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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Biosentinel: Update on Extended Mission Operations

BioSentinel has achieved unprecedented performance of an SLS secondary payload due to preparation, planning, and a robust design. Following the conclusion of the primary science mission in April 2023, the Linear Energy Transfer (LET) Spectrometer has continued to collect solar and galactic radiation data from its unique location in heliocentric orbit. The free space dataset offered by the BioSentinel LET is a valuable source of data for both model validation and future mission planning. As the spacecraft travels farther from Earth it is poised to provide longitudinally distributed measurements of solar particle events during solar maximum. Flight heritage has now been gained on many of the novel spacecraft components. The spacecraft bus continues to operate within the design envelope. The 3D-printed cold gas propulsion system provides momentum unloading from the reaction wheels. The power system has maintained power positive levels during flight. The IRIS radio communicates on a weekly basis with the Deep Space Network. The extended mission operations are allowing the team to characterize the performance of the spacecraft components over longer durations of operations. NASA Ames led development of the BioSentinel spacecraft and mission operations. The novel subsystems and COTS components that comprise the BioSentinel bus can serve as a template for future deep space missions. With over a year of continuous operations, the data will inform the next generation of interplanetary smallsat missions.

BioSentinel↗

NASA NTRS1976

Preentry communication design elements for outer planets atmospheric entry probe

Four related tasks are discussed for data transmission from a probe prior to entering the atmosphere of Jupiter to an orbiting spacecraft in a trajectory past the planet: (1) link analysis and design; (2) system conceptual design; (3) Doppler measurement analysis; and (4) an electronically despun antenna. For tasks 1, 3, and 4, an analytical approach was developed and combined with computational capability available to produce quantitative results corresponding to requirements and constraints given by NASA, ARC. One constraint having a major impact on the numerical results of the link analysis was the assumption of a nonsteerable antenna on a spinning orbiter. Other constraints included the interplanetary trajectory and the approach trajectory. Because the Jupiter Orbiter Probe (JOP) program is currently in a state of evolution, all requirements and constraints applied during this study are subject to change. However, the relationships of parameters as developed will remain valid and will aid in planning Jupiter missions.

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NASA NTRS2004

From Present Surveying to Future Prospecting of the Asteroid Belt

We have applied a future mission architecture, the Autonomous Nano-Technology Swarm (ANTS), to a proposed mission for in situ survey, or prospecting, of the asteroid belt, the Prospecting Asteroid Mission (PAM) as part of a NASA 2003 Revolutionary Aerospace Concept (RASC) study. ANTS architecture builds on and advances recent trends in robotics, artificial intelligence, and materials processing to minimize costs and maximize effectiveness of space operations. PAM and other applications have been proposed for the survey of inaccessible, high surface area populations of great interest from the standpoint of resources and/or solar system origin. The ANTS architecture is inspired by the success of social insect colonies, a success based on the division of labor within the colonies in two key ways: 1) within their specialties, individual specialists generally outperform generalists, and 2) with sufficiently efficient social interaction and coordination, the group of specialists generally outperforms the group of generalists. Thus systems designed as ANTS are built from potentially very large numbers of highly autonomous, yet socially interactive, elements. The architecture is self-similar in that elements and sub-elements of the system may also be recursively structured as ANTS on scales ranging from microscopic to interplanetary distances. Here, we analyze requirements for the mission application at the low gravity target end of the spectrum, the Prospecting Asteroid Mission (PAM), and for specialized autonomous operations which would support this mission. ANTS as applied to PAM involves the activities of hundreds of individual specialist 'sciencecraft'. Most of them, called Workers, carry and operate eight to nine different scientific instruments, as listed in the table, including spectrometers, ranging and radio science devices, and imagers. The remaining specialists, Messenger/Rulers, provide communication and coordination functions among specialists operating autonomously as individuals, team members, and subswarms.

Clark, P. E.↗

NASA NTRS2005

An Advanced Orbiting Systems Approach to Quality of Service in Space-Based Intelligent Communication Networks

As humans and robotic technologies are deployed in future constellation systems, differing traffic services will arise, e.g., realtime and non-realtime. In order to provide a quality of service framework that would allow humans and robotic technologies to interoperate over a wide and dynamic range of interactions, a method of classifying data as realtime or non-realtime is needed. In our paper, we present an approach that leverages the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) data link protocol. Specifically, we redefine the AOS Transfer Frame Replay Flag in order to provide an automated store-and-forward approach on a per-service basis for use in the next-generation Interplanetary Network. In addition to addressing the problem of intermittent connectivity and associated services, we propose a follow-on methodology for prioritizing data through further modification of the AOS Transfer Frame.

Riha, Andrew P.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Space Flight Middleware: Remote AMS over DTN for Delay-Tolerant Messaging

This paper describes a technique for implementing scalable, reliable, multi-source multipoint data distribution in space flight communications -- Delay-Tolerant Reliable Multicast (DTRM) -- that is fully supported by the "Remote AMS" (RAMS) protocol of the Asynchronous Message Service (AMS) proposed for standardization within the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS). The DTRM architecture enables applications to easily "publish" messages that will be reliably and efficiently delivered to an arbitrary number of "subscribing" applications residing anywhere in the space network, whether in the same subnet or in a subnet on a remote planet or vehicle separated by many light minutes of interplanetary space. The architecture comprises multiple levels of protocol, each included for a specific purpose and allocated specific responsibilities: "application AMS" traffic performs end-system data introduction and delivery subject to access control; underlying "remote AMS" directs this application traffic to populations of recipients at remote locations in a multicast distribution tree, enabling the architecture to scale up to large networks; further underlying Delay-Tolerant Networking (DTN) Bundle Protocol (BP) advances RAMS protocol data units through the distribution tree using delay-tolerant storeand- forward methods; and further underlying reliable "convergence-layer" protocols ensure successful data transfer over each segment of the end-to-end route. The result is scalable, reliable, delay-tolerant multi-source multicast that is largely self-configuring.

Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN)↗

NASA NTRS2013

Contact Graph Routing Enhancements Developed in ION for DTN

The Interplanetary Overlay Network (ION) software suite is an open-source, flight-ready implementation of networking protocols including the Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) Bundle Protocol (BP), the CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) File Delivery Protocol (CFDP), and many others including the Contact Graph Routing (CGR) DTN routing system. While DTN offers the capability to tolerate disruption and long signal propagation delays in transmission, without an appropriate routing protocol, no data can be delivered. CGR was built for space exploration networks with scheduled communication opportunities (typically based on trajectories and orbits), represented as a contact graph. Since CGR uses knowledge of future connectivity, the contact graph can grow rather large, and so efficient processing is desired. These enhancements allow CGR to scale to predicted NASA space network complexities and beyond. This software improves upon CGR by adopting an earliest-arrival-time cost metric and using the Dijkstra path selection algorithm. Moving to Dijkstra path selection also enables construction of an earliest- arrival-time tree for multicast routing. The enhancements have been rolled into ION 3.0 available on sourceforge.net.

Segui, John S.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Advances in Modeling Solar System Internet Structures and their Data Flows

With an ever-increasing presence in space, there is also an increasing burden on existing communications infrastructure. We are heading towards an inflection point where the traditional approach of scheduled, single-path communications for space will no longer be viable. One answer is Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), which takes the once disparate system of point-to-point links and unifies them in a networked architecture, thereby making communications more scalable. However, much work remains for discovering and harnessing the underlying theory of DTN. For example, in the terrestrial setting the interplay between routing domains is well-understood, however this is not the case in DTNs. In this paper, we build up the fundamental foundations of DTN, with an emphasis on modeling time varying networks and data flows across them, with examples of cross-domain routing in a DTN. A lofty goal of DTN is to enable the so-called Solar System Internet (SSI), which implies a standardized and robust suite of protocols. These protocols include routing across disconnected networks using store, carry, and forward mechanisms, which is necessary due to the disconnections, delays, and mobility intrinsic to space networks. Due to these factors, each of which generalize traditional networking, there is a deep and rich theory of DTNs. Here we build off of past successes to broaden this theory while striving to keep actionable results a goal for future implementations and operations. The approach includes modeling the unicast, broadcast, and multicast communications using the language of hypergraphs, which capture the geometric properties of such networked communications algebraically. Also inherent to these networks is their time-varying nature, particularly given mobility, and hence we also cultivate modeling techniques that respect this time dependence. This leads us to develop models using tools from category theory and algebraic geometry, which provide a language well-suited to describing synchronization and optimization over such networks. We also introduce and study a novel generalization of curvature applicable to time-evolving networks, which provides quantitative controls on diffusion processes on the network. Because an interplanetary network would feature links with propagation delays the preclude discovery (feedback) mechanisms, they will always feature a scheduled component. However, it is beneficial to support discovery where possible. While DTNs do not yet have strong definitions for their analogues of autonomous systems or network areas, we show how to join dynamic and schedule-based routing domains, using the language of sheaves, which marks progress towards such definitions. We conclude with a discussion of the progress made, as well as suggestions for future work.

Delay Tolerant Networking↗

NASA NTRS1990

Hypercubes for critical spacecraft command verification

Interplanetary spacecraft are controlled with sets of onboard commands called 'sequences' that control the spacecraft for hours, days, or weeks depending upon the craft and its current activity phase. The sequence-checking problem, with some examples from practical experience, and the technical challenges of implementing sequence checking on a parallel computer are presented. Hypercube applications including computational-physics problems, 'optimistic' and 'conservative' categories are discussed. Finally, future development and prototype ways of balancing the checking network across the hypercube nodes, handling time dependencies among the checks, and minimizing communication are described.

Horvath, Joan C.↗

NASA NTRS1998

A Spherical Torus Nuclear Fusion Reactor Space Propulsion Vehicle Concept for Fast Interplanetary Travel

A conceptual vehicle design enabling fast outer solar system travel was produced predicated on a small aspect ratio spherical torus nuclear fusion reactor. Initial requirements were for a human mission to Saturn with a greater than 5% payload mass fraction and a one way trip time of less than one year. Analysis revealed that the vehicle could deliver a 108 mt crew habitat payload to Saturn rendezvous in 235 days, with an initial mass in low Earth orbit of 2,941 mt. Engineering conceptual design, analysis, and assessment was performed on all ma or systems including payload, central truss, nuclear reactor (including divertor and fuel injector), power conversion (including turbine, compressor, alternator, radiator, recuperator, and conditioning), magnetic nozzle, neutral beam injector, tankage, start/re-start reactor and battery, refrigeration, communications, reaction control, and in-space operations. Detailed assessment was done on reactor operations, including plasma characteristics, power balance, power utilization, and component design.

Williams, Craig H.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Safe Laser Beam Propagation for Interplanetary Links

Ground-to-space laser uplinks to Earth–orbiting satellites and deep space probes serve both as a beacon and an uplink command channel for deep space probes and Earth-orbiting satellites. An acquisition and tracking point design to support a high bandwidth downlink from a 20-cm optical terminal on an orbiting Mars spacecraft typically calls for 2.5 kW of 1030-nm uplink optical power in 40 micro-radians divergent beams.2 The NOHD (nominal ocular hazard distance) of the 1030nm uplink is in excess of 2E5 km, approximately half the distance to the moon. Recognizing the possible threat of high power laser uplinks to the flying public and to sensitive Earth-orbiting satellites, JPL developed a three-tiered system at its Optical Communications Telescope Laboratory (OCTL) to ensure safe laser beam propagation through navigational and near-Earth space.

Optical communications↗

NASA NTRS2011

The Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (ISIS): Energetic Particle Measurements for the Solar Probe Plus Mission

One of the major goals of NASA's Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission is to determine the mechanisms that accelerate and transport high-energy particles from the solar atmosphere out into the heliosphere. Processes such as coronal mass ejections and solar flares, which peak roughly every 11 years around solar maximum, release huge quantities of energized matter, magnetic fields and electromagnetic radiation into space. The high-energy particles, known as solar energetic particles or SEPs, present a serious radiation threat to human explorers living and working outside low-Earth orbit and to technological assets such as communications and scientific satellites in space. This talk describes the Integrated Science Investigation of the Sun (ISIS) - Energetic Particle Instrument suite. ISIS measures key properties such as intensities, energy spectra, composition, and angular distributions of the low-energy suprathermal source populations, as well as the more hazardous, higher energy particles ejected from the Sun. By making the first-ever direct measurements of the near-Sun regions where the acceleration takes place, ISIS will provide the critical measurements that, when integrated with other SPP instruments and with solar and interplanetary observations, will lead to a revolutionary new understanding of the Sun and major drivers of solar system space weather.

McComas, D. J.↗

NASA NTRS1990

Project WISH: The Emerald City

When Project WISH (Wandering Interplanetary Space Harbor) was initiated as a multi-year project, several design requirements were specified. The space station must have a lifetime of at least 50 years, be autonomous and independent of Earth resources, be capable of traveling throughout the solar system within a maximum flight time of three years, and have a population of 500 to 1000 people. The purpose of the station is to provide a permanent home for space colonists and to serve as a service station for space missions. The orbital mechanics, propulsion system, vehicle dynamics and control, life support system, communication system, power system, and thermal system are discussed.

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NASA NTRS1980

Polynomial striction algorithms in the detection and determination of the characteristics of non-stationary phenomena

The effectiveness of the algorithm of polynomial striction of the data is examined, and the selection of an algorithm is carried out, according to the results of measurements of the components of the permanent magnetic field in communication sequences from the Venera-9 space vehicle, where the shock waves were recorded. It is shown that the most effective algorithm, according to the coefficient of striction, is the algorithm of the zero order interpolator. Also examined is the increase in effectiveness with the introduction of a variable threshold of comparison. The root-mean-square deviation of the error of regeneration of the data with various thresholds is calculated, and qualitative analysis of the distortions is carried out, having shown a considerable change in the form of the small discontinuities, which may be interpreted as potential interplanetary shock waves.

Yevdokimov, V. P.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Calibrating Atmospheric Delay for the Cassini Gravitational Wave Experiment

The Cassini spacecraft together with one of the stations of the Deep Space Network (DSN) have been instrumented to carry out extremely precise Doppler tracking that will be used to search for the direct evidence of Gravitational radiation passing through our solar system. The two-way communications link between the ground antenna and the spacecraft constitute an "antenna" for gravitational waves that would perturb the phase of the RF signal in the link. The experiments will be carried out during the long cruise phase of the spacecraft on its journey to Saturn and will be sensitive to gravitational wave perturbations larger than the noise level fluctuations of 3 x 10(exp -15) as measured in the Allan Standard Deviation domain. The use of simultaneous, coherent X- and Ka-Band up and down signals will reduce the errors associated with charged particle fluctuations in the interplanetary medium and Earth's ionosphere to a negligible level. The primary fluctuations in the phase of the signals both to and from the spacecraft are expected to be caused by fluctuations in water vapor in the Earth's atmosphere We have designed and are testing a new atmospheric calibration system (with duplicate components) to sense line-of-sight water vapor and its physical temperature with a goal of calibrating 95% or more of tropospheric path delay fluctuations during the Cassini Gravitational Wave Experiment (GWE). The critical component of the calibration system consists of a newly designed water vapor radiometer having a I degree sensing beamwidth and 0.01 K brightness temperature stability over hour time scales. Auxiliary instrumentation includes a microwave temperature profiler to retrieve the vertical distribution of the vapor physical temperature, and surface meteorology. A detailed error budget has been developed to account for all of the possible sources of error during calibration of the GWE and will be discussed. Two identical calibration systems have been constructed in order to provide capability as well as backup during the actual GWE experiment. We will report on side-by-side testing of the vapor and temperature sensing components of this calibrations system as well as a comparison with a short baseline radio interferometric measurement at our Goldstone complex.

Resch, G. M.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Cloudy with a Chance of Solar Flares: The Sun as a Natural Hazard

Space weather is a naturally occurring phenomenon that represents a quantifiable risk to space- and ground-based infrastructure as well as society at large. Space weather hazards include permanent and correctable faults in computer systems, Global Positioning System (GPS) and high-frequency communication disturbances, increased airline passenger and astronaut radiation exposure, and electric grid disruption. From the National Space Weather Strategy, published by the Office of Science and Technology Policy in October 2015, space weather refers to the dynamic conditions of the space environment that arise from emissions from the Sun, which include solar flares, solar energetic particles, and coronal mass ejections. These emissions can interact with Earth and its surrounding space, including the Earth's magnetic field, potentially disrupting technologies and infrastructures. Space weather is measured using a range of space- and ground-based platforms that directly monitor the Sun, the Earth's magnetic field, the conditions in interplanetary space and impacts at Earth's surface, like neutron ground-level enhancement. The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Space Weather Research Center and their international collaborators in government, industry, and academia are working towards improved techniques for predicting space weather as part of the strategy and action plan to better quantify and mitigate space weather hazards. In addition to accurately measuring and predicting space weather, we also need to continue developing more advanced techniques for evaluating space weather impacts on space- and ground-based infrastructure. Within the Earth's atmosphere, elevated neutron flux driven by atmosphere-particle interactions from space weather is a primary risk source. Ground-based neutron sources form an essential foundation for quantifying space weather impacts in a variety of systems.

neutron flux↗

NASA NTRS2018

The TechEdSat-N Series: A Collaborative Technology Development Platform in the Nano-Satellite Form Factor

The TechEdSat-1 (TES-1) was the first U.S. CubeSat to be deployed from the ISS (International Space Station). This permitted the initiation of a flight series that has recently de-orbited the 6th nano-satellite with subsequent numbers 7-10 under development. The nano-satellites range from 1U (1 unit) to 6U (TechEdSat-8) but have the critical ISS Safety design features standardized in order to focus on the particular experiment objectives. Incremental experimental development has included unique communication subsystems such as command/control of the nanosatellite through email commands -as well as a recent record for Wifi transmission. Also, the thermophysics of controlled drag devices (Exo-Brake) has been developed which will prelude sample return and planetary exploration applications. The successful "rapid incremental experiment" approach has also been incorporated into collaborations with academia, permitting professors/student interns to be exposed to the rigors of space mission hardware design and execution. The TechEdSat-8, a linear 6U configuration, allows for 5 different groups to contribute an "experiment, sensor, or sub-system" through a well-defined common interface. Lastly, the flying laboratory concept is helpful in developing future interplanetary nano-satellite subsystems which will advance exploration goals by allowing rapid demonstration/validation first in LEO (Low Earth Orbit).

Small Payload Quick Return↗

NASA NTRS2008

Evolutionary Paths to Internationally-Standardized Space Internetworking

The space community is now poised at the start of an exciting new era of space exploration, where many different organization will be launching spacecraft to investigate nearby bodies, such as the Moon and Mars. International fleets of spacecraft are thus likely to begin to fly and interoperability will often become a mission-enabling technology. These fleets will require a mix of powerful data communications capabilities to be available, ranging from conventional point-to-point architectures to new configurations supporting internetworked operations. This paper reviews the various CCSDS capabilities to support fully-standardized in-space internetworking, and outlines a strategy for smoothly evolving into the new era with minimum impact on the highly successful installed base of CCSDS-compatible systems, which are now widely deployed across the international space community.

Space Internet↗

NASA NTRS2008

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2008

Topics covered include: Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing; Algorithm for Wavefront Sensing Using an Extended Scene; CO2 Sensors Based on Nanocrystalline SnO2 Doped with CuO; Improved Airborne System for Sensing Wildfires; VHF Wide-Band, Dual-Polarization Microstrip-Patch Antenna; Onboard Data Processor for Change-Detection Radar Imaging; Using LDPC Code Constraints to Aid Recovery of Symbol Timing; System for Measuring Flexing of a Large Spaceborne Structure; Integrated Formation Optical Communication and Estimation System; Making Superconducting Welds between Superconducting Wires; Method for Thermal Spraying of Coatings Using Resonant-Pulsed Combustion; Coating Reduces Ice Adhesion; Hybrid Multifoil Aerogel Thermal Insulation; SHINE Virtual Machine Model for In-flight Updates of Critical Mission Software; Mars Image Collection Mosaic Builder; Providing Internet Access to High-Resolution Mars Images; Providing Internet Access to High-Resolution Lunar Images; Expressions Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program Virtual Satellite; Small-Body Extensions for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP); Scripting Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP); XML-Based SHINE Knowledge Base Interchange Language; Core Technical Capability Laboratory Management System; MRO SOW Daily Script; Tool for Inspecting Alignment of Twinaxial Connectors; An ATP System for Deep-Space Optical Communication; Polar Traverse Rover Instrument; Expert System Control of Plant Growth in an Enclosed Space; Detecting Phycocyanin-Pigmented Microbes in Reflected Light; DMAC and NMP as Electrolyte Additives for Li-Ion Cells; Mass Spectrometer Containing Multiple Fixed Collectors; Waveguide Harmonic Generator for the SIM; Whispering Gallery Mode Resonator with Orthogonally Reconfigurable Filter Function; Stable Calibration of Raman Lidar Water-Vapor Measurements; Bimaterial Thermal Compensators for WGM Resonators; Root Source Analysis/ValuStream[Trade Mark] - A Methodology for Identifying and Managing Risks; Ensemble: an Architecture for Mission-Operations Software; Object Recognition Using Feature-and Color-Based Methods; On-Orbit Multi-Field Wavefront Control with a Kalman Filter; and The Interplanetary Overlay Networking Protocol Accelerator.

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