Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “sample return missions”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 1,387 records · Page 77
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multiscale Modeling of Woven Ablative Thermal Protection System Materials

The NASA Entry Systems Modeling project maintains a portfolio of computational model and tool development activities focused on reducing performance uncertainties in ablative Thermal Protection System (TPS) materials for NASA missions. The development activities span material scale and strive to allow microstructural characterization of material structure and properties, mesoscale analyses of damage, and macroscale evaluation of heatshield performance and recession in a given aerothermodynamic environment. This talk will detail the application of developed capabilities at all three scales to the woven TPS material that the Agency has selected as the heatshield for the Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System (MSR-EES) mission – 3D Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP). Each of the applications focuses on driving down uncertainties in material performance and thus risk for MSR-EES and other future missions that may leverage woven TPS. At the microscale, machine learning techniques are used to characterize images from destructive microscopy and inform structural variability. At the mesoscale, Lagrangian techniques are used to simulate ballistic impact and interpret damage modes noted in experiments. At the macroscale, coupled flow-material response techniques are validated by Arc Jet testing to enable heatshield design for missions with massive ablation.

Justin B Haskins↗
NASA NTRS1998

On-Orbit Teflon FEP Degradation

During the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Second Servicing Mission (SM2), degradation of unsupported Teflon' FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), used as the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets, was evident as large cracks on the telescope light shield. A sample of the degraded outer layer was retrieved during the mission and returned to Earth for ground testing and evaluation. The results of the Teflon FEP sample evaluation and additional testing of pristine Teflon FEP led the investigative team to theorize that the HST damage was caused by thermal cycling with deep-layer damage from electron and proton radiation which allowed the propagation of cracks along stress concentrations, and that the damage increased with the combined total dose of electrons, protons, LTV and x-rays along with thermal cycling. This paper discusses the testing and evaluation of the Teflon FEP.

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Planetary sample rapid recovery and handling

Methods for recovering and cost effectively handling planetary samples following return to the vicinity of Earth were designed for planetary mission planners. Three topics are addressed: (1) a rough cost estimate was produced for each of a series of options for the handling of planetary samples following their return to the vicinity of Earth; (2) the difficulty of quickly retrieving planetary samples from low circular and high elliptical Earth orbit is assessed; and (3) a conceptual design for a biological isolation and thermal control system for the returned sample and spacecraft is developed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM)

Mission Description and Objectives: NASA's Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) consists of two mission segments: 1) the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM), a robotic mission to visit a large (greater than approximately 100 meters diameter) near-Earth asteroid (NEA), collect a multi-ton boulder from its surface along with regolith samples, and return the asteroidal material to a stable orbit around the Moon; and 2) the Asteroid Redirect Crewed Mission (ARCM), in which astronauts will explore and investigate the boulder and return to Earth with samples. The ARRM is currently planned to launch at the end of 2021 and the ARCM is scheduled for late 2026.

Abell, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

NASA Space Technology Draft Roadmap Area 13: Ground and Launch Systems Processing

This slide presentation reviews the technology development roadmap for the area of ground and launch systems processing. The scope of this technology area includes: (1) Assembly, integration, and processing of the launch vehicle, spacecraft, and payload hardware (2) Supply chain management (3) Transportation of hardware to the launch site (4) Transportation to and operations at the launch pad (5) Launch processing infrastructure and its ability to support future operations (6) Range, personnel, and facility safety capabilities (7) Launch and landing weather (8) Environmental impact mitigations for ground and launch operations (9) Launch control center operations and infrastructure (10) Mission integration and planning (11) Mission training for both ground and flight crew personnel (12) Mission control center operations and infrastructure (13) Telemetry and command processing and archiving (14) Recovery operations for flight crews, flight hardware, and returned samples. This technology roadmap also identifies ground, launch and mission technologies that will: (1) Dramatically transform future space operations, with significant improvement in life-cycle costs (2) Improve the quality of life on earth, while exploring in co-existence with the environment (3) Increase reliability and mission availability using low/zero maintenance materials and systems, comprehensive capabilities to ascertain and forecast system health/configuration, data integration, and the use of advanced/expert software systems (4) Enhance methods to assess safety and mission risk posture, which would allow for timely and better decision making. Several key technologies are identified, with a couple of slides devoted to one of these technologies (i.e., corrosion detection and prevention). Development of these technologies can enhance life on earth and have a major impact on how we can access space, eventually making routine commercial space access and improve building and manufacturing, and weather forecasting for example for the effect of these process improvements on our daily lives.

Clements, Greg↗
NASA NTRS2018

Temperature Constraints on the Storage and Curation of Volatile-Rich Samples from the Lunar Poles

Final Document is attached. Introduction: NASA's Lunar Exploration Campaign includes Lunar sample return efforts beginning in the mid-2020's and human landed missions in the late 2020's-early 2030's. Volatile-rich samples from the Lunar poles will be high-priority targets due to their resource potential for human explorers and high science value. In order to precisely characterize the nature of these polar volatile materials upon return to Earth, they will need to be transported and curated under conditions that minimize their chemical and physical alteration. NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 7100.10F mandates the preservation of existing extraterrestrial samples with minimal alteration, extensive and quantitative documentation of alteration that is provided to investigators, and "the development of long-range plans" for samples yet to be acquired. This abstract summarizes new efforts by the Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at JSC to assess the optimal

Mitchell, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Asteroid mission alternatives

The options for asteroid missions are evaluated within the constraints of existing or planned launch vehicles and low-thrust propulsion systems. A wide variety of missions is possible, including flyby, rendezvous, and even sample return. The multi-asteroid rendezvous concept requires an ion drive low-thrust propulsion system of the type being developed for a comet rendezvous. It is indicated that there are plentiful opportunities for such missions to visit four asteroids with stay times of 60-90 days each and with transit times between rendezvous of the order of a year.

Niehoff, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Toxicological Assessment of ISS Air Quality: April - May 2013

A summary of the analytical results from 4 mini-grab sample (mGSCs) collected on ISS and returned aboard 33S is shown in Table 1. Due to the launch delay of the ATV4 resupply mission, monthly samples were reduced in April and May by omitting sampling of the Service Module in order to ensure contingency samplers were available if needed. Complete data tables of all measured concentrations and corresponding T-values based on 180-day SMACs are enclosed. detection limit for all target compounds, except m/p-xylenes and hexachloro-1, 3-butadiene was 0.025 mg/cu m. The detection limit for m/p-xylenes and hexachloro-1, 3-butadiene and all non-target compounds was 0.05 mg/cu m. The average recoveries of the 3 surrogate standards from the mGSCs were as follows: C-13-acetone, 116 +/- 12%; D-5-fluorobenzene, 117 +/- 7%; and D-5-chlorobenzene, 111 +/- 15%. Initial measured sample pressures were between 13.9 and 14.1 psia for all samples, indicating nominal sample collection. A summary of the analytical results from 3 pairs of passive-diffusion formaldehyde badges collected on ISS and returned aboard 33S is also provided in Table 1. In an effort to conserve samples due to the delay of the ATV4 resupply mission, FMK sampling was only conducted in the US Lab in May. Positive control recoveries (1 trip and 2 lab controls) were 79%, 87%, and 116% respectively.

Meyers, Valerie↗
NASA NTRS1998

On-Orbit Teflon(trademark) FEP Degradation

During the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Second Servicing Mission (SM2), degradation of unsupported Teflon(trademark) FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), used as the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets, was evident as large cracks on the telescope light shield. A sample of the degraded outer layer was retrieved during the mission and returned to Earth for ground testing and evaluation. The results of the Teflon(trademark) FEP sample evaluation and additional testing of pristine Teflon(trademark) FEP led the investigative team to theorize that the HST damage was caused by thermal cycling with deep-layer damage from electron and proton radiation which allowed the propagation of cracks along stress concentrations, and that the damage increased with the combined total dose of electrons, protons, UV and x-rays along with thermal cycling. This paper discusses the testing and evaluation of the Teflon(trademark) FEP.

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

On-Orbit Teflon(R) FEP Degradation

During the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Second Servicing Mission (SM2), degradation of unsupported Teflon(R) FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), used as the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets, was evident as large cracks on the telescope light shield. A sample of the degraded outer layer was retrieved during the mission and returned to Earth for ground testing and evaluation. The results of the Teflon(R) FEP sample evaluation and additional testing of pristine Teflon(R) FEP led the investigative team to theorize that the HST damage was caused by thermal cycling with deep-layer damage from electron and proton radiation which allowed the propagation of cracks along stress concentrations, and that the damage increased with the combined total dose of electrons, protons, UV and x-rays along with thermal cycling. This paper discusses the testing and evaluation of the Teflon(R) FEP.

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

On-Orbit Teflon(trademark) FEP Degradation

During the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Second Servicing Mission (SM2), degradation of unsupported Teflon(trademark) FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), used as the outer layer of the multi-layer insulation (MLI) blankets, was evident as large cracks on the telescope light shield. A sample of the degraded outer layer was retrieved during the mission and returned to Earth for ground testing and evaluation. The results of the Teflon(trademark) FEP sample evaluation and additional testing of pristine Teflon FEP led the investigative team to theorize that the HST damage was caused by thermal cycling with deep-layer damage from electron and proton radiation which allowed the propagation of cracks along stress concentrations, and that the damage increased with the combined total dose of electrons, protons, UV and x-rays along with thermal cycling. This paper discusses the testing and evaluation of the Teflon(trademark) FEP.

Townsend, Jacqueline↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Apollo 17 mare basalts: Serenely sampling Taurus-Littrow

As we are all aware, the Apollo 17 mission marked the final manned lunar landing of the Apollo program. The lunar module (LM) landed approximately 0.7 km due east of Camelot Crater in the Taurus-Littrow region on the southwestern edge of Mare Serenitatis. Three extravehicular activities (EVA's) were performed, the first concentrating around the LM and including station 1 approximately 1.1 km south-southeast of the LM at the northwestern edge of Steno Crater. The second traversed approximately 8 km west of the LM to include stations 2, 3, 4, and 5, and the third EVA traversed approximately 4.5 km to the northwest of the LM to include stations 6, 7, 8, and 9. This final manned mission returned the largest quantity of lunar rock samples, 110.5 kg/243.7 lb, and included soils, breccias, highland samples, and mare basalts. This abstract concentrates upon the Apollo 17 mare basalt samples.

Neal, Clive R.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 1999

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located in the foothills near Pasadena, California, is the nation's lead center for the robotic exploration of space. Intense activity in space missions was the hallmark of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a new generation of smaller, less expensive spacecraft were sent out from Earth. From late 1998 to mid-1999, JPL launched a craft testing a futuristic ion engine, an orbiter and lander bound for Mars, a mission to fly by a comet and return a sample of its dust to Earth, a small infrared telescope, and an Earth-circling satellite that uses radar to gauge winds over the oceans. This unprecedented schedule resulted in spectacular achievements, tempered by highly visible mission losses. Weighed together, the successes and failures dramatically underscored the difficulty and risk involved in the unique business of space science and exploration. Among the achievements, the ion-engine-powered Deep Space 1, comet-bound Stardust and Earth-orbiting SeaWinds were joined by such ongoing missions as Mars Global Surveyor, Galileo and Cassini in delivering on their promise and, in some cases, providing surprising new views of space and Earth. At the same time, mission teams were disappointed by the losses of an orbiter and lander at Mars, as well as a small infrared telescope. JPL worked closely with NASA to learn from these experiences and build successful future missions. The Laboratory also achieved a key goal by winning the International Organization of Standards' 'ISO 9001' certification - a standard shared by the world's best engineering organizations. As the year rolled to a close, clocks rolled over from 1999 to 2000. Operations teams at JPL and NASA watched with satisfaction as a major campaign of Year 2000 readiness paid off with no problems among the thousands of computer systems that support the Laboratory's missions. With that auspicious beginning, JPL was positioned to step into the 21st century and embark on even yet unimagined future explorations.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS2000

Cleaning at the Edge of Science: NASA's Genesis Mission

As part of NASA's continuing exploration of the origins of our solar system, the California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lockheed Martin Astronautics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and the Johnson Space Center are working together to develop the Genesis mission to return solar matter for analysis in terrestrial laboratories. These samples will be used to define a baseline for the chemical and isotopic composition of the solar nebula. Deviations from the baseline resulted as the solar system evolved; thus, providing a tracer for materials incorporated into meteorites, comets and planetary bodies. These differences represent "fossil residues" that provide invaluable insight into how the solar nebula evolved to form the planets. We cannot collect a sample of the Sun as we would for a planet; fortunately, solar material comes to us in the form of the solar wind. Ultrapure materials will be exposed at the Earth-Sun L1, outside the Earth's magnetic influence, where solar wind nuclei will be captured for 2 years before returning to Earth in January 2001. The key challenge to obtaining a good sample of solar wind, uncontaminated by terrestrial atoms, is a clean collection surface in a clean sample canister and clean facilities with which to handle the samples for allocation and future reference. The Johnson Space Center QSQ is responsible for contamination control for the mission, for ensuring the cleanliness of collection surfaces and providing a clean environment for their subsequent handling. The level of cleanliness required is high; at the time of analysis (after sample return), the surface contamination by C, N, O must each be less than 10(exp 15) atoms per centimeter squared and for elements other than C, N, O, the number of atoms per centimeter squared of each surface contaminant shall not exceed the estimated solar wind fluence of the species (varies by element between U at approx. 10 (exp 4) atoms per centimeter squared to Fe, Si, Mg, and Ne at approx. 10(exp 12), atoms per centimeter squared). Typical spacecraft assembly is done in class 10,000 cleanrooms. The final cleaning and reintegration of the Genesis payload canister as well as all sample material handling will be done within a class 10 cleanroom using Dryden suits to protect the collector materials from any human debris. Each component is unique, no standard size, shape, material, or precleaning history. We are developing new final cleaning techniques utilizing ultra-pure water to minimize molecular residues on the hardware components.

Stansbery, Eileen K.↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Miniature Laser Desorption/Ionization Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometer for in Situ Analysis of Mars Surface Composition and Identification of Hazard in Advance of Future Manned Exploration

Future landed missions to Mars will be guided by two strategic directions: (1) sample return to Earth, for comprehensive compositional analyses, as recommended by the 2011 NRC Planetary Decadal Survey; and (2) preparation for human exploration in the 2030s and beyond, as laid out by US space policy. The resultant mission architecture will likely require high-fidelity in situ chemical/organic sample analyses within an extremely constrained resource envelope. Both science goals (e.g., MEPAG Goal 1, return sample selection, etc.) as well as identification of any potential toxic and biological hazards to humans, must be addressed. Over the past several years of instrument development, we have found that the adaptable, compact, and highly capable technique of laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LD-TOF-MS) has significant potential to contribute substantially to these dual objectives. This concept thus addresses Challenge Area 1: instrumentation and Investigation Approaches.

Getty, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Constraints on Exposure Ages of Lunar and Asteroidal Regolith Particles

Mineral grains in lunar and asteroidal regolith samples provide a unique record of their interaction with the space environment. Exposure to the solar wind results in implantation effects that are preserved in the rims of grains (typically the outermost 100 nm), while impact processes result in the accumulation of vapor-deposited elements, impact melts and adhering grains on particle surfaces. These processes are collectively referred to as space weathering. A critical element in the study of these processes is to determine the rate at which these effects accumulate in the grains during their space exposure. For small particulate samples, one can use the density of solar flare particle tracks to infer the length of time the particle was at the regolith surface (i.e., its exposure age). We have developed a new technique that enables more accurate determination of solar flare particle track densities in mineral grains <50 micron in size that utilizes focused ion beam (FIB) sample preparation combined with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) imaging. We have applied this technique to lunar soil grains from the Apollo 16 site (soil 64501) and most recently to samples from asteroid 25143 Itokawa returned by the Hayabusa mission. Our preliminary results show that the Hayabusa grains have shorter exposure ages compared to typical lunar soil grains. We will use these techniques to re-examine the track density-exposure age calibration from lunar samples reported by Blanford et al. (1975).

Berger, Eve L.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Planning Related to the Curation and Processing of Returned Martian Samples

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office (henceforth referred to herein as NASA Curation Office) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is responsible for curating all of NASA’s extraterrestrial samples. Under the governing document, NASA Policy Directive (NPD) 7100.10E “Curation of Extraterrestrial Materials”, JSC is charged with “the curation of all extraterrestrial material under NASA control, including future NASA missions.” The Directive goes on to define Curation as including “…documentation, preservation, preparation, and distribution of samples for research, education, and public outreach.” Here we describe some of the ongoing planning efforts in curation as they pertain to the return of martian samples in a future, as of yet unplanned, mission.

McCubbin, Francis M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Hubble Space Telescope Metallized Teflon(registered trademark) FEP Thermal Control Materials: On-Orbit Degradation and Post-Retrieval Analysis

During the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Second Servicing Mission (SM2), degradation of unsupported Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP (fluorinated ethylene propylene), used as the outer layer of the multilayer insulation (MLI) blankets, was evident as large cracks on the telescope light shield. A sample of the degraded outer layer was retrieved during the mission and returned to Earth for ground testing and evaluation. The results of the Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP sample evaluation and additional testing of pristine Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP led the investigative team to theorize that the HST damage was caused by thermal cycling with deep-layer damage from electron and proton radiation which allowed the propagation of cracks along stress concentrations , and that the damage increased with the combined total dose of electrons, protons, UV and x-rays along with thermal cycling. This paper discusses the testing and evaluation of the retrieved Teflon(Registered Trademark) FEP.

Townsend, Jacqueline A.↗