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At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Microfluidic Biochip Design

As humans prepare for the exploration of our solar system, there is a growing need for miniaturized medical and environmental diagnostic devices for use on spacecrafts, especially during long-duration space missions where size and power requirements are critical. In recent years, the biochip (or Lab-on-a-Chip) has emerged as a technology that might be able to satisfy this need. In generic terms, a biochip is a miniaturized microfluidic device analogous to the electronic microchip that ushered in the digital age. It consists of tiny microfluidic channels, pumps and valves that transport small amounts of sample fluids to biosensors that can perform a variety of tests on those fluids in near real time. It has the obvious advantages of being small, lightweight, requiring less sample fluids and reagents and being more sensitive and efficient than larger devices currently in use. Some of the desired space-based applications would be to provide smaller, more robust devices for analyzing blood, saliva and urine and for testing water and food supplies for the presence of harmful contaminants and microorganisms. Our group has undertaken the goal of adapting as well as improving upon current biochip technology for use in long-duration microgravity environments.

Panzarella, Charles↗
NASA NTRS2004

Microfluidic Biochip Design

As humans prepare for the exploration of our solar system, there is a growing need for miniaturized medical and environmental diagnostic devices for use on spacecrafts, especially during long-duration space missions where size and power requirements are critical. In recent years, the biochip (or Lab-on-a- Chip) has emerged as a technology that might be able to satisfy this need. In generic terms, a biochip is a miniaturized microfluidic device analogous to the electronic microchip that ushered in the digital age. It consists of tiny microfluidic channels, pumps and valves that transport small amounts of sample fluids to biosensors that can perform a variety of tests on those fluids in near real time. It has the obvious advantages of being small, lightweight, requiring less sample fluids and reagents and being more sensitive and efficient than larger devices currently in use. Some of the desired space-based applications would be to provide smaller, more robust devices for analyzing blood, saliva and urine and for testing water and food supplies for the presence of harmful contaminants and microorganisms. Our group has undertaken the goal of adapting as well as improving upon current biochip technology for use in long-duration microgravity environments. In addition to developing computational models of the microfluidic channels, valves and pumps that form the basis of every biochip, we are also trying to identify potential problems that could arise in reduced gravity and develop solutions to these problems. One such problem is due to the prevalence of bubbly sample fluids in microgravity. A bubble trapped in a microfluidic channel could be detrimental to the operation of a biochip. Therefore, the process of bubble formation in microgravity needs to be studied, and a model of this process has been developed and used to understand how bubbles develop and move through biochip components. It is clear that some type of bubble filter would be necessary in Space, and several bubble filter designs are being evaluated.

Panzarella, Charles↗
NASA NTRS2017

Getting Out of Orbit: Water Recycling Requirements and Technology Needs for Long Duration Missions Away from Earth

Deep-space crewed missions will not have regular access to the Earth's resources or the ability to rapidly return to Earth if a system fails. As crewed missions extend farther from Earth for longer periods, habitation systems must become more self-sufficient and reliable for safe, healthy, and sustainable human exploration. For human missions to Mars, Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) must be able operate for up to 1,100 days with minimal spares and consumables. These missions will require capabilities to more fully recycle atmospheric gases and wastewater to substantially reduce mission costs. Even with relatively austere requirements for use, water represents one of the largest consumables by mass. Systems must be available to extract and recycle water from all sources of waste. And given that there will be no opportunity to send samples back to Earth for analysis, analytical measurements will be limited to monitoring hardware brought on board the spacecraft. The Earth Reliant phase of NASA's exploration strategy includes leveraging the International Space Station (ISS) to demonstrate advanced capabilities for a robust and reliable ECLSS. The ISS Water Recovery System (WRS) includes a Urine Processor Assembly (UPA) for distillation and recovery of water from urine and a Water Processor Assembly (WPA) to process humidity condensate and urine distillate into potable water. Possible enhancements to more fully "close the water loop" include recovery of water from waste brines and solid wastes. A possible game changer is the recovery of water from local planetary resources through use of In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) technologies. As part of the development and demonstration sequence, NASA intends to utilize cis-Lunar space as a Proving Ground to verify systems for deep space habitation by conducting extended duration missions to validate our readiness for Mars.

Barta, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Global environmental monitoring with the EOS multi-angle imaging spectroradiometer (MISR)

The MISR provides a unique opportunity for studying the ecology and climate of the earth through the acquisition of systematic, global multiangle imagery in reflected sunlight. MISR uses nine cameras: a nadir camera and two banks of four cameras each pointed forward and aftward along the spacecraft ground track to image the earth at +/-30.7, +/-45.6, +/-60.0, and +/-72.5 deg. Radiometrically calibrated images at each angle will be obtained in four spectral bands centered at 440, 550, 670, and 860 nm. MISR will take image data in two different spatial resolution modes: local mode, in which selected targets are observed with 240-m spatial sampling, and global mode, where the entire sunlit eEarth is observed continuously with 1.92-km sampling. The instrument is capable of acquiring global coverage every nine days.

Diner, D. J.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Workshop on Science and the Human Exploration of Mars

The exploration of Mars will be a multi-decadal activity. Currently, a scientific program is underway, sponsored by NASA's Office of Space Science in the United States, in collaboration with international partners France, Italy, and the European Space Agency. Plans exist for the continuation of this robotic program through the first automated return of Martian samples in 2014. Mars is also a prime long-term objective for human exploration, and within NASA, efforts are being made to provide the best integration of the robotic program and future human exploration missions. From the perspective of human exploration missions, it is important to understand the scientific objectives of human missions, in order to design the appropriate systems, tools, and operational capabilities to maximize science on those missions. In addition, data from the robotic missions can provide critical environmental data - surface morphology, materials composition, evaluations of potential toxicity of surface materials, radiation, electrical and other physical properties of the Martian environment, and assessments of the probability that humans would encounter Martian life forms. Understanding of the data needs can lead to the definition of experiments that can be done in the near-term that will make the design of human missions more effective. This workshop was convened to begin a dialog between the scientific community that is central to the robotic exploration mission program and a set of experts in systems and technologies that are critical to human exploration missions. The charge to the workshop was to develop an understanding of the types of scientific exploration that would be best suited to the human exploration missions and the capabilities and limitations of human explorers in undertaking science on those missions.

Duke, M. B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exposure of Plant Seeds to the Space Environment Outside the International Space Station

Crop seeds may prove to be a vital component of future long-term spaceflight missions, and the impacts of extended exposure on seed degradation is not well understood. The MISSE-Seed project was designed to investigate the effects of space exposure on seed quality and storage. The project also served as a test of biological materials aboard the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform, and evaluated the capability of a newly designed passive sample containment vessel for the provision of acceptable storage conditions for seed and other biological samples to be preserved upon exposure to the space environment outside the ISS. MISSE-Seed was launched to the ISS on NG-15 in July of 2021 and returned to Earth aboard SpX-24 after approximately 8 months of exposure to the space environment. The specimens consisted of eleven seed varieties (Lettuce, Scarlet Frills, Amara, Garnet Giant, Pac Choi, Radish, Mizuna, Tomato, Cauliflower, Pepper, and Arabidopsis). Data-loggers and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were included in each container to record environmental data. Temperature profiles and radiation/UV exposure data were also provided by Aegis Aerospace, the MISSE Implementation Partner. Hardware and experimental design, environmental profiles, and post-flight germination and growth results will be presented.

Alexander D Meyers↗
NASA NTRS1993

Relationships between evaprorative fraction and remotely sensed vegetation index and microwave brightness temperature for semiarid rangelands

Measurements of the microwave brightness temperature (TB) with the Pushbroom Microwave Radiometer (PBMR) over the Walnut Gulch Experiment Watershed were made on selected days during the MONSOON 90 field campaign. The PBMR is an L-band instrument (21-cm wavelength) that can provide estimates of near-surface soil moisture over a variety of surfaces. Aircraft observations in the visible and near-infrared wavelengths collected on selected days also were used to compute a vegetation index. Continuous micrometeorological measurements and daily soil moisture samples were obtained at eight locations during experimental period. Two sites were instrumented with time domain reflectometry probes to monitor the soil moisture profile. The fraction of available energy used for evapotranspiration was computed by taking the ratio of latent heat flux (LE) to the sum of net radiation (Rn) and soil heat flux (G). This ratio is commonly called the evaporative fraction (EF) and normally varies between 0 and 1 under daytime convective conditions with minimal advection. A wide range of environmental conditions existed during the field campaign, resulting in average EF values for the study area varying from 0.4 to 0.8 and values of TB ranging from 220 to 280 K. Comparison between measured TB and EF for the eight locations showed an inverse relationship. Other days were included in the analysis by estimating TB with the soil moisture data. Because transpiration from the vegetation is more strongly coupled to root zone soil moisture, significant scatter in this relationship existed at high values of TB or dry near-surface soil moisture conditions. The variation in EF under dry near-surface soil moisture conditions was correlated to the amount of vegetation cover estimated with a remotely sensed vegetation index. These findings indicate that information obtained from optical and microwave data can be used for quantifying the energy balance of semiarid areas. The microwave data can indicate when soil evaporation is significantly contributing to EF, while the optical data is helpful for quantifying the spatial variation in EF due to the distribution of vegetation cover.

Kustas, W. P.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Deep Space Control Challenges of the New Millennium

The exploration of deep space presents a variety of significant control challenges. Long communication delays coupled with challenging new science objectives require high levels of system autonomy and increasingly demanding pointing and control capabilities. Historically, missions based on the use of a large single spacecraft have been successful and popular since the early days of NASA. However, these large spacecraft missions are currently being displaced by more frequent and more focused missions based on the use of smaller and less expensive spacecraft designs. This trend drives the need to design smart software and good algorithms which together with the miniaturization of control components will improve performance while replacing the heavier and more expensive hardware used in the past. NASA's future space exploration will also include mission types that have never been attempted before, posing significant challenges to the underlying control system. This includes controlled landing on small bodies (e.g., asteroids and comets), sample return missions (where samples are brought back from other planets), robotic exploration of planetary surfaces (e.g., intelligent rovers), high precision formation flying, and deep space optical interferometry, While the control of planetary spacecraft for traditional flyby and orbiter missions are based on well-understood methodologies, control approaches for many future missions will be fundamentally different. This paradigm shift will require completely new control system development approaches, system architectures, and much greater levels of system autonomy to meet expected performance in the presence of significant environmental disturbances, and plant uncertainties. This paper will trace the motivation for these changes and will layout the approach taken to meet the new challenges. Emerging missions will be used to explain and illustrate the need for these changes.

Bayard, David S.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The experimental clean combustor program: Description and status to November 1975

The generation of technology was studied for the development of advanced commercial CTOL aircraft engines with lower exhaust emissions than current aircraft. The program is in three phases. Phase 1, already completed, consisted of screening tests of low pollution combustor concepts. Phase 2, currently in progress, consists of test rig refinement of the most promising combustor concepts. Phase 2 test results are reported. Phase 3, also currently in progress, consists of incorporating and evaluating the best combustors as part of a complete engine. Engine test plans and pollution sampling techniques are described in this report. Program pollution goals, specified at engine idle and take-off conditions, are idle emission index value of 20 and 4 for carbon monoxide (CO) and total unburned hydrocarbons (THC), respectively, and at take-off are an oxides of nitrogen (NOx) emission index level of 10 and a smoke number of 15. Pollution data were obtained at all engine operating conditions. Results are presented in terms of emission index and also in terms of the Environmental Protection Agency's 1979 Standards Parameter.

Niedzwiecki, R. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exposure of Plant Seeds to the Space Environment outside the International Space Station

If crop seeds are to be stored on space vehicles for long-duration missions, the effects of the space environment on the seeds must be understood for developing mitigation strategies to prevent seed degradation. The MISSE-Seed project was designed to investigate the effects of space exposure on seed quality and storage. The project also tested the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform for exposing biological samples to the space environment and evaluated the capability of a newly designed passive sample containment vessel for the provision of acceptable storage conditions for seeds, or other biological samples, to be preserved upon exposure to the space environment outside the ISS. The experiment was launched to the ISS on NG-15and returned to Earth aboard SpX-24. The specimens consisted of eleven seed varieties (Lettuce, Scarlet Frills, Amara, Garnet Giant, Pac Choi, Radish, Mizuna, Tomato, Cauliflower, Pepper, and Arabidopsis). The exposure lasted eight months outside the ISS in the MISSE hardware at the Zenith position. Data-loggers and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were included in each container to record the environmental data. Temperature profiles and radiation/UV exposure data were also provided by Aegis Aerospace, the MISSE Implementation Partner. In this presentation, the hardware and experimental design, the environmental profiles, and the results of post-flight germination tests will be presented.

Jeffrey T Richards↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exposure of Plant Seeds to the Space Environment Outside the International Space Station

If crop seeds are to be stored on space vehicles for long-duration missions, the effects of the space environment on the seeds must be understood for developing mitigation strategies to prevent seed degradation. The MISSE-Seed project was designed to investigate the effects of space exposure on seed quality and storage. The project also tested the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) platform for exposing biological samples to the space environment and evaluated the capability of a newly designed passive sample containment vessel for the provision of acceptable storage conditions for seeds, or other biological samples, to be preserved upon exposure to the space environment outside the ISS. The experiment was launched to the ISS on NG-15and returned to Earth aboard SpX-24. The specimens consisted of eleven seed varieties (Lettuce, Scarlet Frills, Amara, Garnet Giant, Pac Choi, Radish, Mizuna, Tomato, Cauliflower, Pepper, and Arabidopsis). The exposure lasted eight months outside the ISS in the MISSE hardware at the Zenith position. Data-loggers and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were included in each container to record the environmental data. Temperature profiles and radiation/UV exposure data were also provided by Aegis Aerospace, the MISSE Implementation Partner. In this presentation, the hardware and experimental design, the environmental profiles, and the results of post-flight germination tests will be presented.

Jeffrey T Richards↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Overview of Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) Capabilities, Upgrades, and Overlaps in Advanced Material Testing Areas

The Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) was designed to perform non-nuclear testing of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) fuel elements and materials. NTREES can simulate the thermal hydraulic environment within the reactor of an NTR and has been leveraged to provide data on the thermochemical, thermomechanical and thermohydraulic performance of components and materials. Active upgrades to the NTREES facility include installing a DC power supply for DC powered joule heating, a supply gas chiller for a cryogenically cool gas supply, gas pre-heaters with sample holders for testing samples too small to be inductively heated by bathing them in hot gas, and a high temperature digital image correlation (DIC) capability for measuring high temperature strains real time. In addition to NTR testing, given the commonality of high enthalpy flow environments between the reactor of an NTP engine and the aerothermal heating of high-speed flight, the unique capabilities of NTREES to provide high temperature gas flows at high pressure without combustion or electrode spallation byproducts may lend itself to additional usage of the facility beyond the original intent.

Michael P Schoenfeld↗
NASA NTRS1997

Space Environmental Effects on Thermal Control Coatings

The study of long term near ultra-violet (NUV) effects in a vacuum atmosphere, is a crucial element for space applications. NUV radiation causes significant changes in the reflectance of many coatings and types of materials. An ultra high vacuum NUV system was assembled in order to investigate various coatings and materials in this hostile environment. The vacuum is an ion pump that maintains a minimum vacuum in the mid 10(exp -9) range. The system has a base pressure of 10(exp -9) torr and this base pressure is maintained with the ion pump. The NUV exposure was maintained at 2-3 suns which allows accelerated NUV exposure without overheating the samples. The goal of this test was to maintain an intensity of 3.4 x 10(exp -2) Watts/cm(exp 2) which equals 2.9 NUV suns. An NUV sun is defined as 1.16 Watts/cm(exp 2) integrated over wavelength of 200-400 nanometers.

OBrien, Susan K.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Applicability of the Remote Mobile Emplacement Package (RMEP) design as a mobility aid for proposed post-84 Mars missions, phase O

The results of study to determine the applicability of the Remote Mobile Emplacement Package (RMEP) design concept as a mobility aid for the proposed post-'84 Mars missions are presented. The RMEP wheel and mobility subsystem parameters: wheel tire size, weight, stowed volume, and environmental effects; obstacle negotiation; reliability and wear; motor and drive train; and electrical power demand were reviewed. Results indicated that: (1) the basic RMEP wheel design would be satisfactory, with additional attention to heating, side loading, tread wear and ultraviolet radiation protection; (2) motor and drive train power requirements on Mars would be less than on Earth; and (3) the mobility electrical power requirements would be small enough to offer the option of operating the Mars mini rover untethered. Payload power required for certain sampling functions would preclude the use of battery power for these missions. Hazard avoidance and reverse direction maneuvers are discussed. Limited examination of vehicle payload integration and thermal design was made, pending establishment of a baseline vehicle/payload design.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1991

Diversity of micro-fungi in an Antarctic dry valley

The fungal microflora of a dry valley in Southern Victoria Land near McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, was investigated. Samples were collected from introduced objects such as a mummified penguin and spent chewing tobacco in addition to the sparse soil found in rock fissures, isolated moss colonies, shoreline deposit materials, CaCO3 precipitates, and microbial mat debris obtained from the frozen surface of the lake in the basin of Taylor Valley. Using conventional media and techniques, all collection sites yielded populations of yeasts and filamentous fungi. Water samples and live microbial mats from beneath the lake ice yielded species of fungi along with an abundance of bacteria.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS2011

Use of MODIS Satellite Images and an Atmospheric Dust Transport Model to Evaluate Juniperus spp. Pollen Phenology and Dispersal

Pollen can be transported great distances. Van de Water et. al. reported Juniperus spp. pollen was transported 200-600 km. Hence local observations of plant phenology may not be consistent with the timing and source of pollen collected by pollen sampling instruments. The DREAM (Dust REgional Atmospheric Model) is a verified model for atmospheric dust transport modeling using MODIS data products to identify source regions and quantities of dust. We are modifying the DREAM model to incorporate pollen transport. Pollen release will be estimated based on MODIS derived phenology of Juniperus spp. communities. Ground based observational records of pollen release timing and quantities will be used as verification. This information will be used to support the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Environmental Public Health Tracking Program and the State of New Mexico environmental public health decision support for asthma and allergies alerts.

Luvall, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Lessons Learned from Recent Testing in the Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator

The Nuclear Thermal Rocket Element Environmental Simulator (NTREES) facility is designed to perform realistic non-nuclear testing of nuclear thermal rocket (NTR) fuel elements and fuel materials. Although the NTREES facility cannot reproduce the neutron and gamma environment of an operating NTR, it can simulate the thermal hydraulic environment within an NTR fuel element to provide critical information on material performance and compatibility. The NTREES facility is currently being reconfigured with an all new suite of pyrometers, a new coil and feedthrough design along with a new gas sampling system for the mass spectrometer. Also new is the ability to perform chamber purges using argon. All of these modifications are the result of experiences gained through several years of testing various NTR components under a wide range of operating conditions. The testing details and the lessons learned from those tests are discussed in this presentation.

Emrich, William J., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

CDC Bioreactor Configuration Method for Volume Level Control with Controlled Inlet and Outlet Flow

Environmental Control Life Support Systems and other microbiological biofilm studies often utilize small scale bioreactors. Among these options are the popular BioSurface CDC bioreactors, currently being utilized by Marshall Space Flight Center groups researching the impact of biofilms on life support systems. After a recent experimental regime, it was determined additional equipment could be added to augment the capabilities of the bioreactors. Previous research configurations such as ASTM E3161 – 18 relied on an outlet stream gravity draining from a side drain port located above sampling coupons. This limited applications to experimental conditions with a controlled inlet and uncontrolled outlet flow. With the introduction of a small single pole single throw (SPST) reed float switch, a peristaltic pump connected to the outlet drain and a chassis controller, the bioreactor is able to maintain a set level. The modification allows additional variables to be tested, including highly adjustable fill and flush cycles, bioreactor volume, draining and filling control. Once the configuration modifications were implemented through the installation of the new equipment, data was collected to ensure the stability of the level measurements. As the level control switch is a float switch, consideration was taken into account for effects of internal stirring speed, along with effects of inlet and outlet flow rate. Data presented in this study will illustrate the stability and effectiveness of the configuration changes in equipment made to the bioreactor. These configuration changes are proving an effective control method to conduct biofilm mitigation techniques for ECLSS hardware research. The controlled level capabilities allow for a constant drip feed flow rate into the bioreactors, a key aspect of the biofilm mitigation testing.

CDC Bioreactor↗