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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 235 records · Page 13

STS-88 Day 08 Highlights

On this eighth day of the STS-88 mission, the flight crew, Commander Robert D. Cabana, Pilot Frederick W. Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Nancy J. Currie, James H. Newman, Jerry L. Ross, and Sergei Krikalev enter the International Space Station where Krikalev and Currie install a new battery charging unit. Sturckow and Currie remove launch restraint bolts from some of the panels inside Zarya. Cabana, Ross, and Newman check the communications system's videoconferencing capability. Then Ross, Newman, and Krikalev transfer equipment and supplies from Endeavour for future inhabitants of the Space Station. The crew then participates in an interview with KNX Radio in Los Angeles and KARE-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Source record↗

Optimized Shielding for Space Radiation Protection

Abstract. Future deep space mission and International Space Station exposures will be dominated by the high-charge and -energy (HZE) ions of the Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). A few mammalian systems have been extensively tested over a broad range of ion types and energies. For example, C3H10T1/2 cells, V79 cells, and Harderian gland tumors have been described by various track-structure dependent response models. The attenuation of GCR induced biological effects depends strongly on the biological endpoint, response model used, and material composition. Optimization of space shielding is then driven by the nature of the response model and the transmission characteristics of the given material.

Wilson, J. W.↗

Optimized shielding for space radiation protection

Future deep space mission and International Space Station exposures will be dominated by the high-charge and -energy (HZE) ions of the Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). A few mammalian systems have been extensively tested over a broad range of ion types and energies. For example, C3H10T1/2 cells, V79 cells, and Harderian gland tumors have been described by various track-structure dependent response models. The attenuation of GCR induced biological effects depends strongly on the biological endpoint, response model used, and material composition. Optimization of space shielding is then driven by the nature of the response model and the transmission characteristics of the given material.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

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.↗

High Latitude Plasma Electrodynamics and Spacecraft Charging in Low Earth Orbit

Studies of spacecraft charging events on satellites over an altitude range of 800 km to 1800 km have established that negative potentials of hundreds of volts, or even kilovolts, are possible in low Earth orbit (LEO) if there is: (1) a large flux of energetic electrons (10's of keV); and (2) a depletion in the ambient plasma density (<1 x 10(exp 4)/cu cm). To date, quantitative estimates of the probability of encountering severe spacecraft charging environments for spacecraft in low Earth orbit with inclinations near 51 degrees applicable for the International Space Station (ISS), Mir, and associated vehicles are based solely on the relative probability of the vehicle encountering auroral precipitation. A number of the basic assumptions that have been adopted in previous estimates of the charging probabilities are considered in this paper. It is often assumed that precipitating electron flux measured at altitudes above 800 km can be simply adopted unmodified for the lower altitude ranges. We first examine the variations in the electron energy spectrum due to interactions of the primary auroral electrons with the atmosphere to demonstrate that indeed the spectrum of energetic auroral electrons is not significantly altered for altitudes greater than approximately 300 km. Observations of energetic electron populations at altitudes of >800 km are therefore directly applicable to the 350 km to 450 km altitudes at which Mir and the ISS operate.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

Predicting Thermal Response in a Li-ion Cell on a UAV Fight Profile

As the energy storage devices continue to "pack" more energy in a small space, any damage, battery component failure, manufacturing defect, or electrically abusing the battery can lead to catastrophic thermal runaway events. A catastrophic thermal event in a cell leads to high temperature, in some instances spewing of battery materials due to gas development from side reactions initiated due to high internal temperatures. Also, a thermal runaway event can propagate from a single "failed" cell to the pack in a battery pack, leading to a more significant event. Mitigating a thermal runaway event is important in the commercial and automotive sectors. However, preventing such events in an electric aircraft (or air taxis) is paramount due to the lack of alternatives in the event of a failure. Battery prognostics algorithms allow the prediction of state-of-charge (SOC) and end-of-life (EOL) of a Li-ion battery in a UAV (unmanned air vehicle) [1]. For this presentation, we will extend this two-level battery predictive algorithm to predict SOC, EOL, and estimated maximum temperature during a simulated flight. The model is extended by integrating a lumped physics-driven thermal model for high current densities [2]. The parameters used to control SOC and EOL are maximum storable charge, time constant for Li-ion diffusivity in the carbon particles, and internal cell resistance. Cycling leads to an increase in the heat generated by an aged Li-ion cell with a LiyCoO2 (LCO) cathode and a LixC6 (MCMB) anode. The aging of a cell leads to increase in SEI layer thickness, the diffusion time for the lithium ions inside the electrodes, and the local reaction rates, in addition to the thermodynamic abuse caused by fixed cycling voltages controlled by a Battery Management System. As the battery ages, the cell resistance increases, while the onset temperature of the thermal runaway decreases (depends on the cell chemistry and cell abuse history). Any large deviation of the cell temperature from the estimated (expected) value can identify a faulty cell. Since SEI decomposition has the lowest onset temperature in the series of reactions leading to thermal runaway, the model considers the self-heating rate of the SEI decomposition as onset temperature (similar to Ref. [3]). The parameters in the Arrhenius equation for the SEI heating rate depend on the number of cycles, the cell's operating temperature, and the cell's abuse history [4,5]. Coupling the electrochemical, thermal, and aging model allow the prognostic algorithm to estimate a typical cell voltage and temperature as a function of age (cycling and calendar), whose departure from measured values from the BMS is used to identify a safety event. In addition, we will present the results from two simulated flight scenarios for a UAV: typical and extreme, since the power requirements vary significantly during take-off, landing, and changing altitudes, while the power requirements remain low during the cruise. For this presentation, the power requirement for a battery pack in a UAV is scaled to a single cell. This cell is cycled through a simulated profile, and the data is collected and used to predict a safety event.

Li-ion↗

Space plasma charging - Lessons from Voyager

The Voyager spacecraft to Jupiter and beyond was designed with the intent that it would be immune to the deleterious effects of space plasma charging. Such effects include electrostatic fields disrupting science data, external electrostatic discharge (ESD) events, and also internal ESDs. This paper describes the design features incorporated into the Voyager spacecraft, the rationale for those features, the results in the Jovian environment, and present thinking about appropriate design to avoid ESD problems caused by space charging.

Whittlesey, A.↗

Finding the forest in the trees: The challenge of combining diverse environmental data

It has become increasingly important to conduct interdisciplinary environmental research assessments, both nationally and internationally. For this reason, the Committee for a Pilot Study on Database Interfaces was charged to review and advise on data interfacing activities. The committee used six case studies (1) to identify and understand the most important problems associated with collecting, integrating, and analyzing environmental data from local to global spatial scales and over a very wide range of temporal scales; and (2) to elaborate the common barriers to interfacing data of disparate sources and types. Consistent with the committee's charge, the primary focus was the interfacing of geophysical and ecological data. The case studies used by the committee were: The Impact Assessment Project for Drought Early Warning in the Sahel, The National Acid Precipitation Assessment Program, The H.J. Andrew Experimental Forest Long-Term Ecological Research Site, The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center, The First International Satellite Land Surface Climatology Project (ISLSCP) Field Experiment, and The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigation. The committee derived a number of lessons from the case studies, and these lessons are summarized at the end of each case study and analyzed in the last chapter. Some are generic in nature; others are more specific to a discipline or project. The conclusions and recommendations are based on the committee's analysis of the case studies and additional research. They are organized according to four major areas of barriers or challenges to the effective interfacing of diverse environmental data. In the final section the committee offers a set of broadly applicable principles (Ten Keys to Success) that can be used by scientists and data managers in planning and conducting interfacing activities.

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Radio Frequency Trap for Containment of Plasmas in Antimatter Propulsion Systems Using Rotating Wall Electric Fields

A containment apparatus for containing a cloud of charged particles comprises a cylindrical vacuum chamber having a longitudinal axis. Within the vacuum chamber is a containment region. A magnetic field is aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber. The magnetic field is time invariant and uniform in strength over the containment region. An electric field is also aligned with the longitudinal axis of the vacuum chamber and the magnetic field. The electric field is time invariant, and forms a potential well over the containment region. One or more means are disposed around the cloud of particles for inducing a rotating electric field internal to the vacuum chamber. The rotating electric field imparts energy to the charged particles within the containment region and compress the cloud of particles. The means disposed around the outer surface of the vacuum chamber for inducing a rotating electric field are four or more segments forming a segmented ring, the segments conforming to the outer surface of the vacuum chamber. Each of the segments is energized by a separate alternating voltage. The sum of the voltages imposed on each segment establishes the rotating field. When four segments form a ring, the rotating field is obtained by a signal generator applying a sinusoidal signal phase delayed by 90,180 and 270 degrees in sequence to the four segments.

Sims, William Herbert, III↗

Evaluation of Bulk Charging in Geostationary Transfer Orbit and Earth Escape Trajectories Using the Numit 1-D Charging Model

The NUMIT 1-dimensional bulk charging model is used as a screening to ol for evaluating time-dependent bulk internal or deep dielectric) ch arging of dielectrics exposed to penetrating electron environments. T he code is modified to accept time dependent electron flux time serie s along satellite orbits for the electron environment inputs instead of using the static electron flux environment input originally used b y the code and widely adopted in bulk charging models. Application of the screening technique ts demonstrated for three cases of spacecraf t exposure within the Earth's radiation belts including a geostationa ry transfer orbit and an Earth-Moon transit trajectory for a range of orbit inclinations. Electric fields and charge densities are compute d for dielectric materials with varying electrical properties exposed to relativistic electron environments along the orbits. Our objectiv e is to demonstrate a preliminary application of the time-dependent e nvironments input to the NUMIT code for evaluating charging risks to exposed dielectrics used on spacecraft when exposed to the Earth's ra diation belts. The results demonstrate that the NUMIT electric field values in GTO orbits with multiple encounters with the Earth's radiat ion belts are consistent with previous studies of charging in GTO orb its and that potential threat conditions for electrostatic discharge exist on lunar transit trajectories depending on the electrical proper ties of the materials exposed to the radiation environment.

Minow, Joseph I.↗

ISS Charging Hazards and Low Earth Orbit Space Weather Effects

Current collection by high voltage solar arrays on the International Space Station (ISS) drives the vehicle to negative floating potentials in the low Earth orbit daytime plasma environment. Pre-flight predictions of ISS floating potentials Phi greater than |-100 V| suggested a risk for degradation of dielectric thermal control coatings on surfaces in the U.S. sector due to arcing and an electrical shock hazard to astronauts during extravehicular activity (EVA). However, hazard studies conducted by the ISS program have demonstrated that the thermal control material degradation risk is effectively mitigated during the lifetime of the ISS vehicle by a sufficiently large ion collection area present on the vehicle to balance current collection by the solar arrays. To date, crew risk during EVA has been mitigated by operating one of two plasma contactors during EVA to control the vehicle potential within Phi less than or equal to |-40 V| with a backup process requiring reorientation of the solar arrays into a configuration which places the current collection surfaces into wake. This operation minimizes current collection by the solar arrays should the plasma contactors fail. This paper presents an analysis of F-region electron density and temperature variations at low and midlatitudes generated by space weather events to determine what range of conditions represent charging threats to ISS. We first use historical ionospheric plasma measurements from spacecraft operating at altitudes relevant to the 51.6 degree inclination ISS orbit to provide an extensive database of F-region plasma conditions over a variety of solar cycle conditions. Then, the statistical results from the historical data are compared to more recent in-situ measurements from the Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU) operating on ISS in a campaign mode since its installation in August, 2006.

Minow, Joseph↗

Plasma in Saturn's magnetosphere

The spatial and compositional distribution of the thermal plasma in the magnetosphere of Saturn is described in the light of the Voyager encounters. Theoretical considerations are applied to the elucidation of the structure, including two external and two internal boundaries. The outer boundary is a magnetohydrodynamic entity, while the inner boundary of locally created thermal plasma is a result of the dissociative recombination of corotating molecular ions. The internal boundaries, which separate plasmas of different composition, are explained as a charge exchange quasi-resonance phenomenon.

Eviatar, A.↗

Electronic Fingerprinting for Industry

Veritec's VeriSystem is a complete identification and tracking system for component traceability, improved manufacturing and processing, and automated shop floor applications. The system includes the Vericode Symbol, a more accurate and versatile alternative to the traditional bar code, that is scanned by charge coupled device (CCD) cameras. The system was developed by Veritec, Rockwell International and Marshall Space Flight Center to identify and track Space Shuttle parts.

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Space Weathering Impact on Solar System Surfaces and Planetary Mission Science

We often look "through a glass, darkly" at solar system bodies with tenuous atmospheres and direct surface exposure to the local space environment. Space weathering exposure acts via universal space-surface interaction processes to produce a thin patina of outer material covering, potentially obscuring endogenic surface materials of greatest interest for understanding origins and interior evolution. Examples of obscuring exogenic layers are radiation crusts on cometary nuclei and iogenic components of sulfate hydrate deposits on the trailing hemisphere of Europa. Weathering processes include plasma ion implantation into surfaces, sputtering by charged particles and solar ultraviolet photons, photolytic chemistry driven by UV irradiation, and radiolytic chemistry evolving from products of charged particle irradiation. Regolith structure from impacts, and underlying deeper structures from internal evolution, affects efficacy of certain surface interactions, e.g. sputtering as affected by porosity and surface irradiation dosage as partly attenuated by local topographic shielding. These processes should be regarded for mission science planning as potentially enabling, e.g. since direct surface sputtering, and resultant surface-bound exospheres, can provide in-situ samples of surface composition to ion and neutral mass spectrometers on orbital spacecraft. Sample return for highest sensitivity compOSitional and structural analyses at Earth will usually be precluded by limited range of surface sampling, long times for return, and high cost. Targeted advancements in instrument technology would be more cost efficient for local remote and in-situ sample analysis. More realistic laboratory simulations, e.g. for bulk samples, are needed to interpret mission science observations of weathered surfaces. Space environment effects on mission spacecraft and science operations must also be specified and mitigated from the hourly to monthly changes in space weather and from longer term (e.g., solar cycle) evolution of space climate. Capable instrumentation on planetary missions can and should be planned to contribute to knowledge of interplanetary space environments. Evolving data system technologies such as virtual observatories should be explored for more interdisciplinary application to the science of planetary surface, atmospheric, magnetospheric, and interplanetary interactions.

Cooper, John F.↗

Space Weather Monitoring for ISS Space Environments Engineering and Crew Auroral Observations

Today s presentation describes how real time space weather data is used by the International Space Station (ISS) space environments team to obtain data on auroral charging of the ISS vehicle and support ISS crew efforts to obtain auroral images from orbit. Topics covered include: Floating Potential Measurement Unit (FPMU), . Auroral charging of ISS, . Real ]time space weather monitoring resources, . Examples of ISS auroral charging captured from space weather events, . ISS crew observations of aurora.

Minow, Joseph↗

Contamination Results of MISSE 8 Wake and Nadir Samples After 2 Years of Space Exposure on the International Space Station

Spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) are subjected to harsh environmental conditions, including radiation (cosmic rays, ultraviolet, x-ray and charged particle radiation), micrometeoroids and orbital debris, temperature extremes, thermal cycling, and atomic oxygen. In addition, on-orbit spacecraft contamination is a serious spaceflight issue, with silicone contamination being a particular concern. In an effort to understand on-orbit contamination of Materials International Space Station Experiment 8 (MISSE 8) flight samples and other International Space Station (ISS) payloads, contamination studies were conducted post-flight on retrieved Teflon fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP) samples flown in the wake and nadir orientations on MISSE 8. The wake sample was Teflon FEP (M8-W11) flown as part of the Glenn MISSE 8 Polymers Experiment on the Optical Reflector Materials Experiment-III Ram/Wake (ORMatE-III R/W) tray and exposed to the LEO wake environment for 2.0 years. The nadir samples were silver-Teflon FEP radiator pieces taken from the MISSE 8 Single Events Upset Xilinx-Sandia Experiment II (SEUXSE II) Power Box and exposed to the LEO nadir environment for 2.14 years. The Teflon FEP flight materials were analyzed for changes in surface morphology and chemistry as compared to pristine control samples. The wake samples were also analyzed for changes in optical properties. There was no evidence of a molecular contamination layer present on the surface of the MISSE 8 wake or nadir facing Teflon FEP flight samples, although both the wake and nadir flight samples contained particulate contamination in some regions. The analyzed nadir particles were primarily zinc rich. The majority of analyzed wake particles were comprised of oxidized aluminum with small amounts of zinc and magnesium. The wake particles appear to have arrived early in the mission (or pre-flight) during a single event. This paper provides details of the MISSE 8 sample contamination analyses.

Erosion↗

Control and Non-Payload Communications Links for Integrated Unmanned Aircraft Operations

Technology for unmanned aircraft has advanced so rapidly in recent years that many new applications to public and commercial use are being proposed and implemented. In many countries, emphasis is now being placed on developing the means to allow unmanned aircraft to operate within non-segregated airspace along with commercial, cargo and other piloted and passenger-carrying aircraft.In the U.S., Congress has mandated that the Federal Aviation Administration reduce and remove restrictions on unmanned aircraft operations in a relatively short time frame. To accomplish this, a number of technical and regulatory hurdles must be overcome. A key hurdle involve the communications link connecting the remote pilot located at a ground control station with the aircraft in the airspace, referred to as the Control and Non-Payload Communications (CNPC) link. This link represents a safety critical communications link, and thus requires dedicated and protected aviation spectrum as well as national and international standards defining the operational requirements the CNPC system. The CNPC link must provide line-of-site (LOS) communications, primarily through a ground-based communication system, and beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communication achieved using satellite communications. In the U.S., the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is charged with providing the technical body of evidence to support spectrum allocation requirements and national and international standards development for the CNPC link. This paper provides a description of the CNPC system, an overview of NASA's CNPC project, and current results in technology assessment, air-ground propagation characterization, and supporting system studies and analyses will be presented.

Kerczewski, Robert J.↗

Impulsive penetration and viscous interaction

How the magnetosheath plasma enters the entry layer and low latitude boundary layers, with the particle energy spectra almost unchanged is investigated. It was proposed by Lemaire that this is accomplished by impulsive penetration of plasma clouds of plasmoids. Once inside the magnetosphere, a plasmoid with its own momentum will polarize, to create its own electric field for continued motion. This voltage generator charges up the sides of the boundary layers, in the process creating the internal magnetospheric electric field. The entry layer particles will gradient and curvature drift, constituting still another generator, a current generator, to power magnetospheric plasma processes. This may be the explanation for the viscous interaction first proposed by Axford and Hines.

Heikkila, W. J.↗