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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 NTRS1993

A coupled subsurface-boundary layer model of water on Mars

A 1D numerical model of the exchange of H2O between the atmosphere and subsurface of Mars through the PBL is employed to explore the mechanisms of H2O exchange and to elucidate the role played by the regolith in the local H2O budget. The atmospheric model includes effects of Coriolis, pressure gradient, and frictional forces for momentum: radiation, sensible heat flux, and advection for heat. It is suggested that in most cases, the flux through the Martian surface reverses twice in the course of each sol. The effects of surface albedo, thermal inertia, solar declination, atmospheric optical depth, and regolith pore structure are explored. It is proposed that higher thermal inertia forces more H2O into the atmosphere because the regolith is warmer at depth.

Zent, Aaron P.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Survey Plan For Characterization of the Subsurface Underlying the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama

Topic considered include: survey objectives; technologies for non-Invasive imaging of subsurface; cost; data requirements and sources; climatic condition; hydrology and geology; chemicals; magnetometry; electrical(resistivity, potential); optical-style imaging; reflection/refraction seismics; gravitometry; photo-acoustic activation;well drilling and borehole analysis; comparative assessment matrix; ground sensors; choice of the neutron sources; logistic of operations; system requirements; health and safety plans.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

The Mars Express Subsurface Radar: Water and Ice Detection in the Polar Regions

The European Space Agency (ESA) will conduct a mission to Mars during the 2003 launch opportunity, called Mars Express. Much of the payload is similar to that of the failed Mars 96 orbiter, but a completely new instrument has been selected for the payload, the Subsurface Sounding Radar/Altimeter (SSRA). The SSRA experiment is a joint project between the University of Rome, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Alenia Aerospazio, Italy. This paper describes the science objectives of the experiment, the instrument characteristics, and applications of the SSRA investigation to studies of the martian polar regions.

Plaut, J. J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Microbial Life in the Deep Subsurface: Deep, Hot and Radioactive

Recent studies, motivated in part by the search for extraterrestrial life, continue to expand the recognized limits of Earth's biosphere. This work explored evidence for life a high-temperature, radioactive environment in the deep subsurface.

DeStefano, Andrea L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Development of Wireless Subsurface Microsensors for Health Monitoring of Thermal Protection Systems

Low cost access to space is a primary goal for both NASA and the U.S. aerospace industry. Integrated subsystem health diagnostics is an area where major improvements have been identified for potential implementation into the design of new reusable launch vehicles (RLVS) in order to reduce life cycle costs, increase safety margins and improve mission reliability. A number of efforts are underway to use existing and emerging technologies to establish new methods for vehicle health monitoring on operational vehicles as well as X-vehicles. This paper summarizes a joint effort between several NASA centers and industry partners to develop rapid wireless diagnostic tools for failure management and long-term TPS performance monitoring of thermal protection systems (TPS) on future RLVS. An embedded wireless microsensor suite is being designed to allow rapid subsurface TPS health monitoring and damage assessment. This sensor suite will consist of both passive overlimit sensors and sensors for continuous parameter monitoring in flight. The on-board diagnostic system can be used to radio in maintenance requirements before landing and the data could also be used to assist in design validation for X-vehicles. For a 3rd generation vehicle, wireless diagnostics should be at a stage of technical development that will allow use for intelligent feedback systems for guidance and navigation control applications and can also serve as feedback for TPS that can intelligently adapt to its environment.

Pallix, Joan↗
NASA NTRS2000

Summary of the Issues Regarding The Martian Subsurface Explorer

This is a summary of research work accomplished to date for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by the Colorado School of Mines and the Michigan Technological University for the Martian Subsurface Explorer (SSX). The task involved a thorough review of the state of the art in drilling in the petroleum and mining industries in the following areas: 1) Drilling mechanics and energy requirements. 2) Sidewall friction in boreholes. 3) Rock property characteristics of basalt, permafrost, and ice. 4) Cuttings transport and recompaction of cuttings. and 5) Directional control at odd angle interfaces.

Eustes, A. W., III↗
NASA NTRS2000

Examination of a Deep Subsurface Mars Polar Cap Mission to Address Climate History

We have examined the technological readiness of a mission to the Mars north polar area for the science objective of developing a climate history. We argue that the polar regions are scientifically extremely important mission sites from the perspectives of both climate history and astrobiology and that a polar deep subsurface mission would constitute a serious challenge and significant accomplishment. Thus a key question is: What is the technical readiness status of such a mission? Additional information is contained in original extended abstract.

Carsey, F. D.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Subsurface Explorer for Deep Underground Exploration on Mars

A subsurface explorer (SSX) is being developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory which is suitable for exploration of the deep underground environments on Mars. The device is a self-contained piledriver which uses a novel 'spinning hammer' technology to convert a small continuous power feed from the surface over a two-wire tether into a large rotational energy of a spinning mass. The rotational energy is converted to translational energy by a novel mechanism described here. The hammer blows propagate as shock waves through a nosepiece, pulverizing the medium ahead of the SSX. A small portion of the pulverized medium is returned to the surface through a hole liner extending behind the SSX. This tube is 'cast in place' from two chemical feedstocks which come down from the surface through passages in the hole liner and which are reacted together to produce new material with which to produce the hole liner. The lined hole does not need to be the full diameter of the SSX: approximately 100 kilograms of liner material can create a tunnel liner with a three millimeter inside diameter and a six millimeter outside diameter with at total length of four kilometers. Thus it is expected that core samples representing an overlapping set of three-millimeter diameter cores extending the entire length of the SSX traverse could be returned to the surface. A pneumatic prototype has been built which penetrated easily to the bottom of an eight meter vertical test facility. An electric prototype is now under construction. It is expected that the SSX will be able to penetrate through sand or mixed regolith, ice, permafrost, or solid rock, such as basalt. For pure or nearly pure ice applications, the device may be augmented with hot water jets to melt the ice and stir any sediment which may build up ahead of the vehicle. It is expected that an SSX approximately one meter long, three to four centimeters in diameter, and with a power budget of approximately 200 Watts will be able to explore up to approximately five kilometers deep at the rate of about ten meters per day.

Wilcox, B. H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Subsurface Science from a Penetrator

Much of what we know about the geologic history and present state of Mars is based upon interpretations of data collected from the immediate surface. Unweathered soil samples covered by dust and sand sized particles may provide clues about the role of water and the biological history of the planet. The use of drills and scoops to obtain such samples for lander-based instruments implies the development of relatively large, sophisticated platforms. Small (several kilograms), scientifically focussed penetrators can carry instruments to the subsurface and should be included in the Mars exploration strategy.

Yen, Albert S.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Subsurface Exploration Technologies and Strategies for Europa

The Galileo data from Europa has resulted in the strong suggestion of a large, cold, salty, old subglacial ocean and is of great importance. We have examined technology requirements for subsurface exploration of Europa and determined that scientific access to the hypothesized Europa ocean is a key requirement. By 'scientific access' we intend to direct attention to the fact that several aspects of exploration of a site such as Europa must be addressed at the system level. Specifically needed are a robotic vehicle that can descend through ice, scientific instrumentation that can interrogate the ice near the vehicle (but largely unaffected by its presence), scientific instrumentation for the subglacial ocean, communication for data and control, chemical analysis of the environment of the vehicle in the ice as well as the ocean, and methods for conducting the mission without contamination. We have embarked on a part of this extremely ambitious development sequence by developing the Active Thermal Probe, or Cryobot. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

French, L. C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

The System and Implementation Aspects of the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding (MARSIS)

MARSIS is a radar sounder operating in the HF frequency range to sound the surface of Mars, which will operate from the ESA Mars Express spacecraft. It is scheduled for launch from Baikonour, Russia in June 2003 and arrives in orbit around Mars in early 2004 for a two-year mission. This system is the result of an international collaboration between NASA, the Italian Space Agency (ASI), and European Space Agency (ESA). The MARSIS instrument is a 17 Kilogram total mass sounder consisting of a 40 meter tip-to-tip dipole antenna, a 7 meter long monopole antenna and the electronics module. This design of MARSIS is a tradeoff between the expected penetration into the Martian subsurface that is proportional to the wavelength of the system and the desire to operate at a short wavelength in order to minimize the effects of the ionosphere. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Jordan, R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Subsurface Intertidal Microbes: A Cryptic Source Of Organic Carbon For Beach Ecosystems

Some freshwater, marine or hotspring beaches have no visible source of primary production, yet beneath the surface is an interstitial photosynthetic microbial community. To assess the significance of this source of organic carbon, we measured in situ carbon fixation rates in an intertidal marine beach through a diurnal cycle. Gross fixation for a transect (99 x 1 m) perpendicular to the shore was approx. 4041 mg C fixed/ day, or approx. 41 mg C fixed/ sq m day. In contrast, an adjacent well-established cyanobacterial (Lyngbya) mat was approx. 12 x as productive (approx. 490 mg C fixed/sq m day). Thus, subsurface sand mats may be an overlooked, yet important, endogenous source of organic carbon for intertidal ecosystems, as well as a sink in the global carbon cycle.

Rothschild, Lynn J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Is Europa's Subsurface Water Ocean Warm?

Europa's subsurface water ocean may be warm: that is, at the temperature of water's maximum density. This provides a natural explanation of chaos melt-through events and leads to a correct estimate of the age of its surface. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Melosh, H. J.↗