SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “planetary physics”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 181 records · Page 10

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS2002

Spacecraft autonomy using onboard processing for a SAR constellation mission

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattem recognition to radically increase science retum by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment ASE spacecraft ↗

NASA NTRS2003

The autonomous sciencecraft constellations

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. In this paper we discuss how these AI technologies are synergistically integrated in a hybrid multi-layer control architecture to enable a virtual spacecraft science agent. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment ASE AI technolo↗

NASA NTRS2002

Spacecraft autonomy using onboard processing for a SAR constellation mission

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. In this paper we discuss how these AI technologies are synergistically integrated in a hybrid multi-layer control architecture to enable a virtual spacecruft science agent. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment ASE virtual spa↗

NASA NTRS2001

The Techsat-21 Autonomous Sciencecraft Constellation demonstration

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Constellation flight demonstration (ASC) will fly onboard the Air Forces's TechSat-21 constellation. Demonstration of its capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreadable without this technology.

scheduling planning resources model based sytems↗

NASA NTRS1994

Properties of the Deep Atmospheres of the Planets from Radio Astronomical Observations

Our knowledge of the composition and physical properties of planetary atmospheres is important for the understanding of the origin and evolution of the planets themselves, as well as for providing a comparative basis for understanding the Earth's atmosphere.

radioastronomical remote sensing microwave↗

NASA NTRS2016

Excess of L-Alanine in Amino Acids Synthesized in a Plasma Torch Generated by a Hypervelocity Meteorite Impact Reproduced in the Laboratory

We present a laboratory reproduction of hypervelocity impacts of a carbon containing meteorite on a mineral substance representative of planetary surfaces. The physical conditions of the resulting impact plasma torch provide favorable conditions for abiogenic synthesis of protein amino acids: We identified glycine and alanine, and in smaller quantities serine, in the produced material. Moreover, we observe breaking of alanine mirror symmetry with L excess, which coincides with the bioorganic world. Therefore the selection of L-amino acids for the formation of proteins for living matter could have been the result from plasma processes occurring during the impact meteorites on the surface. This indicates that the plasma torch from meteorite impacts could play an important role in the formation of biomolecular homochirality. Thus, meteorite impacts possibly were the initial stage of this process and promoted conditions for the emergence of a living matter.

George G Managadze↗

NASA NTRS2017

Oxygen Buffering in High Pressure Solid Media Assemblies: New Approach Enabling Study of fO2 from IW-4 to IW+4.5

Oxygen fugacity is an intensive parameter that controls some fundamental chemical and physical properties in planetary materials. In terrestrial magmas high fO2 promotes magnetite stability and low fO2 causes Fe-enrichment due to magnetite suppression. In lunar and asteroidal basalts, low fO2 can allow metal to be stable. Experimental studies will therefore be most useful if they are done at a specific and relevant fO2 for the samples under consideration. Control of fO2 in the solid media apparatus (piston cylinder multi-anvil) has relied on either sliding sensors or graphite capsule buffering, which are of limited application to the wide range of fO2 recorded in planetary or astromaterials. Here we describe a new approach that allows fO2 to be specified across a wide range of values relevant to natural samples.

Righter, K.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Asteroid (101955) Bennu’s Weak Boulders and Thermally Anomalous Equator

Thermal inertia and surface roughness are proxies for the physical characteristics of planetary surfaces. Global maps of these two propertiesdistinguish the boulder population on near-Earth asteroid (NEA) (101955)Bennuinto two typesthat differ in strength,andboth havelower thermal inertiathan expectedfor boulders and meteorites. Neither has strongly temperature-dependent thermal properties. The weakerbouldertypeprobably would not survive atmospheric entry and thus may not berepresented in the meteorite collection. The maps also show ahigh-thermal-inertia band at Bennu’s equator, which might be explained by processes such as compaction or strength sorting during mass movement, but these explanations are not wholly consistent with other data. Our findings imply that other C-complex NEAs likely have boulderssimilar to those on Bennu,rather than finer-particulate regoliths.A tentative correlation between albedo and thermal inertia of C-complex NEAs may be due to relative abundances of boulder types.

B Rozitis↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of the Inaugural Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program – Virtual Space Radiation Curriculum

The Space Radiation Element part of NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The SHINE space radiation curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE combines weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between participants and interactions with NASA scientists. A total of 59 applications were received from which 25 participants were selected. The 25 participants, with citizenship from a total of 8 countries, are composed of 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants have a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours and office hours. The topics covered ranged from space environments to health effects to granting opportunities. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate competitive practicum session, to allow participants to gain hands-on radiation experience, will be held Fall 2024 at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL).

Janice A. Zawask↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of The Inaugural Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program – Virtual Space Radiation Curriculum

The Space Radiation Element of the NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) space radiation didactic curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE combines weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between participants and interactions with NASA scientists and HRP funded investigators. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours and office hours. The SHINE topics ranged from space environments to health effects and countermeasure to granting opportunities. Participants developed beam time proposals for real, proposed, or potential experiments at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the 2023 course, a total of 59 applications were received from which 25 participants were selected. Selected participants were citizens from 8 countries and comprised 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants had a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate SHINE space radiation practicum session, to allow participants to gain hands-on radiation experience, will be held Fall 2024 at the NSRL.

Radiation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of The Inaugural Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program - Virtual Space Radiation Curriculum

SHINE↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA's Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Training Program – Space Radiation Curriculum

In February 2023, the Space Radiation Element of the NASA Human Research Program initiated a virtual, annual space radiation curriculum. The Space Health Impacts for the NASA Experience (SHINE) Space Radiation Didactic Curriculum aims to educate participants not only in the scientific aspects of space radiation but also in the agency’s risk management strategies. SHINE Space Radiation Didactic Curriculum combined weekly seminars by speakers from NASA, other government agencies, academia, and industry, with networking sessions designed to foster collaboration between the competitively selected participants as well as interactions with NASA scientists and HRP funded investigators. The inaugural course ran weekly from February 2023 to August 2023 and was comprised of lectures, less formal coffee hours, and office hours. Each two-hour seminar sessions hosted 1-3 presentations on topics which ranged from the space radiation environment to health effects and countermeasure to granting opportunities. All lectures were recorded and will be published on the THREE (The Health Risks of Extraterrestrial Environments) website for public access (https://three.jsc.nasa.gov/). As a course requirement, participants developed individual or collaborative beam time proposals for real, proposed, or potential experiments at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at the Brookhaven National Laboratory. For the 2023 course, 25 participants were selected from a total of 59 applicants. Selected participants were citizens from 8 countries and comprised 5 graduate students, 4 postdocs, 11 scientists and 5 professors/medical doctors. Participants had a wide range of expertise including molecular and cellular biology, microbiology, botany, physiology, engineering, physics, aerospace medicine, planetary science, biostatistics, and modeling. The second annual SHINE training program is scheduled from February to August 2024. In addition, a separate SHINE Space Radiation Practicum session will be held in Fall 2024 at the NSRL. The SHINE Space Radiation Practicum is a unique opportunity that has not been available to the public since the closure of the NASA Space Radiation Summer School in 2017 and will allow a small cohort of participants competitively selected in Fall 2023 to gain hands-on radiation experience.

SHINE↗

NASA NTRS1980

Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, 11th, Houston, TX, March 17-21, 1980, Proceedings. Volume 3 - Physical processes

Geophysical investigations are discussed, taking into account laboratory measurements, planetary measurements, and structural implications and models. Impact processes are also examined. Experimental studies are considered along with aspects of crater morphology and frequency, and models theory. Volcanic-tectonic processes are investigated and topics related to the study of planetary atmospheres are examined. Attention is given to shallow moonquakes, the focal mechanism of deep moonquakes, lunar polar wandering, the search for an intrinsic magnetic field of Venus, the early global melting of the terrestrial planets, the first few hundred years of evolution of a moon of fission origin, the control of crater morphology by gravity and target type, crater peaks in Mercurian craters, lunar cold traps and their influence on argon-40, and solar wind sputtering effects in the atmospheres of Mars and Venus.

Merrill, R. B.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Physics-Based Modeling of Meteor Entry and Breakup

A new research effort at NASA Ames Research Center has been initiated in Planetary Defense, which integrates the disciplines of planetary science, atmospheric entry physics, and physics-based risk assessment. This paper describes work within the new program and is focused on meteor entry and breakup. Over the last six decades significant effort was expended in the US and in Europe to understand meteor entry including ablation, fragmentation and airburst (if any) for various types of meteors ranging from stony to iron spectral types. These efforts have produced primarily empirical mathematical models based on observations. Weaknesses of these models, apart from their empiricism, are reliance on idealized shapes (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and simplified models for thermal response of meteoritic materials to aerodynamic and radiative heating. Furthermore, the fragmentation and energy release of meteors (airburst) is poorly understood. On the other hand, flight of human-made atmospheric entry capsules is well understood. The capsules and their requisite heatshields are designed and margined to survive entry. However, the highest speed Earth entry for capsules is less than 13 km/s (Stardust). Furthermore, Earth entry capsules have never exceeded diameters of 5 m, nor have their peak aerothermal environments exceeded 0.3 atm and 1 kW/cm2. The aims of the current work are: (i) to define the aerothermal environments for objects with entry velocities from 13 to greater than 20 km/s; (ii) to explore various hypotheses of fragmentation and airburst of stony meteors in the near term; (iii) to explore the possibility of performing relevant ground-based tests to verify candidate hypotheses; and (iv) to quantify the energy released in airbursts. The results of the new simulations will be used to anchor said risk assessment analyses. With these aims in mind, state-of-the-art entry capsule design tools are being extended for meteor entries. We describe: (i) applications of current simulation tools to spherical geometries of diameters ranging from 1 to 100 m for an entry velocity of 20 km/s and stagnation pressures ranging from 1 to 100 atm; (ii) the influence of shape and departure of heating environment predictions from those for a simple spherical geometry; (iii) assessment of thermal response models for silica subject to intense radiation; and (iv) results for porosity-driven gross fragmentation of meteors, idealized as a collection of smaller objects. Lessons learned from these simulations will be used to help understand the Chelyabinsk meteor entry up to its first point of fragmentation.

Aerothermodynamics↗

NASA NTRS2015

Physics-Based Modeling of Meteor Entry and Breakup

A new research effort at NASA Ames Research Center has been initiated in Planetary Defense, which integrates the disciplines of planetary science, atmospheric entry physics, and physics-based risk assessment. This paper describes work within the new program and is focused on meteor entry and breakup. Over the last six decades significant effort was expended in the US and in Europe to understand meteor entry including ablation, fragmentation and airburst (if any) for various types of meteors ranging from stony to iron spectral types. These efforts have produced primarily empirical mathematical models based on observations. Weaknesses of these models, apart from their empiricism, are reliance on idealized shapes (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and simplified models for thermal response of meteoritic materials to aerodynamic and radiative heating. Furthermore, the fragmentation and energy release of meteors (airburst) is poorly understood. On the other hand, flight of human-made atmospheric entry capsules is well understood. The capsules and their requisite heat shields are designed and margined to survive entry. However, the highest speed Earth entry for capsules is 13 kms (Stardust). Furthermore, Earth entry capsules have never exceeded diameters of 5 m, nor have their peak aerothermal environments exceeded 0.3 atm and 1 kWcm2. The aims of the current work are: (i) to define the aerothermal environments for objects with entry velocities from 13 to 20 kms; (ii) to explore various hypotheses of fragmentation and airburst of stony meteors in the near term; (iii) to explore the possibility of performing relevant ground-based tests to verify candidate hypotheses; and (iv) to quantify the energy released in airbursts. The results of the new simulations will be used to anchor said risk assessment analyses.With these aims in mind, state-of-the-art entry capsule design tools are being extended for meteor entries. We describe: (i) applications of current simulation tools to spherical geometries of diameters ranging from 1 to 100 m for an entry velocity of 20 kms and stagnation pressures ranging from 1 to 100 atm; (ii) the influence of shape and departure of heating environment predictions from those for a simple spherical geometry; (iii) assessment of thermal response models for silica subject to intense radiation; and (iv) results for porosity-driven gross fragmentation of meteors, idealized as a collection of smaller objects. Lessons learned from these simulations will be used to help understand the Chelyabinsk meteor entry up to its first point of fragmentation.

Atmospheric Entry↗

NASA NTRS2015

Physics-Based Modeling of Meteor Entry and Breakup

A new research effort at NASA Ames Research Center has been initiated in Planetary Defense, which integrates the disciplines of planetary science, atmospheric entry physics, and physics-based risk assessment. This paper describes work within the new program and is focused on meteor entry and breakup.Over the last six decades significant effort was expended in the US and in Europe to understand meteor entry including ablation, fragmentation and airburst (if any) for various types of meteors ranging from stony to iron spectral types. These efforts have produced primarily empirical mathematical models based on observations. Weaknesses of these models, apart from their empiricism, are reliance on idealized shapes (spheres, cylinders, etc.) and simplified models for thermal response of meteoritic materials to aerodynamic and radiative heating. Furthermore, the fragmentation and energy release of meteors (airburst) is poorly understood.On the other hand, flight of human-made atmospheric entry capsules is well understood. The capsules and their requisite heatshields are designed and margined to survive entry. However, the highest speed Earth entry for capsules is 13 kms (Stardust). Furthermore, Earth entry capsules have never exceeded diameters of 5 m, nor have their peak aerothermal environments exceeded 0.3 atm and 1 kW/sq cm. The aims of the current work are: (i) to define the aerothermal environments for objects with entry velocities from 13 to 20 kms; (ii) to explore various hypotheses of fragmentation and airburst of stony meteors in the near term; (iii) to explore the possibility of performing relevant ground-based tests to verify candidate hypotheses; and (iv) to quantify the energy released in airbursts. The results of the new simulations will be used to anchor said risk assessment analyses. With these aims in mind, state-of-the-art entry capsule design tools are being extended for meteor entries. We describe: (i) applications of current simulation tools to spherical geometries of diameters ranging from 1 to 100 m for an entry velocity of 20 kms and stagnation pressures ranging from 1 to 100 atm; (ii) the influence of shape and departure of heating environment predictions from those for a simple spherical geometry; (iii) assessment of thermal response models for silica subject to intense radiation; and (iv) results for porosity-driven gross fragmentation of meteors, idealized as a collection of smaller objects. Lessons learned from these simulations will be used to help understand the Chelyabinsk meteor entry up to its first point of fragmentation.

Near-Earth Asteroids↗

DOE OSTI2019

Options and uncertainties in planetary defense: Impulse-dependent response and the physical properties of asteroids

In this paper we discuss that though rare, asteroid impacts are inevitable, and with the current state of technology, kinetic impactors are the preferred but not the complete solution. If the time to impact is short, or the threatening body too large, nuclear deflection serves as a final option. This work is part of an integrated study by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) to better determine the relative efficacy of these complimentary approaches. In particular, we examine the important material properties that affect each approach, to improve critical characterization efforts, and reduce uncertainty in the limits of the impactor technology. Impact speeds for kinetic impactors on Near-Earth Object (NEO) intercept trajectories commonly range from 5 to 20 km/s, resulting in significant crater ejecta and a momentum enhancement above that carried by the impactor. This enhancement depends substantially on the strength and porosity of the asteroid, as well as the impact speed. Here simulations from different codes are presented, along with constraints from experimental measurements. The uncertainties due to ignorance of the strength and porosity of the impact point are significant in determining the limits of impactor sufficiency. The nuclear approach is considered within the context of current capabilities, posing no need to test, as extant and well-understood devices are sufficient for the largest known Potentially Hazardous Objects (PHOs). Results of x-ray sources with realistic spectra as well as blackbody spectra are given, along with some assessment on composition dependence.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS1986

Planetary surface weathering

The weathering of planetary surfaces is treated. Both physical and chemical weathering (reactions between minerals or mineraloids and planetary volatiles through oxidation, hydration, carbonation, or solution processes) are discussed. Venus, earth, and Mars all possess permanent atmospheres such that weathering should be expected to significantly affect their respective surfaces. In contrast, Mercury and the moon lack permanent atmospheres but conceivably could experience surface weathering in response to transient atmospheres generated by volcanic or impact cratering events. Weathering processes can be postulated for other rocky objects including Io, Titan, asteroids, and comets.

Gooding, J. L.↗