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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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Deep Space 1 (DS1), scheduled for launch in July 1998, is the first mission of NASA's New Millennium program, chartered to flight validate high-risk, advanced technologies important for future space and Earth Science programs.
A hierarchical XML database is being developed by the New Millennium Program to assist in technology Return on Investment (ROI) analysis and technology portfolio optimization.
Current trends in spacecraft development include the use of advanced technologies while maintaining the "faster, better, cheaper" philosophy. Spacecraft designers are continually designing with smaller and faster electronics as well as lighter and thinner materials providing better performance, lower weight, and ultimately lower costs. Given this technology trend, spacecraft will become increasingly susceptible to the harsh space environments, causing damaging or even disabling effects on space systems. NASA's Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program defines the space environments and provides advanced technology development to support the design, development, and operation of spacecraft systems that will accommodate or mitigate effects due to the harsh space environments. This Program provides a comprehensive and focused approach to understanding the space environment, to define the best techniques for both flight and ground-based experimentation, to update the models which predict both the environments and the environmental effects on spacecraft, and finally to ensure that this multitudinous information is properly maintained and inserted into spacecraft design programs. A description of the SEE Program, its accomplishments, and future activities is provided.
A 2.3 kW Breadboard Power Processing Unit (BBPPU) was developed as part of the NASA Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Application Readiness (NSTAR) Program. The NSTAR program will deliver an electric propulsion system based on a 30 cm xenon ion thruster to the New Millennium (NM) program for use as the primary propulsion system for the initial NM flight. The final development test for the BBPPU, the Functional Integration Test, was carried out to demonstrate all aspects of BBPPU operation with an Engineering Model Thruster. Test objectives included: (1) demonstration and validation of automated thruster start procedures, (2) demonstration of stable closed loop control of the thruster beam current, (3) successful response and recovery to thruster faults, and (4) successful safing of the system during simulated spacecraft faults. These objectives were met over the specified 80-120 VDC input voltage range and 0.5-2.3 output power capability of the BBPPU. Two minor anomalies were noted in discharge and neutralizer keeper current. These anomalies did not affect the stability of the system and were successfully corrected.
A Separated Spacecraft Interferometer (SSI) Demonstration Mission with three spacecraft has been proposed for flight under the NASA New Millennium Technology Development Program.
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The image processing and scientific analysis techniques described in this study report are not confined to radar date of Earth. The techniques have widespread applications, theoretically to any instrument at any wavelength (such as visible and infrared imagers). We illustrate how the same techniques demonstrated by ASC can be used to search for change, and identify features, on Mars and the Jovian satelites, Europa and IO.
Communications subsystems for furture missions must be low-mass and enable equivalent if not great data return to the scientific community over the current X-band (8.4 GHz) links.
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