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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Lynx X-ray Observatory

X-ray observations are indispensable for understanding the cosmos. Their power is immense because much of the baryonic matter and the sites for the most active energy releases in the Universe are primarily observable in X-rays. For the 2030s and beyond, an X-ray observatory with power matching the capabilities in other wavebands is a necessary discovery engine for full exploration of the Universe. JWST and other upcoming major space- and ground-based facilities are expected to greatly expand science frontiers in the coming decades. is presents both a great opportunity and a challenge for a next-generation X-ray observatory. In many areas, such as tracing black holes during the CosmicDawn and understanding the formation and evolution of galaxies, an X-ray observatory is the logical next step. e challenge is that the X-ray science at these new frontiers requires expansion of capabilities by orders of magnitude beyond the current state of the art or anything already planned. Until recently, such gains were not technologically possible. is has changed thanks to recent breakthroughs and sustained maturation of key technologies for X-ray mirrors and detectors. We are reaping the fruits of U.S. investments in these areas over the past 10–15 years. An X-ray observatory that can extend the science frontiers of the post-JWST era is now entirely feasible. Lynx is the mission concept that realizes this vision. It will y revolutionary optics and instrumentation onboard a simple, proven spacecraft. In all aspects, Lynx will be a next-generation Great Observatory that is certain to make a profound impact across the astrophysical landscape. It will provide the depth and breadth to answer the fundamental questions that confront us today; just as importantly, it will have capabilities to address questions we have yet to even ask.

Gaskin, Jessica A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) 2022 Quicklook Report

This report summarizes the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-RATS) 2022 analog tests. BACKGROUND - Artemis Challenges – NASA’s concept of operations (ConOps) for the Artemis mission architecture brings new challenges for human exploration of the lunar surface, including: (1) Low-angle, natural lighting at lunar poles; and (2) Exploration sites that challenge communication with Earth. - International Partner Involvement – NASA is working with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) to scope mission & functional requirements for an Artemis Pressurized Rover (PR), which JAXA may provide. - Charter – HQ Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate (ESDMD) Moon to Mars Architecture Development Office (M2MADO) Strategy and Architectures (SA) chartered the Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) test team to investigate Artemis architectural questions related to pressurized rover ConOps. - Rationale – to inform the NASA/JAXA pressurized rover study-agreement. PLAN - Objectives – Analog tests conducted in October 2022 by the D-RATS team addressed three high-level objectives: 1. Investigate pressurized rover (PR) ConOps and capabilities for Artemis exploration 2. Integrate with JAXA engineers & astronauts and incorporate JAXA PR design elements into testing. 3. Re-establish analog field-testing skills & capabilities with rovers to investigate Artemis architecture ConOps. - Secondary Objectives – Work with other groups to leverage D-RATS field test for additional objectives. 4. Work with the Public Affairs Office (PAO) to perform D-RATS public outreach activities. 5. Coordinate with the Human Physiology Performance Protection & Operations (H-3PO) team to facilitate in-field evaluation of human health and performance (HHP) objectives. 6. Share D-RATS field-site and assets with Lunar LTE Studies (Lunar LiTES) team, to aid their study of the use of 4G/LTE communication protocols and devices for astronauts and robotic nodes on the lunar surface. - Team – Fully integrated test team comprised of members from 5 NASA centers, JAXA, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) - Location – Black Point Lava Flow, ~40 miles north of Flagstaff, AZ HIGH-LEVEL OBJECTIVES ACCOMPLISHED - Investigated Pressurized Rover ConOps & Capabilities for Artemis Exploration (Objective 1) - Completed testing with 4 crew pairs, each spending 3 days and 2 nights in the rover conducting Artemis PR dayin-the-life activities (2 JAXA astronauts, 2 JAXA engineers, 1 NASA astronaut, 3 NASA engineers). - Collected detailed objective & subjective data supporting 10 strategic questions related to Artemis PR operations. - Field geologists present in field observed rover operations & EVAs. - Science team in Houston MCC communicated directly with crew. - Demonstrated crew-led and MCC-led PR teleoperation use cases during EVAs. - Integrated with JAXA Engineers & Astronauts and Incorporated JAXA PR Design Elements into Testing (Objective 2) - NASA & JAXA engineers, flight controllers, scientists, roboticists, and astronauts directly participated in and/or observed testing both in field and in MCC-Houston. - Incorporated JAXA PR design elements into both integrated and standalone testing at JSC and in the field. - Re-established Analog Field-Testing Skills & Capabilities with Rovers to Investigate Artemis Architecture ConOps (Objective 3) - Multiple teams successfully worked to establish and manage field-test base camp, monitor and maintain the rover, and plan and execute 2 weeks of consecutive field-testing with little to no breaks between crews. TEST OUTCOMES - Results will inform Artemis architecture ConOps & capabilities related to pressurized rover operations (see sections 2 for more details) - Summary and team detailed reports will be posted on the D-RATS 2022 wiki

Analog↗
DOE OSTI2025

Decoding substrate specificity determining factors in glycosyltransferase-B enzymes – insights from machine learning models

Substrate specificity is an essential characteristic of any enzyme's function and an understanding of the factors that determine this specificity is crucial for enzyme engineering. Unlike the structure of an enzyme which is directly impacted by its sequence, substrate specificity as an enzyme attribute involves a rather indirect relationship with sequence as it also depends on structural aspects that dictate substrate accessibility and active site dynamics. In this study, we explore the performance of classifier-based machine learning models trained on curated sequence and structural data for a class of glycosyltransferases (GTs), namely GT-Bs, to understand their substrate specificity determining factors. GTs enable the transfer of sugar moieties to other biomolecules such as oligosaccharides or proteins and are found in all kingdoms of life. In plants, GTs participate in the biosynthesis of plant cell wall biopolymers (e.g.: hemicelluloses and pectins) and are an integral part of the enzymatic machinery that enables the storage of carbon and energy as plant biomass. To elucidate the substrate specificity of uncharacterized GT-Bs, we constructed multi-label machine learning models (Support Vector Classifier, K-Nearest Neighbors, Gaussian Naïve-Bayes, Random Forest) that incorporate both sequence and structural features. These models achieve good predictive accuracies on test datasets. However, despite our use of structural information, we highlight that there is further scope for improvement in training these models to draw interpretable relationships between sequence, structure and substrate specificity determining motifs in GT-Bs.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2026

Using Domain Insertion to Create Sulfite Reductases That Present Chemical-Dependent Activities

Domain insertion can be used to create oxidoreductases whose activities are dependent upon analyte binding. To date, most domain insertion studies have targeted relatively small oxidoreductases of known structure, so it remains unclear how to apply this protein engineering approach to large hetero-oligomeric proteins that require dynamic conformational changes for catalysis. To address this question, we studied the effects of peptide and domain insertions on the activity of NADPH-dependent sulfite reductase (SiR) from Escherichia coli, a dodecameric oxidoreductase containing four hemoprotein and eight flavoprotein subunits. SiR mutational tolerance was first evaluated using systematic octapeptide insertion and a cellular selection, which identified regions across the hemoprotein structure that retain parent-like activity following insertion. When a ligand-binding domain was inserted at backbone locations tolerant to peptide insertion, including sites proximal and distal from the intersubunit interfaces, ∼90% retained catalytic activity, and >50% presented activity that is regulated by an endocrine disruptor. With one domain insertion variant, the conditional production of sulfide could be monitored electrochemically from cells using a bioelectrochemical reactor. These results show how systematic peptide insertion can be used to inform domain insertion in a large heterooligomeric protein complex, and they illustrate how SiR can be engineered to convert chemical information in the environment into a redox-active metabolite that diffuses across the cell membrane.

bacteria↗
DOE OSTI2024

Porous liquids: an integrated platform for gas storage and catalysis

Porous liquids (PLs) represent a new frontier in materials design, combining the unique features of fluidity in liquids and permanent porosity in solids. By engineering well-defined pores into liquids via designed structure modification techniques, the greatly improved free volume significantly enhances the gas transport and storage capability of PL sorbents. Triggered by the promising applications of PLs in gas separation, PLs are further explored in catalysis particularly to integrate the gas storage and catalytic transformation procedure. This emerging field has demonstrated promising progress to advance catalytic procedures using PLs as catalysts, with performance surpassing that of the pure liquid and porous host counterparts. In this perspective article, the recent discoveries and progress in the field of integrated gas storage and catalysis by leveraging the PL platforms will be summarized, particularly compared with the traditional homogeneous or heterogeneous catalytic procedures. The unique features of PLs endow them with combined merits from liquid and solid catalysts and beyond which will be illustrated first. This will be followed by the unique techniques being utilized to probe the porosity and active sites in PLs and the structural evolution during the catalytic procedures. The catalytic application of PLs will be divided by the reaction categories, including CO 2 -involving transformation, O 2 -involving reaction, H 2 S conversion, hydrogenation reaction, and non-gas involving cascade reactions. In each reaction type, the synthesis approaches and structure engineering techniques of PLs, structure characterization, catalytic performance evaluation, and reaction mechanism exploration will be discussed, highlighting the structure–performance relationship and the advancement benefiting from the unique features of PLs.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mars Pathfinder Landing Site Workshop 2: Characteristics of the Ares Vallis Region and Field Trips in the Channeled Scabland, Washington

Mars Pathfinder will place a single lander on the surface of Mars on July 4, 1997, following a December 1996 launch. As a result of the very successful first Mars Pathfinder Landing Site Workshop, the project has selected the Ares Vallis outflow channel in Chryse Planitia as the landing site. This location is where a large catastrophic outflow channel debouches into the northern lowlands. A second workshop and series of field trips, entitled Mars Pathfinder Landing Site Workshop 2: Characteristics of the Ares Vallis Region and Field Trips in the Channeled Scabland, Washington, were held in Spokane and Moses Lake, Washington. The purpose of the workshop was to provide a focus for learning as much as possible about the Ares Vallis region on Mars before landing there. The rationale is that the more that can be learned about the general area prior to landing, the better scientists will be able interpret the observations made by the lander and rover and place them in the proper geologic context. The field trip included overflights and surface investigations of the Channeled Scabland (an Earth analog for the martian catastrophic outflow channels), focusing on areas particularly analogous to Ares Vallis and the landing site. The overflights were essential for placing the enormous erosional and depositional features of the Channeled Scabland into proper three-dimensional context. The field trips were a joint educational outreach activity involving K-12 science educators, Mars Pathfinder scientists and engineers, and interested scientists from the Mars scientific community. Part 1 of the technical report on this workshop includes a description of the Mars Pathfinder mission, abstracts accepted for presentation at the workshop, an introduction to the Channeled Scabland, and field trip guides for the overflight and two field trips. This part, Part 2, includes the program for the workshop, summaries of the workshop technical sessions, a summary of the field trips and ensuing discussions, late abstracts of workshop presentations, reports on the education and public outreach activities carried out by the educators, and a list of the workshop and field trip participants.

Golombek, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Noctis Landing: A Proposed Landing Site/Exploration Zone for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars

The proposed Noctis Landing Site/Exploration Zone (LS/EZ) is shown in Figure 1. Our preliminary study suggests that the proposed site meets all key Science and Resources (incl. Civil Engineering) requirements. The site is of significant interest, as the EZ not only offers a large number and wide range of regions of interest (ROIs) for short-term exploration, it is also located strategically at the crossroads between Tharsis and Valles Marineris, which are key for long-term exploration. The proposed site contains Regions of Interest (ROIs) that meet the following Science requirements: -­‐ Access to (1) deposits with a high preservation potential for evidence of past habitability and fossil biosignatures and (2) sites that are promising for present habitability. The site presents a wide variety of ROIs qith likely aqueous features and deposits, including sinous channels and valleys, slope gullies, lobate debris aprons, impact craters with lobate ejecta flows, and "bathtub ring" deposits. Neutron spectrometry also suggests hydrogen is present within the topmost 0.3 m or so of 4 to 10 wt% WEH (Water Equivalent Hydrogen). -­‐ Noachian and/or Hesperian rocks in a stratigraphic context that have a high likelihood of containing trapped atmospheric gases. Collapsed canyon rim material with preserved stratigraphy is abundantly present and accessible. -­‐ Exposures of at least two crustal units that have regional or global extents, that are suitable for radiometric dating, and that have relative ages that sample a significant range of martian geological time. Canyons floors in Ius Chasma, Tithonium Chasma, and plateau tops on Tharsis and in Sinai Planum offer access to distinct crustal units of regional extent. -­‐ Access to outcrops with linked morphological and/or geochemical signatures indicative of aqueous or groundwater/ mineral interactions. Iron and sulfur-bearing deposits on canyon floors in Noctis Labyrinthus, and in Ius Chasma (IC) and Tithonium Chasma (TC) offer many such outcrop options. -­‐ Identifiable stratigraphic contacts and cross-cutting relationships from which relative ages can be determined. In place and collapsed canyon walls in NL, TC, and IC offer such opportunities. -­‐ Other types of ROIs include access points to surrounding plateau top areas for longer term regional exploration. A key attribute of the proposed Noctic Landing site is its strategic location to allow the shortest possible surface excusions to Tharsis and Valles Marineris (VM). VM is the feature and region on Mars that exposes the longest record of Mars' geology and evolution through time. Tharsis is the region of Mars that has experienced the longest and most extensive volcanic history, and might still be volcanically active. Some of the youngest lava flows on Mars have been identified on the western flanks of the Tharsis Bulge, i.e., within driving range of future longrange (500 - 1000 km) pressurized rover traverses. The proposed site also contains ROIs that offer the following Resources (incl. Civil Engineering) characteristics: -­‐ Access to raw material that exhibits the potential to (1) be used as feedstock for water-generating in situ resource utilization (ISRU) processes and (2) yield significant quantities (greater than 100 MT) of water. The raw material is likely in the form of hydrated minerals, and possibly ice/regolith mix. The top of the raw material deposit is at the surface. -­‐ Access to a region where infrastructure can be emplaced or constructed. This region is less than 5 km from the LS and contains flat, stable terrain. The region exhibits evidence for an abundant source of loose regolith. Several deep pits in the area combined with the availability of sand suggests that some natural terrain features can be adapted for construction purposes. -­‐ Access to raw material that exhibits the potential to be used as metal feedstock for ISRU and construction purposes. Iron and sulfur-rich mineral surface deposits have been identified in CRISM data in many locations in this area. Noctis Landing is the lowest-altitude location on Mars that straddles both the Tharsis region (above average geothermal gradients) and Valles Marineris (minimal crustal thickness from surface (valley floor) to a subsurface liquid water table. Noctis Landing has the potential for being an ideal site for eventual deep drilling on Mars to access deep subsurface liquid water and potentially encountering extant life. Available data remains insufficient to fully qualify the Noctis Landing site. Additional remote sensing data (visible, Near and Mid-IR, and radar) and surface reconnaissance via a high-mobility robotic rover are recommended. In particular, it will be important to assess the trafficability of the site, and its potential for yielding water and metals as a resource. Access to plateau tops from the Noctis Landing site on the canyon floor should be demonstrated. Future exploration of the site would also be enhanced significantly by the availability of robotic (tele-operatable) surveying and sample-collecting drones. Testing of the use of such collaborative science and exploration technologies should be conducted at terrestrial sites such as the Haughton-Mars Project site on Devon Island, High Arctic, among others. Note: Noctis Landing is not an official Mars nomenclature name for this location. Because the area of the proposed LS/EZ had no name, and because it is close to Noctis Labyrinthus to the West while being distinct from it, the provisional name Noctis Landing is proposed. Noctis means night in Latin.

Lee, Pascal↗
DOE OSTI2025

Defect Engineering in Large‐Scale CVD‐Grown Hexagonal Boron Nitride: Formation, Spectroscopy, and Spin Relaxation Dynamics

Recently, numerous techniques have been reported for generating optically active defects in exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which hold transformative potential for quantum photonic devices. However, achieving on-demand generation of desirable defect types in scalable hBN films remains a significant challenge. Here, it is demonstrated that formation of negative boron vacancy defects, V B − , in suspended, large-area CVD-grown hBN is strongly dependent on the type of bombarding particles (ions, neutrons, and electrons) and irradiation conditions. In contrast to suspended hBN, defect formation in substrate-supported hBN is more complex due to the uncontrollable generation of secondary particles from the substrate, and the outcome strongly depends on the thickness of the hBN. Different defect types are identified by correlating spectroscopic and optically detected magnetic resonance features, distinguishing boron vacancies (formed by light ions and neutrons and emitting at 800 nm) from other optically active defects emitting at 650 nm assigned to anti-site nitrogen vacancy (N B V N ) and reveal the presence of additional “dark” paramagnetic defects that influence spin-lattice relaxation time (T 1 ) and zero-field splitting parameters, all of which strongly depend on the defect density. These results underscore the potential for precisely engineered defect formation in large-scale CVD-grown hBN, paving the way for the scalable fabrication of quantum photonic devices.

CVD↗
DOE OSTI2025

Design Principles in Engineering of Multigrain Nanocatalysts via Multiscale Electronic Structure Characterization

Engineering grain boundary (GB) strain provides a promising pathway to tune the catalytic properties of nanocrystals. However, structural heterogeneity from random grain orientation and geometry has limited clear structure–property correlations. Here, we utilize a multigrain Co3O4/Mn3O4 core/shell nanocrystal platform as a model system to systematically investigate how geometric misfit strain at GBs serves as catalytically active sites for the oxygen reduction reaction. Through precise subnanometer-level control over grain morphology and by integrating multiscale electronic structure characterization, we identify the electronic structural signature of GB defects and establish a direct correlation between localized strain fields and modified electronic states. Strain modulation at GBs alters the eg orbital energy levels, with elongation along the z-axis combined with shear strain stabilizing the eg states, in contrast to the destabilization observed under pure shear strain. This stabilization mechanism enhances the electrocatalytic activity and selectivity of strained GBs compared with strain-relaxed grain surfaces. Furthermore, we reveal that GBs exhibit a radial strain gradient, producing a spatial energy shift that further modulates local electronic structures, as resolved through the classification of electron energy loss spectroscopy data. Together, these findings demonstrate that geometric misfit strain enables precise tuning of grain geometry and the resulting electronic structures, offering a robust strategy for engineering next-generation nanocatalysts.

Cho, Min Gee↗
DOE OSTI2024

In Vitro Encapsulation of Functionally Active Abiotic Photosensitizers Inside a Bacterial Microcompartment Shell

Bacterial microcompartments (BMCs) are self-assembling, selectively permeable protein shells that encapsulate enzymes to enhance catalytic efficiency of segments of metabolic pathways through means of confinement. The modular nature of BMC shells' structure and assembly enables programming of shell permeability and underscores their promise in biotechnology engineering efforts for applications in industry, medicine, and clean energy. Realizing this potential requires methods for encapsulation of abiotic molecules, which have been developed here for the first time. We report in vitro cargo loading of BMC shells with ruthenium photosensitizers (RuPS) by two approaches-one involving site-specific covalent labeling and the other driven by diffusion, requiring no specific interactions between cargo molecules and shell proteins. The highly stable shells retain encapsulated cargo over 1 week without egress and preserve RuPS photophysical activity. Finally, this study is an important foundation for further work that will converge biological BMC architecture with synthetic chemistry to facilitate biohybrid photocatalysis.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2026

Enhancing Value-Added CO Production from CO 2 Hydrogenation by Tailoring the Ru-CeO 2 Interface on MgO

Catalytic CO 2 hydrogenation presents a promising route for converting CO 2 into valuable products, contributing to the mitigation of net CO 2 emissions. Supported Ru catalysts have recently gained considerable attention due to their tunability for 100% CO selectivity via the reverse water-gas shift pathway, effectively suppressing the competing methanation route. However, despite achieving full CO selectivity, the overall CO yield remains limited by low CO 2 conversion, necessitating further improvement. In this work, CeO 2 was introduced to modify a Ru/MgO single-atom catalyst for CO 2 hydrogenation. The resulting Ru-CeO 2 /MgO catalyst, featuring abundant Ru-CeO 2 interfacial sites, exhibited a favorable balance of CO 2 conversion and CO selectivity, delivering the highest CO yield (32.5% at 500 °C), which is 9.0 and 1.8 times higher than that on Ru/MgO (3.6%) and Ru/CeO 2 (18.4%), respectively. Although the CO selectivity was slightly compromised due to enhanced CO binding at Ru-CeO 2 interfacial sites, H 2 was more efficiently activated at these interfaces and readily reacted with CO 2 adsorbed on CeO 2 -MgO surfaces, thereby boosting the CO 2 hydrogenation activity and CO yield. This study underscores the critical role of Ru-metal oxide interface engineering in improving CO yield and advancing the rational design of highly efficient Ru catalysts for CO production from CO 2 hydrogenation.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Vacancy Mediated Electrooxidation of 5‐Hydroxymethyl Furfuryl Using Defect Engineered Layered Double Hydroxide Electrocatalysts

Abstract Electrochemical biomass oxidation coupled with hydrogen evolution offers a promising route to generate value‐added chemicals and clean energy. The complex adsorption behavior of 5‐hydroxymethyl furfural (HMF) and hydroxyl ions (OH − ) on the electrocatalyst surface during HMF electrooxidation reaction (HMFOR) necessitates an in‐depth understanding of active sites available for adsorption. Herein, oxygen vacancy (V O ) defects are introduced in NiFe layered double hydroxide (LDH) using Ce dopants to manipulate electronic structure. Synchrotron‐based HE‐XRD and XAS indicate negligible V O in La‐doped NiFe while Ce doping leads to V O defects due to flexible Ce redox (Ce 3+ ↔ Ce 4+ ). The V O ‐rich Ce‐NiFe exhibits higher Faradic efficiency of ≈90% to produce 2,5‐furan dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), far greater than ≈60% for NiFe V O in Ce‐NiFe act as alternative active sites for OH − adsorption, hence reducing adsorption competition for the same metal sites. DFT calculation results corroborate experimental findings by showcasing that the presence of V O in Ce‐NiFe manipulates the adsorption energies and facilitates the chemical adsorption OH − in V O to improve HMFOR. In situ HE‐XRD derived pair distribution function coupled to RMC simulations confirm OH − trapping in V O and HMF adsorption on metal centers as evident by interlayer distance evolution. Taken together, this work showcases routes for dual‐site electrocatalyst design for improved biomass electrooxidation.

Chemistry↗
NASA NTRS1994

A format for the interchange of scheduling models

In recent years a variety of space-activity schedulers have been developed within the aerospace community. Space-activity schedulers are characterized by their need to handle large numbers of activities which are time-window constrained and make high demands on many scarce resources, but are minimally constrained by predecessor/successor requirements or critical paths. Two needs to exchange data between these schedulers have materialized. First, there is significant interest in comparing and evaluating the different scheduling engines to ensure that the best technology is applied to each scheduling endeavor. Second, there is a developing requirement to divide a single scheduling task among different sites, each using a different scheduler. In fact, the scheduling task for International Space Station Alpha (ISSA) will be distributed among NASA centers and among the international partners. The format used to interchange scheduling data for ISSA will likely use a growth version of the format discussed in this paper. The model interchange format (or MIF, pronounced as one syllable) discussed in this paper is a robust solution to the need to interchange scheduling requirements for space activities. It is highly extensible, human-readable, and can be generated or edited with common text editors. It also serves well the need to support a 'benchmark' data case which can be delivered on any computer platform.

Jaap, John P.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Commercial Fishing Port Development in North Florida

The author has identified the following significant results. Seven major counties were examined: Escambia, Bay, Gulf, Franklin, Wakulla, Nassau, and Duval. Population and economic activity were reviewed, along with commercial fishing and port facilities. Recommendations for five northwest Florida counties were based on interpretation of aerial photographs, satellite imagery, an aerial survey site visit, and published data. Major needs in Pensacola included docking, ice supply, and net and engine repair services. Costs for additional docks, an ice plant, and gear storage were estimated at $3,658,600. Port users in Panama City identified additional docking and gear storage as primary needs, along with gear repair and a marine railway. Estimated costs for dock and gear storage were $2,860,000. Added docking, gear storage, and ice supply, as well as gear electronics and diesel repair were needed in Port St. Joe. Costs were calculated at $1,231,500. Franklin County has three ports (Apalachicola - $1,107,000 for docks and gear storage, Eastpoint - $420,000 for additional docks, and Carrabella - $2,824,100 for docks, gear storage, and ice plant).

Mathis, K.↗
DOE OSTI2024

FEED Study of CarbonCapture Inc DAC and CarbonCure Utilization Technologies Using United States Steel’s Gary Works Plant Waste Heat (Final Report)

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) led this project to produce a front-end engineering design (FEED) study of an advanced Direct Air Capture and Utilization System (DACUS) system that can remove a minimum of 5,000 tonnes/yr net of carbon dioxide from air (based on cradle-to-gate LCA) and utilizing the CO 2 to produce low carbon intensity ready mix concrete. The designed system, if built, would be larger than any currently existing Direct Air Capture (DAC) collector in the U.S. Such carbon capture technologies are critical to meeting the goals of the DOE’s program to accelerate climate-critical technology. In addition to the power sector, industrial facilities for the manufacture of steel and cement/concrete are among the major sources of anthropogenic CO 2 . DAC is a promising new technology for reducing CO 2 , a potent greenhouse gas, in the atmosphere but is expensive, in part due to the energy required to adsorb and desorb captured CO 2 during cycles. By integrating CarbonCapture Inc. (CCI) DAC modules at United States Steel's Gary Works (USS) and utilizing the site's waste heat, energy, and location this project evaluates the feasibility of utilizing the captured CO 2 and the logistics of transportation. CarbonCapture Inc. has developed an innovative DAC system using novel adsorbents to cost-effectively capture CO 2 . The captured, liquified gas will be trucked to ready-mix concrete plants within the region, the closest of which is approximately 3.5 miles away, where CarbonCure will inject it into concrete during the mixing process at the facilities. The carbon dioxide reacts with concrete, mineralizing into calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), permanently locking the greenhouse gas into the matrix of the building material. This FEED study demonstrated a full CO 2 value chain for DACUS from industrial facilities. It also provided a means for Visage Energy Corp. (Visage) to assess the impact of this holistic approach on job creation, regional economic impact, and environmental justice. The project team also included Sargent & Lundy (S&L) to provide the constructability review and costing of the integration of the DAC with the steel plant. Ecotek Engineering USA, LLC designed the outside battery limit (OSBL) infrastructure to connect the DAC and the plant. Activities performed during the project included: (1) Project Management Plan; (2) Technology Maturation Plan (TMP); (3) Initial Workforce Readiness Plan; (4) Workforce Readiness Plan; (5) Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) Study; (6) Project Design Basis; (7) Hazards and Operability (HAZOP) Study; (8) Constructability Review; (9) Project Cost Assessment; (10) Logistics Analysis of CO 2 Transportation to the Utilization Site; (11) Business Case Analysis; (12) Life Cycle Analysis (LCA); (13) Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) Analysis; (14) Environmental Justice Analysis; and (15) Economic Revitalization and Job Creation Outcomes Analysis. This report provides a summary of the outcomes and results of the project, which was performed between Oct. 1, 2022, through Sept. 30, 2024.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Selective semihydrogenation of acetylene in ethylene using defect-rich boron nitride catalyst from flux reconstruction

Efficient removal of trace acetylene from ethylene streams is essential for producing polymer-grade ethylene, yet achieving highly selective semihydrogenation without over-hydrogenation remains a long-standing challenge. A key barrier is the lack of a simple, low-cost catalyst that can activate hydrogen effectively while preventing ethylene from reacting further. Here we show that defect-rich boron nitride, prepared through a straightforward flux reconstruction method, serves as a highly selective and metal-free catalyst for acetylene semihydrogenation. The catalyst contains abundant open boron and nitrogen sites that enable efficient hydrogen activation and rapid release of ethylene, thereby avoiding over-hydrogenation. Experiments combined with isotope labeling and theoretical analysis reveal that these defects lower the energy barrier for hydrogen activation while accelerating product desorption. Our findings demonstrate a scalable strategy for defect engineering in boron nitride and highlight its potential as a robust, sustainable alternative to metal-based catalysts in industrial ethylene purification.

Wang, Tao [Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), O↗
NASA NTRS2003

An Integrated Approach to Thermal Management of International Space Station Logistics Flights, Improving the Efficiency

The efficiency of re-useable aerospace systems requires a focus on the total operations process rather than just orbital performance. For the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module this activity included special attention to terrestrial conditions both pre-launch and post-landing and how they inter-relate to the mission profile. Several of the efficiencies implemented for the MPLM Mission Engineering were NASA firsts and all served to improve the overall operations activities. This paper will provide an explanation of how various issues were addressed and the resulting solutions. Topics range from statistical analysis of over 30 years of atmospheric data at the launch and landing site to a new approach for operations with the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft. In each situation the goal was to "tune" the thermal management of the overall flight system for minimizing requirement risk while optimizing power and energy performance.

Holladay, Jon↗
NASA NTRS2010

Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO): Observations for Lunar Exploration and Science

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) was implemented to facilitate scientific and engineering-driven mapping of the lunar surface at new spatial scales and with new remote sensing methods, identify safe landing sites, search for in situ resources, and measure the space radiation environment. After its successful launch on June 18,2009, the LRO spacecraft and instruments were activated and calibrated in an eccentric polar lunar orbit until September 15, when LRO was moved to a circular polar orbit with a mean altitude of 50 km. LRO will operate for at least one year to support the goals of NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD), and for at least two years of extended operations for additional lunar science measurements supported by NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD). LRO carries six instruments with associated science and exploration investigations, and a telecommunications/radar technology demonstration. The LRO instruments are: Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER), Diviner Lunar Radiometer Experiment (DLRE), Lyman-Alpha Mapping Project (LAMP), Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND), Lunar Orbiter Laser Altimeter (LOLA), and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). The technology demonstration is a compact, dual-frequency, hybrid polarity synthetic aperture radar instrument (Mini-RF). LRO observations also support the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS), the lunar impact mission that was co-manifested with LRO on the Atlas V (401) launch vehicle. This paper describes the LRO objectives and measurements that support exploration of the Moon and that address the science objectives outlined by the National Academy of Science's report on the Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon (SCEM). We also describe data accessibility by the science and exploration community.

Vondrak, Richard↗