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Information briefly describing the total research activity related to the science of materials is reported. Emphasis is placed on physical and mechanical properties of composite materials, energy transportation, superconductors, microwave electronics, and solid state electrochemistry.
The 2018 Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program involved 16 faculty in the laboratories and departments at Marshall Space Flight Center. These faculty engineers and scientists worked with NASA collaborators on NASA projects, bringing new perspectives and solutions to bear. This Technical Memorandum is a compilation of the research reports of the 2018 Marshall Faculty Fellowship program, along with the Program Announcement (Appendix A) and the Program Description (Appendix B). The research affected the following five areas: (1) Materials (2) Propulsion (3) Spacecraft systems (4) Vehicle systems (5) Space science The materials investigations includes Lunar Regolith for habitats, friction stir welding, and composite joints. Propulsion studies included cryogenic tank pressurization, transmitted torque in a cryogenic environment, and condensation in presence of noncondensables, Europa Lander Deorbit Stage, and catalyst development for a hybrid rocket. Spacecraft systems include wireless sensor networks and printed electronic inks. Vehicle systems studies were performed on Mars ascent vehicle analysis, architecture models, and Space Launch System manual steering. Space science studies included planetary lava flow. Our goal is to continue the Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program funded by Center internal project offices. Faculty Fellows in this 2018 program represented the following minority-serving institutions: Alabama A&M University, Southern University, Delgado Community College, and Dillard University.
A number of solidification experiments have been utilized throughout the Materials Processing in Space Program to provide an experimental environment which minimizes variables in solidification experiments. Two techniques of interest are directional solidification and isothermal casting. Because of the wide-spread use of these experimental techniques in space-based research, several MSAD experiments have been manifested for space flight. In addition to the microstructural analysis for interpretation of the experimental results from previous work with parabolic flights, it has become apparent that a better understanding of the phenomena occurring during solidification can be better understood if direct visualization of the solidification interface were possible. Our university has performed in several experimental studies such as this in recent years. The most recent was in visualizing the effect of convective flow phenomena on the KC-135 and prior to that were several successive contracts to perform directional solidification and isothermal casting experiments on the KC-135. Included in this work was the modification and utilization of the Convective Flow Analyzer (CFA), the Aircraft Isothermal Casting Furnace (ICF), and the Three-Zone Directional Solidification Furnace. These studies have contributed heavily to the mission of the Microgravity Science and Applications' Materials Science Program.
The 2017 Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program involved 21 faculty in the laboratories and departments at Marshall Space Flight Center. These faculty engineers and scientists worked with NASA collaborators on NASA projects, bringing new perspectives and solutions to bear. This Technical Memorandum is a compilation of the research reports of the 2017 Marshall Faculty Fellowship program, along with the Program Announcement (Appendix A) and the Program Description (Appendix B). The research affected the following six areas: (1) Materials (2) Propulsion (3) Instrumentation (4) Spacecraft systems (5) Vehicle systems (6) Space science The materials investigations included composite structures, printing electronic circuits, degradation of materials by energetic particles, friction stir welding, Martian and Lunar regolith for in-situ construction, and polymers for additive manufacturing. Propulsion studies were completed on electric sails and low-power arcjets for use with green propellants. Instrumentation research involved heat pipes, neutrino detectors, and remote sensing. Spacecraft systems research was conducted on wireless technologies, layered pressure vessels, and two-phase flow. Vehicle systems studies were performed on life support-biofilm buildup and landing systems. In the space science area, the excitation of electromagnetic ion-cyclotron waves observed by the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission provided insight regarding the propagation of these waves. Our goal is to continue the Marshall Faculty Fellowship Program funded by Center internal project offices. Faculty Fellows in this 2017 program represented the following minority-serving institutions: Alabama A&M University and Oglala Lakota College.
The growing interest in comparative climatology among the terrestrial planets, the explosion of planets being discovered around other stars and the exciting results of recent orbital and remote observations of Venus provide evidence for a growing case to better understand Earths sister planet. The surface of Venus is quite unlike Earths surface conditions, and in fact is rather extreme. Science, technology, and planetary mission communities have a growing interest in the unique physiochemical properties and processes that occur under extreme temperature and pressure conditions in exotic and even hostile chemical environments such as Venus. The steadily growing catalog of exoplanets likely contains many examples of bodies with environments dramatically different than the surface of the Earth. Understanding these properties and processes will help us under-stand the history and present day state of inhospitable and even inaccessible regions of the Earth as well as other solar or extrasolar planets. Additionally, Venus and Saturn targets are prioritized in the current Planetary Decadal Survey, with reference missions that include in-situ investigations of these challenging environments. The fact that two of the five recent Discovery mission proposals selected by NASA for further development are Venus-focused adds additional priority and even urgency to laboratory-based extreme environment investigations. In addition to the importance of science-focused investigations, there is a current and future need for understanding the behavior of advanced technologies and materials in these extreme environments. The materials of course make up instruments and systems in missions and ultimately the success of planetary missions is dependent upon performance testing of instruments and systems in conditions that closely approximate those of the target. Until very recently, there was limited ability to accurately simulate Venus surface-like conditions, especially in vessels large enough to accommodate full-size instruments and components. This gap in capability is being addressed by NASA Glenn's Extreme Environment Rig, called GEER, located in Cleveland, Ohio. This large chamber allows for engineering tests of newly-developed as well as heritage instruments, while simultaneously affording opportunities for geochemical and materials-based science investigations.
This is a compilation of NASA Glenn presentation materials as part of the NASA Glenn/Korea Aerospace Research Institute Technical Interchange Meeting in August, 2024. NASA presentations cover Artemis, engines, cryogenic fluid management, microgravity and ISS sciences, extreme materials, and power.
Internal charging is a risk to spacecraft in energetic electron environments. DICTAT, NU MIT computational codes are the most widely used engineering tools for evaluating internal charging of insulator materials exposed to these environments. Engineering tools are designed for rapid evaluation of ESD threats, but there is a need for more physics based models for investigating the science of materials interactions with energetic electron environments. Current tools are limited by the physics included in the models and ease of user implementation .... additional development work is needed to improve models.
Overall emphasis is on basic long-term research in the following categories: constituent materials, composite materials, generic structural elements, processing science technology; and maintaining long-term structural integrity. Research in basic composition, characteristics, and processing science of composite materials and their constituents is balanced against the mechanics, conceptual design, fabrication, and testing of generic structural elements typical of aerospace vehicles so as to encourage the discovery of unusual solutions to present and future problems. Detailed descriptions of the progress achieved in the various component parts of this comprehensive program are presented.
Through science, technology, mathematics, and engineering, our nation continues to lead the world in the development and utilization of new technologies. Whether related to our health, to the environment, or to our production of material goods, science, mathematics, engineering, and technology are integral and essential parts of daily life for virtually everyone in the United States and around the globe. However, the understanding of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology by most Americans is inadequate for full participation in this increasingly technological world. This reflects the level of education in these areas most Americans have received. To have a competent workforce for the future, we must assist education in developing students for future jobs.
As a laboratory for scientific research, the International Space Station has been in Low Earth Orbit for nearly 20 years and is expected to be on-orbit for another 10 years. The ISS has been maintaining a relatively pristine contamination environment for science payloads. Materials outgassing induced contamination is currently the dominant source for sensitive surfaces on ISS and modeling the outgassing rate decay over a 20 to 30 year period is challenging. Materials outgassing is described herein as a diffusion-reaction process using ASTM E 1559 rate data. The observation of -1/2 (diffusion) or non-integers (reaction limited) as rate decay exponents for common ISS materials indicate classical reaction kinetics is unsatisfactory in modeling materials outgassing. Non-randomness of reactant concentrations at the interface is the source of this deviation from classical reaction kinetics. A diffusion limited decay was adopted as the result of the correlation of the contaminant layer thicknesses on returned ISS hardware, the existence of high outgassing silicone exhibiting near diffusion limited decay, and the confirmation of non-depleted material after ten years in the Low Earth Orbit.Keywords: Materials Outgassing, ASTM E 1559, Reaction Kinetics, Diffusion, Space Environments Effects, Contamination
The life of a star, the supernova, related objects and their importance in astronomy and science in general are discussed. Written primarily for science teachers of secondary school chemistry, physics, and earth sciences, the booklet contains a glossary, reference sources, suggested topics for discussion, and projects for individual or group assignment.
Work is reported on the Materials Processing Low Gravity Program in which the University of Alabama worked with scientists and engineers at Marshall Space Flight Center to design, implement and perform low gravity experiments with various scientific investigators in materials processing science through March 15, 1989. The facilities used in these short duration low gravity experiments include the Drop Tube and Drop Tower at MSFC, and the KC-135 aircraft at Ellington Field. The utilization of these ground-based low gravity facilities for materials processing was instrumental in determining the feasibility of either performing a particular experiment in the microgravity of Space or continuing on-going activities which may have been delayed due to the absence of shuttle flights during this contractual effort.
The simple goal of the Human Research Facility (HRF) is to conduct human research experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) astronauts during long-duration missions. This is accomplished by providing integration and operation of the necessary hardware and software capabilities. A typical hardware development flow consists of five stages: functional inputs and requirements definition, market research, design life cycle through hardware delivery, crew training, and mission support. The purpose of this presentation is to guide the audience through the early hardware development process: requirement definition through selecting a development path. Specific HRF equipment is used to illustrate the hardware development paths. The source of hardware requirements is the science community and HRF program. The HRF Science Working Group, consisting of SCientists from various medical disciplines, defined a basic set of equipment with functional requirements. This established the performance requirements of the hardware. HRF program requirements focus on making the hardware safe and operational in a space environment. This includes structural, thermal, human factors, and material requirements. Science and HRF program requirements are defined in a hardware requirements document which includes verification methods. Once the hardware is fabricated, requirements are verified by inspection, test, analysis, or demonstration. All data is compiled and reviewed to certify the hardware for flight. Obviously, the basis for all hardware development activities is requirement definition. Full and complete requirement definition is ideal prior to initiating the hardware development. However, this is generally not the case, but the hardware team typically has functional inputs as a guide. The first step is for engineers to conduct market research based on the functional inputs provided by scientists. CommerCially available products are evaluated against the science requirements as well as modifications needed to meet program requirements. Options are consolidated and the hardware development team reaches a hardware development decision point. Within budget and schedule constraints, the team must decide whether or not to complete the hardware as an in-house, subcontract with vendor, or commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) development. An in-house development indicates NASA personnel or a contractor builds the hardware at a NASA site. A subcontract development is completed off-site by a commercial company. A COTS item is a vendor product available by ordering a specific part number. The team evaluates the pros and cons of each development path. For example, in-bouse developments utilize existing corporate knowledge regarding bow to build equipment for use in space. However, technical expertise would be required to fully understand the medical equipment capabilities, such as for an ultrasound system. It may require additional time and funding to gain the expertise that commercially exists. The major benefit of subcontracting a hardware development is the product is delivered as an end-item and commercial expertise is utilized. On the other hand, NASA has limited control over schedule delays. The final option of COTS or modified COTS equipment is a compromise between in-house and subcontracts. A vendor product may exist that meets all functional requirements but req uires in-house modifications for successful operation in a space environment. The HRF utilizes equipment developed using all of the paths described: inhouse, subcontract, and modified COTS.
The NEXUS E/PO program will consist of an integrated set of partnerships with schools and science centers and the development of education products. This will include working with schools, including NASA Explorer Schools on "challenges" oriented around open-ended problem solving and communication skills and with technical content related to NEXUS. We will provide teacher internships though the SUNBEAMS program, and develop a small exhibit and interactive materials for science centers concerning the Sun and related science.
Year 2000 began with an intense period of self-examination for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Late in the previous year, two Mars-bound missions failed as they were arriving at the red planet, disappointing engineers, scientists and the public at large. After a probing series of internal and external reviews, a redesigned Mars program emerged that is intended to be more robust and more tightly coupled to the questions that scientists are attempting to answer. NASA expressed a significant vote of confidence in JPL by assigning an ambitious project to the Laboratory - to design, build and fly twin rovers to Mars in 2003. Among other missions and research programs, the news was more gratifying. Another Mars orbiter completed its first year of mapping operations, gathering more pictures than those collected over the entire missions of the two Viking orbiters. Stalwart spacecraft such as Galileo continued to deliver scientific discoveries, while a new generation of smaller solar system exploration missions got under way. In Earth sciences, a growing array of spaceborne instruments and satellites gave us new perspectives on the home planet, including an imaging radar mission on the Space Shuttle and two JPL instruments that began science operations after their launch on NASA's Terra orbiter in late 1999. In astronomy and physics, a JPL-built camera continued to perform flawlessly on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, offering previously unglimpsed views of the deep universe.
2009 was truly the year of astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While the world at large was celebrating the International Year of Astronomy, we were sending more telescopes into space than in any other year, ever. As these missions unfold, the astronomers are sure to change the way we see the universe. One of the newly lofted observatories is on a quest to find planets like our own Earth orbiting other stars. Another is a telescope that gathers infrared light to help discover objects ranging from near-Earth asteroids to galaxies in the deepest universe. We also contributed critical enabling technologies to yet two other telescopes sent into space by our partners in Europe. And astronauts returned to Earth with a JPL-built camera that had captured the Hubble Space Telescope's most memorable pictures over many years. And while it was an epic time for these missions, we were no less busy in our other research specialties. Earth's moon drew much attention from our scientists and engineers, with two JPL instruments riding on lunar orbiters; previously unseen views of shadowed craters were provided by radar imaging conducted with the giant dish antennas of the Deep Space Network, our worldwide communication portal to spacecraft around the solar system. At Mars, our rovers and orbiters were highly productive, as were missions targeting Saturn, comets and the asteroid belt. Here at our home planet, satellites and instruments continued to serve up important information on global climate change. But our main business is, of course, exploring. Many initiatives will keep us busy for years. In 2009, NASA gave approval to start planning a major flagship mission to Jupiter's moon Europa in search of conditions that could host life, working with our partners in Europe. In addition to our prospective Earth science projects, we have full slates of missions in Mars exploration, planetary exploration and space-based astronomy. This year's annual report continues our recent direction of recounting the Laboratory's accomplishments throughout the year month by month.
Advantages and disadvantages were assessed for configuration options for a modular 14' diameter space station, a modular aft cargo carrier and a shuttle derived vehicle. Early, intermediate, and mature configurations were defined as well as power requirements, heat rejection, hydrazine usage, and the external scavenging concept. Subsystems were analyzed for propulsion, attitude control, data processing, and communications. Areas of uncertainties, associated costs and benefits, and the cost by phase of the modular and shuttle derived vehicle configurations were identified. Technologies assessed included solar vs nuclear; gravity gradient vs active control; heat pipe radiators vs fluid loops; distributed processors vs centralized, and modular vs shuttle derived configuration. It was determined that the early space station architecture should include: (1) reusable OTV with aerobraking; (2) TMS with telepresence services; (3) OTV/TMS refueling and servicing capability; and (4) attached research laboratories for life sciences and materials processing.
Exposure to microgravity during human spaceflight needs to be better understood as the human exploration of space requires longer duration missions. It is known that long term exposure to microgravity causes bone loss. Measuring the calcium and other metabolic byproducts in a crew member s urine can evaluate the effectiveness of bone loss countermeasures. The International Space Station (ISS) Urine Monitoring System (UMS) is an automated urine collection device designed to collect urine, separate the urine and air, measure the void volume, and allow for syringe sampling. Accurate measuring and minimal cross-contamination is essential to determine bone loss and the effectiveness of countermeasures. The ISS UMS provides minimal cross-contamination (<0.7 mL urine) and has volume accuracy of 2% between 100 to 1000 mL urine voids. Designed to provide a non-invasive means to collect urine samples from crew members, the ISS UMS operates in-line with the Node 3 Waste and Hygiene Compartment (WHC). The ISS UMS has undergone modifications required to interface with the WHC, including material changes, science algorithm improvements, and software platform revisions. Integrated functional testing was performed to determine the pressure drop, air flow rate, and the maximum amount of fluid capable of being discharged from the UMS to the WHC. This paper will detail the results of the science and the functional integration tests.