stationed at a launch site, traversing the [extra-]terrestrial atmosphere and open space, and arriving at their destination. As such, the Terrestrial and Planetary Environments Team within the NEB is but a part of the whole, delegated to quantify the environment that assets may encounter whilst on Earth and within its atmosphere. However, nearly all ESDMD assets are subjected to terrestrial conditions, which cover a diverse range of meteorological regimes and extremes. The team also supports day-of-launch operations for the Space Launch System (SLS), providing real-time monitoring of the winds and thermodynamics along the launch path using an amalgamation of observed, remotely sensed, and modeled output.

Systems Engineering↗
NASA NTRS2024

Digital Lunar Exploration Sites (DLES) Terrain Crafting

Humans will soon be returning to the surface of the Moon with NASA’s Artemis program. The Artemis program is an international collaboration that will consist of a complex series of space systems and missions to explore the lunar surface and pave the way for the future exploration of Mars. NASA and its partners rely heavily on simulation for lighting and navigation studies as well as training astronauts, flight controllers, and mission support staff. The NASA Exploration Systems Simulations (NExSyS) team in the Simulation and Graphics Branch (ER7) in the Engineering Directorate at NASA’s Johnson Space Center has built up many simulation products to support this effort, one of which is the Digital Lunar Exploration Sites (DLES). DLES is a collection of products used to simulate and render the lunar surface in a digital environment. We discussed and presented an overview of the DLES products at the 2022 IEEE Aerospace Conference in Big Sky, MT with a paper titled "Digital Lunar Exploration Sites". This “DLES Terrain Crafting” paper will expand on the information previously provided in “DLES” paper and dive deeper into the details of the terrain crafting process and the toolsets used to support this task. The best digital data currently available of the lunar surface is provided by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). Its Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA) achieves an impressive resolution of 5m per pixel at the Lunar South Pole (LSP) and can generate datasets covering a large continuous region near the LSP. There are a few additional methods, such as Shape from Shading which can infer higher resolution data (up to 1m per pixel) from the LRO Narrow Angle Camera (NAC) images. However, surface-based simulations require higher-resolution data, and this paper will discuss the process of enhancing the terrain to meet that need. The process begins with capturing statistical data of craters in the regions of interest using images provided by the LRO NAC. This data is then used to scatter artificial features which are not captured in the truth data, resulting in an enhanced DEM with a much higher resolution of 20cm per pixel. Many tools were built up to assist in the creation of these artificial Digital Elevation Models (DEM), which this paper will discuss in detail. DEMs themselves are a very powerful representation of a planetary surface, and many operations and tools can utilize the data they contain. This paper includes a description of the rendering of the lunar surface in a graphics engine, generation of contact patches to simulate tire to ground interaction, and ray tracing utilities to model Line of Sight (LOS) interactions with the terrain. This paper will also explore some new tool sets currently under development which aim to utilize Machine Learning (ML) to assist in the identification of craters from LRO NAC imagery. While this is not a novel idea, the NExSyS team is developing a unique approach which may result in more robust identification of crater characteristics.

Artemis↗
DOE OSTI2022

Cost of Capturing CO 2 from Industrial Sources

This systems analysis by the National Energy Technology Laboratory's Strategic Systems Analysis and Engineering directorate) evaluates the cost and performance impacts of capturing CO 2 emissions from nine industrial sources (ammonia, ethylene oxide, and ethanol production, natural gas process, coal- and gas-to-liquids, refinery hydrogen production, iron and steel, and cement manufacturing). The industrial sectors examined are segregated according to the CO 2 purity level of the flue gas stream, prior to treatment. Certain sectors naturally produce a gas stream that is inherently high in CO 2 purity, and these sectors can achieve 99-100% removal. Other sectors produce a lower purity CO 2 flue gas stream and achieving 90-99% removal requires deeper levels of treatment, adding cost. In addition to the report that documents the analysis, a Carbon Capture Retrofit Database tool was also created that allows users to apply CO 2 capture to selected industries, to evaluate the cost of capture and compare across multiple plants, as well as across different industries. Users have the ability to change select input parameters (such as fuel price, capture rate, and financing assumptions) to evaluate the impact on industrial CO 2 capture economics.

20 FOSSIL-FUELED POWER PLANTS↗
NASA NTRS1986

An investigation of selected on-orbit satellite servicing issues

The results of three separate investigations performed by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) between August 1985 and October 1986 as the second phase of the two-phase Satellite Services System Program Plan contract for the Engineering Directorate of the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center are discussed. The objectives of the first phase of this contract (reported in SAIC-85/1762) were to determine the potential for servicing a diverse range of spacecraft from the Space Shuttle Orbiter and to assess NASA's role as the catalyst in enabling routine on-orbit servicing. The second area of investigation was prompted by the need to understand satellite servicing requirements in the far term (1995 to 2010) and how results from the first phase of this contract could support these requirements. The mission model developed during the first phase was extended using new data and information from studies which address the later time period. The third area of investigation looked at a new servicing mode which had not been studied previously. This mode involves the on-orbit exchange of very large modules with masses greater than approximately 9,000 kilograms and/or lengths greater than approximately nine meters. The viewgraphs used for the final briefing for each of the three investigations, as presented to NASA are given.

Hoffman, Stephen J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Research and development activities at the Goddard Space Flight Center for the flight telerobotic servicer project

The Flight Telerobotic Servicer (FTS) is being developed by the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) for performing a variety of assembly, servicing, inspection and maintenance tasks on the Space Station. The Project Office at GSFC has tasked the Engineering Directorate to assemble a robotics research and development program which will support the FTS project. The activities center around support for the Development Test Flight (DTF) on the Space Shuttle and investigations of operational problems associated with the FTS on Space Station Freedom. For the DTF, areas such as control algorithms, safety systems, and end-effectors will be developed. For FTS operations, the emphasis will be to develop a dual-arm bi-lateral force-reflecting teleoperator and use it as an FTS Operational Simulator (FTSOS). The simulator will be used to investigate operational techniques, camera configurations, operator interfacing, orbital replacement unit (ORU) designs, end-effector designs, and training techniques. After a series of test activities, reports will be generated for input to the DTF and FTS designs.

Ollendorf, Stanford↗
NASA NTRS1991

Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) design evolution and associated development and verification of data product efforts

The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) is a key observing facility to be flown on the Earth Observing System (EOS). The facility is composed of two instruments called MODIS-N (nadir) and MODIS-T (tilt). The MODIS-N is being built under contract to NASA by the Santa Barbara Research Center. The MODIS-T is being fabricated by the Engineering Directorate at the Goddard Space Flight Center. The MODIS Science Team has defined nearly 40 biogeophysical data products for studies of the ocean and land surface and properties of the atmosphere including clouds that can be expected to be produced from the MODIS instruments shortly after the launch of EOS. The ocean, land, atmosphere, and calibration groups of the MODIS Science Team are now proceeding to plan and implement the operations and facilities involving the analysis of data from existing spaceborne, airborne, and in-situ sensors required to develop and validate the algorithms that will produce the geophysical data products. These algorithm development and validation efforts will be accomplished wherever possible within the context of existing or planned national and international experiments or programs such as those in the World Climate Research Program.

Salomonson, Vincent V.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Space Shuttle Program: Automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture (category 3)

The NASA Johnson Space Center is actively pursuing the development and demonstration of capabilities for automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture (AR&C) using the Space Shuttle as the active vehicle. This activity combines the technologies, expertise, tools, and facilities of the JSC Tracking and Communications Division (EE), Navigation, Control and Aeronautics Division (EG), Automation and Robotics Division (ER), and Structures and Mechanics Division (ES) of the Engineering Directorate and the Flight Design and Dynamics Division (DM) of the Mission Operations Directorate. Potential benefits of AR&C include more efficient and repeatable rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture operations; reduced impacts on the target vehicles (e.g., Orbiter RCS plume loads); reduced flight crew work loads; reduced ground support requirements; and reduced operational constraints. This paper documents the current JSC capabilities/tools/facilities for AR&C and describes a proposed plan for a progression of ground demonstrations and flight tests and demonstrations of AR&C capabilities. This plan involves the maturing of existing technologies in tracking and communications; guidance, navigation and control; mechanisms; manipulators; and systems management and integrating them into several evolutionary demonstration stages.

Jackson, William L.↗