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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 NTRS1974

LST: The National Space Observatory concept - An observatory for future astronomer involvement in planning and use

The Large Space Telescope (LST) will be a unique facility which must be designed to serve the needs of all potential users throughout the world. This requires that a representative group of astronomers work intimately with the engineers in the early design of the telescope and that astronomers continue to be closely involved in the planning throughout the life of the project. Forty scientists are now defining the auxiliary instruments and their operation. Later, others will build instruments and participate in assigning observing time on the telescope, on the basis of the scientific merit of the proposed observation.

Roman, N. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Grille spectrometer

High resolution infrared spectroscopic observations of the Earth's limb in the wavelength range characteristic of the vibrational-rotational lines of trace atmospheric constituents is planned. The instrument and its operation and the purpose of the experiments are summarized.

Ackerman, M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

United States Weather Research Program (USWRP)

After more than a decade of development by a broad cross-section of the U.S. atmospheric research community involved in planning for the National STORM Program, the Subcommittee on Atmospheric Research (SAR) of the Committee on Earth and Environmental Science (CEES) led the development of a strategic plan to realize the objectives of STORM so as to improve our nation's capability to provide accurate short-term forecasts of weather. This strategic plan will guide the planning and implementation of what is now called the United States Weather Research Program (USWRP). The USWRP is charged with achieving operational atmospheric prediction based on mesoscale observations and model results and establishing the scientific and technological basis for global atmospheric mesoscale prediction by the year 2000. The key scientific questions that are addressed under USWRP are discussed.

Bhumralkar, Chandrakant↗
NASA NTRS1995

Mars Pathfinder Project: Planetary Constants and Models

This document provides a common set of astrodynamic constants and planetary models for use by the Mars Pathfinder Project. It attempts to collect in a single reference all the quantities and models in use across the project during development and for mission operations. These models are central to the navigation and mission design functions, but they are also used in other aspects of the project such as science observation planning and data reduction.

Vaughan, Robin↗
NASA NTRS2004

Objective Lightning Forecasting at Kennedy Space Center/Cape Canaveral Air Force Station using Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Surveillance System Data

The 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) forecasters at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) in Florida include a probability of thunderstorm occurrence in their daily morning briefings. This information is used by personnel involved in determining the possibility of violating Launch Commit Criteria, evaluating Flight Rules for the Space Shuttle, and daily planning for ground operation activities on Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/CCAFS. Much of the current lightning probability forecast is based on a subjective analysis of model and observational data. The forecasters requested that a lightning probability forecast tool based on statistical analysis of historical warm-season (May - September) data be developed in order to increase the objectivity of the daily thunderstorm probability forecast. The tool is a set of statistical lightning forecast equations that provide a lightning occurrence probability for the day by 1100 UTC (0700 EDT) during the warm season. This study used 15 years (1989-2003) of warm season data to develop the objective forecast equations. The local CCAFS 1000 UTC sounding was used to calculate stability parameters for equation predictors. The Cloud-to-Ground Lightning Surveillance System (CGLSS) data were used to determine lightning occurrence for each day. The CGLSS data have been found to be more reliable indicators of lightning in the area than surface observations through local informal analyses. This work was based on the results from two earlier research projects. Everitt (1999) used surface observations and rawinsonde data to develop logistic regression equations that forecast the daily thunderstorm probability at CCAFS. The Everitt (1999) equations showed an improvement in skill over the Neumann-Pfeffer thunderstorm index (Neumann 1971), which uses multiple linear regression, and also persistence and climatology forecasts. Lericos et al. (2002) developed lightning distributions over the Florida peninsula based on specific flow regimes. The flow regimes were inferred from the average wind direction in the 1000-700 mb layer at Miami (MIA), Tampa (TBW), and Jacksonville (JAX), Florida, and the lightning data were from the National Lightning Detection Network. The results suggested that the daily flow regime may be an important predictor of lightning occurrence on KSC/CCAFS.

Lambert, Winifred↗
NASA NTRS2016

Soil Moisture Active Passive Mission L4_SM Data Product Assessment (Version 2 Validated Release)

During the post-launch SMAP calibration and validation (Cal/Val) phase there are two objectives for each science data product team: 1) calibrate, verify, and improve the performance of the science algorithm, and 2) validate the accuracy of the science data product as specified in the science requirements and according to the Cal/Val schedule. This report provides an assessment of the SMAP Level 4 Surface and Root Zone Soil Moisture Passive (L4_SM) product specifically for the product's public Version 2 validated release scheduled for 29 April 2016. The assessment of the Version 2 L4_SM data product includes comparisons of SMAP L4_SM soil moisture estimates with in situ soil moisture observations from core validation sites and sparse networks. The assessment further includes a global evaluation of the internal diagnostics from the ensemble-based data assimilation system that is used to generate the L4_SM product. This evaluation focuses on the statistics of the observation-minus-forecast (O-F) residuals and the analysis increments. Together, the core validation site comparisons and the statistics of the assimilation diagnostics are considered primary validation methodologies for the L4_SM product. Comparisons against in situ measurements from regional-scale sparse networks are considered a secondary validation methodology because such in situ measurements are subject to up-scaling errors from the point-scale to the grid cell scale of the data product. Based on the limited set of core validation sites, the wide geographic range of the sparse network sites, and the global assessment of the assimilation diagnostics, the assessment presented here meets the criteria established by the Committee on Earth Observing Satellites for Stage 2 validation and supports the validated release of the data. An analysis of the time average surface and root zone soil moisture shows that the global pattern of arid and humid regions are captured by the L4_SM estimates. Results from the core validation site comparisons indicate that "Version 2" of the L4_SM data product meets the self-imposed L4_SM accuracy requirement, which is formulated in terms of the ubRMSE: the RMSE (Root Mean Square Error) after removal of the long-term mean difference. The overall ubRMSE of the 3-hourly L4_SM surface soil moisture at the 9 km scale is 0.035 cubic meters per cubic meter requirement. The corresponding ubRMSE for L4_SM root zone soil moisture is 0.024 cubic meters per cubic meter requirement. Both of these metrics are comfortably below the 0.04 cubic meters per cubic meter requirement. The L4_SM estimates are an improvement over estimates from a model-only SMAP Nature Run version 4 (NRv4), which demonstrates the beneficial impact of the SMAP brightness temperature data. L4_SM surface soil moisture estimates are consistently more skillful than NRv4 estimates, although not by a statistically significant margin. The lack of statistical significance is not surprising given the limited data record available to date. Root zone soil moisture estimates from L4_SM and NRv4 have similar skill. Results from comparisons of the L4_SM product to in situ measurements from nearly 400 sparse network sites corroborate the core validation site results. The instantaneous soil moisture and soil temperature analysis increments are within a reasonable range and result in spatially smooth soil moisture analyses. The O-F residuals exhibit only small biases on the order of 1-3 degrees Kelvin between the (re-scaled) SMAP brightness temperature observations and the L4_SM model forecast, which indicates that the assimilation system is largely unbiased. The spatially averaged time series standard deviation of the O-F residuals is 5.9 degrees Kelvin, which reduces to 4.0 degrees Kelvin for the observation-minus-analysis (O-A) residuals, reflecting the impact of the SMAP observations on the L4_SM system. Averaged globally, the time series standard deviation of the normalized O-F residuals is close to unity, which would suggest that the magnitude of the modeled errors approximately reflects that of the actual errors. The assessment report also notes several limitations of the "Version 2" L4_SM data product and science algorithm calibration that will be addressed in future releases. Regionally, the time series standard deviation of the normalized O-F residuals deviates considerably from unity, which indicates that the L4_SM assimilation algorithm either over- or under-estimates the actual errors that are present in the system. Planned improvements include revised land model parameters, revised error parameters for the land model and the assimilated SMAP observations, and revised surface meteorological forcing data for the operational period and underlying climatological data. Moreover, a refined analysis of the impact of SMAP observations will be facilitated by the construction of additional variants of the model-only reference data. Nevertheless, the “Version 2” validated release of the L4_SM product is sufficiently mature and of adequate quality for distribution to and use by the larger science and application communities.

SMAP L4_SM↗
NASA NTRS1972

Global oceanic microwave anemometry - A planned space verification experiment.

Recent observations of the wind sensitivity of oceanic backscatter and temperature measurements are shown to have made it possible to design an experiment for verifying the potential use of an operational global satellite anemometer. The experiment is to be conducted with the Skylab in 1973, and its success may lead to the design and flight of an operational microwave scatterometer-radiometer instrument on a small satellite flying in a polar orbit sometime in the late 1970's.

Moore, R. K.↗
NASA NTRS1999

An Overview of Future NASA Missions, Concepts, and Technologies Related to Imaging of the World's Land Areas

In the near term NASA is entering into the peak activity period of the Earth Observing System (EOS). The EOS AM-1 /"Terra" spacecraft is nearing launch and operation to be followed soon by the New Millennium Program (NMP) Earth Observing (EO-1) mission. Other missions related to land imaging and studies include EOS PM-1 mission, the Earth System Sciences Program (ESSP) Vegetation Canopy Lidar (VCL) mission, the EOS/IceSat mission. These missions involve clear advances in technologies and observational capability including improvements in multispectral imaging and other observing strategies, for example, "formation flying". Plans are underway to define the next era of EOS missions, commonly called "EOS Follow-on" or EOS II. The programmatic planning includes concepts that represent advances over the present Landsat-7 mission that concomitantly recognize the advances being made in land imaging within the private sector. The National Polar Orbiting Environmental Satellite Series (NPOESS) Preparatory Project (NPP) is an effort that will help to transition EOS medium resolution (herein meaning spatial resolutions near 500 meters), multispectral measurement capabilities such as represented by the EOS Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) into the NPOESS operational series of satellites. Developments in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and passive microwave land observing capabilities are also proceeding. Beyond these efforts the Earth Science Enterprise Technology Strategy is embarking efforts to advance technologies in several basic areas: instruments, flight systems and operational capability, and information systems. In the case of instruments architectures will be examined that offer significant reductions in mass, volume, power and observational flexibility. For flight systems and operational capability, formation flying including calibration and data fusion, systems operation autonomy, and mechanical and electronic innovations that can reduce spacecraft and subsystem resource requirements. The efforts in information systems will include better approaches for linking multiple data sets, extracting and visualizing information, and improvements in collecting, compressing, transmitting, processing, distributing and archiving data from multiple platforms. Overall concepts such as sensor webs, constellations of observing systems, and rapid and tailored data availability and delivery to multiple users comprise and notions Earth Science Vision for the future.

Salomonson, Vincent V.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Mars 2020 Watson Imaging Subsystem of the Sherloc Investigation and Anticpated Early Results

In February 2021, the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover is anticipated to touch down in Jezero crater, Mars. Perseverance is unique in that it will conduct in situ science as well as cache samples for eventual return to Earth for analysis in terrestrial laboratories. It will explore the geologic setting within Jezero over a range of scales in order to address fundamental questions about the evolution of Mars and assess whether there is evidence of past or present Martian life. The Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering (WATSON), one of two imaging subsystems within the Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics and Chemicals (SHERLOC) instrument[1,2], acquires images that support scientific study of Jezero crater and sample acquisition, as well as rover and instrument operations(Fig. 1).WATSON serves a number of roles; it 1) provides color context imaging of SHERLOC and Planetary Instrument for X-Ray Litho chemistry (PIXL)analysis locations, placing the spatial distribution of organics and mineralogy detected by SHERLOC and the elemental maps generated by PIXL within the context of rock texture and structure; 2)acquires stand-alone observations of rock structures and textures from the outcrop to the grain scale; and 3)images rover components and other instruments to monitor their health and condition. We plan to present images acquired within the first ~30 sols of operations.

M E Minitti↗
NASA NTRS1975

The significance of the S-193 Skylab experiment using preliminary data evaluation

The Skylab S-193 radiometer/scatterometer/altimeter experiment is described. The spaceborne microwave system acquires simultaneous radiometric brightness temperature and radar backscatter data over land and ocean. Application of the data analysis to the planning of the GEOS-C and SEASAT-A programs, observation of hurricane Ava, and evaluation of the sensor inflight performance are discussed in terms of using operationally the spaceborne microwave sensors for sensing earth resources phenomena.

Krishen, K.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space research in the era of the space station

The major elements of the NASA manned space station are described, and science activities it could be used for are suggested. The core facilities include at least two major laboratory modules with supporting utilities, including habitation accommodations, docking facilities, power and heat rejection units, and external space and support for attached payloads. A vertically oriented structure, called the Power Tower, is being studied. Scientific accommodations inside the modules include major facility instrumentation for a variety of microgravity research projects, with initial emphasis upon materials research and life sciences. The second element is composed of free-flying satellites operating in orbits near the core station. The third element consists of satellites in polar orbits. One or more large, multi-instrument platforms are planned for Earth observation and solar-terrestrial processes research.

Banks, P. M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Mission Status at Aura Science Team MOWG Meeting: EOS Aura

Presentation at the 24797-16 Earth Observing System (EOS) Aura Science Team Meeting (Mission Operations Work Group (MOWG)) at Rotterdam, Netherlands August 29, 2016. Presentation topics include mission summary, spacecraft subsystems summary, recent and planned activities, spacecraft anomalies, data capture, propellant usage and lifetime estimates, spacecraft maneuvers and ground track history, mission highlights and past spacecraft anomalies and reliability estimates.

MOWG↗
NASA NTRS2022

Reservoir Assessment Tool 2.0: Stakeholder driven improvements to satellite remote sensing based reservoir monitoring

In light of the rapidly increasing regulation of rivers due to planned and constructed reservoirs, monitoring reservoir operations has become very crucial. The Reservoir Assessment Tool (RAT) framework was developed to monitor reservoir operations globally, using hydrological modeling and satellite observations. With feedback from stakeholders, improvements in the RAT framework are demonstrated in this study using the Mekong River Basin as an example. A novel multi-sensor reservoir area mapping technique was developed using complementary strengths of optical and SAR sensors at a 1-5 day temporal resolution, allowing the quantification of sub-weekly reservoir operations. Additionally, the skill of radar altimeters in the RAT framework was tested using the Jason-3 altimeter. Using in-situ data from three Thai reservoirs in the Mekong Basin, consistent improvements were observed as compared to the original RAT framework. A functionality for visualizing forecasted outflow was also added using historically inferred reservoir operations or stakeholder-driven target storage expectations.

Reservoirs↗
NASA NTRS2007

A-Train Mission Operations Working Group: CALIPSO Mission Status

This series of viewgraphs presents an introduction to the status of the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO),lessons learned during CALIPSO inclination maneuvers, the planning for CALIPSO's inclination maneuver to take place in 2009, examines a decision whether to precess or not, the plans to change CALIPSO's pitch, and the plans to change CALIPSO's pitch from the viewpoint of the payload.

Cisewski, Michael S.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Simulation Based Studies of Low Latency Teleoperations for NASA Exploration Missions

Human exploration of Mars will involve both crewed and robotic systems. Many mission concepts involve the deployment and assembly of mission support assets prior to crew arrival on the surface. Some of these deployment and assembly activities will be performed autonomously while others will be performed using teleoperations. However, significant communications latencies between the Earth and Mars make teleoperations challenging. Alternatively, low latency teleoperations are possible from locations in Mars orbit like Mars' moons Phobos and Deimos. To explore these latency opportunities, NASA is conducting a series of studies to investigate the effects of latency on telerobotic deployment and assembly activities. These studies are being conducted in laboratory environments at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC), the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) at JSC and the NASA Extreme Environment Mission Operations (NEEMO) underwater habitat off the coast of Florida. The studies involve two human-in-the-loop interactive simulations developed by the NASA Exploration Systems Simulations (NExSyS) team at JSC. The first simulation investigates manipulation related activities while the second simulation investigates mobility related activities. The first simulation provides a simple real-time operator interface with displays and controls for a simulated 6 degree of freedom end effector. The initial version of the simulation uses a simple control mode to decouple the robotic kinematic constraints and a communications delay to model latency effects. This provides the basis for early testing with more detailed manipulation simulations planned for the future. Subjects are tested using five operating latencies that represent teleoperation conditions from local surface operations to orbital operations at Phobos, Deimos and ultimately high Martian orbit. Subject performance is measured and correlated with three distance-to-target zones of interest. Each zone represents a target distance ranging from beyond 10m in Zone 1, through 1 cm to contact in Zone 5 with a step size factor of 10. Collected data consists of both objective simulation data (time, distance, hand controller inputs, velocity) and subjective questionnaire data. The second simulation provides a simple real-time operator interface with displays and control of a simulated surface rover. The rover traverses a synthetic Mars-like terrain and must be maneuvered to avoid obstacles while progressing to its destination. Like the manipulator simulation, subjects are tested using five operating latencies that represent teleoperation conditions from local surface operations to orbital operations at Phobos, Deimos and ultimately high Martian orbit. The rover is also operated at three different traverse speeds to assess the correlation between latency and speed. Collected data consisted of both objective simulation data (time, distance, hand controller inputs, braking) and subjective questionnaire data. These studies are exploring relationships between task complexity, operating speeds, operator efficiencies, and communications latencies for low latency teleoperations in support of human planetary exploration. This paper presents early results from these studies along with the current observations and conclusions. These and planned future studies will help to inform NASA on the potential for low latency teleoperations to support human exploration of Mars and inform the design of robotic systems and exploration missions.

Gernhardt, Michael L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Simulation of Mission Phases

This position with the Simulation and Graphics Branch (ER7) at Johnson Space Center (JSC) provided an introduction to vehicle hardware, mission planning, and simulation design. ER7 supports engineering analysis and flight crew training by providing high-fidelity, real-time graphical simulations in the Systems Engineering Simulator (SES) lab. The primary project assigned by NASA mentor and SES lab manager, Meghan Daley, was to develop a graphical simulation of the rendezvous, proximity operations, and docking (RPOD) phases of flight. The simulation is to include a generic crew/cargo transportation vehicle and a target object in low-Earth orbit (LEO). Various capsule, winged, and lifting body vehicles as well as historical RPOD methods were evaluated during the project analysis phase. JSC core mission to support the International Space Station (ISS), Commercial Crew Program (CCP), and Human Space Flight (HSF) influenced the project specifications. The simulation is characterized as a 30 meter +V Bar and/or -R Bar approach to the target object's docking station. The ISS was selected as the target object and the international Low Impact Docking System (iLIDS) was selected as the docking mechanism. The location of the target object's docking station corresponds with the RPOD methods identified. The simulation design focuses on Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC) system architecture models with station keeping and telemetry data processing capabilities. The optical and inertial sensors, reaction control system thrusters, and the docking mechanism selected were based on CCP vehicle manufacturer's current and proposed technologies. A significant amount of independent study and tutorial completion was required for this project. Multiple primary source materials were accessed using the NASA Technical Report Server (NTRS) and reference textbooks were borrowed from the JSC Main Library and International Space Station Library. The Trick Simulation Environment and User Training Materials version 2013.0 release was used to complete the Trick tutorial. Multiple network privilege and repository permission requests were required in order to access previous simulation models. The project was also an introduction to computer programming and the Linux operating system. Basic C++ and Python syntax was used during the completion of the Trick tutorial. Trick's engineering analysis and Monte Carlo simulation capabilities were observed and basic space mission planning procedures were applied in the conceptual design phase. Multiple professional development opportunities were completed in addition to project duties during this internship through the System for Administration, Training, and Education Resources for NASA (SATERN). Topics include: JSC Risk Management Workshop, CCP Risk Management, Basic Radiation Safety Training, X-Ray Radiation Safety, Basic Laser Safety, JSC Export Control, ISS RISE Ambassador, Basic SharePoint 2013, Space Nutrition and Biochemistry, and JSC Personal Protective Equipment. Additionally, this internship afforded the opportunity for formal project presentation and public speaking practice. This was my first experience at a NASA center. After completing this internship I have a much clearer understanding of certain aspects of the agency's processes and procedures, as well as a deeper appreciation from spaceflight simulation design and testing. I will continue to improve my technical skills so that I may have another opportunity to return to NASA and Johnson Space Center.

Carlstrom, Nicholas Mercury↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The HERMES Payload for Gateway: Heliophysics Enabled by Lunar Exploration

At launch, the first two modules of the Gateway space station will carry external payloads from NASA and ESA designed to observe the space environment. The NASA payload is the Heliophysics Environmental and Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES). The HERMES instrumentation includes an ion mass spectrometer, an electron electrostatic analyzer, a proton and electron telescope for energetic particles, and a set of magnetometers. After an approximately one year transit to the Moon, HERMES will begin a science campaign that addresses heliophysics and space-weather objectives. Analyses of the in-situ measurements from HERMES will leverage observations from other Heliophysics spacecraft missions to enable multipoint studies of structure in the solar wind and in the magnetotail. Gateway’s polar lunar orbit is advantageous for this purpose. HERMES also is a pathfinder for future payloads on human-exploration vessels, for which there will be pragmatic interest in the variable radiation environment. Thus, with observations enabled by the ARTEMIS Program, HERMES is expected to be enabling of future exploration missions. Additionally, although HERMES objectives have a space-weather focus, the measurements also can be useful for studies of the Moon. Data, algorithms, calibrations, and related software produced by the project will be fully open and accessible through a Science Operations Center. In this presentation we provide an overview of science plans, including expectations for collaboration with other HSO missions and with international partners. Plain-Language Summary: The HERMES scientific payload will be attached to the HALO module of the Artemis Program's Gateway lunar outpost. HERMES will observe space weather conditions from lunar orbit. The data will be freely available for studies of the Moon and its space environment.

William R Paterson↗