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Rachel Rivera

Publications and source records attributed to Rachel Rivera.

7 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Astrophysics Strategic Technology Gaps Following the 2020 Decadal Survey

The Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics 2020, "Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s," recommended a suite of compelling missions, including a 6m-class IR/Optical/UV observatory for exoplanet characterization and general astrophysics studies, a far-IR flagship, an X-ray flagship, and three Probe missions. The proposed launch dates for these are: Early 2030s for the first Probe (X-ray or far-IR) Early 2040s for the next Probe (CMB or the one not launched before) Mid-2040s for the IR/O/UV Great Observatory The following decade(s) for the far-IR and X-ray Great Observatories. Such missions require technologies that far exceed today's state of the art. To begin developing and maturing technologies that enable and enhance such missions, NASA established the Strategic Astrophysics Technology (SAT) program. Where needed, direct-funded projects may supplement the SAT program.

PCOS COR ExEP Astro2020 technology gaps↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Rapid Development of Instrument Thermal Models: Perspectives and Guidelines from NASA Goddard’s Instrument Design Laboratory

- The design and development of robotic spaceflight instruments is a critical part of NASA’s vision to discover and expand knowledge for the benefit of humanity - For typical flight instrument projects, thermal engineers will develop initial instrument thermal models over weeks or months, then iterate them over a project’s lifespan – In each iteration, the engineer will: - Refine their thermal models and thermal designs in accordance with updates from other subsystems - Perform trade studies - Solve very detailed and complex analysis problems, including worst-cases and contingencies - Pick hardware and plan for testing and integration - However, prior to a project being established, or for proposal development at an early conceptual stage, the luxury of multiple instrument design iterations may be limited or nonexistent – Within a short timeline, how do you complete a thermal model or explore multiple possible instrument configurations? – What are the critical parameters for your model? Which details do you include or leave out?

Kan Yang↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Linking Strategic Astrophysics Missions, Technology Gaps, and Technology Maturation Investments

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Astrophysics Division (APD) funds the development of cutting-edge technologies through multiple programs to enable its strategic missions to achieve ambitious and groundbreaking science goals. These technology development efforts are managed by the Cosmic Origins (COR), Exoplanet Exploration (ExE), and Physics of the Cosmos (PhysCOS) programs. The 2020 Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey, “Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s,” (Astro2020) recommended a pan-chromatic set of missions, including three Great Observatories (GO) and three Probe-class missions that could collect unprecedented data over the coming decades. We show the correlation between these strategic missions and the current Astrophysics technology gaps, as well as recent and current technology maturation projects funded to help close these technology gaps. We also cover how these investments advanced their Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) [1] and where they have been infused into missions and projects.

SAT↗