Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “radiation contamination”

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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Ground Testing Program to Verify Lunar Dust-Tolerant Hardware for the Artemis Mission

In preparation for NASA’s Artemis Mission that will return humans to the surface of moon by 2024, an extensive test campaign will be undertaken to understand the effects of lunar dust contamination on equipment. Historically, early Apollo astronauts were affected by lunar dust that entered the cabin after their extravehicular activities, and subsequent missions had various cleaning protocols to reduce the impact of the contamination. The longest stays on the lunar surface were Apollo 15, 16, and 17 (just over three days), so equipment and suits were required to operate reliably for a relatively short duration. The ultimate goal of Artemis is a sustained human presence on the lunar surface, beginning with Artemis 3 which targets a six-and-a-half day surface deployment. This requires the design and testing of dust-tolerant infrastructure. Ground testing with aerosolized lunar dust simulants in a specialized chamber is an inexpensive way to verify the performance of equipment. Chambers equipped with various powder dispersers and analysis instrumentation can explore a variety of realistic scenarios relevant to lunar surface missions, from the interaction of dust with sensitive surfaces such as solar panels, textiles, radiators, and scientific equipment, to the effects of dust as it intrudes into habitable areas. These experiments require careful consideration of the expected mass concentrations, aerosolization methods, and transport properties of dust. Instruments that use light-scattering techniques to measure mass concentrations require calibration against lunar simulants for improved accuracy, and different simulants may have different calibration factors. Test facilities, laboratory setup and test methods for aerosolizing lunar simulant will be described along with relevant aerosol instruments and calibration efforts.

Benjamin J Sumlin↗
DOE OSTI2025

Gas jet targets for direct reaction studies

The study of direct reactions is of broad interest in nuclear physics, providing constraint to models of nuclear structure evolution and data to better understand the creation of the elements. In many cases, however, the data of interest are hindered by backgrounds and poor resolution from contaminants in either the beam, the target, or both. The use of a gas jet can overcome some of these issues through clever engineering, providing a reaction target that is chemically pure and thin enough to significantly reduce the impact on experimental resolution. This Perspective will discuss the effort to design, construct, and operate gas jet targets for direct reaction studies in the rare isotope era.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of New Isotopes in the Fragmentation of Pt 198 at FRIB

Five previously unknown isotopes ( 182,183 Tm, 186,187 Yb, 190 Lu) were produced, separated, and identified for the first time at the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) using the Advanced Rare Isotope Separator (ARIS). The new isotopes were formed through the interaction of a 198 Pt beam with a carbon target at an energy of 186 MeV/u and with a primary beam power of 1.5 kW. Event-by-event particle identification of A, Z, and q for the reaction products was performed by combining measurements of the energy loss, time of flight, magnetic rigidity Bρ, and total kinetic energy. The ARIS separator has a novel two-stage design with high resolving power to strongly suppress contaminant beams. Finally, this successful new isotope search was performed less than one year after FRIB operations began and demonstrates the discovery potential of the facility which will ultimately provide 400 kW of primary beam power.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assessment of Contaminant Bioaccumulation in Aquatic Biota on and Adjacent to the Oak Ridge Reservation—2020

This report provides information on contaminant concentrations in multiple wildlife prey species inhabiting or associated with water bodies on and downstream from the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR), including regional reference sites. This information can be used to understand the nature and extent of contaminant exposure and transfer through the food web and to provide a baseline for evaluating temporal trends in contaminant exposure and accumulation. This information was gathered as part of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) Five-Year Review (FYR) process, and it also addresses regulator comments on the annual Remediation Effectiveness Report (RER). This report summarizes the results of biological sampling completed in the spring and summer of 2020, prior to the 2021 FYR. Sampled locations included key sites upstream from the point sources of contaminants, along with watershed integration points on and off the ORR. Integration points are spatially the most important sampling sites because they capture biological responses to upstream contaminant inputs from both aqueous and groundwater sources, as well as responses to various remedial actions. These sites are most often located at a watershed administration unit boundary and may have regulatory significance for performance measures. In many cases, there are long-term biological and other monitoring data associated with these sites; these data generally fall within the areas of exposure and effects.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2023

Separation of rare earth element radioisotopes by reverse-phase high-speed counter-current chromatography

Analytical scale purification of rare earth element (REE) radioisotopes is typically accomplished using cation-exchange resins (e.g. AG 50W-X8) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Despite the variety of improvements made since the development of this separation process in the 1950s, nearest neighbor separations remain a challenge, as does the issue of irreversible sample adsorption. Herein, we report a study that evaluates the potential of high-speed counter-current chromatography (HSCCC) as an alternative method for purifying REE elements, with specific reference to separations of fission product REE of interest to nuclear forensics. Complementary HSCCC REE separation experiments, one spiked with radiotracer and REE fission product activity, allowed for in depth analysis of resulting fractions from both an elemental (inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy, ICP-AES) and radiological (gamma-ray spectrometry, beta counting) purity perspective. The highly reproducible nature of separation profiles generated from HSCCC instruments was leveraged to simplify work-up of samples containing radioisotopes. Subsequent radioanalytical evaluation revealed minimal carryover of Eu into neighboring Sm and Tb fractions (as indicated by presence of 150Eu), and trace contamination of the Tb fraction with Y (as indicated by presence of 91Y). Subtle differences in stationary phase retention across the two columns were reflected in significant variations in decontamination factors of duplicate parallel separations. Furthermore, these differences paired with obtained distribution of radioisotopes provided valuable insights into future improvements. Collectively, this study represents a significant step forward in development of HSCCC technology for task specific REE radioisotope purification.

07 ISOTOPE AND RADIATION SOURCES↗
NASA NTRS2016

Visible-Light-Responsive Photocatalysis: Ag-Doped TiO2 Catalyst Development and Reactor Design Testing

In recent years, the alteration of titanium dioxide to become visible-light-responsive (VLR) has been a major focus in the field of photocatalysis. Currently, bare titanium dioxide requires ultraviolet light for activation due to its band gap energy of 3.2 eV. Hg-vapor fluorescent light sources are used in photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) reactors to provide adequate levels of ultraviolet light for catalyst activation; these mercury-containing lamps, however, hinder the use of this PCO technology in a spaceflight environment due to concerns over crew Hg exposure. VLR-TiO2 would allow for use of ambient visible solar radiation or highly efficient visible wavelength LEDs, both of which would make PCO approaches more efficient, flexible, economical, and safe. Over the past three years, Kennedy Space Center has developed a VLR Ag-doped TiO2 catalyst with a band gap of 2.72 eV and promising photocatalytic activity. Catalyst immobilization techniques, including incorporation of the catalyst into a sorbent material, were examined. Extensive modeling of a reactor test bed mimicking air duct work with throughput similar to that seen on the International Space Station was completed to determine optimal reactor design. A bench-scale reactor with the novel catalyst and high-efficiency blue LEDs was challenged with several common volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in ISS cabin air to evaluate the system's ability to perform high-throughput trace contaminant removal. The ultimate goal for this testing was to determine if the unit would be useful in pre-heat exchanger operations to lessen condensed VOCs in recovered water thus lowering the burden of VOC removal for water purification systems.

Photocatalysis↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Surface Temperature and the Compositional Effects of Electron Bombardment on Dione

Saturn’s icy moons are composed of mostly water ice with minor “contaminants,” such as CO2 ice, and a dark component thought to be organics, hematite and/or metallic Fe [1]. The space weathering process of electron bombardment is expected to be particularly important on the surfaces of Saturn’s inner moons (Mimas, Tethys, Dione, and Rhea), as they orbit within the extended plasma sheet of Saturn’s magnetosphere. Terrains exhibiting thermal anomalies (i.e., colder temperatures in the day and warmer temperatures at night than surrounding areas) correspond to regions of high energy electron bombardment [2; 3]. Energetic electrons impact the surfaces, fracturing ice particles into sub-micron sized grains, and this process becomes more effective for increasing particle energies [4]. In addition to alteration of ices, the dark material may also be modified or generated within icy surfaces by interaction with solar UV radiation, cosmic rays, or by particles trapped in Saturn’s magnetic field [5]. CO2 could be sourced from irradiation of dark organic material [7]. Many of these alterations should be observable in Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) spectra [8]. We used surface temperatures derived from Cassini’s Composite Infrared Spectrometer (CIRS) to help isolate areas where space weathering due to electron bombardment is more predominant and investigated the subtle changes in VIMS spectra using machine learning techniques. We present our results here for Dione. On ocean worlds, space weathering products would be present along with any potential indications of life. We will need to understand the manifestation of space weathering in the data to separate the two processes.

Cindy Lee Young↗
NASA NTRS1993

Spectral measurements of shock layer radiation in an arc-jet wind tunnel

Measurements were made of the radiating gas cap of a blunt body in an NASA Ames 20 MW arcjet wind tunnel. The test gas was air. Spectra of the flux incident on a small aperture centered at the stagnation region were obtained. A helium-cooled MgF window transmitted flux into an evacuated collimating system that focused the aperture onto the entrance slit of a spectrometer. Data were obtained with films and by photomultipliers. The range covered was 120 nm to 1000 nm and the resolution was 0.05 nm to 0.5 nm. This paper presents preliminary results from the experiment. Representative spectral records from 200 nm to 1000 nm are shown. The spectra show the atomic lines from oxygen and nitrogen in the IR, as well as the molecular systems of NO, N2, N2(+), and CN. Copper, as a contaminant, and carbon are tentatively identified.

Palumbo, Giuseppe↗
NASA NTRS2004

Low Earth Orbital Atomic Oxygen Interactions With Materials

Atomic oxygen is formed in the low Earth orbital environment (LEO) by photo dissociation of diatomic oxygen by short wavelength (< 243 nm) solar radiation which has sufficient energy to break the 5.12 eV O2 diatomic bond in an environment where the mean free path is sufficiently long (~ 108 meters) that the probability of reassociation or the formation of ozone (O3) is small. As a consequence, between the altitudes of 180 and 650 km, atomic oxygen is the most abundant species. Spacecraft impact the atomic oxygen resident in LEO with sufficient energy to break hydrocarbon polymer bonds, causing oxidation and thinning of the polymers due to loss of volatile oxidation products. Mitigation techniques, such as the development of materials with improved durability to atomic oxygen attack, as well as atomic oxygen protective coatings, have been employed with varying degrees of success to improve durability of polymers in the LEO environment. Atomic oxygen can also oxidize silicones and silicone contamination to produce non-volatile silica deposits. Such contaminants are present on most LEO missions and can be a threat to performance of optical surfaces. The LEO atomic oxygen environment, its interactions with materials, results of space testing, computational modeling, mitigation techniques, and ground laboratory simulation procedures and issues are presented.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Nevada National Security Site 2019 Waste Management Monitoring Report Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites

Environmental monitoring data are collected at and around the Area 3 and Area 5 Radioactive Waste Management Sites (RWMSs) within the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). This report summarizes the 2019 environmental data to provide an overall evaluation of RWMS performance and to support environmental compliance and performance assessment (PA) activities. Some of these data (e.g., radiation exposure, air, and groundwater) are presented in other reports (Mission Support and Test Services, LLC 2019, 2020a, 2020b). Direct radiation monitoring data indicate exposure levels at the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs are within the range of background levels measured at the NNSS. Slightly elevated exposure levels outside the Area 3 RWMS are attributed to nearby historical aboveground nuclear weapons tests. Air monitoring data at the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs show that tritium concentrations in water vapor and americium and plutonium concentrations in air particles are below Derived Concentration Standards for these radionuclides. Groundwater monitoring data indicate the groundwater in the uppermost aquifer beneath the Area 5 RWMS is not impacted by RWMS operations. Results of groundwater analysis from wells around the Area 5 RWMS are below established investigation levels. Leachate samples collected from the leachate collection systems at the Area 5 mixed low-level waste disposal unit are below established contaminant regulatory limits. During 2019, precipitation at the Area 3 RWMS was 77 percent above average, and precipitation at the Area 5 RWMS was 69 percent above average. Water balance measurements indicate that evapotranspiration from the vegetated weighing lysimeter at the Area 5 RWMS dries the soil and prevents downward percolation of precipitation more effectively than evaporation as measured from the bare-soil weighing lysimeter. Vadose zone monitoring in the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMS soil covers shows no evidence of precipitation percolating through the covers to the waste. Moisture from precipitation did not percolate below 120 centimeters (3.9 feet [ft]) in the vegetated final cover on the U-3ax/bl disposal unit at the Area 3 RWMS during 2019. There was no drainage through 2.4 meters (8 ft) of soil as indicated from the Area 3 drainage lysimeters that received only natural precipitation. At the Area 3 RWMS, which received three times the natural precipitation, 57 percent of the applied precipitation and irrigation drained from the bare-soil drainage lysimeter. All 2019 monitoring data indicate that the Area 3 and Area 5 RWMSs are performing within expectations of the model and parameter assumptions for the facilities’ PAs.

2019↗
NASA NTRS1984

Exposure of spacecraft coatings (S0010)

The objectives of this LDEF experiment are to determine the effects of both the Shuttle-induced environment and the space radiation environment on selected sets of spacecraft thermal control coatings. The experimental approach is to passively expose samples of thermal control coatings to Shuttle-induced and space radiation environments and to return the samples for postflight evaluation and comparison with preflight measurements to determine the effects of the environmental exposure. Optical measurements of the samples will include total normal emittance and spectral reflectance. The experiment will utilize a 6 in. deep peripheral tray and an experiment exposure control canister (EECC). The EECC will provide protection for some of the samples against exposure to the launch and reentry environments. The EECC will be programmed to open about 2 weeks after LDEF deployment and close pior to LDEF retrieval by the Shuttle and reentry. Some samples will not be housed in the EECC and will be exposed to the Shuttle-induced environment during launch and reentry. Comparison of the data from these samples with data from samples in the EECC will yield information about possible contamination induced degradation effects.

Slemp, W. S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Production of N(+)-asterisk from N2 + hnu - Effective EUV emission yields from laboratory and dayglow data

Photodissociative ionization of N2 into the unbound N2(+) H 2Sigma-g(+) state is identified as the parentage of a number of N(+) and N-excited states that contribute to the u.v. dayglow. Yields have been obtained for the production of extreme ultraviolet emission lines of N(+) and N from a laboratory experiment using a broadband synchrotron radiation source with fluorescence spectroscopy. The yields are termed 'effective', in that they are constant percentages of the H state cross section. These are compared wih effective yields needed to reproduce N II 1085 and 916 A lines from four dayglow observations using a model of solar energy deposition and photoelectron production and loss in the earth's thermosphere. The 1085 A effective yield measured in the laboratory (18 percent) agrees with that from the dayglow data (average of 17 percent) to well within experimental uncertainties. Thus, it is concluded that photodissociative ionization of N2 is the primary source of the N II 1085 A dayglow. However, there is an order of magnitude discrepancy among the various dayglow observations of the 1085/916 intensity ratio, only one of which is consistent with the laboratory observation of 4.4. Neither contamination by other dayglow features nor atmospheric extinction can account for the disparities. Laboratory measurements of N2 and O2 absorption cross sections at these wavelengths are also reported.

Meier, R. R.↗
DOE OSTI2020

Coulomb sum rule for 4 He and 16 O from coupled-cluster theory

We demonstrate the capability of coupled-cluster theory to compute the Coulomb sum rule for the 4 He and 16 O nuclei using interactions from chiral effective field theory. We perform several checks, including a few-body benchmark for 4He. We provide an analysis of the center-of-mass contaminations, which we are able to safely remove. We then compare with other theoretical results and experimental data available in the literature, obtaining a fair agreement. This is a first and necessary step towards initiating a program for computing neutrino-nucleus interactions from first principles in coupled-cluster theory and supporting the experimental long-baseline neutrino program with a state-of-the-art theory that can reach medium-mass nuclei.

6 ≤ A ≤ 19A ≤ 5↗
DOE OSTI2021

Assess and Benchmark Magneto-Inertial Fusion (MIF) Scaling. Final Technical Report for the SNL/Rochester ALPHA Follow-on Project

This project was a follow-on to the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) ARPA-E ALPHA project entitled “Demonstrating Fuel Magnetization and Laser Heating Tools for Low-Cost Fusion Energy”. The primary purpose of this follow-on project was to obtain additional data at the OMEGA facility to help better understand how MagLIF, a platform that has already demonstrated the scientific viability of magneto-inertial fusion, scales across a factor of 1000 in driver energy. A secondary aspect of this project was to extend simulations and analysis at SNL to cover a wider magneto-inertial fusion (MIF) parameter space and test scaling of those models across this wide range of input energies and conditions of the target. This work was successful in improving understanding of how key physics elements of MIF scales and improves confidence in setting requirements for fusion gain with larger drivers. The OMEGA experiments at the smaller scale verified the hypothesis that preheating the fuel plays a significant role in introducing wall contaminants that mix into the fuel and significantly degrade fusion performance. This contamination not only impacts target performance but the optimal input conditions for the target. However, analysis at the Z-scale showed that target performance at high preheat levels is limited by the Nernst effect, which advects magnetic flux from the hot spot, reducing magnetic insulation and consequently reduces the temperature of the fuel. The combination of MagLIF experiments at the disparate scales of OMEGA and Z along with a multiscale 3D simulation analysis has led to new insight into the physical mechanisms responsible for limiting target performance and provides important benchmarks to assess target scaling more generally for MIF schemes. Finally, in addition to the MagLIF related work, a semi-analytic model of liner driven Field Reversed Configuration (FRC) was developed that predicts the fusion gain for such systems. This model was also validated with 2D radiation magneto-hydrodynamic simulations and predicts that fusion gains of near unity could be driven by the Z machine.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Tech Briefs, February 2011

Topics covered include: Multi-Segment Radius Measurement Using an Absolute Distance Meter Through a Null Assembly; Fiber-Optic Magnetic-Field-Strength Measurement System for Lightning Detection; Photocatalytic Active Radiation Measurements and Use; Computer Generated Hologram System for Wavefront Measurement System Calibration; Non-Contact Thermal Properties Measurement with Low-Power Laser and IR Camera System; SpaceCube 2.0: An Advanced Hybrid Onboard Data Processor; CMOS Imager Has Better Cross-Talk and Full-Well Performance; High-Performance Wireless Telemetry; Telemetry-Based Ranging; JWST Wavefront Control Toolbox; Java Image I/O for VICAR, PDS, and ISIS; X-Band Acquisition Aid Software; Antimicrobial-Coated Granules for Disinfecting Water; Range 7 Scanner Integration with PaR Robot Scanning System; Methods of Antimicrobial Coating of Diverse Materials; High-Operating-Temperature Barrier Infrared Detector with Tailorable Cutoff Wavelength; A Model of Reduced Kinetics for Alkane Oxidation Using Constituents and Species for N-Heptane; Thermally Conductive Tape Based on Carbon Nanotube Arrays; Two Catalysts for Selective Oxidation of Contaminant Gases; Nanoscale Metal Oxide Semiconductors for Gas Sensing; Lightweight, Ultra-High-Temperature, CMC-Lined Carbon/Carbon Structures; Sample Acquisition and Handling System from a Remote Platform; Improved Rare-Earth Emitter Hollow Cathode; High-Temperature Smart Structures for Engine Noise Reduction and Performance Enhancement; Cryogenic Scan Mechanism for Fourier Transform Spectrometer; Piezoelectric Rotary Tube Motor; Thermoelectric Energy Conversion Technology for High-Altitude Airships; Combustor Computations for CO2-Neutral Aviation; Use of Dynamic Distortion to Predict and Alleviate Loss of Control; Cycle Time Reduction in Trapped Mercury Ion Atomic Frequency Standards; and A (201)Hg+ Comagnetometer for (199)Hg+ Trapped Ion Space Atomic Clocks.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Regional variability of dust single scattering albedo due to mineral composition

Nearly all Earth System Models (ESMs) assume globally homogeneous dust aerosols, neglecting regional variations of the imaginary refractive index (IRI) due to varying mineral composition. This has led to a range of single scattering albedo (SSA) and direct radiative forcing (DRF) estimates, as models assign global properties using dust measurements from different regions. We use model and observational data to assess to what extent regionally varying mineral composition affects visible-band SSA and short-wave DRF of dust. We run global simulations with NASA GISS ModelE2.1, using optical properties for minerals based on laboratory-derived empirical relationships between dust IRI at visible wavelengths and the mineral content of iron oxides. When allowing mineral variations instead of homogeneous dust, we find regional differences in dust SSA up to ~0.06 and consequent variations in DRF up to ~6 and ~5 W/m2, at surface and top-of-atmosphere respectively. We compare model SSA with AERONET inversion data (Version 3.0, Level 2), filtered by aerosol size and optical properties to identify pure dust scenes. To investigate possible contamination by biomass burning aerosols, we use the dataset of Schuster et al. (2016, doi:10.5194/acp-16-1565-2016), who separately calculated the contribution of iron oxides and carbonaceous species to AERONET extinction and absorption optical depths. Our results show that: (1) the range of observed SSA (even without carbonaceous species) is larger than that resulting from homogeneous dust; (2) residual amounts of fine mode black and brown carbon may affect AERONET SSA even in seasons with limited biomass burning; (3) model SSA from our mineral scheme exceeds the AERONET range, possibly due also to an uncertain treatment of goethite. In summary, homogeneous dust cannot explain the variability of observed SSA, so regionally varying optical properties based on mineral content are necessary. Higher accuracy in soil mineralogy maps is needed to better reproduce SSA variations at regional scales. Also, distinct soil maps for hematite and goethite are required, given the high sensitivity of model SSA to their extreme optical properties.

V. Obiso↗
NASA NTRS1998

Retrospective dosimetry related to chronic environmental exposure

Radioactive contamination of the environment occurred in the early fifties as a result of the releases from the Mayak plutonium production complex (Southern Urals, Russia). The releases of liquid wastes into the Techa river resulted in chronic exposure of 30,000 residents of the riverside communities. Since 1951 90Sr body burdens have been measured for over half of this cohort. This paper presents the analysis of data on 90Sr in humans and describes the reconstruction of internal doses for these people.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗
DOE OSTI2026

WM26 Paper Multi-Robot Collaboration for Hazardous Environments

Hazardous nuclear and industrial facilities are rarely designed for robots. Work in these domains demand precise manipulation and robust mobility in cluttered, constrained spaces where off-the-shelf platforms struggle and “one-size-fits-all” machines become costly and complex. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is developing an autonomous, multi-robot inspection system that coordinates task-specific platforms rather than relying on a single omni-tool robot. An electric truck serves as a power and compute hub for a custom manipulator co-developed with Florida International University (FIU), a commercial mini crawler, a pan–tilt–zoom camera, and a Nexxis Argus LiDAR mapping system. Working in concert, these robots generate spatial, radiation, and temperature maps of the pit environments at the Hanford Waste Tank Farms. These systems will capture visual records and environmental telemetry to allow for analysis post inspection. The system architecture uses Robot Operating System 2 (ROS 2) for publish/subscribe integration, NVIDIA Isaac Sim and Unity for simulation and visualization, and algorithms such as NVBlox to fuse data into unified 3D overlays. This robot-agnostic approach reduces operator burden by enabling autonomy across heterogeneous platforms and lets each robot be used where it is strongest. Having autonomous functions means operators don’t have to fully control multiple different components. The ease of use could allow for more widespread adoption of advanced robotics at waste management sites that see continued use. By coordinating simpler, purpose-built mechanisms, the approach lowers design and manufacturing complexity, reduces capital risk in contaminated settings, and improves controllability for complex inspection and manipulation tasks. We present the architecture, early results, and lessons learned from building and deploying this coordinated multi-robot system, with the goal of accelerating safe, cost-effective adoption of advanced robotics at waste-management sites.

42 - ENGINEERING↗