Results for “ARTEMIS” — Page 9

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview and Assessment of the ESM Pressure Control Performance on Artemis I

The European Service Module propulsion system is a bipropellant hypergolic serial system used to provide translational thrust and attitude control for Orion. To control propellant tank pressure, a bang-bang pressure control system is employed. Each propellant commodity is regulated by a pressure control assembly consisting of two pressurization branches (a primary and redundant pressurization path) where each branch includes 3 valves in series. Regulation is accomplished via flight software control of two downstream solenoid valves triggered off propellant tank ullage pressure. This paper presents an overview of system level challenges which have been overcome to enable a successful Artemis I flight. Principle among the challenges was valve-to-valve pneumatic interactions which drove changes to the control scheme. During the Artemis I mission, the pressure control assembly was able to control tank pressure within allowable tolerances. Comparison between flight data and mathematical models are presented showing excellent agreement. Finally, during flight, a pressure surge was observed during the first regulation cycle when there was propellant in the upstream propellant tank. This was attributed to a gas hammer effect within the pressurization system and was not observable in a 1g environment. This paper also discusses the conclusion that this gas hammer effect is a nominal feature of the system during operations. Assessment of the in-flight performance of the electronic pressure regulation scheme on the European Service Module propulsion system shows the system behaved nominally during the Artemis I mission.

propulsion system↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Exploration Hardware Status and Crew Feedback from Artemis-2 Demonstration

The Universal Waste Management System (UWMS), ISS operational nomenclature “Toilet”, was initially installed on the International Space Station (ISS) in 2020 with final installation completed in 2021. Technical progress continues to be made with each on-orbit operation and will ultimately culminate with nominal US crew use of the hardware on ISS. During 2023, the Artemis-2 Demonstration was started, and this paper discusses issues encountered, on-orbit troubleshooting, subsequent ground failure investigation and proposed repairs as well as near-term plans to resume the Artemis-2 demo. Also discussed is an update to the commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) Conductivity Monitor which is planned to be flown for the resumption of the demo along with additional UWMS hardware and Toilet Integration Hardware (TIH). An updated design of the commode seat and fecal bag for Artemis-2 UWMS will be demonstrated on ISS and a summary of the hardware is included in the paper. Use of the hardware during the first days of the aborted demonstration by crewmembers and feedback received is summarized as well as hardware updates resulting from that feedback. The paper will also provide an overview of the demo results to date that inform the Orion-installed UWMS unit and future manifesting of consumables for both Orion and ISS.

Toilet↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Space Launch System: Comprehensive Test Program Leads to Mission Success during Artemis I Flight Test

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket had a successful first launch on Nov. 16, 2022, sending an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to the Moon on the agency’s Artemis I mission. Ten 6U CubeSats were also deployed from SLS during the mission. Orbital insertion parameters, including insertion velocity and altitude, were within hundredths and tenths of a percent from predicted values, corroborating data collected from the individual elements that showed similar performance accuracy. While launch remains the main test – and Artemis I was a true test flight – to collect data, confirm and refine computer models, and validate hardware test data, multiple test programs led up to the first flight and enabled the historic launch. Additionally, SLS was designed from the beginning to be a crew-rated launch vehicle, and teams put the astronauts who will fly on it at the forefront of the development process. This paper and presentation will cover the SLS design and development programs that led to the successful Artemis I mission, and which have set the stage to send the first astronauts back to cislunar space since the Apollo 17 crew in 1972.

John Honeycutt↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Comprehensive Test Program of NASA's Space Launch System Rocket Leads to Successful Artemis Mission

NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket had a successful first launch on Nov. 16, 2022, sending an uncrewed Orion spacecraft to the Moon on the agency’s Artemis I mission. Ten 6U CubeSats were also deployed from SLS during the mission. Orbital insertion parameters, including insertion velocity and altitude, were within hundredths and tenths of a percent from predicted values, corroborating data collected from the individual elements that showed similar performance accuracy. While launch remains the main test – and Artemis I was a true test flight – to collect data, confirm and refine computer models, and validate hardware test data, multiple test programs led up to the first flight and enabled the historic launch. Additionally, SLS was designed from the beginning to be a crew-rated launch vehicle, and teams put the astronauts who will fly on it at the forefront of the development process. This paper and presentation will cover the SLS design and development programs that led to the successful Artemis I mission, and which have set the stage to send the first astronauts back to cislunar space since the Apollo 17 crew in 1972.

John Honeycutt↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of Artemis I Aerothermal Design Models Using Developmental Flight Instrumentation

The inaugural flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 launch vehicle, Artemis I, occurred on November 16, 2022, and featured a full suite of Developmental Flight Instrumentation (DFI) that provided aerothermodynamic measurements to assess thermal design and substantiate aerothermodynamic models. The Block 1 launch vehicle aerothermal instrumentation consisted of approximately 277 aerothermal gauges mounted throughout the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), Integrated Spacecraft and Payload Element (ISPE), Core Stage (CS) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and an additional 179 thermal gauges on the Orion Crew Module (CM). Instrumentation included calorimeters, radiometers, pressure transducers, gas temperature probes, and thermocouples. Data was collected from lift-off through CS Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO). The flight data was invaluable for determining aerothermal model performance and developing flight-derived aerothermal environments for flight reconstruction thermal analysis and future SLS aerothermal models. The data offered critical insights into the aerothermodynamic conditions experienced during the launch and ascent of the SLS vehicle. This study compares the flight derived environments to pre-existing design models. The aerothermal models were constructed using MINIVER, the aerothermal engineering code which predicts aerodynamic heating and acts as an integration tool for incorporating databases from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and wind tunnel test data. The comparisons reveal the fidelity of the design models, highlighting areas where the design models accurately predicted flight conditions and instances where deviations were observed. Preliminary results suggest that while the design models largely aligned with the observed flight data, there were unique observations that reflected needed areas of model refinement. Aerothermal flight data from Artemis I for the SLS Block 1 vehicle will be further utilized to enhance the accuracy of Block 1B and Block 2 aerothermal models, ensuring improved safety and performance for subsequent Artemis missions.

aerothermodynamics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Validation of Artemis I Aerothermal Design Models Using Developmental Flight Instrumentation

The inaugural flight of the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 launch vehicle, Artemis I, occurred on November 16, 2022, and featured a full suite of Developmental Flight Instrumentation (DFI) that provided aerothermodynamic measurements to assess thermal design and substantiate aerothermodynamic models. The Block 1 launch vehicle aerothermal instrumentation consisted of approximately 277 aerothermal gauges mounted throughout the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV), Integrated Spacecraft and Payload Element (ISPE), Core Stage (CS) and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) and an additional 179 thermal gauges on the Orion Crew Module (CM). Instrumentation included calorimeters, radiometers, pressure transducers, gas temperature probes, and thermocouples. Data was collected from lift-off through CS Main Engine Cut-Off (MECO). The flight data was invaluable for determining aerothermal model performance and developing flight-derived aerothermal environments for flight reconstruction thermal analysis and future SLS aerothermal models. The data offered critical insights into the aerothermodynamic conditions experienced during the launch and ascent of the SLS vehicle. This study compares the flight derived environments to pre-existing design models. The aerothermal models were constructed using MINIVER, the aerothermal engineering code which predicts aerodynamic heating and acts as an integration tool for incorporating databases from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and wind tunnel test data. The comparisons reveal the fidelity of the design models, highlighting areas where the design models accurately predicted flight conditions and instances where deviations were observed. Preliminary results suggest that while the design models largely aligned with the observed flight data, there were unique observations that reflected needed areas of model refinement. Aerothermal flight data from Artemis I for the SLS Block 1 vehicle will be further utilized to enhance the accuracy of Block 1B and Block 2 aerothermal models, ensuring improved safety and performance for subsequent Artemis missions.

aerothermodynamics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Laser Ranging in the Artemis Era

The retroreflector arrays placed on the lunar surface by the Apollo astronauts and the Soviet Luna missions continue to contribute to our understanding of gravitational physics, Earth and Moon geophysics, geodesy, and dynamics. The key science questions addressed by Lunar Laser Ranging remain very relevant today: What is the interior structure of the Moon? Is the Equivalence Principle exact? Does the strength of gravity vary with space and time? What is the nature of spacetime? Do extra dimensions or other new physics alter the inverse square law of gravity? The lunar retroreflectors are also an essential component of the realizations of the lunar reference frames. The half-century old lunar retroreflectors continue to provide excellent ranging targets but are showing signs of degradation and the measurement error associated with their physical size and varying tilt is becoming a limitation in the quest for more precise range measurements. In addition, the clustering of the arrays in the mid-latitudes of the Moon limits their geometrical strength and coverage. The south polar region planned for Artemis presents an ideal opportunity for improving the geometric distribution. Retroreflectors utilizing a large optical cross-section single cube corner do not have tilt error associated with the existing arrays making them good options for lunar deployment. Several new retroreflectors of this type are being prepared for upcoming Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions as well as Artemis. This presentation will discuss NASA’s plans for expanding the lunar laser ranging capabilities with a focus on the Artemis Lunar Laser Retroreflector.

Stephen Merkowitz↗

NASA NTRS2026

The Future of in-Situ Sequencing-Based Microbial Monitoring: Development of a Shelf-Stable Method for Artemis and Beyond

Microbial monitoring onboard the International Space Station (ISS) is essential for assessing the efficiency of the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS) and providing insight into potential risk to both crew and spacecraft. Historically, this monitoring required the need to culture organisms onboard, return these cultures to Earth, and then complete the identifications, a process that would take months. Over the past decade, and through numerous payloads, advances in molecular biology have enabled in-flight microbial identifications using nanopore sequencing. The swab-to-sequencer method resulting from these efforts was transitioned from research to operations for microbial monitoring under the Crew Health Care Systems (CHeCS) BioMole. Collectively, these accomplishments have propelled the swab-to-sequencer method to be selected as the Microbial Surface Monitor (MSM) for Gateway, as well as a payload on Artemis IV. However, the lack of cold stowage availability for Artemis requires modifications to the entire method due to the thermal instability of the reagents required for sample preparation. To achieve this, new development, optimization, and validations were undertaken. Key considerations included enzyme concentration, buffer compatibility, and equal or enhanced sensitivity and specificity. At each step, thorough side-by-side comparisons with the current ISS method were performed. The development of a robust shelf-stable method will ensure continued sequencing-based microbial monitoring for Artemis and beyond, providing data in near real-time, enhancing risk response time, and yielding clear insight into the microbiome of spacecraft.

Christian G Mena↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessment of Cislunar Staging Orbits to Support the Artemis III Lunar Surface Mission

Since NASA’s selection of an L2 9:2 lunar synodic resonant Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) as the baseline for the Gateway Program, the agency has worked to mature its understanding of this orbit and its use for the Artemis III, IV, and V missions. In parallel with these efforts, NASA has investigated alternative staging orbits to perform the Artemis III lunar surface landing mission and compared those options to the baseline NRHO. This paper evaluates a number of alternative orbits on their feasibility and favorability and compares them to the agency baseline NRHO.

Artemis↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cumulative Distribution Overlap Technique for Artemis Mission Public Entry Risk Assessment

The Artemis missions use a skip-entry profile to accomplish a recovery near the western US coastline, however, the service module debris must still be disposed of safely. For certain contingency return scenarios, the expected dispersed entry profile is biased from the well-analyzed corridor. A novel method is presented for assessing the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of these biased results to ensure they do not contribute additional probabilistic risk to the public. More specifically, the weight of the flight path angle dispersion "tail" of the CDF needs to remain below the well-assessed region. The details of how this method was actually used to screen and plan entry profiles for specific launch windows during the Artemis I mission are shown. This method has potential applicability in other problems where a biased distribution needs to be assessed against a well-defined "core" region.

Reentry↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cumulative Distribution Overlap Technique for Artemis Mission Public Entry Risk Assessment

The Artemis missions use a skip-entry profile to accomplish a recovery near the western US coastline, however, the service module debris must still be disposed of safely. For certain contingency return scenarios, the expected dispersed entry profile is biased from the well-analyzed corridor. A novel method is presented for assessing the Cumulative Distribution Function (CDF) of these biased results to ensure they do not contribute additional probabilistic risk to the public. More specifically, the weight of the flight path angle dispersion "tail" of the CDF needs to remain below the well-assessed region. The details of how this method was actually used to screen and plan entry profiles for specific launch windows during the Artemis I mission are shown. This method has potential applicability in other problems where a biased distribution needs to be assessed against a well-defined "core" region.

Reentry↗

NASA NTRS2012

A Comparison of ARTEMIS Observations and Particle-in-cell Modeling of the Lunar Photoelectron Sheath in the Terrestrial Magnetotail

As an airless body in space with no global magnetic field, the Moon is exposed to both solar ultraviolet radiation and ambient plasmas. Photoemission from solar UV radiation and collection of ambient plasma are typically opposing charging currents and simple charging current balance predicts that the lunar dayside surface should charge positively; however, the two ARTEMIS probes have observed energydependent loss cones and high-energy, surface-originating electron beams above the dayside lunar surface for extended periods in the magnetosphere, which are indicative of negative surface potentials. In this paper, we compare observations by the ARTEMIS P1 spacecraft with a one dimensional particle-in-cell simulation and show that the energy-dependent loss cones and electron beams are due to the presence of stable, non-monotonic, negative potentials above the lunar surface. The simulations also show that while the magnitude of the non-monotonic potential is mainly driven by the incoming electron temperature, the incoming ion temperature can alter this magnitude, especially for periods in the plasma sheet when the ion temperature is more than twenty times the electron temperature. Finally, we note several other plasma phenomena associated with these non-monotonic potentials, such as broadband electrostatic noise and electron cyclotron harmonic emissions, and offer possible generation mechanisms for these phenomena.

Lunar↗

NASA NTRS2019

A Comparison of ARTEMIS Data with the Lunar Plasma Design Environment for NASA Crewed Missions

NASA’s Gateway will provide the capability for sustaining a human presence in cis-lunar space. Operations of the Gateway will include spacecraft dockings, extra vehicular activities (EVA), and high-power solar arrays. NASA’s experience with the International Space Station highlighted the importance of evaluating spacecraft charging effects for such operations. For crewed spacecraft, which tend to employ the use of dielectric surfaces in this dynamic plasma environment, reliance on spacecraft charging simulation packages, such as the NASA/Air Force Spacecraft Charging Analyzer Program (Nascap-2k) [Mandell et al., 2006] and Spacecraft Plasma Interaction System (SPIS) [Roussel et al., 2008], is required to understand the risks to hardware and humans. The variability in the lunar plasma environment as the Moon revolves around the Earth, lunar wake effects, and a strong dependency on photoemission and secondary electron emission creates challenges for spacecraft charging analysis. The Design Specification for Natural Environments (DSNE) [NASA, MSFC] is the primary resource for space environments affecting NASA’s crewed missions, and the DSNE provides plasma environments in a standard form for input into simulation packages. NASA developed the existing lunar plasma environment using data from Geotail [Nishida, 1994] along with published lunar plasma wake models [Halekas et al., 2005] based on Lunar Prospector. Since 2011, NASA’s twin Acceleration Reconnection Turbulence & Electrodynamics of Moon’s Interaction with the Sun (ARTEMIS) satellites [Angelopoulos, 2010] have been collecting high resolution plasma and fields observations within the lunar plasma environment providing a much larger dataset of the plasma properties in cislunar space. This research compares the existing lunar plasma environment definition with ARTEMIS data and makes recommendations on the refinement of the environment definition for future lunar missions.

ARTEMIS mission↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Initial and Sustained Artemis Human Landing Systems

On March 26, 2019, in keeping with President Trump’s Space Policy Directive-1, Vice President Pence charged NASA with landing the first woman and the next man on the South Pole of the Moon by 2024, followed by a sustained presence on and around the Moon by 2028. NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) Program is responsible for the final mode of transportation in deep space that will carry humans to and from the surface of the Moon, to be designed and developed by American companies for NASA’s Artemis lunar exploration program. This paper examines the approach for Artemis human landing systems for both the initial missions and future sustained missions. While achieving the 2024 goal requires a focus on speed and the use of mature technologies, planning toward sustained operations to and from the lunar surface requires a focus on reliability and reusability. The two approaches, however, are not mutually exclusive, as demonstrated by the HLS prime contractors’ integrated lander system proposals. On April 30, 2020, NASA announced that Blue Origin of Kent, Washington, Dynetics (a Leidos company) of Huntsville, Alabama, and SpaceX of Hawthorne, California, were the awardees for NASA’s Human Landing System contracts under Appendix H of the NextSTEP-2 Broad Agency Announcement. The companies began work in a 10-month base period during which NASA teams worked with the companies to streamline the review of required products and to share the agency’s expertise in human spaceflight systems development. Following the base period, NASA will determine which company or companies will develop the human landers for the initial missions, including the 2024 landing, and which companies will develop landers for future sustained missions toward the end of the decade.

HLS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cryogenic Fluid Management Technologies Enabling for the Artemis Program and Beyond

NASA is endeavoring on an ambitious return to the Moon and eventually on to Mars through the Artemis Program leveraging innovative technologies to establish sustainable exploration architectures collaborating with US commercial and international partners[1]. Future NASA architectures have baselined cryogenic propulsion systems to support lunar missions and ultimately future missions to Mars. NASA has been investing in maturing CFM active and passive storage, transfer, and gauging technologies over the last decade plus primarily focused on ground development with a few small-scale microgravity fluid experiments. Recently, NASA created a Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM)Technology Roadmap identifying the critical gaps requiring further development to reach a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 prior to infusion to flight applications. To address the technology gaps the Space Technology Mission Directorate(STMD)strategically plans to invest in a diversified CFM portfolio approach through ground and flight demonstrations ,collaborating with international partners, and leveraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) opportunities with US industry through the Tipping Point and Announcement of Collaborative Opportunities (ACO) solicitations. Once proven, these system capabilities will enable the high performing cryogenic propellant systems needed for the Artemis Program and beyond.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cryogenic Fluid Management for the Artemis Program and Beyond

NASA is endeavoring on an ambitious return to the Moon and eventually on to Mars through the Artemis Program leveraging innovative technologies to establish sustainable exploration architectures collaborating with US commercial and international partners [1]. Future NASA architectures have baselined cryogenic propulsion systems to support lunar missions and ultimately future missions to Mars. NASA has been investing in maturing CFM active and passive storage, transfer, and gauging technologies over the last decade plus primarily focused on ground development with a few small-scale microgravity fluid experiments. Recently, NASA created a Cryogenic Fluid Management (CFM) Technology Roadmap identifying the critical gaps requiring further development to reach a technology readiness level (TRL) of 6 prior to infusion to flight applications. To address the technology gaps the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) strategically plans to invest in a diversified CFM portfolio approach through ground and flight demonstrations, collaborating with international partners, and leveraging Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) opportunities with US industry through the Tipping Point and Announcement of Collaborative Opportunities (ACO) solicitations. Once proven, these system capabilities will enable the high performing cryogenic propellant systems needed for the Artemis Program and beyond.

Cryogenic Fluid Management↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing Geology Sampling Tools for the Artemis Program

Humans are set to return to the Moon for the first time since 1972 with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis Program. One of the primary objectives will be the collection and return of lunar samples. To support this objective, the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Tools Team at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) has started developing the next generation of lunar geology sampling tools. The EVA Tools Team are experts in the hardware certification process for space hardware and have been working on planetary surface tools for nearly a decade. Funded by the EVA Office at JSC, the Artemis tools project began on October 1, 2019 with an initial set of eight tools. That initial set of tools was brought to a Preliminary Design Review (PDR) on October 30, 2020. An additional 17tools have been proposed to support geology sampling operations, with the development of a subset of that list beginning on October 1, 2020.Additional tools may also be considered in the future should the science requirements drive this need. This abstract describes how this project is defining requirements, what tools are being developed, and the schedule for this work.

Artemis↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Artemis III EVA Mission Capability for de Gerlache-Shackleton Ridge

NASA has committed to sending humans to the Moon no earlier than 2025. The Artemis III mission will include scientific, technology demonstrations, commercial, inspirational, and explorational objectives. Achieving these goals will depend upon balancing priorities and mission constraints. A landing location needs to meet terrain conditions suitable for the lander with acceptable thermal and lighting conditions. This location must also allow access to geological areas of interest within traverse range and capability of walking astronauts. A representative EVA timeline is then developed for an example location on the de Gerlache-Shackleton ridge and used to examine the location’s acceptability as a candidate site for Artemis III. Similar studies are being conducted to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and Flight Operations.

EVA↗