The Influence of Viability, Independence, and Self-Governance on Trust and Public Acceptance of Uncrewed Air Vehicle Operations
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Autonomy↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “VIABILITY”
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 Viability of See-and-Avoid for Urban Air Mobility Operations
Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is an emerging aviation concept that could supplement today’s ground and air transportation systems. For UAM, it is generally assumed that the private sector will manage separation and not rely on the Federal Aviation Administration air traffic control system. To date, discussions of initial operations focus on using the visual abilities of the pilot to “see and avoid” (SAA) other aircraft. Decades of research on SAA has demonstrated that it is inadequate for reliable detection of aircraft that might pose a collision risk. The literature on multi-object tracking is also reviewed for findings on how well humans can visually track objects. The research shows that humans have limited resources for tracking and that this may be affected by object characteristics and cognitive skills. The conclusion is that SAA is a risky method for avoiding midair collisions. It is recommended that flight deck displays and automated collision avoidance systems be implemented for all UAM aircraft at the outset of their introduction.
urban air mobility↗
Evaluating the Viability of Compact and Portable X-Ray Systems for an Exploration Medical System in a Ground Demonstration
MOTIVATION FOR INCLUDING X-RAY CAPABILITIES For upcoming exploration missions, the need for enhanced medical care becomes critical due to extended mission durations, significant communication delays, and minimal evacuation opportunities. Previous evidence by our team has revealed that among the 119 medical conditions targeted for management during spaceflight within NASA Exploration Medical Capability’s IMPACT Condition List, at least 36 could benefit from radiography (XR). Utilizing XR for diagnosis and management is hypothesized to significantly improve management of crew health by enabling the immediate evaluation and confirmation of potential injuries or illnesses. Beyond clinical applications, XR also holds potential for non-destructive testing (NDT). This includes applications such as assessing the structural integrity of the spacecraft, analyzing surface and meteorite samples, and inspecting onboard electronics. THREE CANDIDATE X-RAY SYSTEMS CHOSEN FOR GROUND DEMONSTRATION The Exploration Medical Capability Element (ExMC) and the Exploration Medical Integrated Product Team (XMIPT) of the Mars Campaign Office initiated early background work for ground demonstrations. In FY21, ExMC published a Concept of Operations to guide requirements development. By FY23, XMIPT and yet2, a technology scouting and open innovation consulting firm, had completed a market survey and trade study to identify potential miniature XR systems. Selection criteria included commercial-off-the-shelf availability, low mass and volume, and regulatory compliance. The top three candidate devices—Remedi REMEX-KA6, MinXray Impact, and FujiFilm Xair—were acquired to characterize the requirements and capabilities of each device. To facilitate testing, phantoms, and radiographic personal protective equipment (PPE) were purchased, and a dedicated space was designated for XRS usage at Glenn Research Center. During this presentation, the mass, volume, and power requirements for each of the three piloted devices are revealed, as well as information regarding the detector, mA, and kV of the devices. GOAL AND OBJECTIVES OF A MINI XRS GROUND DEMONSTRATION The primary goal of ExMC/XMIPT technology demonstrations is to bridge the gap in available, flight-ready medical device technology by flight-testing diagnostic and treatment technologies essential for managing medical conditions during exploration missions. These technologies must adhere to vehicle constraints such as mass, volume, power, and data requirements, integrate seamlessly with medical decision-support tools, and support increasingly Earth-independent operations. There are three main objectives for the future ground demonstration of these three devices. First, we aim to determine the full capabilities of these three miniature XR systems within the context of the spaceflight environment. While medical applications are the primary focus for the miniature XR, a comprehensive exploration of non-medical uses has been initiated by an XMIPT-sponsored NASA SPARK campaign to identify collaborators. Second, we plan to establish criteria and to use insights gained from evaluating each miniature XR against those criteria to select the most suitable system among the three candidates. Third, we intend to evaluate their suitability for flight certification, which includes assessing its durability for launch, reentry, and exposure to high background radiation, as well as its compatibility with existing data architecture systems. Numerous subject matter experts from NASA and partner institutions will support these objectives.
C A Haddix↗
On the viability of electrochemical carbon dioxide in-situ resource utilization to produce chemical feedstocks on Mars
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Mohamed Shahid↗
Zinc availability during germline development impacts embryo viability in Caenorhabditis elegans
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Adelita D. Mendoza↗
Matrices (re)loaded: Durability, viability, and fermentative capacity of yeast encapsulated in beads of different composition during long‐term fed‐batch culture
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Jordan Gulli↗
Modeling Lake Bonneville Paleoshoreline Erosion at Mars‐Like Rates and Durations: Implications for the Preservation of Erosional Martian Shorelines and Viability as Evidence for a Martian Ocean
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Zachary J. Baran↗
The viability of trajectory analysis for diagnosing dynamical and chemical influences on ozone concentrations in the UTLS
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J. W. Bergman↗
Project environmental microbiology as related to planetary quarantine
The viability and dry heat resistance of indigenous microflora associated with small soil particles were investigated. An aluminum boat TDT CUP-TSA solid media system was developed for the analyses; a complete description of the technique is included. Data cited here were obtained using analyses of individual soil particles. Detailed particle viability profiles for dry heat effects were determined for Kennedy Space Center soil. At 110 C at least some particles retained viability through a heating period of between 8 and 16 hours. Single particles heated at 125 C for 80 minutes or longer did not show evidence of viability under test conditions. Preliminary aerobic, mesophilic plate counts of the 74-88 micron m soil fraction yielded mean values of 16.2 organisms per dark particle and 2.6 organisms per light particle. Heat treatment of particles in a dry atmosphere did not appear to increase the rate of inactivation for in situ soil particle microflora.
Pflug, I. J.↗
Ecology and Thermal Inactivation of Microbes in and on Interplanetary Space Vehicle Components
Spores of Bacillus subtilis var. niger were heat treated in aqueous suspension at 90 C, and observed for morphological changes and loss of viability. The 5 logs reduction that occurred in broth at 90 min required 210 min in buffered water. Five characteristic changes observed after spores were exposed 120 min at 90 C in buffered water were: (1) 90% loss of spore viability, (2) 5% stainability, (3) 76% increase in spore size (as observed by scanning electron microscopy), (4) 21% of spore areas remaining refractile, and (5) an increase of 77% in packed cell volume (PCV). Stainability and PCV changes were recognized only after secondary exposure in broth. Extended heat exposure (3 h at 90 C) resulted in 99% loss of spore viability and 99% loss of stainability. After 4 hours of heat exposure, 90% of the cells disintegrated. These results suggest that early germinal changes occurr concurrently with the early changes in the heat susceptibility of dormant spores.
Reyes, A. L.↗
Development anmd testing of electrophoresis solutions. Task I.1: Development of optimal buffer system
Two buffers were explored for testing: low ionic strength electrophoresis buffer with and without density gradient material. It was found that the electrophoresis routine was better tolerated when Ficoll was present. The results of a viability study of primary human fetal kidney (HFK-1) cells at the first passage are shown. Cell strain HFK-1 was used in several experiments at the first and second passage. The HFK consisted mainly of fibroblasts, and HFK-1 has a high epithelioid cell content. The chromosomes of HFK were examined and found to be euploid. The stock medium for cell electrophoresis is described. In this solution density gradient solutes such as sucrose and Ficoll are dissolved to bring the osmolarity to 0.30. Its ionic strength is less than 0.01M, and its conductivity is usually 0.0011 mho/cm. Methods for viability determination included direct microscopic counting of the percent cells attached and spread within 24 hr of plating test cultures or electrophoretically separated fractions. The Cytograf viability assay concept was tested, and shown that blue stained cells scatter less light into the 0.8 to 3.3 deg angular interval than do unstained cells.
Source record↗
The growth and harvesting of algae in a micro-gravity environment
Algae growth in a micro-gravity environment is an important factor in supporting man's permanent presence in space. Algae can be used to produce food, oxygen, and pure water in a manned space station. A space station is one example of a situation where a Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) is imperative. In setting up a CELSS with an engineering approach at the Aerospace department of the University of Colorado, questions concerning algae growth in micro-g have arisen. The Get Away Special (GAS) Fluids Management project is a means through which many questions about the effects of a micro-g environment on the adequacy of growth rates, the viability of micro-organisms, and separation of gases and solids for harvesting purposes can be answered. In order to be compatible with the GAS tests, the algae must satisfy the following criteria: (1) rapid growth rates, (2) sustain viability over long periods of non-growth storage, and (3) very brief latency from storage to rapid growth. Testing indicates that the overall growth characteristics of Anacystis Nidulans satisfy the specifications of GAS's design constraints. In addition, data acquisition and the method of growth instigation are two specific problems being examined, as they will be encountered in interfacing with the GAS project. Flight testing will be two-fold, measurement of algae growth in micro-g and separation of algae from growth medium in an artificial gravitation field. Post flight results will provide information on algae viability in a micro-g environment as reflected by algal growth rates in space. Other post flight results will provide a basis for evaluating techniques for harvesting algae. The results from the GAS project will greatly assist the continuing effort of developing the CELSS and its applications for space.
Wiltberger, Nancy L.↗
Quick Look Analysis of Broadband Aeronautical Data Obtained from the Kuiper Airborne Observatory
The ACTS aeronautical experiments include these purposes: (1) To test the viability of speech/data transmission at: 2.4, 4.8, 9.6, and 64, kbps; (2) To test the viability of high rate transmissions at 512, and 768 kbps; and (3) To test the viability of high data rate transmissions to/from turbojet up to 384 bps.
Satorius, Edgar↗
The NASA Ames Research Center Institutional Scientific Collection: History, Best Practices and Scientific Opportunities
The NASA Ames Life Sciences Institutional Scientific Collection (ISC), which is composed of the Ames Life Sciences Data Archive (ALSDA) and the Biospecimen Storage Facility (BSF), is managed by the Space Biosciences Division and has been operational since 1993. The ALSDA is responsible for archiving information and animal biospecimens collected from life science spaceflight experiments and matching ground control experiments. Both fixed and frozen spaceflight and ground tissues are stored in the BSF within the ISC. The ALSDA also manages a Biospecimen Sharing Program, performs curation and long-term storage operations, and makes biospecimens available to the scientific community for research purposes via the Life Science Data Archive public website (https:lsda.jsc.nasa.gov). As part of our best practices, a viability testing plan has been developed for the ISC, which will assess the quality of archived samples. We expect that results from the viability testing will catalyze sample use, enable broader science community interest, and improve operational efficiency of the ISC. The current viability test plan focuses on generating disposition recommendations and is based on using ribonucleic acid (RNA) integrity number (RIN) scores as a criteria for measurement of biospecimen viablity for downstream functional analysis. The plan includes (1) sorting and identification of candidate samples, (2) conducting a statiscally-based power analysis to generate representaive cohorts from the population of stored biospecimens, (3) completion of RIN analysis on select samples, and (4) development of disposition recommendations based on the RIN scores. Results of this work will also support NASA open science initiatives and guides development of the NASA Scientific Collections Directive (a policy on best practices for curation of biological collections). Our RIN-based methodology for characterizing the quality of tissues stored in the ISC since the 1980s also creates unique scientific opportunities for temporal assessment across historical missions. Support from the NASA Space Biology Program and the NASA Human Research Program is gratefully acknowledged.
ALSDA↗
Development of Storage Methods for Saccharomyces Strains to be Utilized for In situ Nutrient Production in Long-Duration Space Missions
Long-duration space missions will benefit from closed-loop life support technologies that minimize mass, volume, and power as well as decrease reliance on Earth-based resupply. A system for In situ production of essential vitamins and nutrients can address the documented problem of degradation of stored food and supplements. Research has shown that the edible yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used as an on-demand system for the production of various compounds that are beneficial to human health. A critical objective in the development of this approach for long-duration space missions is the effective storage of the selected microorganisms. This research investigates the effects of different storage methods on survival rates of the non-sporulating probiotic S. boulardii, and S. cerevisiae spores and vegetative cells. Dehydration has been shown to increase long-term yeast viability, which also allows increased shelf-life and reduction in mass and volume. The process of dehydration causes detrimental effects on vegetative cells, including oxidative damage and membrane disruption. To maximize cell viability, various dehydration methods are tested here, including lyophilization (freeze-drying), air drying, and dehydration by vacuum. As a potential solution to damage caused by lyophilization, the efficacy of various cryoprotectants was tested. Furthermore, in an attempt to maintain higher survival rates, the effect of temperature during long-term storage was investigated. Data show spores of the wild-type strain to be more resilient to dehydration-related stressors than vegetative cells of either strain, and maintain high viability rates even after one year at room temperature. In the event that engineering the organism to produce targeted nutrient compounds interferes with effective sporulation of S. cerevisiae, a more robust method for improving vegetative cell storage is being sought. Therefore, anhydrobiotic engineering of S. cerevisiae and S. boulardii is being conducted
nutrient↗
Development of Storage Methods for Saccharomyces Strains to be Utilized for In Situ Nutrient Production in Long-Duration Space Missions
Long-duration space missions will benefit from closed-loop life support technologies that minimize mass, volume, and power as well as decrease reliance on Earth-based resupply. A system for In situ production of essential vitamins and nutrients can address the documented problem of degradation of stored food and supplements. Research has shown that the edible yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae can be used as an on-demand system for the production of various compounds that are beneficial to human health. A critical objective in the development of this approach for long-duration space missions is the effective storage of the selected microorganisms. This research investigates the effects of different storage methods on survival rates of the non-sporulating probiotic S. boulardii, and S. cerevisiae spores and vegetative cells. Dehydration has been shown to increase long-term yeast viability, which also allows increased shelf-life and reduction in mass and volume. The process of dehydration causes detrimental effects on vegetative cells, including oxidative damage and membrane disruption. To maximize cell viability, various dehydration methods are tested here, including lyophilization (freeze-drying), air drying, and dehydration by vacuum. As a potential solution to damage caused by lyophilization, the efficacy of various cryoprotectants was tested. Furthermore, in an attempt to maintain higher survival rates, the effect of temperature during long-term storage was investigated. Data show spores of the wild-type strain to be more resilient to dehydration-related stressors than vegetative cells of either strain, and maintain high viability rates even after one year at room temperature. In the event that engineering the organism to produce targeted nutrient compounds interferes with effective sporulation of S. cerevisiae, a more robust method for improving vegetative cell storage is being sought. Therefore, anhydrobiotic engineering of S. cerevisiae and S. boulardii is being conducted.
life support↗
BioNutrients: Microbial on-demand production of short shelf-life micronutrients in space
Long duration deep space missions pose a significant challenge when considering adequate nutrition for human spaceflight. Many micronutrients supplied in pre-packaged foods for low Earth orbit flights have a short shelf life and will degrade over multi-year missions. One strategy to mitigate the risk of micronutrient malnutrition is to grow fresh foods to supplement a pre-packaged diet. The BioNutrients project aims to develop systems for growing edible microorganisms that are genetically engineered to produce short shelf life micronutrients. BioNutrients-1 (BN-1) is a five-year spaceflight project currently underway on the International Space Station (ISS) that tests long-term storage and production of two carotenoids, β-carotene and zeaxanthin, in genetically engineered yeast strains. BN-1 on-orbit and ground control activities indicate that the nutrient production system will be stable for at least two years in ambient storage conditions. BN-1 is also testing the effects of long-term ISS storage on viability and gene expression using “stasis packs” containing a series of microorganisms useful in food and biomanufacturing processes. Stasis pack analysis is distinguishing microorganisms with full viability after two years of storage from other species that lose viability rapidly. In parallel, BioNutrients-2 (BN-2) is being developed as a six-month flight experiment that will expand the range of foods produced on ISS to include yogurt, kefir, and probiotic yeast. BN-2 will improve upon hardware design by transitioning from a hard-shell polycarbonate bioreactor to a flexible fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) bag. This change reduces the mass and volume required to store production packs. The long-term goal of BioNutrients is to develop the capability for rapid and safe delivery of multiple micronutrients in single-use production packs. We expect synthetic biology approaches similar to BioNutrients will play an important role for astronaut health in future NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.
Synthetic Biology↗
The Effects of Plasma Application on Radish Seeds with Implications for Space Crop Production
In extended space missions, the astronaut diet will consist mostly of prepackaged foods. This could result in nutritional deficiencies due to the gradual breakdown of certain vitamins. To address this deficiency, fresh produce must be grown from seed during spaceflight. Stored seeds, however, can be vulnerable to microbial contamination which could jeopardize plant health and crop food safety. To alleviate this concern, the current practice is to sanitize seeds on the ground before spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). Methods of seed sanitization include alcohol soaking and chlorine gas fumigation, which have harmful effects on the environment and human health. Plasma application is a new sanitization approach that avoids these negative side effects while potentially elevating germination rate and improving growth rate; yet plasma application requires specific exposure time, power, and pressure to achieve these benefits. In the present study, Raphanus sativus ‘Cherry Belle’ radish seeds were exposed to either low pressure (Diener) plasma or atmospheric pressure plasma for varying increments of time (30s-1200s). Data collected includes immediate germination rate (viability) and microbial log reduction. Additionally, seeds were stored for later germination rate testing. Microbial assay controls have highlighted variability in initial microbial load between individual seeds, and further work is being performed to determine the standard microbial load of an untreated seed. In some samples, a negative log reduction was observed after plasma treatment encouraging further study to determine if the plasma is perforating the seed coat and releasing endophytic microbes. Treatment with Diener plasma shows promising microbial log reduction, but lower viability. In contrast, treatment with atmospheric pressure plasma offers high viability, but poor microbial log reduction. Further study will aim at determining whether plasma treatment is effective at not only sanitization, but sterilization. This research was funded by a NASA grant at the Kennedy Space Center.
Plasma↗