Results for “collectives” — Page 6

NASA NTRS1989

Apparatus for waste collection and storage

An apparatus for collection of fecal matter designed to operate efficiently in a zero gravity environment. The system comprises a waste collection area within a body having a seat opening. Low pressure within the waste collection area directs fecal matter away from the user's buttocks and prevents the escape of undesirable gases. The user actuates a piston covered with an absorbent pad that sweeps through the waste collection area to collect fecal matter, scrub the waste collector area, press the waste against an end of the waste collection area and retracts, leaving the used pad. Multiple pads are provided on the piston to accommodate multiple uses of the system. Also a valve allows air to be drawn through the body, which valve will not be plugged with fecal matter. A sheet feeder feeds fresh sheets of absorbent pad to a face of the piston with each actuation.

Thornton, Jr., William E.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Dynamic Method for Identifying Collected Sample Mass

G-Sample is designed for sample collection missions to identify the presence and quantity of sample material gathered by spacecraft equipped with end effectors. The software method uses a maximum-likelihood estimator to identify the collected sample's mass based on onboard force-sensor measurements, thruster firings, and a dynamics model of the spacecraft. This makes sample mass identification a computation rather than a process requiring additional hardware. Simulation examples of G-Sample are provided for spacecraft model configurations with a sample collection device mounted on the end of an extended boom. In the absence of thrust knowledge errors, the results indicate that G-Sample can identify the amount of collected sample mass to within 10 grams (with 95-percent confidence) by using a force sensor with a noise and quantization floor of 50 micrometers. These results hold even in the presence of realistic parametric uncertainty in actual spacecraft inertia, center-of-mass offset, and first flexibility modes. Thrust profile knowledge is shown to be a dominant sensitivity for G-Sample, entering in a nearly one-to-one relationship with the final mass estimation error. This means thrust profiles should be well characterized with onboard accelerometers prior to sample collection. An overall sample-mass estimation error budget has been developed to approximate the effect of model uncertainty, sensor noise, data rate, and thrust profile error on the expected estimate of collected sample mass.

Carson, John↗

NASA NTRS2017

40 Years of Collecting Martian Meteorites

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first Martian meteorite found in Antarctica by ANSMET, ALH 77005. Since then, an additional 14 Martian meteorites have been found by the ANSMET team making for a total of 15 Martian meteorites in the Antarctic collection at Johnson Space Center. Of the 15 meteorites, some have been paired so the 15 meteorites actually represent a total of approximately 9 separate meteorites. The first Martian meteorite found by ANSMET was ALH 77005 (482.500 g), a lherzolitic shergottite. When collected, this meteorite was split as a part of the joint expedition with the National Institute of Polar Research (NIPR) Japan. Originally classified as an "achondrite-unique", it was re-classified as a Martian lherzolitic shergottites in 1982 [1]. This meteorite has been allocated to ~125 scientists for research and there are 181.964 g remaining at Johnson Space Center (JSC). Two years later, one of the most significant Martian meteorites of the collection at JSC was found at Elephant Moraine, EET 79001 (7942.000 g), a shergottite. This meteorite is the largest in the Martian collection at JSC and was the largest stony meteorite sample collected during the 1979 season. In addition to its size, this meteorite is of particular interest because it contains a linear contact separating two different igneous lithologies, basaltic and olivine-phyric. EET 79001 has glass inclusions that contain chemical compositions that are proportionally identical to the Martian atmosphere, as measured by the Viking spacecraft [2]. This discovery helped scientists to identify where the "SNC" meteorite suite had originated, and that we actually possessed Martian samples. This meteorite has been allocated to ~195 scientists for research and there are 5304.770 g of sample is available. Five years later, ANSMET found ALH 84001 (1930.900 g), the only Martian orthopyroxenite. This meteorite was initially classified as a diogenite but was reclassified as being a Martian meteorite in 1993 [3,4]. ALH 84001 is known as the "Life on Mars" meteorite, sparked debate about whether it contained evidence of Martian life [5] and significantly influenced the field of astrobiol-ogy. This sample has been allocated to 173 scientists for research and has 1426.694 g remaining at JSC. In 1988, another lherzolitic shergottite was found, LEW 88516, (13.203 g). This meteorite wasn't recognized in the field as an achondrite until it was broken during processing 2 years later. LEW 88516 has been allocated to 43 scientists for research and 5.351 g of this meteorite remains at JSC. Six years later a basaltic shergottite was found in the Queen Alexandra Range, QUE 94201 (12.020 g). This meteorite was believed to be of terrestrial origin until maskelynite was seen in a thin section. QUE 94201 has been allocated to 57 scientists for research and there are 3.629 g of this meteorite left at JSC. In 2003, the NASA Mars Exploration Program joined the ANSMET team with the hopes of finding another Martian mete-orite. During this expedition, MIL 03346 (715.200 g) was found. This meteorite is a nakhlite. MIL 03346 has been allocated to 98 scientists for research and there are 579.046 g of this sample remaining at JSC. Six years later, 3 more meteorites that have been paired with MIL 03346 were found, MIL 090030 (452.630 g), 090032 (532.190 g ) and 090136 (170.980 g). MIL 090030 has been allocated to 21 scientists for research and has 434.420 g remaining at JSC, MIL 090032 has been allocated to 21 scientists for re-search and has 508.710 g remaining at JSC and MIL 090136 has been allocated to 14 scientists for research and has 156.790 g remaining at JSC. During the 2004 expedition, 2 identical meteorites where found together on the ice, RBT 04261 (78.763 g) and RBT 04262 (204.600 g). These paired meteorites are olivine-phyric shergottites. RBT 04261 has been allocated to 33 scientists for research and has 32.335 g remaining at JSC. RBT 04262 has been allocated to 46 scientists for research and has 171.886 g remaining. In 2006, another olivine-phyric shergottite was found, LAR 06319 (78.572 g). This meteorite has 61.414 g remaining at JSC and has been allocated to 39 scientists for research. During the 2012 season, 3 more olivine-phyric shergottites were found at Larkman Nunatak, LAR 12011 (701.170 g), LAR 12095 (133.132 g) and LAR 12240 (57.596 g). LAR 12011 is paired with LAR 06319 and LAR 12095 and LAR 12240 are paired with each other. LAR 12011 has been allocated to 43 scientists for research and there are 685.778 g of LAR 12011 remaining at JSC. LAR 12095 has been allocated to 18 scientists for research and has 119.744 g remaining at JSC. LAR 12240 has been allocated to 10 scientists for research and has 52.231 g remaining at JSC. Martian meteorites are the only samples available from Mars because no mission has returned samples from there to date. All Martian meteorites are crustal rocks with most of them being crystallized magmas, so they are an important source for under-standing Martian geological history and volcanism. The ANSMET program has greatly contributed to the scientific community by collecting these meteorites

Funk, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2018

A Detailed Characterization of the Saharan Dust Collected During the Fennec Campaign in 2011: In Situ Ground-Based and Laboratory Measurements

Millions of tons of mineral dust are lifted by the wind from arid surfaces and transported around the globe every year. The physical and chemical properties of the mineral dust are needed to better constrain remote sensing observations and are of fundamental importance for the understanding of dust atmospheric processes. Ground-based in situ measurements and in situ filter collection of Saharan dust were obtained during the Fennec campaign in the central Sahara in 2011. This paper presents results of the absorption and scattering coefficients, and hence single scattering albedo (SSA), of the Saharan dust measured in real time during the last period of the campaign and subsequent laboratory analysis of the dust samples collected in two supersites, SS1 and SS2, in Algeria and in Mauritania, respectively. The samples were taken to the laboratory, where their size and aspect ratio distributions, mean chemical composition, spectral mass absorption efficiency, and spectral imaginary refractive index were obtained from the ultraviolet (UV) to the near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. At SS1 in Algeria, the time series of the scattering coefficients during the period of the campaign show dust events exceeding 3500 Mm (exp -1), and a relatively high mean SSA of 0.995 at 670 nm was observed at this site. The laboratory results show for the fine particle size distributions (particles diameter <5μm and mode diameter at2–3 μm) in both sites a spectral dependence of the imaginary part of the refractive index Im(m) with a bow-like shape, with increased absorption in UV as well as in the shortwave infrared. The same signature was not observed, however, in the mixed particle size distribution (particle diameter<10 μm and mode diameter at 4 μm) in Algeria. Im(m) was found to range from 0.011 to 0.001i for dust collected in Algeria and 0.008 to 0.002i for dust collected in Mauritania over the wavelength range of 350-2500 nm. Differences in the mean elemental composition of the dust collected in the supersites in Algeria and in Mauritania and between fine and mixed particle size distributions were observed from EDXRF measurements, although those differences cannot be used to explain the optical properties variability between the samples. Finally, particles with low-density typically larger than 10 μm in diameter were found in some of the samples collected at the supersite in Mauritania, but these low-density particles were not observed in Algeria.

Saharan dust measured in real time↗

NASA NTRS2018

Initial Approach to Collect Small Unmanned Aircraft System Off-Nominal Operational Situations Data

NASA is developing the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management research platform to safely integrate small unmanned aircraft operations in large-scale at low-altitudes. As a part of this effort, small unmanned aircraft system off-nominal operational situations data collection process has been developed to take lessons learned and to reinforce operational compliance. In this paper, descriptions of variables used for digital data collection and an online report form for collection of observational data from the operators (contextual data) are provided. They are used to collect off-nominal data from the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management National Campaign in 2017. The digital data show that 2 out of 118 campaign operations (1.7%) encountered loss of navigation. Since the campaign aircraft used Global Positioning System for navigation, it is likely that unobstructed view of the sky at the campaign locations contributed to this small number. Also, 4 out of 47 operations (8.5%) encountered loss of communications. A relatively short distance between ground control system and aircraft, ranging from 2300 feet to 4200 feet, likely contributed to this small number. There was no data to identify the loss of communications condition, aircraft received signal strength, for the remaining 71 operations suggesting that some operators may not be monitoring unmanned aircraft communications system performance or monitoring it with different parameters. For the contextual data, due to the low number of total reports during the campaign, no significant trends emerged. This is an initial attempt to collect contextual data from small unmanned aircraft operators about off-nominal situations, and changes will be made to the future data collection to improve the amount and quality of the information.

unmanned aviation systems traffic management (UTM)↗

NASA NTRS2018

Initial Approach to Collect Small Unmanned Aircraft System Off-Nominal Operational Situations Data

NASA is developing the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management research platform to safely integrate small unmanned aircraft operations in large-scale at low-altitudes. As a part of this effort, small unmanned aircraft system off-nominal operational situations data collection process has been developed to take lessons learned and to reinforce operational compliance. In this paper, descriptions of variables used for digital data collection and an online report form for collection of observational data from the operators (contextual data) are provided. They are used to collect off-nominal data from the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management National Campaign in 2017. The digital data show that 2 out of 118 campaign operations (1.7%) encountered loss of navigation. Since the campaign aircraft used Global Positioning System for navigation, it is likely that unobstructed view of the sky at the campaign locations contributed to this small number. Also, 4 out of 47 operations (8.5%) encountered loss of communications. A relatively short distance between ground control system and aircraft, ranging from 2300 feet to 4200 feet, likely contributed to this small number. There was no data to identify the loss of communications condition, aircraft received signal strength, for the remaining 71 operations suggesting that some operators may not be monitoring unmanned aircraft communications system performance or monitoring it with different parameters. For the contextual data, due to the low number of total reports during the campaign, no significant trends emerged. This is an initial attempt to collect contextual data from small unmanned aircraft operators about off-nominal situations, and changes will be made to the future data collection to improve the amount and quality of the information.

Jung, Jaewoo↗

NASA NTRS2018

Curating NASA's Past, Present, and Future Extraterrestrial Sample Collections

As codified in NASA Policy Directive 7100.10F, the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (hereafter JSC Curation) is charged with curation of all extraterrestrial material under NASA control, including future NASA missions. JSC Curation curates all or part of nine astromaterial collections in seven clean room suites: (1) Apollo Samples (1969; ISO 6-7), (2) Luna Samples (from USSR; 1972; ISO 7), (3) Antarctic Meteorites (1976; ISO 7), (4) Cosmic Dust (1981; ISO 5), (5) Microparticle Impact Collection (formerly called Space Exposed Hardware; 1985; ISO 5), (6) Genesis Solar Wind Atoms (2004; ISO 4); (7) Stardust Comet Particles (2006; ISO 5), (8) Stardust Interstellar Particles (2006; ISO 5), (9) Hayabusa Asteroid Particles (from JAXA; 2010; ISO 5). In addition to the labs that house the samples, we have installed and maintained a wide variety of facilities and infrastructure required to support the clean-rooms: more than 10 different HEPA-filtered air-handling systems, ultrapure dry gaseous nitrogen systems, an ultrapure water system (UPW) and cleaning facilities to provide clean tools and equipment for the labs. We also have sample preparation facilities for making thin sections, microtome sections, and even focused ion-beam (FIB) sections to meet the research requirements of scientists. To ensure that we are keeping the samples as pristine as possible, we routinely monitor the cleanliness of our clean rooms and infrastructure systems. This monitoring includes: daily monitoring of the quality of our UPW, weekly airborne particle counts in the labs, monthly monitoring of the stable isotope composition of the gaseous N2 system, and annual measurements of inorganic or organic contamination in processing cabinets. We track within our databases the current and ever-changing characteristics of more than 250,000 individual samples across our various collections (including the 19,141 samples on loan to 433 Principal Investigators in 24 countries). The next sample return missions that NASA will participate in are Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security - Regolith Explorer). The designs for a new state-of-the-art suite of clean rooms to house these samples at JSC have been finalized. This includes separate ISO class 5 clean rooms to house each collection, a common ISO class 7 area for general use, an ISO class 7 microtome laboratory, and a separate thin section lab. Additionally, a new cleaning facility is being designed and procedures developed that will allow for enhanced cleaning of cabinets and tools in an inorganically, organically, and biologically clean manner. We are also designing a large multi-purpose Advanced Curation laboratory that will allow us to develop the techniques necessary to fully support the Hayabusa2 and OSIRIS-REx missions, as well as future possible sample return missions (e.g., Lunar Polar Volatiles, Mars, Comet Surface). A micro-CT (micro Computed Tomography) laboratory dedicated to the study of astromaterials has come online within JSC Curation, and we plan to add additional facilities that will enable non-destructive (or minimally-destructive) analyses of astromaterials in the near future (e.g., micro-XRF (micro X-Ray Fluorescence), confocal imaging Raman Spectroscopy). These facilities will be available to: (1) develop sample handling and storage techniques for future sample return missions, (2) be utilized by PET (Positron Emission Tomography) for future sample return missions, (3) for retroactive PET-style analyses of our existing collections, and (4) for periodic assessments of the existing sample collections.

Zeigler, Ryan A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Anomalous and Ungrouped Carbonaceous Chondrites in the US Antarctic Meteorite Collection and their Potential Relevance to Ryugu and Bennu

With two different carbonaceous asteroid sample return missions in full swing, attention has focused on what connections can be made between the asteroid samples and the wide range of carbonaceous chondrite meteorites in worldwide collections. The US Antarctic meteorite collection contains nearly 1000 carbonaceous chondrites of various types including many in well-established groups as well as ungrouped, unusual or anomalous groups [1]. Some of the latter have been included in, or are possibly related to, recently proposed new carbonaceous chondrite classifications – CA and CY chondrites [2,3]. In addition to these, there are numerous ungrouped samples that have properties intermediate between established groups (like CM and CO; [4]), distinct from any other groups [5], or have anomalous properties that might be attributable to parent body processes such as heating, fluid interaction, or impacts [6]. Some CM anomalous or ungrouped chondrites share spectral features with Ryugu, which has a small hydration peak arguably due to hydrated minerals left after either impact heating or shock in carbonaceous chondrites [7]. PCA 91008, PCA 02012, GRO 95566, and LEW 85311 are all CMs that have experienced heating or metamorphism that may be due to impacts, solar radiation, or radiogenic decay [6]. These samples all have low H contents, C/H (bulk), and low 17O [6,8] and may hold clues to understanding the mineralogy of Ryugu, or interpretations of its spectral properties. WIS 91600, on the other hand, appears to be related to several other highly altered CM [6], and shares properties with the newly proposed CY chondrites [6]. An understanding of this grouplet will also aid in the interpretation of Bennu samples which have strong hydration features. In addition, ungrouped carbonaceous chondrites may provide valuable insights into the aqueous alteration potentially recorded in Bennu and Ryugu samples; such as the relatively moderate aqueous alteration recognized and dated at 4-5 myr after CAIs in MAC 88107 (C2-ungrouped) by [9] to the extensive aqueous alteration apparent in MIL 090292 (C1-ungrouped) [10]. Finally, LON 94101/94102 is a brecciated CM chondrite with numerous lithologies. Its appearance is similar to some of the brecciated lithologies visible at the surface of Bennu and Ryugu [11]. Although CM chondrites with multiple lithologies are common (e.g., [12]), the lithologies are often difficult to resolve at the hand specimen scale and only after some detailed e-beam characterization are the subtle lithologic differences evident (e.g., [13]). LON 94102 contains visibly distinct clasts at the hand specimen scale, relatively rare for CM breccias. The largest CM chondrites by mass from the U.S. Antarctic meteorite collection may provide insights into the extent of brecciation and heterogeneity within more typical CM chondrite-like source asteroids. For example, recent curation CT scans [14] show possible clasts within in a subsplit of ALH 83100 (CM1/2) which is the largest CM chondrite or CM chondrite pairing group in the U.S. Antarctic collection with an original mass of 3.019 kg. Similar work on additional subsplits or meteorites may aid our understanding of heterogeneity within CM chondrites from Antarctica. Initial classification of CM chondrites in U.S. Antarctic meteorite collection includes preliminary pairing when petrographically similar CM chondrites that have been previously found in the same field area. The two largest CM chondrite preliminary pairing groups by mass are the ALH 83102 (CM2) pairing group with an original mass of 2.554 kg and the EET 96005 (CM2) pairing group with an original mass of 1.125 kg. However, preliminary pairing groups assigned at classification—intrinsically— do not include stones that are petrographically distinct. Rigorous pairing group studies of CM chondrites from specific field sites are needed to investigate if there is unrecognized heterogeneity in CM chondrites from Antarctica that may represent common asteroid impactors (pre-atmospheric entry asteroids/meteoroids). Detailed pairing studies have the potential to recognize initial stones with multiple lithologies and investigate if there are stones that only sample one of those respective lithologies in the collection. These groups of heated CMs, extensively hydrated CMs, intermediate between CM and CO chondrites, and brecciated samples are all potentially relevant to Bennu and Ryugu samples, where heating, hydration, and brecciation have all come into play. These bodies might also be comprised of material intermediate to CM and CO chondrites, or at least distinct from the well-established CC groups. These small and unusual groups of carbonaceous chondrites may help to unlock new information about early solar system processes and aid in the understanding of the evolution of these carbonaceous asteroids.

meteorites↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

EVA Swab Kit: Tools and Techniques for Collecting Aseptic Samples from Crewed Space Missions

Introduction: When we send humans to search for life on other planets, we'll need to know what we brought with us versus what may already be there. To ensure our crewed spacecraft meet planetary protection requirements—and to protect our science from human contamination—we'll need to assess and verify whether micro-organisms may be leaking/venting from our spacesuits. This requires collecting samples under Extravehicular Activity (EVA) conditions. Detailed, systematic research on forward contamination from robotic spacecraft has been steadily progressing since the Viking missions, but systematic studies of contamination from space suits has not been conducted in many years. The modern EMU (Extravehicular Mobility Unit) suit used by NASA is designed to leak at rates as high as 100 cc/min. Before humans land on Mars there is a critical need to understand the types and quantities of microbes that could be introduced via space suits. The Human Forward Contamination Assessment team at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) has developed a prototype EVA swab tool [1,2,3,4] designed for use in space to sample cleaned and uncleaned space suits to determine the present day microbial load and eventually the rate of leakage. The ability to assess microbial leakage early in advanced space suit and life support system design cycles will help avoid costly hardware redesign later. Test Objectives: The primary objective of EMU testing was to characterize the type of micro-organisms typically found on or near selected suit pressure joints under suit differential pressure conditions. Most human-borne microbes can fit through a 0.5 to 1.0 µm gap. Knowing which joints are more likely to leak will inform hardware design decisions. Knowing which types of micro-organisms may leak from EVA suits provides a basis for subsequent studies to characterize the viability of those organisms under destination conditions, as well as how far they might spread through natural or human-influenced processes. That data, in turn, will inform exploration mission operations and hardware design. The secondary objective of testing was to evaluate the interface between a fully suited test subject and the EVA swab tool at vacuum. Bulky EVA suits can restrict movement and limit visibility through the helmet visor. Fully suited testing is important for identifying tool design issues prior to flight. At exploration destinations, such as Mars, suited crew may be required to periodically sample their suits as part of an environmental monitoring protocol. Suit Microbial Sampling Results: This report details results of microbial swabs collected from current flight suit configurations worn by crew members assigned to upcoming ISS expedition missions as well as swabs collected from prototype suits intended for use on the Orion spacecraft. These tests were intended to characterize the types of contaminants found on flight suits under current, typical handling conditions. No attempt was made to change suit handling procedures, provide additional sterilization, or to limit typical potential contaminant sources. Using culture based techniques, we cultivated 235 CFU (colony forming units) comprised of 26 bacterial species and one fungal species on the outside of the suits. The fungal species and 14 of the bacterial species were unique to the suit surfaces and were not detected in any of the background samples collected within the chambers. We sequenced 755,434 ribosomal fragments on all of the suit surfaces from swab samples. 557,016 of these sequences represent DNA that survived at least 4 hours at vacuum. These sequences formed 2,464 OTU's (Operational Taxonomic Units, 97% similarity) showing low diversity in the samples. The most abundant sequences that survived vacuum belong to the genera Staphyloccocus, Ralstona, Bacillus and Rhodobacter all of which are common to the human microbiome. [5] See Danko et al., (2021) for more complete details of these first analyses. Further analysis of EVA suit materials with respect to the efficacy of various cleaning protocols and engineered containment solutions is planned to inform suit design for NASA’s Artemis Moon to Mars program crew testing. Swab Tool Function Results: The kit was demonstrated for fit and function in suited subject vacuum tests to determine how well the tool worked as an aseptic microbial sampling device as well as to identify any design elements that could be upgraded for EVA task specific improvement. It was found that sample acquisition efficacy could be enhanced by redesign of the sample canister to end-effector interface. Several modifications of the sample caddy assemblies to optimize EVA safety and functionality were also identified. Consequently, fabrication of the redesigned sample canister to end-effector assembly interfaces and and the sample caddy assemblies are required. Fabrication of sixteen flight sample canister assemblies (8 per each of two EVA Swab Kits) and two sample caddy assemblies are in process to be followed by hardware testing and certification to produce two flight-certified EVA Swab Kits for transport to ISS no earlier than summer of 2022. Sampling Strategy: The International Space Station is an ideal testbed for systematic studies of contamination from crewed vehicles since it has been continuously occupied for 20 years and exposed to non-terrestrial conditions. We will sample the exterior of the ISS during EVA using a purpose-built swab tool capable of maintaining sterility while undergoing temperature changes from -151 to +121°C under hard vacuum. Prior to each EVA, the project team will work with ISS mission managers to identify precise sampling locations, which will vary by EVA based on the translation paths and worksites scheduled for that particular EVA. Ideally, translation path handrails and areas near ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) external vent openings on a spacecraft would be assessed. There are currently more than a dozen ECLSS external vents on the ISS. Some are connected to systems that vent waste products, while others are intended to equalize cabin pressure. As EVA opportunity allows, microbial samples from any of these external vents would provide a valuable data point, though some will be more useful than others. Four criteria have been identified to help prioritize sampling sites near vents: • EVA Accessibility: To minimize cost, it is desired to piggy-back onto a planned EVA. Therefore, the sampling location must be readily accessible by an EVA crew • Type of Vented Products: Vent products that have been in direct contact with crew, such as cabin air, are more likely to contain microorganisms than vent products associated with isolated systems, such as experiment module combustion products. • Mass of Vented Products: Higher-flow vents are more likely to contain detectible levels of microbial contaminants than lower-flow vents. • Local Environment: Sample locations with relatively benign local conditions, such as warm surfaces shielded from direct ultraviolet (UV) radiation exposure, may be more likely to support microbial growth than locations with harsher local environmental conditions. Because EVA accessibility is the most important criteria, the proposal team worked with an astronaut and flight controllers using the Dynamic Onboard Ubiquitous Graphics (DOUG) tool. The DOUG virtual environment allows an operator to “fly” around the current ISS vehicle configuration to assess EVA translation paths, attach points, and keep-out zones. While analysis on station or rapid return to Earth would be preferable, samples collected from the exterior of the ISS have already been exposed to temperature variations between -157 and +121 °C as well as hard vacuum. Therefore, they should be fairly stable and robust. We hypothesize that samples collected from the ISS exterior could be stored for up to 6 months at -80°C without degradation. Sample canisters will be returned to Earth while frozen at -80°C for analysis, and sterilized canisters can be re-flown back to ISS to support additional sampling opportunities Relevance to NASA Exploration Objectives: These data will allow us to identify new or improved methods, technologies, and procedures for spacecraft sterilization and leakage mitigation to minimize the amount of contamination introduced to the environment by human explorers. This work is funded by NASA research grant: NNH18ZDA001N-PPR References: [1] Bell, M.S. et al. (2015) LPS XLVI, Abst. #1832 [2] Rucker et al. (2018) 42nd COSPAR (PPP.3) [3] Bell, M.S. et al. (2019) Mars Extant Life Conference, Abst. #5096.[4] Bell, M.S. et al., (2020) 43rd COSPAR (BO.2).[5] Danko D, et.al.,(2021)Front.Microbiol.12:608478.

Mary Suzanne Bell↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulation of Fluid Flow and Collection Efficiency for a SEA Inc. Multi-Element Probe and Ice Crystal Detector Using GlennICE

Numerical simulation results of fluid flow and collection efficiency of the Science Engineering Associates Inc. Multi-Element Probe (Multiwire) and Ice Crystal Detector (ICD) are presented. Fluid flow simulations were conducted using NASA's FUN3D while collection efficiency simulations were conducted using NASA's LEWICE3D software and GlennICE software. For both probes, 3D unsteady flow results were time-averaged. Simulations were computed for free steam velocities ranging from 85 to 185 m/s and freestream total pressures of 44.8 and 93.1 kPa. Collection efficiency results were computed for four spherical particle diameter sizes of 5, 20, 50, and 100 µm. GlennICE collection efficiency results for the multiwire were compared with previously published collection efficiency values calculated using LEWICE3D. Numerical collection efficiency results for the Ice Crystal Detector are presented for the first time.

aircraft, icing, Computational Fluid Dynamics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulation of Fluid Flow and Collection Efficiency for a SEA Inc. Multi-Element Probe and Ice Crystal Detector Using GlennICE

Numerical simulation results of fluid flow and collection efficiency of the Science Engineering Associates Inc. Multi-Element Probe (Multiwire) and Ice Crystal Detector (ICD) are presented. Fluid flow simulations were conducted using NASA's FUN3D while collection efficiency simulations were conducted using NASA's LEWICE3D software and GlennICE software. For both probes, 3D unsteady flow results were time averaged. Simulations were computed for freestream velocities ranging from 85 to 185 m/s and freestream total pressures of 44.8 and 93.1 kPa. Collection efficiency results were computed for four spherical particle diameter sizes of 5, 20, 50, and 100 µm. GlennICE collection efficiency results for the multiwire were compared with previously published collection efficiency values calculated using LEWICE3D. Numerical collection efficiency results for the Ice Crystal Detector are presented for the first time.

aircraft, icing, Computational Fluid Dynamics↗

NASA NTRS2022

Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) collection 4: establishing a 17-year-long series of detrended level-1b data

The Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) was launched on 15 July 2004, with an expected mission lifetime of 5 years. After more than 17 years in orbit the instrument is still functioning satisfactorily and in principle can continue doing so until the expected decommissioning of its platform Aura in 2025. In order to continue the datasets acquired by OMI and the Microwave Limb Sounder, the mission was extended up to at least 2023. Actions have been taken to ensure the proper functioning of the OMI operations, the data processing, and the calibration monitoring system until the eventual end of the mission. For the data processing a new level-0 (L0) to level-1b (L1b) data processor was built based on the recent developments for the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI). With corrections for the degradation of the instrument now included, it is feasible to generate a new data collection to supersede the current collection-3 data products and reprocess the data of the entire mission up to now. This paper describes the differences between the collection-3 and collection-4 data. It will be shown that the collection-4 L1b data comprise a clear improvement with respect to the previous collections. By correcting for the gentle optical and electronic aging that has occurred over the past 17 years, OMI’s ability to make trend-quality ozone measurements has further improved.

UV↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ISS External Microorganisms: Collecting Planetary Protection Samples During Extravehicular Activity

Introduction: We have designed1, built, and tested a sampling kit (Fig. 1) to aseptically collect microbiological samples from exterior surfaces on the ISS (International Space Station). The kit was flown to ISS as part of the NG-19 commercial cargo mission in August of 2023. Astronauts will use the kit to collect samples from six exterior surfaces on ISS. These samples will be frozen at -80°C after collection and returned to the ground for next generation DNA sequencing. The results of this experiment will help inform planetary protection requirements for crewed missions. We hypothesize that there are detectable microbial communities outside ISS and that these communities originate from inside ISS. Current life support systems do not include any components for reducing microbial leakage. Gases are vented from inside ISS without filtration and there are currently no protocols in place to minimize bioburden on space suit exteriors prior to use. It is important to quantify the bioburden on current vehicles so that achievable limits can be set for crewed missions to astrobiologically relevant locations like Mars. Figure 1: The sampling kit contains eight swab canisters in total (six on the top and two on the bottom). A resuable end effector (1) is used to remove and reinstall the swabs. The kit also contains a handrail (2), tether loop (3), and, bayonet probes(4) to allow easy manipulation during EVA. Methods: We have designed a kit to carry 8 commercially available foam swabs into and out of vacuum without compromising the swabs’ sterility. The specially designed swab canisters contain a 0.2 µm Teflon filter that allows the canister to accommodate pressure changes without introducing unwanted contaminants. The kit meets existing EVA (Extravehicular Activity) safety requirements and has been used by human test subjects in the neutral buoyance lab and at vacuum in test chambers at the Johnson Space Center. In the early part of 2024, astronauts will use this sampling kit to swab six surfaces on the exterior of ISS. We will collect samples from: the airlock vestibule, the interior surface of the airlock thermal cover, an exterior handrail, a vent connected to the CO2 removal system, and a vent connected to the payload vacuum system inside ISS. Approximately 300 cm2 will be swabbed at each location. A seventh swab will be exposed to the vacuum of space without touching any surfaces as a blank. The eighth swab will remain sealed as a process control. After the EVA the swab kit will be frozen at -80°C and returned to earth at the earliest possible opportunity. The samples will remain frozen until they are thawed for next generation DNA sequencing on earth. We will use amplicon sequencing to identify any bacteria, archaea or fungi present in the samples. If there is enough DNA present, we will use shotgun metagenomic sequencing to further characterize the microbial ecology outside ISS. Preliminary Results: Results from ground-based testing demonstrate that the swab kit is capable of cycling in and out of vacuum without contaminating the swabs. Test subjects, wearing flight-like EVA gloves could remove swabs from the canister and sample discrete locations without inadvertently touching any other surfaces. Several types of bacteria and fungi were collected during these ground tests and survived up to 6 hours at vacuum. This includes non-spore forming bacterial like Staphyloccus capitis that are not traditionally considered extremophiles. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the ground-test samples revealed bacteria associated with human skin and airways on the exterior of space suits used during these tests 2 In addition to these results we will present preliminary results from our space-flight samples. We will also present lessons learned from attempting to collect microbiological samples during an EVA and describe how our results will affect planetary protection requirements for future crewed missions.

Aaron B. Regberg↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ISS External Microorganisms: Collecting Planetary Protection Samples During Extravehicular Activity

Introduction: We have designed1, built, and tested a sampling kit (Fig. 1) to aseptically collect microbiological samples from exterior surfaces on the ISS (International Space Station). The kit was flown to ISS as part of the NG-19 commercial cargo mission in August of 2023. Astronauts will use the kit to collect samples from six exterior surfaces on ISS. These samples will be frozen at -80°C after collection and returned to the ground for next generation DNA sequencing. The results of this experiment will help inform planetary protection requirements for crewed missions. We hypothesize that there are detectable microbial communities outside ISS and that these communities originate from inside ISS. Current life support systems do not include any components for reducing microbial leakage. Gases are vented from inside ISS without filtration and there are currently no protocols in place to minimize bioburden on space suit exteriors prior to use. It is important to quantify the bioburden on current vehicles so that achievable limits can be set for crewed missions to astrobiologically relevant locations like Mars. Figure 1: The sampling kit contains eight swab canisters in total (six on the top and two on the bottom). A resuable end effector (1) is used to remove and reinstall the swabs. The kit also contains a handrail (2), tether loop (3), and, bayonet probes(4) to allow easy manipulation during EVA. Methods: We have designed a kit to carry 8 commercially available foam swabs into and out of vacuum without compromising the swabs’ sterility. The specially designed swab canisters contain a 0.2 µm Teflon filter that allows the canister to accommodate pressure changes without introducing unwanted contaminants. The kit meets existing EVA (Extravehicular Activity) safety requirements and has been used by human test subjects in the neutral buoyance lab and at vacuum in test chambers at the Johnson Space Center. In the early part of 2024, astronauts will use this sampling kit to swab six surfaces on the exterior of ISS. We will collect samples from: the airlock vestibule, the interior surface of the airlock thermal cover, an exterior handrail, a vent connected to the CO2 removal system, and a vent connected to the payload vacuum system inside ISS. Approximately 300 cm2 will be swabbed at each location. A seventh swab will be exposed to the vacuum of space without touching any surfaces as a blank. The eighth swab will remain sealed as a process control. After the EVA the swab kit will be frozen at -80°C and returned to earth at the earliest possible opportunity. The samples will remain frozen until they are thawed for next generation DNA sequencing on earth. We will use amplicon sequencing to identify any bacteria, archaea or fungi present in the samples. If there is enough DNA present, we will use shotgun metagenomic sequencing to further characterize the microbial ecology outside ISS. Preliminary Results: Results from ground-based testing demonstrate that the swab kit is capable of cycling in and out of vacuum without contaminating the swabs. Test subjects, wearing flight-like EVA gloves could remove swabs from the canister and sample discrete locations without inadvertently touching any other surfaces. Several types of bacteria and fungi were collected during these ground tests and survived up to 6 hours at vacuum. This includes non-spore forming bacterial like Staphyloccus capitis that are not traditionally considered extremophiles. Shotgun metagenomic sequencing of the ground-test samples revealed bacteria associated with human skin and airways on the exterior of space suits used during these tests 2 In addition to these results we will present preliminary results from our space-flight samples. We will also present lessons learned from attempting to collect microbiological samples during an EVA and describe how our results will affect planetary protection requirements for future crewed missions.

Aaron B. Regberg↗

DOE OSTI2024

An Approach to Dynamic Human Reliability Analysis and Its Data Collection Framework

Human reliability analysis (HRA) is a method for evaluating human errors in a variety of complex systems such as nuclear power plants, military systems, aircraft, and chemical plants. Most HRA methods currently used by regulatory institutes or utilities are called static HRA and are carried out by simple worksheets or simple calculators. To date, there are many unsolved or intrinsic challenges in static HRA. For example, existing static HRA does not realistically model and evaluate human actions as they would be performed at actual systems. There is no method with HRA to objectively estimate the time required for human actions despite being essential to HRA processes. In addition, many HRA methods still rely on a dataset generated prior to the 1980s, from unrelated industry experience or simply from expert judgment. Accordingly, this study attempted to research how to overcome the challenges of existing HRA via dynamic risk assessment (a.k.a., simulation-based or computation-based risk assessment) techniques. First, this study developed a dynamic HRA method, named as PRocedure-based Investigation Method of EMRALD Risk Assessment – HRA (PRIMERA-HRA). The PRIMERA-HRA mainly concentrates on providing HRA analysts with specific guidelines on how to reasonably model human actions, assign human reliability data and evaluate output of simulation within a dynamic probabilistic risk assessment tool, called as Event Modeling Risk Assessment using Linked Diagrams (EMRALD). Second, this study also developed a module for performance shaping factors (i.e., the key concept in HRA quantification) applicable to dynamic HRA, then implemented it based on PRIMERA-HRA within the EMRALD tool. Third, this study developed an HRA data collection framework to support dynamic HRA, called as Simplified Human Error Experimental Program (SHEEP). Originally, the SHEEP study aimed to support static HRA and its data collection, but recently extended the scope to the new technologies such as dynamic HRA or HRA for advanced reactors. SHEEP focuses on the use of data collected from simplified simulators to complement—but not replace—data collection studies using full-scope simulators and actual operators. To date, many experiments were conducted under the SHEEP framework. Multiple analyses, such as human performance analysis, human error analysis, task complexity analysis, learning effect analysis and time distribution analysis, were also carried out using the collected data. Then, based on the major insights, an approach to inferring full-scope data based on simplified simulator data was proposed. The PRIMERA-HRA and SHEEP research are expected to evaluate human actions more realistically than existing static HRA, provide an opportunity to collect more HRA data with reasonable cost and labor, then contribute to enhance the quality of HRA.

99 - GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

DOE OSTI2024

GPS-supported smartphone app-based integrated travel diary and time-use data collection: challenges and lessons learned

Travel behaviour and time-use data are two vital data sources for travel demand modelling. Travel behaviour is traditionally collected through household travel surveys, enhanced by using GPS-supported smartphone apps for passive location data collection. However, recruiting individuals willing to install these apps with sustained motivation to continue participation has been a critical challenge. This paper shares insights from a travel and time-use data collection procedure in Chicago and Sydney using the Fourstep app. Social media platforms were utilised as a solution to recruit participants in Chicago, where an international market research company failed to accomplish the task. This paper also discusses the challenges we faced and suggests ways to overcome them, offering valuable guidance to researchers in recruiting participants for smartphone application-based data collection. It also offers an analysis of travel, time-use, and travel-based multitasking behaviours based on the data collected from the Chicago and Sydney samples.

GPS-supported smartphone apps↗

DOE OSTI2022

A framework to collect human reliability analysis data for nuclear power plants using a simplified simulator and student operators

Data scarcity in human reliability analysis (HRA) has been a major challenge in the quantification process. Many institutes have collected HRA data through experiments using full-scope simulators with actual operators. Nevertheless, there are still some limitations to relying solely on full-scope studies. This paper aims to propose how full-scope data collection studies can be supported through the Simplified Human Error Experimental Program (SHEEP). The SHEEP framework was developed by Idaho National Laboratory (INL) to collect HRA data through a simplified simulator and student operators. This paper introduces the major tasks in the SHEEP framework, with a particular focus on differences that arise due to participant type (i.e., student vs. actual operator), based on experiments using a simplified simulator (i.e., the Rancor Microworld). This paper also describes whether the data collected via this approach could support a representative full-scope data collection study (i.e., the HuREX study) based on the experimental data.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗

DOE OSTI2020

Instrumentation and experimental procedures for robust collection of X-ray diffraction data from protein crystals across physiological temperatures

Traditional X-ray diffraction data collected at cryo-temperatures have delivered invaluable insights into the three-dimensional structures of proteins, providing the backbone of structure–function studies. While cryo-cooling mitigates radiation damage, cryo-temperatures can alter protein conformational ensembles and solvent structure. Furthermore, conformational ensembles underlie protein function and energetics, and recent advances in room-temperature X-ray crystallography have delivered conformational heterogeneity information that can be directly related to biological function. Given this capability, the next challenge is to develop a robust and broadly applicable method to collect single-crystal X-ray diffraction data at and above room temperature. This challenge is addressed herein. The approach described provides complete diffraction data sets with total collection times as short as ~5 s from single protein crystals, dramatically increasing the quantity of data that can be collected within allocated synchrotron beam time. Its applicability was demonstrated by collecting 1.09–1.54 Å resolution data over a temperature range of 293–363 K for proteinase K, thaumatin and lysozyme crystals at BL14-1 at the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource. Here, the analyses presented here indicate that the diffraction data are of high quality and do not suffer from excessive dehydration or radiation damage.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗