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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 811 records · Page 45
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

Integration and Testing Challenges of Small, Multiple Satellite Missions: Experiences from the Space Technology 5 Project

The ST5 payload, part of NASA s New Millennium Program headquartered at JPL, consisted of three micro satellites (approx. 30 kg each) deployed into orbit from the Pegasus XL launch. ST5 was a technology demonstration mission, intended to test new technologies for potential use for future missions. In order to meet the launch date schedule of ST 5, a different approach was required rather than the standard I&T approach used for single, room-sized satellites. The I&T phase was planned for spacecraft #1 to undergo integration and test first, followed by spacecraft #2 and #3 in tandem. A team of engineers and technicians planned and executed the integration of all three spacecraft emphasizing versatility and commonality. They increased their knowledge and efficiency through spacecraft #1 integration and testing and utilized their experience and knowledge to safely execute I&T for spacecraft #2 and #3. Each integration team member could perform many different roles and functions and thus better support activities on any of the three spacecraft. The I&T campaign was completed with STS s successful launch on March 22,2006

Sauerwein, Timothy A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Space Radiation Program Element

This poster presentation shows the various elements of the Space Radiation Program. It reviews the program requirements: develop and validate standards, quantify space radiation human health risks, mitigate risks through countermeasures and technologies, and treat and monitor unmitigated risks.

Krenek, Sam↗
NASA NTRS2008

Integration and Testing Challenges of Small, Multiple Satellite Missions: Experiences from the Space Technology 5 Project

The ST5 technology demonstration mission led by GSFC of NASA's New Millennium Program managed by JPL consisted of three micro satellites (approximately 30 kg each) deployed into orbit from the Pegasus XL launch vehicle. In order to meet the launch date schedule of ST5, a different approach was required rather than the standard I&T approach used for single, room-sized satellites. The three spacecraft were designed, integrated, and tested at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. It was determined that there was insufficient time in the schedule to perform three spacecraft I&T activities in series using standard approaches. The solution was for spacecraft #1 to undergo integration and test first, followed by spacecraft #2 and #3 simultaneously. This simultaneous integration was successful for several reasons. Each spacecraft had a Lead Test Conductor who planned and coordinated their spacecraft through its integration and test activities. One team of engineers and technicians executed the integration of all three spacecraft, learning and gaining knowledge and efficiency as spacecraft #1 integration and testing progressed. They became acutely familiar with the hardware, operation and processes for I&T, thus had the experience and knowledge to safely execute I&T for spacecraft #2 and #3. The integration team was extremely versatile; each member could perform many different activities or work any spacecraft, when needed. ST5 was successfully integrated, tested and shipped to the launch site per the I&T schedule that was planned three years previously. The I&T campaign was completed with ST5's successful launch on March 22, 2006.

Sauerwein, Timothy A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Upper Stage Overview

By incorporating rigorous engineering practices, innovative manufacturing processes and test techniques, a unique multi-center government/contractor partnership, and a clean-sheet design developed around the primary requirements for the International Space Station (ISS) and Lunar missions, the Upper Stage Element of NASA's Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), the "Ares I," is a vital part of the Constellation Program's transportation system. Constellation's exploration missions will include Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles required to place crew and cargo in low-Earth orbit (LEO), crew and cargo transportation systems required for human space travel, and transportation systems and scientific equipment required for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Early Ares I configurations will support ISS re-supply missions. A self-supporting cylindrical structure, the Ares I Upper Stage will be approximately 84' long and 18' in diameter. The Upper Stage Element is being designed for increased supportability and increased reliability to meet human-rating requirements imposed by NASA standards. The design also incorporates state-of-the-art materials, hardware, design, and integrated logistics planning, thus facilitating a supportable, reliable, and operable system. With NASA retiring the Space Shuttle fleet in 2010, the success of the Ares I Project is essential to America's continued leadership in space. The first Ares I test flight, called Ares I-X, is scheduled for 2009. Subsequent test flights will continue thereafter, with the first crewed flight of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), "Orion," planned for no later than 2015. Crew transportation to the ISS will follow within the same decade, and the first Lunar excursion is scheduled for the 2020 timeframe.

McArthur, J. Craig↗
NASA NTRS2008

NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Upper Stage Overview

By incorporating rigorous engineering practices, innovative manufacturing processes and test techniques, a unique multi-center government/contractor partnership, and a clean-sheet design developed around the primary requirements for the International Space Station (ISS) and Lunar missions, the Upper Stage Element of NASA's Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), the "Ares I," is a vital part of the Constellation Program's transportation system. Constellation's exploration missions will include Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles required to place crew and cargo in low-Earth orbit (LEO), crew and cargo transportation systems required for human space travel, and transportation systems and scientific equipment required for human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Early Ares I configurations will support ISS re-supply missions. A self-supporting cylindrical structure, the Ares I Upper Stage will be approximately 84' long and 18' in diameter. The Upper Stage Element is being designed for increased supportability and increased reliability to meet human-rating requirements imposed by NASA standards. The design also incorporates state-of-the-art materials, hardware, design, and integrated logistics planning, thus facilitating a supportable, reliable, and operable system. With NASA retiring the Space Shuttle fleet in 2010, the success of the Ares I Project is essential to America's continued leadership in space. The first Ares I test flight, called Ares 1-X, is scheduled for 2009. Subsequent test flights will continue thereafter, with the first crewed flight of the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), "Orion," planned for no later than 2015. Crew transportation to the ISS will follow within the same decade, and the first Lunar excursion is scheduled for the 2020 timeframe.

Davis, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Operationally Responsive Space Standard Bus Battery Thermal Balance Testing and Heat Dissipation Analysis

The focus of this paper will be on the thermal balance testing for the Operationally Responsive Space Standard Bus Battery. The Standard Bus thermal design required that the battery be isolated from the bus itself. This required the battery to have its own thermal control, including heaters and a radiator surface. Since the battery was not ready for testing during the overall bus thermal balance testing, a separate test was conducted to verify the thermal design for the battery. This paper will discuss in detail, the test set up, test procedure, and results from this test. Additionally this paper will consider the methods taken to determine the heat dissipation of the battery during charge and discharge. It seems that the heat dissipation for Lithium Ion batteries is relatively unknown and hard to quantify. The methods used during test and the post test analysis to estimate the heat dissipation of the battery will be discussed.

Marley, Mike↗
NASA NTRS2007

Online Remote Sensing Interface

BasinTools Module 1 processes remotely sensed raster data, including multi- and hyper-spectral data products, via a Web site with no downloads and no plug-ins required. The interface provides standardized algorithms designed so that a user with little or no remote-sensing experience can use the site. This Web-based approach reduces the amount of software, hardware, and computing power necessary to perform the specified analyses. Access to imagery and derived products is enterprise-level and controlled. Because the user never takes possession of the imagery, the licensing of the data is greatly simplified. BasinTools takes the "just-in-time" inventory control model from commercial manufacturing and applies it to remotely-sensed data. Products are created and delivered on-the-fly with no human intervention, even for casual users. Well-defined procedures can be combined in different ways to extend verified and validated methods in order to derive new remote-sensing products, which improves efficiency in any well-defined geospatial domain. Remote-sensing products produced in BasinTools are self-documenting, allowing procedures to be independently verified or peer-reviewed. The software can be used enterprise-wide to conduct low-level remote sensing, viewing, sharing, and manipulating of image data without the need for desktop applications.

Lawhead, Joel↗
NASA NTRS2004

Role of EIS in Materials and Coatings Selection for NASA's Launch Facilities

Corrosion studies began at NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in 1966, during the Gemini/Apollo Programs, with the evaluation of long-term anti-corrosion coatings for carbon steel structures. NASAIKSC's Atmospheric Exposure Test Site was established at that time on the beach near the launch pad. In the years that followed, numerous studies at the site have identified materials, coatings, and maintenance procedures for launch hardware and equipment exposed to the highly corrosive environment at the launch pad. The atmosphere at the launch pad is highly corrosive due to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean, high heat from rocket exhaust, and since the introduction of the Space Shuttle, the acidic combustion products of the Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs). Currently, NASAIKSC maintains about $2 billion worth of unique equipment and facilities, not including the orbiters, each valued at about $1.8 billion. Among the items: two launch complexes, two crawler transporters, three mobile launch platforms, and specialized testing equipment. Atmospheric exposure provides very valuable data but it takes a long time and relies on human visual inspection. NASA Technical Standard for Protective Coatings requires 18 months of good performance at the Atmospheric Exposure Test Site for preliminary approval and continued good performance for 5 years for final approval of a coating system. The use of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) was introduced at KSC in 1989 as a supplement to the traditional dc electrochemical techniques and atmospheric exposure studies. This paper presents and overview of several projects in which EIS was used in order to select materials and coatings to be used at NASA's launch facilities [1-2].

Calle, Luz Marina↗
NASA NTRS2012

Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Shock Test and Specification Experience for Reusable Flight Hardware Equipment

As commercial companies are nearing a preliminary design review level of design maturity, several companies are identifying the process for qualifying their multi-use electrical and mechanical components for various shock environments, including pyrotechnic, mortar firing, and water impact. The experience in quantifying the environments consists primarily of recommendations from Military Standard-1540, Product Verification Requirement for Launch, Upper Stage, and Space Vehicles. Therefore, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) formed a team of NASA shock experts to share the NASA experience with qualifying hardware for the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) and other applicable programs and projects. Several team teleconferences were held to discuss past experience and to share ideas of possible methods for qualifying components for multiple missions. This document contains the information compiled from the discussions

Larsen, Curtis E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Life Support and Environmental Monitoring International System Maturation Team Considerations.

Human exploration of the solar system is an ambitious goal. Future human missions to Mars or other planets will require the cooperation of many nations to be feasible. Exploration goals and concepts have been gathered by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) at a very high level, representing the overall goals and strategies of each participating space agency. The Global Exploration Roadmap published by ISECG states that international partnerships are part of what drives the the mission scenarios. It states "Collaborations will be established at all levels (missions, capabilities, technologies), with various levels of interdependency among the partners." To make missions with interdependency successful, technologists and system experts need to share information early, before agencies have made concrete plans and binding agreements. This paper provides an overview of possible ways of integrating NASA, ESA, and JAXA work into a conceptual roadmap of life support and environmental monitoring capabilities for future exploration missions. Agencies may have immediate plans as well as long term goals or new ideas that are not part of official policy. But relationships between plans and capabilities may influence the strategies for the best ways to achieve partner goals. Without commitments and an organized program like the International Space Station, requirements for future missions are unclear. Experience from ISS has shown that standards and an early understanding of requirements are an important part of international partnerships. Attempting to integrate systems that were not designed together can create many problems. Several areas have been identified that could be important to discuss and understand early: units of measure, cabin CO2 levels, and the definition and description of fluids like high purity oxygen, potable water and residual biocide, and crew urine and urine pretreat. Each of the partners is exploring different kinds of technologies. Different specific parameters may important to define or explore possible ranges depending on the system concepts. Early coordination between technology developers can create new possibilities for collaboration, and provide input to determine what combined options may provide the best overall system architecture.

Anderson, Molly↗
NASA NTRS2016

NASA Human System Risk Assessment Process

NASA utilizes an evidence based system to perform risk assessments for the human system for spaceflight missions. The center of this process is the multi-disciplinary Human System Risk Board (HSRB). The HSRB is chartered from the Chief Health and Medical Officer (OCHMO) at NASA Headquarters. The HSRB reviews all human system risks via an established comprehensive risk and configuration management plan based on a project management approach. The HSRB facilitates the integration of human research (terrestrial and spaceflight), medical operations, occupational surveillance, systems engineering and many other disciplines in a comprehensive review of human system risks. The HSRB considers all factors that influence human risk. These factors include pre-mission considerations such as screening criteria, training, age, sex, and physiological condition. In mission factors such as available countermeasures, mission duration and location and post mission factors such as time to return to baseline (reconditioning), post mission health screening, and available treatments. All of the factors influence the total risk assessment for each human risk. The HSRB performed a comprehensive review of all potential inflight medical conditions and events and over the course of several reviews consolidated the number of human system risks to 30, where the greatest emphasis is placed for investing program dollars for risk mitigation. The HSRB considers all available evidence from human research and, medical operations and occupational surveillance in assessing the risks for appropriate mitigation and future work. All applicable DRMs (low earth orbit for 6 and 12 months, deep space for 30 days and 1 year, a lunar mission for 1 year, and a planetary mission for 3 years) are considered as human system risks are modified by the hazards associated with space flight such as microgravity, exposure to radiation, distance from the earth, isolation and a closed environment. Each risk has a summary two-page assessment representing the state of knowledge/evidence of that risk, available risk mitigations, traceability to the Space Flight Human System Standards (SFHSS) and program requirements, and future work required. These data then can drive coordinated budgets across the Human Research Program, the International Space Station, Crew Health and Safety and Advanced Exploration System budgets to provide the most economical and timely mitigations. The risk assessments were completed for the 6 DRMs and serve as the baseline for which subsequent research and technology development and crew health care portfolios can be assessed. The HSRB reviews each risk at least annually or when new evidence/information is available that adds to the body of evidence. The current status of each risk can be reported to program management for operations, budget reviews and general oversight of the human system risk management program.

Francisco, D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Life Support and Environmental Monitoring International System Maturation Team Considerations

Human exploration of the solar system is an ambitious goal. Future human missions to Mars or other planets will require the cooperation of many nations to be feasible. Exploration goals and concepts have been gathered by the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) at a very high level, representing the overall goals and strategies of each participating space agency. The Global Exploration Roadmap published by ISECG states that international partnerships are part of what drives the mission scenarios. It states "Collaborations will be established at all levels (missions, capabilities, technologies), with various levels of interdependency among the partners." To make missions with interdependency successful, technologists and system experts need to share information early, before agencies have made concrete plans and binding agreements. This paper provides an overview of possible ways of integrating NASA, ESA, and JAXA work into a conceptual roadmap of life support and environmental monitoring capabilities for future exploration missions. Agencies may have immediate plans as well as long term goals or new ideas that are not part of official policy. But relationships between plans and capabilities may influence the strategies for the best ways to achieve partner goals. Without commitments and an organized program like the International Space Station, requirements for future missions are unclear. Experience from ISS has shown that standards and an early understanding of requirements are an important part of international partnerships. Attempting to integrate systems that were not designed together can create many problems. Several areas have been identified that could be important to discuss and understand early: units of measure, cabin CO2 levels, and the definition and description of fluids like high purity oxygen, potable water and residual biocide, and crew urine and urine pretreat. Each of the partners is exploring different kinds of technologies. Different specific parameters may important to define or explore possible ranges depending on the system concepts. Early coordination between technology developers can create new possibilities for collaboration, and provide input to determine what combined options may provide the best overall system architecture.

Anderson, Molly↗
NASA NTRS2014

BioSentinel: Enabling CubeSat-Scale Biogical Research Beyond Low Earth Orbit

The introduction of the Space Launch System will provide NASA with a new means of access to space beyond low Earth orbit (LEO), creating opportunities for scientific research in a range of spacecraft sizes. This presentation describes the preliminary design of the BioSentinel spacecraft, a CubeSat measuring 10cm x 20cm x 30cm, which has been manifested for launch on the maiden voyage of the Space Launch System in 2017. BioSentinel will provide the first direct experimental data from a biological study conducted beyond LEO in over forty years, which in turn will help to pave the way for future human exploration missions. The combination of an advanced biology payload with standard spacecraft bus components required for operation in deep space within a CubeSat form factor poses a unique challenge, and this paper will describe the early design trades under consideration. The baseline spacecraft design calls for the biology payload to occupy four cube-units of volume (denoted 4U), with all spacecraft bus components occupying the remaining 2U.

Space Biology↗
NASA NTRS2017

Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) Instrument Improvements

The Spectrometer for Sky-Scanning, Sun-Tracking Atmospheric Research (4STAR) combines airborne sun tracking and sky scanning with grating spectroscopy to improve knowledge of atmospheric constituents and their links to air-pollution and climate. Hyper-spectral measurements of direct-beam solar irradiance provide retrievals of gas constituents, aerosol optical depth, and aerosol and thin cloud optical properties. Sky radiance measurements in the principal and almucantar planes enhance retrievals of aerosol absorption, aerosol type, and size mode distribution. Zenith radiance measurements are used to retrieve cloud properties and phase, which in turn are used to quantify the radiative transfer below cloud layers. These airborne measurements tighten the closure between satellite and ground-based measurements. In contrast to the Ames Airborne Tracking Sunphotometer (AATS-14) predecessor instrument, new technologies for each subsystem have been incorporated into 4STAR. In particular, 4STAR utilizes a modular sun-trackingsky-scanning optical head with fiber optic signal transmission to rack mounted spectrometers, permitting miniaturization of the external optical head, and spectrometerdetector configurations that may be tailored for specific scientific objectives. This paper discusses technical challenges relating to compact optical collector design, radiometric dynamic range and stability, and broad spectral coverage at high resolution. Test results benchmarking the performance of the instrument against the AATS-14 standard and emerging science requirements are presented.

Atmopheric Research (4STAR)↗
NASA NTRS2017

Review of Significant Incidents and Close Calls in Human Spaceflight from a Human Factors Perspective

This project aims to identify poor human factors design decisions that led to error-prone systems, or did not facilitate the flight crew making the right choices; and to verify that NASA is effectively preventing similar incidents from occurring again. This analysis was performed by reviewing significant incidents and close calls in human spaceflight identified by the NASA Johnson Space Center Safety and Mission Assurance Flight Safety Office. The review of incidents shows whether the identified human errors were due to the operational phase (flight crew and ground control) or if they initiated at the design phase (includes manufacturing and test). This classification was performed with the aid of the NASA Human Systems Integration domains. This in-depth analysis resulted in a tool that helps with the human factors classification of significant incidents and close calls in human spaceflight, which can be used to identify human errors at the operational level, and how they were or should be minimized. Current governing documents on human systems integration for both government and commercial crew were reviewed to see if current requirements, processes, training, and standard operating procedures protect the crew and ground control against these issues occurring in the future. Based on the findings, recommendations to target those areas are provided.

Silva-Martinez, Jackelynne↗
NASA NTRS2019

Free Space Optics - Transportable Test Platform

The study examines potential approaches and benefits to government space agencies and industry regarding the development and testing of free space optics (FSO) satellite communication systems should government space agencies launch optical satellite payloads and/or develop a transportable test platform with which industry provided optical ground systems (OGSs) could interface. The study examines atmospheric and environmental effects on FSO networks, as well as the multitude of mitigation techniques available to compensate for those effects. Research suggests that there are a multitude of potential techniques that could be implemented to mitigate the adverse effects of atmospheric/environmental conditions, and to optimize the effectiveness of FSO networks. Testing and selection of this broad array of techniques is a prerequisite to making FSO space segment systems and OGSs interoperable. The study discusses testing that is required to define FSO standards. The establishment of interoperable standards is complicated by the existence of a multitude of potential schemes/specifications to address each mitigation/optimization challenge; very little is yet standardized. Standardization is further complicated by the fact that the selection of a design approach which benefits one consideration often disadvantages another consideration. Each mitigation techniques must be evaluated as an element of the complete system to gain an accurate understanding of its effects on system efficacy.

Haddad, George↗
NASA NTRS2022

Apollo Crew Loads Data Mining

INTRODUCTION Human exposure data to dynamic loads in spaceflight are sparse not only because very few crewmembers have flown in space, but also because much of the historic data is no longer readily available. Earth and Moon landings of the Apollo missions are unique and valuable for understanding human tolerance in water landing conditions for both short-duration and long-duration crewmembers as well as informing crew tolerance in standing postures during planetary landings. The goal of this task was to find relevant Apollo data to better understand human tolerance in these scenarios, in order to apply this knowledge to future missions. METHODS The goal of this task was to recover time history data from dynamic phases of flight from crewed Apollo missions. The first phase of the task was to search available records at JSC and other centers to locate the appropriate records at the National Archives in Fort Worth, TX. Once the possible data locations were located, it was planned that one researcher would travel to the National Archives in Fort Worth, TX to collect the relevant Apollo data. Once the data was retrieved, they would be digitized for future use and evaluation, and archived within the Human Physiology, Performance, Protection, and Operations (H-3PO) laboratory within the Human Health and Performance Directorate. These data would be used to assess the feasibility and acceptability of current standards and vehicle design requirements for lunar and Mars missions. Additionally, any medical monitoring required, or physiological changes noted in crewmembers based on dynamic loads would be documented for future use. RESULTS Relevant records were found at Ft. Worth, TX and College Park, MD using the National Archives Online Catalog. In addition to the online catalog, an Archives staff member was able to share an additional inventory list of NASA JSC records held in Ft. Worth, TX. Due to COVID-19, NASA has only recently allowed non-mission essential travel. In addition, the National Archives has also been closed to the public since March 2020. Because of this, travel to the National Archives to search records there has not been possible. CONCLUSION The findings include collections at the National Archives at both Ft. Worth, TX and College Park, MD that could possibly hold the data we are looking for. Unfortunately, the descriptions of each collection are very broad. Though we are hopeful that relevant data is stored in one of these collections, we cannot be sure that we will find what we are looking for. At this time, it is not clear when the Archives will reopen to the public or when NASA will allow travel. Travel to the Archives has been postponed, and will be reassessed at a future date.

T Reiber↗
NASA NTRS2020

Improvements in the Calibration of the NOAA-20 VIIRS Day-Night Band Low Gain Stage Using a Solar Diffuser

We aim to introduce and demonstrate several improvements that are applied to the on-orbit solar diffuser (SD) calibration of the day-night band (DNB) low gain stage (LGS) of the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) onboard the NOAA-20 satellite. The most important improvement is the expansion of the angular range, referred to “sweet spot”, from 4° to 7.8° in order to increase the number of fully-illuminated scans considered for the SD calculation. The increase in scan number enables the completion of on-orbit calibration using the SD within one orbit, compared with the multiple orbits approach, which is required in the current standard approach applied in operational DNB LGS calibration coefficients look-up tables (LUTs) updates. The NOAA-20 DNB LGS calibration coefficients have been derived with the new methodology and the results show a more stable, smoother, and less noisy trend when compared with the current standard approach. The results also demonstrate that the NOAA-20 VIIRS DNB overall on-orbit performance has been very stable.

NOAA-20↗