SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “mission progress”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

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

At least 163 records · Page 9

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2010

Infrared Imaging and Characterization of Exoplanets: Can we Detect Earth-Twins on a Budget?

During the past decade considerable progress has been made developing techniques that can be used to detect and characterize Earth twins in the mid- infrared (7-20 microns). The principal technique is called nulling interferometry, and it was invented by Bracewell in the late 1970's. The nulling technique is an interferometric equivalent of an optical coronagraph. At the present time most of the technological hurdles have been overcome for a space mission to be able to begin Phase A early in the next decade, and it is possible to detect and characterize Earth-twins on a mid- sized strategic mission budget ($600-800 million). I will review progress on this exciting method of planet detection in the context of recent work on the Exoplanet Community Forum and the US Decadal Survey (Astro2010), including biomarkers, technological progress, mission concepts, the theory of these instruments, and a.comparison of the discovery space of this technique with others also under consideration.

Danchi, William↗

NASA NTRS2011

Shuttle Risk Progression: Use of the Shuttle Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) to Show Reliability Growth

It is important to the Space Shuttle Program (SSP), as well as future manned spaceflight programs, to understand the early mission risk and progression of risk as the program gains insights into the integrated vehicle through flight. The risk progression is important to the SSP as part of the documentation of lessons learned. The risk progression is important to future programs to understand reliability growth and the first flight risk. This analysis uses the knowledge gained from 30 years of operational flights and the current Shuttle PRA to calculate the risk of Loss of Crew and Vehicle (LOCV) at significant milestones beginning with the first flight. Key flights were evaluated based upon historical events and significant re-designs. The results indicated that the Shuttle risk tends to follow a step function as opposed to following a traditional reliability growth pattern where risk exponentially improves with each flight. In addition, it shows that risk can increase due to trading safety margin for increased performance or due to external events. Due to the risk drivers not being addressed, the risk did not improve appreciably during the first 25 flights. It was only after significant events occurred such as Challenger and Columbia, where the risk drivers were apparent, that risk was significantly improved. In addition, this paper will show that the SSP has reduced the risk of LOCV by almost an order of magnitude. It is easy to look back afte r 30 years and point to risks that are now obvious, however; the key is to use this knowledge to benefit other programs which are in their infancy stages. One lesson learned from the SSP is understanding risk drivers are essential in order to considerably reduce risk. This will enable the new program to focus time and resources on identifying and reducing the significant risks. A comprehensive PRA, similar to that of the Shuttle PRA, is an effective tool quantifying risk drivers if support from all of the stakeholders is given.

Hamlin, Teri L.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Preparing for the Dawn Mission to Vesta and Ceres

The Dawn project is progressing toward its 2006 launch on a mission to orbit main belt asteroids (4) Vesta and (1) Ceres. Designed to provide insights into important questions about the evolution of the solar system, Dawn will spend more than 0.5 years in orbit about each of these bodies. This challenging mission is enabled by an ion propulsion system. In contrast to missions that use conventional chemical propulsion, the use of this system couples flight system mass and power , thereby requiring different methods of managing these and other technical resources. Now that the project is nearing launch, the refinement of resource estimates allows the identification of excess margin, which is being applied in novel ways to increase the scientific potential of the mission. The unusual relationship of the margins is described, and progress in preparing for the mission is presented.

Dawn↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Efforts to Commercialize Communications Services for Mission in Near-Earth Space

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN)Program enables high speed, robust, secure and cost-effective space communications and navigation services to current and future science and exploration missions. Consistent with National Space Policy, NASA is pursuing the use of demonstrated commercial services for all its future near-Earth requirements through a flexible, multi-provider approach that minimizes risks to the user missions and ensures costs to user missions are reasonable. Progress toward this goal is advancing in multiple key areas including direct to Earth (DTE), space-based relay, technology investments, required spectrum regulatory changes and mission engagement and infusion. The transition to commercial DTE services is already underway, with a target for transition by 2024. The primary functions to execute SCaN’s DTE strategy include increasing commercial service allocations by leveraging current commercial network providers and enabling seamless onboarding of additional providers into the network. Furthermore, moving away from government DTE services will allow operational costs to be optimized. A more gradual approach is planned for the transition to commercial space-based relay services to allow for demonstration and operationalization of commercial services for future users by 2030. In June of 2022, six American SATCOM vendors were awarded a combined $278.5 million through Funded Space Act Agreements (FSAAs) for the first cycle of demonstration and validation activities. The end-to-end service capabilities being targeted are based on existing NASA mission operational needs. Accordingly, each company has proposed a technical approach to lower costs, increase flexibility, and improve performance for a broad range of missions. Successful user mission transition to commercial services, both DTE and space-based relay, are dependent on the technologies and capabilities that address gaps in commercial capability. NASA is investing in technology development and pursuing a new strategic approach to the creation or adoption of space communications standards to move the agency toward a commercial paradigm. Wideband and multi-lingual user terminals are being developed to bridge differences in industry services. Building on ground demonstrations completed in 2021, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab (APL) will be flight testing a multi-lingual wideband terminal (payload) and demonstrating connectivity to both government and commercial relay services. NASA holds a leadership role in multiple civil space standards bodies and international coordination groups to ensure that standards supporting interoperability are developed with defined functions, interfaces, and performance. However, to successfully meet commercialization objectives, NASA seeks to collaborate with industry, and as applicable adopt or adapt to commercially defined standards. As such, NASA joined the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as an official member in 2021 to advocate for the inclusion of space missions as a unique user segment in future 5G non-terrestrial networks, and to better understand the scope of 3GPP releases and implications for space users. Further, engagement in Spectrum regulatory bodies is being undertaken to augment existing space-Earth and inter-satellite frequency allocations available for both government and commercial space systems. This paper addresses the recent progress toward NASA’s commercial space communications transition objectives and how key challenges are being navigated.

Gregory W Heckler↗

NASA NTRS1999

Grand Challenge Problems in Real-Time Mission Control Systems for NASA's 21st Century Missions

Space missions of the 21st Century will be characterized by constellations of distributed spacecraft, miniaturized sensors and satellites, increased levels of automation, intelligent onboard processing, and mission autonomy. Programmatically, these missions will be noted for dramatically decreased budgets and mission development lifecycles. Current progress towards flexible, scaleable, low-cost, reusable mission control systems must accelerate given the current mission deployment schedule, and new technology will need to be infused to achieve desired levels of autonomy and processing capability. This paper will discuss current and future missions being managed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. It will describe the current state of mission control systems and the problems they need to overcome to support the missions of the 21st Century.

Pfarr, Barbara B.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Mars Comm/Nav MicroSat Network Using the Multi-Mission Bus Launched Piggyback by Ariane 5

Recently, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory completed a Mars Exploration Program Architecture Definition Study with strong international participation. The recommendations of this study include establishment of a low cost in-situ communications and navigation satellite network to provide enabling and enhancing support for the international exploration of Mars. This would be the first step toward establishing a "virtual presence throughout the solar system" as called for in NASA's Strategic Plan. Response to the proposed comm/nav satellite network has been very favorably received, as reflected by the inclusion of a line item in NASA's budget submittal to Congress, which provides funding for implementation of the network with first launch in the 2003 opportunity. Funding has already been provided for a phase A study being conducted this year. This paper presents the planned implementation of the comm/nav network, which will utilize microsats based on a multi-mission spacecraft bus being designed for launch by the Ariane 5 as a secondary payload. A companion paper at this conference, entitled "The Multi-Purpose Mars Micro-Mission System Design Utilizing Ariane 5 Piggyback Launch", describes the multimission bus design. This paper addresses the application of the multi-mission bus to the comm/nav microsat mission. Following an introduction, which provides the background that has led to the proposed comm/nav network, the paper discusses the projected user needs with emphasis on the various possible robotic missions (landers, rovers, ascent vehicles, balloons, aircraft, etc.) progressing toward eventual piloted missions. Next, the paper describes the concept for an evolving network of comm/nav microsats and the expected capability to satisfy the user needs. Results of communications and navigation performance analysis are summarized for attractive satellite constellation configurations. The important comm/nav microsat functional requirements on the multi-mission spacecraft bus are described with discussion of the mission-system tradeoffs for the driving requirements. The functional design of the in-situ communications / navigation package, which constitutes the payload of the microsat, is also described. The paper also includes discussion of technologies which are of specific importance to the implementation of the comm/nav microsat network.

Hastrup, R. C.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Linking Human and Robotic Missions: Early Leveraging of the Code S Missions

A major long term NASA objective is to enable human exploration beyond low Earth orbit. This will take a strange approach, with a concentration on new, enabling technologies and capabilities. Mars robotic missions are logical and necessary steps in the progression toward eventual human missions.

Cooke, Doug↗

NASA NTRS1996

STS-77 Flight Day 8

On this eighth day of the STS-77 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. John H. Casper, Pilot Curtis L. Brown, Jr., and Mission Specialists Andrew S.W. Thomas, Ph.D., Daniel W. Bursch, Mario Runco, Jr., and Marc Garneau, Ph.D., take time out from their schedule to discuss the progress of the mission with reporters. Casper said the flight has been highly successful so far, having accomplished all of the goals. Mission Specialists Dan Bursch and Andy Thomas described protein crystal growth and plant growth experiments being conducted throughout the flight in the Spacehab module. And Mario Runco discussed testing soft drink samples in the Fluids Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus.

Source record↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Crew Health & Performance Capability Development for Exploration: 2022 to 2023 Overview

NASA has identified twenty-eight specific risks to human health and performance that must be adequately understood and addressed to enable future crewed missions to Mars. These risks are due to radiation, reduced gravity, distance from earth, isolation and confinement, and the effects of living within artificially created and controlled life support environments. Research and technology development is required to better understand these risks and to inform, develop, and test technologies and strategies to mitigate these risks. NASA’s System Capability Leads coordinate across the agency to continually identify, prioritize, and monitor technology investments in support of these future missions. This paper describes progress over the past year in strategic planning, coordination, and technology development related to crew health and performance capabilities that are needed for future Mars missions. Technology maturation progress and future plans are described in the following capability areas: crew health countermeasures; spacesuit physiology and performance; food and nutrition; and exploration medical capabilities.

Andrew F J Abercromby↗

NASA NTRS2012

Deep Space Habitat Concept of Operations for Extended Duration Transit Missions

NASA's Capability-Driven Framework (CDF) describes an approach for progressively extending human exploration missions farther into the Solar System for longer periods of time as allowed by developments in technology and spacecraft systems. Within this framework design reference missions (DRMs) targeted for several specific destinations are being used to assess different combinations of vehicles, operations, and advanced technologies to help understand which combination will best support expanded human exploration both efficiently and sustainably. Several of the identified destinations have been found to require missions with a round trip duration exceeding one year. These mission durations exceed the capabilities of current human-rated spacecraft if resupply from Earth is not possible. This makes the design of an efficient and reliable Deep Space Habitat (DSH) critical for reaching these destinations. The paper will describe the current understanding of DSH capabilities and functions that must be exhibited by any future habitat design for these missions. This description of the DSH is presented in the form of a concept of operation, which focuses on the functions that any DSH must provide, as opposed to a specific DSH design concept. Development of a concept of operations, based on DRM features, provides a common basis for assessing the viability of design concepts incorporating differing configurations and technologies. A study team with representation from several NASA Centers and relevant engineering and scientific disciplines collaborated to develop this DSH concept of operations for the transit phases of these missions. The transit phase of a mission is defined as the time after leaving Earth but before arrival at the destination and the time after leaving the destination but before arriving back at Earth. These transit phases were found to have many common features across all of the destinations being assessed for the CDF and thus arguing for a common concept of operations for all of the associated DRMs. The paper first describes the CDF and potential destinations being considered within this framework. DRMs representative of those currently being assessed will then be discussed to illustrate the range of capabilities that the DSH must support. The 18 functions identified by the multi-discipline analysis team are then described at a summary level. Several specific examples of the potential use for this concept of operations are described.

Hoffman, Stephen J.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Progress in Simulated Water Well Performance on Mars

Recent studies of human Mars missions considered the impacts of an abundant supply of in-situ, accessible water on these mission scenarios. Discovery of exposed water ice scarps in Martian mid-latitudes has bolstered the evidence for massive amounts of almost pure water in buried deposits in regions considered candidates for these future human missions. This paper describes progress towards adapting a long-standing terrestrial technique for accessing and extracting water from these mid-latitude sources of ice. This approach relies on mechanical drills to access the ice through overlying debris. Once the ice layer has been reached, a technique known as a Rodriguez Well, or Rodwell, is used to melt the ice, store the resulting water in a subsurface cavity until needed, and then pump the water to the surface for use. Previous work by the authors utilized a computer simulation to predict the performance of a Martian Rodwell. This simulation was originally developed to predict performance in terrestrial Polar Regions. Whereas the basic approach is appropriate for a similar well on Mars, several parameters had been empirically derived and required experiments simulating the Martian environment to determine the values appropriate for a Martian Rodwell simulation. These experiments have now been completed and preliminary values have been determined for the empirical parameters. Test results are consistent with a dimensionless Sh(Ra) correlation developed by Bower and Saylor (2009) and based on lab tests of water evaporating from a pool into a large air chamber. They are also consistent with correlations derived by Ingersoll (1970) and by Hecht (2002), based on natural-convection heat transfer. Each of these earlier correlations found Sh~Ra1/3, with the 1/3rd power characteristic of large Ra where the boundary layer over the pool surface is turbulent. A somewhat surprising result was that this power-law was found to extend into a range of Ra where laminar flow would be expected. Another surprising result was found in that instead of following established correlations for natural-convection heat transfer over flat plates, the dimensionless heat-transfer rates (Nu) were much larger and approximately independent of Ra. This suggests that mass transfer from the pool enhances convective heat transfer, possibly by enhanced mixing in the boundary layer. Although this possibility has been suggested in the literature, if it is proven to be true under these conditions it could play an important role in the use of a Rodwell on Mars, where evaporative mass transfer is enhanced relative to terrestrial wells.

Human Mars Mission↗

NASA NTRS1998

STS-89 Day 06 Highlights

On this sixth day of the STS-89 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Terrence W. Wilcutt, Pilot Frank Edwards, and Mission Specialists Michael P. Anderson, James F. Reilly, Bonnie J. Dunbar, Salizhan Shakirovich Sharipov, David A. Wolf and Andrew S.W. Thomas, are interviewed by John Holliman of Cable News Network (CNN) and Russian news media. The crew discuss the progress of the mission and activities that lie ahead for Mir crew member Andy Thomas.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2019

Europa Clipper Mission: preliminary design report

This paper will describe the progress of the Europa Clipper Mission since January 2018, including maturation of the spacecraft, subsystem and instrument preliminary designs, issues and trades, and planning for the Verification and Validation phase.

Laslo, Nori↗

NASA NTRS2009

The Second Year of Dawn Mission Operations: Mars Gravity Assist and Onward to Vesta

Dawn launched in September 2007 on a mission to orbit main belt asteroids (4) Vesta in 2011 - 2012 and (1) Ceres in 2015. The mission is enabled by an ion propulsion system, which will be operated for the majority of the interplanetary cruise. Following 10.5 months of thrusting that concluded in October 2008, the spacecraft began a period of optimal coast that ended in June 2009. A Mars gravity assist in February 2009 provided an effective deltav of 2.6 km/s. The mission flexibility afforded by the use of ion propulsion provided relatively simple targeting at Mars. Additional engineering activities were conducted during the coast period after Mars, including loading new software into the spacecraft's central computer. This paper describe the progress of the mission, including the approach to Mars, the encounter itself, special activities conducted prior to the resumption of ion thrusting, and the continuation toward Vesta.

Rayman, Marc D.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Solar Energetic Particle Events Observed by the PAMELA Mission

Despite the significant progress achieved in recent years, the physical mechanisms underlying the origin of solar energetic particles (SEPs) are still a matter of debate. The complex nature of both particle acceleration and transport poses challenges to developing a universal picture of SEP events that encompasses both the low-energy (from tens of keV to a few hundreds of MeV)observations made by space-based instruments and the GeV particles detected by the worldwide network of neutron monitors in ground-level enhancements (GLEs). The high-precision data collected by the Payload for Antimatter Matter Exploration and Light-nuclei Astrophysics (PAMELA) satellite experiment offer a unique opportunity to study the SEP fluxes between ∼80 MeV and a few GeV, significantly improving the characterization of the most energetic events. In particular, PAMELA can measure for the first time with good accuracy the spectral features at moderate and high energies, providing important constraints for current SEP models. In addition, the PAMELA observations allow the relationship between low and high-energy particles to be investigated, enabling a clearer view of the SEP origin. No qualitative distinction between the spectral shapes of GLE, sub-GLE and non-GLE events is observed, suggesting that GLEs are not a separate class, but are the subset of a continuous distribution of SEP events that are more intense at high energies. While the spectral forms found are to be consistent with diffusive shock acceleration theory, which predicts spectral rollovers at high energies that are attributed to particles escaping the shock region during acceleration, further work is required to explore the relative influences of acceleration and transport processes on SEP spectra.

Bruno, A.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

HF Vapor Etching for Stardust Particle Extraction: A Progress Report

The Stardust mission captured thousands of particles from Jupiter-family comet 81P/Wild 2 using aluminum foil and silica aerogel collection media [1]. Most studies of Wild 2 material examine refractory terminal particles >1 μm in diameter which are extracted individually from the ends of tracks produced by the particle’s impact into the aerogel medium. A substantial (>65 %) mass fraction of the impactors is present as fine-grained (i.e. <1 μm) material in the ‘bulb’ and walls of the tracks, which may contain preserved organic material and presolar grains [2]. Few presolar grains have been identified in Stardust samples, which has been interpreted as owing to destruction upon impact into the foils and preferential sampling of terminal particles rather than a lack of presolar grains in Wild 2 samples [3-5]. By isolating the fine-grained material from these bulbs and performing microbeam and isotopic analyses (i.e., scanning electron microscopy and NanoSIMS), organic matter and presolar grains can be identified and constraints can be placed on the constituents of primitive outer solar system materials.

Stardust↗

NASA NTRS2004

Developing Advanced Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth s moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a systems engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD s Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. these products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Berdich, Debra P.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Developing Advanced Human Support Technologies for Planetary Exploration Missions

The United States Vision for Space Exploration calls for sending robots and humans to explore the Earth's moon, the planet Mars, and beyond. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing a set of design reference missions that will provide further detail to these plans. Lunar missions are expected to provide a stepping stone, through operational research and evaluation, in developing the knowledge base necessary to send crews on long duration missions to Mars and other distant destinations. The NASA Exploration Systems Directorate (ExSD), in its program of bioastronautics research, manages the development of technologies that maintain human life, health, and performance in space. Using a system engineering process and risk management methods, ExSD's Human Support Systems (HSS) Program selects and performs research and technology development in several critical areas and transfers the results of its efforts to NASA exploration mission/systems development programs in the form of developed technologies and new knowledge about the capabilities and constraints of systems required to support human existence beyond Low Earth Orbit. HSS efforts include the areas of advanced environmental monitoring and control, extravehicular activity, food technologies, life support systems, space human factors engineering, and systems integration of all these elements. The HSS Program provides a structured set of deliverable products to meet the needs of exploration programs. These products reduce the gaps that exist in our knowledge of and capabilities for human support for long duration, remote space missions. They also reduce the performance gap between the efficiency of current space systems and the greater efficiency that must be achieved to make human planetary exploration missions economically and logistically feasible. In conducting this research and technology development program, it is necessary for HSS technologists and program managers to develop a common currency for decision making and the allocation of funding. A high level assessment is made of both the knowledge gaps and the system performance gaps across the program s technical project portfolio. This allows decision making that assures proper emphasis areas and provides a key measure of annual technological progress, as exploration mission plans continue to mature.

Berdich, Debra P.↗