Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “EXERCISE”

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.

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

At least 919 records · Page 51

Manned Lunar Missions: An Exercise in Propulsion Trades and Sensitivities

A recent study performed for the In-Space Propulsion Technology Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center investigated the effects of using different propellant types on the different stages required to perform a manned lunar mission. The original study included investigations into propellant type, propellant storage technology options and sensitivities to specific impulse variations for a lunar orbit rendezvous mission. The initial mission characteristics were based on previous work led by Langley Research Center. Outlined in this paper are the results of that study and the work that followed. A lunar direct return architecture was added to the analysis. Since both architectures required assembly of the various propulsive stages in low Earth orbit and multiple launches to deliver those stages, investigations of launch sequence and scheduling sensitivities were also included. Results show that lunar direct return architectures require more mass to complete missions when compared to lunar orbit rendezvous missions. Within the given architectures, trends in the results tended to be very similar with the architectures indicating very little sensitivity to launch sequence and specific impulse variations and indicating more sensitivity to the propellant choice made for each stage and the time between launches. Even though this study investigates a small subset of the possible lunar architecture trade space, it does begin to outline some of the issues that must be investigated and the characteristics of the mission and the mission elements that are of most importance to a full architecture assessment.

Percy, Thomas K.↗

Guidance, Navigation, and Control System Design in a Mass Reduction Exercise

Early Orion GN&C system designs optimized for robustness, simplicity, and utilization of commercially available components. During the System Definition Review (SDR), all subsystems on Orion were asked to re-optimize with component mass and steady state power as primary design metrics. The objective was to create a mass reserve in the Orion point of departure vehicle design prior to beginning the PDR analysis cycle. The Orion GN&C subsystem team transitioned from a philosophy of absolute 2 fault tolerance for crew safety and 1 fault tolerance for mission success to an approach of 1 fault tolerance for crew safety and risk based redundancy to meet probability allocations of loss of mission and loss of crew. This paper will discuss the analyses, rationale, and end results of this activity regarding Orion navigation sensor hardware, control effectors, and trajectory design.

Crain, Timothy↗

Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) Validation Exercises During Summer 2004 Field Campaigns over North America

Measurements of carbon monoxide (CO) made as part of three aircraft experiments during the summer of 2004 over North America have been used for the continued validation of the CO retrievals from the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument on board the Terra satellite. Vertical profiles measured during the NASA INTEX-A campaign, designed to be coincident with MOPITT overpasses, as well as measurements made during the COBRA-2004 and MOZAIC experiments, provided valuable validation comparisons. On average, the MOPITT CO retrievals are biased slightly high for these North America locations. While the mean bias differs between the different aircraft experiments (e.g., 7.0 ppbv for MOZAIC to 18.4 ppbv for COBRA at 700 hPa), the standard deviations are quite large, so the results for the three data sets can be considered consistent. On average, it is estimated that MOPITT is 7- 14% high at 700 hPa and 03% high at 350 hPa. These results are consistent with the validation results for the Carr, Colorado, Harvard Forest, Massachusetts, and Poker Flats, Alaska, aircraft profiles for "phase 2" presented by Emmons et al. (2004) and are generally within the design criteria of 10% accuracy.

Emmons, L. K.↗

Elastic-Tether Suits for Artificial Gravity and Exercise

Body suits harnessed to systems of elastic tethers have been proposed as means of approximating the effects of normal Earth gravitation on crewmembers of spacecraft in flight to help preserve the crewmembers physical fitness. The suits could also be used on Earth to increase effective gravitational loads for purposes of athletic training. The suit according to the proposal would include numerous small tether-attachment fixtures distributed over its outer surface so as to distribute the artificial gravitational force as nearly evenly as possible over the wearer s body. Elastic tethers would be connected between these fixtures and a single attachment fixture on a main elastic tether that would be anchored to a fixture on or under a floor. This fixture might include multiple pulleys to make the effective length of the main tether great enough that normal motions of the wearer cause no more than acceptably small variations in the total artificial gravitational force. Among the problems in designing the suit would be equalizing the load in the shoulder area and keeping tethers out of the way below the knees to prevent tripping. The solution would likely include running tethers through rings on the sides. Body suits with a weight or water ballast system are also proposed for very slight spinning space-station scenarios, in which cases the proposed body suits will easily be able to provide the equivalency of a 1-G or even greater load.

Torrance, Paul↗

Unique Testing Capabilities of the NASA Langley Transonic Dynamics Tunnel, an Exercise in Aeroelastic Scaling

NASA Langley Research Center's Transonic Dynamics Tunnel (TDT) is the world's most capable aeroelastic test facility. Its large size, transonic speed range, variable pressure capability, and use of either air or R-134a heavy gas as a test medium enable unparalleled manipulation of flow-dependent scaling quantities. Matching these scaling quantities enables dynamic similitude of a full-scale vehicle with a sub-scale model, a requirement for proper characterization of any dynamic phenomenon, and many static elastic phenomena. Select scaling parameters are presented in order to quantify the scaling advantages of TDT and the consequence of testing in other facilities. In addition to dynamic testing, the TDT is uniquely well-suited for high risk testing or for those tests that require unusual model mount or support systems. Examples of recently conducted dynamic tests requiring unusual model support are presented. In addition to its unique dynamic test capabilities, the TDT is also evaluated in its capability to conduct aerodynamic performance tests as a result of its flow quality. Results of flow quality studies and a comparison to a many other transonic facilities are presented. Finally, the ability of the TDT to support future NASA research thrusts and likely vehicle designs is discussed.

Ivanco, Thomas G.↗