Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Abelson, Robert D.

Publications and source records attributed to Abelson, Robert D..

13 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Europa Planetary Protection for Juno Jupiter Orbiter

NASA's Juno mission launched in 2011 and will explore the Jupiter system starting in 2016. Juno's suite of instruments is designed to investigate the atmosphere, gravitational fields, magnetic fields, and auroral regions. Its low perijove polar orbit will allow it to explore portions of the Jovian environment never before visited. While the Juno mission is not orbiting or flying close to Europa or the other Galilean satellites, planetary protection requirements for avoiding the contamination of Europa have been taken into account in the Juno mission design.The science mission is designed to conclude with a deorbit burn that disposes of the spacecraft in Jupiter's atmosphere. Compliance with planetary protection requirements is verified through a set of analyses including analysis of initial bioburden, analysis of the effect of bioburden reduction due to the space and Jovian radiation environments, probabilistic risk assessment of successful deorbit, Monte-Carlo orbit propagation, and bioburden reduction in the event of impact with an icy body.

Juno↗
NASA NTRS2007

NASA's Advanced Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology Development Status

NASA's Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems (ARPS) project is developing the next generation of radioisotope power conversion technologies that will enable future missions that have requirements that cannot be met by either photovoltaic systems or by current radioisotope power systems (RPSs). Requirements of advanced RPSs include high efficiency and high specific power (watts/kilogram) in order to meet future mission requirements with less radioisotope fuel and lower mass so that these systems can meet requirements for a variety of future space applications, including continual operation surface missions, outer-planetary missions, and solar probe. These advances would enable a factor of 2 to 4 decrease in the amount of fuel required to generate electrical power. Advanced RPS development goals also include long-life, reliability, and scalability. This paper provides an update on the contractual efforts under the Radioisotope Power Conversion Technology (RPCT) NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for research and development of Stirling, thermoelectric, and thermophotovoltaic power conversion technologies. The paper summarizes the current RPCT NRA efforts with a brief description of the effort, a status and/or summary of the contractor's key accomplishments, a discussion of upcoming plans, and a discussion of relevant system-level benefits and implications. The paper also provides a general discussion of the benefits from the development of these advanced power conversion technologies and the eventual payoffs to future missions (discussing system benefits due to overall improvements in efficiency, specific power, etc.).

Anderson, David J.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Exploring Europa with an RPS-Powered Orbiter Spacecraft

This paper describes a conceptual flagship-class Europa orbiter concept that was assumed to launch as early as 2012, arriving at Europa approximately 8 years later using inner solar system gravity assists to reach Jupiter. Jupiter's intense radiation environment limits the mission duration at Europa to 30 days for this study, though the duration is a result of multiple trades and is by no means fixed. The Europa Subgroup of the Outer Planets Assessment Group identified six primary science objectives for this concept.

Europa↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Conceptual Titan Orbiter Mission Using Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems

This study details a conceptual follow-on Titan orbiter mission that would provide full global topographic coverage. surface imaging, and meteorological characterization of the atmosphere over a nominal 5-year science mission duration. The baseline power requirement is approx.1 kWe at EOM and is driven by a high power radar instrument that would provide 3-dimensional measurements of atmospheric clouds, precipitation, and surface topography. While this power level is moderately higher than that of the Cassini spacecraft. higher efficiency advanced RPSs could potentially reduce the plutonium usage to less than 1/3rd of that used on the Cassini spacecraft. The Titan Orbiter mission is assumed to launch in 2015. It would utilize advanced RPSs to provide all on-board power.

radioisotope power systems (RPS)↗
NASA NTRS2006

A conceptual Saturn ring observer mission using standard radioisotope power systems

Saturn remains of the most fascinating planets within the solar system. To better understand the complex ring structure of this planet, a conceptual Saturn Ring Observer (SRO) mission is presented that would spend one year in close proximity to Saturn's A and B rings, and perform detailed observations and measurements of the ring particles and electric and magnetic fields.

Saturn rings↗
NASA NTRS2005

Preliminary Analysis of the 30-m UltraBoom Flight Test

Future NASA missions require long, ultra-lightweight booms to enable solar sails, large sunshields, and other gossamer-type spacecraft structures. The space experiment discussed in this paper will flight validate the non-traditional ultra lightweight rigidizable, inflatable, isogrid structure utilizing graphite shape memory polymer (GR/SMP) called UltraBoom(TradeMark). The focus of this paper is the analysis of the 3-m ground test article. The primary objective of the mission is to show that a combination of ground testing and analysis can predict the on-orbit performance of an ultra lightweight boom that is scalable, predictable, and thermomechanically stable.

UltraBoom↗
NASA NTRS2005

Exploring Europa with a Surface Lander Powered by a Small Radioisotope Power System (RPS)

This paper describes a conceptual landed mission to the Jovian satellite Europa using a small RPS powered lander that would ride piggyback on the proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO). This mission study was performed to assess the feasibility of landing a realistic science driven payload using a conceptual small radioisotope power system (US) to provide electrical and thermal power during the extended duration cruise phase (up to 13 years) and the nominal 30 day surface science mission. This paper includes individual sections that describe the key science goals, the mission architecture, and the conceptual design of the Europa Lander Mission (ELM) spacecraft.

lander↗
NASA NTRS2005

Deployable Mini-Payload Missions Enabled by Small Radioisotope Power Systems (RPSs)

Deployable mini-payloads are envisioned as small, simple, standalone instruments that could be deployed from a mother vehicle such as a rover or the proposed Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter to key points of interest within the solar system. Used in conjunction with a small radioisotope power system (RPS), these payloads could potentially be used for long-duration science missions or as positional beacons for rovers or other spacecraft. The RPS power source would be suitable for deployable mini-payload missions that would take place anywhere there is limited, intermittent, or no solar insolation. This paper introduces two such concepts: (1) a seismic monitoring station deployed by a rover or aerobot, and (2) a passive fields and particles station delivered by a mother spacecraft to Jupiter.

deployables↗
NASA NTRS2004

Enabling exploration with small radioisotope power systems

The purpose of this report is to provide an initial reference document to support further definition of science community needs for small-RPS flight systems. It describes the most recent results of the ongoing NASA/DOE studies, and provides information for review by potential users that might take advantage of these types of power systems. This is extremely important since any future decision to proceed with the development of such units will require a strong identified need from the space science community and a well-defined set of power and operational requirements. NASA and DOE intend to use this document as a basis for soliciting information on additional small-RPS-enabled mission concepts, along with their respective power and operational requirements. This report is a first step in fleshing out a roadmap for potential future development and acquisition.

Shirley, James H.↗