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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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NASA NTRS1999

The Future of the Deep Space Network: Technology Development for K2-Band Deep Space Communications

Projections indicate that in the future the number of NASA's robotic deep space missions is likely to increase significantly. A launch rate of up to 4-6 launches per year is projected with up to 25 simultaneous missions active [I]. Future high resolution mapping missions to other planetary bodies as well as other experiments are likely to require increased downlink capacity. These future deep space communications requirements will, according to baseline loading analysis, exceed the capacity of NASA's Deep Space Network in its present form. There are essentially two approaches for increasing the channel capacity of the Deep Space Network. Given the near-optimum performance of the network at the two deep space communications bands, S-Band (uplink 2.025-2.120 GHz, downlink 2.2-2.3 GHz), and X-Band (uplink 7.145-7.19 GHz, downlink 8.48.5 GHz), additional improvements bring only marginal return for the investment. Thus the only way to increase channel capacity is simply to construct more antennas, receivers, transmitters and other hardware. This approach is relatively low-risk but involves increasing both the number of assets in the network and operational costs.

Bhanji, Alaudin M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Die Attachment for -120 C to +20 C Thermal Cycling of Microelectronics for Future Mars Rovers: An Overview

Active thermal control for electronics on Mars Rovers imposes a serious penalty in weight, volume, power consumption, and reliability. Thus, we propose that thermal control be eliminated for future Rovers. From a functional standpoint there is no reason that the electronics could not operate over the entire temperature range of the Martian environment, which can vary from a low of approximately equal -90 C to a high of approximately equal +20 C during the Martian night and day. The upper end of this range is well within that for conventional electronics. Although the lower end is considerably below that for which conventional--even high-reliability electronics is designed or tested, it is well established that electronic devices can operate to such low temperatures. The primary concern is reliability of the overall electronic system, especially in regard to the numerous daily temperature cycles that it would experience over the duration of a mission on Mars. Accordingly, key reliability issues have been identified for elimination of thermal control on future Mars Rovers. One of these is attachment of semiconductor die onto substrates and into packages. Die attachment is critical since it forms a mechanical, thermal and electrical interface between the electronic device and the substrate or package. This paper summarizes our initial investigation of existing information related to this issue, in order to form an opinion whether die attachment techniques exist, or could be developed with reasonable effort, to withstand the Mars thermal environment for a mission duration of approximately I year. Our conclusion, from a review of literature and personal contacts. is that die attachment can be made sufficiently reliable to satisfy the requirements of future Mars Rovers. Moreover, it appears that there are several possible techniques from which to choose and that the requirements could be met by judicious selection from existing methods using hard solders, soft solders, or organic adhesives. Thus from the standpoint of die attachment. it appears feasible to eliminate thermal control for Rover electronics. We recommend that this be further investigated and verified for the specific hardware and thermal conditions appropriate to Mars Rovers.

Kirschman, Randall K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Future Challenges and Opportunities in Aerodynamics

Investments in aeronautics research and technology have declined substantially over the last decade, in part due to the perception that technologies required in aircraft design are fairly mature and readily available. This perception is being driven by the fact that aircraft configurations, particularly the transport aircraft, have evolved only incrementally, over last several decades. If however, one considers that the growth in air travel is expected to triple in the next 20 years, it becomes quickly obvious that the evolutionary development of technologies is not going to meet the increased demands for safety, environmental compatibility, capacity, and economic viability. Instead, breakthrough technologies will he required both in traditional disciplines of aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, materials, controls, and avionics as well as in the multidisciplinary integration of these technologies into the design of future aerospace vehicles concepts. The paper discusses challenges and opportunities in the field of aerodynamics over the next decade. Future technology advancements in aerodynamics will hinge on our ability, to understand, model, and control complex, three-dimensional, unsteady viscous flow across the speed range. This understanding is critical for developing innovative flow and noise control technologies and advanced design tools that will revolutionize future aerospace vehicle systems and concepts. Specifically, the paper focuses on advanced vehicle concepts, flow and noise control technologies, and advanced design and analysis tools.

Kumar, Ajay↗
NASA NTRS2000

Technology Thrust for Future Earth Science Applications

This paper presents NASA's recent direction to invest in the critical science instrument and platform technologies in order to realize more reliable, frequent and versatile missions for future Earth Science measurements. Traditionally, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise has developed and flown science missions that have been large in size, weight and volume. These missions have taken much longer implementation due to technology development time and have carried a large suite of instruments on a large-size spacecraft. NASA is also facing an era where the budget for the future years is more or less flat and the possibility for any major new start does not vividly appear on the horizon. Unfortunately, the scientific goals have not shrunk to commensurate with the budget constraints. In fact, the challenges and scientific appetite in search of answers to a score of outstanding questions have been gradually expanding. With these factors in mind, for the last three years NASA has been changing its focus to concentrate on how to take advantage of smaller missions by relying on industry, and minimizing the overall life cycle by infusing technologies that are being developed independently of any planned mission's implementation cycle. The major redirection of early investment in the critical technologies should have its rewards and significantly reduce the mission development period. Needless to say, in the long run this approach should save money, minimize risk, promote or encourage partnering, and allow for more frequent missions or earth science measurements to occur. This paper gives an overview of some of the identified crucial technologies and their intended applications for meeting the future Earth Science challenges.

Habib, Shahid↗
NASA NTRS2001

Technology Thrusts for Future Earth Science Applications

This paper presents NASA's recent direction to invest in the critical science instrument and platform technologies in order to realize more reliable, frequent and versatile missions for future Earth Science measurements. Historically, NASA's Earth Science Enterprise has developed and flown science missions that have been large in size, mass and volume. These missions have taken much longer to implement due to technology development time, and have carried a large suite of instruments on a large spacecraft. NASA is now facing an era where the budget for the future years is more or less flat and the possibility for any major new start does not vividly appear on the horizon. Unfortunately, the scientific measurement needs for remote sensing have not shrunk to commensurate with the budget constraints. In fact, the challenges and scientific appetite in search of answers to a score of outstanding questions have been gradually expanding. With these factors in mind, for the last three years NASA has been changing its focus to concentrate on how to take advantage of smaller missions by relying on industry, and minimizing the overall mission life cycle by developing technologies that are independent of the mission implementation cycle. The major redirection of early investment in the critical technologies should eventually have its rewards and significantly reduce the mission development period. Needless to say, in the long run this approach should save money, minimize risk, promote or encourage partnering, allow for a rapid response to measurement needs, and enable frequent missions making a wider variety of earth science measurements. This paper gives an overview of some of the identified crucial technologies and their intended applications for meeting the future Earth Science challenges.

Habib, Shahid↗
NASA NTRS2002

A Multi-Function Guidance, Navigation and Control System for Future Earth and Space Missions

Over the past several years the Guidance, Navigation and Control Center (GNCC) at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has actively engaged in the development of advanced GN&C technology to enable future Earth and Space science missions. The Multi-Function GN&C System (MFGS) design presented in this paper represents the successful coalescence of several discrete GNCC hardware and software technology innovations into one single highly integrated, compact, low power and low cost unit that simultaneously provides autonomous real time on-board attitude determination solutions and navigation solutions with accuracies that satisfy many future GSFC mission requirements. The MFGS is intended to operate as a single self-contained multifunction unit combining the functions now typically performed by a number of hardware units on a spacecraft. However, recognizing the need to satisfy a variety of future mission requirements, design provisions have been included to permit the unit to interface with a number of external remotely mounted sensors and actuators such as magnetometers, sun sensors, star cameras, reaction wheels and thrusters. The result is a highly versatile MFGS that can be configured in multiple ways to suit a realm of mission-specific GN&C requirements. It is envisioned that the MFGS will perform a mission enabling role by filling the microsat GN&C technology gap. In addition, GSFC believes that the MFGS could be employed to significantly reduce volume, power and mass requirements on conventional satellites.

Gambino, Joel↗
NASA NTRS2003

Accomplishments of the Abrupt Wing Stall (AWS) Program and Future Research Requirements

The Abrupt Wing Stall (AWS) Program has addressed the problem of uncommanded lateral motions, such as wing drop and wing rock, at transonic speeds. The genesis of this Program was the experience of the F/A-18E/F Program in the late 199O's, when wing drop was discovered in the heart of the maneuver envelope for the pre-production aircraft. While the F/A-18E/F problem was subsequently corrected by a leading-edge flap scheduling change and the addition of a porous door to the wing fold fairing, the AWS Program was initiated as a national response to the lack of technology readiness available at the time of the F/A-18E/F Development Program. The AWS Program objectives were to define causal factors for the F/A-18E/F experience, to gain insights into the flow physics associated with wing drop, and to develop methods and analytical tools so that future programs could identify this type of problem before going to flight test. The paper reviews, for the major goals of the AWS Program, the status of the technology before the program began, the program objectives, accomplishments, and impacts. Lessons learned are presented for the benefit of future programs that must assess whether a vehicle will have uncommanded lateral motions before going to flight test. Finally, recommended future research needs are presented in light of the AWS Program experience.

Hall, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Emerging and Future Computing Paradigms and Their Impact on the Research, Training, and Design Environments of the Aerospace Workforce

The document contains the proceedings of the training workshop on Emerging and Future Computing Paradigms and their impact on the Research, Training and Design Environments of the Aerospace Workforce. The workshop was held at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, March 18 and 19, 2003. The workshop was jointly sponsored by Old Dominion University and NASA. Workshop attendees came from NASA, other government agencies, industry and universities. The objectives of the workshop were to a) provide broad overviews of the diverse activities related to new computing paradigms, including grid computing, pervasive computing, high-productivity computing, and the IBM-led autonomic computing; and b) identify future directions for research that have high potential for future aerospace workforce environments. The format of the workshop included twenty-one, half-hour overview-type presentations and three exhibits by vendors.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Perspectives on Advanced Learning Technologies and Learning Networks and Future Aerospace Workforce Environments

An overview of the advanced learning technologies is given in this presentation along with a brief description of their impact on future aerospace workforce development. The presentation is divided into five parts (see Figure 1). In the first part, a brief historical account of the evolution of learning technologies is given. The second part describes the current learning activities. The third part describes some of the future aerospace systems, as examples of high-tech engineering systems, and lists their enabling technologies. The fourth part focuses on future aerospace research, learning and design environments. The fifth part lists the objectives of the workshop and some of the sources of information on learning technologies and learning networks.

Noor, Ahmed K.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Engineering Lessons Learned and Technical Standards Integration: Capturing Key Technologies for Future Space Missions

Capturing engineering lessons learned derived from past experiences and new technologies, then integrating them with technical standards, provides a viable process for enhancing engineering capabilities. The development of future space missions will require ready access, not only to the latest technical standards, but also to lessons learned derived from past experiences and new technologies. The integration of this information such that it is readily accessible by engineering and programmatic personnel is a key aspect of enabling technology. This paper addresses the development of a new and innovative Lessons Learned/Best Practices/Applications Notes--Standards Integration System, including experiences with its initial implementation as a pilot effort within the NASA Technical Standards Program. Included are metrics on the Program, feedbacks from users, future plans, and key issues that are being addressed to expand the System's utility. The objective is the enhancement of engineering capabilities on all aspects of systems development applicable to the success of future space missions.

Mellen, Daniele P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

An Adjoint-Based Analysis of the Sampling Footprints of Tall Tower, Aircraft and Potential Future Lidar Observations of CO2

A detailed mechanistic understanding of the sources and sinks of CO2 will be required to reliably predict future CO2 levels and climate. A commonly used technique for deriving information about CO2 exchange with surface reservoirs is to solve an 'inverse problem', where CO2 observations are used with an atmospheric transport model to find the optimal distribution of sources and sinks. Synthesis inversion methods are powerful tools for addressing this question, but the results are disturbingly sensitive to the details of the calculation. Studies done using different atmospheric transport models and combinations of surface station data have produced substantially different distributions of surface fluxes. Adjoint methods are now being developed that will more effectively incorporate diverse datasets in estimates of surface fluxes of CO2. In an adjoint framework, it will be possible to combine CO2 concentration data from longterm surface and aircraft monitoring stations with data from intensive field campaigns and with proposed future satellite observations. We have recently developed an adjoint for the GSFC 3-D Parameterized Chemistry and Transport Model (PCTM). Here, we will present results from a PCTM Adjoint study comparing the sampling footprints of tall tower, aircraft and potential future lidar observations of CO2. The vertical resolution and extent of the profiles and the observation frequency will be considered for several sites in North America.

Andrews, Arlyn↗
NASA NTRS2004

Transformational System Concepts and Technologies for Our Future in Space

Continued constrained budgets and growing national and international interests in the commercialization and development of space requires NASA to be constantly vigilant, to be creative, and to seize every opportunity for assuring the maximum return on space infrastructure investments. Accordingly, efforts are underway to forge new and innovative approaches to transform our space systems in the future to ultimately achieve two or three or five times as much with the same resources. This bold undertaking can be achieved only through extensive cooperative efforts throughout the aerospace community and truly effective planning to pursue advanced space system design concepts and high-risk/high-leverage research and technology. Definitive implementation strategies and roadmaps containing new methodologies and revolutionary approaches must be developed to economically accommodate the continued exploration and development of space. Transformation can be realized through modular design and stepping stone development. This approach involves sustainable budget levels and multi-purpose systems development of supporting capabilities that lead to a diverse amy of sustainable future space activities. Transformational design and development requires revolutionary advances by using modular designs and a planned, stepping stone development process. A modular approach to space systems potentially offers many improvements over traditional one-of-a-kind space systems comprised of different subsystem element with little standardization in interfaces or functionality. Modular systems must be more flexible, scaleable, reconfigurable, and evolvable. Costs can be reduced through learning curve effects and economies of scale, and by enabling servicing and repair that would not otherwise be feasible. This paper briefly discusses achieving a promising approach to transforming space systems planning and evolution into a meaningful stepping stone design, development, and implementation process. The success of this well planned and orchestrated approach holds great promise for achieving innovation and revolutionary technology development for supporting future exploration and development of space.

Howell, Joe T.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Structural Health Management for Future Aerospace Vehicles

Structural Health Management (SHM) will be of critical importance to provide the safety, reliability and affordability necessary for the future long duration space missions described in America's Vision for Space Exploration. Long duration missions to the Moon, Mars and beyond cannot be accomplished with the current paradigm of periodic, ground based structural integrity inspections. As evidenced by the Columbia tragedy, this approach is also inadequate for the current Shuttle fleet, thus leading to its initial implementation of on-board SHM sensing for impact detection as part of the return to flight effort. However, future space systems, to include both vehicles as well as structures such as habitation modules, will require an integrated array of onboard in-situ sensing systems. In addition, advanced data systems architectures will be necessary to communicate, store and process massive amounts of SHM data from large numbers of diverse sensors. Further, improved structural analysis and design algorithms will be necessary to incorporate SHM sensing into the design and construction of aerospace structures, as well as to fully utilize these sensing systems to provide both diagnosis and prognosis of structural integrity. Ultimately, structural integrity information will feed into an Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) system that will provide real-time knowledge of structural, propulsion, thermal protection and other critical systems for optimal vehicle management and mission control. This paper will provide an overview of NASA research and development in the area of SHM as well as to highlight areas of technology improvement necessary to meet these future mission requirements.

Prosser, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Creating Communications, Computing, and Networking Technology Development Road Maps for Future NASA Human and Robotic Missions

For human and robotic exploration missions in the Vision for Exploration, roadmaps are needed for capability development and investments based on advanced technology developments. A roadmap development process was undertaken for the needed communications, and networking capabilities and technologies for the future human and robotics missions. The underlying processes are derived from work carried out during development of the future space communications architecture, an d NASA's Space Architect Office (SAO) defined formats and structures for accumulating data. Interrelationships were established among emerging requirements, the capability analysis and technology status, and performance data. After developing an architectural communications and networking framework structured around the assumed needs for human and robotic exploration, in the vicinity of Earth, Moon, along the path to Mars, and in the vicinity of Mars, information was gathered from expert participants. This information was used to identify the capabilities expected from the new infrastructure and the technological gaps in the way of obtaining them. We define realistic, long-term space communication architectures based on emerging needs and translate the needs into interfaces, functions, and computer processing that will be required. In developing our roadmapping process, we defined requirements for achieving end-to-end activities that will be carried out by future NASA human and robotic missions. This paper describes: 10 the architectural framework developed for analysis; 2) our approach to gathering and analyzing data from NASA, industry, and academia; 3) an outline of the technology research to be done, including milestones for technology research and demonstrations with timelines; and 4) the technology roadmaps themselves.

Bhasin, Kul↗
NASA NTRS2005

Airframe Noise Studies: Review and Future Direction

This report contains the following information: 1) a review of airframe noise research performed under NASA's Advanced Subsonic Transport (AST) program up to the year 2000, 2) a comparison of the year 1992 airframe noise predictions with those using a year 2000 baseline, 3) an assessment of various airframe noise reduction concepts as applied to the year 2000 baseline predictions, and 4) prioritized recommendations for future airframe noise reduction work. NASA's Aircraft Noise Prediction Program was the software used for all noise predictions and assessments. For future work, the recommendations for the immediate future focus on the development of design tools sensitive to airframe noise treatment effects and on improving the basic understanding of noise generation by the landing gear as well as on its reduction.

Rackl, Robert G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Exploration-Related Research on ISS: Connecting Science Results to Future Missions

In January, 2004, the U.S. President announced The Vision for Space Exploration, and charged the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) with using the International Space Station (ISS) for research and technology targeted at supporting U.S. space exploration goals. This paper describes: What we have learned from the first four years of research on ISS relative to the exploration mission; The on-going research being conducted in this regard; and Our current understanding of the major exploration mission risks that the ISS can be used to address. Specifically, we discuss research carried out on the ISS to determine the mechanisms by which human health is affected on long-duration missions, and to develop countermeasures to protect humans from the space environment. These bioastronautics experiments are key enablers of future long duration human exploration missions. We also discuss how targeted technological developments can enable mission design trade studies. We discuss the relationship between the ultimate number of human test subjects available on the ISS to the quality and quantity of scientific insight that can be used to reduce health risks to future explorers. We discuss the results of NASA's efforts over the past year to realign the ISS research programs to support a product-driven portfolio that is directed towards reducing the major risks of exploration missions. The fundamental challenge to science on ISS is completing experiments that answer key questions in time to shape design decisions for future exploration. In this context, exploration relevant research must do more than be conceptually connected to design decisions - it must become a part of the mission design process.

Rhatigan, Jennifer L.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Lithium-ion cell technology demonstration for future NASA applications

NASA requires lightweight rechargeable batteries for future missions to Mars and the outer planets that are capable of operating over a wide range of temperatures, with high specific energy and energy densities. Due to their attractive performance characteristics, lithium-ion batteries have been identified as the battery chemistry of choice for a number of future applications, including planetary orbiters, rovers and landers. For example, under the Mars Surveyor Program MSP 01 lithium-ion batteries were developed by Lithion (each being 28 V, 25 Ah, 8-cells. and 9 kg) and fully qualified prior to mission cancellation. In addition to the requirement of being able to supply at least 90 cycles on the surface of Mars, the battery demonstrated operational capability (both charge and discharge) over a large temperature range (-2O'C to +4OoC), with tolerance to non-operational excursions to -30nd 50Currently, JPL is implementing lithium-ion technology on the 2003 Mars Exploration Rover (MER), which will be coupled with a solar array. This mission has similar performance requirements to that of the 2001 Lander in that high energy density and a wide operating temperature range are necessitated. In addition to planetary rover and lander applications, we are also engaged in determining the viability of using lithium-ion technology for orbiter applications that require exceptionally long life (>20,000 cydes at partial depth of discharge). To assess the viabili of lithium-ion cells for these applications, a number of performance characterization tests have been performed (at the cell and battery level) on state-of-art prototype lihium- ion cells, induding: assessing the cycle life performance (at varying DODs), life characteristics at extreme temperatures (< -10nd >+4OoC), rate capability as a function of temperature (-30' to 4OoC), pulse capability, self-discharge and storage characteristics, as well as, mission profile capability. This paper will describe the current and future NASA missions that are considering lithium ion batteries and will contain results of the cell testing conducted to-date to validate the technology for these missions.

lithium-ion batteries Mars landers Mars rovers↗
NASA NTRS2004

The International Space Station: A Pathway to the Future

Nearly six years after the launch of the first International Space Station element, and four years after its initial occupation, the United States and our 16 international partners have made great strides in operating this impressive Earth orbiting research facility. This past year we have done so in the face of the adversity of operating without the benefit of the Space Shuttle. In his January 14, 2004, speech announcing a new vision for America's space program, President Bush affirmed the United States' commitment to completing construction of the International Space Station by 2010. The President also stated that we would focus our future research aboard the Station on the longterm effects of space travel on human biology. This research will help enable human crews to venture through the vast voids of space for months at a time. In addition, ISS affords a unique opportunity to serve as an engineering test bed for hardware and operations critical to the exploration tasks. NASA looks forward to working with our partners on International Space Station research that will help open up new pathways for future exploration and discovery beyond low Earth orbit. This paper provides an overview of the International Space Station Program focusing on a review of the events of the past year, as well as plans for next year and the future.

Kitmacher, Gary H.↗