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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Statistical Correlation of Heliostat Pointing Deviation With Wind

This work was carried out as part of the Heliostat Consortium (HelioCon) Field Deployment subtask with the aim to develop a reduced order model framework for correlating wind speed and pointing deviation of a heliostat facet. There are only sparse field measurements of heliostat pointing deviations and accompanying wind conditions published in the literature. Heliostat test standards, such as IEC 62862-4-3, propose a suite of tests including laser pointing repeatability at wind speeds below 4 m/s, and provide technical requirements for heliostat slope and tracking deviations in coarse average wind speed bins of 4 m/s, 6 m/s, and 8 m/s. In addressing the gap of the variation of heliostat pointing deviation with wind speed, field measurements of laser pointing on a grid target and wind conditions were analyzed in this study at the Third-Party Metrology Platform at the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) Flatirons Campus. Horizontal pointing deviations were found to follow a logarithmic relationship with peak wind speed, whereas vertical pointing deviations follow an exponential relationship with peak wind speed. Both horizontal and vertical pointing deviations also follow a second order polynomial relationship, as expected from the proportionality of elastic loads and deformations with the square of wind speed. The results indicate that heliostat facet pointing deviations in the vertical direction increase at a faster rate than in the horizontal direction with increasing wind speed over the tested range, however these are dependent on the heliostat structural design. Next steps are recommended for additional field measurements to confirm a linear relationship of pointing deviation with applied moment on a heliostat facet, and to distinguish between gravity-induced and wind-induced pointing deviations at different elevation angles. The derived correlations in the preliminary analysis in this report serve as a case study for heliostat developers and plant operators to estimate the wind-induced pointing deviations and their variation with peak gust wind speed. Next steps in future work would recommend higher resolution and longer duration datasets for different elevation angles and wind directions to reduce uncertainties and variance of collected laser beam spot data and their correlations with bin-averaged wind speed.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1977

Microcraters on lunar samples

The lunar microcrater phenomenology is described. The morphology of the lunar craters is in almost all aspects simulated in laboratory experiments in the diameter range from less than 1 nu to several millimeters and up to 60 km/s impact velocity. An empirically derived formula is given for the conversion of crater diameters into projectile diameters and masses for given impact velocities and projectile and target densities. The production size frequency distribution for lunar craters in the crater size range from approximately 1 nu to several millimeters in diameter is derived from various microcrater measurements within a factor of up to 5. Particle track exposure age measurements for a variety of lunar samples have been performed. They allow the conversion of the lunar crater size frequency production distributions into particle fluxes. The development of crater populations on lunar rocks under self-destruction by subsequent meteoroid impacts and crater overlap is discussed and theoretically described. Erosion rates on lunar rocks on the order of several millimeters per 10 yr are calculated. Chemical investigations of the glass linings of lunar craters yield clear evidence of admixture of projectile material only in one case, where the remnants of an iron-nickel micrometeorite have been identified.

Fechtig, H.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Evaluation of OMV ranging and docking systems

The Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) will serve as a shuttle-based or permanent space station-based vehicle designed to rendezvous and soft dock with various other free-flying space vehicles for purposes of inspection, support, and retrieval. This study is concerned primarily with the eventual need for the OMV to rendezvous and dock softly with the Edwin P. Hubble Space Telescope (ST). Utilizing the available capabilities of the large microwave anechoic chamber facility at Marshall Space Flight Center for simulating docking target vehicle motions in a free-space environment, a program is being devised for benchmark testing of rendezvous and docking sensor systems proposed for use on the OMV. A testing regimen suitable for evaluating the accuracy and tracking agility in sensing range, range rate, and angle information at close ranges (0 R 30m) has been developed.

Mcdonald, M. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space-stabilized beam pointing for a bifocal satellite experiment

The pointing and tracking control concept for an experimental ground-based laser beam relay satellite is described. The satellite receives a low-power laser beam from a ground-based laser, processes it, and reflects it to an instrumented target. The primary control objective is to achieve extremely accurate and stable pointing at the target, including moving targets. This is achieved using an optical/inertial stabilization technique. The paper describes the satellite optical layout and pointing control mechanization.

Redding, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Performance Prediction Model for a Fault-Tolerant Computer During Recovery and Restoration

The modeling and design of a fault-tolerant multiprocessor system is addressed. In particular, the behavior of the system during recovery and restoration after a fault has occurred is investigated. Given that a multicomputer system is designed using the Algorithm to Architecture to Mapping Model (ATAMM), and that a fault (death of a computing resource) occurs during its normal steady-state operation, a model is presented as a viable research tool for predicting the performance bounds of the system during its recovery and restoration phases. Furthermore, the bounds of the performance behavior of the system during this transient mode can be assessed. These bounds include: time to recover from the fault (t(sub rec)), time to restore the system (t(sub rec)) and whether there is a permanent delay in the system's Time Between Input and Output (TBIO) after the system has reached a steady state. An implementation of an ATAMM based computer was developed with the Generic VHSIC Spaceborne Computer (GVSC) as the target system. A simulation of the GVSC was also written based on the code used in ATAMM Multicomputer Operating System (AMOS). The simulation is in turn used to validate the new model in the usefulness and accuracy in tracking the propagation of the delay through the system and predicting the behavior in the transient state of recovery and restoration. The model is validated as an accurate method to predict the transient behavior of an ATAMM based multicomputer during recovery and restoration.

Stoughton, John W.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Importance of dose-rate and cell proliferation in the evaluation of biological experimental results

The nuclei of cells within the bodies of astronauts traveling on extended missions outside the geomagnetosphere will experience single traversals of particles with high Linear Energy Transfer (LET) (e.g., one iron ion per one hundred years, on average) superimposed on a background of tracks with low LET (approximately one proton every two to three days, and one helium ion per month). In addition, some cell populations within the body will be proliferating, thus possibly providing increasing numbers of cells with 'initiated' targets for subsequent radiation hits. These temporal characteristics are not generally reproduced in laboratory experimental protocols. Implications of the differences in the temporal patterns of radiation delivery between conventionally designed radiation biology experiments and the pattern to be experienced in space are examined and the importance of dose-rate and cell proliferation are pointed out in the context of radiation risk assessment on long mission in space.

Curtis, S. B.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Orbit Determination and Navigation of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)

This paper provides an overview of the required upgrades necessary for navigation of NASA's twin heliocentric science missions, Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead and Behind. The orbit determination of the STEREO spacecraft was provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) in support of the mission operations activities performed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The changes to FDF s orbit determination software included modeling upgrades as well as modifications required to process the Deep Space Network X-band tracking data used for STEREO. Orbit results as well as comparisons to independently computed solutions are also included. The successful orbit determination support aided in maneuvering the STEREO spacecraft, launched on October 26, 2006 (00:52 Z), to target the lunar gravity assists required to place the spacecraft into their final heliocentric drift-away orbits where they are providing stereo imaging of the Sun.

Mesarch, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2007

Orbit Determination and Navigation of the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO)

This paper provides an overview of the required upgrades necessary for navigation of NASA's twin heliocentric science missions, Solar TErestrial RElations Observatory (STEREO) Ahead and Behind. The orbit determination of the STEREO spacecraft was provided by the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's (GSFC) Flight Dynamics Facility (FDF) in support of the mission operations activities performed by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL). The changes to FDF's orbit determination software included modeling upgrades as well as modifications required to process the Deep Space Network X-band tracking data used for STEREO. Orbit results as well as comparisons to independently computed solutions are also included. The successful orbit determination support aided in maneuvering the STEREO spacecraft, launched on October 26, 2006 (00:52 Z), to target the lunar gravity assists required to place the spacecraft into their final heliocentric drift-away orbits where they are providing stereo imaging of the Sun.

Mesarch, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

RITRACKS: A Software for Simulation of Stochastic Radiation Track Structure, Micro and Nanodosimetry, Radiation Chemistry and DNA Damage for Heavy Ions

The code RITRACKS (Relativistic Ion Tracks) has been developed over the last few years at the NASA Johnson Space Center to simulate the effects of ionizing radiations at the microscopic scale, to understand the effects of space radiation at the biological level. The fundamental part of this code is the stochastic simulation of radiation track structure of heavy ions, an important component of space radiations. The code can calculate many relevant quantities such as the radial dose, voxel dose, and may also be used to calculate the dose in spherical and cylindrical targets of various sizes. Recently, we have incorporated DNA structure and damage simulations at the molecular scale in RITRACKS. The direct effect of radiations is simulated by introducing a slight modification of the existing particle transport algorithms, using the Binary‐Encounter‐Bethe model of ionization cross sections for each molecular orbitals of DNA. The simulation of radiation chemistry is done by a step‐by‐step diffusion‐reaction program based on the Green's functions of the diffusion equation]. This approach is also used to simulate the indirect effect of ionizing radiation on DNA. The software can be installed independently on PC and tablets using the Windows operating system and does not require any coding from the user. It includes a Graphic User Interface (GUI) and a 3D OpenGL visualization interface. The calculations are executed simultaneously (in parallel) on multiple CPUs. The main features of the software will be presented.

Plante, I↗
NASA NTRS2016

Impact of MODIS SWIR Band Calibration Improvements on Level-3 Atmospheric Products

The spectral reflectance measured by the MODIS reflective solar bands (RSB) is used for retrieving many atmospheric science products. The accuracy of these products depends on the accuracy of the calibration of the RSB. To this end, the RSB of the MODIS instruments are primarily calibrated on-orbit using regular solar diffuser (SD) observations. For lambda < 0.94 microns the SDs on-orbit bi-directional reflectance factor (BRF) change is tracked using solar diffuser stability monitor (SDSM) observations. For lambda > 0.94 microns, the MODIS Characterization Support Team (MCST) developed, in MODIS Collection 6 (C6), a time-dependent correction using observations from pseudo-invariant earth-scene targets. This correction has been implemented in C6 for the Terra MODIS 1.24 micron band over the entire mission, and for the 1.375 micron band in the forward processing. As the instruments continue to operate beyond their design lifetime of six years, a similar correction is planned for other short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands as well. MODIS SWIR bands are used in deriving atmosphere products, including aerosol optical thickness, atmospheric total column water vapor, cloud fraction and cloud optical depth. The SD degradation correction in Terra bands 5 and 26 impact the spectral radiance and therefore the retrieval of these atmosphere products. Here, we describe the corrections to Bands 5 (1.24 microns) and 26 (1.375 microns), and produce three sets (B5, B26 correction on/on, on/off, and off/off) of Terra-MODIS Level 1B (calibrated radiance product) data. By comparing products derived from these corrected and uncorrected Terra MODIS Level 1B (L1B) calibrations, dozens of L3 atmosphere products are surveyed for changes caused by the corrections, and representative results are presented. Aerosol and water vapor products show only small local changes, while some cloud products can change locally by > 10%, which is a large change.

Calibration↗
NASA NTRS2023

Chapter 10: IceCube: Submillimeter-Wave Technology Development for Future Science on a CubeSat

This paper provides an overview of the IceCube project, including its payload and CubeSat development and performance in spaceflight. Like other CubeSat missions, IceCube has a goal to miniaturize remote-sensing sensors and to increase the reliability of small satellites. Using small, modular and standardized spacecraft along with miniaturized sensor units, we hope to advance Earth and planetary sciences by forming a space sensor constellation or sending scout-units from a mothership for targeted science investigations. IceCube is a pathfinder at NASA that infuses and integrates small spacecraft technologies to merge it with its larger mission goals. Effective government commercial partnerships have played a key role in meeting the fast-track, lowcost requirements. Early lessons learned from IceCube will benefit the CubeSat community as well as the science investigations that plan to use nano/microsatellites.

Cubesats↗
NASA NTRS2024

Assessing the Impact of Climate Change on Atmospheric Rivers: A Modeling Perspective

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) play a crucial role in the poleward transport of water vapor, and the AR-associated precipitation is a critical component of global water supplies, making it critical that we understand how ARs may change in the future. To approach this issue, integrations of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies global climate model ModelE version 2.1 (GISSE2.1) are employed. Multiple configurations of the model simulating different climates are analyzed: (1) the last-glacial maximum; (2) present day; (3) the end of the 21st century. The thermodynamic and dynamic components of changes to AR frequency are analyzed using a decomposition method. This method utilizes differences in distinct AR seasonal climatology frequencies derived from various vertically integrated water vapor transport (IVT) thresholds to resolve AR frequency into its components. Global mean state changes in poleward AR frequency for different climates are dominated by precipitable water vapor (PWV) changes. A set of idealized cold and warm climates in which present day sea surface temperatures are uniformly changed are considered for a targeted analysis of the south Pacific Ocean basin. For this analysis, frequency and distribution of AR events in the model runs are analyzed by comparing them to changes in the jet stream as well as the Eulerian storm tracks and low-level baroclinicity. Latitudinal shifts in the ARs in the south Pacific Ocean basin using our integrations are not as tightly coupled to these two storm-related climatological metrics in the midlatitudes but fare better on the poleward side of the storm tracks.

Atmospheric rivers↗
DOE OSTI2025

A data-driven method to estimate the antiproton background in the Mu2e experiment

The Mu2e experiment at Fermilab will search for the Charged Lepton Flavour Violating (CLFV) process of coherent, neutrinoless µ− → e − conversion in the field of an aluminum nucleus. The expected signal is a monochromatic electron with the energy of 104.97 MeV, slightly below the muon rest mass. Observation of a CLFV process would provide unambiguous evidence for Beyond the Standard Model (BSM) physics. Mu2e is sensitive to a wide range of BSM models and has the capability to distinguish between them, guiding us towards the most accurate models. The key features of the Mu2e experiment are: (1) a high intensity pulsed negative muon beam with about 1010 stopped µ −/s, and (2) a sophisticated superconducting solenoid system with a gradient magnetic field to form and guide the intense muon beam to the target. The Mu2e physics data taking is expected to begin in 2027. For Run I, the expected 5σ discovery sensitivity is Rµe = 1.2 × 10−15, with a total expected background of 0.11 ± 0.03 events. In the absence of a signal, the expected upper limit is Rµe < 6.2 × 10−16 at 90% CL. The success of this experiment hinges on the accurate estimation of the background from various SM processes that could provide signal-like electrons. One of the background processes is antiprotons annihilating in the stopping target to produce signal like electrons through π0 → γγ decays followed by γ conversions, and π− → µ−ν¯ decays followed by µ− decay. It is a relatively small background with large uncertainty (100%) due to the lack of antiproton production cross section information for the Mu2e proton beam energy of 8 GeV. We have developed a novel methodology to estimate the antiproton background in-situ. This forms the main theme of the thesis. We observed that at Mu2e energies, antiproton annihilation in the stopping target is the only source of events with multiple, simultaneous particle trajectories. From Geant4 simulations, only about 0.2% of the simulated antiproton annihilation events have a signal-like electron. Meanwhile, ∼ 5% of events have multiple reconstructible particle tracks per event. Therefore, we have devised a methodology to reconstruct the multi-track events and estimate the antiproton background by exploiting the large ratio of the production rates of the two final states.

Chithirasreemadam, Namitha [Pisa U.] (ORCID:000000↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mapping wave packet bifurcation at a conical intersection in CH 3 I by attosecond XUV transient absorption spectroscopy

Extreme ultraviolet (XUV) transient absorption spectroscopy has emerged as a sensitive tool for mapping the real-time structural and electronic evolution of molecules. Here, attosecond XUV transient absorption is used to track dynamics in the A-band of methyl iodide (CH 3 I). Gaseous CH 3 I molecules are excited to the A-band by a UV pump (277 nm, ~20 fs) and probed by attosecond XUV pulses targeting iodine I(4d) core-to-valence transitions. Owing to the excellent temporal resolution of the technique, passage through a conical intersection is mapped through spectral signatures of nonadiabatic wave packet bifurcation observed to occur at 15 ± 4 fs following UV photoexcitation. The observed XUV signatures and time dynamics are in agreement with previous simulations [H. Wang, M. Odelius, and D. Prendergast, J. Chem. Phys. 151, 124106 (2019)]. Furthermore, due to the short duration of the UV pump pulse, coherent vibrational motion in the CH 3 I ground state along the C-I stretch mode (538 ± 7 cm -1 ) launched by resonant impulsive stimulated Raman scattering and dynamics in multiphoton excited states of CH 3 I are also detected.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1985

Search for anomalons using plastic nuclear track detectors

A stack of CR39 track detectors containing Ag foils was exposed to 1.7 GeV/nucleon Fe-56 beam and the anomalous mean free path effect investigated. Neither the whole set of 7517 nor a subset of 2542 interacting fragments produced probably in the Ag target show an effect. By combining the data of this and an earlier experiment we can also exclude an effect for 3219 interacting fragments produced in delta Z=1 collisions.

Heinrich, W.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Space Radiation Cancer Risk Projections and Uncertainties - 2010

Uncertainties in estimating health risks from galactic cosmic rays greatly limit space mission lengths and potential risk mitigation evaluations. NASA limits astronaut exposures to a 3% risk of exposure-induced death and protects against uncertainties using an assessment of 95% confidence intervals in the projection model. Revisions to this model for lifetime cancer risks from space radiation and new estimates of model uncertainties are described here. We review models of space environments and transport code predictions of organ exposures, and characterize uncertainties in these descriptions. We summarize recent analysis of low linear energy transfer radio-epidemiology data, including revision to Japanese A-bomb survivor dosimetry, longer follow-up of exposed cohorts, and reassessments of dose and dose-rate reduction effectiveness factors. We compare these projections and uncertainties with earlier estimates. Current understanding of radiation quality effects and recent data on factors of relative biological effectiveness and particle track structure are reviewed. Recent radiobiology experiment results provide new information on solid cancer and leukemia risks from heavy ions. We also consider deviations from the paradigm of linearity at low doses of heavy ions motivated by non-targeted effects models. New findings and knowledge are used to revise the NASA risk projection model for space radiation cancer risks.

Cucinotta, Francis A.↗
NASA NTRS1994

A trajectory preprocessor for antenna pointing

A trajectory-preprocessing algorithm has been devised which matches antenna angular position, velocity, and acceleration to those of a target. This eliminates vibrations of the antenna structure caused by discontinuities in velocity and acceleration commands, and improves antenna-pointing performance by constraining antenna motion to a linear regime. The algorithm permits faster acquisition times and preserves antenna-tracking capability in situations where there would otherwise be an unacceptably sudden change in antenna velocity or acceleration. A simulation of DSS 13 shows that this preprocessor would reduce servo error to 1 mdeg during acquisition of a low-Earth-orbiting satellite.

Tyler, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Integrated Network Architecture Definition Document (ADD): Executive Summary - Volume 1

The SCaN Program has defined an integrated network architecture that fully meets the Administrator s mandate to the Program, and will result in a NASA infrastructure capable of providing the needed and enabling communications services to future space missions. The integrated network architecture will increase SCaN operational efficiency and interoperability through standardization, commonality and technology infusion. It will enable NASA missions requiring advanced communication and tracking capabilities such as: a. Optical communication b. Antenna arraying c. Lunar and Mars Relays d. Integrated network management (service management and network control) and integrated service execution e. Enhanced tracking for navigation f. Space internetworking with DTN and IP g. End-to-end security h. Enhanced security services Moreover, the SCaN Program has created an Integrated Network Roadmap that depicts an orchestrated and coherent evolution path toward the target architecture, encompassing all aspects that concern network assets (i.e., operations and maintenance, sustaining engineering, upgrade efforts, and major development). This roadmap identifies major NASA ADPs, and shows dependencies and drivers among the various planned undertakings and timelines. The roadmap is scalable to accommodate timely adjustments in response to Agency needs, goals, objectives and funding. Future challenges to implementing this architecture include balancing user mission needs, technology development, and the availability of funding within NASA s priorities. Strategies for addressing these challenges are to: define a flexible architecture, update the architecture periodically, use ADPs to evaluate options and determine when to make decisions, and to engage the stakeholders in these evaluations. In addition, the SCaN Program will evaluate and respond to mission need dates for technical and operational capabilities to be provided by the SCaN integrated network. In that regard, the architecture defined in this ADD is scalable to accommodate programmatic and technical changes.

Younes, Badri A.↗