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At least 1,603 records · Page 89

Sampling and Analysis of Impact Crater Residues Found on the Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 Radiator

After nearly 16 years in low Earth orbit (LEO), the Wide Field Planetary Camera-2 (WFPC2) was recovered from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) in May 2009, during the 12 day shuttle mission designated STS-125. The WFPC-2 radiator had been struck by approximately 700 impactors producing crater features 300 microns and larger in size. Following optical inspection in 2009, agreement was reached for joint NASA-ESA study of crater residues, in 2011. Over 480 impact features were extracted at NASA Johnson Space Center's (JSC) Space Exposed Hardware clean-room and curation facility during 2012, and were shared between NASA and ESA. We describe analyses conducted using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) - energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX): by NASA at JSC's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science (ARES) Division; and for ESA at the Natural History Museum (NHM), with Ion beam analysis (IBA) using a scanned proton microbeam at the University of Surrey Ion Beam Centre (IBC).

Kearsley, A. T.↗

Characterization of Monomethyihydrazine (MMH) Non-Volatile Residue

The Space Shuttle program has a unique propellant purity requirement for determination of nonvolatile residue (NVR) in monomethylhydrazine (MMH). TIis requirement differs from the Military Specification procurement specification by requiring a NVR analysis with a limit of less than or equal to 10 milligrams per liter. In June 2008, a routine MMH replenishment delivery was transferred into a NASA KSC owned tanker for future delivery to the Space Shuffle pad MMH storage tank. Per Shuffle standard operating procedure, the receiving tanker was sampled and analyzed for purity and surprisingly it failed the Shuttle use NVR specification limit. Detailed examination of the NVR revealed that it was fundamentally different than the typical MMH NVR. This paper will examine various aspects of NVR determination in MMH and the analytical characterization processes used to identify the NVR.

Davis, Chuck↗

Monte-Carlo Simulations of the Suzaku-XRS Residual Background Spectrum

Cryogenic micro-calorimeters are suitable to detect small amounts of energy deposited by electromagnetic and nuclear interactions, which makes them attractive in a variety of applications on ground and in space. The only X-ray microcalorimeter that operated in orbit to date is the X-Ray Spectrometer on-board of the Japanese Suzaku satellite. We discuss the analysis of the components of its residual background spectrum with the support of Monte-Carlo simulations.

X-ray↗

Effect of Residual Noncondensables on Pressurization and Pressure Control of a Zero-Boil-Off Tank in Microgravity

The Zero-Boil-Off Tank (ZBOT) Experiment is a small-scale experiment that uses a transparent ventless Dewar and a transparent simulant phase-change fluid to study sealed tank pressurization and pressure control with applications to on-surface and in-orbit storage of propellant cryogens. The experiment will be carried out under microgravity conditions aboard the International Space Station in the 2014 timeframe. This paper presents preliminary results from ZBOT's ground-based research that focuses on the effects of residual noncondensable gases in the ullage on both pressurization and pressure reduction trends in the sealed Dewar. Tank pressurization is accomplished through heating of the test cell wall in the wetted and un-wetted regions simultaneously or separately. Pressure control is established through mixing and destratification of the bulk liquid using a temperature controlled forced jet flow with different degrees of liquid jet subcooling. A Two-Dimensional axisymmetric two-phase CFD model for tank pressurization and pressure control is also presented. Numerical prediction of the model are compared to experimental 1g results to both validate the model and also indicate the effect of the noncondensable gas on evolution of pressure and temperature distributions in the ullage during pressurization and pressure control. Microgravity simulations case studies are also performed using the validated model to underscore and delineate the profound effect of the noncondensables on condensation rates and interfacial temperature distributions with serious implications for tank pressure control in reduced gravity.

Marangoni and Natural Convection↗

Variations in Surface Texture of the North Polar Residual Cap of Mars

The northern polar residual cap (NPRC) of Mars is a water ice deposit with a rough surface made up of pits, knobs, and linear depressions on scales of tens of meters. This roughness manifests as a series of bright mounds and dark hollows in visible images; these bright and dark patches have a characteristic wavelength and orientation. Spectral data indicate that the surface of the NPRC is composed of large-grained (and therefore old) water ice. Due to the presence of this old ice, it is thought that the NPRC is in a current state of net loss of material a result potentially at odds with impact crater statistics, which suggest ongoing deposition over the past 10-20 Kyr.

Mars↗

Influence of Surface Properties and Impact Conditions on Insect Residue Adhesion

Airflow over airfoils used on current commercial aircraft transitions from laminar to turbulent at relatively low chord positions. As a result, drag increases, requiring more thrust to maintain flight. An airfoil with increased laminar flow would experience reduced drag and a lower fuel burn rate. One of the objectives of NASA's Environmentally Responsible Aviation project is to identify and demonstrate technologies that will enable more environmentally friendly commercial aircraft. While more aerodynamically efficient airfoil shapes can be designed, surface contamination from ice, dirt, pollen, runway debris, and insect residue can degrade performance.

Wohl, Christopher J.↗

Modified Surface Having Low Adhesion Properties to Mitigate Insect Residue Adhesion

A process to modify a surface to provide reduced adhesion surface properties to mitigate insect residue adhesion. The surface may include the surface of an article including an aircraft, an automobile, a marine vessel, all-terrain vehicle, wind turbine, helmet, etc. The process includes topographically and chemically modifying the surface by applying a coating comprising a particulate matter, or by applying a coating and also topographically modifying the surface by various methods, including but not limited to, lithographic patterning, laser ablation and chemical etching, physical vapor phase deposition, chemical vapor phase deposition, crystal growth, electrochemical deposition, spin casting, and film casting.

Wohl, Christopher J., Jr.↗

Sugars and Sugar Derivatives in Residues Produced from the UV Irradiation of Astrophysical Ice Analogs

Carbonaceous chondrites contain a large variety of organic compounds of prebiotic interest, which include amino acids, amphiphiles, nucleobases, and sugar derivatives. The presence of these compounds strongly suggests that molecules essential to life can form abiotically under astrophysical conditions. Among the sugar derivatives reported in the Murchison and Murray meteorites, only one sugar (dihydroxyacetone) was found, together with a variety of sugar alcohols and sugar acids containing up to 6 carbon atoms, including sugar acid derivatives of the biological sugars ribose and glucose. On the other hand, laboratory studies on the formation of complex organic molecules from the ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of simulated astrophysical ice mixtures consisting of H2O, CO, CO2, CH3OH, CH4, NH3, etc., at low temperature have been routinely carried out in the past 15 years. These studies have shown that the organic residues recovered at room temperature contain amino acids, amphiphiles, nucleobases, as well as other complex organics, supporting a scenario in which molecules of prebiotic interest can form in extra-terrestrial environments.

Astrochemistry↗

Effect of Mechanical and Thermal Loading Histories on Residual Properties of SiCf/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

Silicon Carbide based Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs) are attractive materials for use in high-temperature structural applications in the aerospace and nuclear industries. Under high stresses and temperatures, creep degradation is the dominant damage mechanism in CMCs. Consequently, chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) SiCf/SiC ceramic matrix composites (CMC) incorporating SylramicTM-iBN SiC fibers coated with boron nitride (BN) interphase and CVI-SiC matrix were tested to examine creep behavior in air at a range of elevated temperatures of (2200 - 2700 F). Samples that survived creep tests were evaluated via RT fast fracture tensile tests to determine residual properties, with the use of acoustic emission (AE) to assess stress dependent damage initiation and progression. Microscopy of regions within the gage section of the tested specimens was performed. Observed material degradation mechanisms are discussed.

creep↗

Investigation of Stiffening and Curvature Effects on the Residual Strength of Composite Stiffened Panels with Large Transverse Notches

Design of robust aircraft structure requires consideration of the load-carrying capability with large damage. Large notches, typically introduced as machined cracks (aka "notches") severing a single skin bay and a central stiffening member, are often used to conservatively address the wide range of possible large damage scenarios. The objective of the current effort was to develop more generalized and rapid analysis methods addressing large-notch residual strength of stiffened panels to support preliminary design activities..

Enjuto, Patrick↗

Residual Stress Mapping of As-Built and Hot Isostatic Pressure Treated GRCop-84 as Fabricated by Selective Laser Melting

GRCop-84, a copper alloy developed by NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) with the starting At% (atomic percent) Cu-8 Cr-4 Nb, has a copper matrix with a fine intermetallic dispersion of Cr2Nb (cubic Laves phase C15). The alloy is being developed for high-heat-flux applications and has excellent high temperature properties including retention of tensile strength at high temperatures, high thermal conductivity, and excellent creep resistance. GRCop-84 has shown higher survivability rates than other metal additive alloys, good surface finish, and requires less operator tweaking for builds, and this is not fully understood. Neutron diffraction provides an accurate, non-destructive method of measuring the thermal stresses accumulated during production; the primary source of failure before annealing. The unstressed lattice spacing (d (sub 0)), residual stress, and distribution have been characterized for simple shapes in HIP (Hot Isostatic Pressing,) and as-built conditions made with SLM (Selective Laser Melting), a powder bed fusion method, with the HIP samples showing significantly reduced stresses concentrations than the as-built.

Minnecci, Robert↗

Water Ice Cloud Feedbacks over the North Polar Residual Cap at Moderate Obliquity

Several global climate modeling studies have now shown that water ice clouds can warm the surface 10s of K at moderate obliquities [1,2,3]. Significant greenhouse warming occurs because the predicted clouds are optically thick, the cloud particles are large enough to efficiently interact with infrared radiation, and the clouds either form at or are transported to high altitudes where the atmosphere is cold. Radiativedynamic feedbacks play a critical role in producing the conditions needed for a strong cloud greenhouse. Two feedbacks have been identified: one involves atmospheric warming by clouds aloft at lower latitudes. These clouds are generally associated with the global Hadley circulation. The second feedback involves clouds that form over the North Polar Residual Cap (NPRC) during summer. These clouds are more closely associated with the regional polar circulation. We focus here on the second of these feedbacks with the goal of understanding the details of the interactions between sublimation, cloud formation and transport in the north polar region. We show that these feedbacks strongly control the wetness of the atmosphere and the strength of the cloud greenhouse at moderate obliquity.

Kahre, M. A.↗

Connecting Crop Productivity, Residue Fires, and Air Quality over Northern India

Northwestern India is known as the “breadbasket” of the country producing two-thirds of food grains, with wheat and rice as the principal crops grown under the crop rotation system. Agricultural data from India indicates a 25% increase in the post-monsoon rice crop production in Punjab during 2002–2016. NASA’s A-train satellite sensors detect a consistent increase in the vegetation index (net 21%) and post-harvest agricultural fire activity (net ~60%) leading to nearly 43% increase in aerosol loading over the populous Indo-Gangetic Plain in northern India. The ground-level particulate matter (PM2.5) downwind over New Delhi shows a concurrent uptrend of net 60%. The effectiveness of a robust satellite-based relationship between vegetation index—a proxy for crop amounts, and post-harvest fires—a precursor of extreme air pollution events, has been further demonstrated in predicting the seasonal agricultural burning. An efficient crop residue management system is critically needed towards eliminating open field burning to mitigate episodic hazardous air quality over northern India.

Hiren Jethva↗

Residual Study: Testing Jupiter Atmosphere Models Against Juno MWR Observations

The Juno spacecraft provides unique close-up views of Jupiter underneath the synchrotron radiation belts while circling Jupiter in its 53-day orbits. The microwave radiometer (MWR) onboard measures Jupiter thermal radiation at wavelengths between 1.37 and 50 cm, penetrating the atmosphere to a pressure of a few hundred bars and greater. The mission provides the first measurements of Jupiter's deep atmosphere, down to ~250 bars in pressure, constraining the vertical distributions of its kinetic temperature and constituents. As a result, vertical structure models of Jupiter's atmosphere may now be tested by comparison with MWR data. Taking into account the MWR beam patterns and observation geometries, we test several published Jupiter atmospheric models against MWR data. Our residual analysis confirms Li et al.'s (2017, https://doi.org/10.1002/2017GL073159) result that ammonia depletion persists down to 50–60 bars where ground-based Very Large Array was not able to observe. We also present an extension of the study that iteratively improves the input model and generates Jupiter brightness temperature maps which best match the MWR data. A feature of Juno's north-to-south scanning approach is that latitudinal structure is more easily obtained than longitudinal, and the creation of optimum two-dimensional maps is addressed in this approach.

Zhimeng Zhang↗

In-Situ Reaction Monitoring for Lunar Applications Utilizing a Single Quadrupole Residual Gas Analyzer

With a revived focus to create a permeant presence on the moon and in preparation for future Mars exploration, it is imperative that all re-sources are utilized to their fullest potential. In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) will be critical for future mission success as it would enable independent operation of missions while minimally relying on the complex supply chain created between the Earth, moon and Mars. One of the most critical resources that have been identified for ISRU is the creation of liquid oxygen (O2) for not only breathable air, but also for rocket fuel. On the moon and potentially Mars, one of the most O2 rich resources is in the presence of regolith. Although there are numerous minerals within regolith and various processes to extract O2, this is not the scope of this paper. Since the O2 extraction method can vary, a critical standardized analytical method is needed to verify O2 (or oxygenated precursor compounds) for extraction efficiency and purity. Our group utilizes a modified consumer off-the-shelf (COTS), Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS). Due to the current field mission requirements, the gas analysis module will need to rely only on mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) and peak intensities to differentiate and quantitate targeted gas-phase reactants or products, i.e. carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2). However, due to solar wind implanted volatiles and various other compounds present in lunar regolith, such as nitrogen (N2), helium (He), and deuterium (D2), deconvolution and quantification of isobaric compounds becomes quite difficult. Specifically, the presence of N2 makes quantification of CO, an oxygenated precursor, difficult due to both compounds having a peak at m/z 28. Approaches to differentiate isobaric components: Initially, the solution to overcome isobaric overlap was to use isotopic ratios, particularly be-tween carbon-13 and nitrogen-15. Although limited literature discuss isotopic composition and attempt to quantify the ratios, variation is particularly high and limited to a few lunar regolith samples. The following were identified as potential approaches to quantify isobaric species, N2 and CO, using our RGA. Threshold Ionization. CO and N2 both have peaks at m/z 28, but only N2 is capable of producing a peak at m/z 7. While a N2 peak at m/z 7 is generally rare, instrument parameters can be optimized in order to maximize the peak intensity. Typically a standard ionization energy of 70 eV is used to monitor a batch process and would produce reliable results for a majority of the reactants or products that we are interested in quantifying. However, to analyze the rare molecular fragment of N2 (N2+ at m/z 7), a different ionization energy may be beneficial. Threshold Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) will be explored to optimize the N2+ peak at m/z 7 by varying parameters such as ionization energy and pressure. Therefore, a quantitative value at m/z 7 will be used to determine the product gas concentration of N2, which will be subtracted from the total concentration determined at m/z 28 enabling us to approximate the amount of CO. Secondary Detector (infrared gas detector, IR). Another approach to quantitate and differentiate be-tween isobaric components is to leverage alternative modes of detection. Unlike mass spectrometry, which generally uses a separation step prior to analysis (i.e. gas chromatography), IR produces energy that is specifically absorbed depending on the bond and configuration of the molecule. This technique could be leveraged since it is generally only active on non-symmetric molecules, i.e. CO. Utilizing concentrations of CO determined from another detector could help correct concentrations of CO obtained from the QMS. However, the inclusion of another detector adds additional mission requirements, such as power, software changes and avionics updates that add additional cost and schedule requirements.

mass spectrometry↗

In-Situ Reaction Monitoring for Lunar Applications Utilizing a Single Quadrupole Residual Gas Analyzer

With a revived focus to create a permanent presence on the moon and in preparation for future Mars exploration, it is imperative that all resources are utilized to their fullest potential.[1] In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) will be critical for future mission success as it would enable independent operation of missions while minimally relying on the complex supply chain created between the Earth, moon and Mars. One of the most critical resources that have been identified for ISRU is the creation of liquid oxygen(LO2) for not only breathable air, but also for rocket propellant. On the moon and potentially Mars, one of the most O2 rich resources is in the presence of regolith.[2],[3] Although there are numerous minerals within regolith and various processes to extract O2,this is not the scope of this paper. Since the O2 extraction method can vary, a critical standardized analytical method is needed to verify O2(or oxygenated precursor compounds) for extraction efficiency and purity. Our group utilizes a modified consumer off-the-shelf (COTS), Residual Gas Analyzer (RGA) Single Quadrupole Mass Spectrometer (QMS). Due to the current field mission requirements, the gas analysis module will need to rely only on mass-to-charge ratios (m/z) and peak intensities to differentiate and quantitate targeted gas-phase reactants or products, i.e. carbon monoxide(CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2). However, due to solar wind implanted volatiles and various other compounds present in lunar regolith, such as nitrogen (N2), helium (He), and deuterium (D2), deconvolution and quantification of isobaric compounds becomes quite difficult. Specifically, the presence of N2 makes quantification of CO, an oxygenated precursor, difficult due to both compounds having a peak at m/z 28.

Mass Spectrometry↗

Effects of Residual Water System Silver on Space Crop Microbiome and Nutrient Content

Ionic silver (Ag+) is being investigated as a residual biocide for use in spacecraft potable water systems on future crewed missions. In addition to providing clean water to the crew and other life support system functions, the potable water is used to irrigate space crop production units such as the Vegetable Production System (Veggie) and the Advanced Plant Habitat (APH). We have evaluated the impact of different concentrations of Ag+ biocide solutions in comparison to a control in both substrate (arcillite-based) and substrate-less (hydroponics-based) growth set ups. Here, we provide evidence that increasing the concentration of silver in the irrigation water impacts the root zone microbiome in both setups, with plant growth and elemental nutrient content also affected in the hydroponic set up. This suggests a need for a silver removal step to achieve acceptable silver levels in irrigation water before application to space crops in a substrate-less hydroponics system. This removal step is also recommended for a substrate-based system, although it is not as critical as in a hydroponics system.

Aubrie O’Rourke↗

A Koopman-based residual modeling approach for the control of a soft robot arm

Soft robots are challenging to model and control due to their poorly defined kinematics and nonlinear dynamics. Recently, Koopman operator theory has been shown capable of constructing control-oriented soft robot models from data. However, building these models requires extensive data collection and they do not necessarily generalize well outside of the training observations. This paper presents a more data-efficient and generalizable approach to soft robot modeling that first identifies a physics-based Koopman model then supplements it with a data-driven residual Koopman model. The resulting combined model is linear and thus compatible with real-time model-based control techniques such as Model Predictive Control (MPC). The efficacy of the approach is demonstrated on several simulated systems and on a real soft robot arm, where it is shown to generate models that are more accurate than purely physics-based models and require less data to construct than purely data-driven models. Using a model-based controller, the soft arm is able to successfully track end effector trajectories, perform a pick-and-place task, and write on a dry-erase board, showcasing the applicability of this framework to increase the capabilities of soft robotic systems.

Daniel Bruder↗