Engineering topics

Larson, W. E.

Publications and source records attributed to Larson, W. E..

5 records

NASA NTRS2012

RESOLVE Mission Architecture for Lunar Resource Prospecting and Utilization

Design Reference Mission (DRM) evaluations were performed for The Regolith & Environment Science, and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) project to determine future flight mission feasibility and understand potential mission environment impacts on hardware requirements, science/resource assessment objectives, and mission planning. DRM version 2.2 (DRM 2.2) is presented for a notional flight of the RESOLVE payload for lunar resource ground truth and utilization (Figure 1) [1]. The rover/payload deploys on a 10 day surface mission to the Cabeus crater near the lunar south pole in May of 2016. A drill, four primary science instruments, and a high temperature chemical reactor will acquire and characterize water and other volatiles in the near sub-surface, and perform demonstrations of In-Situ Re-source Utilization (ISRU). DRM 2.2 is a reference point, and will be periodically revised to accommodate and incorporate changes to project approach or implementation, and to explore mission alternatives such as landing site or opportunity.

George, J. A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

RESOLVE for Lunar Polar Ice/Volatile Characterization Mission

Ever since data from the neutron spectrometer instrument on the Lunar Prospector mission indicated the possibility of significant concentrations of hydrogen at the lunar poles, speculation on the form and concentration of the hydrogen has been debated. The recent impact of the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) along with thermal, topographic, neutron spectrometry, and radar frequency data obtained from the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) have provided more information suggesting significant amounts of water/ice and other volatiles may be available in the top 1 to 2 meters of regolith at the lunar poles. The next step in understanding what resources are available at the lunar poles is to perform a mission to obtain ground truth. data. To meet this need, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) along with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) have been working on a prototype payload known as the Regolith & Environment Science and Oxygen & Lunar Volatile Extraction experiment, or RESOLVE.

Sanders, G. B.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Use of Hawaii Analog Sites for Lunar Science and In-Situ Resource Utilization

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and lunar science share similar objectives with respect to analyzing and characterizing the physical, mineral, and volatile materials and resources at sites of robotic and human exploration. To help mature and stress instruments, technologies, and hardware and to evaluate operations and procedures, space agencies have utilized demonstrations at analog sites on Earth before use in future missions. The US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the German Space Agency (DLR) have utilized an analog site on the slope of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii to test ISRU and lunar science hardware and operations in two previously held analog field tests. NASA and CSA are currently planning on a 3rd analog field test to be held in June, 2012 in Hawaii that will expand upon the successes from the previous two field tests.

Sanders, G. B.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Wind-Tunnel-Model Leak-Checking System

Voice-actuated system allows one operator to do work of three. System uses voice-recognition-and-response unit and graphics terminal to interact with technician and to provide technician visual feedback. Computer-based Leakcheck system allows computer to do more of total work in checking model for leaks to reduce time and manpower required to perform task.

Larson, W. E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

A voice-actuated wind tunnel model leak checking system

A voice-actuated wind tunnel model leak checking system was developed. The system uses a voice recognition and response unit to interact with the technician along with a graphics terminal to provide the technician with visual feedback while checking a model for leaks.

Larson, W. E.↗