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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.

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NASA NTRS2015

SFDT-1 Camera Pointing and Sun-Exposure Analysis and Flight Performance

The Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT) vehicle was developed to advance and test technologies of NASA's Low Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) Technology Demonstration Mission. The first flight test (SFDT-1) occurred on June 28, 2014. In order to optimize the usefulness of the camera data, analysis was performed to optimize parachute visibility in the camera field of view during deployment and inflation and to determine the probability of sun-exposure issues with the cameras given the vehicle heading and launch time. This paper documents the analysis, results and comparison with flight video of SFDT-1.

White, Joseph↗
NASA NTRS2001

Aeronautical-Satellite-Assisted Process Being Developed for Information Exchange Through Network Technologies (Aero-SAPIENT)

Communications technologies are being developed to address safety issues during aviation travel. Some of these technologies enable the aircraft to be in constant bidirectional communications with necessary systems, people, and other aircraft that are not currently in place today. Networking technologies, wireless datalinks, and advanced avionics techniques are areas of particular importance that the NASA Glenn Research Center has contributed. Glenn, in conjunction with the NASA Ames Research Center, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, and NASA Langley Research Center, is investigating methods and applications that would utilize these communications technologies. In mid-June 2000, the flight readiness of the network and communications technologies were demonstrated via a simulated aircraft. A van simulating an aircraft was equipped with advanced phased-array antennas (Advanced Communications/Air Traffic Management (AC/ATM) Advanced Air Transportation Technologies (AATT) project) that used commercial Ku-band satellite communications to connect Glenn, Dryden, and Ames in a combined system ground test. This test simulated air-ground bidirectional transport of real-time digital audio, text, and video data via a hybrid network configuration that demonstrated the flight readiness of the network and communications technologies. Specifically, a Controller Pilot Data Link Communications application was used with other applications to demonstrate a multiprotocol capability via Internet-protocol encapsulated ATN (Aeronautical Telecommunications Network) data packets. The significance of this combined ground test is its contribution to the Aero Information Technology Base Program Level I milestone (Software Technology investment area) of a real-time data link for the National Airspace System. The objective of this milestone was to address multiprotocol technology applicable for real-time data links between aircraft, a satellite, and the ground as well as the ability to distribute flight data with multilevel priorities among several sites.

Zernic, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Design of an Advanced Inlet Liner for the Quiet Technology Demonstrator 3

The utilization of advanced fan designs (including higher bypass ratios) and shorter engine nacelles has highlighted a need for increased fan noise reduction over a broad frequency range. Thus, improved broadband liner designs must account for these constraints and take advantage of novel liner configurations. With these observations in mind, the development and assessment of a broadband acoustic liner optimization process has been pursued through a series of design and experimental studies. In this work, an advanced inlet liner was designed for a Boeing 737MAX-7 to reduce drag and to improve the broadband noise reduction relative to conventional liners in use today. Specifically, a three layer liner was designed, fabricated, and flight tested as part of the Quiet Technology Demonstrator 3 flight test program. Initial tonal predictions captured the behavior of the measured data very well and both prediction and measurements show an increased acoustic benefit at larger observer angles, particularly at the takeoff condition. Ultimately, flight test results showed the three degree-of-freedom liner to provide a 3.2 EPNdB cumulative inlet component benefit and a 0.7 EPNdB cumulative airplane benefit over the production liner. This excellent result provides valuable validation of the broadband liner design process, as well as the enhancements made to the overall approach. It also illustrates the value of the design process in concurrently evaluating various liner designs (i.e., SDOF, MDOF, etc.) and their application to various locations. Thus, the design process may be applied with further confidence to investigate novel liner configurations in future design studies.

Nark, Douglas M.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Propulsion technology for National Aero-Space Plane

America's entrée in the world of hypersonics is spearheaded by the National Aero-Space Plane program. Although the concept of hypersonic flight at speeds above Mach 6 has been investigated before in many countries, the efforts begun in the 1960's in the United States did not result in a major new capability. Many valid principles were examined, a good data base was developed, but a demonstration was not pursued with the priorities assigned to the space program at that time. During the 1970's, our hypersonic effort dwindled to a few dedicated research efforts which refined propulsion, aerodynamics, and computational fluid dynamics principles. To make real progress in the 1980's, and beyond, a focus and a rekindled effort was needed. The National Aero-Space Plane program provides that focus of activities. Through the demonstration of single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) capabilities in a manned vehicle capable of normal aircraft-like operations, the United States seeks to revitalize our advanced hypersonics research, spearhead the rapid development of technology, and conclusively demonstrate through flight testing that the age of hypersonics has arrived. This paper briefly describes the growth of the National Aero-Space Plane program, its objectives, its National team organization, and the schedule now envisioned for the remainder of the program. The primary emphasis of the paper is National Aero-Space Plane propulsion technology. Key technical challenges are noted and a discussion of progress relative to those challenges associated with propulsion is presented.

Computational fluid dynamics↗
NASA NTRS2016

Exploration Laboratory Analysis

The Exploration Laboratory Analysis (ELA) project supports the Exploration Medical Capability (ExMC) risk to minimize or reduce the risk of adverse health outcomes and decrements in performance due to in-flight medical capabilities on human exploration missions. To mitigate this risk, the availability of inflight laboratory analysis instrumentation has been identified as an essential capability for manned exploration missions. Since a single, compact space-ready laboratory analysis capability to perform all exploration clinical measurements is not commercially available, the ELA project objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of emerging operational and analytical capability as a biomedical diagnostics precursor to long duration manned exploration missions. The initial step towards ground and flight demonstrations in fiscal year (FY) 2015 was the downselection of platform technologies for demonstrations in the space environment. The technologies selected included two Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) performers: DNA Medicine Institute's rHEALTH X and Intelligent Optical System's lateral flow assays combined with Holomic's smartphone analyzer. The selection of these technologies were based on their compact size, breadth of analytical capability and favorable ability to process fluids in a space environment, among several factors. These two technologies will be advanced to meet ground and flight demonstration success criteria and requirements. The technology demonstrations and metrics for success will be finalized in FY16. Also, the downselected performers will continue the technology development phase towards meeting prototype deliverables in either late 2016 or 2017.

In-Flight laboratory↗
NASA NTRS1991

Welding of the superfluid helium on-orbit transfer (SHOOT) Flight Demonstration tanks and hardware

The SHOOT Flight Demonstration will provide the technology necessary to resupply superfluid helium in space. The helium dewars in SHOOT have unique requirements, including no detectable leaks, demonstrated structural integrity to allow flight aboard the Space Shuttle, and low parasitic heat leak. The requirements, materials, and processes used to fabricate the two superfluid helium dewars, particularly as they apply to welding, are presented.

Mcclure, Sidney↗
NASA NTRS2017

High-Lift Propeller Noise Prediction for a Distributed Electric Propulsion Flight Demonstrator

Over the past several years, the use of electric propulsion technologies within aircraft design has received increased attention. The characteristics of electric propulsion systems open up new areas of the aircraft design space, such as the use of distributed electric propulsion (DEP). In this approach, electric motors are placed in many different locations to achieve increased efficiency through integration of the propulsion system with the airframe. Under a project called Scalable Convergent Electric Propulsion Technology Operations Research (SCEPTOR), NASA is designing a flight demonstrator aircraft that employs many "high-lift propellers" distributed upstream of the wing leading edge and two cruise propellers (one at each wingtip). As the high-lift propellers are operational at low flight speeds (take-off/approach flight conditions), the impact of the DEP configuration on the aircraft noise signature is also an important design consideration. This paper describes efforts toward the development of a mulit-fidelity aerodynamic and acoustic methodology for DEP high-lift propeller aeroacoustic modeling. Specifically, the PAS, OVERFLOW 2, and FUN3D codes are used to predict the aerodynamic performance of a baseline high-lift propeller blade set. Blade surface pressure results from the aerodynamic predictions are then used with PSU-WOPWOP and the F1A module of the NASA second generation Aircraft NOise Prediction Program to predict the isolated high-lift propeller noise source. Comparisons of predictions indicate that general trends related to angle of attack effects at the blade passage frequency are captured well with the various codes. Results for higher harmonics of the blade passage frequency appear consistent for the CFD based methods. Conversely, evidence of the need for a study of the effects of increased azimuthal grid resolution on the PAS based results is indicated and will be pursued in future work. Overall, the results indicate that the computational approach is acceptable for fundamental assessment of low-noise high-lift propeller designs. The extent to which the various approaches may be used in a complementary manner will be further established as measured data becomes available for validation. Ultimately, it is anticipated that this combined approach may be used to provide realistic incident source fields for acoustic shielding/scattering studies on various aircraft configurations.

Nark, Douglas M.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Laser Initiated Ordnance (LIO) activities in NASA

Laser initiated ordnance appears to offer the advantages of greater reliability, enhanced safety, lighter, less costly products, and improvements in spacecraft system designs which can lead to higher operational efficiency. But the lack of flight demonstrations has prevented the application of this new technology into new programs. Hence, a three-phase technology program was initiated by NASA to provide flight proof of their technical and programmatic feasibility: flight demonstration aboard an unmanned commercial vehicle (Pegasus), use as a Space Shuttle payload, and the most demanding of applications, namely, solid rocket motor vehicle ignition and flight termination. The programs investigate, via flight demonstrations the use of fully solid state laser diode systems to reduce potential hazards imposed by stray electrical signals. Inadvertent ignition has proven to cause serious problems. While the current electromechanical have been made safe, the result has been complex systems. Now is the time to take advantage of this new technology to further enhance safety and reliability of spacecraft systems. Two of the three phases are underway; an announcement of opportunity for the third, a sounding rocket flight demonstration, was made at the workshop.

Schulze, Norman R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The SKY SHARK: an RPV Designed to Investigate the Pressure Distribution on a Lifting Surface

The objective was to design a remotely piloted vehicle which is capable of gathering in-flight pressure distribution data on a lifting test specimen, and then test the design by constructing a subscale demonstrator, to prove the flight worthiness of the concept. The technology demonstrator was scheduled for takeoff at approximately, 7:20 AM on Thursday April 27th. There was a light wind from the southeast. The plane was hand-launched and made an initial dip, most likely due to the poor trim conditions at launch. It then began to climb and bank into a left turn. The aircraft climbed to an altitude of approximately 150 ft and circled. The plane flew for several minutes and at times appeared to bump around, which was due to thermal activity disrupting the flight of the aircraft. The aircraft was brought slowly down in a power-off condition and glided in for a belly landing and landed without incident. Results of the flight test proved the general capability of the design to maintain flight stability throughout the take off, cruise, turning, and landing flight regimes. We were not able to demonstrate stability with the test specimen in place as the control surfaces designed to counteract the instabilities induced in the static system, winglets and ailerons, were not included.

Ziemba, Rob↗
NASA NTRS1998

X-33 Environmental Impact Statement: A Fast Track Approach

NASA is required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to prepare an appropriate level environmental analysis for its major projects. Development of the X-33 Technology Demonstrator and its associated flight test program required an environmental impact statement (EIS) under the NEPA. The EIS process is consists of four parts: the "Notice of Intent" to prepare an EIS and scoping; the draft EIS which is distributed for review and comment; the final ETS; and the "Record of Decision." Completion of this process normally takes from 2 - 3 years, depending on the complexity of the proposed action. Many of the agency's newest fast track, technology demonstration programs require NEPA documentation, but cannot sustain the lengthy time requirement between program concept development to implementation. Marshall Space Flight Center, in cooperation with Kennedy Space Center, accomplished the NEPA process for the X-33 Program in 13 months from Notice of Intent to Record of Decision. In addition, the environmental team implemented an extensive public involvement process, conducting a total of 23 public meetings for scoping and draft EIS comment along with numerous informal meetings with public officials, civic organizations, and Native American Indians. This paper will discuss the fast track approach used to successfully accomplish the NEPA process for X-33 on time.

McCaleb, Rebecca C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Americium-Fuelled Radioisotope Stirling Generator Elegant Breadboard

High power solutions for spacecraft are becoming increasingly sought after in the new era of space exploration, with energy intensive in-situ lunar surface exploration becoming a key part of the roadmap for major space agencies, as well as commercial companies. Nuclear power provides the most feasible solution to achieve continued operation through the long lunar night, and in extended periods in Permanently Shadowed Regions (PSRs). Americium-241 (241Am) is used as the fuel of choice in European Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS). The University of Leicester have developed a number of systems using this fuel type, including a 200 Wth heat source. Building on existing international partnerships, the University of Leicester is continuing to work with NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) to maximise the electrical output that can be generated from the heat source by progressing the radioisotope-Stirling generator concept to elegant breadboard level, building on the long heritage of dynamic power conversion developments at NASA Glenn. Presented in the following conference paper is the next iteration of the Americium-fuelled Radioisotope Stirling Generator (Am-RSG) Elegant Breadboard, following on from a successful technology demonstration design conducted at NASA Glenn in early 2025. The design laid-out in this paper is a more flight-like version of the technology demonstrator, and is intended to pair with the next generation of Stirling convertor technology, the SunPower Robust Stirling Converter (SRSC). The SRSC is able to operate more efficiently at lower thermal power levels than the previous Advanced Stirling Convertor (ASC), making it more suitable for the 241Am system.

Lunar↗
NASA NTRS1999

A Synopsis of Ion Propulsion Development Projects in the United States: SERT 1 to Deep Space I

The historical background and characteristics of the experimental flights of ion propulsion systems and the major ground-based technology demonstrations were reviewed. The results of the first successful ion engine flight in 1964, SERT I which demonstrated ion beam neutralization, are discussed along with the extended operation of SERT II starting in 1970. These results together with the technology employed on the early cesium engine flights. the Applications Technology Satellite (ATS) series, and the ground-test demonstrations, have provided the evolutionary path for the development of xenon ion thruster component technologies, control systems, and power circuit implementations. In the 1997-1999 period, the communication satellite flights using ion engine systems and the Deep Space I flight confirmed that these auxiliary and primary propulsion systems have advanced to a high-level of flight-readiness.

Sovey, James S.↗
NASA NTRS2007

The Hyper-X Flight Systems Validation Program

For the Hyper-X/X-43A program, the development of a comprehensive validation test plan played an integral part in the success of the mission. The goal was to demonstrate hypersonic propulsion technologies by flight testing an airframe-integrated scramjet engine. Preparation for flight involved both verification and validation testing. By definition, verification is the process of assuring that the product meets design requirements; whereas validation is the process of assuring that the design meets mission requirements for the intended environment. This report presents an overview of the program with emphasis on the validation efforts. It includes topics such as hardware-in-the-loop, failure modes and effects, aircraft-in-the-loop, plugs-out, power characterization, antenna pattern, integration, combined systems, captive carry, and flight testing. Where applicable, test results are also discussed. The report provides a brief description of the flight systems onboard the X-43A research vehicle and an introduction to the ground support equipment required to execute the validation plan. The intent is to provide validation concepts that are applicable to current, follow-on, and next generation vehicles that share the hybrid spacecraft and aircraft characteristics of the Hyper-X vehicle.

Redifer, Matthew↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design, Analysis, Testing, and Flight Activities for A Green Propulsion Dual Mode (Gpdm) Technology Demonstration Mission

NASA’s Strategic Plan (2022) outlines specific technology development objectives which direct the Agency to “innovate and advance transformational space technologies.” An example of these potentially high-impact space technologies is the low-toxicity or “green” rocket propellant known as ASCENT (or Advanced Spacecraft Energetic Non-Toxic Propellant). Developed in the 2010’s by the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), ASCENT (formerly AF-315E) has shown improved specific impulse density (50% higher) vs. hydrazine in addition to its favorable in-space storability and ease of handling capability. The chemical propulsion capability of ASCENT has been demonstrated on several missions including the Green Propulsion Infusion Mission (GPIM) in 2019 and most recently, the Lunar Flashlight mission. ASCENT is an ionic liquid, which lends itself as both a chemical and an electrospray propellant. The capability to use the same propellants in multiple modes using the same propellant tank and feed system has yet to be demonstrated in orbit. This capability, if proven successful has the potential to reduce system weight and complexity, while taking advantage of both high thrust and high propellant efficiency in electrospray mode. The GPDM Project, managed by the Marshall Space Flight Center is seeking to develop a dual-mode propulsion system as the payload on a small spacecraft (6U CubeSat) and subsequent in-space demonstration. This paper will summarize the concept, ground testing as well as mission operations plan for demonstrating green “dual-mode” propulsion.

Nehemiah J. Williams↗
NASA NTRS2001

Ion Propulsion Development Projects in US: Space Electric Rocket Test I to Deep Space 1

The historical background and characteristics of the experimental flights of ion propulsion systems and the major ground-based technology demonstrations are reviewed. The results of the first successful ion engine flight in 1964, Space Electric Rocket Test (SERT) I, which demonstrated ion beam neutralization, are discussed along with the extended operation of SERT II starting in 1970. These results together with the technologies employed on the early cesium engine flights, the applications technology satellite series, and the ground-test demonstrations, have provided the evolutionary path for the development of xenon ion thruster component technologies, control systems, and power circuit implementations. In the 1997-1999 period, the communication satellite flights using ion engine systems and the Deep Space 1 flight confirmed that these auxiliary and primary propulsion systems have advanced to a high level of flight readiness.

Sovey, James S.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Solar Sail Roadmap Mission GN and C Challenges

The NASA In-Space Propulsion program is funding development work for solar sails to enhance future scientific opportunities. Key to this effort are scientific solar sail roadmap missions identified by peer review. The two near-term missions of interest are L1 Diamond and Solar Polar Imager. Additionally, the New Millennium Program is sponsoring the Space Technology 9 (ST9) demonstration mission. Solar sails are one of five technologies competing for the ST9 flight demonstration. Two candidate solar sail missions have been identified for a potential ST9 flight. All the roadmap missions and candidate flight demonstration missions face various GN&C challenges. A variety of efforts are underway to address these challenges. These include control actuator design and testing, low thrust optimization studies, attitude control system design and modeling, control-structure interaction studies, trajectory control design, and solar radiation pressure model development. Here we survey the various efforts underway and identify a few of specific recent interest and focus.

Heaton, Andrew F.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Active damping application to the shuttle RMS

Control Structure Interaction (CSI) is a relatively new technology developed over the last 10 to 15 years for application to large flexible space vehicles. The central issue is recognition that high performance control systems necessary for good spacecraft performance may adversely interact with the dynamics of the spacecraft structures, a problem increasingly aggravated by the large size and reduced stiffness of modern spacecraft structural designs. The CSI analysis and design methods were developed to avoid interactions while maintaining spacecraft performance without exceeding structural capabilities, but they remain largely unvalidated by hardware experiments or demonstrations, particularly in-space flight demonstrations. One recent proposal for a low cost flight validation of CSI technology is to demonstrate active damping augmentation of the Space Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (RMS). An analytical effort to define the potential for such an active damping augmentation demonstration to improve the structural dynamic response of the RMS following payload maneuvers is described. It is hoped that this study will lead to an actual inflight CSI test with the RMS using existing shuttle hardware to the maximum extent possible. By using the existing hardware, the flight demonstration results may eventually be of direct benefit to actual Space Shuttle RMS operations, especially during the construction of the Space Station Freedom.

Gilbert, Michael G.↗
NASA NTRS2007

RF and Optical Communications: A Comparison of High Data Rate Returns From Deep Space in the 2020 Timeframe

As NASA proceeds with plans for increased science data return and higher data transfer capacity for science missions, both RF and optical communications are viable candidates for significantly higher-rate communications from deep space to Earth. With the inherent advantages, smaller apertures and larger bandwidths, of optical communications, it is reasonable to expect that at some point in time and combination of increasing distance and data rate, the rapidly emerging optical capabilities would become more advantageous than the more mature and evolving RF techniques. This paper presents a comparison of the burden to a spacecraft by both RF and optical communications systems for data rates of 10, 100, and 1000 Mbps and large distances. Advanced technology for RF and optical communication systems have been considered for projecting capabilities in the 2020 timeframe. For the comparisons drawn, the optical and RF ground terminals were selected to be similar in cost. The RF system selected is composed of forty-five 12-meter antennas, whereas the selected optical system is equivalent to a 10-meter optical telescope. Potential differences in availability are disregarded since the focus of this study is on spacecraft mass and power burden for high-rate mission data, under the assumption that essential communications will be provided by low-rate, high availability RF. For both the RF and optical systems, the required EIRP, for a given data rate and a given distance, was achieved by a design that realized the lowest possible communications subsystem mass (power + aperture) consistent with achieving the lowest technology risk. A key conclusion of this paper is that optical communications has great potential for high data rates and distances of 2.67 AU and beyond, but requires R&D and flight demonstrations to prove out technologies.

Williams, W. Dan↗