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NASA NTRS2020

Breakthrough Materials for Space Applications Workshop

In the course of its 60 year history, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has blazed trails in the development and advancement of aerospace materials and the transition of these advancements to industry. The Agency has overseen the infusion of new high-performance materials into a diverse array of mission applications, including aeronautics, planetary science, and human spaceflight. The next generation of demanding exploration missions, including a return to the lunar surface with humans in the 2020s, will present new and unprecedented material challenges. Selecting or developing materials to survive the environments of launch and the high temperatures present in propulsion systems, operate in a microgravity and/or a vacuum environment (which includes exposure to radiation), and/or survive years on a planetary surface is an immense challenge. In addition to functioning in their intended use environment, materials for space must also possess extremely high-performance characteristics. The anecdotal Von Braun quote “space is weightlifting” reminds us of the need to minimize the mass of a space system while still meeting safety margins. The cost of launching a kg to orbit is estimated currently at $10,000; barring a drastic reduction in launch costs, lightweight and high-strength materials will remain the most sought-after spaceflight materials for the foreseeable future. Other primary considerations for materials in spaceflight applications include affordability, compatibility with other systems and materials, and manufacturability. The emergence of new advanced manufacturing processes such as friction stir welding and additive manufacturing have revolutionized the aerospace industry in recent years. Additive manufacturing in particular allows for rapid fabrication of components and greater design freedom. With the advent of these new processes, however, comes the need to develop new specifications, process control approaches (including material modeling), testing, and nondestructive evaluation techniques to ensure that parts meet the stringent functional requirements for spaceflight.

Prater, T.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Application of Molten Salt Reactor Technology to MMW In-Space NEP and Surface Power Missions

Anticipated manned nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) and planetary surface power missions will require multimegawatt nuclear reactors that are lightweight, operationally robust, and scalable in power for widely varying scientific mission objectives. Molten salt reactor technology meets all of these requirements and offers an interesting alternative to traditional multimegawatt gas-cooled and liquid metal concepts.

Patton, Bruce↗

NASA NTRS2018

Scientific Hybrid Realtiy Environments (SHyRE): Bringing Field Work into the Laboratory

The use of analog environments in preparing for future planetary surface exploration is key in ensuring we both understand the processes shaping other planetary surfaces as well as develop the technology, systems, and concepts of operations necessary to operate in these geologic environments. While conducting fieldwork and testing technology in relevant terrestrial field environments is crucial in this development, it is often the case that operational testing requires a time-intensive iterative process that is hampered by the rigorous conditions (e.g. terrain, weather, location, etc.) found in most field environments. Additionally, field deployments can be costly and must be scheduled months in advance, therefore limiting the testing opportunities required to investigate and compare science operational concepts to only once or twice per year.

SHyRE↗

NASA NTRS2023

Trades, Architecture, and Design of the Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics (Joint AR) Product

Future expeditions will enable exploration and study of the planetary surfaces of the Moon and Mars by performing extravehicular activity (EVA) operations. Present-day International Space Station (ISS) EVA operations require an intricate and tight choreography of crew, space suits, tools, systems, and flight teams to plan, train, and execute with limited advanced informatics. Additionally, EVA operations, aside from the Apollo Lunar surface missions, have predominately focused on maintenance and construction tasks where success criteria are clearly measurable. However, future exploration missions expect to enable crew to carry out scientific objectives in increasingly Earth-independent ways. In this paper, the Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics System (Joint AR) characterizes the design space for developing a modular augmented reality (AR) device for a spacesuit form factor that can support crew decision-making for EVA. This paper highlights the project’s experience with a product-focused management style and use-case centered systems engineering approach to iteratively design, build, and test. The Joint AR product features were defined via trade studies and market analysis of previous EVA display efforts, various AR components such as optics, commercial AR systems, light engines, data interfaces, graphics engine software and analog test beds. We outline the defining architectural design decisions, including safety criticality considerations, suit mounting interfaces, computer architectures, and partnership contracting mechanisms. The outcomes of these studies, architecture decisions, and management requirements result in a recommended design which is the Joint AR product. We discuss the evolution, development of these system components, and what work remains. We hope to share a unified understanding of various design decisions and how they impact the future of crew members’ access to data during Lunar and Martian EVAs. This ongoing effort can enable a community-wide discovery process toward realizing necessary AR features and capabilities for future missions.

Augmented Reality↗

NASA NTRS2023

Trades, Architecture, and Design of the Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics System (Joint AR) Product

Paromita Mitra↗

NASA NTRS2023

Trades, Architecture, and Design of the Joint Augmented Reality Visual Informatics System (Joint AR) Product

Paromita Mitra↗

NASA NTRS2012

Morpheus: Advancing Technologies for Human Exploration

NASA's Morpheus Project has developed and tested a prototype planetary lander capable of vertical takeoff and landing. Designed to serve as a vertical testbed (VTB) for advanced spacecraft technologies, the vehicle provides a platform for bringing technologies from the laboratory into an integrated flight system at relatively low cost. This allows individual technologies to mature into capabilities that can be incorporated into human exploration missions. The Morpheus vehicle is propelled by a LOX/Methane engine and sized to carry a payload of 1100 lb to the lunar surface. In addition to VTB vehicles, the Project s major elements include ground support systems and an operations facility. Initial testing will demonstrate technologies used to perform autonomous hazard avoidance and precision landing on a lunar or other planetary surface. The Morpheus vehicle successfully performed a set of integrated vehicle test flights including hot-fire and tethered hover tests, leading up to un-tethered free-flights. The initial phase of this development and testing campaign is being conducted on-site at the Johnson Space Center (JSC), with the first fully integrated vehicle firing its engine less than one year after project initiation. Designed, developed, manufactured and operated in-house by engineers at JSC, the Morpheus Project represents an unprecedented departure from recent NASA programs that traditionally require longer, more expensive development lifecycles and testing at remote, dedicated testing facilities. Morpheus testing includes three major types of integrated tests. A hot-fire (HF) is a static vehicle test of the LOX/Methane propulsion system. Tether tests (TT) have the vehicle suspended above the ground using a crane, which allows testing of the propulsion and integrated Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) in hovering flight without the risk of a vehicle departure or crash. Morpheus free-flights (FF) test the complete Morpheus system without the additional safeguards provided during tether. A variety of free-flight trajectories are planned to incrementally build up to a fully functional Morpheus lander capable of flying planetary landing trajectories. In FY12, these tests will culminate with autonomous flights simulating a 1 km lunar approach trajectory, hazard avoidance maneuvers and precision landing in a prepared hazard field at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). This paper describes Morpheus integrated testing campaign, infrastructure, and facilities, and the payloads being incorporated on the vehicle. The Project s fast pace, rapid prototyping, frequent testing, and lessons learned depart from traditional engineering development at JSC. The Morpheus team employs lean, agile development with a guiding belief that technologies offer promise, but capabilities offer solutions, achievable without astronomical costs and timelines.

Olansen, Jon B.↗

NASA NTRS2010

The Role of the Exploration Science Officer in Lunar Surface Operations

A review has been performed of exploration science and payload operations during the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs to extract information of potential usefulness to the Constellation program. That work has resulted in creation of the concept for a unique type of flight controller: the exploration science officer. The controller s primary responsibility is to integrate the tasks and goals of the spacecraft flight control team and the science team in order to maximize science return while maximizing crew safety. Far from being just a mouthpiece for either team, this individual must be fluent in the knowledge and language of two communities: spacecraft operations and planetary science. Responsibilities begin during the requirements phase of vehicle and lunar surface systems development and continue through development, training, planning, mission execution, and post-flight mission phases.

John H Osborn↗

NASA NTRS2015

Techniques for Measuring Surface Potentials in Space

Materials exposed to the space plasma environment charge to a net potential relative to the ambient plasma. The charging process is due to differential currents to the material surface that results in a net surface charge density. While this process is termed "spacecraft surface charging" when applied to aerospace hardware, it also applies to the surfaces of astronomical objects in direct contact with the space plasma environment including a number of planetary bodies, asteroids, and dust particles. The ability to measure surface potentials is important to many techniques used in conducting fundamental heliospheric science, spacecraft engineering operations, and space technology development activities. This presentation provides a survey of current technologies used to measure surface potentials of spacecraft and planetary bodies with examples of their application to space science and technology programs.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The Mars Observer mission

Attention is given to the establishment of the Planetary Observer program and the initiation of the Mars Observer project (scheduled for 1990), its scientific objectives, and plans for operations. The Mars Observer mission will provide a spacecraft platform about Mars from which the entire Martian surface and atmosphere may be mapped for at least one Martian year. This first Planetary Observer mission will reveal how a series of low-cost missions can be planned and implemented to fit within constrained NASA budget for planetary operation.

Purdy, W. I., Jr.↗

DOE OSTI2023

Diagnosing Near-Surface Model Errors with Candidate Physics Parameterization Schemes for the Multiphysics Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) Ensemble during Winter over the Northeastern United States and Southern Great Plains

Abstract During the winter of 2020/21 an ensemble of FV3-LAM forecasts was produced over the contiguous United States for the Winter Weather Experiment using five physics suites. These forecasts are evaluated with the goal of optimizing physics parameterizations within the future operational Rapid Refresh Forecast System (RRFS) in the Unified Forecast System (UFS) realm and for selecting suitable physics suites for a multiphysics RRFS ensemble. The five physics suites have different combinations of land surface models (LSMs), planetary boundary layer (PBL) parameterizations, and surface layer schemes, chosen from those used in current and possible future operational systems and likely to be supported in the operational UFS. Full-season evaluation reveals a persistent near-surface cold bias in the U.S. Northeast from one suite and a nighttime warm bias in the southern Great Plains in another suite, while other suites have smaller biases. A representative case is chosen to diagnose the cause for each of these biases using sensitivity simulations with different physics combinations or modified parameters and verified with additional mesonet observations. The cold bias in the Northeast is attributed to aspects of the Noah-MP LSM over snow cover, where Noah-MP simulates lower soil water content, and thus lower thermal conductivity than other LSMs, leading to less upward ground heat flux during nighttime and consequently lower surface temperature. The nighttime warm bias found in the southern Great Plains is attributed to overestimation of vertical mixing in the K -profile-based eddy-diffusivity mass-flux (K-EDMF) PBL scheme and insufficient land–atmospheric coupling from the GFS surface layer scheme over short vegetation. A few key parameters driving these systematic biases are identified.

Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences↗

NASA NTRS1988

Research in planetary astronomy and operation of the Mauna Kea Observatory

Spectroscopic studies with ground-based telescopes at low resolution can give compositional information of the surfaces and atmospheres of planets, satellites, asteroids, and comets. Solid state absorptions in ices and minerals are measurable by the low-resolution spectrophotometric technique. This program includes spectroscopy of distant comets, asteroids of particular interest in various contexts (planet crossers, outer main belt, trojans, etc.), Pluto and Charon, and planetary satellites of particular interest (Iapetus, Io, Uranian satellites, etc.). In the case of planets, satellites, and comets, emphasis is placed on volatiles (ices and organics), while for asteroids the stress is on mineralogy and the connection with the meteorites. New spectra show that the IR signature of Triton has changed since 1980, in that the methane bands are significantly weaker. Spectral evidence for the presence of molecular nitrogen remains convincing. Also, the brightness of Triton throughout its orbital cycle was measured to higher precision than before and was found to be constant to better than 0.02 mag. Suggestive spectral evidence was found for the presence of the C-H stretching mode band in diffuse reflection on asteroid 130 Elektra.

Cruikshank, Dale P.↗

NASA NTRS1998

Embedded Control of a Miniature Science Rover for Planetary Exploration

A rover prototype has been integrated into a package of several hundred grams in mass. Aspects of the embedded rover control and software implementation are discussed which enable mobility and operation of science instruments for navigation and surface exploration.

Rovers Planetary Exploration↗

NASA NTRS2012

Long-Life, Lightweight, Multi-Roller Traction Drives for Planetary Vehicle Surface Exploration

NASA s initiative for Lunar and Martian exploration will require long lived, robust drive systems for manned vehicles that must operate in hostile environments. The operation of these mechanical drives will pose a problem because of the existing extreme operating conditions. Some of these extreme conditions include operating at a very high or very cold temperature, operating over a wide range of temperatures, operating in very dusty environments, operating in a very high radiation environment, and operating in possibly corrosive environments. Current drive systems use gears with various configurations of teeth. These gears must be lubricated with oil (or grease) and must have some sort of a lubricant resupply system. For drive systems, oil poses problems such as evaporation, becoming too viscous and eventually freezing at cold temperatures, being too thin to lubricate at high temperatures, being degraded by the radiation environment, being contaminated by the regolith (soil), and if vaporized (and not sealed), it will contaminate the regolith. Thus, it may not be advisable or even possible to use oil because of these limitations. An oil-less, compact traction vehicle drive is a drive designed for use in hostile environments like those that will be encountered on planetary surfaces. Initially, traction roller tests in vacuum were conducted to obtain traction and endurance data needed for designing the drives. From that data, a traction drive was designed that would fit into a prototype lunar rover vehicle, and this design data was used to construct several traction drives. These drives were then tested in air to determine their performance characteristics, and if any final corrections to the designs were necessary. A limitation with current speed reducer systems such as planetary gears and harmonic drives is the high-contact stresses that occur at tooth engagement and in the harmonic drive wave generator interface. These high stresses induce high wear of solid lubricant coatings, thus necessitating the use of liquid lubricants for long life.

Klein, Richard C.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Planetary surface processes: A review

The Earth's surface was shaped by a variety of processes, including volcanism, tectonism, impact cratering, and gradation. Solar System exploration and geological mapping showed that these processes operate on all the terrestrial planets. Gradation is a complex process that begins with weathering and erosion, continues with transport of weathered debris, and ends with deposition. Gradation works through the agents of gravity, wind, and water, and can shed light on planetary surface evolution. Rates of surface erosion vary with planet and must be considered in assessing ages of surface units based on impact crater frequency distributions. The products of gradation may substantially influence remote sensing signatures for determination of composition and must be taken into account in interpreting such data.

Greeley, R.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Crew/Robot Coordinated Planetary EVA Operations at a Lunar Base Analog Site

Under the direction of NASA's Exploration Technology Development Program, robots and space suited subjects from several NASA centers recently completed a very successful demonstration of coordinated activities indicative of base camp operations on the lunar surface. For these activities, NASA chose a site near Meteor Crater, Arizona close to where Apollo Astronauts previously trained. The main scenario demonstrated crew returning from a planetary EVA (extra-vehicular activity) to a temporary base camp and entering a pressurized rover compartment while robots performed tasks in preparation for the next EVA. Scenario tasks included: rover operations under direct human control and autonomous modes, crew ingress and egress activities, autonomous robotic payload removal and stowage operations under both local control and remote control from Houston, and autonomous robotic navigation and inspection. In addition to the main scenario, participants had an opportunity to explore additional robotic operations: hill climbing, maneuvering heaving loads, gathering geo-logical samples, drilling, and tether operations. In this analog environment, the suited subjects and robots experienced high levels of dust, rough terrain, and harsh lighting.

Diftler, M. A.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Salient Characteristics for Terrestrial Analog Engineering Test Sites

The use of terrestrial analog sites is an essential component of the development process for systems that are planned for lunar and planetary surfaces. These sites can also be valuable for training personnel who are expected to operate those systems. The fact that the site is an integral element, capable of influencing data and impacting test results, must not be overlooked. For tests performed in analog environments to be truly valid it is essential that the relevant characteristics of the employed sites be thoroughly understood. It is also critical that a comparative evaluation be made to assess the similarity of the analog sites to target planetary sites. Examples of relevant characteristics include terrain, soil properties, meteorology, geologic features, biological history, and remoteness. The importance of each of the characteristics varies with the type of extraterrestrial activity to be conducted. As a result, a site that is ideal for one purpose may be totally inadequate for another. It may also be appropriate to utilize multiple sites of increasing fidelity as the development process evolves. For example, early in the development process, the use of lower-fidelity sites may be elected - especially if they are available for a lower cost. Later, it may be necessary to employ higher-fidelity sites to capture greater realism, even if there is an associated increased cost. Finally, when interpreting the results of field tests, it is necessary to understand the sensitivity of the results to the relevant conditions. Knowledge of characteristics and sensitivity of results is particularly important when using field test results to validate analytical model predictions. This is especially true for activities that involve physical interaction with the site. Examples would include tests of rovers or other vehicles and associated trafficability modeling, spacesuit mobility tests, and tests associated with system deployment operations.

Watson, J.K.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Fast, accurate rangefinder

Computer-controlled optical ranging system detects objects as close as 1m and as distant as 30m. Originally developed for robot planetary-surface exploration, system is applicable to vehicular obstacle avoidance, surveying, remote manipulator operation, and other applications.

Johnston, A. R.↗