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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
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NASA NTRS2000

STS-106 Crew Interviews: Edward T. Lu

Live footage of a preflight interview with Mission Specialist Edward T. Lu is seen. The interview addresses many different questions including why Lu became interested in the space program, the events that led to his interest, the transition from an engineer to research scientist, and finally to getting selected into the astronaut program. Other interesting information that this one-on-one interview discusses are the main goals of the STS-106 mission, its scheduled docking with the new International Space Station (ISS), making the Zvezda Service Module ready for entrance, and crew training both in the United States and Russia. Lu mentions his responsibilities during the much-anticipated docking as well as his scheduled space-walk with Yuri Ivanovich Malenchenko. Lu also discusses the use of the Robotic Arm during his space-walk, installation of a magnetometer on the Zvezda Module, and work that will have to take place inside the Service Module.

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NASA NTRS1989

Earth orbital operations supporting manned interplanetary missions

The orbital operations required to accumulate, assemble, test, verify, maintain, and launch complex manned space systems on interplanetary missions from earth orbit are as vital as the flight hardware itself. Vast numbers of orbital crew are neither necessary nor desirable for accomplishing the required tasks. A suite of robotic techniques under human supervisory control, relying on sensors, software and manipulators either currently emergent or already applied in terrestrial settings, can make the job tractable. The mission vehicle becomes largely self-assembling, using its own rigid aerobrake as a work platform. The Space Station, having been used as a laboratory testbed and to house an assembly crew of four, is not dominated by the process. A feasible development schedule, if begun soon, could emplace orbital support technologies for exploration missions in time for a 2004 first interplanetary launch.

Sherwood, Brent↗
NASA NTRS2001

Design Concepts for Zero-G Whole Body Cleansing on ISS Alpha: Individual Design Project - Part 2

Johnson Space Center, the Mecca of manned Space Programs, is now abuzz with preparations for the International Space Station—ISS Alpha. The work on the various systems and subsystems for the U.S. Habitation Module is scheduled to begin in l998. As a prelude to that, the Flight Crew Support Division perceived the need to take a closer and more critical look at the planning for the Whole Body Cleansing function onboard the ISS. This report is an endeavour to dig and delve all data available on Whole Body Cleansing mechanisms used in the past and the present, by the Russians and the Americans, analyze it and come up with design concepts for products/ product systems for Zero-g Whole Body Cleansing onboard ISS Alpha, for typical stay duration of about 90 days. This report takes a close look at the Skylab collapsible shower, the Mir shower/ sauna, the full body cleansing methods currently in use onboard the Space Shuttle and Mir and at the Whole Body Shower designed and tested for Space Station Freedom. It attempts to "listen" carefully to what the Mir astronauts—Norman Thagard, Shannon Lucid and John Blaha¾have to say about their personal hygiene experiences during their recent long-duration stays on the Russian station Mir. The findings in the report call for a change in paradigm. What is good for Earth conditions is not necessarily good for Zerog! It concludes that a shower is not a good idea for the ISS. The final concept that is proposed reflects very strongly what the Mir astronauts would like to have and to use onboard a station like the ISS. The report concludes with directions of how to take the "idea" further and realize it in the form of a product system for Whole Body Cleansing onboard the ISS.

Susmita Mohanty↗
NASA NTRS2005

Documentation: No Substitute for Communication

SO WHAT IS AN RFI? IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I learned about back when I started my project management career with my first large construction firm. I learned how to use these forms as a convenient and effective means of documenting the many legitimate clarifications needed on a major project. However, like most other young engineers, I also learned to use the RFI as a weapon in the ongoing battle between owners. or their designer and the construction contractors. Recently, our project team has done a few simple things to greatly reduce the waste and frustration that comes from this type of battle. The RFI form can be a great tool if used properly, and I certainly don t recommend that they be eliminated entirely. The RFI form was created to document the many clarifications that are commonly required on projects. Typically, the contractor uses the top half of the form to clarify-or request permission to vary from-the contract documents. The bottom half of the form is used to record the answer. But this seemingly simple process is plagued by a number of problems. From the contractor s perspective, RFIs are needed to secure information that should have been in the contract documents in the first place. The missing information keeps their crews from working effectively, and it makes hitting already demanding cost and schedule targets even more difficult. Owners, or their design firms, often view the RFI as a means of harassment. Both sides of the issue have legitimate complaints, and both sides cause most of their own pain.

Strickland, John↗
NASA NTRS2017

Abstract - Belbas, Nicholas (EC2)

Originally, I was brought into the Design and Analysis Branch in the Crew and Thermal Systems to work on administrative tasks like archiving and scheduling. However, I ended up splitting my time between secretarial tasks and a technical project. My technical project was originally meant to be a wireless sensor package for the 20ft Spacecraft Thermal Vacuum Chamber in the B7 High Bay. I would be using a miniature wifi development board and a temperature/humidity sensor along with custom 3D modeling to accomplish this. However, after some discussion with my technical mentor, the plan was changed to a mobile autonomous self-charging sensor platform. A mobile platform will allow the sensors to be moved around without depressurizing the chamber. Also, the self-charging aspect of the package allows for almost unlimited time in the chamber. If the on-board battery runs low, the robot can easily be driven to its charging dock and continue to transmit while charging. The driving base is based around a Raspberry Pi 3 board with a 12C PMW DC Motor controller and a PWM controller driving two small gear motors. The sensor transmitter itself is a RHT03 temperature and humidity sensor and Cozir CO2 sensor connected to an ESP8266 Huzzah board. The power distribution system utilizes a pair of 3.7v 3600mah lipo batteries wired to Powerboost 500 boards. Also, the self-charging mechanism utilizes two 12v-max inductive charging coils wired into the same Powerboost boards as the battery. The Raspberry pi is running Python 3.3 for the driving base and Javascript MJPEG library for transmitting live video from the onboard camera. The sensor package is running Arduino-based C++ and the program capturing the data is running PyqtGraph Python and HTML. The shell of the robot itself is a 3D printed case that will (work in progress) snap together. The photo to the left shows the two halves separated from each other. The black shell contains the power distribution boards and connectors while the white shell contains the driving base and data systems.

Belbas, Nicholas↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Innovative IO Psychology Research for Future Space Exploration

Crewed space exploration is evolving. The commercialization of space includes Private Astronauts who interact with NASA astronauts on the International Space Station. Astronauts are scheduled to complete a variety of tasks within a fast paced timeline. Future exploration missions to Mars will include challenges such as a small crew living and working in an isolated and confined environment for up to 2 ½ years, with significant communication delays from Earth. This symposium brings together four innovative studies designed to mitigate the risks associated with space flight.

Suzanne Tamara Bell↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-93 / Columbia Flight Crew Photo Op & QA at Pad for TCDT

The primary objective of the STS-93 mission was to deploy the Advanced X-ray Astrophysical Facility, which had been renamed the Chandra X-ray Observatory in honor of the late Indian-American Nobel Laureate Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. The mission was launched at 12:31 on July 23, 1999 onboard the space shuttle Columbia. The mission was led by Commander Eileen Collins. The crew was Pilot Jeff Ashby and Mission Specialists Cady Coleman, Steve Hawley and Michel Tognini from the Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). This videotape shows a pre-flight press conference. Prior to the astronauts' arrival at the bunker area in front of the launch pad, the narrator discusses some of the training that the astronauts are scheduled to have prior to the launch, particularly the emergency egress procedures. Commander Collins introduces the crew and fields questions from the assembled press. Many questions are asked about the experiences of Commander Collins, and Mission Specialist Coleman as women in NASA. The press conference takes place outside in front of the Shuttle Columbia on the launch pad.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-103 Crew Activities Report: Flight Day 7 Highlights

Today Discovery's astronauts begin preparing the spacecraft for it's scheduled return to Earth by checking out the flight control system and reaction control jets that support re-entry. Later in the day the astronauts begin stowing equipment used during the past week and start buttoning up on-orbit systems. The Ku-band antenna which provides most of the capacity for data and television relay was stowed around 8:45 p.m. The recently refurbished Hubble Space Telescope moves slowly through it's checkout sequence before resuming science operations. Both the flight control system (FCS) and the reaction control jets (RCS) were without issue, with all systems ready to support Discovery's return to Earth.

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NASA NTRS2009

Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle Similitude to the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

The Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle is the first in a series of flight test vehicles that will take the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle design from development to operational capability. Ares I-X is scheduled for a 2009 flight date, early enough in the Ares I design and development process so that data obtained from the flight can impact the design of Ares I before its Critical Design Review. Decisions on Ares I-X scope, flight test objectives, and FTV fidelity were made prior to the Ares I systems requirements being baselined. This was necessary in order to achieve a development flight test to impact the Ares I design. Differences between the Ares I-X and the Ares I configurations are artifacts of formulating this experimental project at an early stage and the natural maturation of the Ares I design process. This paper describes the similarities and differences between the Ares I-X Flight Test Vehicle and the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle. Areas of comparison include the outer mold line geometry, aerosciences, trajectory, structural modes, flight control architecture, separation sequence, and relevant element differences. Most of the outer mold line differences present between Ares I and Ares I-X are minor and will not have a significant effect on overall vehicle performance. The most significant impacts are related to the geometric differences in Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle at the forward end of the stack. These physical differences will cause differences in the flow physics in these areas. Even with these differences, the Ares I-X flight test is poised to meet all five primary objectives and six secondary objectives. Knowledge of what the Ares I-X flight test will provide in similitude to Ares I - as well as what the test will not provide - is important in the continued execution of the Ares I-X mission leading to its flight and the continued design and development of Ares I.

Huebner, Lawrence D.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Visual light flash phenomenon, part C

The Apollo 16 mission provided the opportunity to obtain additional data on the characteristics and frequency of the light flashes and also provided the first opportunity to obtain a direct physical record of incident cosmic ray particles with the Apollo light flash moving emulsion detector (ALFMED). The ALFMED is an electromechanical device that is worn on the head like a helmet and supports cosmic radiation-sensitive emulsions around the head of the test subject. Two light flash observation sessions were conducted during the mission: one during translunar coast and the second during transearth coast. Characteristics of the light flashes observed and reported by the Apollo crew members were generally similar to those reported on previous missions. Analyses of the ALFMED emulsion plates are proceeding as scheduled, although results are not yet available. The ALFMED results should provide conclusive evidence establishing the correlation, if any, between the incident cosmic ray particles and the perception of light flashes as reported by Apollo crew members.

Richard E. Benson↗
NASA NTRS1992

Integration and use of Microgravity Research Facility: Lessons learned by the crystals by vapor transport experiment and Space Experiments Facility programs

The Crystals by Vapor Transport Experiment (CVTE) and Space Experiments Facility (SEF) are materials processing facilities designed and built for use on the Space Shuttle mid deck. The CVTE was built as a commercial facility owned by the Boeing Company. The SEF was built under contract to the UAH Center for Commercial Development of Space (CCDS). Both facilities include up to three furnaces capable of reaching 850 C minimum, stand-alone electronics and software, and independent cooling control. In addition, the CVTE includes a dedicated stowage locker for cameras, a laptop computer, and other ancillary equipment. Both systems are designed to fly in a Middeck Accommodations Rack (MAR), though the SEF is currently being integrated into a Spacehab rack. The CVTE hardware includes two transparent furnaces capable of achieving temperatures in the 850 to 870 C range. The transparent feature allows scientists/astronauts to directly observe and affect crystal growth both on the ground and in space. Cameras mounted to the rack provide photodocumentation of the crystal growth. The basic design of the furnace allows for modification to accommodate techniques other than vapor crystal growth. Early in the CVTE program, the decision was made to assign a principal scientist to develop the experiment plan, affect the hardware/software design, run the ground and flight research effort, and interface with the scientific community. The principal scientist is responsible to the program manager and is a critical member of the engineering development team. As a result of this decision, the hardware/experiment requirements were established in such a way as to balance the engineering and science demands on the equipment. Program schedules for hardware development, experiment definition and material selection, flight operations development and crew training, both ground support and astronauts, were all planned and carried out with the understanding that the success of the program science was as important as the hardware functionality. How the CVTE payload was designed and what it is capable of, the philosophy of including the scientists in design and operations decisions, and the lessons learned during the integration process are descussed.

Heizer, Barbara L.↗
NASA NTRS2007

NDE Development for Inspection of the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle

NASA is designing a new crewed launch vehicle called Ares I to replace the Space Shuttle after its scheduled retirement in 2010. This new launch vehicle will build on the Shuttle technology in many ways including using a first stage based upon the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster, advanced aluminum alloys for the second stage tanks, and friction stir welding to assemble the second stage. Friction stir welding uses a spinning pin that is inserted in the joint between two panels that are to be welded. The pin mechanically mixes the metal together below the melting temperature to form the weld. Friction stir welding allows high strength joints in metals that would otherwise lose much of their strength as they are melted during the fusion welding process. One significant change from the Space Shuttle that impacts NDE is the implementation of self-reacting friction stir welding for non-linear welds on the primary metallic structure. The self-reacting technique differs from the conventional technique because the load of the pin tool pressing down on the metal being joined is reacted by a nut on the end of the tool rather than an anvil behind the part. No spacecraft has ever flown with a self-reacting friction stir weld, so this is a major advancement in the manufacturing process, bringing with it a whole new set of challenges for NDE to overcome. Another impact is the proposed usage of an aluminum face sheet, phenolic honeycomb sandwich structure for a common bulkhead between the fuel and oxidizer tanks. This design was used on the second stage of Saturn IB and the second and third stages of Saturn V, but both the manufacturing and subsequent inspection were very costly and time consuming so a more efficient inspection method is sought. The current state of development of these inspections will be presented, along with other information pertinent to NDE of the Ares I.

Richter, Joel↗
NASA NTRS2009

Altair Lunar Lander Consumables Management

The Altair lunar lander is scheduled to return humans to the moon in the year 2020. Keeping the crew of 4 and the vehicle functioning at their best while minimizing lander mass requires careful budgeting and management of consumables and cooperation with other constellation elements. Consumables discussed here include fluids, gasses, and energy. This paper presents the lander's missions and constraints as they relate to consumables and the design solutions that have been employed in recent Altair conceptual designs.

Polsgrove, Tara↗
NASA NTRS2010

Development of Weld Inspection of the Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle Upper Stage

NASA is designing a new crewed launch vehicle called Ares I to replace the Space Shuttle after its scheduled retirement in 2010. This new launch vehicle will build on the Shuttle technology in many ways including using a first stage based upon the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster, advanced aluminum alloys for the second stage tanks, and friction stir welding to assemble the second stage. Friction stir welding uses a spinning pin that is inserted in the joint between two panels that are to be welded. The pin mechanically mixes the metal together below the melting temperature to form the weld. Friction stir welding allows high strength joints in metals that would otherwise lose much of their strength as they are melted during the fusion welding process. One significant change from the Space Shuttle that impacts NDE is the implementation of self-reacting friction stir welding for non-linear welds on the primary metallic structure. The self-reacting technique differs from the conventional technique because the load of the pin tool pressing down on the metal being joined is reacted by a nut on the end of the tool rather than an anvil behind the part. No spacecraft has ever flown with a self-reacting friction stir weld, so this is a major advancement in the manufacturing process, bringing with it a whole new set of challenges for NDE to overcome. The metal microstructure and possible defects are different from other weld processes. Friction plug welds will be used to close out the hole remaining in the radial welds when friction stir welded. This plug welding also has unique challenges in inspection. The current state of development of these inspections will be presented, along with other information pertinent to NDE of the Ares I.

Russell, Sam↗
NASA NTRS2014

Trajectory Design Analysis over the Lunar Nodal Cycle for the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2)

The first crewed mission, Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2), for the MPCV Orion spacecraft is scheduled for August 2021, and its current mission is to orbit the Moon in a highly elliptical lunar orbit for 3 days. A 21-year scan was performed to identify feasible missions that satisfy the propulsive capabilities of the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) and MPCV Service Module (SM). The mission is divided into 4 phases: (1) a lunar free return trajectory, (2) a hybrid maneuver, during the translunar coast, to lower the approach perilune altitude to 100 km, (3) lunar orbit insertion into a 100 x 10,000 km orbit, and (4) lunar orbit loiter and Earth return to a splashdown off the coast of Southern California. Trajectory data was collected for all feasible missions and converted to information that influence different subsystems including propulsion, power, thermal, communications, and mission operations. The complete 21-year scan data shows seasonal effects that are due to the Earth-Moon geometry and the initial Earth parking orbit. The data and information is also useful to identify mission opportunities around the current planned launch date for EM-2.

Gutkowski, Jeffrey P.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Innovative Development of a Cross-Center Timeline Planning Tool

The Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is the United States focal point to support operations controllers and payload developers conducting payload science operations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Some of the key functions are planning, coordination and scheduling of science activities. This effort occurs in coordination with other NASA centers, international partners, and payload developers. The ability to efficiently plan and re-plan in response to change is critical to the flight planning teams. Additionally, in Fall 2017, NASA will increase its ability to perform payload science operations aboard the ISS with a fourth crew member. In order to support this, there will be an increasing need to quickly plan and schedule more activities. In the past, it was cumbersome and time-consuming to consolidate copious amounts of planning and change request data from various sources. Planners would summarize information from the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Operations Planning Timeline Integration System (OPTIMIS) and manually integrate it with other data in order to produce a Timeline Planning Summary (TPS). This lengthy process of updating static documents while planning and re-planning was cumbersome, introduced human error, and was inflexible to last minute changes. There was a need for a dynamic, more efficient, less erroneous, and more concise way of building a report that could be readily updated as fast as payload science plans change.

Pedoto, Ramon W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Maneuver Reconstruction, Tracking Scheduling, and Bias Estimation in the Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO)

NASA’s Gateway program will build a crew-tended station in an Earth-Moon Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) to support deep space missions to the lunar surface and heliocentric space. The station in the NRHO will be tracked by the Deep Space Network (DSN) with 2-way radiometric tracking data to produce an estimated state that is utilized to target Orbit Maintenance Maneuvers (OMMs). However, the tracking data is corrupted with measurement noise and range bias, which results in state estimation error and OMM execution error. This paper reports on analysis performed to improve the geometry of the tracking data problem with the inclusion of cross-hemispheric partner sites and explores the performance impact of handovers between partner sites and DSN sites. The OMM execution error is estimated directly using a Batch Least Squares (BLS) process, and the range bias estimation is analyzed among both original DSN sites and a combined DSN + partner sites scenario.

Clark P Newman↗