SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
The Earth Observing System (EOS) is a planned major earth science program initiative using the Polar Platforms of the Space Station. The Polar Platform resource capabilities will allow a multi-disciplinary, long term mission life approach to future earth science measurements. The EOS will be the subject of an Announcement of Opportunity (AO) in 1986. The EOS concept and the planned implementation approach is outlined.
A commitment to avoid the harmful contamination of outer space and avoid adverse changes in the environment of the earth has been long reflected in NASA's Planetary Protection policy. Working under guidelines developed by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), NASA has implemented the policy in an interactive process that has included the recommendations of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. Measures taken to prevent the contamination of earth during the Apollo missions were perhaps the most visible manifestations of this policy, and provided numerous lessons for future sample return opportunities. This paper presents the current status of planetary protection policy within NASA, and a prospectus on how planetary protection issues might be addressed in relation to a Mars Rover Sample Return mission.
Presentation on the Lunar Resource Mapper/Lunar Geodetic Scout (LRM/LGS) program status. Topics covered include the LEXWG Lunar Observer science measurement priorities, space exploration initiative priorities, the question of why a lunar orbiting mission is attractive to the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), instrument selection, major milestones, and the organization of the LRM/LGS Program Office.
High-spatial-resolution microwave radiometer sensing from space with reasonable swath widths and revisit times favors large aperture systems. However, with traditional precision antenna design, the size and weight requirements for such systems are in conflict with the need to emphasize small launch vehicles. This paper describes tradeoffs between the science requirements, basic operational parameters, and expected sensor performance for selected satellite radiometer concepts utilizing novel lightweight compactly packaged real apertures. Antenna, feed, and radiometer subsystem design and calibration are presented. Preliminary results show that novel lightweight real aperture coupled with state-of-the-art radiometer designs are compatible with small launch systems, and hold promise for high-resolution earth science measurements of sea ice, precipitation, soil moisture, sea surface temperature, and ocean wind speeds.
The spectrum of tropospheric delay fluctuations expected for a DSN antenna at time scales less than 100 s has been calculated. A new feature included in these calculations is the effect of aperture averaging, which causes a reduction in delay fluctuations on time scales less than the antenna wind speed crossing time, approximately equal to 5-10 s. On time scales less than a few seconds, the Allan deviation sigma(sub y)(Delta(t)) varies as (Delta(t))(sup +1), rather than sigma(sub y)(Delta(t)) varies as (Delta(t))(exp -1/6) without aperture averaging. Due to thermal radiometer noise, calibration of tropospheric delay fluctuations with water vapor radiometers will not be possible on time scales less than approximately 10 s. However, the tropospheric fluctuation level will be small enough that radio science measurements with a spacecraft on time scales less than a few seconds will be limited by the stability of frequency standards and/or other nontropospheric effects.
The spectrum of tropospheric delay fluctuations expected for a DSN antenna at time scales less than 100 s has been calculated. A new feature included in these calculations is the effect of aperture averaging, which causes a reduction in delay fluctuations on time scales less than the antenna wind speed crossing time, approx. equal to 5-10 s. On time scales less than a few seconds, the Allan deviation sigma(y)(Delta(t)) is proportional to (Delta(t))(exp +1), rather than sigma(y)(Delta(t)) proportional to (Delta(t))(exp -1/6) without aperture averaging. Due to thermal radiometer noise, calibration of tropospheric delay fluctuations with water vapor radiometers will not be possible on time scales less than approx. equal to 10 s. However, the tropospheric fluctuation level will be small enough that radio science measurements with a spacecraft on time scales less than a few seconds will be limited by the stability of frequency standards and/or other nontropospheric effects.
Breakthrough technology development is critical to securing the future of our space industry. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Cross-Enterprise Technology Development Program (CETDP) is developing critical space technologies that enable innovative and less costly missions, and spawn new mission opportunities through revolutionary, long-term, high-risk, high-payoff technology advances. The CETDP is a NASA-wide activity managed by the Advanced Technology and Mission Studies Division (AT&MS) at Headquarters Office of Space Science. Program management for CETDP is distributed across the multiple NASA Centers and draws on expertise throughout the Agency. The technology research activities are organized along Project-level divisions called thrust areas that are directly linked to the Agency's goals and objectives of the Enterprises: Earth Science, Space Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space; and the Office of the Chief Technologist's (OCT) strategic technology areas. Cross-Enterprise technology is defined as long-range strategic technologies that have broad potential to span the needs of more than one Enterprise. Technology needs are identified and prioritized by each of the primary customers. The thrust area manager (TAM) for each division is responsible for the ultimate success of technologies within their area, and can draw from industry, academia, other government agencies, other CETDP thrust areas, and other NASA Centers to accomplish the goals of the thrust area. An overview of the CETDP and description of the future directions of the thrust area called Distributed Spacecraft are presented in this paper. Revolutionary technologies developed within this thrust area will enable the implementation of a spatially distributed network of individual vehicles, or assets, collaborating as a single collective unit, and exhibiting a common system-wide capability to accomplish a shared objective. With such a capability, new Earth and space science measurement concepts become a reality.
Breakthrough technology development is critical to securing the future of our space industry. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Cross-Enterprise Technology Development Program (CETDP) is developing critical space technologies that enable innovative and less costly missions, and spawn new mission opportunities through revolutionary, long-term, high-risk, high-payoff technology advances. The CETDP is a NASA-wide activity managed by the Advanced Technology and Mission Studies Division (AT&MS) at Headquarters Office of Space Science. Program management for CETDP is distributed across the multiple NASA Centers and draws on expertise throughout the Agency. The technology research activities are organized along Project-level divisions called thrust areas that are directly linked to the Agency's goals and objectives of the Enterprises: Earth Science, Space Science, Human Exploration and Development of Space; and the Office of the Chief Technologist's (OCT) strategic technology areas. Cross-Enterprise technology is defined as long-range strategic technologies that have broad potential to span the needs of more than one Enterprise. Technology needs are identified and prioritized by each of the primary customers. The thrust area manager (TAM) for each division is responsible for the ultimate success of technologies within their area, and can draw from industry, academia, other government agencies, other CETDP thrust areas, and other NASA Centers to accomplish the goals of the thrust area. An overview of the CETDP and description of the future directions of the thrust area called Distributed Spacecraft are presented in this paper. Revolutionary technologies developed within this thrust area will enable the implementation of a spatially distributed network of individual vehicles, or assets, collaborating as a single collective unit, and exhibiting a common system-wide capability to accomplish a shared objective. With such a capability, new Earth and space science measurement concepts become a reality.
The Mars Microprobe Mission is the second spacecraft developed as part of the New Millennium Program deep space missions. The objective of the Microprobe Project is to demonstrate the applicability of key technologies for future planetary missions by developing two probes for deployment on Mars. The probes are designed with a single stage entry, descent, and landing system and impact the Martian surface at speeds of approximately 200 meters per second. The microprobes are composed of two main sections, a forebody section that penetrates to a depth below the Martian surface of 0.5 to 2 meters, and an aftbody section that remains on the surface. Each probe system consists of a number of advanced technology components developed specifically for this mission. These include a non-erosive aeroshell for entry into. the atmosphere, a set of low temperature batteries to supply probe power, an advanced microcontroller to execute the mission sequence, collect the science data, and react to possible system fault conditions, a telecommunications subsystem implemented on a set of custom integrated circuits, and instruments designed to provide science measurements from above and below the Martian surface. All of the electronic components have been designed and fabricated to withstand the severe impact shock environment and to operate correctly at predicted temperatures below -100 C.
Effective treatment of serious burns is dependent on early recognition of the extent of dead tissue and its removal to minimize the risk of infection and hasten healing. To meet the need for precise determination of burn depth, two physicists from Langley's Nondestructive Measurement Science Branch in cooperation with the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and the NASA Technology Application Team, Research Triangle Institute, developed a prototype system that used ultrasound technology (originally developed as a means of detecting microscopic flaws in materials) for immediate assessment of burn depth. The system was commercialized by Westminster Supra Scanner, Inc., Orangeburg, NY, is produced under a NASA license, and was granted Food and Drug Administration approval in December 1990. It can be applied to the diagnosis of lymphatic disorders.
We present an evolved X-band antenna design and flight prototype currently on schedule to be deployed on NASA s Space Technology 5 spacecraft in 2004. The mission consists of three small satellites that wall take science measurements in Earth s magnetosphere. The antenna was evolved to meet a challenging set of mission requirements, most notably the combination of wide beamwidth for a circularly-polarized wave and wide bandwidth. Two genetic algorithms were used: one allowed branching an the antenna arms and the other did not. The highest performance antennas from both algorithms were fabricated and tested. A handdesigned antenna was produced by the contractor responsible for the design and build of the mission antennas. The hand-designed antenna is a quadrifilar helix, and we present performance data for comparison to the evolved antennas. As of this writing, one of our evolved antenna prototypes is undergoing flight qualification testing. If successful, the resulting antenna would represent the first evolved hardware in space, and the first deployed evolved antenna.
Flying above the Mars Southern Highlands, an airplane will traverse over the terrain of Mars while conducting unique science measurements of the atmosphere, surface, and interior. This paper describes an overview of the ARES (Aerial Regional-scale Environmental Survey) mission with an emphasis on airplane propulsion needs. The process for selecting a propulsion system for the ARES airplane is also included. Details of the propulsion system, including system schematics, hardware and performance are provided. The airplane has a 6.25 m wingspan with a total mass of 149 kg and is propelled by a bi-propellant liquid rocket system capable of carrying roughly 48 kg of MMH/MON3 propellant.
We model the interior of Rhea based on observational constraints and the results from geodynamical models available in the literature. Ten main types of models are defined, depending on the presence or absence of a high-pressure ice layer (ice II), and the extent of separation of the rock component from the volatiles. We present degree-two gravity components computed for each of these models in order to assess which properties of the interior are likely to be inferred from Cassini radio science measurements scheduled on November 26, 2005.
Mars Tumbleweed is a concept for an autonomous rover that would achieve mobility through use of the natural winds on Mars. The wind-blown nature of this vehicle make it an ideal platform for conducting random surveys of the surface, scouting for signs of past or present life as well as examining the potential habitability of sites for future human exploration. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) has been studying the dynamics, aerodynamics, and mission concepts of Tumbleweed rovers and has recently developed a prototype Mars Tumbleweed Rover for demonstrating mission concepts and science measurement techniques. This paper will provide an overview of the prototype design, instrumentation to be accommodated, preliminary test results, and plans for future development and testing of the vehicle.
SAE 2003-01-2430This paper delineates an efficient and effective potential precursor mission architecture for making critical science measurements, and establishing sufficient infrastructure to facilitate human landing on Callisto. For orbiting, landing, and exploring the Callisto surface, the study addresses the problem of determining the tradeoff space in terms of hardware choices: monolithic, a large number of small, dexterous robotic, and their judicious combinations.
With the Cassini-Huygens atmospheric probe drop-off mission fast approaching, it is essential that scientists and engineers start scoping potential follow-on surface science missions. This paper provides a summary of the first year of a two year design study which examines in detail the desired surface science measurements and resolution, potential instrument suite, and complete payload delivery system. Also provided are design concepts for both an aerial inflatable mobility platform and deployable instrument sonde. The tethered deployable sonde provides the capability to sample near surface atmosphere, sub-surface liquid (if it exists), and surface solid material. Actual laboratory tests of the amphibious sonde prototype are also presented.
SIMBOL-X is a high energy new generation telescope covering by a single instrument a continuous energy range starting at classical X-rays and extending to hard X-rays, i.e. from 0.5 to 80 keV. It is using in this field a focalizing payload which until now was used for energy below 10 keV only, via the construction of a telescope distributed on two satellites flying in formation. SIMBOL-X permits a gain of two orders of magnitude in sensibility and spatial resolution in comparison to state of the art hard X-rays instruments. The mirror satellite will be in free flight on a high elliptical orbit and will target the object to observe very precisely, thus focusing the hard X-ray emission thanks to this mirror module. At the focal point area which is situated 20 meters behind the mirror satellite, the detector satellite maintains its position on a forced orbit thanks to a radio link with the mirror satellite and a lateral displacement sensor using a beam emitted onboard the mirror satellite. This configuration is said "formation flying". The location of the detector satellite shall be very finely tuned as it carries the focal plane of this distributed telescope. To provide science measurements, the Simbol-X orbit has been chosen High elliptic (HEO), which means elliptical orbit with a high perigee altitude. Preliminary studies where made with an orbit with an altitude of the perigee of 44000km and altitude of the apogee of 253000km. The orbit was seven days ground track repeated in order to maintain a perigee pass over the Malindi ground station to download scientific telemetry. But as studies went on, difficulties in mass budget, link budget, perigee maintenance and formation flying maintenance were raised. This was mainly due to the vicinity of the Moon and its disturbing effect on the satellites orbits. Alternative orbits have been proposed in order to demonstrate the feasibility of the mission. The problematic of bringing the two satellites from their injection orbit to their operational orbit 20 m apart from each other and then maintain this configuration is very challenging. It requires theoretical development of the relative motion between two satellites in high eccentric orbit with large differential disturbance on the two bodies. This paper will present the mission analysis for the Simbol-X satellites with the complex problematic of doing formation flying in high elliptic orbit.
This viewgraph presentation contains an overview of the mission of the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICE), a proposed International Space Station (ISS) payload dedicated ot the study of neutron stars. There are also reviews of the Science Objectives of the payload,the science measurements, the design and the expected performance for the instruments for NICE,