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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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At least 1,783 records · Page 99

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NASA NTRS2000

Low potassium enhances sodium uptake in red-beet under moderate saline conditions

Due to the discrepancy in metabolic sodium (Na) requirements between plants and animals, cycling of Na between humans and plants is limited and critical to the proper functioning of bio-regenerative life support systems, being considered for long-term human habitats in space (e.g., Martian bases). This study was conducted to determine the effects of limited potassium (K) on growth, Na uptake, photosynthesis, ionic partitioning, and water relations of red-beet (Beta vulgaris L. ssp. vulgaris) under moderate Na-saline conditions. Two cultivars, Klein Bol, and Ruby Queen were grown for 42 days in a growth chamber using a re-circulating nutrient film technique where the supplied K levels were 5.0, 1.25, 0.25, and 0.10 mM in a modified half-strength Hoagland solution salinized with 50 mM NaCl. Reducing K levels from 5.0 to 0.10 mM quadrupled the Na uptake, and lamina Na levels reached -20 g kg-1 dwt. Lamina K levels decreased from -60 g kg-1 dwt at 5.0 mM K to -4.0 g kg-1 dwt at 0.10 mM K. Ruby Queen and Klein Bol responded differently to these changes in Na and K status. Klein Bol showed a linear decline in dry matter production with a decrease in available K, whereas for cv. Ruby Queen, growth was stimulated at 1.25 mM K and relatively insensitive to a further decreases of K down to 0.10 mM. Leaf glycinebetaine levels showed no significant response to the changing K treatments. Leaf relative water content and osmotic potential were significantly higher for both cultivars at low-K treatments. Leaf chlorophyll levels were significantly decreased at low-K treatments, but leaf photosynthetic rates showed no significant difference. No substantial changes were observed in the total cation concentration of plant tissues despite major shifts in the relative Na and K uptake at various K levels. Sodium accounted for 90% of the total cation uptake at the low K levels, and thus Na was likely replacing K in osmotic functions without negatively affecting the plant water status, or growth. Our results also suggest that cv. Ruby Queen can tolerate a much higher Na tissue concentration than cv. Klein Bol before there is any growth reduction. Grant numbers: 12180.

NASA Center KSC↗

NASA NTRS1989

Strategic implementation plan

The Life Science Division of the NASA Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA) describes its plans for assuring the health, safety, and productivity of astronauts in space, and its plans for acquiring further fundamental scientific knowledge concerning space life sciences. This strategic implementation plan details OSSA's goals, objectives, and planned initiatives. The following areas of interest are identified: operational medicine; biomedical research; space biology; exobiology; biospheric research; controlled ecological life support; flight programs and advance technology development; the life sciences educational program; and earth benefits from space life sciences.

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NASA NTRS2006

Dawn of a New Space Age: Developing a Global Exploration Strategy.

Jeff Volosin is an aerospace engineer with over 20 years of experience in the design, development, and operations of both robotic and crewed spacecraft. Mr. Volosin is currently leading the NASA effort to develop and integrate a global exploration strategy which reflects the lunar exploration interests of international space agencies, academia and commercial stakeholders. Prior to joining NASA as a member of the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate in 2004, Jeff was an aerospace contractor, serving in a number of leadership positions including: Operations Manager for the NASA Communications Network and Flight Operations Manager for the Advanced Composition Explorer, Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission, and the NOAA Polar and Geostationary satellite constellations. Earlier in his career, Jeff spent 4 years as a system engineer supporting the Space Exploration Initiative studies on human voyages to the Moon and Mars and also supported the Space Station program as an advanced life support engineer.

Volosin, Jeff↗

NASA NTRS2024

Integrated Simulations of the Sabatier and Carbon Vapor Deposition Reactor to Understand Its Impacts to Operations and Performance

The carbon vapor deposition (CVD) reactor is a technology developed by Honeywell Aerospace to convert methane, at high temperatures, into hydrogen and solid carbon. This element is coupled with a Sabatier reactor to support a closed-loop environmental control and life support system with the aim of achieving nearly complete oxygen recovery (> 95%). Initial open-loop, brassboard CVD reactor tests and simulations have shown the CVD’s ability to achieve moderately high methane conversion and high hydrogen selectivity. However, in an integrated system, additional deficiencies are expected due to recycling of unreacted or extraneous species from the Sabatier reactor (e.g., carbon dioxide, hydrogen, water) and CVD reactor (e.g., hydrocarbons, methane, etc.). Sabatier and CVD reactor models were integrated and simulated to predict potential impacts to individual reactors’ and the overall system’s performance. The simulations showed that increasing the recycle of the CVD effluent hydrogen combined with decreasing the system inlet hydrogen flow rate (i.e., drawing a stoichiometric flow rate from an electrolyzer) can lead to an oxygen recovery of > 95%. However, system integration comes at a detriment to the individual reactors. The simulations show the initial conversion from the integrated system (Sabatier = 87% and CVD = 59%) to be lower than the standalone systems (Sabatier = 91% and CVD = 69%). Furthermore, transient simulations show substrate densification, leading to worsening methane conversion coupled with increasing acetylene production, which is commensurate with soot formation. Simulations predict a shortening of the maintenance interval (i.e., time until CVD methane conversion drops below 50%) in the integrated system, which would increase the consumable substrate mass. These analyses highlight the importance of long-duration, integrated tests to corroborate these findings as well as suggest potential modifications (e.g., intermediate gas separations) to improve performance.

Air Revitalization↗

NASA NTRS1984

Prototype wash water renovation system integration with government-furnished wash fixture

The requirements of a significant quantity of proposed life sciences experiments in Shuttle payloads for available wash water to support cleansing operations has provided the incentive to develop a technique for wash water renovation. A prototype wash water waste renovation system which has the capability to process the waste water and return it to a state adequate for reuse in a typical cleansing fixture designed to support life science experiments was investigated. The resulting technology is to support other developments efforts pertaining to water reclamation by serving as a pretreatment step for subsequent reclamation procedures.

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NASA NTRS2019

Development of OCSS In-Suit Urine Collection and Removal System for Cabin Depressurization Scenario

NASA is developing a waste management system for use in a pressurizable space suit for future Orion missions. Driven by Orion's cabin depress operational scenario, specific life support equipment is needed for crew survival. Immediate life-sustaining resources can be provided by the Orion launch and entry suit as a pressurizable safe haven. Before long, though, the crew would also need an appropriate waste management system to maintain their crew health in a confined environment, especially over multiple days. Long-duration waste management hardware for use with a space suit has not been designed or utilized since the Apollo program, and there are numerous technical challenges associated with its implementation. In conjunction both NASA's Orion Crew Survival Systems (OCSS) and Omni Medical Systems are addressing such challenges through their on-going hardware design efforts to support future Orion missions. This paper details some of the initial design and testing efforts that have been completed while discussing the major challenges that have arisen in the process.

Harvie, Mark↗

NASA NTRS1970

Experiment module concepts study. Volume 5 book 1, appendix A: Shuttle only task

Results of a preliminary investigation of the effect on the candidate experiment program implementation of experiment module operations in the absence of an orbiting space station and with the availability of the space shuttle orbiter vehicle only are presented. The fundamental hardware elements for shuttle-only operation of the program are: (1) integrated common experiment modules CM-1, CM-3, and CM-4, together with the propulsion slice; (2) support modules capable of supplying on-orbit crew life support, power, data management, and other services normally provided by a space station; (3) dormancy kits to enable normally attached modules to remain in orbit while shuttle returns to earth; and (4) shuttle orbiter. Preliminary cost estimates for 30 day on-orbit and 5 day on-orbit capabilities for a four year implementation period are $4.2 billion and $2.1 billion, respectively.

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NASA NTRS1992

Human support for Mars exploration - Issues and approaches

The preparations for a manned mission of the length associated with travel to Mars will strongly focus on the human crew, in order to best support their technical, physical, and psychological needs. Advanced life-support systems for both internal and external operations will be critical in both the transit vehicle and planetary surface habitat. Not only individual systems, but how they mutually interact and in turn affect the crew, will shape not only habitats but realistically foreseeable mission objectives. The long-term habitability of all accommodations will be a far more prominent design criterion than heretofore for the relevant engineering disciplines.

Gross, Anthony R.↗

NASA NTRS2008

NASA's Plans for Materials Science on ISS: Cooperative Utilization of the MSRR-MSL

The ISS Research Project draws Life (non-human) and Physical Sciences investigations on the ISS, free flyer and ground-based into one coordinated project. The project has two categories: I. Exploration Research Program: a) Utilizes the ISS as a low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) test bed for technology development, demonstration and problem resolution in the areas of life support, fire safety, power, propulsion, thermal management, materials technology, habitat design, etc.; b) Will include endorsement letters from other ETDP projects to show relevancy. II. Non-Exploration Research Program; a) Not directly related to supporting the human exploration program. Research conducted in the life (non-human) and physical sciences; b) The program will sustain, to the maximum extent practicable, the United States scientific expertise and research capability in fundamental microgravity research. Physical Sciences has about 44 grants, and Life Sciences has approximately 32 grants, mostly with universities, to conduct low TRL research; this includes grants to be awarded from the 2008 Fluid Physics and Life Science NRA's.

Chiaramonte, Francis↗

NASA NTRS2011

Microbial Characterization of Solid-Wastes Treated with Heat Melt Compaction Technology

The research purpose of the project was to determine the fate of microorganisms in space-generated solid wastes after processing by a Heat Melt Compactor (HMC), which is a candidate solid waste treatment technology. Five HMC product disks were generated at Ames Research Center (ARC), Waste Management Systems element. The feed for two was simulated space-generated trash and feed for three was Volume F compartment wet waste returned on STS 130. Conventional microbiological methods were used to detect and enumerate microorganisms in HMC disks and in surface swab samples of HMC hardware before and after operation. Also, biological indicator test strips were added to the STS trash prior to compaction to test if HMC processing conditions, 150 C for approx 3 hr and dehydration, were sufficient to eliminate the test bacteria on the strips. During sample acquisition at KSC, the HMC disk surfaces were sanitized with 70% alcohol to prevent contamination of disk interiors. Results from microbiological assays indicated that numbers of microbes were greatly reduced but not eliminated by the 70% alcohol. Ten 1.25 cm diameter cores were aseptically cut from each disk to sample the disk interior. The core material was run through the microbial characterization analyses after dispersal in sterile diluent. Low counts of viable bacteria (5 to 50 per core) were found but total direct counts were 6 to 8 orders of magnitude greater. These results indicate that the HMC operating conditions might not be sufficient for complete waste sterilization, but the vast majority of microbes present in the wastes were dead or non-cultivable after HMC treatment. The results obtained from analyses of the commercial spore test strips that had been added fo the wastes prior to HMC operation further indicated that the HMC was sterilizing the wastes. Nearly all strips were recovered from the HMC disks and all of these were negative for spore growth when run through the manufacturer's protocol. The 10(exp 6) or so spores impregnated into the strips were no longer viable. Control test strips, i.e., not exposed to the HMC conditions, were all strongly positive. All isolates from the cultivable counts were identified, leading to one concern: several were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, a human pathogen. The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems element of the Life Support and Habitation Systems program.

Strayer, Richard F.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Microbial Characterization Space Solid Wastes Treated with a Heat Melt Compactor

The on going purpose of the project efforts was to characterize and determine the fate of microorganisms in space-generated solid wastes before and after processing by candidate solid waste processing. For FY 11, the candidate technology that was assessed was the Heat Melt Compactor (HMC). The scope included five HMC. product disks produced at ARC from either simulated space-generated trash or from actual space trash, Volume F compartment wet waste, returned on STS 130. This project used conventional microbiological methods to detect and enumerate microorganisms in heat melt compaction (HMC) product disks as well as surface swab samples of the HMC hardware before and after operation. In addition, biological indicators were added to the STS trash prior to compaction in order to determine if these spore-forming bacteria could survive the HMC processing conditions, i.e., high temperature (160 C) over a long duration (3 hrs). To ensure that surface dwelling microbes did not contaminate HMC product disk interiors, the disk surfaces were sanitized with 70% alcohol. Microbiological assays were run before and after sanitization and found that sanitization greatly reduced the number of identified isolates but did not totally eliminate them. To characterize the interior of the disks, ten 1.25 cm diameter core samples were aseptically obtained for each disk. These were run through the microbial characterization analyses. Low counts of bacteria, on the order of 5 to 50 per core, were found, indicating that the HMC operating conditions might not be sufficient for waste sterilization. However, the direct counts were 6 to 8 orders of magnitude greater, indicating that the vast majority of microbes present in the wastes were dead or non-cultivable. An additional indication that the HMC was sterilizing the wastes was the results from the added commercial spore test strips to the wastes prior to HMC operation. Nearly all could be recovered from the HMC disks post-operation and all were showed negative growth when run through the manufacturer's protocol, meaning that the 106 or so spores impregnated into the strips were dead. Control test strips, i.e., not exposed to the HMC conditions were all strongly positive. One area of concern is that the identities of isolates from the cultivable counts included several human pathogens, namely Staphylococcus aureus. The project reported here provides microbial characterization support to the Waste Management Systems element of the Life Support and Habitation Systems program.

Strayer, Richard F.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Growth-Adapted Tensegrity Structures: A New Calculus for the Space Economy

We describe a novel approach to create and engineer an economically viable space habitat development technology, for deployment of a lightweight tensegrity habitat structure orbiting at Earth-Moon L2, where onboard robotic assets will use space-based materials to provide water for shielding, irrigation and life support, soil for ecosystem development, and to enable structural maintenance and enhancement. The habitat can become a tourist destination, an economic hub, and a multi-purpose research and support facility for lunar surface development and space ecosystem life sciences.

Materials↗

NASA NTRS2024

Framework for Seismic Vulnerability Assessment of Nonstructural Elements Inside an Inflatable Lunar Habitat

The pursuit of knowledge and curiosity are once again driving humanity to seek a human presence on extraterrestrial bodies. While numerous challenges must be overcome on the moon to achieve this goal, the moonquake hazard has often been overlooked. Using NASA’s Moon to Mars Architecture requirements for surface habitation and accounting for the midterm/long-term mission duration, a framework for vulnerability assessment is developed for essential nonstructural elements (NSEs) inside an inflatable habitat subjected to moonquakes. The aim of this study is to develop an approach to assess the vulnerability of typical NSEs that support essential equipment, such as the environmental control and life support system, under a paucity of information related to the seismic hazard. We also emphasize that the launch dynamic environment and lunar seismic environment exhibit notable differences in their characteristics, which can lead to higher lateral acceleration levels than initially expected. This acceleration may be linked to high-occurrence seismic events. However, due to the lack of information regarding the frequency of these events, the risk of NSEs being subjected to unforeseen loads increases. It is imperative to equip future lunar habitats with seismic mitigation measures until additional seismometers are deployed near upcoming surface human outposts.

Oscar D Forero↗

NASA NTRS2026

Ultrasonic Washer–Dryer System for Space Habitats: Design Upgrades and Parabolic Flight Readiness

Clothing makes up nearly 25% of all non-food supplies sent to the International Space Station (ISS). To support sustainable human missions in deep space, NASA’s Life Support and Habitation Systems Focus Area looks to advance technologies to support and improve logistics. Our team is creating a compact ultrasonic clothing washer/dryer system that bypasses traditional limitations and is suitable for space. Thermal drying uses a lot of energy to evaporate water, while our ultrasonic drying method offers a quicker, more efficient alternative. It uses piezoelectric transducers to vibrate textiles at the micron scale, mechanically removing water as cold mist rather than evaporating it. This speeds up drying and reduces energy use, no matter the fabric makeup. This paper details recent upgrades to a full-scale ultrasonic washer–dryer system, readying it for parabolic flight testing. Improvements include an enhanced human–machine interface, better packaging, and optimized performance and control. We also present extensive pre-flight ground tests conducted to ensure reliability and identify potential risks. Collaborating with P&G, we report preliminary cleaning tests using various detergents. These results lay a crucial foundation for the laundry system designed specifically for space. By cutting clothing-related payload and waste by over 97%, this technology supports long-term human exploration missions on the ISS, the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

Ultrasonic↗

NASA NTRS2026

Ultrasonic Washer–Dryer System for Space Habitats: Design Upgrades and Parabolic Flight Readiness

Laundry↗

NASA NTRS1999

International Space Station ECLSS Technical Task Agreement Summary Report

This Technical Memorandum provides a summary of current work accomplished under Technical Task Agreement (TTA) by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) regarding the International Space Station (ISS) Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS). Current activities include ECLSS component design and development, computer model development, subsystem/integrated system testing, life testing, and general test support provided to the ISS program. Under ECLSS design, MSFC was responsible for the six major ECLSS functions, specifications and standard, component design and development, and was the architectural control agent for the ISS ECLSS. MSFC was responsible for ECLSS analytical model development. In-house subsystem and system level analysis and testing were conducted in support of the design process, including testing air revitalization, water reclamation and management hardware, and certain nonregenerative systems. The activities described herein were approved in task agreements between MSFC and NASA Headquarters Space Station Program Management Office and their prime contractor for the ISS, Boeing. These MSFC activities are in line to the designing, development, testing, and flight of ECLSS equipment planned by Boeing. MSFC's unique capabilities for performing integrated systems testing and analyses, and its ability to perform some tasks cheaper and faster to support ISS program needs, are the basis for the TTA activities.

Ray, C. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 320)

This bibliography lists 125 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during January, 1989. Subject coverage includes: aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment, exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1989

Aerospace medicine and biology: A continuing bibliography with indexes (supplement 323)

This bibliography lists 125 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA Scientific and Technical Information System during April, 1989. Subject coverage includes; aerospace medicine and psychology, life support systems and controlled environments, safety equipment exobiology and extraterrestrial life, and flight crew behavior and performance.

Source record↗