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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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At least 217 records · Page 12
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2008

Risk-Assessment for Equipment Operating on the Lunar Surface

Particle-size distribution of lunar dust simulant is evaluated using scanning electron spectroscopy in order to consider approaches to evaluating risk to individual mechanical components operating on the lunar surface. Assessing component risk and risk-mitigation during actual operations will require noninvasive continuous data gathering on numerous parameters. Those data sets would best be evaluated using data-mining algorithms to assess risk, and recovery from risk, of individual mechanical components in real-time.

Richmond, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Space environment and lunar surface processes

The development of a general rock/soil model capable of simulating in a self consistent manner the mechanical and exposure history of an assemblage of solid and loose material from submicron to planetary size scales, applicable to lunar and other space exposed planetary surfaces is discussed. The model was incorporated into a computer code called MESS.2 (model for the evolution of space exposed surfaces). MESS.2, which represents a considerable increase in sophistication and scope over previous soil and rock surface models, is described. The capabilities of previous models for near surface soil and rock surfaces are compared with the rock/soil model, MESS.2.

Comstock, G. M.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Hydrogen and fluorine in the surfaces of lunar samples

The resonant nuclear reaction F-19 (p, alpha gamma)0-16 has been used to perform depth sensitive analyses for both fluorine and hydrogen in lunar samples. The resonance at 0.83 MeV (center-of-mass) in this reaction has been applied to the measurement of the distribution of trapped solar protons in lunar samples to depths of about 1/2 micrometer. These results are interpreted in terms of terrestrial H2O surface contamination and a redistribution of the implanted solar H which has been influenced by heavy radiation damage in the surface region. Results are also presented for an experiment to test the penetration of H2O into laboratory glass samples which have been irradiated with 0-16 to simulate the radiation damaged surfaces of lunar glasses. Fluorine determinations have been performed in a 1 pm surface layer on lunar samples using the same F-19 alpha gamma)0-16 resonance. The data are discussed from the standpoint of lunar fluorine and Teflon contamination.

Leich, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Need for High Fidelity Lunar Regolith Simulants

The case is made for the need to have high fidelity lunar regolith simulants to verify the performance of structures, mechanisms, and processes to be used on the lunar surface. Minor constituents will in some cases have major consequences. Small amounts of sulfur in the regolith can poison catalysts, and metallic iron on the surface of nano-sized dust particles may cause a dramatic increase in its toxicity. So the definition of a high fidelity simulant is application-dependent. For example, in situ resource utilization will require high fidelity in chemistry, meaning careful attention to the minor components and phases; but some other applications, such as the abrasive effects on suit fabrics, might be relatively insensitive to minor component chemistry while abrasion of some metal components may be highly dependent on trace components. The lunar environment itself will change the surface chemistry of the simulant, so to have a high fidelity simulant it must be used in a high fidelity simulated environment to get an accurate simulation. Research must be conducted to determine how sensitive technologies will be to minor components and environmental factors before they can be dismissed as unimportant.

Gaier, James R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Numerical simulation of cosmogenic nuclide production in lunar rocks

The production rates of cosmogenic nuclides depend on the primary cosmic-ray particles, the irradiated-body's bulk composition, size, and shape, and the sample's composition and shielding depth. Although much work has been done on some of these dependencies, more detailed studies still need to be done on others. This work describes the influence of irradiation geometry on nuclide production in lunar rocks. In most cases, computer simulations of cosmogenic nuclide production were restricted to spherical objects irradiated with a 4 pi isotropic flux (meteoroids) or in lunar core samples irradiated by a 2 pi flux incident on semi-infinite layers or cylinders of huge sizes. Many lunar samples are rocks found on top of the lunar surface. For these rocks, neither of the above-mentioned models correspond to the real conditions. We present results of our simulations of cosmogenic nuclide production in models simulating the irradiation of rocks sitting on top of the lunar surface. The Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR) production profiles in lunar rocks were calculated using the Los Alamos 3-D Monte Carlo LAHET Code System (LCS). The irradiated object was modeled as the union of a sphere with the radius of the Moon and a small hemisphere with radii varying from 10 to 100 g/sq cm simulating the lunar rock. These calculations for the production of cosmogenic nuclides in lunar rocks by GCR particle show that there are important differences between the results obtained by commonly used geometric irradiation models and the lunar-rock models presented. The steeper GCR production profiles for a rock could help to explain the poor agreement for Be-10 in rock 68815, where slab models give GCR profiles flatter than the observed profiles.

Reedy, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Sputtering of Lunar Regolith by Solar Wind Protons and Heavy Ions, and General Aspects of Potential Sputtering

New simulation results for the sputtering of lunar soil surface by solar-wind protons and heavy ions will be presented. Previous simulation results showed that the sputtering process has significant effects and plays an important role in changing the surface chemical composition, setting the erosion rate and the sputtering process timescale. In this new work and in light of recent data, we briefly present some theoretical models which have been developed to describe the sputtering process and compare their results with recent calculation to investigate and differentiate the roles and the contributions of potential (or electrodynamic) sputtering from the standard (or kinetic) sputtering.

Alnussirat, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

LANDER program manual: A lunar ascent and descent simulation

LANDER is a computer program used to predict the trajectory and flight performance of a spacecraft ascending or descending between a low lunar orbit of 15 to 500 nautical miles (nm) and the lunar surface. It is a three degree-of-freedom simulation which is used to analyze the translational motion of the vehicle during descent. Attitude dynamics and rotational motion are not considered. The program can be used to simulate either an ascent from the Moon or a descent to the Moon. For an ascent, the spacecraft is initialized at the lunar surface and accelerates vertically away from the ground at full thrust. When the local velocity becomes 30 ft/s, the vehicle turns downrange with a pitch-over maneuver and proceeds to fly a gravity turn until Main Engine Cutoff (MECO). The spacecraft then coasts until it reaches the requested holding orbit where it performs an orbital insertion burn. During a descent simulation, the lander begins in the holding orbit and performs a deorbit burn. It then coasts to pericynthion, where it reignites its engines and begins a gravity turn descent. When the local horizontal velocity becomes zero, the lander pitches up to a vertical orientation and begins to hover in search of a landing site. The lander hovers for a period of time specified by the user, and then lands.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2013

Sources and Transportation of Bulk, Low-Cost Lunar Simulant Materials

Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has built the Lunar Surface Testbed using 200 tons of volcanic cinder and ash from the same source used for the simulant series JSC-1. This Technical Memorandum examines the alternatives examined for transportation and source. The cost of low-cost lunar simulant is driven by the cost of transportation, which is controlled by distance and, to a lesser extent, quantity. Metabasalts in the eastern United States were evaluated due to their proximity to MSFC. Volcanic cinder deposits in New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona were recognized as preferred sources. In addition to having fewer green, secondary minerals, they contain vesicular glass, both of which are desirable. Transportation costs were more than 90% of the total procurement costs for the simulant material.

Rickman, D. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermo-Optical Properties of Lunar Dust Simulants

Lunar dust coverage can significantly impact the thermo-optical properties of external surfaces for spacecraft and systems operating in the Lunar orbit or on the Lunar surface. This impacts the thermal control of these vehicles. Testing must be done to determine how much surface optics are affected by varying levels of lunar dust coverage. Optics and Particle Size Distributions (PSDs) of the dust simulant used in these tests are critical to the results. Many lunar dust simulants are available for testing, but their thermooptical properties are not well characterized. To resolve this unknown, 13 different lunar dust simulants’ IR emissivity and solar absorptivity were measured and are presented with their PSDs here.

lunar dust↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermo-Optical Properties of Lunar Dust Simulants

Lunar dust coverage can significantly impact the thermo-optical properties of external surfaces for spacecraft and systems operating in the Lunar orbit or on the Lunar surface. This impacts the thermal control of these vehicles. Testing must be done to determine how much surface optics are affected by varying levels of lunar dust coverage. Optics and Particle Size Distributions (PSDs) of the dust simulant used in these tests are critical to the results. Many lunar dust simulants are available for testing, but their thermooptical properties are not well characterized. To resolve this unknown, 13 different lunar dust simulants’ IR emissivity and solar absorptivity were measured and are presented with their PSDs here.

lunar dust↗
NASA NTRS2021

Lunar Asset Messaging and On Orbit Navigation

NASA has titled its 2020 thrust for the Moon, Artemis. The increased focus on the Moon as a destination for future human and robotic expeditions necessitates general purpose navigational and communications infrastructure reducing their complexity to help establish a sustained presence. A framework through which Lunar missions can relay communications and localize their positions shifts the burden from the individual mission and enables resource allocation tailored to mission-specific goals. During the summer of 2020, student interns under the Innovation to Flight (i2F) program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in collaboration with the University of Colorado Boulder designed, built, and tested a prototype framework capable of providing surface assets with communication and positioning services. The team utilized the existing i2F CubeSat bus in addition to developing several CubeSat engineering development units (EDUs), a ground vehicle, and a ground station to simulate a scenario in which a lunar surface mission is supported by these services. A primary goal of the summer was to develop a method for localizing the ground vehicle through trilateration. Distances are inferred from the round-trip time of flight (ToF) of radio signals between an asset and several elements. Signals were sent and received using LimeSDR software defined radios on-board both the ground vehicle and the EDUs; ToF and trilateration were calculated on a Qualcomm Snapdragon development board located within the LA MOON payload data system. The ModalAI chipset on the Qualcomm was instrumental in executing visual based position estimation. Communications was facilitated through a bent-pipe approach addressing the NASA requirement to provide solutions for in communication denied locations. The ground vehicle relayed information to other surface assets in addition to its ground station through the supporting constellation. This project demonstrates the feasibility of a lunar CubeSat constellation for the support of surface assets and explores packaging and operations of the components critical to trilateration and bent-pipe communication into a standard CubeSat form factor. When implemented, this framework will open a door for new surface missions designed with lower power requirements and increased operational access.

Huang, Calvin↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Application of Regolith Polymer Composite FFF Construction in Simulated Lunar Conditions

NASA’s Artemis program has the lofty goal of creating a sustained lunar presence to provide unprecedented opportunities for scientific discovery and to ensure American industry’s access to the unlimited resources and commercial potential in space. To achieve this goal, NASA must incrementally develop and expand its capabilities beyond the short lunar stays of the Apollo program to a robust continued presence with infrastructure and equipment to reduce mission risk by providing safer and more reliable access to the surface, its resources, and protection from the environment. Kennedy Space Center’s Swamp Works Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations laboratory has partnered with AI SpaceFactory to develop the architectural and structural design of a robotically constructable unpressurized shelter. The shelter, called Lina is designed to protect astronauts and surface assets from radiation, meteoroid impact, moon quakes and thermal gradients. A Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) construction process using regolith polymer composites was developed. The construction system and associated print parameters are discussed along with the environmental simulation equipment and a summary of test conditions. Test samples were printed in simulated lunar dirty thermal vacuum conditions (~-180 C, ~10-3 torr) and subjected to a series of tests. The resulting strength properties are summarized here, the full details of the material characteristics are provided in a related paper. Lina’s structural design criteria and the resulting initial structure design are detailed in two related papers, this paper presents an update to Lina’s design based on the achieved material strength properties. Finally, a scaled down version of the updated Lina was built on a regolith simulant surface using a novel anchoring technique in simulated lunar vacuum conditions.

lunar infrastructure↗
NASA NTRS1972

Multidisciplinary research leading to utilization of extraterrestrial resources

Progress of the research accomplished during fiscal year 1972 is reported. The summaries presented include: (1) background analysis and coordination, (2) surface properties of rock in simulated lunar environment, (3) rock failure processes, strength and elastic properties in simulated lunar environment, (4) thermal fragmentation, and thermophysical and optical properties in simulated lunar environment, and (5) use of explosives on the moon.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2024

Measurements of Silicosis Factors in Lunar and Martian Simulants

Simulants are geologically complex materials that are developed to represent the physical and/or compositional characteristics of a planetary surface (e.g., a naturally occurring soil or regolith). There are dozens of commercially available simulants that have been developed over the years; each simulant exhibits unique physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. Simulants are derived from either natural or synthetic sources (i.e., “feedstocks”) of glass, minerals, and rocks. These feedstock components are processed by crushing, pulverizing, melting, etc., and then combined in the appropriate proportions to represent a particular site, surface, or region (e.g., Lunar Highlands Regolith). The process of creating simulants therefore requires the mechanical breakdown and reincorporation of feedstock components which may contain crystalline silica minerals such as quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite. Certain crystalline silica particles of the respirable fraction (<10 μm in diameter) are of great concern; chronic and acute exposure to these respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can lead to permanent damage and scarring of lung tissue, incurable lung diseases (i.e., silicosis), lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and kidney disease. Planetary simulants are used extensively as test materials in the in scientific and engineering communities (e.g., testing of dust mitigation technologies, in-situ resource utilization, rover mobility, hardware, soft goods etc.). As such, this assessment was developed to serve as a guide for simulant users, local Safety and Occupational Health professionals, and Industrial Hygienists to evaluate the risk of silicosis across a wide variety of Lunar and Martian simulants. The goal of these works is to ensure that those working with simulant can do so safely and with an informed understanding of potential health risks.

Lunar↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Measurements of Silicosis Factors in Lunar and Martian Simulants

Simulants are geologically complex materials that are developed to represent the physical and/or compositional characteristics of a planetary surface (e.g., a naturally occurring soil or regolith). There are dozens of commercially available simulants that have been developed over the years; each simulant exhibits unique physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics. Simulants are derived from either natural or synthetic sources (i.e., “feedstocks”) of glass, minerals, and rocks. These feedstock components are processed by crushing, pulverizing, melting, etc., and then combined in the appropriate proportions to represent a particular site, surface, or region (e.g., Lunar Highlands Regolith). The process of creating simulants therefore requires the mechanical breakdown and reincorporation of feedstock components which may contain crystalline silica minerals such as quartz, cristobalite, and tridymite. Certain crystalline silica particles of the respirable fraction (<10 μm in diameter) are of great concern; chronic and acute exposure to these respirable crystalline silica (RCS) can lead to permanent damage and scarring of lung tissue, incurable lung diseases (i.e., silicosis), lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and kidney disease. Planetary simulants are used extensively as test materials in the in scientific and engineering communities (e.g., testing of dust mitigation technologies, in-situ resource utilization, rover mobility, hardware, soft goods etc.). As such, this assessment was developed to serve as a guide for simulant users, local Safety and Occupational Health professionals, and Industrial Hygienists to evaluate the risk of silicosis across a wide variety of Lunar and Martian simulants. The goal of these works is to ensure that those working with simulant can do so safely and with an informed understanding of potential health risks.

Lunar↗