NASA Ames Lunar Rover Technologies
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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.
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MW-Class Electric Propulsion System Designs
Electric propulsion systems are well developed and have been in commercial use for several years. Ion and Hall thrusters have propelled robotic spacecraft to encounters with asteroids, the Moon, and minor planetary bodies within the solar system, while higher power systems are being considered to support even more demanding future space science and exploration missions. Such missions may include orbit raising and station-keeping for large platforms, robotic and human missions to near earth asteroids, cargo transport for sustained lunar or Mars exploration, and at very high-power, fast piloted missions to Mars and the outer planets. The Advanced In-Space Propulsion Project, High Efficiency Space Power Systems Project, and High Power Electric Propulsion Demonstration Project were established within the NASA Exploration Technology Development and Demonstration Program to develop and advance the fundamental technologies required for these long-range, future exploration missions. Under the auspices of the High Efficiency Space Power Systems Project, and supported by the Advanced In-Space Propulsion and High Power Electric Propulsion Projects, the COMPASS design team at the NASA Glenn Research Center performed multiple parametric design analyses to determine solar and nuclear electric power technology requirements for representative 300-kW class and pulsed and steady-state MW-class electric propulsion systems. This paper describes the results of the MW-class electric power and propulsion design analysis. Starting with the representative MW-class vehicle configurations, and using design reference missions bounded by launch dates, several power system technology improvements were introduced into the parametric COMPASS simulations to determine the potential system level benefits such technologies might provide. Those technologies providing quantitative system level benefits were then assessed for technical feasibility, cost, and time to develop. Key assumptions and primary results of the COMPASS MW-class electric propulsion power system study are reported, and discussion is provided on how the analysis might be used to guide future technology investments as NASA moves to more capable high power in-space propulsion systems.
LaPointe, Michael R.↗
An Overview of NASA’s Learn-to-Fly Technology Development
“Learn-to-Fly” (L2F) is an advanced technology development effort within the Modeling and Control for Agile Aircraft Development (MCAAD) group, a part of the NASA Transformative Aeronautics Concepts Program’s (TACP) Transformational Tools and Technologies (TTT) project. The goal of L2F is to develop technologies for enabling self-learning flight vehicles, using both ground- and flight-test approaches. Specifically, research has been conducted to demonstrate the potential to merge two enabling technologies, real-time aerodynamic modeling and adaptive flight controls, to substantially reduce the typical ground- and flight-testing time requirements for air vehicle design. This effort involved development of real-time, on-board algorithms to demonstrate key L2F technologies including aerodynamic modeling and control for an aircraft with minimal a priori knowledge. This research included both ground-based wind tunnel experiments utilizing modern design of experiments (DOE) techniques, as well as a flight test campaign, and was intended to rapidly advance these technologies and demonstrate key capabilities of the L2F approach. This paper presents the overview of the methods used to develop L2F technologies in NASA Langley Research Center’s 12-Foot Low Speed Tunnel, as well as in flight experiments. These methods include efficient wind tunnel data collection, real-time global nonlinear aerodynamic modeling in both the time and frequency domains, and the integration of the modeling techniques with adaptive flight controls, all of which were demonstrated using experimental validation.
Stephen E Riddick↗
NASA Fluid Lensing & MiDAR: Next-Generation Remote Sensing Technologies for Aquatic Remote Sensing
We present two recent instrument technology developments at NASA, Fluid Lensing and MiDAR, and their application to remote sensing of Earth's aquatic systems. Fluid Lensing is the first remote sensing technology capable of imaging through ocean waves in 3D at sub-cm resolutions. MiDAR is a next-generation active hyperspectral remote sensing and optical communications instrument capable of active fluid lensing. Fluid Lensing has been used to provide 3D multispectral imagery of shallow marine systems from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs, or drones), including coral reefs in American Samoa and stromatolite reefs in Hamelin Pool, Western Australia. MiDAR is being deployed on aircraft and underwater remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) to enable a new method for remote sensing of living and nonliving structures in extreme environments. MiDAR images targets with high-intensity narrowband structured optical radiation to measure an objectâ€"TM"s non-linear spectral reflectance, image through fluid interfaces such as ocean waves with active fluid lensing, and simultaneously transmit high-bandwidth data. As an active instrument, MiDAR is capable of remotely sensing reflectance at the centimeter (cm) spatial scale with a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) multiple orders of magnitude higher than passive airborne and spaceborne remote sensing systems with significantly reduced integration time. This allows for rapid video-frame-rate hyperspectral sensing into the far ultraviolet and VNIR wavelengths. Previously, MiDAR was developed into a TRL 2 laboratory instrument capable of imaging in thirty-two narrowband channels across the VNIR spectrum (400-950nm). Recently, MiDAR UV was raised to TRL4 and expanded to include five ultraviolet bands from 280-400nm, permitting UV remote sensing capabilities in UV A, B, and C bands and enabling mineral identification and stimulated fluorescence measurements of organic proteins and compounds, such as green fluorescent proteins in terrestrial and aquatic organics.
fluid lensing↗
NASA's Changing Electronics Landscape: NEPP Focus, Agency Alignment, and Technology Development
This presentation will cover NASA Electrical, Electronic, and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts Landscape and 2018 Activities.
Parts assurance↗
Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the US economy
In April 1985, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). The progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Office of Space Station in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology are described. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 9, the Flight Telerobotic Servicer, the Advanced Development Program, and the Data Management System. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom.
Source record↗
Development of Composite Sandwich Bonded Longitudinal Joints for Space Launch Vehicle Structures
The NASA Composite Technology for Exploration (CTE) Project is developing and demonstrating critical composite technologies with a focus on composite bonded joints; incorporating materials, design/analysis, manufacturing, and tests that utilize NASA’s expertise and capabilities. The project has goals of advancing composite technologies and providing lightweight structures to support future NASA exploration missions. In particular, the CTE project will demonstrate weight-saving, performance-enhancing composite bonded joint technology for Space Launch System (SLS)-scale composite hardware. Advancements from the CTE project may be incorporated as future block upgrades for SLS structural components. This paper discusses the details of the development of a composite sandwich bonded longitudinal joint for a generic space launch vehicle structure called the CTE Point Design. The paper includes details of the design, analysis, materials, manufacturing, and testing of sub-element joint test articles to test the capability of the joint design. The test results show that the composite longitudinal bonded joint design significantly exceeds the design loads with a 2.0 factor of safety. Analysis pre-test failure predictions for all sub-element bonded joint test coupons were all within 10% of the average test coupon failure load. This testing and analysis provides confidence in the potential use of composite bonded joints for future launch vehicle structures.
Segal, Kenneth N.↗
Testing and Analysis Correlation of a Large-Scale Composite Sandwich Longitudinal Bonded Joint for Space Launch Vehicle Structures
The NASA Composite Technology for Exploration (CTE) Project is developing and demonstrating critical composite technologies with a focus on composite bonded joints; incorporating materials, design/analysis, manufacturing, and tests that utilize NASA’s expertise and capabilities. The project has goals of advancing composite technologies and providing lightweight structures to support future NASA exploration missions. In particular, the CTE project will demonstrate weight-saving, performance-enhancing composite bonded joint technology for Space Launch System (SLS)-scale composite hardware. Advancements from the CTE project may be incorporated as future block upgrades for SLS structural components. This paper discusses the details of the development of a composite sandwich bonded longitudinal joint for a generic space launch vehicle structure called the CTE Point Design. This paper reports on the large-scale longitudinal bonded joint test articles that were fabricated and tested under axial compressive loading conditions to test the capability of the bonded joint design for buckling and joint failure. Test and analysis correlation of an as-manufactured undamaged longitudinal bonded joint panel are presented in the paper for tests to the onset of buckling and panel failure. Analysis predictions for buckling initiation and panel failure were both within 10% of the longitudinal bonded joint panel test results. This testing and analysis provide confidence in the potential use of composite bonded joints for future launch vehicle structures.
David W Sleight↗
Lidar Past, Present, and Future in NASA's Earth and Space Science Programs
Lidar is firmly entrenched in the family of remote sensing technologies that NASA is developing and using. Still a relatively new technology, lidar should continue to experience significant advances and progress. Lidar is used in each one of the major research themes, including planetary exploration, in the Earth Sciences Directorate at Goddard Space Flight Center. NASA has and will continue to generate new lidar applications from ground, air and space for both Earth science and planetary exploration.
Einaudi, Franco↗
Development of Life Support System Technologies for Human Lunar Missions
With the Preliminary Design Review (PDR) for the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle planned to be completed in 2009, Exploration Life Support (ELS), a technology development project under the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Exploration Technology Development Program, is focusing its efforts on needs for human lunar missions. The ELS Project s goal is to develop and mature a suite of Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) technologies for potential use on human spacecraft under development in support of U.S. Space Exploration Policy. ELS technology development is directed at three major vehicle projects within NASA s Constellation Program (CxP): the Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the Altair Lunar Lander and Lunar Surface Systems, including habitats and pressurized rovers. The ELS Project includes four technical elements: Atmosphere Revitalization Systems, Water Recovery Systems, Waste Management Systems and Habitation Engineering, and two cross cutting elements, Systems Integration, Modeling and Analysis, and Validation and Testing. This paper will provide an overview of the ELS Project, connectivity with its customers and an update to content within its technology development portfolio with focus on human lunar missions.
Barta, Daniel J.↗
Space station - Technology development
The NASA manned space station program's systems technology effort involves the development of novel techniques that will reduce the scope of tasks neeeded for design, development, testing and evaluation of the hardware. Operations technology efforts encompass analyses that will define those techniques best able to improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of space station functions. The technology objective for data management calls for a fault-tolerant, distributed, expandable and adaptable, as well as repairable and user-friendly, flight data management system that employs state-of-the-art hardware and software. The space station's power system includes the largest element, a 'solar blanket', and the heaviest component, the batteries, of all the subsystems. A thermal management system for the power system is of paramount importance. Attention is also given to the exacting demands of attitude control and stabilization and a regenerative life support system of the requisite capacity and reliability.
Carlisle, R. F.↗
Advanced solar dynamic space power systems perspectives, requirements and technology needs
Projected NASA, Civil, Commercial, and Military missions will require space power systems of increased versatility and power levels. The Advanced Solar Dynamic (ASD) Power systems offer the potential for efficient, lightweight, survivable, relatively compact, long-lived space power systems applicable to a wide range of power levels (3 to 300 kWe), and a wide variety of orbits. The successful development of these systems could satisfy the power needs for a wide variety of these projected missions. Thus, the NASA Lewis Research Center has embarked upon an aggressive ASD reserach project under the direction of NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (DAST). The project is being implemented through a combination of in-house and contracted efforts. Key elements of this project are missions analysis to determine the power systems requirements, systems analysis to identify the most attractive ASD power systems to meet these requirements, and to guide the technology development efforts, and technology development of key components.
Dustin, M. O.↗
Advanced Earth-to-orbit propulsion technology program overview: Impact of civil space technology initiative
The NASA Earth-to-Orbit (ETO) Propulsion Technology Program is dedicated to advancing rocket engine technologies for the development of fully reusable engine systems that will enable space transportation systems to achieve low cost, routine access to space. The program addresses technology advancements in the areas of engine life extension/prediction, performance enhancements, reduced ground operations costs, and in-flight fault tolerant engine operations. The primary objective is to acquire increased knowledge and understanding of rocket engine chemical and physical processes in order to evolve more realistic analytical simulations of engine internal environments, to derive more accurate predictions of steady and unsteady loads, and using improved structural analyses, to more accurately predict component life and performance, and finally to identify and verify more durable advanced design concepts. In addition, efforts were focused on engine diagnostic needs and advances that would allow integrated health monitoring systems to be developed for enhanced maintainability, automated servicing, inspection, and checkout, and ultimately, in-flight fault tolerant engine operations.
Stephenson, Frank W., Jr.↗
Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Development for Electric Propulsion
NASA is developing technologies to prepare for human exploration missions to Mars. Solar electric propulsion (SEP) systems are expected to enable a new cost effective means to deliver cargo to the Mars surface. Nearer term missions to Mars moons or near-Earth asteroids can be used to both develop and demonstrate the needed technology for these future Mars missions while demonstrating new capabilities in their own right. This presentation discusses recent technology development accomplishments for high power, high voltage solar arrays and power management that enable a new class of SEP missions.
solar electric propulsion↗
Design, Analysis, Testing, and Flight Activities for A Green Propulsion Dual Mode (Gpdm) Technology Demonstration Mission
NASA’s Strategic Plan (2022) outlines specific technology development objectives which direct the Agency to “innovate and advance transformational space technologies.” An example of these potentially high-impact space technologies is the low-toxicity or “green” rocket propellant known as ASCENT (or Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic Propellant). Developed in the 2010’s by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), ASCENT (formerly AF-315E) has shown improved specific impulse density (50% higher) vs. hydrazine in addition to its favorable in-space storability and ease of handling capability. The chemical propulsion capability of ASCENT has been demonstrated on several missions including the Green Propulsion Infusion Mission (GPIM) in 2019 and most recently, the Lunar Flashlight mission. ASCENT is an ionic liquid, which lends itself as both a chemical and an electrospray propellant. The capability to use the same propellants in multiple modes using the same propellant tank and feed system has yet to be demonstrated in orbit. This capability, if proven successful has the potential to reduce system weight and complexity, while taking advantage of both high thrust and high propellant efficiency in electrospray mode. The GPDM Project, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking to develop a dual-mode propulsion system as the payload on a small spacecraft (6U CubeSat) and subsequent in-space demonstration. This paper will summarize the concept, ground testing as well as mission operations plan for demonstrating green “dual-mode” propulsion.
Nehemiah J. Williams↗
NASA Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Technology Program: An overview
The growth of the near-earth meteoroid and orbital debris environment and the potentially damaging interplanetary meteoroid and meteoroid streams present hypervelocity impact threats to spacecraft. In relation to these threats, NASA established the meteoroid and orbital debris technology program with the aim of: providing the technologies required to support the development of cost-effective spacecraft with high survivability in the presence of these environments; increasing the understanding of the effects of these environments on spacecraft; and minimizing the human contribution to these environments. The critical technologies and the technological requirements are reviewed together with NASA's capabilities in this domain.
Rodriguez, Pedro↗
NASA Progress on the Development and Qualification of a 12-kW Hall-Effect, Solar Electric Propulsion Thruster
I. Motivation and Background Beginning in 2014, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) began a project to increase the state of the art for the Hall-Effect Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) technology. The resulting Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS) project has developed a 12 kW Hall Current Thruster in support of the NASA mission to establish a permanent human presence in lunar orbit and to land the next American astronauts on the South Pole of the Moon. The project is led by the NASA Glenn Research Center, supported by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and development, qualification & flight hardware all provided by L3 Harris Aerojet Rocketdyne (AR).The AEPS project has completed the development testing of a high power, solar electric propulsion Hall Current thruster that will be used on the NASA Power & Propulsion Element (PPE) of the Gateway space station. NASA initially built three Technology Development Units to understand key characteristics of the hall-effect rocket with magnetic shielding. The design led to development testing on two Engineering Test Unit Thrusters and multiple critical components. The project has begun production of the three flight thrusters and entered qualification testing at the component and thruster levels. II. Approach NASA and AR teams completed all development phases of the project, including full development and integration testing of the Engineering Model hardware, Critical Design Review, and ground test equipment validation, as well as fabrication and acceptance testing of the initial qualification thruster. Qualification and verification of the environmental and life requirements of the AEPS design was initiated in the Fall of 2023 and will be accomplished on two thruster units and using a series of component-level tests during 2024 and 2025. Environmental testing will incorporate functional reference firings, shock, vibration, and Thermal Vacuum (TVAC) testing. Life verification will assess the thruster wear and performance over the lifetime of the Gateway spacecraft. Critical component qualification tests include cathode heater, magnet coils, magnet heaters, temperature sensors, and a cathode assembly that will undergo life cycle testing on multiple units. Flight thrusters will complete assembly and acceptance testing and be delivered to the PPE program in early 2025. III. Preliminary and Anticipated Results The program has completed the acceptance testing, including dynamic testing and hot fire characterization, of the first qualification thruster. In the Fall of 2023, the program entered the environmental qualification phase for thruster testing. This paper will present an overview of the AEPS thruster project, thruster capabilities and flight design, preliminary results from the thruster acceptance and qualification testing, component life cycle testing and flight hardware status.
Clayton Kachele↗
NASA SPLICE Project: Development and Testing of Precision Landing GN&C Technologies
This presentation shows NASA's progress in developing precision landing and hazard avoidance technologies during the last few years through its ALHAT, COBALT and now SPLICE projects. The talk shows how these projects intend to use active optical sensors to map landing surfaces and identify hazards for future lander missions. The talk will be given at an Entry Descent and Landing session at a NASA Technical Interchange Meeting on active optical sensor systems.
Restrepo, Carolina↗