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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 865 records · Page 48
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1996

NASA flow fields analysis

The objectives of the present research are to improve design capabilities for low thrust rocket engines through understanding the detailed mixing and combustion processes in a representative combustor. Of particular interest is a small gaseous hydrogen-oxygen thruster which is considered as a coordinated part of an on-going experimental program at NASA LERC. Detailed computational modeling involves the solution of both the two- and three-dimensional Navier Stokes equations, coupled with chemical reactions and the species diffusion equations. Computations of interest include both steady state and time-accurate flowfields and are obtained by means of LU approximate factorization in time and flux split upwinding differencing in space. The emphasis in the research is focused on using numerical analysis to understand detailed combustor flowfields, including the shear layer dynamics created between fuel film cooling and the core gas in the vicinity on the nearby combustor wall; the integrity and effectiveness of the coolant film; and three-dimensional fuel and oxidizer jet injection/mixing/combustion characteristics in the primary combustor along with their joint impacts on global engine performance.

Merkle, Charles L.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Enterprise Reference Library

Introduction: Johnson Space Center (JSC) offers two extensive libraries that contain journals, research literature and electronic resources. Searching capabilities are available to those individuals residing onsite or through a librarian s search. Many individuals have rich collections of references, but no mechanisms to share reference libraries across researchers, projects, or directorates exist. Likewise, information regarding which references are provided to which individuals is not available, resulting in duplicate requests, redundant labor costs and associated copying fees. In addition, this tends to limit collaboration between colleagues and promotes the establishment of individual, unshared silos of information The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) team has utilized a centralized reference management tool during the development, test, and operational phases of this project. The Enterprise Reference Library project expands the capabilities developed for IMM to address the above issues and enhance collaboration across JSC. Method: After significant market analysis for a multi-user reference management tool, no available commercial tool was found to meet this need, so a software program was built around a commercial tool, Reference Manager 12 by The Thomson Corporation. A use case approach guided the requirements development phase. The premise of the design is that individuals use their own reference management software and export to SharePoint when their library is incorporated into the Enterprise Reference Library. This results in a searchable user-specific library application. An accompanying share folder will warehouse the electronic full-text articles, which allows the global user community to access full -text articles. Discussion: An enterprise reference library solution can provide a multidisciplinary collection of full text articles. This approach improves efficiency in obtaining and storing reference material while greatly reducing labor, purchasing and duplication costs. Most importantly, increasing collaboration across research groups provides unprecedented access to information relevant to NASA s mission. Conclusion: This project is an expansion and cost-effective leveraging of the existing JSC centralized library. Adding key word and author search capabilities and an alert function for notifications about new articles, based on users profiles, represent examples of future enhancements.

Bickham, Grandin↗
NASA NTRS1976

Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA)

A description of the Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) was presented, with particular emphasis on the unique systems that provide the potential for good flight/ground test facility correlation. These flight research vehicles are designed specifically with the capabilities necessary for the effective and efficient in-flight test and verification of promising new rotor concepts and supporting technology developments. The research mission and unique features of the RSRA will provide the capability to measure and separate the flight loads of the airframe and rotor, thereby allowing direct flight/ground test facility correlation of rotors as well as correlation with analytical models.

Condon, G. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft Photogrammetry and Metrology Measurement

A new measurement capability was created by combining photogrammetry and metrology techniques to accurately measure one half of the XV-15 Tilt Rotor Research Aircraft at the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy museum. The challenges imposed by the fuselage and surrounding environment at Udvar-Hazy were overcome by careful application of photogrammetry and metrology techniques. Data analyses and processing included the use of multiple reverse engineering programs to accurately generate a complete 3-dimensional water-tight geometry of the aircraft and rotor blade. This paper describes the photogrammetry and metrology measurement systems, technology and hardware set-up, data analysis and processing methods, future work, and lessons learned. In addition, selected measurement results of the fuselage and rotor blade are presented.

XV-15↗
NASA NTRS2021

NASA SpaceCube Edge TPU SmallSat Card for Autonomous Operations and Onboard Science-Data Analysis

Using state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI)frameworks onboard spacecraft is challenging because common spacecraft processors cannot provide comparable performance to datacenters with server-grade CPUs and GPUs available for terrestrial applications and advanced deep-learning networks. This limitation makes small, lo w-p o we r AI microchip architectures, such as the Google Coral Edge Tensor Processing Unit (TPU), attractive for space missions where the application-specific design enables both high-performance and power-efficient computing for AI applications. To address these challenging considerations for space deployment, this research introduces the design and capabilities of a CubeSat-sized Edge TPU-based co-processor card, known as the SpaceCube Low-power Ed g e Artificial Intelligence Resilient Node (SC-LEARN). This design conforms to NASA’s CubeSat Card Specification (CS2) for integration into next-generation SmallSat and CubeSat systems. This paper describes the overarching architecture and design of the SC-LEARN, as well as, the supporting test card designed for rapid prototyping and evaluation. The SC-LEARN was developed with three operational modes: (1) a high-performance parallel-processing mode,(2)a fault-tolerant mode for onboard resilience, and (3) a power-saving mode with cold spares. Importantly, this research also elaborates on both training and quantization of Tensor Flow models for the SC-LEARN for use onboard with representative, open-source datasets. Lastly, we describe future research plans, including radiation-beam testing and flight demonstration.

Advanced avionics↗
NASA NTRS2005

National Research Council Dialogue to Assess Progress on NASA's Title of CRM Capability Roadmap Development: General Background and Introduction

Contents include the following: General Background and Introduction of Capability Roadmaps "Title." Agency Objective. Strategic Planning Transformation. Advanced Planning Organizational Roles. Public Involvement in Strategic Planning. Strategic Roadmaps and Schedule. Capability Roadmaps and Schedule. Purpose of NRC Review. Capability Roadmap Development (Progress to Date).

Crooke, Julie A.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Using Information from Rendezvous Missions For Best-Case Appraisals of Impact Damage to Planet Earth Caused By Natural Objects

The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP), a part of NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has the responsibility to appraise the range of surface damage by potential asteroid impacts on land or water. If a threat is realized, the project will provide appraisals to officials empowered to make decisions on potential mitigation actions. This paper describes a scenario for assessment of surface damage when characterization of an asteroid had been accomplished by a rendezvous mission that would be conducted by the international planetary defense community. It is shown that the combination of data from ground and in-situ measurements on an asteroid provides knowledge that can be used to pin-point its impact location and predict the level of devastation it would cause. The hypothetical asteroid 2017 PDC with a size of 160 to 290 m in diameter to be discussed at the PDC 2017 meeting is used as an example. In order of importance for appraising potential damage, information required is: (1) where will the surface impact occur? (2) What is the mass, shape and size of the asteroid and what is its entry state (speed and entry angle) at the 100 km atmospheric pierce point? And (3) is the asteroid a monolith or a rubble pile? If it is a rubble pile, what is its sub and interior structure? Item (1) is of first order importance to determine levels of devastation (loss of life and infrastructure damage) because it varies strongly on the impact location. Items (2) and (3) are used as input for ATAPs simulations to define the level of surface hazards: winds, overpressure, thermal exposure; all created by the deposition of energy during the objects atmospheric flight, and/or cratering. Topics presented in this paper include: (i) The devastation predicted by 2017 PDCs impact based on initial observations using ATAPs risk assessment capability, (ii) How information corresponding to items (1) to (3) could be obtained from a rendezvous mission, and (iii) How information from a rendezvous mission could be used, along with that from ground observations and data from the literature, could provide input for an new risk analysis capability that is emerging from ATAPs research. It is concluded that this approach would result in appraisal with the least uncertainty possible (herein called the best-case) using simulation capabilities that are currently available or will be in the future.

Arnold, James O.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Using Information from Rendezvous Missions For Best-Case Appraisals of Impact Damage to Planet Earth Caused By Natural Objects

The Asteroid Threat Assessment Project (ATAP), a part of NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office (PDCO) has the responsibility to appraise the range of surface damage by potential asteroid impacts on land or water. If a threat is realized, the project will provide appraisals to officials empowered to make decisions on potential mitigation actions. This paper describes a scenario for assessment of surface damage when characterization of an asteroid had been accomplished by a rendezvous mission that would be conducted by the international planetary defense community. It is shown that the combination of data from ground and in-situ measurements on an asteroid provides knowledge that can be used to pin-point its impact location and predict the level of devastation it would cause. The hypothetical asteroid 2017 PDC with a size of 160 to 290 m in diameter to be discussed at the PDC 2017 meeting is used as an example. In order of importance for appraising potential damage, information required is: (1) where will the surface impact occur? (2) What is the mass, shape and size of the asteroid and what is its entry state (speed and entry angle) at the 100 km atmospheric pierce point? And (3) is the asteroid a monolith or a rubble pile? If it is a rubble pile, what is its sub and interior structure? Item (1) is of first order importance to determine levels of devastation (loss of life and infrastructure damage) because it varies strongly on the impact location. Items (2) and (3) are used as input for ATAPs simulations to define the level of surface hazards: winds, overpressure, thermal exposure; all created by the deposition of energy during the objects atmospheric flight, andor cratering. Topics presented in this paper include: (i) The devastation predicted by 2017 PDCs impact based on initial observations using ATAPs risk assessment capability, (ii) How information corresponding to items (1) to (3) could be obtained from a rendezvous mission, and (iii) How information from a rendezvous mission could be used, along with that from ground observations and data from the literature, could provide input for an new risk analysis capability that is emerging from ATAPs research. It is concluded that this approach would result in appraisal with the least uncertainty possible (herein called the best-case) using simulation capabilities that are currently available or will be in the future.

Arnold, J. O.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Astrobee Free Flyers: Integrated and Tested. Ready for Launch!

As of March 2019, four Astrobee free-flying robots have been integrated, tested and shipped to NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Texas, ready to be launched to space. Two of these Astrobee units (Honey and Bumble) will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on April 17, 2019, on the Cygnus NG-11 (Northrop Grumman) cargo resupply spacecraft from the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) launch facility, at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, in Virginia, while the third unit (Queen) will be launched in mid-July 2019, with the cargo resupply mission Space-X 18, from Cape Canaveral, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The primary purpose of the Astrobee system is to provide an autonomous and flexible platform for research on zero-g free-flying robotics, with the ability to accommodate guest researchers looking to utilize the unique capabilities of this platform in the microgravity of low earth orbit, and to advance the state of the art of guest science software and research payloads, which range from gecko-inspired adhesives for perching on smooth surfaces, to augmented reality interfaces to help astronauts and robots work together effectively, to RFID reader, performing inventory of RFID tagged items inside the ISS. Astrobee will also serve utility functions, such as free-flying cameras to record video and provide assistance during astronaut activities, and as mobile sensor platforms to conduct surveys of the ISS. In this paper we will give an overview of the status of the Astrobee system, which includes the docking station already launched and mounted in the JAXA JEM module of the ISS, the Astrobee robots, the Astrobee robotic arms, the ground data system (GDS) and the development of the several guest science payloads.

Carlino, Roberto↗
NASA NTRS2012

Simulation and Flight Test Capability for Testing Prototype Sense and Avoid System Elements

NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) and The MITRE Corporation (MITRE) have developed, and successfully demonstrated, an integrated simulation-to-flight capability for evaluating sense and avoid (SAA) system elements. This integrated capability consists of a MITRE developed fast-time computer simulation for evaluating SAA algorithms, and a NASA LaRC surrogate unmanned aircraft system (UAS) equipped to support hardware and software in-the-loop evaluation of SAA system elements (e.g., algorithms, sensors, architecture, communications, autonomous systems), concepts, and procedures. The fast-time computer simulation subjects algorithms to simulated flight encounters/ conditions and generates a fitness report that records strengths, weaknesses, and overall performance. Reviewed algorithms (and their fitness report) are then transferred to NASA LaRC where additional (joint) airworthiness evaluations are performed on the candidate SAA system-element configurations, concepts, and/or procedures of interest; software and hardware components are integrated into the Surrogate UAS research systems; and flight safety and mission planning activities are completed. Onboard the Surrogate UAS, candidate SAA system element configurations, concepts, and/or procedures are subjected to flight evaluations and in-flight performance is monitored. The Surrogate UAS, which can be controlled remotely via generic Ground Station uplink or automatically via onboard systems, operates with a NASA Safety Pilot/Pilot in Command onboard to permit safe operations in mixed airspace with manned aircraft. An end-to-end demonstration of a typical application of the capability was performed in non-exclusionary airspace in October 2011; additional research, development, flight testing, and evaluation efforts using this integrated capability are planned throughout fiscal year 2012 and 2013.

Howell, Charles T.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

HERA in the Artemis ERA

As NASA shifts its mission objectives to the lunar surface and the return of humans to the moon in the next few years, analogs that simulate lunar transit or surface exploration are in a unique position to support spaceflight research that is aligned with future Artemis missions, especially a sustained lunar presence. NASA’s spaceflight analogs have historically focused on mission scenarios and operations for Mars exploration, including recent campaigns staged at the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) analog at Johnson Space Center. However, beginning in Campaign 8, future HERA missions are planned to mimic lunar operations and support research objectives that directly address knowledge gaps for lunar exploration and habitation. The Research Operations and Integration (ROI) HERA team will present a look-back over HERA mission scenarios and operations supporting NASA’s Human Research Program and international partners’ spaceflight research. An overview of critical capabilities in HERA and other similar analogs will also be presented, such as methods of simulating EVAs. Presenters will then discuss the transition to a high-fidelity lunar surface exploration mission scenario envisioned for Campaign 8, slated to begin in 2026. Operations changes that will be discussed will include simulated lunar surface exploration using a two-person simulated pressurized rover in combination with virtual reality, lunar-relevant communication delays, changes to concepts of how crew communicate with Earth-based mission supports, increased access to family & friends’ communication compared to prior campaigns, and a new mission scenario referencing Artemis mission objectives and tasks. ROI analog mission designs are driven by science objectives. The ROI HERA team will describe how the changes for Campaign 8 support ongoing spaceflight research interests and provide opportunities for investigators to design experiments more closely aligned to lunar missions. A questions and answers session will follow with attendees encouraged to ask questions.

B J Caldwell↗
NASA NTRS2000

The Future of New Discoveries on the International Space Station

The Materials Science program is one of the five Microgravity research disciplines in NASA's Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS). This research uses the low gravity environment to obtain the fundamental understanding of various phenomena effects and it's relationship to structure, processing, and properties of materials. The International Space Station (ISS) will complete the first major assembly phase within the next year thus providing the opportunity for on-orbit research and scientific utilization in early 2001. Research will become routine as the final Space Station configuration is completed. Accommodations will support a variety of Materials Science payload hardware both in the US and international partner modules. This paper addresses the current scope of the flight investigator program that will utilize the various capabilities on ISS. The type of research and classification of materials that are addressed using multiple types of flight apparatus will be explained. The various flight and ground facilities that are used to support the NASA program are described. The early utilization schedule for the materials science payloads with associated hardware will be covered. The Materials Science Research Facility and related international experiment modules serves as the foundation for this capability. The potential applications and technologies obtained from the Materials Science program are described.

Schlagheck, Ronald↗
NASA NTRS2012

International Space Station as Analog of Interplanetary Transit Vehicle For Biomedical Research

Astronaut missions lasting up to six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) have much in common with interplanetary flights, especially the outbound, Earth-to-Mars transit portion of a Mars mission. Utilization of ISS and other appropriate platforms to prepare for crewed expeditions to planetary destinations including Mars has been the work of NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) since 2005. HRP is charged specifically to understand and reduced the risks to astronaut health and performance in space exploration missions: everything HRP does and has done is directly related to that responsibility. Two major categories of human research have capitalized on ISS capabilities. The first category centers on the biomedical aspects of long-duration exposure to spaceflight factors, including prolonged weightlessness, radiation exposure, isolation and confinement, and actual risk to life and limb. These studies contribute to astronaut safety, health and efficiency on any long-duration missions, whether in low Earth orbit (LEO) or beyond. Qualitatively, weightlessness is weightlessness, whether in LEO or en route to Mars. The HRP sponsors investigations into losses in muscle and bone integrity, cardiovascular function, sensory-motor capability, immune capacity and psychosocial health, and development and demonstration of appropriate treatments and preventative measures. The second category includes studies that are focused on planetary expeditions beyond LEO. For these, ISS offers a high fidelity analog to investigate the combined effects of spaceflight factors (described above) plus the isolation and autonomy associated with simulated increasing distance from Earth. Investigations address crew cohesion, performance and workload, and mission control performance. The behavioral health and performance and space human factors aspects of planetary missions dominate this category. Work has already begun on a new investigation in this category which will examine the effects of a simulated lag in communications (mimicking that expected in transit to Mars) on astronaut performance aboard ISS. Extension of the current ISS increment duration from six months to nine or even twelve months would provide opportunities for expanded research relevant to long duration missions, albeit at the cost of fewer astronauts as subjects for those investigations. Given the possible limited access to ISS after 2020, if ISS is intended to facilitate future exploration missions, then the in-flight human investigations should focus on those that clearly enable future exploration missions.

Charles, John B.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Workload Considerations in Urban Air Mobility

Urban air mobility (UAM) is receiving increased attention in aviation as a system for passenger and cargo-carrying new entrants in urban airspace. In order to develop a safe and efficient system, numerous possible concepts of operation for UAM are being explored throughout industry and research domains, the features and assumptions of which may differ according to near, medium and far term operations. Much of the current research into the development of UAM has dominantly focused on technological and engineering capabilities, such as vehicle development. Although these areas of research are essential to furthering UAM, research into the role of the human operator in UAM is limited. The research described in this paper aims to begin to address this gap by investigating the capabilities and implications of human operators as traffic managers in the UAM system, focusing on near-term UAM operations. A human in the loop air traffic control simulation was used to investigate the effect of UAM traffic density, airspace routes and communication procedures on subjective workload and efficiency-related task performance. Findings indicate that medium and high-density operations were associated with high workload. A reduction in verbal communications through a letter of agreement, and optimized routes, were associated with reduced workload and increased performance efficiency. However, even with these adjustments, reported workload remained high, particularly during the high-density scenario. Future research should focus on the human operator roles and responsibilities, and the amount of involvement, in UAM system management. Particular focus should be directed on the impact of reduced human operator involvement and increased automation, on the safety and efficiency of UAM operations and the integration of UAM with traditional air traffic management.

Edwards, Tamsyn↗
NASA NTRS1990

Error detection and correction unit with built-in self-test capability for spacecraft applications

The objective of this project was to research and develop a 32-bit single chip Error Detection and Correction unit capable of correcting all single bit errors and detecting all double bit errors in the memory systems of a spacecraft. We designed the 32-bit EDAC (Error Detection and Correction unit) based on a modified Hamming code and according to the design specifications and performance requirements. We constructed a laboratory prototype (breadboard) which was converted into a fault simulator. The correctness of the design was verified on the breadboard using an exhaustive set of test cases. A logic diagram of the EDAC was delivered to JPL Section 514 on 4 Oct. 1988.

Timoc, Constantin↗
NASA NTRS1989

Global stratospheric change: Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research

The workshop on Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research, sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center, was held July 15 to 16, 1989, at Truckee, CA. The workshop had two purposes: to assess the scientific justification for a new aircraft that will support stratospheric research beyond the altitudes accessible to the NASA ER-2; and to determine the aircraft characteristics (e.g., ceiling altitude, payload accommodations, range, flight duration, operational capabilities) required to perform the stratospheric research referred to in the justification. To accomplish these purposes, the workshop brought together a cross-section of stratospheric scientists with several aircraft design and operations experts. The stratospheric scientists included theoreticians as well as experimenters with experience in remote and in situ measurements from satellites, rockets, balloons, aircraft, and the ground. Discussions of required aircraft characteristics focused on the needs of stratospheric research. It was recognized that an aircraft optimal for stratospheric science would also be useful for other applications, including remote measurements of Earth's surface. A brief description of these other applications was given at the workshop.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2003

SAO Participation in the GOME and SCIAMACHY Satellite Instrument Programs

This report summarizes the progress on our three-year program of research to refine the measurement capability for satellite-based instruments that monitor ozone and other trace species in the Earth's stratosphere and troposphere, to retrieve global distributions of these and other constituents from the GOME and SCIAMACHY satellite instruments, and to conduct scientific studies for the ILAS instruments. This continues our involvements as a U.S. participant in GOME and SCIAMACHY since their inception, and as a member of the ILAS-II Science Team. These programs have led to the launch of the first satellite instrument specifically designed to measure height-resolved ozone, including the tropospheric component (GOME), and the development of the first satellite instrument that will measure tropospheric ozone simultaneously with NO2, CO, HCHO, N2O, H2O, and CH4 (SCIAMACHY). The GOME program now includes the GOME-2 instruments, to be launched on the Eumetsat Metop satellites, providing long-term continuity in European measurements of global ozone that complement the measurements of the TOMS, SBW, OMI, OMPS instruments. The research primarily focuses on two areas: Data analysis, including algorithm development and validation studies that will improve the quality of retrieved data products, in support for future field campaigns (to complement in situ and airborne campaigns with satellite measurements), and scientific analyses to be interfaced to atmospheric modeling studies.

Chance, Kelly↗
NASA NTRS2004

SAO Participation in the GOME and SCIAMACHY Satellite Instrument Programs

This report summarizes the progress on our three-year program of research to refine the measurement capability for satellite-based instruments that monitor ozone and other trace species in the Earth's stratosphere and troposphere, to retrieve global distributions of these and other constituents h m the GOME and SCIAMACHY satellite instruments, and to conduct scientific studies for the ILAS instruments. This continues our involvements as a U.S. participant in GOME and SCIAMACHY since their inception, and as a member of the ILAS-II Science Team. These programs have led to the launch of the first satellite instrument specifically designed to measure height-resolved ozone, including the tropospheric component (GOME), and the development of the first satellite instrument that will measure tropospheric ozone simultaneously with NO2, CO, HCHO, N2O, H2O, and CH4 (SCIAMACHY). The GOME program now includes the GOME-2 instruments, to be launched on the Eumetsat Metop satellites, providing long-term continuity in European measurements of global ozone that complement the measurements of the TOMS, SBUV, OMI, OMPS instruments. The research primarily focuses on two areas: Data analysis, including algorithm development and validation studies that will improve the quality of retrieved data products, in support for future field campaigns (to complement in situ and airborne campaigns with satellite measurements), and scientific analyses to be interfaced to atmospheric modeling studies.

Hilsenrath, Ernest↗