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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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Advanced Near Net Shape Technology

The objective of the Advanced Near Net Shape Technology (ANNST) project is to radically improve near net shape manufacturing methods from the current Technology/ Manufacturing Readiness Levels (TRL/MRL 3-4) to the point where they are viable candidates (TRL/ MRL-6) for shortening the time and cost for insertion of new aluminum alloys and revolutionary manufacturing methods into the development/improvement of space structures. Conventional cyrotank manufacturing processes require fabrication of multiple pieces welded together to form a complete tank. A variety of near net shape manufacturing processes has demonstrated excellent potential for enabling single-piece construction of components such as domes, barrels, and ring frames. Utilization of such processes can dramatically reduce the extent of welding and joining needed to construct cryogenic tanks and other aerospace structures. The specific focus of this project is to successfully mature the integrally stiffened cylinder (ISC) process in which a single-piece cylinder with integral stiffeners is formed in one spin/flow forming process. Structural launch vehicle components, like cryogenic fuel tanks (e.g., space shuttle external tank), are currently fabricated via multipiece assembly of parts produced through subtractive manufacturing techniques. Stiffened structural panels are heavily machined from thick plate, which results in excessive scrap rates. Multipiece construction requires welds to assemble the structure, which increases the risk for defects and catastrophic failures.

Vickers, John↗
NASA NTRS2008

Reusability Studies for Ares I and Ares V Propulsion

With a mission to continue to support the goals of the International Space Station (ISS) and explore beyond Earth orbit, the United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in the process of launching an entirely new space exploration initiative, the Constellation Program. Even as the Space Shuttle moves toward its final voyage, Constellation is building from nearly half a century of NASA spaceflight experience, and technological advances, including the legacy of Shuttle and earlier programs such as Apollo and the Saturn V rocket. Out of Constellation will come two new launch vehicles: the Ares I crew launch vehicle and the Ares V cargo launch vehicle. With the initial goal to seamlessly continue where the Space Shuttle leaves off, Ares will firstly service the Space Station. Ultimately, however, the intent is to push further: to establish an outpost on the Moon, and then to explore other destinations. With significant experience and a strong foundation in aerospace, NASA is now progressing toward the final design of the First Stage propulsion system for the Ares I. The new launch vehicle design will considerably increase safety and reliability, reduce the cost of accessing space, and provide a viable growth path for human space exploration. To achieve these goals, NASA is taking advantage of Space Shuttle hardware, safety, reliability, and experience. With efforts to minimize technical risk and life-cycle costs, the First Stage office is again pulling from NASA's strong legacy in aerospace exploration and development, most specifically the Space Shuttle Program. Trade studies have been conducted to evaluate lifecycle costs, expendability, and risk reduction. While many first stage features have already been determined, these trade studies are helping to resolve the operational requisites and configuration of the first stage element. This paper first presents an overview of the Ares missions and the genesis of the Ares vehicle design. It then looks at one of the most important trade studies to date, the "Ares I First Stage Expendability Trade Study." The purpose of this study was to determine the utility of flying the first stage as an expendable booster rather than making it reusable. To lower the study complexity, four operational scenarios (or cases) were defined. This assessment then included an evaluation of the development, reliability, performance, and transition impacts associated with an expendable solution. The paper looks at these scenarios from the perspectives of cost, reliability, and performance. The presentation provides an overview of the paper.

Williams, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Fission Reactor Inadvertent Reentry: A Report to the Nuclear Power & Propulsion Technical Discipline Team

The Nuclear Power and Propulsion Technical Discipline Team has directed an effort to consider possible improvements to the launch approval process as it relates to fission reactors. To that end, Reference 1 described possible general design criteria and risk criteria for fission reactors. At the time that Reference 1 was completed, it was felt that additional examination of reentry issues was warranted. This paper presents the next step in that examination, which is to accurately describe and frame the problem and suggest safety criteria that might apply to inadvertent reentry. The report includes a discussion of the issues associated with different types of inadvertent reentry, the possible consequences of those events, a review of previous work in the area, security and nonproliferation issues, and options for safety requirements that might be considered. Note that safety requirements can have significant mission implications, e.g., no operation below a certain orbit.

Camp, Allen↗
NASA NTRS2018

Calibration Plan for the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) on the Plankton, Aerosol, and Cloud ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission

The basic product measured by OCI is the top-of atmosphere (TOA) radiance at different wavelengths. Three types of calibration/characterization are necessary for ocean color processing: Pre launch calibration/characterization (absolute/spectral calibration and image artifacts), On-orbit calibration (solar diffuser and lunar measurements) and Vicarious calibration (in-situ measurements of water-leaving radiance).

Meister, Gerhard↗
NASA NTRS2019

The KSC Augmented/Virtual reality Lab

To investigate the new XR technologies that are coming onto the market, learn how they work, determine their strengths and weaknesses, and recommend potential applications of these technologies to the work we do at KSC, processing spacecraft, launch delivery systems, and ground support equipment.

XR↗
NASA NTRS2020

Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, Ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Mission Integration and Testing

This paper describes the plans, flows, key facilities, components and equipment necessary to fully integrate, functionally test and qualify the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) Observatory. PACE is currently in the design phase of mission implementation. It is scheduled to launch in 2022, extending and improving NASA's twenty-year record of satellite observations of global ocean biology, aerosols and clouds. PACE will advance the assessment of ocean health by measuring the distribution of phytoplankton, which are small plants and algae that sustain the marine food web. It will also continue systematic records of key atmospheric variables associated with air quality and the Earth's climate. The PACE observatory is comprised of the spacecraft and three instruments, an Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) and two polarimeters, the Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter 2 (HARP2) and the Spectro-Polarimeter for Exploration (SPEXone). The spacecraft and the OCI, which is the primary instrument, are developed and integrated at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The OCI is a hyper-spectral scanning (HSS) radiometer designed to measure spectral radiances from the ultraviolet to shortwave infrared (SWIR) to enable advanced ocean color and heritage cloud and aerosol particle science. The HARP2 and SPEXone are secondary instruments on the PACE observatory, acquired outside of GSFC. The Hyper-Angular Rainbow Polarimeter instrument (HARP2) is a wide swath imaging polarimeter that is capable of characterizing atmospheric aerosols for purposes of sensor atmospheric correction as well as atmospheric science. The SPEXone provides atmospheric aerosol and cloud data at high temporal and spatial resolution. This paper will focus on the Integration and Test (I&T) activities for the PACE mission at NASA GSFC. This I&T phase consists of mechanical, electrical and thermal integration and test of all the spacecraft subsystems and the integration of the instruments with the spacecraft. The PACE observatory environmental tests include electromagnetic interference (EMI)/electromagnetic compatibility (EMC), vibration, acoustics, shock, thermal balance, thermal vacuum, mass properties and center of gravity. This paper will also discuss the observatory shipment to the launch site as well as the launch site processing.

Petro, Susanna↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Splashdown Visualization of Spent Stages

The state of the art for many Earth-to-orbit trajectory analysis toolsets used at NASA is somewhat dated in terms of the languages they are written in and their user interfaces. Many of these programs are written in languages like Fortran or C that are no longer considered modern in the technology industry, and are command-line based without any means of interpreting the data outputs. This presentation is meant to demonstrate a specific use case for a newly developed web app that visualizes the output data for one of these tools. Specifically, one key usage is to investigate and validate launches for notional multi-stage vehicle concepts to various non-standard high-inclination orbits. Some NASA requirements dictate that trajectories be designed such that no surviving debris lands closer than 200 nautical miles (nm) from foreign landmasses or 27 nm from the continental United States, therefore validating re-entry locations of spent stages is an integral part of the launch planning process. In addition, at programmatic levels it can prove insightful and clarifying for the decision-making process to enhance the technical results of numerical simulations with visualizations. The intent with this tool is to provide the mission analyst and program level management with an intuitive and clear grasp of key information on possible mission scenarios either departing from or arriving at Earth, and in the future, the moon or Mars as well. The software tool was developed with an agile development approach and utilizes the latest frameworks and technologies. The front end uses the React JavaScript library for making a state of the art frontend and a backend based on the Django Python framework for handling data using Python’s powerful and free scientific libraries. In addition, the CesiumJS open-source library is key for visualizing these end-to-end trajectories on a high-resolution Earth model. The presentation will demonstrate the current capability and tested use cases.

Jack Agolli↗
NASA NTRS2018

Preliminary Interplanetary Mission Design and Navigation for the Dragonfly New Frontiers Mission Concept

Dragonfly is one of two mission concepts selected in December 2017 to advance into Phase A of NASA’s New Frontiers competition. Dragonfly would address the Ocean Worlds mission theme by investigating Titan’s habitability and prebiotic chemistry and searching for evidence of chemical biosignatures of past (or extant) life. A rotorcraft lander, Dragonfly would capitalize on Titan’s dense atmosphere to enable mobility and sample materials from a variety of geologic settings. This paper describes Dragonfly’s baseline mission design giving a complete picture of the inherent tradespace and outlines the design process from launch to atmospheric entry.

Laipert, Frank E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Surface Systems Capability Gaps for Enabling NASA’s Sustainable Lunar Operations

This paper discusses the NASA Ground, Test, and Surface Systems Taxonomy (TX-13) related capability gaps, including details of architecture, technology, engineering, and policy gaps for enabling sustainable lunar surface operations and subsequent Mars missions. Architecture gaps include standardized architectures and interfaces, multi-element systems engineering and integration, design for supportability, and nuclear payload processing and launch approach. Technology gaps, primarily focused on uncrewed surface operations, include automated/autonomous cryogenic loading, transfer, servicing, and storage of commodities; health determination and fault management; automated/autonomous planning and scheduling; automated/autonomous inspection, maintenance and repair; logistics management and reliability; launch and landing site preparation; commodity management; and advanced umbilicals and dust tolerant interfaces. Engineering gaps include high-purity propellant production for ground and surface applications and large-scale xenon servicing capabilities. The policy gap includes nuclear propulsion acceptance testing and qualification approach. Strategically identifying human/automation roles and tasks and infusing automation and autonomy practices early in a system’s lifecycle is essential for achieving the mission objectives for a sustainable human lunar presence, improving performance and mission effectiveness, reducing operations costs and reliance on humans to perform tasks, and accommodating ground communication delays.

Surface Systems↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s EGS Program Technology Demonstrations and Risk Reduction for Sustainable Surface Operations

This paper discusses NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program Technology Infusion Strategy and the results from EGS technology demonstration projects, including Integrated Health Management capabilities for Condition Based and Predictive Maintenance, conservation of cryogenic fluids, and logistics management/commonality of maintenance equipment, tools, and consumables. The paper also discusses how technologies and capabilities implemented for ground systems (i.e. automated/autonomous operations and maintenance) can be leveraged to help reduce risk for sustainable lunar surface operations.

Launch Processing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems Program: Technology Demonstrations and Risk Reduction for Sustainable Surface Operations

This presentation discusses NASA’s Exploration Ground Systems (EGS) Program Technology Infusion Strategy and the results from EGS technology demonstration projects, including Integrated Health Management capabilities for Condition Based and Predictive Maintenance, conservation of cryogenic fluids, and logistics management/commonality of maintenance equipment, tools, and consumables. The presentation also discusses how technologies and capabilities implemented for ground systems (i.e. automated/ autonomous operations and maintenance) can be leveraged to help reduce risk for sustainable lunar surface operations.

Technology Infusion↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Fracture Mechanics Testing of Titanium 6AL-4V in LMP-103S Propellant

Propellant tank safe-life analysis is a spacecraft propulsion subsystem Launch Range processing requirement. The material property inputs for the safe-life analysis include the stress intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking (KEAC). The KEAC for titanium alloy Ti 6Al-4V in LMP-103S propellant was determined experimentally using an innovative test method following ASTM E1681, Standard Test Method for Determining Threshold Stress Intensity Factor for Environment-Assisted Cracking of Metallic Materials. This effort was a collaboration between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Kennedy Space Center to expose the test specimens in the propellant, while loaded in the test fixtures, for 1000- hour (42 days) at 50°C. Two test rounds have been completed to date; 1) testing mechanically loaded specimens but without propellant and 2) testing mechanically loaded specimens wetted with LMP-103S propellant. The dry test was to evaluate the crack growth without exposure to the LMP-103S propellant, and further assess the un-wetted stress intensity factor for the full 1000-hour duration. The second round of testing included the propellant soak for the requisite 1000- hour at 50°C. Current results show that the threshold intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking (exposed to LMP103S) is 22.5 ksi√in for the bulk material and 36. 2 ksi√in for the weld material. A generic ‘candidate’ tank geometry and material thickness is developed for a damage tolerance of known surface cracks below the nondestructive inspection technique detection limit. Evaluations with and without the use of a threshold intensity factor for environment-assisted cracking is performed for the required 4x propellant tank service life using the software tool NASGRO. SP2024_00239

Green propulsion↗
DOE OSTI2019

Small Modular Reactors in Canada: Planning for Waste from the Outset - 19254

Canada is exploring the potential for on- and off-grid applications for small modular reactors (SMRs). SMRs are at an early stage of development and a road-mapping process was launched in Canada in February 2018 to better understand the views on priorities and challenges related to the possible development and deployment of SMRs. In addition to engaging partners, stakeholders and Indigenous representatives through workshops, a number of working groups were formed to advise the Road-map Secretariat on topics such as understanding the value proposition of different SMR technologies, matters associated with regulatory readiness, and issues related to waste management and transportation. The Waste Working Group (Waste WG) brought together experts from current nuclear waste generators, the organization responsible for managing Canada's nuclear fuel waste, government, and the regulator to identify waste disposal and storage considerations for Canadian SMR applications, including an analysis of waste streams, waste transportation, short and long-term disposal and storage requirements, and decommissioning considerations. Radioactive waste has been safely managed within a regulatory framework in Canada for decades. Technologies for waste storage and transport exist and also have been in use for decades, and therefore provide a technical basis to explore any specific differences that would apply to waste streams resulting from the construction, operation and decommissioning of SMRs. The Waste WG concluded that a disposal path for SMR used fuel exists through the Nuclear Waste Management Organisation's (NWMO) Adaptive Phased Management (APM) approach, but that R and D work is needed to demonstrate that SMR waste can meet the acceptance criteria. The Waste WG noted that although projects are progressing to realize disposal facilities for the two largest producers of low and intermediate level waste, small producers including potential SMR operators currently have no defined path to disposal for low and intermediate level waste. The Waste WG also highlighted that there could be potential logistical challenges with the transportation of irradiated reactor cores, in particular for remote locations, which will need to be explored. The Waste WG recognized that some uncertainties remain, and early and open communication and coordination between the SMR developers and the NWMO, and potential waste receivers will be key to ensuring a robust framework for SMR waste management from the outset in Canada. This paper explores the results of the analysis and the key findings, high-level recommendations and actions of the Waste WG. It presents the results of the Waste WG's analysis of waste categories against Canadian SMR technologies that best align to end-user requirements; identification of key gaps in research and development for waste categories; and identification of potential work that could address the key gaps. The Waste WG undertook its work between February and August 2018. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗
NASA NTRS2006

Systems Integration Processes for NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

NASA's Exploration Initiative will require development of many new elements to constitute a robust system of systems. New launch vehicles are needed to place cargo and crew in stable Low Earth Orbit (LEO). This paper examines the systems integration processes NASA is utilizing to ensure integration and control of propulsion and nonpropulsion elements within NASA's Crew Launch Vehicle (CLV), now known as the Ares I. The objective of the Ares I is to provide the transportation capabilities to meet the Constellation Program requirements for delivering a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) or other payload to LEO in support of the lunar and Mars missions. The Ares I must successfully provide this capability within cost and schedule, and with an acceptable risk approach. This paper will describe the systems engineering management processes that will be applied to assure Ares I Project success through complete and efficient technical integration. Discussion of technical review and management processes for requirements development and verification, integrated design and analysis, integrated simulation and testing, and the integration of reliability, maintainability and supportability (RMS) into the design will also be included. The Ares I Project is logically divided into elements by the major hardware groupings, and associated management, system engineering, and integration functions. The processes to be described herein are designed to integrate within these Ares I elements and among the other Constellation projects. Also discussed is launch vehicle stack integration (Ares I to CEV, and Ground and Flight Operations integration) throughout the life cycle, including integrated vehicle performance through orbital insertion, recovery of the first stage, and reentry of the upper stage. The processes for decomposing requirements to the elements and ensuring that requirements have been correctly validated, decomposed, and allocated, and that the verification requirements are properly defined to ensure that the system design meets requirements, will be discussed.

Taylor, James L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Six Lessons We Learned Applying Six Sigma

As Chief Financial Officer of Kennedy Space Center (KSC), I'm not only responsible for financial planning and accounting but also for building strong partnerships with the CFO customers, who include Space Shuttle and International Space Station operations as well all who manage the KSC Spaceport. My never ending goal is to design, manage and continuously improve our core business processes so that they deliver world class products and services to the CFO's customers. I became interested in Six Sigma as Christa Casleton (KSC's first Six Sigma Black belt) applied Six Sigma tools and methods to our Plan and Account for Travel Costs Process. Her analysis was fresh, innovative and thorough but, even more impressive, was her approach to ensure ongoing, continuous process improvement. Encouraged by the results, I launched two more process improvement initiatives aimed at applying Six Sigma principles to CFO processes that not only touch most of my employees but also have direct customer impact. As many of you know, Six Sigma is a measurement scale that compares the output of a process with customer requirements. That's straight forward, but demands that you not only understand your processes but also know your products and the critical customer requirements. The objective is to isolate and eliminate the causes of process variation so that the customer sees consistently high quality.

Carroll, Napoleon↗
NASA NTRS1994

VAPEPS Management Center

A VibroAcoustic Payload Environment Prediction System (VAPEPS) Management Center is established and being maintained at JPL. VAPEPS is a computer program that utilizes statistical energy analysis (SEA) theory and SEA extrapolation methods to predict the vibroacoustic environments of complex systems. The program is commonly utilized to establish random vibration and acoustic test requirements for aerospace components exposed to launch environments. It can also be used in the payload or launch vehicle design process for control or mitigation of the launch or on-orbit vibration and acoustic environments, as well as to calculate acoustically induced stresses in structures such as solar panels and reflectors.

VAPEPS↗
NASA NTRS2005

Using Simulation for Launch Team Training and Evaluation

This document describes some of the histor y and uses of simulation systems and processes for the training and evaluation of Launch Processing, Mission Control, and Mission Management teams. It documents some of the types of simulations that are used at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) today and that could be utilized (and possibly enhanced) for future launch vehicles. This article is intended to provide an initial baseline for further research into simulation for launch team training in the near future.

Peaden, Cary J.↗
NASA NTRS2013

A Geometric Analysis to Protect Manned Assets from Newly Launched Objects - Cola Gap Analysis

A safety risk was identified for the International Space Station (ISS) by The Aerospace Corporation, where the ISS would be unable to react to a conjunction with a newly launched object following the end of the launch Collision Avoidance (COLA) process. Once an object is launched, there is a finite period of time required to track, catalog, and evaluate that new object as part of standard onorbit COLA screening processes. Additionally, should a conjunction be identified, there is an additional period of time required to plan and execute a collision avoidance maneuver. While the computed prelaunch probability of collision with any object is extremely low, NASA/JSC has requested that all US launches take additional steps to protect the ISS during this "COLA gap" period. This paper details a geometric-based COLA gap analysis method developed by the NASA Launch Services Program to determine if launch window cutouts are required to mitigate this risk. Additionally, this paper presents the results of several missions where this process has been used operationally.

Hametz, Mark E.↗