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NASA NTRS1992

Propellant production and useful materials: Hardware data from components and the systems

Research activities at the University of Arizona/NASA Space Engineering Research Center are described; the primary emphasis is on hardware development and operation. The research activities are all aimed toward introducing significant cost reductions through the utilization of resources locally available at extraterrestrial sites. The four logical aspects include lunar, Martian, support, and common technologies. These are described in turn. The hardware realizations are based upon sound scientific principles which are used to screen a host of interesting and novel concepts. Small scale feasibility studies are used as the screen to allow only the most promising concepts to proceed. Specific examples include: kg/day-class oxygen plant that uses CO2 as the feed stock, spent stream utilization to produce methane and 'higher' compounds (using hydrogen from a water electrolysis plant), separation of CO from the CO2, reduction of any iron bearing silicate (lunar soils), production of structural components, smart sensors and autonomous controls, and quantitative computer simulation of extraterrestrial plants. The most important feature of all this research continues to be the training of high-quality students for our future in space.

Ramohalli, Kumar↗

NASA NTRS2004

Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development (LOCAD): Bridging Technology Readiness for Exploration

At Marshall Space Flight Center we have established a capability to investigate the use of microfluidics for space flight. The Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development (LOCAD) team has created a program for advancing Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of 1 and 2 to TRL 6 and 7, quickly and economically for Lab-On-a-Chip (LOC) applications. Scientists and engineers can utilize LOCAD'S process to efficiently learn about microfluidics and determine if microfluidics is applicable to their needs. Once the applicability has been determined, LOCAD can then perform tests to develop the new fluidic protocols which are different from macro-scale chemical reaction protocols. With this information new micro-fluidic devices can be created and tested. Currently, LOCAD is focused on using microfluidics for both Environmental Monitoring & Control, and Medical Systems. Eventually, handheld portable units utilizing LOC technology will perform rapid tests to determine water quality, and microbial contamination levels. Since LOC technology is drastically reduced in physical size, it thereby reduces power, weight, volume, and sample requirements, a big advantage considering the resource constraints associated with spaceflight. Another one of LOCAD's current activities is the development of a microfluidic system to aid in the search for life on Mars.

Spearing, Scott F.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Hawai'i Water Resources: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Assess Ocean Conditions Leading to the Spread of the Nuisance Red Algae (Chondria tumulosa) in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, Hawai’i

Chondria tumulosa, a newly discovered red alga, was observed in low abundance in 2016 but has since proliferated and is now smothering and decimating vast expanse of coral reefs in Manawai, located in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM). If the spread persists, the outbreak of this cryptogenic species could potentially cause region-wide ecosystem degradation. In coordination with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Marine National Monuments of the Pacific and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, this project created a tool to analyze oceanographic conditions (sea surface temperature (SST), chlorophyll-a, water velocity, salinity, turbidity) across the Monument that could potentially be driving the algal spread. The Google Earth Engine tool enabled the partners to visualize oceanographic conditions and gather time-series graphs utilizing Aqua and Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Sentinel-3 Ocean and Land Colour Instrument (OLCI), Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model (HYCOM) and NOAA's Climate Data Record in a user-friendly interface. The team used in situ SST data from subsurface temperature recorders provided by the partners to validate the tool's accuracy. Preliminary statistical analysis of MODIS data found warming trends in SST in Manawai as well as increased chlorophyll-a levels during the summer months in contrast to the control (non-infected) Lalo atoll. The tool did not aim to classify algal presence due to limited availability of higher resolution satellite imagery but instead enabled PMNM managers to monitor conditions that may be conducive to algal growth around the monument to make informed decisions and mitigation practices.

DEVELOP Project Summary↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Utilizing Remote Sensing to Detect and Assess the Impacts of Estuarine Breach Events for Improved Coastal Wetland Monitoring and Management

Estuaries are extremely dynamic environments that provide a host of vital ecosystem services. California’s Marine Life Protection Act protects such ecosystems by creating Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). California has approximately 440,000 acres of estuarine habitat as well as 23 Estuarine Marine Protected Areas (EMPAs). Thus, in situ data collection is often difficult due to time and resource constraints. This project used remote sensing to gather data that examined the health and dynamics of California EMPAs to supplement ground-based field measurements. Through the use of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), and Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (C-SAR), this project assessed mouth state, inundation extent, turbidity, temperature, and tidal measurements for observable estuaries. The Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) from Sentinel-2 MSI captured estuary mouth state and inundation extent. Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI detected differences in water quality metrics that correlated to changes in estuary mouth state (i.e., open or closed) through algorithms in Google Earth Engine (GEE). The GEE California Estuary Assessment (CEA) tool was created with partner input throughout development and culminated in a graphical user interface tailored to management needs. The CEA tool will allow the partners, the Ocean Protection Council, Moss Landing Marine Laboratories’ Central Coast Wetlands Group, the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Davis (UCD), to better understand estuary dynamics and facilitate informed management decisions through satellite-based Earth observations.

Alex Gunnerson↗

NASA NTRS1991

An ISU study of asteroid mining

During the 1990 summer session of the International Space University, 59 graduate students from 16 countries carried out a design project on using the resources of near-earth asteroids. The results of the project, whose full report is now available from ISU, are summarized. The student team included people in these fields: architecture, business and management, engineering, life sciences, physical sciences, policy and law, resources and manufacturing, and satellite applications. They designed a project for transporting equipment and personnel to a near-earth asteroid, setting up a mining base there, and hauling products back for use in cislunar space. In addition, they outlined the needed precursor steps, beginning with expansion of present ground-based programs for finding and characterizing near-earth asteroids and continuing with automated flight missions to candidate bodies. (To limit the summer project's scope the actual design of these flight-mission precursors was excluded.) The main conclusions were that asteroid mining may provide an important complement to the future use of lunar resources, with the potential to provide large amounts of water and carbonaceous materials for use off earth. However, the recovery of such materials from presently known asteroids did not show an economic gain under the study assumptions; therefore, asteroid mining cannot yet be considered a prospective business.

Burke, J. D.↗

NASA NTRS2021

Coastal California Water Resources: Assessing Estuarine Ecosystems in California for Improved Wetland Monitoring and Management

Estuaries are vital ecosystems that serve important ecological functions. The Marine Life Protection Act aims to protect these ecosystems by establishing a network of marine protected areas (MPAs), in part by requiring regulatory agencies to monitor estuary extent and health. However, California has 23 estuarine MPAs (EMPAs) and approximately 440,000 total acres of estuarine habitat and, therefore, ground-based data collection can be time and resource intensive. This project used remotely sensed data to examine the health of California EMPAs in an effort to supplement ground-based field measurements. Specifically using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), and Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (C-SAR), this project assessed mouth state, inundation extent, turbidity, Chlorophyll-a, and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM) for estuaries observable with these sensors. The Normalized Water Difference Index (NDWI) from Sentinel-2 MSI was capable of capturing estuary mouth state and inundation extent. Meanwhile, Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI indicated a capacity to capture differences in water quality metrics coinciding with changes to estuary mouth state using algorithms applied in Google Earth Engine (GEE). The GEE California Estuary Assessment (CEA) tools will allow project partners to better monitor and understand estuarine dynamics and health.

Karina Alvarez↗

NASA NTRS2020

Gila Water Resources III - Modeling the Impacts of Post-fire Restoration Methods on Vegetation Recovery in the Gila National Forest

In recent years, wildfires in New Mexico’s Gila National Forest have become increasingly common and more severe. Wildfires can have powerful impacts on hydrology and soil stability, including erosion, flooding, and debris-flows that threaten lives and infrastructure downstream. Vegetation restoration treatments like seeding and mulching can mitigate these effects and facilitate ecosystem recovery. Understanding the effectiveness of various restoration methods is vital to planning a cost-effective and successful post-fire recovery strategy. The immediate response to a fire on US Forest Service land is coordinated by a Burned Area Emergency Response (BAER) team, a group responsible for mitigating immediate post-fire risks to human life, property, and critical natural and cultural resources. This study created a proof-of-concept methodology for a decision-support tool designed to help BAER teams identify the restoration treatments most likely to succeed in a given burned area. Leveraging random forest regression, Google Earth Engine, and Landsat 7 and 8 Earth observations, this study modeled vegetation recovery after the 2013 Silver Fire for seeded areas, seeded/mulched areas, and untreated areas. Treatment type and initial burn severity were the largest drivers of vegetation recovery across the landscape. Seeded/mulched areas showed higher recovery levels than untreated areas three months post-fire, but by four years post-fire, treated and untreated areas displayed similar recovery levels. To produce a robust predictive tool for the Gila National Forest, the model should be trained on many more fires and incorporate post-fire weather conditions into the process. Such a model will help partners ensure efficient resource use and plan effective post-fire restoration strategies.

DEVELOP Project Summary↗

NASA NTRS2021

Coastal California Water Resources II: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Detect and Assess the Impacts of Estuarine Breach Events for Improved Coastal Wetland Monitoring and Management

Estuaries are dynamic environments that provide a host of vital ecosystem services. California’s Marine Life Protection Act protects such ecosystems by creating Marine Protected Areas. California has approximately 440,000 acres of estuarine habitats as well as 23 Estuarine Marine Protected Areas (EMPAs); thus, in situ data collection is often difficult due to time and resource constraints. This project used remote sensing to gather data that examined the health and dynamics of California EMPAs in order to supplement ground-based field measurements. Through the use of Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS), Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI) and Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (C-SAR), this project assessed mouth state, inundation extent, turbidity, temperature, and tidal measurements for observable estuaries. The Normalized Water Difference Index from Sentinel-2 MSI captured estuary mouth state and inundation extent. Landsat 8 OLI and Sentinel-2 MSI detected differences in water quality metrics that correlated to changes in estuary mouth state (i.e., open or closed). The team’s California Estuary Assessment (CEA) tool in Google Earth Engine was successful in analyzing estuary mouth state, inundation, and water quality. It was most effective when breach events were larger than 10 meters in resolution, water surface was smooth, and imagery was unimpeded by algae or sun glint. The CEA tool will allow the partners, the Ocean Protection Council, Central Coast Wetlands Group, Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) and Davis (UCD), to better understand estuary dynamics and more effectively conduct in situ estuary monitoring.

Sarah Payne↗

NASA NTRS2000

Space Resources Roundtable 2

Contents include following: Developing Technologies for Space Resource Utilization - Concept for a Planetary Engineering Research Institute. Results of a Conceptual Systems Analysis of Systems for 200 m Deep Sampling of the Martian Subsurface. The Role of Near-Earth Asteroids in Long-Term Platinum Supply. Core Drilling for Extra-Terrestrial Mining. Recommendations by the "LSP and Manufacturing" Group to the NSF-NASA Workshop on Autonomous Construction and Manufacturing for Space Electrical Power Systems. Plasma Processing of Lunar and Planetary Materials. Percussive Force Magnitude in Permafrost. Summary of the Issues Regarding the Martian Subsurface Explorer. A Costing Strategy for Manufacturing in Orbit Using Extraterrestrial Resources. Mine Planning for Asteroid Orebodies. Organic-based Dissolution of Silicates: A New Approach to Element Extraction from LunarRegohth. Historic Frontier Processes Active in Future Space-based Mineral Extraction. The Near-Earth Space Surveillance (NIESS) Mission: Discovery, Tracking, and Characterization of Asteroids, Comets, and Artificial Satellites with a microsatellite. Privatized Space Resource Property Ownership. The Fabrication of Silicon Solar Cells on the Moon Using In-Situ Resources. A New Strategy for Exploration Technology Development: The Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Exploratiori/Commercialization Technology Initiative. Space Resources for Space Tourism. Recovery of Volatiles from the Moon and Associated Issues. Preliminary Analysis of a Small Robot for Martian Regolith Excavation. The Registration of Space-based Property. Continuous Processing with Mars Gases. Drilling and Logging in Space; An Oil-Well Perspective. LORPEX for Power Surges: Drilling, Rock Crushing. An End-To-End Near-Earth Asteroid Resource Exploitation Plan. An Engineering and Cost Model for Human Space Settlement Architectures: Focus on Space Hotels and Moon/Mars Exploration. The Development and Realization of a Silicon-60-based Economy in CisLunar Space. Our Lunar Destiny: Creating a Lunar Economy. Cost-Effective Approaches to Lunar Passenger Transportation. Lunar Mineral Resources: Extraction and Application. Space Resources Development - The Link Between Human Exploration and the Long-term Commercialization of Space. Toward a More Comprehensive Evaluation of Space Information. Development of Metal Casting Molds by Sol-Gel Technology Using Planetary Resources. A New Concept in Planetary Exploration: ISRU with Power Bursts. Bold Space Ventures Require Fervent Public Support. Hot-pressed Iron from Lunar Soil. The Lunar Dust Problem: A Possible Remedy. Considerations on Use of Lunar Regolith in Lunar Constructions. Experimental Study on Water Production by Hydrogen Reduction of Lunar Soil Simulant in a Fixed Bed Reactor.

Ignatiev, A.↗

NASA NTRS2016

In-Space Production of Storable Propellants

Our exploration of the feasibility of in-space production of storable propellants from resourcesavailable on asteroids, and also on Mars and the Moon, has considered the process of sampleacquisition; the energy requirements for heating and volatile release; the thermodynamic behaviorof gas release from minerals and organic polymers containing hydrogen, oxygen, carbon, sulfur,and nitrogen; purification of the released water and carbon dioxide; the storage and transportation of these materials in the condensed state; synthesis of fuels including methanol and dimethyl ether(DME); and the co-production, concentration, stability, and storage of the complementary oxidizer high-test hydrogen peroxide (HTP). We call attention to the ability of the storable propellant/oxidizer combination of DME and HTP to carry out deep-space missions and to perform retrieval and relocation of any and all space-derived resources, such as retrieving asteroidal metal to high Earth orbit. This study's analyses are based on returning resources to a storage/processing/dispensing facility in a Highly Eccentric Earth Orbit (HEEO) with a perigee above geosynchronous orbit and an apogee approach or beyond the Moon's orbit.The methane/LOX option, notable for good engine performance, has not been included in this study because our scope includes only fully storable propellants.

Lewis, John S.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Multiphase Simulations of the SLS Launch Environment

NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS), which will send astronauts back to the Moon in the next few years, is powered by four RS-25 engines and two RSRMV solid rocket boosters (SRBs). During launch the SLS propulsion system generates intense acoustics and other powerful waves, such as ignition overpressure (IOP) which, if unmitigated, have the potential to damage the vehicle and possibly cause loss of mission or crew. To protect the vehicle from these powerful waves, the SLS launch pad design includes an ignition overpressure/sound suppression (IOP/SS) system which sprays 270,000 gallons per minute of water very close to the SRB and RS-25 nozzles. The SRB and RS-25 engine plumes, and the proximity of the IOP/SS water, create a complex multiphase (gas and liquid) environment during the SLS ignition sequence. The interplay among these systems creates challenges related to water spray into/onto engine nozzles, potential debris transport, and additional transient loads due to strong plume-water interactions - all of which the SLS vehicle must be able to withstand. Prior to the Artemis I launch, the SLS multiphase liftoff environment was largely unknown due to differences from the Space Shuttle and other programs. Some data was available from tests of individual systems, but no integrated testing or analysis was available. Even post-launch analysis of Artemis I cannot provide a full understanding of the complex physics involved due to limited (or obstructed) camera views and instrumentation. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is being used to investigate the details of the multiphase environment which could not be measured, help comprehend the data gathered from the launch, and ultimately identify phenomena that are a concern for future flights. Project Details Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) have executed simulations using the Loci/STREAM-Volume of Fluid (VoF) multiphase CFD solver to understand this environment. Initial efforts successfully validated the CFD solver on various tests, giving confidence to simulate the SLS multiphase liftoff environment prior to the Artemis I launch. The CFD simulation of the SLS ignition sequence was conducted in three phases. First the IOP/SS water system was simulated for approximately 6 seconds to reach a quasi-steady state. Next, the RS-25 engine plumes were activated and held at full power for 1 second. Lastly, the SRB booster was activated and the simulation was carried out until just prior to vehicle motion. This simulation process mimics the conditions that exist at launch. Results and Impact The SLS ignition sequence simulation results provide deep understanding of the underlying physics occuring during launch. Observations from the simulation include reduction of water splashing into/onto the engine nozzles, change in angling of the dense water sheets, and the origin of the powerful ignition overpressure (IOP) wave. These observations directly inform the SLS program on subjects including plume-water induced side loads, debris transport, and the acoustic launch environment. Additionally, with post launch comparison of CFD observations to flight data, these tools can be applied to launch vehicles and environments other than SLS with confidence. Why HPC Matters The SLS ignition sequence CFD simulations are conducted on meshes up to hundreds of millions of cells on thousands of processors for weeks at a time. These simulations generate terabytes of data that must also be stored and archived for future use on HPC systems. Simply put, the CFD simulations would not be possible without NASA HPC resources. What’s Next Comparisons between the Artemis I flight data and the CFD simulations will be continued to both improve confidence in the CFD results and provide deeper understanding into the SLS multiphase launch environment. This will be used to provide insight for decision making for the first manned SLS flight, Artemis II. Future simulations will target new configurations of the SLS IOP/SS water required to support the more powerful variants of the SLS vehicle, such as Block 1B. Additionally, this capability provides NASA the ability to investigate launch environments for vehicles other than SLS to support other missions.

Travis Rivord↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Utilizing Airborne and Space-Based Remote Sensing Imagery to Implement the Unvegetated-Vegetated Ratio to Assess Salt Marsh Vulnerability in South Carolina

Among the most productive ecosystems on earth, salt marshes provide crucial ecosystem services including water filtration, shoreline protection, storm surge buffering, and flood mitigation. Marshes are largely dependent on their sediment budget which can significantly vary across a region and can be used to determine the life span of the marsh. Upstream land use change near Charleston, South Carolina, along with rising sea levels, are expected to alter sediment budgets and threaten marsh stability and long-term health. The unvegetated-vegetated ratio (UVVR), developed by researchers at USGS, is a scalable and efficient method to assess vulnerability. The NASA DEVELOP National Program collaborated with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, and the United States Geological Survey Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center to apply the UVVR method within Google Earth Engine. Marsh vulnerability was analyzed using UVVR derived from clustering and manual interpretation of National Agriculture Imagery Program (NAIP) high-resolution aerial imagery. NAIP derived UVVR was aggregated to Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) resolution and projection. A Random Forest Regression between Landsat derived data and UVVR was modeled to estimate a potential relationship. The estimation of this relationship was used to produce temporal change analysis maps of salt marsh vulnerability back to 1984. The NAIP imagery processed through Google Earth Engine allowed us to make detailed UVVR maps for 2009, 2015, 2017, and 2019 for decision making within South Carolina. Google Earth Engine scripting provided a novel approach to UVVR methodology that will allow decision makers to input new marsh regions and easily calculate marsh vulnerability without external data downloading. These results were used to understand what areas of the marsh need most resource allocation in the future.

NASA DEVELOP↗

NASA NTRS1990

Volatile-bearing phases in carbonaceous chondrites: Compositions, modal abundance, and reaction kinetics

The spectral and density characteristics of Phobos and Deimos (the two small natural satellites of Mars) strongly suggest that a significant fraction of the near-earth asteroids are made of carbonaceous chondrites, which are rich in volatile components and, thus, could serve as potential resources for propellants and life supporting systems in future planetary missions. However, in order to develop energy efficient engineering designs for the extraction of volatiles, knowledge of the nature and modal abundance of the minerals in which the volatiles are structurally bound and appropriate kinetic data on the rates of the devolatilization reactions is required. Theoretical calculations to predict the modal abundances and compositions of the major volatile-bearing and other mineral phases that could develop in the bulk compositions of C1 and C2 classes (the most volatile rich classes among the carbonaceous chondrites) were performed as functions of pressure and temperature. The rates of dehydration of talc at 585, 600, 637, and 670 C at P(total) = 1 bar were determine for the reaction: Talc = 3 enstatite + quartz + water. A scanning electron microscopic study was conducted to see if the relative abundance of phases can be determined on the basis of the spectral identification and x ray mapping. The results of this study and the other studies within the project are discussed.

Ganguly, Jibamitra↗

NASA NTRS2021

Southwest Water Resources: Monitoring Surface Water Extents of Remote Stock Ponds in the Southwestern United States Using Earth Observing Systems for Enhanced Water Resources Management

Due to increasingly frequent and severe drought conditions in the southwestern US, land managers and livestock producers need to monitor stock ponds with increasing regularity. The ability to assess stock pond water levels with Earth observing satellite systems would enhance monitoring efforts of partners at the US Forest Service, Arizona Department of Game and Fish, and the Diablo Trust. This study employed Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Sentinel-1 C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (C-SAR), and Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI) to monitor surface water extent for hundreds of critical stock ponds in Arizona. Using methods adapted from previously developed image processing workflows, this project conducted a time-series analysis to capture seasonal and interannual variations in surface water area between 2013 to 2021. In addition, end users can monitor the surface water extent of stock ponds through the developed Google Earth Engine software tool called Surface Water Identification and Forecasting Tool (SWIFT). SWIFT incorporates the Automated Water Extraction Index, Modified Normalized Difference Water Index, and Tasseled Cap-Wetness Index for optical imagery and the incidence angle, VV and VH polarization bands for Sentinel-1 imagery to detect small water bodies in the study area with an overall accuracy range of 88-93%. These tools will empower our partners to monitor the extents of water in their stock ponds remotely, enabling them to develop data-informed and sustainable management solutions for decades to come.

Rainey Aberle↗

NASA NTRS2016

Human Mars Landing Site and Impacts on Mars Surface Operations

This paper describes NASA's initial steps for identifying and evaluating candidate Exploration Zones (EZs) and Regions of Interests (ROIs) for the first human crews that will explore the surface of Mars. NASA's current effort to define the exploration of this planet by human crews, known as the Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC), provides the context in which these EZs and ROIs are being considered. The EMC spans all aspects of a human Mars mission including launch from Earth, transit to and from Mars, and operations on the surface of Mars. An EZ is a collection of ROIs located within approximately 100 kilometers of a centralized landing site. ROIs are areas relevant for scientific investigation and/or development/maturation of capabilities and resources necessary for a sustainable human presence. The EZ also contains one or more landing sites and a habitation site that will be used by multiple human crews during missions to explore and utilize the ROIs within the EZ. With the EMC as a conceptual basis, the EZ model has been refined to a point where specific site selection criteria for scientific exploration and in situ resource utilization can be defined. In 2015 these criteria were distributed to the planetary sciences community and the in situ resource utilization and civil engineering communities as part of a call for EZ proposals. The resulting "First Landing Site/Exploration Zone Workshop for Human Missions to the Surface of Mars" was held in October 2015 during which 47 proposals for EZs and ROIs were presented and discussed. Proposed locations spanned all longitudes and all allowable latitudes (+/- 50 degrees). Proposed justification for selecting one of these EZs also spanned a significant portion of the scientific and resource criteria provided to the community. Several important findings resulted from this Workshop including: (a) a strong consensus that, at a scale of 100 km (radius), multiple places on Mars exist that have both sufficient scientific interest to sustain multiple crews of exploring astronauts, AND potential resource deposits for ISRU indicating the current EZ definition is viable and should be retained for now, (b) new data types (needed for more definitive analysis of EZs) argued strongly for a new orbiter mission, and possibly one or more surface missions, to obtain these data, (c) a general consensus that this Workshop was an excellent start to identifying a place where future human missions to Mars can productively explore this planet and learn to live and work there for the long term. Building on these findings, HEOMD and SMD are: (a) refining the EZ selection criteria and overall selection process to improve on lessons learned from the first EZ workshop, (b) using these proposed locations to develop "reference EZs" for assessment purposes (primarily engineering assessments), (c) gathering data and conducting analyses to better understanding the different potential sources for water, including the ease of extraction and purification, and (d) assessing trends in additional data that are needed to better characterize EZs proposed at the workshop and how these data needs impact the design and operation of future robotic Mars missions.

Hoffman, Stephen J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Software Architecture to Support the Evolution of the ISRU RESOLVE Engineering Breadboard Unit 2 (EBU2)

The In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Regolith & Environmental Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatiles Extraction (RESOLVE) software provides operation of the physical plant from a remote location with a high-level interface that can access and control the data from external software applications of other subsystems. This software allows autonomous control over the entire system with manual computer control of individual system/process components. It gives non-programmer operators the capability to easily modify the high-level autonomous sequencing while the software is in operation, as well as the ability to modify the low-level, file-based sequences prior to the system operation. Local automated control in a distributed system is also enabled where component control is maintained during the loss of network connectivity with the remote workstation. This innovation also minimizes network traffic. The software architecture commands and controls the latest generation of RESOLVE processes used to obtain, process, and quantify lunar regolith. The system is grouped into six sub-processes: Drill, Crush, Reactor, Lunar Water Resource Demonstration (LWRD), Regolith Volatiles Characterization (RVC) (see example), and Regolith Oxygen Extraction (ROE). Some processes are independent, some are dependent on other processes, and some are independent but run concurrently with other processes. The first goal is to analyze the volatiles emanating from lunar regolith, such as water, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, ammonia, hydrogen, and others. This is done by heating the soil and analyzing and capturing the volatilized product. The second goal is to produce water by reducing the soil at high temperatures with hydrogen. This is done by raising the reactor temperature in the range of 800 to 900 C, causing the reaction to progress by adding hydrogen, and then capturing the water product in a desiccant bed. The software needs to run the entire unit and all sub-processes; however, throughout testing, many variables and parameters need to be changed as more is learned about the system operation. The Master Events Controller (MEC) is run on a standard laptop PC using Windows XP. This PC runs in parallel to another laptop that monitors the GC, and a third PC that monitors the drilling/ crushing operation. These three PCs interface to the process through a CompactRIO, OPC Servers, and modems.

Moss, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS1981

New technologies - How to assess environmental effects

A method is provided for assessing the environmental effects of a room-and-pillar mining system (RP) and a new hydraulic borehole mining system (HBM). Before environmental assessment can begin, each technology is defined in terms of its engineering characteristics at both the conceptual and preliminary design stages. The mining sites are also described in order to identify the significant advantages and constraints for each system. This can be a basic physical and biological survey of the region at the conceptual stage, but a more specific representation of site characteristics is required at the preliminary stage. Assessment of potential environmental effects of each system at the conceptual design is critical to its hardware development and application. A checklist can be used to compare and identify the negative impacts of each method, outlining the resource affected, the type of impact involved, and the exact activity causing that impact. At the preliminary design stage, these impacts should be evaluated as a result of either utilization or alteration. Underground coal mining systems have three major utilization impacts - the total area disturbed, the total water resources withdrawn from other uses, and the overall energy efficiency of the process - and one major alteration impact - the degradation of water quality by sedimentation and acid contamination. A comparison of the RP and HBM systems shows the HBM to be an environmentally less desirable system for the Central Appalachia region.

Sullivan, P. J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Design of a lunar oxygen production plant

To achieve permanent human presence and activity on the moon, oxygen is required for both life support and propulsion. Lunar oxygen production using resources existing on the moon will reduce or eliminate the need to transport liquid oxygen from earth. In addition, the co-products of oxygen production will provide metals, structural ceramics, and other volatile compounds. This will enable development of even greater self-sufficiency as the lunar outpost evolves. Ilmenite is the most abundant metal-oxide mineral in the lunar regolith. A process involving the reaction of ilmenite with hydrogen at 1000 C to produce water, followed by the electrolysis of this water to provide oxygen and recycle the hydrogen has been explored. The objective of this 1990 Summer Faculty Project was to design a lunar oxygen-production plant to provide 5 metric tons of liquid oxygen per year from lunar soil. The results of this study describe the size and mass of the equipment, the power needs, feedstock quantity and the engineering details of the plant.

Radhakrishnan, Ramalingam↗