Composite Technology for Exploration (CTE) Project: Infusing Bonded Joint Technology into Space Launch System Block 1b Flight Structures
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Ken Segal↗
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Mars sample return missions, precursors to manned planetary exploration
Technologies and concepts applicable to eventual manned exploration of Mars, as demonstrated by the Mars Sample Return Mission, are presented. These include aerocapturing at Mars; safe and accurate descent and landing effectively using aerobraking and propulsion; launch and ascent from the Martian surface; rendezvous and docking with an orbiting return vehicle; and a safe return to earth. Critical mission elements are expected to function independently of either earth or astronaut control to ensure human safety. The Mars Rover Sample Return Mission includes such elements as autonomous functions in this unmanned mission. Based on the analyses performed and the concepts investigated, it is suggested that robotic missions are feasible for late 1990s without any major technology development being required.
Stager, D. N.↗
Composite Technology for Exploration (CTE) Briefing to RUAG
Technology Product Capability: The CTE project will develop and demonstrate critical composites technologies with a focus on weight-saving, performance-enhancing bonded joint technology for Space Launch System (SLS)-scale composite hardware to support future NASA exploration missions. (a) Improve the analytical capabilities required to predict failure modes in composite structures. (b) Support SLS payload adapters and fittings by maturing composite bonded joint technology and analytical tools to enable risk reduction.
manufacturing technology↗
Advancements in Logistics Reduction Technologies for Exploration Missions
Management of logistics on exploration missions includes both looking for ways to minimize the quantities, mass and volume of various consumables, supplies, spares, and equipment as well as ways to minimize the crew time needed for locating and handling those items. Also included are ways to minimize the waste, handling and resultant products from the processes of maintaining a crew on these missions. The Logistics Reduction project within Exploration Capabilities (ExCap) encompasses technologies for management of waste, trash, autonomous logistics, and clothing. This paper provides a status of work in these areas including recent accomplishments and challenges encountered. Future objectives will also be covered along with the work currently in progress. Specifically, the paper will cover technologies in waste management, namely, the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) which is the exploration toilet and work on an alternative waste collection container, the Alternate Fecal Canister (AFC). Trash management technologies work on the Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) and Trash to Gas (TtG) is summarized with progress to date as well as information on how trash jettison as an option is related. Progress and summary of recent accomplishment on the RFID (Radio Frequency ID) Enabled Autonomous Logistics Management (REALM) and the Autonomous Logistics (AL) technologies is detailed. Advanced Clothing System (ACS) and work in Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) is also included. Status of the technologies, accomplishments and how the focus areas inform program decisions will be addressed.
human spaceflight↗
Advancements in Logistics Reduction Technologies for Exploration Missions
Management of logistics on exploration missions includes both looking for ways to minimize the quantities, mass and volume of various consumables, supplies, spares, and equipment as well as ways to minimize the crew time needed for locating and handling those items. Also included are ways to minimize the waste, handling and resultant products from the processes of maintaining a crew on these missions. The Logistics Reduction project within Exploration Capabilities (ExCap) encompasses technologies for management of waste, trash, autonomous logistics, and clothing. This paper provides a status of work in these areas including recent accomplishments and challenges encountered. Future objectives will also be covered along with the work currently in progress. Specifically, the paper will cover technologies in waste management, namely, the Universal Waste Management System (UWMS) which is the exploration toilet and work on an alternative waste collection container, the Alternate Fecal Canister (AFC). Trash management technologies work on the Trash Compaction and Processing System (TCPS) and Trash to Gas (TtG) is summarized with progress to date as well as information on how trash jettison as an option is related. Progress and summary of recent accomplishment on the RFID (Radio Frequency ID) Enabled Autonomous Logistics Management (REALM) and the Autonomous Logistics (AL) technologies is detailed. Advanced Clothing System (ACS) and work in Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) is also included. Status of the technologies, accomplishments and how the focus areas inform program decisions will be addressed.
human spaceflight↗
Exploration Life Support Technology Development for Lunar Missions
Exploration Life Support (ELS) is one of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Projects. ELS plans, coordinates and implements the development of new life support technologies for human exploration missions as outlined in NASA's Vision for Space Exploration. ELS technology development currently supports three major projects of the Constellation Program - the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Altair Lunar Lander and Lunar Surface Systems. ELS content includes Air Revitalization Systems (ARS), Water Recovery Systems (WRS), Waste Management Systems (WMS), Habitation Engineering, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis (SIMA), and Validation and Testing. The primary goal of the ELS project is to provide different technology options to Constellation which fill gaps or provide substantial improvements over the state-of-the-art in life support systems. Since the Constellation missions are so challenging, mass, power, and volume must be reduced from Space Shuttle and Space Station technologies. Systems engineering analysis also optimizes the overall architecture by considering all interfaces with the life support system and potential for reduction or reuse of resources. For long duration missions, technologies which aid in closure of air and water loops with increased reliability are essential as well as techniques to minimize or deal with waste. The ELS project utilizes in-house efforts at five NASA centers, aerospace industry contracts, Small Business Innovative Research contracts and other means to develop advanced life support technologies. Testing, analysis and reduced gravity flight experiments are also conducted at the NASA field centers. This paper gives a current status of technologies under development by ELS and relates them to the Constellation customers who will eventually use them.
Ewert, Michael K.↗
Technologies Enabling Exploration of Skylights, Lava Tubes and Caves
Robotic exploration of skylights and caves can seek out life, investigate geology and origins, and open the subsurface of other worlds to humankind. However, exploration of these features is a daunting venture. Planetary voids present perilous terrain that requires innovative technologies for access, exploration, and modeling. This research developed technologies for venturing underground and conceived mission architectures for robotic expeditions that explore skylights, lava tubes and caves. The investigation identified effective designs for mobile robot architecture to explore sub-planetary features. Results provide insight into mission architectures, skylight reconnaissance and modeling, robot configuration and operations, and subsurface sensing and modeling. These are developed as key enablers for robotic missions to explore planetary caves. These results are compiled to generate "Spelunker", a prototype mission concept to explore a lunar skylight and cave. The Spelunker mission specifies safe landing on the rim of a skylight, tethered descent of a power and communications hub, and autonomous cave exploration by hybrid driving/hopping robots. A technology roadmap was generated identifying the maturation path for enabling technologies for this and similar missions.
Robot↗
Development of Spacecraft Fire Safety Technology for Exploration
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technology development↗
Space Magnetic Exploration and Technology Symposium, Aug. 1967
Conference on generation, compensation, measurement, and calculation of low frequency magnetic fields in space exploration and technology
Iufer, E. J.↗
Fission Technology for Exploring and Utilizing the Solar System
Fission technology can enable rapid, affordable access to any point in the solar system. Potential fission-based transportation options include bimodal nuclear thermal rockets, high specific energy propulsion systems, and pulsed fission propulsion systems. In-space propellant re-supply enhances the effective performance of all systems, but requires significant infrastructure development. Safe, timely, affordable utilization of first-generation space fission propulsion systems will enable the development of more advanced systems. First generation space systems will build on over 45 years of US and international space fission system technology development to minimize cost,
Houts, Mike↗
Technology Development for Fire Safety in Exploration Spacecraft and Habitats
Fire during an exploration mission far from Earth is a particularly critical risk for exploration vehicles and habitats. The Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression (FPDS) project is part of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and has the goal to enhance crew health and safety on exploration missions by reducing the likelihood of a fire, or, if one does occur, minimizing the risk to the mission, crew, or system. Within the past year, the FPDS project has been formalized within the ETDP structure and has seen significant progress on its tasks in fire prevention, detection, and suppression. As requirements for Constellation vehicles and, specifically, the CEV have developed, the need for the FPDS technologies has become more apparent and we continue to make strides to infuse them into the Constellation architecture. This paper describes the current structure of the project within the ETDP and summarizes the significant programmatic activities. Major technical accomplishments are identified as are activities planned for FY07.
Ruff, Gary A.↗
Technology Development for Fire Safety in Exploration Spacecraft and Habitats
Fire during an exploration mission far from Earth is a particularly critical risk for exploration vehicles and habitats. The Fire Prevention, Detection, and Suppression (FPDS) project is part of the Exploration Technology Development Program (ETDP) and has the goal to enhance crew health and safety on exploration missions by reducing the likelihood of a fire, or, if one does occur, minimizing the risk to the mission, crew, or system. Within the past year, the FPDS project has been formalized within the ETDP structure and has seen significant progress on its tasks in fire prevention, detection, and suppression. As requirements for Constellation vehicles and, specifically, the CEV have developed, the need for the FPDS technologies has become more apparent and we continue to make strides to infuse them into the Constellation architecture. This paper describes the current structure of the project within the ETDP and summarizes the significant programmatic activities. Major technical accomplishments are identified as are activities planned for FY07.
Ruff, Gary A.↗
PHALANX: Expendable Projectile Sensor Networks for Planetary Exploration
Technologies enabling long-term, wide-ranging measurement in hard-to-reach areas are a critical need for planetary science inquiry. Phenomena of interest include flows or variations in volatiles, gas composition or concentration, particulate density, or even simply temperature. Improved measurement of these processes enables understanding of exotic geologies and distributions or correlating indicators of trapped water or biological activity. However, such data is often needed in unsafe areas such as caves, lava tubes, or steep ravines not easily reached by current spacecraft and planetary robots. To address this capability gap, we have developed miniaturized, expendable sensors which can be ballistically lobbed from a robotic rover or static lander - or even dropped during a flyover. These projectiles can perform sensing during flight and after anchoring to terrain features. By augmenting exploration systems with these sensors, we can extend situational awareness, perform long-duration monitoring, and reduce utilization of primary mobility resources, all of which are crucial in surface missions. We call the integrated payload that includes a cold gas launcher, smart projectiles, planning software, network discovery, and science sensing: PHALANX. In this paper, we introduce the mission architecture for PHALANX and describe an exploration concept that pairs projectile sensors with a rover “mothership.” Science use cases explored include reconnaissance using ballistic cameras, volatiles detection, and building timelapse maps of temperature and illumination conditions. Strategies to autonomously coordinate constellations of deployed sensors to self-discover and localize with peer ranging (i.e. a “local GPS”) are summarized, thus providing communications infrastructure beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) of the rover. Capabilities were demonstrated through both simulation and physical testing with a terrestrial prototype. The approach to developing a terrestrial prototype is discussed, including design of the launching mechanism, projectile optimization, micro-electronics fabrication, and sensor selection. Results from early testing and characterization of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components are reported. Nodes were subjected to successful burn-in tests over 48 hours at full logging duty cycle. Integrated field tests were conducted in the Roverscape, a half-acre planetary analog environment at NASA Ames, where we tested up to 10 sensor nodes simultaneously coordinating with an exploration rover. Ranging accuracy has been demonstrated to be within +/-10cm over 20m using commodity radios when compared to high-resolution laser scanner ground truthing. Evolution of the design, including progressive miniaturization of the electronics and iterated modifications of the enclosure housing for streamlining and optimized radio performance are described. Finally, lessons learned to date, gaps toward eventual flight mission implementation, and continuing future development plans are discussed.
Dille, Michael↗
Applications of PLIF within Supersonic/Hypersonic Flows relevant to Space Technology and Exploration
We summarize two recent applications of planar laser-induced fluorescence using seeded nitric oxide (NO-PLIF) within two different large-scale facilities for space technology and exploration. The first measurement campaign described is the NO-PLIF measurements performed within the 31-in Mach 10 air tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center for flow visualization, velocity, and temperature measurements of the wake produced by a hypersonic blunt-body. PLIF within this wake-flow was performed to support the developments of HIAD (hypersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator) technology, including the recent LOFTID flight mission. The second campaign is the NO-PLIF measurements performed within a 20-ft vacuum chamber at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center for flow visualization of a Mach 5 plume impinging on a flat plate under rarefied and continuum conditions. PLIF within this supersonic flow was performed to support future lunar and Martian lander missions by investigating the plume impingement behavior. While both of these measurement campaigns were performed using 10 Hz PLIF laser systems, current efforts include utilization of tunable high-repetition-rate lasers for NO-PLIF measurements up to kHz-MHz rates.
Planar laser-induced fluorescence↗
Are we There Yet? ... Developing In-Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR) Technologies to Explore and Live on the Moon and Mars
NASA's human exploration initiative poses great opportunity and great risk for manned missions to the Moon and Mars. Engineers and Scientists at the Marshall Space Flight Center are evaluating current technologies for in situ exploration habitat and fabrication and repair applications. Several technologies to be addressed in this paper have technology readiness levels (TRLs) that are currently mature enough to pursue for exploration purposes. However, many technologies offer promising applications but these must be pulled along by the demands and applications of this great initiative. The In Situ Fabrication and Repair (ISFR) program will supply and push state of the art technologies for applications such as habitat structure development, in situ resource utilization for tool and part fabrication, and repair and replacement of common life support elements. This paper will look at the current and future habitat technology applications such as the implementation of in situ environmental elements such as caves, rilles and lavatubes, the development of lunar regolith concrete and structure design and development, thin film and inflatable technologies. We will address current rapid prototyping technologies, their ISFR applications and near term advancements. We will discuss the anticipated need to utilize in situ resources to produce replacement parts and fabricate repairs to vehicles, habitats, life support and quality of life elements. All ISFR technology developments will incorporate automated deployment and robotic construction and fabrication techniques. The current state of the art for these applications is fascinating, but the future is out of this world.
Bassler, Julie A.↗
Safety, Reliability, and Quality Assurance Provisions for the Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology Centers
This Handbook establishes general safety, reliability, and quality assurance (SR&QA) guidelines for use on flight and ground-based projects conducted at the Ames, Langley, and Lewis Research Centers, hereafter identified as the Office of Aeronautics, Exploration and Technology (OAET) Centers. This document is applicable to all projects and operations conducted at these Centers except for those projects covered by more restrictive provisions such as the Space Shuttle, Space Station, and unmanned spacecraft programs. This Handbook is divided into two parts. The first (Chapters 1 and 2) establishes the SR&QA guidelines applicable to the OAET Centers, and the second (Appendices A, B, C, and D) provides examples and definitions for the total SR&QA program. Each center should implement SR&QA programs using these guidelines with tailoring appropriate to the special projects conducted by each Center. This Handbook is issued in loose-leaf form and will be revised by page changes.
Source record↗
NASA's Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute: Science and Technology for Lunar Exploration
The NASA Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute (SSERVI) is a virtual institute focused on research at the intersection of science and exploration, training the next generation of lunar scientists, and development and support of the international community. As part of its mission, SSERVI acts as a hub for opportunities that engage the larger scientific and exploration communities in order to form new interdisciplinary, research-focused collaborations. The nine domestic SSERVI teams that comprise the U.S. complement of the Institute engage with the international science and exploration communities through workshops, conferences, online seminars and classes, student exchange programs and internships. SSERVI represents a close collaboration between science, technology and exploration enabling a deeper, integrated understanding of the Moon and other airless bodies as human exploration moves beyond low Earth orbit. SSERVI centers on the scientific aspects of exploration as they pertain to the Moon, Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) and the moons of Mars, with additional aspects of related technology development, including a major focus on human exploration-enabling efforts such as resolving Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs). The Institute focuses on interdisciplinary, exploration-related science focused on airless bodies targeted as potential human destinations. Areas of study represent the broad spectrum of lunar, NEA, and Martian moon sciences encompassing investigations of the surface, interior, exosphere, and near-space environments as well as science uniquely enabled from these bodies. This research profile integrates investigations of plasma physics, geology/geochemistry, technology integration, solar system origins/evolution, regolith geotechnical properties, analogues, volatiles, ISRU and exploration potential of the target bodies. New opportunities for both domestic and international partnerships are continually generated through these research and community development efforts, and SSERVI can further serve as a model for joint international scientific efforts through its creation of bridges across disciplines and between countries. Since the inception of the NASA Lunar Science Institute (SSERVIs predecessor), it has and will continue to contribute in many ways toward the advancement of lunar science and the eventual human exploration of the Moon.
virtual↗
Technology Drives Exploration: How NASA Is Embracing Additive Manufacturing
NASA has over 60 years of technology development that enabled human space and space science exploration “for the benefit of all humankind”. This presentation will start with the overview of NASA’s organization structure; the roles NASA’s leadership plays as well as 10 regional centers’ focused areas and capabilities. It will also highlight NASA’s Mission Directorates –Science, Human, Aeronautics, and Technology. With the onset of the newer and still evolving procurement business model (NASA being a buyer, instead of maker), a question remains: which is the right framework under which NASA can best integrate the capabilities of commercial, international, and other US government entities into a coherent exploration strategy? Another critical consideration is identifying which critical technologies to invest in NASA and which capabilities are better suited for commercialization as NASA as a buyer. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is certainly changing the space industry and providing new opportunities to travel to low earth orbit and explore our universe. New design opportunities –not previously possible –for new high performance metal alloys, light-weighting, managing thermal, structural, and dynamic loads are being enabled by AM. This presentation will showcase the vast portfolio of NASA’s AM activities in the last 13 years; transportation from Earth to Destination, Habitat at Destination, Lander from Station to Surface, and Science mission spacecrafts. NASA’s technical excellence is being leveraged heavily in the AM and Commercial Space community through collaborative projects, partnership agreements, tech transfer program. Examples of challenges of AM implementation as well as opportunities will be discussed.
Alison Park↗