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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 307 records · Page 17
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1989

A core handling device for the Mars Sample Return Mission

A core handling device for use on Mars is being designed. To provide a context for the design study, it was assumed that a Mars Rover/Sample Return (MRSR) Mission would have the following characteristics: a year or more in length; visits by the rover to 50 or more sites; 100 or more meter-long cores being drilled by the rover; and the capability of returning about 5 kg of Mars regolith to Earth. These characteristics lead to the belief that in order to bring back a variegated set of samples that can address the range of scientific objetives for a MRSR mission to Mars there needs to be considerable analysis done on board the rover. Furthermore, the discrepancy between the amount of sample gathered and the amount to be returned suggests that there needs to be some method of choosing the optimal set of samples. This type of analysis will require pristine material-unaltered by the drilling process. Since the core drill thermally and mechanically alters the outer diameter (about 10 pct) of the core sample, this outer area cannot be used. The primary function of the core handling device is to extract subsamples from the core and to position these subsamples, and the core itself if needed, with respect to the various analytical instruments that can be used to perform these analyses.

Gwynne, Owen↗
NASA NTRS1999

Biological Sterilization of Returned Mars Samples

Martian rock and soil, collected by robotic spacecraft, will be returned to terrestrial laboratories early in the next century. Current plans call for the samples to be immediately placed into biological containment and tested for signs of present or past life and biological hazards. It is recommended that "Controlled distribution of unsterilized materials from Mars should occur only if rigorous analyses determine that the materials do not constitute a biological hazard. If any portion of the sample is removed from containment prior to completion of these analyses it should first be sterilized." While sterilization of Mars samples may not be required, an acceptable method must be available before the samples are returned to Earth. The sterilization method should be capable of destroying a wide range of organisms with minimal effects on the geologic samples. A variety of biological sterilization techniques and materials are currently in use, including dry heat, high pressure steam, gases, plasmas and ionizing radiation. Gamma radiation is routinely used to inactivate viruses and destroy bacteria in medical research. Many commercial sterilizers use Co-60 , which emits gamma photons of 1.17 and 1.33 MeV. Absorbed doses of approximately 1 Mrad (10(exp 8) ergs/g) destroy most bacteria. This study investigates the effects of lethal doses of Co-60 gamma radiation on materials similar to those anticipated to be returned from Mars. The goals are to determine the gamma dose required to kill microorganisms in rock and soil samples and to determine the effects of gamma sterilization on the samples' isotopic, chemical and physical properties. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Allen, C. C.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Mars sample return mission options (1996-2005)

Missions to the surface of Mars, carrying a Rover and having a sample return capability, constitute another logical step in the exploration of that planet in the late 1990's. Results of a recent study are described. A comparison of viable mission options, involving: retropropulsion vs. aerobraking/aeromaneuvering, direct return vs. Mars orbit rendezous, as well as the future potential of 'in-situ propellant production', is presented. An overview of a variety of scenarios of unmanned expeditions to Mars and their subsequent return to earth, within the addressed time period, is provided.

Sergeyevsky, A. B.↗
NASA NTRS1980

Mars sample return: Site selection and sample acquisition study

Various vehicle and mission options were investigated for the continued exploration of Mars; the cost of a minimum sample return mission was estimated; options and concepts were synthesized into program possibilities; and recommendations for the next Mars mission were made to the Planetary Program office. Specific sites and all relevant spacecraft and ground-based data were studied in order to determine: (1) the adequacy of presently available data for identifying landing sities for a sample return mission that would assure the acquisition of material from the most important geologic provinces of Mars; (2) the degree of surface mobility required to assure sample acquisition for these sites; (3) techniques to be used in the selection and drilling of rock a samples; and (4) the degree of mobility required at the two Viking sites to acquire these samples.

Nickle, N.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Continuing Evolution of Mars Sample Return

This paper addresses the continued evolution of the Groundbreaking MSR concept over the last year. One of the tenets of the low-cost approach is to use substantial heritage from an earlier mission, Mars Science Laboratory (MSL). Recently, the MSL project developed and switched to a revolutionary landing approach, coined 'sky-crane' where the MSL, which is a rover, is lowered gently to the Martian surface from a hovering vehicle. MSR has adopted this approach, again continuing to capitalize on the heritage for a significant portion of the new lander. In parallel, a MSR Technology Board was formed to reexamine MSR technology needs and participate in a continuing refinement of architectural trades. While the focused technology program continues to be definitized through the remainder of this year, the current assessment of what technology development is required, is discussed in this paper. In addition, the results of new trade studies and considerations will be discussed.

Mars Sample Return (MSR)↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mission Design Overview for Mars Sample Return

In May 2003, a new and exciting chapter in Mars exploration will begin with a launch that will ultimately lead to the delivery of samples from the Red Planet to Earth.

Mars Mission Design Mars 2003 Mars 2005↗
NASA NTRS2001

Light Isotopes and Trace Organics Analysis of Mars Samples with Mass Spectrometry

Precision measurement of light isotopes in Mars surface minerals and comparison of this isotopic composition with atmospheric gas and other, well-mixed reservoirs such as surface dust are necessary to understand the history of atmospheric evolution from a possibly warmer and wetter Martian surface to the present state. Atmospheric sources and sinks that set these ratios are volcanism, solar wind sputtering, photochemical processes, and weathering. Measurement of a range of trace organic species with a particular focus on species such as amino acids that are the building blocks of terrestrial life are likewise important to address the questions of prebiotic and present or past biological activity on Mars. The workshop topics "isotopic mineralogy" and "biology and pre-biotic chemistry" will be addressed from the point of view of the capabilities and limitations of insitu mass spectrometry (MS) techniques such as thermally evolved gas analysis (TEGA) and gas chromatography (GC) surface experiments using MS, in both cases, as a final chemical and isotopic composition detector. Insitu experiments using straightforward adaptations of existing space proven hardware can provide a substantial improvement in the precision and accuracy of our present knowledge of isotopic composition both in molecular and atomic species in the atmosphere and those chemically bound in rocks and soils. Likewise, detection of trace organic species with greatly improved sensitivity from the Viking GCMS experiment is possible using gas enrichment techniques. The limits to precision and accuracy of presently feasible insitu techniques compared to laboratory analysis of returned samples will be explored. The insitu techniques are sufficiently powerful that they can provide a high fidelity method of screening samples obtained from a diverse set of surface locations such as the subsurface or the interior of rocks for selection of those that are the most interesting for return to Earth.

Mahaffy, P.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Development of the RANCOR Rotary-Percussive Coring System for Mars Sample Return

A RANCOR drill was designed to fit a Mars Exploration Rover (MER) class vehicle. The low mass of 3 kg was achieved by using the same actuator for three functions: rotation, percussions, and core break-off. Initial testing of the drill exposed an unexpected behavior of an off-the-shelf sprag clutch used to couple and decouple rotary-percussive function from the core break off function. Failure of the sprag was due to the vibration induced during percussive drilling. The sprag clutch would back drive in conditions where it was expected to hold position. Although this did not affect the performance of the drill, it nevertheless reduced the quality of the cores produced. Ultimately, the sprag clutch was replaced with a custom ratchet system that allowed for some angular displacement without advancing in either direction. Replacing the sprag with the ratchet improved the collected core quality. Also, premature failure of a 300-series stainless steel percussion spring was observed. The 300-series percussion spring was ultimately replaced with a music wire spring based on performances of previously designed rotary-percussive drill systems.

Paulsen, Gale↗
NASA NTRS2003

Mars sample return, updated to a groundbreaking approach

During 2001, NASA issued contracts to four industry teams to conduct broad trade studies of what they envisioned to be the best implementation of MSR and subsequently tasked with focusing on a specific concept, fleshing-out a specific design concept.

Mars sample return↗
NASA NTRS1997

Risk Analysis and System Trades inthe Mars Sample Return (MSR) Mission

Risk Managenent advocates have long sought to directly influence the early stages of the systems engineering process through a more effective role in system design trade studies. The principal obstacle to this has been the lack of credible ways to represent and quantify mission risk that is, missios return form a probablistic viewpoint-for the project manager and the rest of the design team.

Risk Analysis Mars Sample Return↗