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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 91 records · Page 5
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1991

Asteroid 1986 DA - Radar evidence for a metallic composition

Echoes from the near-earth object 1986 DA show it to be significantly more reflective than other radar-detected asteroids. This result supports the hypothesis that 1986 DA is a piece of NiFe metal derived from the interior of a much larger object that melted, differentiated, cooled, and subsequently was disrupted in a catastrophic collision. This 2-kilometer asteroid, which appears smooth at centimeter to meter scales but extremely irregular at 10- to 100-meter scales, might be (or have been a part of) the parent body of some iron meteorites.

Ostro, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Missions to the asteroid Anteros and the space of true anomalies

Three opportunities for missions to rendezvous ballistically with the earth-crossing asteroid Anteros are studied to illustrate the requirements for a trip to a near-earth minor planet. The rationale, sample payload, spacecraft requirements and trajectory characteristics of these opportunities are typical of a rendezvous mission to an accessible near-earth object. Round trip ballistic trajectories to return small samples of the asteroid with launch dates between 1985 and 2000 are also presented. Contours of minimum total delta drawn in the space of launch and arrival true anomalies, given the designation Prime Rib curves, are introduced as a useful tool for mission design.

Hulkower, N. D.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Radar investigation of asteroids

The number of radar detected asteroids has climbed from 6 to 40 (27 mainbelt plus 13 near-Earth). The dual-circular-polarization radar sample now comprises more than 1% of the numbered asteroids. Radar results for mainbelt asteroids furnish the first available information on the nature of these objects at macroscopic scales. At least one object (2 Pallas) and probably many others are extraordinarily smooth at centimeter-to-meter scales but are extremely rough at some scale between several meters and many kilometers. Pallas has essentially no small-scale structure within the uppermost several meters of the regolith, but the rms slope of this regolith exceeds 20 deg., much larger than typical lunar values (approx. 7 deg.). The origin of these slopes could be the hypervelocity impact cratering process, whose manifestations are likely to be different on low-gravity, low-radius-of-curvature objects from those on the terrestrial planets. The range of mainbelt asteroid radar albedoes is very broad and implies big variations in regolith porosity or metal concentration, or both. The highest albedo estimate, for 16 Psyche, is consistent with a surface having porosities typical of lunar soil and a composition nearly completely metallic. Therefore, Psyche might be the collisionally stripped core of a differentiated small plant, and might resemble mineralogically the parent bodies of iron meteorites.

Ostro, S. J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

BLADE: An Automated Framework for Classifying Light Curves from the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies Fireball Database

Fireballs (bolides) are high-energy luminous phenomena produced when meteoroids and small asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speeds, often resulting in fragmentation or complete disintegration accompanied by significant energy release. The resulting bolide light curves capture temporal brightness variations as these objects traverse increasingly dense atmospheric layers, providing essential information on meteoroid entry dynamics, fragmentation behavior, and atmospheric energy deposition processes. The Center for Near-Earth Object Studies’ (CNEOS) continuously expanding fireball database offers a globally comprehensive archive of bolide events, including light curves and associated metadata. Events associated with infrasound detections allow direct correlations between acoustic signatures and light curve features, therefore enabling detailed analyses of fragmentation dynamics and energy deposition. Here, we introduce Bolide Light-curve Analysis and Discrimination Explorer (BLADE), a robust and high-fidelity framework specifically designed to analyze bolide light curves for objects detected from space. BLADE incorporates a processing pipeline integrating Savitzky–Golay filtering, prominence-based peak detection, and gradient analysis, enabling systematic identification and classification of fragmentation events and their associated energy release characteristics. Preliminary results demonstrate that BLADE reliably distinguishes distinct bolide behaviors, providing an objective, scalable methodology for characterization and analysis of large bolide light curve data sets. This foundational work establishes a novel pathway for advanced bolide research, with promising applications in planetary defense and global atmospheric monitoring. Future research should adopt an integrative approach combining CNEOS optical data with complementary infrasound measurements, further clarifying relationships between bolide energy deposition and acoustic signatures, thus refining our understanding of meteoroid and asteroid atmospheric entry processes.

Asteroids↗
DOE OSTI2025

Survey-wide asteroid discovery with a high-performance computing enabled non-linear digital tracking framework

Modern astronomical surveys detect asteroids by linking together their appearances across multiple images taken over time. This approach faces limitations in detecting faint asteroids and handling the computational complexity of trajectory linking. Here, we present a novel method that adapts “digital tracking” – traditionally used for short-term linear asteroid motion across images – to work with large-scale synoptic surveys such as the Vera Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (Rubin/LSST). Our approach combines hundreds of sparse observations of individual asteroids across their non-linear orbital paths to enhance detection sensitivity by several magnitudes. To address the computational challenges of processing massive data sets and dense orbital phase spaces, we developed a specialized high-performance computing architecture. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our method through experiments that take advantage of the extensive computational resources at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. This work enables the detection of significantly fainter asteroids in existing and future survey data, potentially increasing the observable asteroid population by orders of magnitude across different orbital families, from near-Earth objects (NEOs) to Kuiper belt objects (KBOs).

Asteroid discovery↗
NASA NTRS1974

Electric propulsion - Past history and future prospects

Studies of feasibility and flight mechanics of electric propulsion systems began around 1946. Conceptual systems design started in 1954, experimental developments in 1958; flight tests in 1964 and 1970 proved the functioning of electric thrusters in space. Further development of ion thruster systems has concentrated on bombardment ionization in the U.S., and on radiofrequency, bombardment, and surface contact ionization in West Germany, Great Britain, France and Russia. Electrothermal, plasma, and colloid thruster development has been pursued in many contries. Electric thrusters were used successfully during past years for satellite attitude control, and for prime propulsion of the Russian spacecraft Yantar. Further applications for attitude and position control of satellites are planned. Studies are presently underway for solar electric missions to planets, planetary moons, comets, asteroids, and toward the sun, and also for missions in near-earth space involving transfer, servicing, and repair of orbiting spacecraft.

Stuhlinger, E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Short-period comets

The spacecraft flybys of Comet Halley in 1986 confirmed Whipple's icy conglomerate hypothesis for cometary nuclei and showed that comets are far richer in volatiles than any other class of solar system bodies. Water is the most abundant volatile, comprising roughly 80 percent of the gas flowing out from the nucleus. Carbon monoxide is next with a content of 15 percent relative to water, though with approximately half of that coming from an extended source in the cometary coma, i.e., hydrocarbon dust grains. The detection of large numbers of hydrocarbon CHON grains was one of the more significant discoveries of the Halley flybys, as was the ground-based observation that CN occurs in jets, again indicating an extended source. Evidence was also found for more complex hydrocarbons. Estimates of the total dust-to-gas ratio for Halley range as high as 2:1, indicating that a substantial fraction of the volatile material may be tied up in solid hydrocarbons rather than ices. The role of clathrates in trapping more volatile ices is not yet understood. If Halley can be taken to be representative of all short-period comets, then the short-period comets may provide a significant source of volatiles in near-earth space. This resource is more difficult to reach dynamically than the near-earth asteriods, but the high volatile content may justify the additional effort necessary. In addition, there is considerable evidence that at least some fraction of the near-earth asteriods are extinct cometary nuclei which have evolved into asteroid orbits, and which may contain significant volatiles buried beneath an insulating lag-deposit crust of nonvolatiles. Knowledge of comets will be greatly enhanced in the near future by the Comet Rendezvous Flyby mission now under development by NASA, and by the proposed Rosetta mission.

Weissman, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The discovery of 1982 DB, the most accessible asteroid known

A small Apollo object was found while photographing the split comet DuToit 2-Hartley on February 27/28, 1982. Designated 1982 DB, this earth-crossing asteroid passed the earth at a distance of 4.08 million km about 1 month prior to its discovery. Asteroid 1982 DB has been determined to be the most accessible near-earth minor planet known. It provides many excellent opportunities for rendezvous and sample return missions, and a rare dual rendezvous mission with 1980 AA as the second target. For a mission to be realized, opportunities to observe 1982 DB during future apparitions must be taken.

Helin, E. F.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Planetary exploration through year 2000: An augmented program. Part two of a report by the Solar System Exploration Committee of the NASA Advisory Council

In 1982, the NASA Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC) published a report on a Core Program of planetary missions, representing the minimum-level program that could be carried out in a cost effective manner, and would yield a continuing return of basic scientific results. This is the second part of the SSEC report, describing missions of the highest scientific merit that lie outside the scope of the previously recommended Core Program because of their cost and technical challenge. These missions include the autonomous operation of a mobile scientific rover on the surface of Mars, the automated collection and return of samples from that planet, the return to Earth of samples from asteroids and comets, projects needed to lay the groundwork for the eventual utilization of near-Earth resources, outer planet missions, observation programs for extra-solar planets, and technological developments essential to make these missions possible.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space debris, asteroids and satellite orbits; Proceedings of the Fourth and Thirteenth Workshops, Graz, Austria, June 25-July 7, 1984

The workshops covered a variety of topics relevant to the identification, characterization and monitoring of near-earth solar system debris. Attention was given to man-made and naturally occurring microparticles, their hazards to present and future spacecraft, and ground- and space-based techniques for tracking both large and small debris. The studies are extended to solid fuel particulates in circular space. Asteroid rendezvous missions are discussed, including propulsion and instrumentation options, the possibility of encountering asteroids during Hohman transfer flights to Venus and/or Mars, and the benefits of multiple encounters by one spacecraft. Finally, equipment and analytical models for generating precise satellite orbits are reviewed.

Kessler, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Resources of Near-Earth Space: Abstracts

The objectives are by theory, experiment, and bench-level testing of small systems, to develop scientifically-sound engineering processes and facility specifications for producing propellants and fuels, construction and shielding materials, and life support substances from the lithospheres and atmospheres of lunar, planetary, and asteroidal bodies. Current emphasis is on the production of oxygen, other usefull gases, metallic, ceramic/composite, and related byproducts from lunar regolith, carbonaceous chrondritic asteroids, and the carbon dioxide rich Martian atmosphere.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

Asteroid/meteorite streams

The independent discovery of the same three streams (named alpha, beta, and gamma) among 139 Earth approaching asteroids and among 89 meteorite producing fireballs presents the possibility of matching specific meteorites to specific asteroids, or at least to asteroids in the same stream and, therefore, presumably of the same composition. Although perhaps of limited practical value, the three meteorites with known orbits are all ordinary chondrites. To identify, in general, the taxonomic type of the parent asteroid, however, would be of great scientific interest since these most abundant meteorite types cannot be unambiguously spectrally matched to an asteroid type. The H5 Pribram meteorite and asteroid 4486 (unclassified) are not part of a stream, but travel in fairly similar orbits. The LL5 Innisfree meteorite is orbitally similar to asteroid 1989DA (unclassified), and both are members of a fourth stream (delta) defined by five meteorite-dropping fireballs and this one asteroid. The H5 Lost City meteorite is orbitally similar to 1980AA (S type), which is a member of stream gamma defined by four asteroids and four fireballs. Another asteroid in this stream is classified as an S type, another is QU, and the fourth is unclassified. This stream suggests that ordinary chondrites should be associated with S (and/or Q) asteroids. Two of the known four V type asteroids belong to another stream, beta, defined by five asteroids and four meteorite-dropping (but unrecovered) fireballs, making it the most probable source of the eucrites. The final stream, alpha, defined by five asteroids and three fireballs is of unknown composition since no meteorites have been recovered and only one asteroid has an ambiguous classification of QRS. If this stream, or any other as yet undiscovered ones, were found to be composed of a more practical material (e.g., water or metalrich), then recovery of the associated meteorites would provide an opportunity for in-hand analysis of a potential near-Earth resource.

Drummond, J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

FASAC Technical Assessment Report: Soviet Space Science Research

This report is the work of a panel of eight US scientists who surveyed and assessed Soviet research in the spare sciences. All of the panelists were very familiar with Soviet research through their knowledge of the published scientific literature and personal contacts with Soviet and other foreign colleagues. In addition, all of the panelists reviewed considerable additional open literature--scientific, and popular, including news releases. The specific disciplines of Soviet space science research examined in detail for the report were: solar-terrestrial research, lunar and planetary research, space astronomy and astrophysics, and, life sciences. The Soviet Union has in the past carried out an ambitious program in lunar exploration and, more recently, in studies of the inner planets, Mars and especially Venus. The Soviets have provided scientific data about the latter planet which has been crucial for studies of the planet's evolution. Future programs envision an encounter with Halley's Comet, in March 1986, and missions to Mars and asteroids. The Soviet programs in the life sciences and solar-terrestrial research have been long-lasting and systematically pursued. Much of the ground-based and space-based research in these two disciplines appears to be motivated by the requirement to establish long-term human habitation in near-Earth space. The Soviet contributions to new discoveries and understanding in observational space astronomy and astrophysics have been few. This is in significant contrast to the very excellent theoretical work contributed by Soviet scientists in this discipline.

Lanzerotti, L. J.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Elliptical ejecta of asteroid Dimorphos is due to its surface curvature

Kinetic deflection is a planetary defense technique delivering spacecraft momentum to a small body to deviate its course from Earth. The deflection efficiency depends on the impactor and target. Among them, the contribution of global curvature was poorly understood. The ejecta plume created by NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test impact on its target asteroid, Dimorphos, exhibited an elliptical shape almost aligned along its north-south direction. Here, we identify that this elliptical ejecta plume resulted from the target’s curvature, reducing the momentum transfer to 44 ± 10% along the orbit track compared to an equivalent impact on a flat target. We also find lower kinetic deflection of impacts on smaller near-Earth objects due to higher curvature. A solution to mitigate low deflection efficiency is to apply multiple low-energy impactors rather than a single high-energy impactor. Rapid reconnaissance to acquire a target’s properties before deflection enables determining the proper locations and timing of impacts.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
NASA NTRS1991

Utilization of space resources: A historical view

While widely accepted today, the use of non-Earth resources in official space planning circles has been long in coming. Popular and governmental acceptance of using extraterrestrial resources, be they asteroids, comets, or other celestial bodies are highlighted. Particular emphasis is placed on those individuals, such as the late Dandridge Cole, who pioneered early discussion and thought on the topic over a period of several decades. The evolution of using extraterrestrial resources in governmental space policy, such as NASA's Outlook for Space (1976) and Pioneering the Space Frontier (1986) is reviewed. Put forward is the view that a redefinition of resources of near-Earth space may be warranted, particularly in consideration of using high vacuum, solar radiation, and magnetospheric phenomenon for experimentation and application purposes. Lastly, a prospective look at public reaction to utilizing space resources is presented.

David, Leonard W.↗
NASA NTRS1977

Developing space occupancy - Perspectives on NASA future space program planning

Potential future manned space flight missions for the time after the development of the space transportation system with the space shuttle are considered, taking into account a sequence of activities concerning a gradually increasing penetration of space by man. The activities are related to the permanent occupancy of near-earth space, the permanent occupancy of near-moon space, the full self-sufficiency of man in earth-moon space, and the permanent occupancy of heliocentric space. Attention is given to Mars orbiting stations, the exploration of the asteroids, comet exploration, planet engineering programs, heliocentric orbit installation, the evolution of the earth orbit space community, space industrialization technology, lunar base development, and evolutionary paths to far-future space endeavors.

Von Puttkamer, J.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Summer Workshop on Near-Earth Resources

The possible large scale use of extraterrestrial resources was addressed, either to construct structures in space or to return to Earth as supplements for terrestrial resources. To that end, various specific recommendations were made by the participants in the summer study on near-Earth resources, held at La Jolla, California, 6 to 13 August, 1977. The Moon and Earth-approaching asteroids were considered. Summaries are included of what is known about their compositions and what needs to be learned, along with recommendations for missions designed to provide the needed data. Tentative schedules for these projects are also offered.

Arnold, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Requirements for a space station

Near-term requirements which will guide the design of a manned space station in near-earth orbit are considered. A primary focus will be establishing a base for astronomical observations which demand long term integration times. Earth observation systems such as the thematic mappers and SAR can be utilized by a free flyer in sunsynchronous orbit. Biological experiments can be carried out only with pressurized modules, ultimately large enough for humans habitation. At first, expendables would be ferried up from earth, while over time the space station would become a closed-loop system. An orbital transfer vehicle is necessary for the repair of satellites stationed in higher energy orbits. The operations of the station would include checking out communications satellites before boost into GEO. Finally, the station would be the final staging point for interplanetary and/or asteroid intercept missions.

Herman, D. H.↗