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Nagy, Kornel

Publications and source records attributed to Nagy, Kornel.

At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

Deep Space Exploration: The Future Challenge in Engineering

This presentation is focused on the future engineering challenges of human crewed spaceflight beyond Earth orbit, referred to as "deep space" by some. Technical challenges for missions include: Transportation of large masses of cargo from Earth to Moon, Mars; Deep space environment; In situ availability of resources; Crew environmental hazards; Reliability of all hardware/software; Communication time lag due to distance; Limited logistics delivery.

Nagy, Kornel↗
NASA NTRS2018

Spacecraft Dormancy Autonomy Analysis for a Crewed Martian Mission

Current concepts of operations for human exploration of Mars center on the staged deployment of spacecraft, logistics, and crew. Though most studies focus on the needs for human occupation of the spacecraft and habitats, these resources will spend most of their lifetime unoccupied. As such, it is important to identify the operational state of the unoccupied spacecraft or habitat, as well as to design the systems to enable the appropriate level of autonomy. Key goals for this study include providing a realistic assessment of what "dormancy" entails for human spacecraft, exploring gaps in state-of-the-art for autonomy in human spacecraft design, providing recommendations for investments in autonomous systems technology development, and developing architectural requirements for spacecraft that must be autonomous during dormant operations. The mission that was chosen is based on a crewed mission to Mars. In particular, this study focuses on the time that the spacecraft that carried humans to Mars spends dormant in Martian orbit while the crew carries out a surface mission. Communications constraints are assumed to be severe, with limited bandwidth and limited ability to send commands and receive telemetry. The assumptions made as part of this mission have close parallels with mission scenarios envisioned for dormant cis-lunar habitats that are stepping-stones to Mars missions. As such, the data in this report is expected to be broadly applicable to all dormant deep space human spacecraft.

Badger, Julia↗
NASA NTRS2016

Bumper 3 Update for IADC Protection Manual

The Bumper code has been the standard in use by NASA and contractors to perform meteoroid/debris risk assessments since 1990. It has undergone extensive revisions and updates [NASA JSC HITF website; Christiansen et al., 1992, 1997]. NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) has applied BUMPER to risk assessments for Space Station, Shuttle, Mir, Extravehicular Mobility Units (EMU) space suits, and other spacecraft (e.g., LDEF, Iridium, TDRS, and Hubble Space Telescope). Bumper continues to be updated with changes in the ballistic limit equations describing failure threshold of various spacecraft components, as well as changes in the meteoroid and debris environment models. Significant efforts are expended to validate Bumper and benchmark it to other meteoroid/debris risk assessment codes. Bumper 3 is a refactored version of Bumper II. The structure of the code was extensively modified to improve maintenance, performance and flexibility. The architecture was changed to separate the frequently updated ballistic limit equations from the relatively stable common core functions of the program. These updates allow NASA to produce specific editions of the Bumper 3 that are tailored for specific customer requirements. The core consists of common code necessary to process the Micrometeoroid and Orbital Debris (MMOD) environment models, assess shadowing and calculate MMOD risk. The library of target response subroutines includes a board range of different types of MMOD shield ballistic limit equations as well as equations describing damage to various spacecraft subsystems or hardware (thermal protection materials, windows, radiators, solar arrays, cables, etc.). The core and library of ballistic response subroutines are maintained under configuration control. A change in the core will affect all editions of the code, whereas a change in one or more of the response subroutines will affect all editions of the code that contain the particular response subroutines which are modified. Note that the Bumper II program is no longer maintained or distributed by NASA.

Christiansen, Eric L.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Magnetic docking aid for orbiter to ISS docking

The present docking system for the Orbiter uses mechanical capture latches that are actuated by contact forces. The forces are generated when the two approaching masses collide at the docking mechanism. There is always a trade-off between having high enough momentum to effect capture and low enough momentum to avoid structural overload or unacceptable angular displacements. The use of the present docking system includes a contact thrusting maneuver that causes high docking loads to be included into Space Station. A magnetic docking aid has been developed to reduce the load s during docking. The magnetic docking aid is comprised of two extendible booms that are attached adjacent to the docking structure with electromagnets attached on the end of the boom. On the mating vehicle, two steel plates are attached. As the Orbiter approaches Space Station, the booms are extended, and the magnets attach to the actuated (without thrusting), by slowly driving the extendible booms to the stowed position, thus reacting the load into the booms. This results in a docking event that has lower loads induced into Space Station structure. This method also greatly simplifies the Station berthing tasks, since the Shuttle Remote Manipulation System (SRMS) arm need only place the element to be berthed on the magnets (no load required), rather than firing the Reaction Control System (RCS) jets to provide the required force for capture latch actuation. The Magnetic Docking Aid was development testing on a six degree-of-freedom (6 DOF) system at JSC.

Schneider, William C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Heavy-lift vehicle-launched Space Station method and apparatus

Methods and apparatus are provided for a single heavy-lift launch to place a complete, operational space station on-orbit. A payload including the space station takes the place of a shuttle orbiter using the launch vehicle of the shuttle orbiter. The payload includes a forward shroud, a core module, a propulsion module, and a transition module between the core module and the propulsion module. The essential subsystems are preintegrated and verified on Earth. The core module provides means for attaching international modules with minimum impact to the overall design. The space station includes six control moment gyros for selectably operating in either LVLH (local-vertical local-horizontal) or SI (solar inertial) flight modes.

Wade, Donald C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Heavy-lift vehicle-launched Space Station method and apparatus

Methods and apparatus are provided for a single heavylift launch to place a complete, operational space station on-orbit. A payload including the space station takes the place of a Shuttle Orbiter using the launch vehicle of the Shuttle Orbiter. The payload includes a forward shroud, a core module, a propulsion module, and a transition module between the core module and the propulsion module. The essential subsystems are pre-integrated and verified on Earth. The core module provides means for attaching international modules with minimum impact to the overall design. The space station includes six control moment gyros for selectably operating in either LVLH (local-vertical local-horizontal) or SI (solar inertial) flight modes.

Wade, Donald C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Energy dissipator

An all metal energy dissipator construction is disclosed for dissipating kinetic energy force (F) by rolling balls which are forced by a tapered surface on an expandable sleeve to frictionally load a force rod. The balls are maintained in an initial position by a plate member which is biased by a spring member. A spring member returns the force rod to its initial position after a loading force is removed.

Delafuente, Horacio M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Preloaded latching device

A latching device is disclosed which is lever operated sequentially to actuate a set of collet fingers to provide a radial expansion and to actuate a force mechanism to provide a compressive gripping force for attaching first and second devices to one another. The latching device includes a body member having elongated collet fingers which, in a deactuated condition, is insertable through bores on the first and second devices so that gripping terminal portions on the collet fingers are proximate to the end of the bore of the first device while a spring assembly on the body member is located proximate to the outer surface of a second device. A lever is rotatable through 90 deg to move a latching rod to sequentially actuate and expand collet fingers and to actuate the spring assembly by compressing it. During the first 30 deg of movement of the lever, the collet fingers are actuated by the latching rod to provide a radial expansion and during the last 60 deg of movement of the lever, the spring assembly acts as a force mechanism and is actuated to develop a compressive latching force on the devices. The latching rod and lever are connected by a camming mechanism. The amount of spring force in the spring assembly can be adjusted; the body member can be permanently attached by a telescoping assembly to one of the devices; and the structure can be used as a pulling device for removing annular bearings or the like from blind bores.

Wesselski, Clarence J.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Self-Resetting Energy Absorber

Device uses friction to dissipate kinetic energy. When moving mass pushes in one direction, it offers substantial friction. Pushed in opposite direction, it offers negligible friction. Built-in spring resets for another shock-absorption cycle. Used in industrial machinery, automobile bumpers and suspensions, and parachute lanyards.

De La Fuente, Horacio M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Preloading Collet Latch

Vibration-resistant fastener replaces pinned or threaded fastener. Collet latch preloads joined components. When mechanism fully locked, actuating lever 90 degrees from starting position and held by locking tab engaged in ratchet notch. Latch connected or disconnected almost instantly, without tools.

Wesselski, Clarence J.↗