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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 NTRS2016

Measurements of Oxychlorine species on Mars

Mars landed and orbiter missions have instrumentation capable of detecting oxychlorine phases (e.g. perchlorate, chlorate) on the surface. Perchlorate (~0.6 wt%) was first detected by the Wet Chemistry Laboratory in the surface material at the Phoenix Mars Landing site. Subsequent analyses by the Thermal Evolved Gas Analyser aboard the same lander detected an oxygen release (~465°C) consistent with the thermal decomposition of perchlorate. Recent thermal analysis by the Mars Science Laboratory’s Sample Analysis at Mars instrument has also indicated the presence of oxychlorine phases (up to 1.2 wt%) in Gale Crater materials. Despite being at detectable concentrations, the Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffractometer has not detected oxychlorine phases. This suggests that Gale Crater oxychlorine may exist as poorly crystalline phases or that perchlorate/chlorate mixtures exist, so that individual oxychlorine concentrations are below CheMin detection limits (~1 wt%). Although not initially designed to detect oxychlorine phases, reinterpretation of Viking Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometer data also suggest that oxychlorine phases are present in the Viking surface materials. Remote near-infrared spectral analyses by the Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars (CRISM) instrument indicate that at least some martian recurring slope lineae (RSL) have spectral signatures consistent with the presence of hydrated perchlorates or chlorates during the seasons when RSL are most extensive. Despite the thermal emission spectrometer, Thermal Emission Imaging System, Observatoire pour la Minéralogie, l’Eau, les Glaces et l’Activité and CRISM detection of hundreds of anhydrous chloride (~10–25 vol%) deposits, expected associated oxychlorine phases (>5–10 vol%) have not been detected. Total Cl and oxychlorine data sets from the Phoenix Lander and the Mars Science Laboratory missions could be used to develop oxychlorine versus total Cl correlations, which may constrain oxychlorine concentrations at other locations on Mars by using total Cl determined by other missions (e.g. Viking, Pathfinder, MER and Odyssey). Development of microfluidic or ‘lab-on-a-chip’ instrumentation has the potential to be the next generation analytical capability used to identify and quantify individual oxychlorine species on future landed robotic missions to Mars.

Perchlorate↗
NASA NTRS1995

MEMS Technology for Space Applications

Micro-technology enables the manufacturing of all kinds of components for miniature systems or micro-systems, such as sensors, pumps, valves, and channels. The integration of these components into a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) drastically decreases the total system volume and mass. These properties, combined with the increasing need for monitoring and control of small flows in (bio)chemical experiments, makes MEMS attractive for space applications. The level of integration and applied technology depends on the product demands and the market. The ultimate integration is process integration, which results in a one-chip system. An example of process integration is a dosing system of pump, flow sensor, micromixer, and hybrid feedback electronics to regulate the flow. However, for many applications, a hybrid integration of components is sufficient and offers the advantages of design flexibility and even the exchange of components in the case of a modular set up. Currently, we are working on hybrid integration of all kinds of sensors (physical and chemical) and flow system modules towards a modular system; the micro total analysis system (micro TAS). The substrate contains electrical connections as in a printed circuit board (PCB) as well as fluid channels for a circuit channel board (CCB) which, when integrated, form a mixed circuit board (MCB).

vandenBerg, A.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Hyperdimensional computing for image classification (HDC) v1.0

This is an implementation of the hyperdimensional computing technique to classify images. It consists of a python script that trains the system for a set of images from a set of images (dataset) specified by the user. This training produces hardware configuration parameters and description vectors that are then loaded into the hardware description part of the project. The hardware description consists of hardware described in Verilog (a well known language for this purpose) that is synthesizable and can be implemented in a real chip. This hardware received the training information generated by python, and then is able to accept images to produce answers for each image on which category (class) from the pre-=trained ones the image belongs to. The hardware and python training scripts are configurable and documented. The advantage of hyperdimensional computing is its robustness to errors and the easy capability for online learning (refining the training during inference slowly over time), which this implementation supports.

Michelogiannakis, Georgios [Lawrence Berkeley Nati↗
NASA NTRS1986

A computer graphics pilot project - Spacecraft mission support with an interactive graphics workstation

The NASA Computer Graphics Pilot Project was undertaken to enhance the quality control, productivity and efficiency of mission support operations at the Goddard Operations Support Computing Facility. The Project evolved into a set of demonstration programs for graphics intensive simulated control room operations, particularly in connection with the complex space missions that began in the 1980s. Complex mission mean more data. Graphic displays are a means to reduce the probabilities of operator errors. Workstations were selected with 1024 x 768 pixel color displays controlled by a custom VLSI chip coupled to an MC68010 chip running UNIX within a shell that permits operations through the medium of mouse-accessed pulldown window menus. The distributed workstations run off a host NAS 8040 computer. Applications of the system for tracking spacecraft orbits and monitoring Shuttle payload handling illustrate the system capabilities, noting the built-in capabilities of shifting the point of view and rotating and zooming in on three-dimensional views of spacecraft.

Hagedorn, John↗
NASA NTRS2026

Long-Term Evaluation of Landsat 9 Oli Data Product Uniformity at Focal Plane Module-Boundaries Using Earth Scenes

The uniformity performance characteristic in remote sensing data products is a metric that helps evaluate how an image accurately represents radiometric responses to geophysical variability at the Earth’s surface or within the atmosphere. These uniformity attributes are used in Earth remote sensing science applications such as investigating water quality, land-cover/land-use classifications, and crop health assessments. To ensure these applications perform effectively, it is crucial to maintain and regularly assess the uniformity of calibrated remote sensing data products. In the Landsat missions, data from the onboard radiometric reference Solar diffuser device are used as the standard approach to derive the calibration parameters, ensuring the maintenance of both absolute radiance and radiometric uniformity through quarterly updates. This publication presents an alternative approach that leverages Earth scene data to assess the on-orbit uniformity performance of the Landsat 9 (L9) mission. The analysis characterizes uniformity at a specific set of spatial positions (the focal-plane boundary zones) that are intrinsic to the Operational Land Imager (OLI) focal plane design. By employing these Earth data statistics, the article further explores the temporal trends in the radiometric uniformity results. The results shown in this article demonstrate that for pushbroom imaging design systems with staggered sensor chip focal plane architectures, the co-registered pixels, i.e., overlapping measurements of the same ground target viewed by different detectors, offer a self-contained mechanism for assessing product uniformity. Remarkably, this alternative approach achieves a level of radiometric quality comparable to that delivered by a stable, well-characterized onboard Solar diffuser calibration device. The findings demonstrate the potential and capability of such Earth scene statistics in maintaining radiometric uniformity in calibrated data products to better than 1% (1-sigma) throughout the mission’s operational lifetime.

trend↗
NASA NTRS2010

Cytometer on a chip

An assay technique for label-free, highly parallel, qualitative and quantitative detection of specific cell populations in a sample and for assessing cell functional status, cell-cell interactions and cellular responses to drugs, environmental toxins, bacteria, viruses and other factors that may affect cell function. The technique includes a) creating a first array of binding regions in a predetermined spatial pattern on a sensor surface capable of specifically binding the cells to be assayed; b) creating a second set of binding regions in specific spatial patterns relative to the first set designed to efficiently capture potential secreted or released products from cells captured on the first set of binding regions; c) contacting the sensor surface with the sample, and d) simultaneously monitoring the optical properties of all the binding regions of the sensor surface to determine the presence and concentration of specific cell populations in the sample and their functional status by detecting released or secreted bioproducts.

Lynes, Michael A.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparing quantum annealing and spiking neuromorphic computing for sampling binary sparse coding QUBO problems

We consider the problem of computing a sparse binary representation of an image. Given an image and an overcomplete, non-orthonormal basis, we aim to find a sparse binary vector indicating the minimal set of basis vectors that when added together best reconstruct the given input. We formulate this problem with an L 2 loss on the reconstruction error, and an L 0 loss on the binary vector enforcing sparsity. First, we solve the sparse representation QUBOs by solving them both on a D-Wave quantum annealer with Pegasus chip connectivity, as well as on the Intel Loihi 2 spiking neuromorphic processor using a stochastic Non-equilibrium Boltzmann Machine (NEBM). Second, using Quantum Evolution Monte Carlo with Reverse Annealing and iterated warm starting on Loihi 2 to evolve the solution quality from the respective machines. We demonstrate that both quantum annealing and neuromorphic computing are suitable for solving binary sparse coding QUBOs.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Joint Roman Space Telescope and Rubin Observatory Synthetic Wide-Field Imaging Survey

We present and validate 20 deg(2) of overlapping synthetic imaging surveys representing the full depth of the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope High-Latitude Imaging Survey (HLIS) and 5 yr of observations of the Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST). The two synthetic surveys are summarized, with reference to the existing 300 deg(2) of LSST simulated imaging produced as part of Dark Energy Science Collaboration (DESC) Data Challenge 2 (DC2). Both synthetic surveys observe the same simulated DESC DC2 universe. For the synthetic Roman survey, we simulate for the first time fully chromatic images along with the detailed physics of the Sensor Chip Assemblies derived from lab measurements using the flight detectors. The simulated imaging and resulting pixel-level measurements of photometric properties of objects span a wavelength range of similar to 0.3-2.0 mu m. We also describe updates to the Roman simulation pipeline, changes in how astrophysical objects are simulated relative to the original DC2 simulations, and the resulting simulated Roman data products. We use these simulations to explore the relative fraction of unrecognized blends in LSST images, finding that 20-30 per cent of objects identified in LSST images with i-band magnitudes brighter than 25 can be identified as multiple objects in Roman images. These simulations provide a unique testing ground for the development and validation of joint pixel-level analysis techniques of ground- and space-based imaging data sets in the second half of the 2020s - in particular the case of joint Roman-LSST analyses.

gravitational lensing↗
NASA NTRS1996

The Single Event Effect Characteristics of the 486-DX4 Microprocessor

This research describes the development of an experimental radiation testing environment to investigate the single event effect (SEE) susceptibility of the 486-DX4 microprocessor. SEE effects are caused by radiation particles that disrupt the logic state of an operating semiconductor, and include single event upsets (SEU) and single event latchup (SEL). The relevance of this work can be applied directly to digital devices that are used in spaceflight computer systems. The 486-DX4 is a powerful commercial microprocessor that is currently under consideration for use in several spaceflight systems. As part of its selection process, it must be rigorously tested to determine its overall reliability in the space environment, including its radiation susceptibility. The goal of this research is to experimentally test and characterize the single event effects of the 486-DX4 microprocessor using a cyclotron facility as the fault-injection source. The test philosophy is to focus on the "operational susceptibility," by executing real software and monitoring for errors while the device is under irradiation. This research encompasses both experimental and analytical techniques, and yields a characterization of the 486-DX4's behavior for different operating modes. Additionally, the test methodology can accommodate a wide range of digital devices, such as microprocessors, microcontrollers, ASICS, and memory modules, for future testing. The goals were achieved by testing with three heavy-ion species to provide different linear energy transfer rates, and a total of six microprocessor parts were tested from two different vendors. A consistent set of error modes were identified that indicate the manner in which the errors were detected in the processor. The upset cross-section curves were calculated for each error mode, and the SEU threshold and saturation levels were identified for each processor. Results show a distinct difference in the upset rate for different configurations of the on-chip cache, as well as proving that one vendor is superior to the other in terms of latchup susceptibility. Results from this testing were also used to provide a mean-time-between-failure estimate of the 486-DX4 operating in the radiation environment for the International Space Station.

Kouba, Coy↗
NASA NTRS2021

SEE Test Results for SAMA5D3

ARM processors power a class of high-performance, lower power system on a chip devices. In the absence of radiation effects, these devices are highly desirable for space use. The processor core architecture for ARM devices is licensed to provide computing on multiple hardware platforms. The A5 processor is in a unique pioneering space for providing detailed radiation response data to explore the baseline performance of these devices. These data can help set options for ARM processors and possibly impact design choices for the next generation of ARM fault tolerance capabilities. The SAMA5D3 was tested to establish general SEE performance for a relatively simple implementation of the ARM A5 core. This testing observed SRAM sensitivity starting at an LET of about 3 MeV-cm2/mg, with a saturated cross section of about 2x10-8cm2/bit, and this was determined by both active write and read of the caches, in addition to the use of a debugger to provide test results. Crash/SEFI data was collected using both Linux and bare metal C-code. The onset LET for crashes was about LET 1.5 MeV-cm2/mg, with saturated cross sections of about 2x10-5 cm2 for bare metal (low utilization), and 2x10-4cm2 for Linux (high utilization) tests.

Daniel, Andrew C.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A programmable image compression system

A programmable image compression system which has the necessary flexibility to address diverse imaging needs is described. It can compress and expand single frame video images (monochrome or color) as well as documents and graphics (black and white or color) for archival or transmission applications. Through software control, the compression mode can be set for lossless or controlled quality coding; the image size and bit depth can be varied; and the image source and destination devices can be readily changed. Despite the large combination of image data types, image sources, and algorithms, the system provides a simple consistent interface to the programmer. This system (OPTIPAC) is based on the TITMS320C25 digital signal processing (DSP) chip and has been implemented as a co-processor board for an IBM PC-AT compatible computer. The underlying philosophy can readily be applied to different hardware platforms. By using multiple DSP chips or incorporating algorithm specific chips, the compression and expansion times can be significantly reduced to meet performance requirements.

Farrelle, Paul M.↗
DOE OSTI2023

Compute in‐Memory with Non‐Volatile Elements for Neural Networks: A Review from a Co‐Design Perspective

Abstract Deep learning has become ubiquitous, touching daily lives across the globe. Today, traditional computer architectures are stressed to their limits in efficiently executing the growing complexity of data and models. Compute‐in‐memory (CIM) can potentially play an important role in developing efficient hardware solutions that reduce data movement from compute‐unit to memory, known as the von Neumann bottleneck. At its heart is a cross‐bar architecture with nodal non‐volatile‐memory elements that performs an analog multiply‐and‐accumulate operation, enabling the matrix‐vector‐multiplications repeatedly used in all neural network workloads. The memory materials can significantly influence final system‐level characteristics and chip performance, including speed, power, and classification accuracy. With an over‐arching co‐design viewpoint, this review assesses the use of cross‐bar based CIM for neural networks, connecting the material properties and the associated design constraints and demands to application, architecture, and performance. Both digital and analog memory are considered, assessing the status for training and inference, and providing metrics for the collective set of properties non‐volatile memory materials will need to demonstrate for a successful CIM technology.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Assessment of Ultrasound Devices to Protect the Health of Astronauts in the New Era of Space Exploration: A Literature Review

Microgravity and radiation of space create harsh physiological strains on astronauts with significant damaging effects on cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems among others. It is necessary to utilize medical technologies that can effectively monitor chronic and acute alterations to astronauts’ health statuses on spacecrafts. Future missions to distant planetary bodies will result in longer exposure to damaging environmental factors and limit crew access to healthcare resources and maintenance devices; thus, even greater logistical and quality considerations must be made. Remarkable advancements in ultrasound technology have created new powerful portable imaging devices and a potential chip-based alternative to piezoelectric crystals that are used in nearly all ultrasound devices. This literature review will investigate new commercial and prototypal ultrasound medical devices on their potential effectiveness in austere environments such as space. The accuracy, versatility, and practicality of each device will be compared to each other as well as the current technological gold standards of health monitoring used in traditional healthcare settings. Assessment of new ultrasound technology in this literature review will provide guidance to future missions by space agencies regarding the most optimal medical devices to protect astronauts and, therefore, enable further exploration of distant planets and solar systems.

Parag Vyas↗
DOE OSTI2020

Mining a human transcriptome database for chemical modulators of NRF2

Nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (NRF2) encoded by the NFE2L2 gene is a transcription factor critical for protecting cells from chemically-induced oxidative stress. We developed computational procedures to identify chemical modulators of NRF2 in a large database of human microarray data. A gene expression biomarker was built from statistically-filtered gene lists derived from microarray experiments in primary human hepatocytes and cancer cell lines exposed to NRF2-activating chemicals (oltipraz, sulforaphane, CDDOIm) or in which the NRF2 suppressor Keap1 was knocked down by siRNA. Directionally consistent biomarker genes were further filtered for those dependent on NRF2 using a microarray dataset from cells after NFE2L2 siRNA knockdown. The resulting 143-gene biomarker was evaluated as a predictive tool using the correlation-based Running Fisher algorithm. Using 59 gene expression comparisons from chemically-treated cells with known NRF2 activating potential, the biomarker gave a balanced accuracy of 93%. The biomarker was comprised of many well-known NRF2 target genes (AKR1B10, AKR1C1, NQO1, TXNRD1, SRXN1, GCLC, GCLM), 69% of which were found to be bound directly by NRF2 using ChIP-Seq. NRF2 activity was assessed across ~9840 microarray comparisons from ~1460 studies examining the effects of ~2260 chemicals in human cell lines. A total of 260 and 43 chemicals were found to activate or suppress NRF2, respectively, most of which have not been previously reported to modulate NRF2 activity. Using a NRF2-responsive reporter gene in HepG2 cells, we confirmed the activity of a set of chemicals predicted using the biomarker. The biomarker will be useful for future gene expression screening studies of environmentally-relevant chemicals.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1972

Microcraters on lunar rocks.

Microcrater frequency distributions have been obtained for nine Apollo rocks and an exterior chip of an Apollo 12 rock. The frequency distributions indicate that five of the Apollo 14 rocks were tumbled more than once exposing different rock faces whereas four were not tumbled and represent a single exposure interval. The cumulative frequency of craters per square centimeter was extended below optical resolution limits using a SEM scan of an exterior chip of breccia 12073. No craters with central pit diameters less than 15 microns were seen in a total area of 0.44 sq cm. A detailed SEM scan of crystal faces and glassy crater liners revealed no microcraters equal to or larger than the resolution limit of 5 microns. An upper limit of 170 craters per sq cm with central pit diameters larger than 5 microns was set. The slope of the cumulative frequency curve for craters with central pit diameters less than about 75 microns is less than that obtained by other workers.

Morrison, D. A.↗
NASA NTRS1978

A study of 'onboard' data processing for typical astrophysics payloads

The data, signal flow, and ground processing requirements for a typical set of X-ray and gamma-ray experiments were examined. A set of algorithms for ground processing were derived and these were taken as requirements imposed on 'onboard' spacecraft computers. Five types of CPU microprocessors were evaluated and compared with one another to determine the degree to which the data processing could be performed onboard the spacecraft. These included the NASA Standard Spacecraft Computer (NSSC-1), the Z-80, a Z-80 augmented with an auxiliary fast multiply chip, and an advanced augmented Z-80 with virtually unlimited memory. These CPU were investigated when used in a centralized mode, an experiment dedicated mode, and a hybrid of the first two modes. It was found that the use of onboard processing can significantly reduce downlink data rates for typical payloads, and may lead to greater efficiency of operation. Quantitative data for gamma-ray and X-ray payloads will be presented, and the results of the analysis discussed.

Stout, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A CLIPS based personal computer hardware diagnostic system

Often the person designated to repair personal computers has little or no knowledge of how to repair a computer. Described here is a simple expert system to aid these inexperienced repair people. The first component of the system leads the repair person through a number of simple system checks such as making sure that all cables are tight and that the dip switches are set correctly. The second component of the system assists the repair person in evaluating error codes generated by the computer. The final component of the system applies a large knowledge base to attempt to identify the component of the personal computer that is malfunctioning. We have implemented and tested our design with a full system to diagnose problems for an IBM compatible system based on the 8088 chip. In our tests, the inexperienced repair people found the system very useful in diagnosing hardware problems.

Whitson, George M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ground control points refresh for MODIS and VIIRS geolocation monitoring

The Control Point Matching (CPM) program and a set of over 1200 globally distributed ground control points (GCPs ) have been successfully used to develop more than 20 years of MODIS geolocation products. In this research, we refresh current GCP library with more than 2500 new GCPs using the latest Landsat 8 Collection 2 images. The refreshed GCPs are distributed from 56 S to 80 N latitude, with more than 2000 shoreline and 500 inland GCP chips. The size of these GCPs are extended from800*800 to 1400*1400 Landsat pixels and the CPM program correspondingly increase s t h e searching distance from 0.8 pixels to 2.5 pixels, which also extends the geolocation error measurement from +/-45 to the edge of scan at +/-55 degree in scan angle. This will allow the algorithm to catch geolocation errors that are larger than one MODIS pixel. The geolocation errors measured with the refreshed GCP library are comparable to the previous results, yet with 2-3more times of matched GCPs. The daytime Aqua ascending orbits and Terra descending orbits enable us to identify a few GCP outliers which might be due to the quality of the original Landsat images. Most importantly, the refreshed GCP library will include images from both Landsat band 4 to match with VIIRS I1, and Landsat band 6 to match with VIIRS I3. This will allow us to measure and correct on orbit band-to-band registration at both track and scan directions, which will help understanding and improving future JPSS mission’s prelaunch geometric performance.

VIIRS↗