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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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NASA NTRS1979

Technology status of a fluorine-hydrazine propulsion system for planetary spacecraft

The basic technology exists and a system integration program is well underway to allow incorporation of a fluorine-hydrazine propulsion system into future spacecraft required for unmanned planetary missions. These spacecraft would be inserted in earth orbit using the Space Transportation System Shuttle and given its initial sendoff by the Inertial Upper Stage (IUS). The design of a typical propulsion system, assessment of thermal and structural impacts on a selected spacecraft and comparative studies with conventional propulsion systems have been completed. A major part of the current JPL Program involves assembly of a 3650 N thrust demonstration system using titanium tanks, flight weight components and structure. This system will be used to demonstrate the state-of-the-art throughout a representative flight system's qualification.

Bond, D. L.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Analysis of spacecraft on-orbit anomalies and lifetimes

Analyses of the on-orbit performance of forty-four unmanned NASA spacecraft are presented. Included are detailed descriptions and classifications of over 600 anomalies; each anomalous incident represents one reported deviation from expected spacecraft performance. Charts depicting satellite lifetimes and the performance of their major subsystems are included. Engineering analyses to further investigate the kinds and frequencies of various classes of anomalies have been conducted. An improved method for charting spacecraft capability as a function of time on orbit is explored.

Bloomquist, C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Saffire: A Novel Approach to Study of Spacecraft Fire Safety Using Un-Manned Spacecraft

The Saffire Experiment represents the first test of spacecraft fires at a scale relevant to real spacecraft. Although large-scale fire tests on Earth are conducted for every type of habitable structure (buildings, planes, trains, automobiles, ships and mines) they had never been attempted in a space experiment for obvious reasons of practicality and safety. This is despite the fact that fire is a catastrophic hazard for spaceflight where the crew has very limited or no escape options. The spread and growth of a fire, combined with its interactions with the vehicle cannot be expected to scale linearly from small-scale test data, and so there is a substantial gap in our ability to predict the behavior of spacecraft fire and also its impact on the spacecraft habitability and operability. The experiments were performed aboard the Cygnus vehicle, a large unmanned resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The experiment was installed in the Cygnus vehicle, and remained dormant during docked operations. Once the vehicle was reloaded with ISS trash, it unberthed and moved to a separate orbit. The Saffire experiment was initiated by ground command and downlinked the data before the vehicle re-entered into the earth's atmosphere. The downloaded test data show resolved the question of whether flame growth will achieve a steady size and demonstrated that the size of the enclosure surrounding the sample has more impact on the flame spread than anticipated.

microgravity↗
NASA NTRS1973

Microbiological sampling of spacecraft cabling, antennas, solar panels and thermal blankets

Sampling procedures and techniques described resulted from various flight project microbiological monitoring programs of unmanned planetary spacecraft. Concurrent with development of these procedures, compatibility evaluations were effected with the cognizant spacecraft subsystem engineers to assure that degradation factors would not be induced during the monitoring program. Of significance were those areas of the spacecraft configuration for which special handling precautions and/or nonstandard sample gathering techniques were evolved. These spacecraft component areas were: cabling, high gain antenna, solar panels, and thermal blankets. The compilation of these techniques provides a historical reference for both the qualification and quantification of sampling parameters as applied to the Mariner Spacecraft of the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Koukol, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2007

Many milestones are celebrated in the business of space exploration, but one of them that arrived this year has particular meaning for us. Half a century ago, on January 31, 1958, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was responsible for creating America's first satellite, Explorer 1, and joined with the Army to launch it into orbit. That makes 2007 the 50th year we have been sending robotic craft from Earth to explore space. No other event before or since has had such a profound effect on JPL's basic identity, setting it on the path to become the world's leader in robotic solar system exploration. It is not lost on historians that Explorer 1, besides being America's first satellite, was also the first spacecraft from any country to deliver scientific results in its case, the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belts that surround Earth. Science, of course, has been the prime motivator for all the dozens of missions that we have lofted into space in the half-century since then. JPL has sent spacecraft to every planet in the solar system from Mercury to Neptune, some of them very sophisticated machines. But in one way or another, they all owe their heritage to the 31-pound bullet-shaped probe JPL shot into space in 1958. Although we have ranged far and wide across the solar system, we have a very strong contingent of satellites and instruments dedicated, like Explorer, to the environment of our home planet. JPL missions have been providing much of the data to establish the facts of global warming - most especially, the melting of ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. During the past year, JPL and our parent organization, the California Institute of Technology, have created a task force to focus the special capabilities of the Laboratory and campus on ways to better understand the physics of global change. While Earth is a chaotic and dynamic system capable of large natural variations, evidence is mounting that human activities are playing an increasingly important role. A central piece of this effort is a search for novel energy sources to replace fossil fuels, the combustion of which adds carbon dioxide to our atmosphere. All of this is supported by our worldwide Deep Space Network, which provides the communication link between spacecraft and the ground. In addition, missions are infused with technologies developed by researchers working on projects for non-NASA sponsors as well as on pure research.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS2005

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2004

Once or twice in an age, a year comes along that the historians proclaim as an Annus Mirabilis - a year of wonders. For the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 2004 was just that sort of time. From beginning to end, it was a nonstop experience of wondrous events in space. Imagine that two robot rovers embark on cross-country rambles across Mars, scrutinizing rocks for signs of past water on the now-arid world. A flagship spacecraft brakes into orbit at Saturn to begin longterm surveillance of the ringed world, preparing to drop a sophisticated probe to the surface of its haze-shrouded largest moon. Another craft makes the closest-ever pass by the nucleus of a comet, collecting sample particles as it goes. Two new space telescopes peer into the depths of the universe far beyond our solar system, viewing stars, nebulas and galaxies in invisible light beyond the spectrum our eyes can see. A pair of instruments is lofted on a NASA Earth-orbiting satellite to monitor air quality and the protective layer of ozone blanketing our home planet. A small probe brings samples of the solar wind to Earth for in-depth study. While JPL was absorbed with all of these ventures on other worlds, NASA and the White House unveiled an ambitious new plan of space exploration. The Vision for Space Exploration announced in January foresees a program of robotic and astronaut missions leading to a human return to the Moon by 2020, and eventual crewed expeditions to Mars. The vision also calls for more robotic missions to the moons of the outer planets; spaceborne observatories that will search for Earth-like planets around other stars and explore the formation and evolution of the universe; and continued study of our home planet. In order to accomplish all of this, NASA must perfect many as-yet-uninvented technologies and space transportation capabilities. JPL has a great deal to bring to this vision. Robotic exploration of Mars will lead the way for missions that will carry women and men to the red planet. Our engineers and scientists are formulating spacecraft that could use nuclear power to enable exploration missions of the future. And even now we are designing formations of space telescopes that will capture family portraits of the planets around neighboring stars. Those are only some of the ways that the Laboratory is contributing to NASA's broader goals. During 2004, JPL made a distinctive contribution to agencywide initiatives in areas such as safety, NASA transformation, the agency's Internet portal and NASA's Explorer Schools programs. Years like 2004 pose a special challenge for us. It would be easy to say that this was a once-in-a-decade high point of mission activities, but I believe that this would miss an opportunity. We are fortunate to have many space projects in the works that have the promise of being just as exhilarating as the great mission successes that we celebrated this year. The challenge and opportunity for us now is to make every year like this one.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS↗
NASA NTRS2001

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 1999

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory, located in the foothills near Pasadena, California, is the nation's lead center for the robotic exploration of space. Intense activity in space missions was the hallmark of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory as a new generation of smaller, less expensive spacecraft were sent out from Earth. From late 1998 to mid-1999, JPL launched a craft testing a futuristic ion engine, an orbiter and lander bound for Mars, a mission to fly by a comet and return a sample of its dust to Earth, a small infrared telescope, and an Earth-circling satellite that uses radar to gauge winds over the oceans. This unprecedented schedule resulted in spectacular achievements, tempered by highly visible mission losses. Weighed together, the successes and failures dramatically underscored the difficulty and risk involved in the unique business of space science and exploration. Among the achievements, the ion-engine-powered Deep Space 1, comet-bound Stardust and Earth-orbiting SeaWinds were joined by such ongoing missions as Mars Global Surveyor, Galileo and Cassini in delivering on their promise and, in some cases, providing surprising new views of space and Earth. At the same time, mission teams were disappointed by the losses of an orbiter and lander at Mars, as well as a small infrared telescope. JPL worked closely with NASA to learn from these experiences and build successful future missions. The Laboratory also achieved a key goal by winning the International Organization of Standards' 'ISO 9001' certification - a standard shared by the world's best engineering organizations. As the year rolled to a close, clocks rolled over from 1999 to 2000. Operations teams at JPL and NASA watched with satisfaction as a major campaign of Year 2000 readiness paid off with no problems among the thousands of computer systems that support the Laboratory's missions. With that auspicious beginning, JPL was positioned to step into the 21st century and embark on even yet unimagined future explorations.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS2004

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2003

If you stepped outdoors on the final evening of 2003 and looked up into the night sky, many celestial events were taking place. A hundred million miles away from Earth, a dust storm swirled across the terracotta peaks and gullies of Mars, as two six-wheeled robots bore down on the planet. They were soon to join two orbital sentries already stationed there. A few hops across the inner solar system, another spacecraft was closing in on a ball of ice and rock spewing forth a hailstorm of dust grains, heated as it swung in toward the Sun. Closer in, two newly lofted space telescopes scanned the skies, their mirrors gathering photons that had crossed the empty vastness of space for billions of years, recording ancient events in unimaginably distant galaxies. And streaking overhead every few minutes directly above our home planet, a handful of satellites was recording the unfolding events of a tropical cyclone off the east coast of Africa and a blizzard that carpeted the northwestern United States. As 2003 drew to a close, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was on the cusp of an extraordinarily busy period, a time when JPL will execute more fly-bys, landings, sample returns and other milestones than at any other time in its history. The exploration we undertake is important for its own sake. And it serves other purposes, none more important than inspiring the next generation of explorers. If the United States wishes to retain its status as a world leader, it must maintain the technological edge of its workforce. What we do here is the stuff of dreams that will inspire a new generation to continue the American legacy of exploration.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS2006

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2005

What an amazing host of new sights 2005 brought us. With impeccable choreography, one spacecraft sent an impactor slamming into a comet, reversing the traditional view of these space wayfarers by revealing it to be buried in deep drifts of a fine talcum-like powder. Another spacecraft delivered a probe from our European partners to the surface of Saturn's haze-shrouded moon Titan, disclosing a landscape eerily like Earth's, if we had methane rivers cascading down hillsides of ice. An orbiting observatory for the first time showed us the light from planets circling other stars, which astronomers previously knew to exist only from indirect clues. Throughout the year we also amassed continually expanding views of Earth as well as Mars, by far the most-explored planet after our own. In all, 18 spacecraft and five instruments were stationed across the solar system, studying our own world, other planets, comets and the deeper universe. These missions were enabled by the efforts of everyone at JPL. The Deep Space Network of communications complexes across three continents continued to experience a period of remarkable activity. Others were at work creating technologies both for NASA missions and other uses. JPL's contingent of scientific researchers was equally busy coordinating the science activities of our missions or pursuing independent investigations. None of this would be possible without the support of world-class business and administrative teams. All of our missions in one way or another support our nations Vision for Space Exploration, which envisages a gradually widening robotic and human presence across the solar system in the years ahead. The year was not without its challenges. NASA set forth to implement the Vision for Space Exploration, which resulted in some flight projects and technology efforts being terminated. To adjust to this new direction, it was necessary for us to reduce the JPL workforce by about five percent. Taking steps like this is painful, but we tried to make the process as orderly as possible. In the end, the adjustments made have left JPL on a healthy footing for the years ahead.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS1964

Lunar exploration.

Ranger and Surveyor spacecraft systems engineering in terms of lunar exploration objectives, system design and flight experience

UNMANNED SPACECRAFT↗
NASA NTRS2007

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2006

Nothing is as gratifying in space exploration as when we are surprised by the unexpected. Much of our work progresses in an orderly way, from concept to plan to creation to finding. But now and then we are caught off-guard by something startlingly new, and it is these moments that make our hearts race and leave us with many of our most compelling memories. And 2006 was an exceptional year for the unforeseen. One of our orbiters shocked many with stark proof that liquid water, the seemingly long-gone force that reshaped so much of the scenery of Mars, still flows there today,at least in occasional bursts. Another spacecraft caught us by surprise with photos of Yellowstone-like geysers on one of Saturn's seemingly nondescript moons, Enceladus. A spaceborne observatory created to plumb the life histories of stars and galaxies showed off a completely unexpected talent when it revealed the day and night faces of a fire and ice planet far beyond our solar system 40 light-years away. A newly launched Earth observer revealed that the clouds that decorate our own planet are not what we thought them to be in many ways. Of course, not all of the high points of the year arrived on our doorstep in such unexpected ways. There was also great drama when missions came off exactly as planned, such as when Stardust's sample return capsule made a flawless landing in the Utah desert, bringing home samples of cometary and interstellar dust. Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter slipped into orbit around the red planet exactly as planned. Numerous other missions and technology programs likewise made great achievements during the year. In all, 17 spacecraft and six instruments were stationed across the solar system, studying our own world, other planets, comets and the deeper universe. All of these achievements were enabled by many teams and systems at the Laboratory. The Deep Space Network of communications complexes across three continents supported all of NASA's solar system missions, and several from our international partners, while looking ahead to reinvent itself for the future. Technologists were at work creating innovations both for NASA missions and terrestrial uses. JPL's community of scientific researchers was equally busy coordinating the science activities of our missions and pursuing independent investigations. None of this would be possible without the support of business and administrative teams dedicated to making the Laboratory's institutional environment as world-class as its technical face, or the public engagement specialists who bring the experience of space to the country's diverse publics. All of our missions in one way or another support our nation's Vision for Space Exploration, which envisages a gradually widening robotic and human presence across the solar system in the years ahead.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS↗
NASA NTRS2010

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2009

2009 was truly the year of astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. While the world at large was celebrating the International Year of Astronomy, we were sending more telescopes into space than in any other year, ever. As these missions unfold, the astronomers are sure to change the way we see the universe. One of the newly lofted observatories is on a quest to find planets like our own Earth orbiting other stars. Another is a telescope that gathers infrared light to help discover objects ranging from near-Earth asteroids to galaxies in the deepest universe. We also contributed critical enabling technologies to yet two other telescopes sent into space by our partners in Europe. And astronauts returned to Earth with a JPL-built camera that had captured the Hubble Space Telescope's most memorable pictures over many years. And while it was an epic time for these missions, we were no less busy in our other research specialties. Earth's moon drew much attention from our scientists and engineers, with two JPL instruments riding on lunar orbiters; previously unseen views of shadowed craters were provided by radar imaging conducted with the giant dish antennas of the Deep Space Network, our worldwide communication portal to spacecraft around the solar system. At Mars, our rovers and orbiters were highly productive, as were missions targeting Saturn, comets and the asteroid belt. Here at our home planet, satellites and instruments continued to serve up important information on global climate change. But our main business is, of course, exploring. Many initiatives will keep us busy for years. In 2009, NASA gave approval to start planning a major flagship mission to Jupiter's moon Europa in search of conditions that could host life, working with our partners in Europe. In addition to our prospective Earth science projects, we have full slates of missions in Mars exploration, planetary exploration and space-based astronomy. This year's annual report continues our recent direction of recounting the Laboratory's accomplishments throughout the year month by month.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)↗
NASA NTRS1975

Systems cost performance analysis (study 2.3). Volume 1: Executive summary

A methodology for developing balanced designs of spacecraft subsystems which interrelates cost, performance, safety, and schedule considerations was developed. The methodology consists of a two-step process: selection of all hardware designs which satisfy the given performance and safety requirements; and estimating the cost and schedule required to design, build, and operate each spacecraft design. Aggregate equations were written to describe the performance, safety (reliability), cost, and schedule required for one type of stabilization and control subsystem in terms of the equipment used. The methodology was applied to unmanned, automated spacecraft subsystems, and the resulting model was implemented as a digital computer program.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1983

Application of a space station to communications satellites

The economic benefits of a space station relative to communications satellites are discussed in terms of technology experiments, spacecraft checkout, repair, servicing, and refurbishment (RSR), and mating an OTV with satellites for boost to GEO. The zero gravity, vacuum conditions, and atmosphere free long ranges are environmental features that can be used for testing large, flexible antennas and laser communications devices. Some resistance might be encountered to checkout in LEO due to the substantial success of launches to GEO without LEO checkout. However, new generations of larger, more complex satellites may warrant the presence of a space station to verify performance of new spacecraft. One RSR positive aspect for a space station is as a storage site for propellant, as well as for reusable OTV booster engines. Also, the space station can serve as a base for manned or unmanned repair spacecraft which will travel to GEO to fix malfunctions in geostationary satellites.

Ramler, J. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Services provided in support of the planetary quarantine requirements of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Heat studies with the highly resistant bacterial spore isolated from Cape Kennedy soil were continued, and the D130C was determined. The interior surfaces of the command module of the Apollo 17 spacecraft were studied for microbial contamination during assembly and testing. The thermal resistance of naturally occurring airborne bacterial spores was determined, using the heating times of 2, 4, 6, and 8 hr. at 125 C. The evaluation of a terminal sterilization process for unmanned lander spacecraft is also continuing.

Favero, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Jet Propulsion Laboratory: Annual Report 2002

The year 2002 brought advances on many fronts in our space exploration ventures. A new orbiter settled in at Mars and delivered tantalizing science results suggesting a vast store of water ice under the planet's surface, a discovery that may have profound consequences for exploring Mars. A long-lived spacecraft made its final fly-bys of Jupiter's moons, while another started its final approach toward Saturn and yet another flew by an asteroid on its way to a comet. A new ocean satellite began science observations, joined in Earth orbit by a pair of spacecraft measuring our home planets gravity field, as well as JPL instruments on NASA and Japanese satellites. A major new infrared observatory and a pair of Mars rovers were readied for launch. All told, JPL is now communicating with 14 spacecraft cast like gems across the velvet expanses of the solar system. It is a far cry from the early 1960's, when JPL engineers made prodigious efforts to get the first planetary explorers off the ground and into space - an achievement of which we were especially mindful this year, as 2002 marked the 40th anniversary of the first successful planetary mission, Mariner 2, which barely reached our closest planetary neighbor, Venus. Added to this anniversary were celebrations surrounding the 25th anniversaries of the launches of Voyagers 1 and 2, two remarkable spacecraft that are still flying and are actively probing the outer realms of the solar system. These events of the past and present provide an occasion for reflection on the remarkable era of exploration that we at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory are privileged to be a part of. As 2002 neared its end, the Laboratory had yet another reason for celebration, as a new five-year management contract between NASA and the California Institute of Technology was signed that calls for a closer working relationship with NASA and other NASA centers as a member of the 'One NASA' team. There is a strong emphasis on cost control and management, areas in which we can improve, enabling us to become more competitive. This new agreement again confirms NASA's trust and faith in Caltech and JPL, in which we should all take great pride. If the history of JPL were a book, we are on the verge of turning the page to one that promises to be one of the most exciting and busiest chapters in JPL's history. In 2003 and 2004, we will launch 11 spacecraft or major payloads. We will land two rovers on Mars; put a spacecraft in orbit around Saturn, deliver a probe to the surface of its largest moon, Titan, and map Titan's surface withimaging radar; send a spacecraft past a comet collecting samples from its tail, while another one is launched toward a comet impact; bring a capsule back to Earth with the first samples ever collected beyond the orbit of the Moon; map the skies in the ultraviolet as well as the infrared spectrum to unprecedented accuracy; and continue the mapping of ocean topography and winds on our home planet, Earth.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NAS↗