Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “environment responsibility”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13

Biochemical dimensions of space biology.

Earth life systems biochemical and physiological responses to space environment stresses like reduced gravity, noting muscle atrophy and coordination diminution

Saunders, J. F.↗

Cuvette loading and unloading procedures

The cuvettes for the flight hardware used in the Microbial Response to Space Environment Experiment (M191) were loaded with the biological test systems according to the methods described. After the flight, the experiment package was returned and dismantled. Then, the individual cuvettes were removed from the hardware and unloaded according to the procedures described.

Carmichael, C.↗

Dynamic oxidation behavior of TD-NiCr alloy with different surface pretreatments

Oxidation tests of TD-NiCr alloy with different surface pretreatments were conducted in a Mach-5 arc-jet at 1200 C and 0.002 lb/sec flowing air environment. The mechanisms responsible for the observed oxidation behavior are examined. The presence of atomic oxygen in the air stream plays a significant role in determining the oxidation characteristic of the alloy. The rate of Cr2O3 vaporization by formation of volatile CrO3 is greatly enhanced by the flowing conditions. The typical microstructure of oxides formed in the dynamic tests consists of an external layer of NiO with a porous mushroom-type morphology, an intermediate layer of NiO and Cr2O3 oxide mixture, and a continuous inner layer of Cr2O3 in contact with the Cr-depleted alloy substrate. Three basic processes underlying the formation of mushroom-type NiO are identified and discussed. The oxidation rate is determined by the rate of vaporization of NiO. Surface pretreatment has a significant effect on the oxidation behavior of the alloy in the early stage of oxidation, but becomes less important as exposure time increases. Mechanical polishing induces surface recrystallization, but promotes the concurrence of external growth of NiO and internal oxidation of the alloy in the dynamic atmosphere.

Young, C. T.↗

Qualification model spacecraft tests for DEMP, SGEMP, and ESD effects

The development of a satellite design demonstration test program is described. The test approach is comprehensive in that it includes the effects from electrostatic discharge (ESD), system generated electromagnetic pulse (SGEMP), as well as dispersed electromagnetic pulses (DEMP). The comprehensive test concept is based on the similarity of the satellite's response to several environments.

Chivington, E. P.↗

Summary of Study Group Session Discussions

The relationship between gravitational physiology and calcium metabolism is examined. The role of gravity on the problems of bone response, low gravity environments, calcium in plants, and the potential in animal systems for alterations in nerve and muscle function as variations in extracellular calcium levels occurred are discussed. Innovative materials for experiments on interactions between calcium and gravity, experiments that could utilize ionospheres or calcium-measuring dyes, and specific gravity calcium experiments are also addressed.

Source record↗

The use of NOAA AVHRR data for assessment of the urban heat island effect

The objective of the study was to evaluate the use of a satellite-derived vegetation index and surface temperature estimates for the assessment of the difference in urban and rural air temperature due to the urban heat island effect. The difference in the ND (normalized difference) index between urban and rural regions appears to be an indicator of the difference in surface properties (evaporation and heat storage capacity) between the two environments that are responsible for the urban heat island effect. The use of the approach proposed here may provide a globally consistent method for assessing this phenomenon.

Gallo, K. P.↗

The use of a vegetation index for assessment of the urban heat island effect

A vegetation index and radiative surface temperature were derived from NOAA-11 Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) data for the Seattle, WA region from 28 June through 4 July 1991. The vegetation index and surface temperature values were computed for locations of weather observation stations within the region and compared to observed minimum air temperatures. These comparisons were used to evaluate the use of AVHRR data to assess the influence of the urban environment on observed minimum air temperatures (the urban heat island effect). AVHRR derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and radiant surface temperature data from a one week composite product were both related significantly to observed minimum temperatures, however, the vegetation index accounted for a greater amount of the spatial variation observed in mean minimum temperatures. The difference in the NDVI between urban and rural regions appears to be an indicator of the difference in surface properties (i.e., evaporation and heat storage capacity) between the two environments that are responsible for differences in urban and rural minimum temperatures.

Gallo, K. P.↗

The R-Shell approach - Using scheduling agents in complex distributed real-time systems

Large, complex real-time systems such as space and avionics systems are extremely demanding in their scheduling requirements. The current OS design approaches are quite limited in the capabilities they provide for task scheduling. Typically, they simply implement a particular uniprocessor scheduling strategy and do not provide any special support for network scheduling, overload handling, fault tolerance, distributed processing, etc. Our design of the R-Shell real-time environment fcilitates the implementation of a variety of sophisticated but efficient scheduling strategies, including incorporation of all these capabilities. This is accomplished by the use of scheduling agents which reside in the application run-time environment and are responsible for coordinating the scheduling of the application.

Natarajan, Swaminathan↗

Software agents for the dissemination of remote terrestrial sensing data

Remote terrestrial sensing (RTS) data is constantly being collected from a variety of space-based and earth-based sensors. The collected data, and especially 'value-added' analyses of the data, are finding growing application for commercial, government, and scientific purposes. The scale of this data collection and analysis is truly enormous; e.g., by 1995, the amount of data available in just one sector, NASA space science, will reach 5 petabytes. Moreover, the amount of data, and the value of analyzing the data, are expected to increase dramatically as new satellites and sensors become available (e.g., NASA's Earth Observing System satellites). Lockheed and other companies are beginning to provide data and analysis commercially. A critical issue for the exploitation of collected data is the dissemination of data and value-added analyses to a diverse and widely distributed customer base. Customers must be able to use their computational environment (eventually the National Information Infrastructure) to obtain timely and complete information, without having to know the details of where the relevant data resides and how it is accessed. Customers must be able to routinely use standard, widely available (and, therefore, low cost) analyses, while also being able to readily create on demand highly customized analyses to make crucial decisions. The diversity of user needs creates a difficult software problem: how can users easily state their needs, while the computational environment assumes the responsibility of finding (or creating) relevant information, and then delivering the results in a form that users understand? A software agent is a self-contained, active software module that contains an explicit representation of its operational knowledge. This explicit representation allows agents to examine their own capabilities in order to modify their goals to meet changing needs and to take advantage of dynamic opportunities. In addition, the explicit representation allows agents to advertize their capabilities and results to other agents, thereby allowing the collection of agents to reuse each others work.

Toomey, Christopher N.↗

Performance of Integrated Fiber Optic, Piezoelectric, and Shape Memory Alloy Actuators/Sensors in Thermoset Composites

Recently, scientists and engineers have investigated the advantages of smart materials and structures by including actuators in material systems for controlling and altering the response of structural environments. Applications of these materials systems include vibration suppression/isolation, precision positioning, damage detection and tunable devices. Some of the embedded materials being investigated for accomplishing these tasks include piezoelectric ceramics, shape memory alloys, and fiber optics. These materials have some benefits and some shortcomings; each is being studied for use in active material design in the SPICES (Synthesis and Processing of Intelligent Cost Effective Structures) Consortium. The focus of this paper concerns the manufacturing aspects of smart structures by incorporating piezoelectric ceramics, shape memory alloys and fiber optics in a reinforced thermoset matrix via resin transfer molding (RTM).

Trottier, C. Michael↗

Spacecraft Orbital Debris Reentry: Aerothermal Analysis

In the past 40 years, thousands of objects have been placed in Earth orbit and are being tracked. Space hardware reentry survivability must be evaluated to assess risks to human life and property on the ground. The objective of this paper is to present results of a study to determine altitude of demise (burn-up) or survivability of reentering objects. Two NASA/JSC computer codes - Object Reentry Survival Analysis Tool (ORSAT) and Miniature ORSAT (MORSAT) were used to determine trajectories, aerodynamic aerothermal environment, and thermal response of selected spacecraft components. The methodology of the two codes is presented, along with results of a parametric study of reentering objects modeled as spheres and cylinders. Parameters varied included mass, diameter, wall thickness, ballistic coefficient, length, type of material, and mode of tumbling/spinning. Two fragments of a spent Delta second stage undergoing orbital decay, stainless steel cylindrical propellant tank and titanium pressurization sphere, were evaluated with ORSAT and found to survive entry, as did the actual objects. Also, orbital decay reentry predictions of the Japanese Advanced Earth Observing Satellite (ADEOS) aluminum and nickel box-type components and the Russian COSMOS 954 satellite beryllium cylinders were made with MORSAT. These objects were also shown to survive reentry.

Rochelle, Wm. C.↗

Experimental Evaluation of Silica as a Thermal Protection System for Planetary Entry Probes

The evolution and pursuit of the reflecting heat-shield concept has resulted in a refined and sophisticated high-performance material: ultra-pure, slip-cast, fused silica (SCFS). Silica is "tailored" to the intense planetary entry environments through a combination of its good ablative qualities and outstanding reflective properties in the correct spectral region. Extensive development of SCFS has produced a series of candidate materials which are experimentally evaluated and compared in a simulated entry environment. The detailed response of silica to combined heating is discussed, and the relative merits of SCFS and carbon phenolic are indicated.

David L Peterson↗

Numerical Methodology For Full-Body TPS Sizing And Optimization For Access-To-Space Vehicles

This paper presents details of the methodology and numerical procedures developed at NASA Ames for full-body TEXAS sizing and optimization for Access to Space vehicle concepts. The core of the procedures is a robust implicit solver for one dimensional transient heat conduction in reusable multilayer TEXAS stackups. The solver includes an arbitrary number of material layers, contact resistances between materials, temperature and pressure dependent material and surface properties, numerous boundary-condition options, and self-adaptive time stepping. The solver is coupled with the Access-to-Space material database of 23 candidate TPS and structural materials and a thermal-environment database obtained from trajectory-based fullbody Navier-Stokes computations of the external flowfield. The thermal environment and material response are coupled through the use of T-type heat transfer coefficients. TIPS sizing and weight optimization are performed at every surface point on the vehicle based on sizing constraints which include material temperature limits, maximum backwall temperature, and cumulative interior heat flux. Typical results are presented for a lifting body concept with 10000 surface points, which required 35 minutes to compute on an SGI Indigo 2.

Milos, Frank S.↗