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Bruce White

Publications and source records attributed to Bruce White.

4 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

PowerCell aboard the EuCROPIS satellite - Results from the first synthetic biology experiment in space

Synthetic biology is the design and construction of new biological parts and systems not found in nature, a technology that we believe will be a game-changing technology for space exploration. The PowerCell concept is an ecology based on photosynthetic microbes taking advantage of in situ materials and energy to generate, on-demand, useful products (food, fuel, cloths, drugs, etc.) that satisfy specific needs of long-term human presence away from Earth. This first PowerCell experiment is testing this concept as well as several key mechanisms of engineering biology in a 48-well plate microfluidics system. NASA's PowerCell experiment was loaded in the fluidics system at NASA Ames in May 2016, and subsequently integrated on the DLR's compact satellite Eu:CROPIS (Euglena Combined Regenerative Organic food Production In Space), as a secondary payload. Launched into Earth’s orbit from the Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA, in December 3, 2019, the Eu:CROPIS platform has provided an artificial gravity through rotational acceleration, simulating gravity ranges compatible to those found on Mars and on the Moon, as well as microgravity in the absence of acceleration. Each set of biological experiments performed at Earth's orbit was compared to ground controls. Over 400 days' worth of mission data showed that all hardware and software worked as planned, and microbial growth was observed in all four gravity regimes, including growth on cyanobacterial cell extract in three out of four gravity regimes. The genetic transformation experiment was successful in microgravity and provided valuable long-term reagent stability data, including antibiotic efficacy. The demonstrated ability of hardy bacterial spores to recover from a long-term stasis period will be fundamental for deep human space missions. Lessons learned from hardware design to experimental operations are leading to improved designs and capabilities for future missions.

Ivan Glaucio Paulino Lima↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Novel Mars In-situ Wind & Wind-Blown Particle Measurement Instruments

Mars Sonic Anemometer We have developed the Mars Sonic Anemometer: an in-situ wind measuring instrument. It uses transducers to transmit ‘chirps’ through a volume of atmosphere and measures wind direction, speed, and temperature based on the chirp travel times when received by a paired transducer (fig 1). This method can rapidly take multiple samples of wind (~20 Hz) and can measure gentler wind speeds (~0.05 m/s) than current planetary weather stations (~1Hz and ~2m/s) and is more durable than recent Mars wind sensors. The Sonic Anemometer opens new avenues of research into Mars surface-to-atmosphere exchange (e.g., of heat, momentum or trace gases). It also can be recast as a hydrogen ortho-para sensor for a giant planet descent probe or as an infrasound detector for Earth or Venus. The performance of the sensor at Mars-like conditions of 6mbar of CO2 was validated at the Danish Mars Wind Tunnel.

Donald J Banfield↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Ames Flight Instrument Group - MARS Exploration Efforts Overview

The NASA Ames Flight Instrument Group (FIG) MARS development activities include Aeolus, an integrated multi-probe mission to observe surface and atmospheric forcing and general circulation of Mars; the Mars Sonic Anemometer (MSA), a sonic-based, in-situ wind measuring instrument and the Saltation Sensor to detect the critical wind stress threshold for sand motion, which is believed to be a key aspect of dust lifting at Mars. These efforts are readying the instruments to fly, and their measurements are regarded as data of high scientific priority for future flight missions. Each of these efforts focuses on addressing a measurement or capability considered critical within the Agency and traceable to the decadal survey and MEPAG Goals. As we elevate the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of these instruments to 6 through rigorous environmental testing, and participate in forming mission concepts, we make them viable for inclusion in flight mission proposals. Below, we outline FIG's highest priority advancements for Mars exploration.

Mars↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Ames Flight Instrument Group - MARS Exploration Efforts Overview

The NASA Ames Flight Instrument Group (FIG) MARS development activities include Aeolus, an integrated multi-probe mission to observe surface and atmospheric forcing and general circulation of Mars; the Mars Sonic Anemometer (MSA), a sonic-based, in-situ wind measuring instrument and the Saltation Sensor to detect the critical wind stress threshold for sand motion, which is believed to be a key aspect of dust lifting at Mars. These efforts are readying the instruments to fly, and their measurements are regarded as data of high scientific priority for future flight missions. Each of these efforts focuses on addressing a measurement or capability considered critical within the Agency and traceable to the decadal survey and MEPAG Goals. As we elevate the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of these instruments to 6 through rigorous environmental testing, and participate in forming mission concepts, we make them viable for inclusion in flight mission proposals. Below, we outline FIG's highest priority advancements for Mars exploration.

Mars↗