Space Magnetic Environment Simulation for Spacecraft Testing
Design, fabrication, and use of space magnetic environment simulation facility for spacecraft testing
Droll, P. W.↗
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TransFormers for Ensuring Long-Term Operations in Lunar Extreme Environments
"Surviving Extreme Space Environments" (EE) is one of NASA's Space Technology Grand Challenges. Power generation and thermal control are the key survival ingredients that allow a robotic explorer to cope with the EE using resources available to it, for example, by harvesting the local solar energy or by utilizing an onboard radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG). TransFormers (TFs) are a new technology concept designed to transform a localized area within a harsh extreme environment into a survivable micro-environment by projecting energy to the precise location where robots or humans operate. For example, TFs placed at a location on the rim of Shackleton Crater, which is illuminated by solar radiation for most of the year, would be able to reflect solar energy onto robots operating in the dark cold crater. TFs utilize a shape transformation mechanism to un-fold from a compact volume to a large reflective surface, and to control how much-and where-the energy is projected, and by adjusting for the changing position of the sun. TFs would enable in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) activities within locations of high interest that would normally be unreachable because of their extreme environment
ISRU↗
Optical properties monitor: Experiment definition phase
The stability of materials used in the space environment will continue to be a limiting technology for space missions. The Optical Properties Monitor (OPM) Experiment provides a comprehensive space research program to study the effects of the space environment (both natural and induced) on optical, thermal and space power materials. The OPM Experiment was selected for definition under the NASA/OAST In-Space Technology Experiment Program. The results of the OPM Definition Phase are presented. The OPM experiment will expose selected materials to the space environment and measure the effects with in-space optical measurements. In-space measurements include total hemispherical reflectance total integrated scatter and VUV reflectance/transmittance. The in-space measurements will be augmented with extensive pre- and post-flight sample measurements to determine other optical, mechanical, electrical, chemical or surface effects of space exposure. Environmental monitors will provide the amount and time history of the sample exposure to solar irradiation, atomic oxygen and molecular contamination.
Wilkes, Donald R.↗
Packing the PLSS
NASA Engineers design spacesuits for ultimate protection and functionality in the extreme environment of space. The spacesuit is often referred to as a "personal spacecraft" because it provides the astronaut with everything he or she needs to survive and work in space outside of the vehicle or habitat. The systems within the spacesuit include the pressure garment system (PGS), the Portable Life Support System (PLSS), and the power, avionics, and software (PAS) system. These elements are necessary to protect crewmembers and allow them to work effectively in the pressure and temperature extremes of space environments. Development of the spacesuit system is necessary to support future human extravehicular exploration activities to Lunar, Martian, microgravity, and possibly other space destinations. Although all the systems that makeup the space suit are important, the PLSS is one of the most complex. The PLSS provides the life support needed by the astronaut and consists of the oxygen (O2) subsystem, ventilation subsystem, and thermal control subsystem. Within each subsystem, there are many different components, a few of which are explained as follows. The oxygen tanks hold the oxygen that the crewmember uses to breath and pressurizes the suit. The primary oxygen tank is responsible during normal operations and the secondary oxygen tank kicks on in the case of an emergency. The Rapid Cycle Amine (RCA) canister is used to remove the carbon dioxide (CO2) and extra humidity in the crewmember's ventilation/breathing gas. The fan moves the oxygen around the suit. Suit Water Membrane Evaporator (SWME) is used within the thermal control loop to cool the water that is used to maintain a comfortable temperature for both the crew member and the other equipment inside the suit. Another component is the battery, which supplies the power needed to operate all these and the many other pieces. The battery is one of the biggest and heavies components within the PLSS. These are just a few of the components that encompass the PLSS. Each component has a weight and a certain volume that the NASA Engineers must take into account when building the PLSS, because the weight and volumes affect the crewmembers center of gravity (CG). [See the Notes Section for the link to an Apollo video that demonstrates the issues some of the crewmembers had picking up tools and dealing with center of gravity/tools on the surface of the Moon.] In this activity, students will simulate engineering design techniques that NASA Engineers and Designers are currently implementing to configuring the components within the PLSS. Through testing, students will consider the comfort, mobility, and center of gravity for their test subjects and how that changes after adjusting the placement of their simulated PLSS components.
Jennings, Mallory↗
Characterization of a space orbited incoherent fiber optic bundle
The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study performed to determine the effects of adverse space environments on a bundle of 1800+ optical fibers space orbited for 69 months. Experimental results are presented on an incoherent fiber optic bundle oriented in low earth orbit aboard the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) satellite as part of the Space Environment Effects Experiments (M0006). Measurements were performed to determine if space induced radiation effects changed the bundle characteristics. Data demonstrating the success of this light transmitting fiber optical bundle to withstand the adverse space environment are presented.
Dewalt, S. A.↗
Flight Plasma Diagnostics for High-Power, Solar-Electric Deep-Space Spacecraft
NASA’s Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) mission concept plans included a set of plasma and space environment instruments, the Plasma Diagnostic Package (PDP), to fulfill ARRM requirements for technology extensibility to future missions. The PDP objectives were divided into the classes of 1) Plasma thruster dynamics, 2) Solar array-specific environmental effects, 3) Plasma environmental spacecraft effects, and 4) Energetic particle spacecraft environment. A reference design approach and interface requirements for ARRM’s PDP was generated by the PDP team at JPL and GRC. The reference design consisted of redundant single-string avionics located on the ARRM spacecraft bus as well as solar array, driving and processing signals from multiple copies of several types of plasma, effects, and environments sensors distributed over the spacecraft and array. The reference design sensor types were derived in part from sensors previously developed for USAF Research Laboratory (AFRL) plasma effects campaigns such as those aboard TacSat-2 in 2007 and AEHF-2 in 2012. ARRM project leadership also encouraged the PDP team to convene a team of topical subject matter experts from across the country to review and confirm the reference design and to consider effective alternatives and/or enhancements to the reference design. This activity was proposed and accepted as an interactive, informal JPL “A-team” study and a cadre of 25 participants gathered in early 2017 for discussions. The outcome of the two-day A-team study was that the PDP reference design would allow the most important induced-environment unknowns to be measured in the appropriate space environment. Another outcome addressed technology developments of new or improved space plasma environmental sensors. The A-team study concluded that selected developments would lead to improved measurements that could efficiently provide important and otherwise unavailable information about plasma thruster operation in the space environment as well as the plasma induced spacecraft environment. Specifically, the A-team group recommended greater sensor diversity, by inclusion of deployed sensor capabilities in the thruster plume, or by occasional gimbaling of the thruster(s) toward the sensor arrays. The A-team also recommended developing high-speed probes, optical plasma probes, energy selective probes, and direct erosion/deposition sensors, among others; and recommended the inclusion of cameras as well as, since ARRM was to be recovered in cis-lunar orbit by a crewed mission, astronaut assessments of thruster induced environments and collection of sample coupons. Overall, the PDP A-team study provided a clear, consensus supported validation of the reference design PDP approach and pointed out important directions for future flight plasma sensor development.
Choi, Maria↗
A summary of porous tube plant nutrient delivery system investigations from 1985 to 1991
The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program is a research effort to evaluate biological processes at a one person scale to provide air, water, and food for humans in closed environments for space habitation. This program focuses currently on the use of conventional crop plants and the use of hydroponic systems to grow them. Because conventional hydroponic systems are dependent on gravity to conduct solution flow, they cannot be used in the microgravity of space. Thus, there is a need for a system that will deliver water and nutrients to plant roots under microgravity conditions. The Plant Space Biology Program is interested in investigating the effect that the space environment has on the growth and development of plants. Thus, there is also a need to have a standard nutrient delivery method for growing plants in space for research into plant responses to microgravity. The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS) utilizes a hydrophilic, microporous material to control water and nutrient delivery to plant roots. It has been designed and analyzed to support plant growth independent of gravity and plans are progressing to test it in microgravity. It has been used successfully to grow food crops to maturity in an earth-bound laboratory. This document includes a bibliography and summary reports from the growth trials performed utilizing the PTPNDS.
Dreschel, T. W.↗
Concepts for a NASA Applied Spaceflight Environments Office
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is launching a bold and ambitious new space initiative. A significant part of this new initiative includes exploration of new worlds, the development of more innovative technologies, and expansion our presence in the solar system. A common theme to this initiative is the exploration of space beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). As currently organized, NASA does not have an Agency-level office that provides coordination of space environment research and development. This has contributed to the formation of a gap between spaceflight environments knowledge and the application of this knowledge for multi-program use. This paper outlines a concept to establish a NASA-level Applied Spaceflight Environments (ASE) office that will provide coordination and funding for sustained multi-program support in three technical areas that have demonstrated these needs through customer requests. These technical areas are natural environments characterization and modeling, materials and systems analysis and test, and operational space environments modeling and prediction. This paper will establish the need for the ASE, discuss a concept for organizational structure and outline the scope in the three technical areas
Edwards, David L.↗
Contamination Effects Due to Space Environmental Interactions
Molecular and particulate contaminants are commonly generated from the orbital spacecraft operations that are under the influence of the space environment. Once generated, these contaminants may attach to the surfaces of the spacecraft or may remain in the vicinity of the spacecraft. In the event these contaminants come to rest on the surfaces of the spacecraft or situated in the line-of-sight of the observation path, they will create various degrees of contamination effect which may cause undesirable effects for normal spacecraft operations, There will be circumstances in which the spacecraft may be subjected to special space environment due to operational conditions. Interactions between contaminants and special space environment may alter or greatly increase the contamination effect due to the synergistic effect. This paper will address the various types of contamination generation on orbit, the general effects of the contamination on spacecraft systems, and the typical impacts on the spacecraft operations due to the contamination effect. In addition, this paper will explain the contamination effect induced by the space environment and will discuss the intensified contamination effect resulting from the synergistic effect with the special space environment.
Chen, Philip T.↗
Biomedical and Human Factors Requirements for a Manned Earth Orbiting Station
The primary objective of this study is to determine which biomedical and human factors measurements must be made aboard a space station to assure adequate evaluation of the astronaut's health and performance during prolonged space flights. The study has employed, where possible, a medical and engineering systems analysis to define the pertinent life sciences and space station design parameters and their influence on a measurement program. The major areas requiring evaluation in meeting the study objectives include a definition of the space environment, man's response to the environment, selection of measurement and data management techniques, experimental program, space station design requirements, and a trade-off analysis with final recommendations. The space environment factors that are believed to have a significant effect on man were evaluated. This includes those factors characteristic of the space environment (e. g. weightlessness, radiation) as well as those created within the space station (e. g. toxic contaminants, capsule atmosphere). After establishing the general features of the environment, an appraisal was made of the anticipated response of the astronaut to each of these factors. For thoroughness, the major organ systems and functions of the body were delineated, and a determination was made of their anticipated response to each of the environmental categories. A judgment was then made on the medical significance or importance of each response, which enabled a determination of which physiological and psychological effects should be monitored. Concurrently, an extensive list of measurement techniques and methods of data management was evaluated for applicability to the space station program. The various space station configurations and design parameters were defined in terms of the biomedical and human factors requirements to provide the measurements program. Research design of experimental programs for various station configurations, mission durations, and crew sizes were prepared, and, finally, a trade-off analysis of the critical variables in the station planning was completed with recommendations to enhance the confidence in the measurement program.
EARTH ORBIT↗
The Space Physics of Life: Searching for Biosignatures on Habitable Icy Worlds Affected by Space Weathering
Accessible surfaces of the most likely astrobiological habitats (Mars, Europa, Titan) in the solar system beyond Earth are exposed to various chemical and hydrologic weathering processes directly or indirectly induced by interaction with the overlying space environment. These processes can be both beneficial, through provision of chemical compounds and energy, and destructive, through chemical dissociation or burial, to detectable presence of biosignatures. Orbital, suborbital, and surface platforms carrying astrobiological instrumentation must survive, and preferably exploit, space environment interactions to reach these habitats and search for evidence of life or its precursors. Experience from Mars suggests that any detection of biosignatures must be accompanied by characterization of the local chemical environment and energy sources including irradiation by solar ultraviolet photons and energetic particles from the space environment. Orbital and suborbital surveys of surface chemistry and astrobiological potential in the context of the space environment should precede targeted in-situ measurements to maximize probability of biosignature detection through site selection. The Space Physics of Life (SPOL) investigation has recently been proposed to the NASA Astrobiology Institute and is briefly described in this presentation. SPOL is the astrobiologically relevant study of the interactions and relationships of potentially? or previously inhabited, bodies of the solar system with the surrounding environments. This requires an interdisciplinary effort in space physics, planetary science, and radiation biology. The proposed investigation addresses the search for habitable environments, chemical resources to support life, and techniques for detection of organic and inorganic signs of life in the context of the space environment.
Cooper, John F.↗
The heat pipe thermal canister
The thermal canister represents a new approach to instrument thermal control for Shuttle experiments which require tight temperature control. The canister substitutes a known, benign thermal environment for the variable and uncertain environment of space, the space environment being neutralized by a system of feedback controlled variable conductance heat pipes. A proto-flight unit has been fabricated and this paper describes the acceptance thermal vacuum test results of the thermal canister experiment which will fly on an early Space Shuttle flight.
Harwell, W.↗
United States Air Force Academy get-away-special flexible beam experiment
The Department of Astronautics at the United States Air Force Academy is currently planning to fly an experiment in a NASA Get-Away-Special (GAS) canister. The experiment was named the flex beam experiment. The primary technical objective of the flex beam experiment is to measure the damping of a thin beam in the vacuum and zero G environment of space. By measuring the damping in space, it is hoped to determine the amount of damping the beam normally experiences due to the gravitational forces present on Earth. This will allow validation of models which predict the dynamics of thin beams in the space environment. The experiment will also allow the Academy to develop and improve its ability to perform experiments within the confines of a NASA GAS canister. Several experiments, of limited technical difficulty, were flown by the Academy. More complex experiments are currently planned and it is hoped to learn techniques with each space shuttle flight.
Bubb, Keith W.↗
Controlled-leakage sealing of bearings for fluid lubrication in a space vacuum environment
Optimal design of sealed fluid lubrication system for bearings in space vacuum environment
Silversher, H. I.↗
A carbon dioxide concentrator for space cabin environments
Ion exchange resin carbon dioxide removal and concentration system for space cabin environments, describing monitoring and control instrumentation
Green, D. A.↗
Studying the Earth's Environment from Space: Computer Laboratory Exercised and Instructor Resources
Studying the Earth's Environment From Space is a two-year project to develop a suite of CD-ROMs containing Earth System Science curriculum modules for introductory undergraduate science classes. Lecture notes, slides, and computer laboratory exercises, including actual satellite data and software, are being developed in close collaboration with Carla Evans of NASA GSFC Earth Sciences Directorate Scientific and Educational Endeavors (SEE) project. Smith and Alfultis are responsible for the Oceanography and Sea Ice Processes Modules. The GSFC SEE project is responsible for Ozone and Land Vegetation Modules. This document constitutes a report on the first year of activities of Smith and Alfultis' project.
Smith, Elizabeth A.↗
Meteoroids and Orbital Debris: Effects on Spacecraft
The natural space environment is characterized by many complex and subtle phenomena hostile to spacecraft. The effects of these phenomena impact spacecraft design, development, and operations. Space systems become increasingly susceptible to the space environment as use of composite materials and smaller, faster electronics increases. This trend makes an understanding of the natural space environment essential to accomplish overall mission objectives, especially in the current climate of better/cheaper/faster. Meteoroids are naturally occurring phenomena in the natural space environment. Orbital debris is manmade space litter accumulated in Earth orbit from the exploration of space. Descriptions are presented of orbital debris source, distribution, size, lifetime, and mitigation measures. This primer is one in a series of NASA Reference Publications currently being developed by the Electromagnetics and Aerospace Environments Branch, Systems Analysis and Integration Laboratory, Marshall Space Flight Center, National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Belk, Cynthia A.↗
Humanoids Designed to do Work
NASA began with the challenge of building a robot fo r doing assembly, maintenance, and diagnostic work in the Og environment of space. A robot with human form was then chosen as the best means of achieving that mission. The goal was not to build a machine to look like a human, but rather, to build a system that could do the same work. Robonaut could be inserted into the existing space environment, designed for a population of astronauts, and be able to perform many of the same tasks, with the same tools, and use the same interfaces. Rather than change that world to accommodate the robot, instead Robonaut accepts that it exists for humans, and must conform to it. While it would be easier to build a robot if all the interfaces could be changed, this is not the reality of space at present, where NASA has invested billions of dollars building spacecraft like the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. It is not possible to go back in time, and redesign those systems to accommodate full automation, but a robot can be built that adapts to them. This paper describes that design process, and the res ultant solution, that NASA has named Robonaut.
Ambrose, Robert↗