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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 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2011

Reliability of Sn/Pb and Lead-Free (SnAgCu) Solders of Surface Mounted Miniaturized Passive Components for Extreme Temperature (-185 C to +125 C) Space Missions

Surface mount electronic package test boards have been assembled using tin/lead (Sn/Pb) and lead-free (Pb-free or SnAgCu or SAC305) solders. The soldered surface mount packages include ball grid arrays (BGA), flat packs, various sizes of passive chip components, etc. They have been optically inspected after assembly and subsequently subjected to extreme temperature thermal cycling to assess their reliability or future deep space, long-term, extreme temperature environmental missions. In this study, the employed temperature range (-185oC to +125oC) covers military specifications (-55oC to +100oC), extreme old Martian (-120oC to +115oC), asteroid Nereus (-180oC to +25oC) and JUNO (-150oC to +120oC) environments. The boards were inspected at room temperature and at various intervals as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and bake duration. Electrical resistance measurements made at room temperature are reported and the tests to date have shown some change in resistance as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling and some showed increase in resistance. However, the change in interconnect resistance becomes more noticeable with increasing number of thermal cycles. Further research work will be carried out to understand the reliability of packages under extreme temperature applications (-185oC to +125oC) via continuously monitoring the daisy chain resistance for BGA, Flat-packs, lead less chip packages, etc. This paper will describe the experimental reliability results of miniaturized passive components (01005, 0201, 0402, 0603, 0805, and 1206) assembled using surface mounting processes with tin-lead and lead-free solder alloys under extreme temperature environments.

extreme temperatures,↗
NASA NTRS2009

Compact Deep-Space Optical Communications Transceiver

Deep space optical communication transceivers must be very efficient receivers and transmitters of optical communication signals. For deep space missions, communication systems require high performance well beyond the scope of mere power efficiency, demanding maximum performance in relation to the precious and limited mass, volume, and power allocated. This paper describes the opto-mechanical design of a compact, efficient, functional brassboard deep space transceiver that is capable of achieving megabyte-per-second rates at Mars ranges. The special features embodied to enhance the system operability and functionality, and to reduce the mass and volume of the system are detailed. System tests and performance characteristics are described in detail. Finally, lessons learned in the implementation of the brassboard design and suggestions for improvements appropriate for a flight prototype are covered.

DSOCT↗
NASA NTRS2017

Twin Telescope Tests: Assessing Station Oriented Systematic Errors

Each of NASA’s three Deep Space Network sites has multiple large antennas capable of acquiring VLBI data. The long range plan is to have four 34-meter beam waveguide antennas at each site. At present Goldstone has three, Canberra has three, and Madrid has two with two more under construction. These antennas offer the opportunity to do connected element interferometry (CEI) over the few hundred meter baselines within each complex. Given that all antennas within a site are of nominally the same structural design, are run off the same clock, observe through almost the same atmosphere, and are subject to almost the same geophysics, doing CEI experiments is an excellent way to probe the limits of VLBI accuracy and expose station-specific systematic errors. This paper will report the results of just such tests which achieved about 0.2 mm baseline precision per pass. Some stations exhibit more than 1 mm systematics. Based on this data we will discuss the implications for whether the IAG’s goal of 1 mm station stability in VLBI geodesy is possible for large antennas.

Jacobs, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA’s and ESA’s Tracking Networks, A Decade of Strategic Partnership for Solar System Exploration

Planetary missions travel vast distances in the Solar System for valuable scientific exploration. Spacecraft return data to Earth via radio links that suffer power losses inversely proportional to the square of the distance, which forms a tremendous engineering challenge compounded by relatively low onboard transmitter power, typically 20 Watts at X-band (~8 GHz). Deep space missions are enabled only because leading space agencies invested in developing very large communications antennas as well as provided a sophisticated suite of tracking, telemetry and command standard services. NASA’s Deep Space Network and ESA’s ESTRACK network are distributed geographically to provide global coverage and utilize stations ranging in size from 34 meters to 70 meters in diameter. Over time, the expanding number of missions, increased requirements for redundancy during critical events as well as the drive for improved navigation accuracy via long-baseline interferometric techniques, increased the networks’ loading and strongly motivated collaboration between the two agencies. Ten years ago, NASA and ESA established a cross-support agreement in addition to multiple on-going mission-specific agreements to meet this need. This strategic partnership was enabled by the development of international inter-operability technical standards and compatible spectrum usage. Over recent years, many critical events were supported via these agreements and some scientific breakthroughs were enabled. A multi-nation tracking contention period envisioned in the near future will also benefit from this partnership. Due to its success over the last decade, the DSN-ESTRACK partnership is serving as a model for other agencies with deep space communication facilities and similar interest. This paper reviews the benefits and lessons learned from collaborative deep space exploration, especially via communications networks, and discusses the potential implementation of similar NASA agreements with other space agencies.

Costrell, Jim↗
NASA NTRS2018

Solar Torque Management for the Near Earth Asteroid Scout CubeSat Using Center of Mass Position Control

A novel mechanism, the Active Mass Translator (AMT), has been developed for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission to autonomously manage the spacecraft momentum. The NEA Scout CubeSat will launch as a secondary payload onboard Exploration Mission 1 of the Space Launch System. To accomplish its mission, the CubeSat will be propelled by an 86 square-meter solar sail during its two-year journey to reach asteroid 1991VG. NEA Scout's primary attitude control system uses reaction wheels for holding attitude and performing slew maneuvers, while a cold gas reaction control system performs the initial detumble and early trajectory correction maneuvers. The AMT control system requirements, feedback architecture, and control performance will be presented. The AMT reduces the amount of reaction control propellant needed for momentum management and allows for smaller capacity reaction wheels suitable for the limited 6U spacecraft volume. The reduced spacecraft mass allows higher in-space solar sail acceleration, thus reducing time-of-flight. The reduced time-of-flight opens the range of possible missions, which is limited by the lifetime of typical non-radiation tolerant CubeSat avionics exposed to the deep-space environment.

Orphee, Juan↗
NASA NTRS2018

The Origins Space Telescope Cryo-Thermal Architecture

The Origins Space Telescope (OST) is studied as a future Mid- and Far-Infrared flagship-class observatory. OST will cover the wavelength range from 6 to 600 microns. To reach the sky background for 200-micron wavelengths temperatures of 4 degrees Kelvin or lower are required. To achieve this low temperature active cooling is required, along with passive shielding and passive radiation to deep space. Currently two concepts are being studied: Concept 1 with a 9-meter-diameter primary and a suite of 5 extremely capable instruments providing both imaging and spectroscopy over the entire wavelength range. Concept 2 is a more modest sized telescope with a collecting area equivalent to a 5-meter primary, fewer deployments and 3 or 4 instruments also covering the entire wavelength range for imaging and spectroscopy, although with somewhat reduced spectroscopic resolution, and somewhat slower mapping speed. This paper will describe OST Concept 2's cryogenic thermal architecture and thermal model results.

Space Telescope↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Mars Observer differential one-way range demonstration

Current methods of angular spacecraft positioning using station differenced range data require an additional observation of an extragalactic radio source (quasar) to estimate the timing offset between the reference clocks at the two Deep Space Stations. The quasar observation is also used to reduce the effects of instrumental and media delays on the radio metric observable by forming a difference with the spacecraft observation (delta differential one-way range, delta DOR). An experiment has been completed using data from the Global Positioning System satellites to estimate the station clock offset, eliminating the need for the quasar observation. The requirements for direct measurement of the instrumental delays that must be made in the absence of a quasar observation are assessed. Finally, the results of the 'quasar-free' differential one-way range, or DOR, measurements of the Mars Observer spacecraft are compared with those of simultaneous conventional delta DOR measurements.

Kroger, P. M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The BioSensor Instrument Beyond LEIA: a Versatile Platform for Lunar Biology

Introduction: The BioSensor is a deep-space-compatible automated microfluidic culturing instrument. While originally designed to measure the effects of deep space radiation on yeast growth for the BioSentinel mission, it has the potential to host a diverse range of life science experiments with single- and/or multi-celled organisms and can be adapted to interface with a diverse range of platforms in both crewed and uncrewed settings. It is therefore a leading candidate for hosting life sciences experimentation associated with a lunar surface habitat. BioSensor design: The function of the BioSensor is to monitor the growth and metabolic activity of samples in batch fluidic culture, without the need for crew involvement. The current configuration houses organisms in 16 wells within 16 microfluidic cards, accommodating a total of 256 samples, replicates, and controls. Each well has an optical system including three LEDs and a photodiode detector to measure absorbance at three wavelengths, enabling measurement of optical density, color change in dyes such as alamarBlue, and bioproduction of pigmented compounds. Organisms are loaded into fluidic wells and air-dried for storage during integration, launch, and transit, then activated by the introduction of culture medium from storage bags via manifolds that fill one card at a time. Temperature is controlled by individual card heaters, and timing of all activities (fluidics fills, optical measurements, temperatures) is directed by an experiment script. The self-contained BioSensor payload is roughly 4U in volume; with electrical/mechanical/thermal interface, e.g. for operation on ISS or a lunar lander, as well as a linear energy-transfer (LET) charged-particle radiation spectrometer, the entire system is closer to 6U. BioSentinel and LEIA: Flown on the ISS and in a deep-space free flyer for BioSentinel, the BioSensor has been modified for use in the LEIA mission, including improvements to reduce the sensitivity to lengthy launch delays. LEIA will monitor yeast growth in the radiation and reduced-gravity environment of the lunar surface no earlier than 2026, on a CLPS lander [4]. Changes include accommodating additional culture media and an additional LED color for a new biological assay (bioproduction of carotenoids-- dietary antioxidants), as well as modifications to the housing to allow late-load biology changeout and improved isolation between fluidics and electronics. Future prospects: Future work with the BioSensor, beyond LEIA, will include expanding the range and diversity of organisms and assays accommodated. Preliminary work has demonstrated the growth of Arabidopsis seedlings in BioSensor fluidic cards, including optical measurements of growth rate over time. Minor modifications could allow measurement of phenotypes related to photosynthetic capacity in both plants and cyanobacteria. The experimental capabilities of the BioSensor could be dramatically increased by introducing the capability for fluorescence measurements, and/or the design of novel biological assays using luminescence. The BioSensor can also be adapted for new platforms and experiment settings; in addition to free-flyer, ISS, and CLPS lander, a preliminary design concept has been developed for crewed deployment directly to the lunar surface. The instrument could be accommodated inside a lunar habitat, where its automated operation would make it an excellent candidate for experiments from fundamental investigations into the response of organisms to lunar surface conditions to applied-science purposes such as screening engineered strains of various organisms for bioproduction capability.

J A Lee↗
NASA NTRS1993

Technical Characteristics and Accuracy Capabilities of Delta Differential One-Way Ranging (DeltaDOR) as a Spacecraft Navigation Tool

The technique of determining spacecraft angular position by Delta Differential One-Way Ranging (DeltaDOR) is described. The dependence of measurement accuracy on parameters which define the spacecraft signal spectrum is shown. An illustration of DeltaDOR measurement accuracy, using the Mars Observer spacecraft, is presented. Guidelines for specifying spacecraft tone spectra are presented based on typical accuracy and ambiguity resolution needs, on frequency allocation for deep space tracking, on the efficient use of spacecraft signal power, and on the efficient use of ground tracking resources.

VLBI Very Long Baseline Interferometry DOR tones D↗
NASA NTRS2015

Addressing Human System Risks to Future Space Exploration

NASA is contemplating future human exploration missions to destinations beyond low Earth orbit, including the Moon, deep-space asteroids, and Mars. While we have learned much about protecting crew health and performance during orbital space flight over the past half-century, the challenges of these future missions far exceed those within our current experience base. To ensure success in these missions, we have developed a Human System Risk Board (HSRB) to identify, quantify, and develop mitigation plans for the extraordinary risks associated with each potential mission scenario. The HSRB comprises research, technology, and operations experts in medicine, physiology, psychology, human factors, radiation, toxicology, microbiology, pharmacology, and food sciences. Methods: Owing to the wide range of potential mission characteristics, we first identified the hazards to human health and performance common to all exploration missions: altered gravity, isolation/confinement, increased radiation, distance from Earth, and hostile/closed environment. Each hazard leads to a set of risks to crew health and/or performance. For example the radiation hazard leads to risks of acute radiation syndrome, central nervous system dysfunction, soft tissue degeneration, and carcinogenesis. Some of these risks (e.g., acute radiation syndrome) could affect crew health or performance during the mission, while others (e.g., carcinogenesis) would more likely affect the crewmember well after the mission ends. We next defined a set of design reference missions (DRM) that would span the range of exploration missions currently under consideration. In addition to standard (6-month) and long-duration (1-year) missions in low Earth orbit (LEO), these DRM include deep space sortie missions of 1 month duration, lunar orbital and landing missions of 1 year duration, deep space journey and asteroid landing missions of 1 year duration, and Mars orbital and landing missions of 3 years duration. We then assessed the likelihood and consequences of each risk against each DRM, using three levels of likelihood (Low: less than or equal to 0.1%; Medium: 0.1%–1.0%; High: greater than or equal to 1.0%) and four levels of consequence ranging from Very Low (temporary or insignificant) to High (death, loss of mission, or significant reduction to length or quality of life). Quantitative evidence from clinical, operational, and research sources were used whenever available. Qualitative evidence was used when quantitative evidence was unavailable. Expert opinion was used whenever insufficient evidence was available. Results: A set of 30 risks emerged that will require further mitigation efforts before being accepted by the Agency. The likelihood by consequence risk assessment process provided a means of prioritizing among the risks identified. For each of the high priority risks, a plan was developed to perform research, technology, or standards development thought necessary to provide suitable reduction of likelihood or consequence to allow agency acceptance. Conclusion: The HSRB process has successfully identified a complete set of risks to human space travelers on planned exploration missions based on the best evidence available today. Risk mitigation plans have been established for the highest priority risks. Each risk will be reassessed annually to track the progress of our risk mitigation efforts.

Paloski, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS2017

SmallSat Navigation via the Deep Space Network: Lunar Transport

Spacecraft component miniaturization, the standardized CubeSat form factor, and a corresponding increase in launch ride-share availability have led to a renewed interest in smaller, more agile spacecraft missions. Naturally, interest in SmallSat capabilities extends outside of low Earth orbit for a variety of science and technology demonstration applications. As with larger missions, near-term deep-space SmallSats will more than likely rely on telecommunications and tracking via NASA's Deep Space Network or similar facilities. Given the predicted growth in the number of deep space missions, e ective use of telecommunication resources will be more critical than ever, even with Multiple Spacecraft Per Aperture capability. In particular, SmallSat missions will likely face stricter limitations on two-way contact with the tracking stations, thus making other options like one-way data types more attractive. While all missions must eventually develop their own detailed navigation plans, a common set of references is needed to support SmallSat missions, especially in the early development phases. Our investigation provides this initial survey of expected navigation performance for standard radiometric data types, from traditional two-way Doppler and ranging capabilities to one-way equivalents, including delta-di erential one-way range. In this investigation, we examine transport within the Earth-Moon region, the rst step outward from Earth into deep space exploration.

Wood, Lincoln↗
NASA NTRS2017

Solar Sail Attitude Control System for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid Scout Mission

An Attitude Control System (ACS) has been developed for the NASA Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout mission. The NEA Scout spacecraft is a 6U cubesat with an eighty-six square meter solar sail for primary propulsion that will launch as a secondary payload on the Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) and rendezvous with a target asteroid after a two year journey, and will conduct science imagery. The spacecraft ACS consists of three major actuating subsystems: a Reaction Wheel (RW) control system, a Reaction Control System (RCS), and an Active Mass Translator (AMT) system. The reaction wheels allow fine pointing and higher rates with low mass actuators to meet the science, communication, and trajectory guidance requirements. The Momentum Management System (MMS) keeps the speed of the wheels within their operating margins using a combination of solar torque and the RCS. The AMT is used to adjust the sign and magnitude of the solar torque to manage pitch and yaw momentum. The RCS is used for initial de-tumble, performing a Trajectory Correction Maneuver (TCM), and performing momentum management about the roll axis. The NEA Scout ACS is able to meet all mission requirements including attitude hold, slews, pointing for optical navigation and pointing for science with margin and including flexible body effects. Here we discuss the challenges and solutions of meeting NEA Scout mission requirements for the ACS design, and present a novel implementation of managing the spacecraft Center of Mass (CM) to trim the solar sail disturbance torque. The ACS we have developed has an applicability to a range of potential missions and does so in a much smaller volume than is traditional for deep space missions beyond Earth.

Orphee, Juan↗
NASA NTRS1977

Low-noise receivers: Microwave maser development

An S-Band traveling-wave maser with a 2260- to 2400-MHz tuning capability has been built and installed on the 26-m antenna. The traveling-wave maser closed cycle refrigerator package was assembled within a limited time schedule and at low cost to meet the requirements of the very long baseline interferometry validation task. The maser uses a superconducting magnet with a field staggering coil for gain/bandwidth adjustment. The maser pump source is a Gunn effect oscillator with the capability of continuous tuning throughout the entire maser tuning range. The package was assembled from surplus components that have been used previously in the Deep Space Network in a variety of applications.

Quinn, R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

MMIC linear-phase and digital modulators for deep space spacecraft X-band transponder applications

The design concepts, analyses, and development of GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) linear-phase and digital modulators for the next generation of space-borne communications systems are summarized. The design approach uses a compact lumped element quadrature hybrid and Metal Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MESFET)-varactors to provide low loss and well-controlled phase performance for deep space transponder (DST) applications. The measured results of the MESFET-diode show a capacitance range of 2:1 under reverse bias, and a Q of 38 at 10 GHz. Three cascaded sections of hybrid-coupled reflection phase shifters were modeled and simulations performed to provide an X-band (8415 +/- 50 MHz) DST phase modulator with +/- 2.5 radians of peak phase deviation. The modulator will accommodate downlink signal modulation with composite telemetry and ranging data, with a deviation linearity tolerance of +/- 8 percent and insertion loss of less than 8 +/- 0.5 dB. The MMIC digital modulator is designed to provide greater than 10 Mb/s of bi-phase modulation at X-band.

Mysoor, Narayan R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Miniature X-band GaAs MMIC analog and bi-phase modulators for spaceborne communications applications

The design concepts, analyses, and the development of GaAs monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) linear-phase and digital modulators for the next generation of spaceborne communications systems are summarized. The design approach uses a very compact lumped-element, quadrature hybrid, and MESFET-varactors to provide low-loss and well-controlled phase performance for deep-space transponder (DST) applications. The measured results of the MESFET-diode show a capacitance range of 2:1 under reverse bias, and a Q of 38 at 10 GHz. Three cascaded sections of hybrid-coupled reflection phase shifters have been modeled and simulations performed to provide an X-band (8415 +/- 50 MHz) DST phase modulator with +/-2.5 radians of peak phase deviation.

Mysoor, Narayan R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Town Hall Meeting Presentation

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), formerly known as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), will be the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. It will carry 3 instruments to a deep space orbit around the Sun-Earth Lagrange point L2, and will cover the wavelength range from 0.6 to 28 microns. The design concepts and current status of the project will be summarized, including the telescope and observatory contract proposed by the new prime contractor, TRW.

Mather, John C.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Reliability Assessment of Advanced Flip-clip Interconnect Electronic Package Assemblies under Extreme Cold Temperatures (-190 and -120 C)

Flip-chip interconnect electronic package boards have been assembled, underfilled, non-destructively evaluated and subsequently subjected to extreme temperature thermal cycling to assess the reliability of this advanced packaging interconnect technology for future deep space, long-term, extreme temperature missions. In this very preliminary study, the employed temperature range covers military specifications (-55 C to 100 C), extreme cold Martian (-120 C to 115 C) and asteroid Nereus (-180 C to 25 C) environments. The resistance of daisy-chained, flip-chip interconnects were measured at room temperature and at various intervals as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling. Electrical resistance measurements are reported and the tests to date have not shown significant change in resistance as a function of extreme temperature thermal cycling. However, the change in interconnect resistance becomes more noticeable with increasing number of thermal cycles. Further research work has been carried out to understand the reliability of flip-chip interconnect packages under extreme temperature applications (-190 C to 85 C) via continuously monitoring the daisy chain resistance. Adaptation of suitable diagnostic techniques to identify the failure mechanisms is in progress. This presentation will describe the experimental test results of flip-chip testing under extreme temperatures.

thermal cycling↗