Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Space research”

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 253 records · Page 14
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Space Weather Center Services: Potential for Space Weather Research

The NASA Space Weather Center's primary objective is to provide the latest space weather information and forecasting for NASA's robotic missions and its partners and to bring space weather knowledge to the public. At the same time, the tools and services it possesses can be invaluable for research purposes. Here we show how our archive and real-time modeling of space weather events can aid research in a variety of ways, with different classification criteria. We will list and discuss major CME events, major geomagnetic storms, and major SEP events that occurred during the years 2010 - 2012. Highlights of major tools/resources will be provided.

Zheng, Yihua↗
NASA NTRS1990

Recent results from advanced research on space solar cells at NASA

The NASA program in space photovoltaic research and development encompasses a wide range of emerging options for future space power systems, and includes both cell and array technology development. The long range goals are to develop technology capable of achieving 300 W/kg for planar arrays, and 300 W/sq m for concentrator arrays. InP and GaAs planar and concentrator cell technologies are under investigation for their potential high efficiency and good radiation resistance. The Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Array (APSA) program is a near term effort aimed at demonstrating 130 W/kg beginning of life specific power using thin (62 pm) silicon cells. It is intended to be technology transparent to future high efficiency cells and provides the baseline for development of the 300 W/kg array.

Flood, Dennis J.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Space Acceleration Measurement System-II: Microgravity Instrumentation for the International Space Station Research Community

The International Space Station opens for business in the year 2000, and with the opening, science investigations will take advantage of the unique conditions it provides as an on-orbit laboratory for research. With initiation of scientific studies comes a need to understand the environment present during research. The Space Acceleration Measurement System-II provides researchers a consistent means to understand the vibratory conditions present during experimentation on the International Space Station. The Space Acceleration Measurement System-II, or SAMS-II, detects vibrations present while the space station is operating. SAMS-II on-orbit hardware is comprised of two basic building block elements: a centralized control unit and multiple Remote Triaxial Sensors deployed to measure the acceleration environment at the point of scientific research, generally within a research rack. Ground Operations Equipment is deployed to complete the command, control and data telemetry elements of the SAMS-II implementation. Initially, operations consist of user requirements development, measurement sensor deployment and use, and data recovery on the ground. Future system enhancements will provide additional user functionality and support more simultaneous users.

Sutliff, Thomas J.↗
NASA NTRS2015

NASA's Rodent Research Project: Validation of Flight Hardware, Operations and Science Capabilities for Conducting Long Duration Experiments in Space

Research using rodents is an essential tool for advancing biomedical research on Earth and in space. Rodent Research (RR)-1 was conducted to validate flight hardware, operations, and science capabilities that were developed at the NASA Ames Research Center. Twenty C57BL/6J adult female mice were launched on Sept 21, 2014 in a Dragon Capsule (SpaceX-4), then transferred to the ISS for a total time of 21-22 days (10 commercial mice) or 37 (10 validation mice). Tissues collected on-orbit were either rapidly frozen or preserved in RNA later at less than or equal to -80 C (n=2/group) until their return to Earth. Remaining carcasses were rapidly frozen for dissection post-flight. The three controls groups at Kennedy Space Center consisted of: Basal mice euthanized at the time of launch, Vivarium controls, housed in standard cages, and Ground Controls (GC), housed in flight hardware within an environmental chamber. FLT mice appeared more physically active on-orbit than GC, and behavior analysis are in progress. Upon return to Earth, there were no differences in body weights between FLT and GC at the end of the 37 days in space. RNA was of high quality (RIN greater than 8.5). Liver enzyme activity levels of FLT mice and all control mice were similar in magnitude to those of the samples that were optimally processed in the laboratory. Liver samples collected from the intact frozen FLT carcasses had RNA RIN of 7.27 +/- 0.52, which was lower than that of the samples processed on-orbit, but similar to those obtained from the control group intact carcasses. Nonetheless, the RNA samples from the intact carcasses were acceptable for the most demanding transcriptomic analyses. Adrenal glands, thymus and spleen (organs associated with stress response) showed no significant difference in weights between FLT and GC. Enzymatic activity was also not significantly different. Over 3,000 tissues collected from the four groups of mice have become available for the Biospecimen Sharing Program. Together, these validation flight findings demonstrate the capability to support long-duration RR on the ISS to achieve both basic science and biomedical objectives.

rodents↗
NASA NTRS2004

Extracellular mass transport considerations for space flight research concerning suspended and adherent in vitro cell cultures

Conducting biological research in space requires consideration be given to isolating appropriate control parameters. For in vitro cell cultures, numerous environmental factors can adversely affect data interpretation. A biological response attributed to microgravity can, in theory, be explicitly correlated to a specific lack of weight or gravity-driven motion occurring to, within or around a cell. Weight can be broken down to include the formation of hydrostatic gradients, structural load (stress) or physical deformation (strain). Gravitationally induced motion within or near individual cells in a fluid includes sedimentation (or buoyancy) of the cell and associated shear forces, displacement of cytoskeleton or organelles, and factors associated with intra- or extracellular mass transport. Finally, and of particular importance for cell culture experiments, the collective effects of gravity must be considered for the overall system consisting of the cells, their environment and the device in which they are contained. This does not, however, rule out other confounding variables such as launch acceleration, on orbit vibration, transient acceleration impulses or radiation, which can be isolated using onboard centrifuges or vibration isolation techniques. A framework is offered for characterizing specific cause-and-effect relationships for gravity-dependent responses as a function of the above parameters.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1990

Biological research on Space Station Freedom

The paper discusses laboratory capabilities of the SSF which permit long-term, systematic investigations into the effects of the space environment, particularly the effect of microgravity, on a range of biological specimens. The ability to manipulate gravity levels between 0 and 2.0 g makes it possible to examine gravitational effects along a continuum. Space centrifuge research is expected to lead to practical applications in areas such as aging, treating malfunctions of the body regulatory and defense mechanisms, improving agricultural production, and extending human performance.

Chambers, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Levitation Technology in International Space Station Research

The International Space Station (ISS) is a unique multidisciplinary orbiting laboratory for science and technology research, enabling discoveries that benefit life on Earth and exploration of the universe. ISS facilities for containerless sample processing in Materials Science experiments include levitation devices with specimen positioning control while reducing containment vessel contamination. For example, ESA's EML (ElectroMagnetic Levitator), is used for melting and solidification of conductive metals, alloys, or semiconductors in ultra-high vacuum, or in high-purity gaseous atmospheres. Sample heating and positioning are accomplished through electromagnetic fields generated by a coil system. EML applications cover investigation of solidification and microstructural formation, evaluation of thermophysical properties of highly reactive metals (whose properties can be very sensitive to contamination), and examination of undercooled liquid metals to understand metastable phase convection and influence convection on structural changes. MSL utilization includes development of novel light-weight, high-performance materials. Another facility, JAXA's ELF (Electrostatic Levitation Furnace), is used to perform high temperature melting while avoiding chemical reactions with crucibles by levitating a sample through Coulomb force. ELF is capable of measuring density, surface tension, and viscosity of samples at high temperatures. One of the initial ELF investigations, Interfacial Energy-1, is aimed at clarification of interfacial phenomena between molten steels and oxide melts with industrial applications in control processes for liquid mixing. In addition to these Materials Science facilities, other ISS investigations that involve levitation employ it for biological research. For example, NASA's "Magnetic 3D Culturing and Bioprinting" investigation uses magnetic levitation for three-dimensional culturing and positioning of magnetized cells to generate spheroid assemblies for biomedical applications. Levitation is also used as a modeled microgravity ground analog in the NASA OsteoOmics ISS investigation, which tests whether magnetic levitation accurately simulates microgravity conditions by studying gravitational regulation of osteoblast and osteoclast genomics and metabolism. Elucidating the cellular mechanisms of bone loss in microgravity contributes to the understanding of bone loss in medical disorders on Earth, which may lead to development of preventive or therapeutic countermeasures. Thus, the ISS state-of-the-art laboratory offers various levitation capability platforms with applications for innovative research in Materials and Life Sciences disciplines, with benefits for humanity.

Guinart-Ramirez, Y.↗