SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Land Access”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 721 records · Page 40

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2021

Regional Air Mobility: Leveraging Our National Investments to Energize the American Travel Experience

America is home to over 5,000 airports available for public use, yet only 30 of these airports serve over 70% of all travelers.01 Despite this vast network of airports, the majority are underutilized due to air transportation services that have trended towards consolidation by putting more people into fewer, larger aircraft on well-traveled routes. Also, these bigger jet-propelled aircraft can only take off from and land on longer airstrips. Regional Air Mobility (RAM) will fundamentally change how we travel by bringing the convenience, speed, and safety of air travel to all Americans, regardless of their proximity to a travel hub or urban center. We advocate RAM technology investment as complementary to and an accelerator for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and other initiatives that aspire to transform the airspace. Through targeted advanced technology investments, such as aircraft automation, enhanced operational models, more efficient aircraft and propulsion systems, and expanded airport renewable energy generation, many of which are already underway, RAM will increase the safety, accessibility, and affordability of regional travel while building on the extensive and underutilized federal, state, and local investment in our nation’s local airports.

Regional Air Mobility↗

NASA NTRS1996

Geodata Modeling and Query in Geographic Information Systems

Geographic information systems (GIS) deal with collecting, modeling, man- aging, analyzing, and integrating spatial (locational) and non-spatial (attribute) data required for geographic applications. Examples of spatial data are digital maps, administrative boundaries, road networks, and those of non-spatial data are census counts, land elevations and soil characteristics. GIS shares common areas with a number of other disciplines such as computer- aided design, computer cartography, database management, and remote sensing. None of these disciplines however, can by themselves fully meet the requirements of a GIS application. Examples of such requirements include: the ability to use locational data to produce high quality plots, perform complex operations such as network analysis, enable spatial searching and overlay operations, support spatial analysis and modeling, and provide data management functions such as efficient storage, retrieval, and modification of large datasets; independence, integrity, and security of data; and concurrent access to multiple users. It is on the data management issues that we devote our discussions in this monograph. Traditionally, database management technology have been developed for business applications. Such applications require, among other things, capturing the data requirements of high-level business functions and developing machine- level implementations; supporting multiple views of data and yet providing integration that would minimize redundancy and maintain data integrity and security; providing a high-level language for data definition and manipulation; allowing concurrent access to multiple users; and processing user transactions in an efficient manner. The demands on database management systems have been for speed, reliability, efficiency, cost effectiveness, and user-friendliness. Significant progress have been made in all of these areas over the last two decades to the point that many generalized database platforms are now available for developing data intensive applications that run in real-time. While continuous improvement is still being made at a very fast-paced and competitive rate, new application areas such as computer aided design, image processing, VLSI design, and GIS have been identified by many as the next generation of database applications. These new application areas pose serious challenges to the currently available database technology. At the core of these challenges is the nature of data that is manipulated. In traditional database applications, the database objects do not have any spatial dimension, and as such, can be thought of as point data in a multi-dimensional space. For example, each instance of an entity EMPLOYEE will have a unique value corresponding to every attribute such as employee id, employee name, employee address and so on. Thus, every Employee instance can be thought of as a point in a multi-dimensional space where each dimension is represented by an attribute. Furthermore, all operations on such data are one-dimensional. Thus, users may retrieve all entities satisfying one or more constraints. Examples of such constraints include employees with addresses in a certain area code, or salaries within a certain range. Even though constraints can be specified on multiple attributes (dimensions), the search for such data is essentially orthogonal across these dimensions.

Adam, Nabil↗

NASA NTRS2011

NASA's Hyperwall Revealing the Big Picture

NASA:s hyperwall is a sophisticated visualization tool used to display large datasets. The hyperwall, or video wall, is capable of displaying multiple high-definition data visualizations and/or images simultaneously across an arrangement of screens. Functioning as a key component at many NASA exhibits, the hyperwall is used to help explain phenomena, ideas, or examples of world change. The traveling version of the hyperwall is typically comprised of nine 42-50" flat-screen monitors arranged in a 3x3 array (as depicted below). However, it is not limited to monitor size or number; screen sizes can be as large as 52" and the arrangement of screens can include more than nine monitors. Generally, NASA satellite and model data are used to highlight particular themes in atmospheric, land, and ocean science. Many of the existing hyperwall stories reveal change across space and time, while others display large-scale still-images accompanied by descriptive, story-telling captions. Hyperwall content on a variety of Earth Science topics already exists and is made available to the public at: eospso.gsfc.nasa.gov/hyperwall. Keynote and PowerPoint presentations as well as Summary of Story files are available for download on each existing topic. New hyperwall content and accompanying files will continue being developed to promote scientific literacy across a diverse group of audience members. NASA invites the use of content accessible through this website but requests the user to acknowledge any and all data sources referenced in the content being used.

Sellers, Piers↗

NASA NTRS2012

Red Dragon: Low-cost Access to the Surface of Mars using Commercial Capabilities

We will discuss the feasibility of using a minimally-modified variant of a SpaceX Dragon capsule as a low-cost, large-capacity, near-term, Mars lander for scientific and human-precursor missions. We have been evaluating such a Red Dragon platform as an option for a Discovery Program mission concept. A Red Dragon lander has the potential to be low cost primarily because it would be derived from a routinely-flying spacecraft. Dragon is being developed to ferry cargo and crew to and from the International Space Station (ISS). The cargo variant is currently undergoing test flights, which will be followed by standard ISS cargo missions and, eventually, crewed flights. The human variant, unlike other Earth-return vehicles, appears to also have most of the capabilities necessary to land on Mars. In particular, it has a set of high-thrust, throttleable, storable bi-propellant Super- Draco engines integrated directly into the capsule which are intended for launch abort and powered landings on Earth. These thrusters suggest the possibility of a parachute-free, fully-propulsive deceleration at Mars from supersonic speeds to the surface. Concepts for large, human-relevant landers (see, e.g., [1]) also often employ supersonic retro-propulsion; Red Dragon's entry, descent, and landing approach would scale to those landers. Further, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy launch vehicle, currently under development and expected to have its first flight in 2013, will be capable of sending Dragon on a trajectory to Mars. We will discuss our motivation for exploring a Red Dragon lander, the primary technical questions which determine its feasibility, and the current results of our analysis. In particular, we will examine entry, descent, and landing (EDL) in detail. We will describe the modifications to Dragon necessary for interplanetary cruise, EDL, and operations on the Martian surface.

Karcz, John↗

DOE OSTI2024

AmeriFlux FLUXNET-1F US-xTL NEON Toolik (TOOL)

This is the AmeriFlux Management Project (AMP) created FLUXNET-1F version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xTL NEON Toolik (TOOL). This is the FLUXNET version of the carbon flux data for the site US-xTL NEON Toolik (TOOL) produced by applying the standard ONEFlux (1F) software. Site Description - The Toolik field site is located in a remote wilderness area at the Toolik Field Station which is on land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The area is underlain by continuous permafrost, which exerts a major influence on hydrology and the distribution, structure, and function of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. Because of its location between the Brooks Range and the coastal plain, the vegetation and soils at TOOL are representative of much of the Alaskan foothills tundra. This terrestrial field site is collocated with NEON’s Toolik Lake aquatic site. The closest city, Fairbanks, Alaska is 400 miles away. The Dalton Highway (also known as the Haul Road or Pipeline Road), which traverses the middle of the state from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, provides access to the area.

Network), NEON (National Ecological Observatory↗

NASA NTRS1995

Curation of Federally Owned Archeological Collections at NASA Langley Research Center

As a Federal agency, NASA has a moral and legal obligation to the public to manage the archeological heritage resources under its control. Archeological sites are unique, nonrenewable resources that must be preserved so that future generations may experience and interpret the material remains of the past. These sites are protected by a wide array of federal regulations. These regulations are intended to ensure that our nation's cultural heritage is preserved for the study and enjoyment of future generations. Once a site has been excavated, all that remains of it are the artifacts and associated records which, taken together, allow researchers to reconstruct the past. With the contextual information provided by associated records such as field notes, maps and photographs, archeological collections can provide important information about life in the past. An integral component of the federal archeology program is the curation of these databases so that qualified scholars will have access to them in years to come. Standards for the maintenance of archeological collections have been codified by various professional organizations and by the federal government. These guidelines focus on providing secure, climate-controlled archival storage conditions for the collections and an adequate study area in which researchers can examine the artifacts and documents. In the 1970's and early 1980's, a group of NASA employees formed the LRC Historical and Archeological Society (LRCHAS) in order to pursue studies of the colonial plantations that ha been displaced by Langley Research Center (LaRC). They collected data on family histories and land ownership as well as conducting archeological surveys and excavations at two important 17th-20th century plantation sites in LaRC, Cloverdale and Chesterville. The excavations produced a wealth of information in the form of artifacts, photographs, maps and other documents. Unfortunately, interest on the part of the LRCHAS membership waned before a report was written, and since 1982 the artifacts have moldered in a flimsy trailer with no climate controls, which had once served as a field laboratory but which threatened to become a tomb for the collection. A recent analysis of Langley's cultural resources by Gray & Pape, Inc. recommended that the collection be organized, cataloged, and placed in a proper curation facility in accordance with Federal regulations. The project for the LARSS program was to research curation standards, organize the collection, catalog it, and prepare it for transfer to a facility which could provide adequate long-term curation conditions for the artifacts and documents. The first phase was to organize the artifacts, which were lying about the lab in various stages of cleaning, analysis, and conservation. Once all of the artifacts from the various excavation units and levels had been regrouped, they were cleaned and/or repackaged in archivally-stable materials. A basic catalog was prepared which will provide interested parties with a rough idea of what we have and where it can be found. Another aspect of the project was to organize the records left by the LRCHAS. Bundles of papers, photographs, and field data found in every corner and drawer of the laboratory trailer were put into order and, where appropriate, copies were made on acid-free Permabond paper for long term storage. Finally, the entire collection and most of the lab equipment was transferred into a secure, climate controlled room which will serve as an archive and study space for qualified scholars interested in exploring LaRC's rich historical heritage.

Eastman, John Arnold↗

NASA NTRS2004

[Earth Sciences Research]

contents include the following: 1. Argentina Field Expedition (2004). NASA funds supported joint fieldwork by Peter Makovicky (Dept. of Geology, TFM) and Sebastian Apesteguia (Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires) in a fossil-rich locality in the Cenomanian Candeleros Formation of northern Rio Negro Province, Argentina. The goal of this fieldwork was to collect small fossil vertebrates, which are abundant in this formation, with a special emphasis on small theropod (casmivorous) dinosaurs. 2. East Greenland Field Expedition (2004). During July-August 2004 the Field Museum led a month long expedition to Jameson Land in East Greenland to collect Triassic-Jurassic aged fossil plants from one of the most productive sites of this age in the world. The project aims include the study of events leading up to catastrophic changes in the biota and atmosphere that occurred about 200 million years ago. 3. Chile Field Expedition (March, 2004). Paleontological reconnaisance of the central Andean main range by helicopter: additional new Cenozoic mammal faunas from Chile. A several thousand sq km swath of the central Andean Cordillera was prospected by helicopter during 2004, permitting rapid survey of large areas in remote or difficult to access regions. This led to the recovery of fossils from several parts of the range, and the identification of sites worthy of future attention. 4. Wyoming Field Expedition (2004). NASA funds supported a three-week field program by Curator of Dinosaurs Peter Makovicky and a crew of Field Museum staff and volunteers at several sites in the Early Cretaceous Cloverly Formation of north-central Wyoming. The nine-member team excavated a number of sites that had been discovered over the preceding two summers.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2011

Human Factors Throughout the Life Cycle: Lessons Learned from the Shuttle Program

With the ending of the Space Shuttle Program, it is critical that we not forget the Human Factors lessons we have learned over the years. At every phase of the life cycle, from manufacturing, processing and integrating vehicle and payload, to launch, flight operations, mission control and landing, hundreds of teams have worked together to achieve mission success in one of the most complex, high-risk socio-technical enterprises ever designed. Just as there was great diversity in the types of operations performed at every stage, there was a myriad of human factors that could further complicate these human systems. A single mishap or close call could point to issues at the individual level (perceptual or workload limitations, training, fatigue, human error susceptibilities), the task level (design of tools, procedures and aspects of the workplace), as well as the organizational level (appropriate resources, safety policies, information access and communication channels). While we have often had to learn through human mistakes and technological failures, we have also begun to understand how to design human systems in which individuals can excel, where tasks and procedures are not only safe but efficient, and how organizations can foster a proactive approach to managing risk and supporting human enterprises. Panelists will talk about their experiences as they relate human factors to a particular phase of the shuttle life cycle. They will conclude with a framework for tying together human factors lessons-learned into system-level risk management strategies.

human factors↗

NASA NTRS2009

Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project

The Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP) has been created to manage the development of a suite of lunar mapping and modeling products that support the Constellation Program (CxP) and other lunar exploration activities, including the planning, design, development, test and operations associated with lunar sortie missions, crewed and robotic operations on the surface, and the establishment of a lunar outpost. The information provided through LMMP will assist CxP in: planning tasks in the areas of landing site evaluation and selection, design and placement of landers and other stationary assets, design of rovers and other mobile assets, developing terrain-relative navigation (TRN) capabilities, and assessment and planning of science traverses. The project draws on expertise from several NASA and non-NASA organizations (MSFC, ARC, GSFC, JPL, CRREL US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, and the USGS). LMMP will utilize data predominately from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, but also historical and international lunar mission data (e.g. Apollo, Lunar Orbiter, Kaguya, Chandrayaan-1), as available and appropriate, to meet Constellation s data needs. LMMP will provide access to this data through a single intuitive and easy to use NASA portal that transparently accesses appropriately sanctioned portions of the widely dispersed and distributed collections of lunar data, products and tools. Two visualization systems are being developed, a web-based system called Lunar Mapper, and a desktop client, ILIADS, which will be downloadable from the LMMP portal. LMMP will provide such products as local and regional imagery and DEMs, hazard assessment maps, lighting and gravity models, and resource maps. We are working closely with the LRO team to prevent duplication of efforts and to ensure the highest quality data products. While Constellation is our primary customer, LMMP is striving to be as useful as possible to the lunar science community, the lunar commercial community, the lunar education and public outreach (E/PO) community, and anyone else interested in accessing or utilizing lunar data. A beta version of the portal and visualization systems is expected to be released in late 2009, with a version 1 release planned for early 2011.

Noble, Sarah K.↗

NASA NTRS2015

SLS-Derived Lab- Precursor to Deep Space Human Exploration

Plans to send humans to Mars are in the works and the launch system is being built. Are we ready? Transportation, entry, landing, and surface operations have been successfully demonstrated for robotic missions. However, for human missions, there are significant, potentially show-stopping issues. These issues, called Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs), are the unanswered questions concerning long duration exploration Beyond low Earth Orbit (BEO). The gaps represent a risk of loss of life or mission and because they require extended exposure to the weightless environment outside of earth's protective geo-magnetic field, they cannot be resolved on Earth or on the International Space Station (ISS). Placing a laboratory at a relatively close and stable lunar Distant Retrograde Orbit (DRO) provides an accessible location with the requisite environmental conditions for conducting SKG research and testing mitigation solutions. Configurations comprised of multiple 3 m and 4.3 m diameter modules have been studied but the most attractive solution uses elements of the human Mars launch vehicle or Space Launch System (SLS) for a Mars proving ground laboratory. A shortened version of an SLS hydrogen propellant tank creates a Skylab-like pressure vessel that flies fully outfitted on a single launch. This not only offers significant savings by incorporating SLS pressure vessel development costs but avoids the expensive ISS approach using many launches with substantial on-orbit assembly before becoming operational. One of the most challenging SKGs is crew radiation protection; this is why SKG laboratory research is combined with Mars transit habitat systems development. Fundamentally, the two cannot be divorced because using the habitat systems for protection requires actual hardware geometry and material properties intended to contribute to shielding effectiveness. The SKGs are difficult problems. The solutions to these problems are not obvious; they require integrated, iterative, and multi-disciplinary development. A lunar DRO lab built from SLS elements enables an early and representative transit habitat test bed necessary for closing gaps before sending humans on a 1,000-day Mars mission.

Griffin, Brand M.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Merging Analytic Collaborative Frameworks with New Observing Strategies Toward a Digital Twin: Earth – Episodic Pulse Event Impacts on Ocean Carbon Cycle as an Example

Virtual representations of the Earth will allow us to address some of the most critical environmental issues of our time. Here, we show the first steps toward representation of riverine, estuarine, and coastal carbon processes to enable scenario driven “what-if” analyses of the carbon system and human footprint. Excess sediment and nutrient runoff from land-based human activities impact water quality and can pose serious threats to coastal and marine ecosystems. Episodic pulse events, such as extreme precipitation events, can increase the amount of nutrients entering estuaries and coastal regions, potentially leading to large phytoplankton blooms followed by anoxic conditions. Consequences of coastal runoff are predicted to increase with the higher intensity and frequency of extreme events. Beyond the threat to coastal ecosystems, recent findings suggest these episodic pulses might play a significant role for biological production influencing regional and global carbon fluxes and budgets. An improved understanding of these events through optimal, dynamic observing strategies will increase our knowledge of the land-ocean continuum and how regional events and nutrient fluxes affect the carbon cycle and ocean ecosystem. This conceptual framework enables focused science investigations by pairing data analytics and artificial intelligence tools (otherwise termed an Analytic Center Framework, ACF) with targeted measurement acquisition through distributed sensing and intelligent asset tasking (or New Observing Strategies, NOS). This NOS and ACF iterative approach acquires and integrates complementary and coincident satellite, in-situ and model data to build a more complete and in-depth picture of science phenomena. Specifically, Apache Science Data Analytic Platform (SDAP) is extended to incorporate relevant datasets for data access, harmonized analysis, and anomaly detection. When conditions are met for a likely pulse event, NASA’s D-SHIELD (Distributed Spacecraft with Heuristic Intelligence to Enable Logistical Decisions) tool is triggered to optimize asset overpass frequency and schedule observations for persistent monitoring. Targeted data is ingested by SDAP for enhanced investigation via iterative analysis until the trigger criteria is no longer met - steps toward a digital twin.

Laura Rogers↗

NASA NTRS2020

ICESat-2 Tracking App for Public Engagement

Information regarding the predicted ground tracks of Earth observing satellites is typically difficult to find and understand for the general public. This paper will describe and demonstrate an iOS mobile application for tracking NASA’s ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2), making it easier for users to see exactly when the satellite will be passing over any location in the world. ICESat-2, launched in 2018, uses green lasers to track elevation changes in polar ice and indirectly measure trees, land, and water, providing a precise height map of our planet. Most satellite tracking mobile apps display information about where a specific satellite is at that given moment and when it will be passing over the user’s location in the near future. ICESat-2 the app differs by allowing users to search for data about the satellite’s future flybys relative to a specific search location and radius that they get to choose. The search results include points up to three months into the future. By supplying user-centric results, users are provided relevant data in an easy-to- access manner. Additionally, this data is very clear to visualize in-app through maps, pins, and ground track lines. This becomes an incredibly useful tool not only to plan an observation of the satellite as it passes, but also for knowing when elevation data for a specific area will be available. In addition, this flyby information helps students and citizen scientists take more valuable tree height measurements to better validate the elevation data collected by the satellite. To achieve this outreach product, three key components were developed. These include a Python script to simplify the raw ground track data, a Node.js server that actively takes requests, and the iOS app itself. From initial beta tests, it has been noted that providing users with a map for visual awareness of search radius and result coordinates gives them a more comprehensive understanding of the data. Overall, by cleaning the raw data and making it available in a much more accessible and easier to understand way, ICESat-2 the app has exceeded expectations in providing educational and exciting data for all.

Harbeck, Kaitlin↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Theoretical Model of Static and Dynamic Field-of-View (FOV) using NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL)

Developing an objective field-of-view methodology for studying vehicle window placement has been somewhat difficult. It is not surprising that considerable effort has been directed at specific problems of visibility from vehicles. Aeronautical design engineers know when designing an aircraft cockpit, the pilot must have an adequate view for approaching and landing on an airfield. However, compromise between the ergonomic preference for the largest possible viewing envelope and the practicalities of arranging a structure that is lightweight and strong will always plague the cockpit’s transparent area’s size and shape. The human’s visual sense, when operating any kind of vehicle, is the main source of the vast majority of information needed to drive or fly safely. However, vehicle design can affect a driver’s visual performance for satisfying their need for information. For any vehicle, be it an automobile or a spacecraft, the visibility quantity is the sum total of the visual access to the environment as defined by the window placement of that vehicle. The Alternate Multiple Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (AMMSEV) configuration is much like a large cargo truck where there is no direct visual access to the rear of the vehicle or the rear sides of the vehicle; thus, making the forward and side views of greater importance to the situational awareness of the crew if obstructions are creating visual issues. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) tested a new theoretical model for Field-of-View (FOV) of spacecraft windows in NASA’s own Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL). The NBL is an essential tool for design, testing and development of future space exploration hardware for upcoming NASA operational missions. Using water, with its natural propensity for giving a human the perception of dynamic body motion under a weightless or partial gravity conditions, gives human factors investigators a vigorous space-like environment to study new methods of collecting dynamic field-of-view for future exploration vehicle designs.

Human Factors↗

NASA NTRS2023

Using Satellite-Based Terrestrial Water Storage Data: A Review

Land water storage plays a key role for the Earth’s climate, natural ecosystems, and human activities. Since the launch of the first Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission in 2002, spaceborne observations of changes in terrestrial water storage (TWS) have provided a unique, global perspective on natural and human-induced changes in freshwater resources. Even though they have become much used within the broader Earth system science community, space-based TWS datasets still incorporate important and case-specific limitations which may not always be clear to users not familiar with the underlying processing algorithms. Here, we provide an accessible and illustrated overview of the measurement concept, of the main available data products, and of some frequently encountered technical terms and concepts. We summarize concrete recommendations on how to use TWS data in combination with other hydrological or climatological datasets, and guidance on how to avoid possible pitfalls. Finally, we provide an overview of some of the main applications of GRACE TWS data in the fields of hydrology and climate science. This review is written with the intention of supporting future research and facilitating the use of satellite-based terrestrial water storage datasets in interdisciplinary contexts.

Terrestrial water storage↗

NASA NTRS1992

Low-cost unmanned lunar lander

Two student groups designed unmanned landers to deliver 200 kilogram payloads to the lunar surface. Payloads could include astronomical telescopes, small lunar rovers, and experiments related to future human exploration. Requirements include the use of existing hardware where possible, use of a medium-class launch vehicle, an unobstructed view of the sky for the payload, and access to the lunar surface for the payload. The projects were modeled after Artemis, a project that the NASA Office of Exploration is pursuing with a planned first launch in 1996. The Lunar Scout design uses a Delta 2 launch vehicle with a Star 48 motor for insertion into the trans-lunar trajectory. During the transfer, the solar panels will be folded inward and the spacecraft will be powered by rechargeable nickel-cadmium batteries. The lander will use a combination of a solid rocket motor and hydrazine thrusters for the descent to the lunar surface. The solar arrays will be deployed after landing. The lander will provide power for operations to the payload during the lunar day; batteries will provide 'stay-alive' power during the lunar night. A horn antenna on the lander will provide communications between the payload and the earth.

Daniel, Walter K.↗

NASA NTRS2017

NIAC Phase 1 Final Study Report on Titan Aerial Daughtercraft

Saturns giant moon Titan has become one of the most fascinating bodies in the Solar System. Even though it is a billion miles from Earth, data from the Cassini mission reveals that Titan has a very diverse, Earth-like surface, with mountains, fluvial channels, lakes, evaporite basins, plains, dunes, and seas [Lopes 2010] (Figure 1). But unlike Earth, Titans surface likely is composed of organic chemistry products derived from complex atmospheric photochemistry [Lorenz 2008]. In addition, Titan has an active meteorological system with observed storms and precipitation-induced surface darkening suggesting a hydrocarbon cycle analogous to Earths water cycle [Turtle 2011].Titan is the richest laboratory in the solar system for studying prebiotic chemistry, which makes studying its chemistry from the surface and in the atmosphere one of the most important objectives in planetary science [Decadal 2011]. The diversity of surface features on Titan related to organic solids and liquids makes long-range mobility with surface access important [Decadal 2011]. This has not been possible to date, because mission concepts have had either no mobility (landers), no surface access (balloons and airplanes), or low maturity, high risk, and/or high development costs for this environment (e,g. large, self-sufficient, long-duration helicopters). Enabling in situ mobility could revolutionize Titan exploration, similarly to the way rovers revolutionized Mars exploration. Recent progress on several fronts has suggested that small-scale rotorcraft deployed as daughtercraft from a lander or balloon mothercraft may be an effective, affordable approach to expanding Titan surface access. This includes rapid progress on autonomous navigation capabilities of such aircraft for terrestrial applications and on miniaturization, driven by the consumer mobile electronics market, of high performance of sensors, processors, and other avionics components needed for such aircraft. Chemical analysis, for example with a mass spectrometer, will be important to any Titan surface mission. Anticipating that it may be more practical to host chemical analysis instruments on a mothership than a daughtercraft, we defined system and mission concepts that deploy a small rotorcraft, termed a Titan Aerial Daughtercraft (TAD), from a lander or balloon to perform high-resolution imaging and mapping, potentially land to acquire microscopic images or other in situ measurements, and acquire samples to return to analytical instruments on the mothership. In principle, the ability to recharge batteries in TAD from a radioisotope or other long-lived power source on the mothership could enable multiple sorties. For a lander-based mission, a variety of landing sites is conceivable, including near lake margins, in dry lake beds, or in regions of plains, dunes, or putative cryovolanic or impact melt features. Such missions may require landing with greater precision than in previous missions (Huygens) and mission studies; this could also enhance the ability of TAD to reach interesting terrain from the landing site. Precision descent may also benefit balloon missions, with or without a daughtercraft, by increasing the probability that the balloon will drift over desired terrain early in its mission. Given these potential benefits, the overall concept studied here includes brief consideration of precision descent for landing or balloon deployment, followed by one or more sorties by a rotorcraft deployed from the mothership, with the ability to return to the mothership.

Saturn↗

NASA NTRS2021

The Enceladus Orbilander Mission Concept: Balancing Return and Resources in the Search for Life

Enceladus’s long-lived plume of ice grains and water vapor makes accessing oceanic material readily achievable from orbit (around Saturn or Enceladus) and from the moon’s surface. In preparation for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine 2023–2032 Planetary Science and Astrobiology Decadal Survey, we investigated four architectures capable of collecting and analyzing plume material from orbit and/or on the surface to address the most pressing questions at Enceladus: Is the subsurface ocean inhabited? Why, or why not? Trades specific to these four architectures were studied to allow an evaluation of the science return with respect to investment. The team found that Orbilander, a mission concept that would first orbit and then land on Enceladus, represented the best balance. Orbilander was thus studied at a higher fidelity, including a more detailed science operations plan during both orbital and landed phases, landing site characterization and selection analyses, and landing procedures. The Orbilander mission concept demonstrates that scientifically compelling but resource-conscious Flagship-class missions can be executed in the next decade to search for life at Enceladus.

Shannon M. MacKenzie↗

NASA NTRS2017

Learning More About Our Earth: An Exploration of NASA's Contributions to Earth Science Through Remote Sensing Technologies

NASA is commonly known for its pioneering work in space exploration and the technological advancements that made access to space possible. NASA is now increasingly known for the agency's research and technologies that support the Earth sciences. This is a presentation focusing on NASA's Earth science efforts told mostly through the technological innovations NASA uses to achieve a greater understanding of the Earth, making it possible to explore the Earth as a system. Enabling this science is NASA's fleet of over two dozen Earth science spacecraft, supported by aircraft, ships and ground observations. NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) is a coordinated series of polar-orbiting and low inclination satellites for long-term global observations of the land surface, biosphere, solid Earth, atmosphere, and oceans. With the launching of the three flagship satellite missions, Terra, Aqua and Aura, beginning in 1999, NASA's initial Mission to Planet Earth made it possible to measure aspects of the environment that touch the lives of every person around the world. NASA harnessing the unique space-based platform means, fortunately, no planet is better studied than the one we actually live on.

Lindsay, Francis↗