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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 NTRS1981

Space Shuttle - A new era in transportation

After a brief historical review of the economics of expendable-booster, commercial-payload operations to date, and a description of the Space Shuttle system's design, operational capabilities, and mission profile, the payload flight assignments, materials processing experiments, and Spacelab I material science experiment are detailed. Among the Materials Processing in Space (MPS) fields for investigation are crystal growth from vapor and solution, the production of magnetic composites and metal foams, laser host glasses and metallic glasses, non-buoyancy-driven convections, unidirectional solidification of eutectics, and the solidification of immiscible alloys. Emphasis is put on the long-term, commercial usefulness of such studies, with attention to historical precedents such as the Skylab, Apollo and Apollo-Soyuz programs.

Dunbar, B. J.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Expert mission planning and replanning scheduling system for NASA KSC payload operations

EMPRESS (Expert Mission Planning and REplanning Scheduling System) is an expert system created to assist payload mission planners at Kennedy in the long range planning and scheduling of horizontal payloads for space shuttle flights. Using the current flight manifest, these planners develop mission and payload schedules detailing all processing to be performed in the Operations and Checkout building at Kennedy. With the EMPRESS system, schedules are generated quickly using standard flows that represent the tasks and resources required to process a specific horizontal carrier. Resources can be tracked and resource conflicts can be determined and resolved interactively. Constraint relationships between tasks are maintained and can be enforced when a task is moved or rescheduled. The domain, structure, and functionality of the EMPRESS system is briefly designed. The limitations of the EMPRESS system are described as well as improvements expected with the EMPRESS-2 development.

Pierce, Roger↗
NASA NTRS1993

The MESUR Mission

The MESUR mission will place a network of small, robust landers on the Martian surface, making a coordinated set of observations for at least one Martian year. MESUR presents some major challenges for development of instruments, instrument deployment systems, and on board data processing techniques. The instrument payload has not yet been selected, but the straw man payload is (1) a three-axis seismometer; (2) a meteorology package that senses pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction, humidity, and sky brightness; (3) an alphaproton-X-ray spectrometer (APXS); (4) a thermal analysis/evolved gas analysis (TA/EGA) instrument; (5) a descent imager, (6) a panoramic surface imager; (7) an atmospheric structure instrument (ASI) that senses pressure, temperature, and acceleration during descent to the surface; and (8) radio science. Because of the large number of landers to be sent (about 16), all these instruments must be very lightweight. All but the descent imager and the ASI must survive landing loads that may approach 100 g. The meteorology package, seismometer, and surface imager must be able to survive on the surface for at least one Martian year. The seismometer requires deployment off the lander body. The panoramic imager and some components of the meteorology package require deployment above the lander body. The APXS must be placed directly against one or more rocks near the lander, prompting consideration of a micro rover for deployment of this instrument. The TA/EGA requires a system to acquire, contain, and heat a soil sample. Both the imagers and, especially, the seismometer will be capable of producing large volumes of data, and will require use of sophisticated data compression techniques.

Squyres, S. W.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Directions for lunar construction - A derivation of requirements from a construction scenario analysis

This paper provides an initial trade-off study among several lunar construction options available to the Space Exploration Initiative. The relative time effectiveness of Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA), Intra-Vehicular Activity (IVA), and Earth-based remote control assembly and construction methods are studied. Also considered is whether there is any construction time savings to building roads in advance, or surveying the construction sites with orbiters or rovers in advance. The study was conducted by adding detail to a potentially real scenario - a nuclear power plant - and applying time multipliers for the various control options and terrain alternatives, provided by roboticists among the authors. The authors conclude that IVA is a faster construction method than either EVA or construction conducted remotely from Earth. Surveying proposed sites in advance, with orbiters and rovers, provides a significant time savings through adding to certainty, and therefore may be cost effective. Developing a heavy-lift launch capability and minimizing assembly and construction processes by landing large payloads is probably worthwhile to the degree possible, as construction activities would use a large amount of surface operations time.

Dias, William S.↗
NASA NTRS1991

STS-37: TCDT Pad B Atlantis GRO (2 of 3)

Live footage shows the remaining two crewmembers of STS-37, Mission Specialists Jerry L. Ross, and Jay Apt, entering the White Room, putting on their life preservation vest, and then entering the launch vehicle. Video playbacks, of the crew during the earlier stage of the Terminal Countdown and Demonstration Test, and the processing of the primary payload (Gamma Ray Observatory) are shown. Scenes showing the arrival of Ross at Kennedy Space Center in the T-38 aircraft, the crew on the launch complex during familiarization activities, and training with the M113 vehicle are presented. Also shown are some beautiful panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. This is tape 2 of 3. Tape 1 has a report # of NONP-NASA-VT-2000013416, and tape 3 has a report # of NONP-NASA-VT-2000013418.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2009

T-Rex: A Japanese Space Tether Experiment

Electrodynamic tether (EDT) thrusters work by virtue of the force a magnetic field exerts on a wire carrying an electrical current. The force, which acts on any charged particle moving through a magnetic field (including the electrons moving in a current-carrying wire), were concisely expressed by Lorentz in 1895 in an equation that now bears his name. The force acts in a direction perpendicular to both the direction of current flow and the magnetic field vector. Electric motors make use of this force: a wire loop in a magnetic field is made to rotate by the torque the Lorentz Force exerts on it due to an alternating current in the loop times so as to keep the torque acting in the same sense. The motion of the loop is transmitted to a shaft, thus providing work. Although the working principle of EDT thrusters is not new, its application to space transportation may be significant. In essence, an EDT thruster is just a clever way of getting an electrical current to flow in a long orbiting wire (the tether) so that the Earth s magnetic field will accelerate the wire and, consequently the payload attached to the wire. The direction of current flow in the tether, either toward or away from the Earth along the local vertical, determines whether the magnetic force will raise or lower the orbit. The bias voltage of a vertically deployed metal tether, which results just from its orbital motion (assumed eastward) through Earth s magnetic field, is positive with respect to the ambient plasma at the top and negative at the bottom. This polarization is due to the action of the Lorentz force on the electrons in the tether. Thus, the natural current flow is the result of negative electrons being attracted to the upper end and then returned to the plasma at the lower end. The magnetic force in this case has a component opposite to the direction of motion, and thus leads to a lowering of the orbit and eventually to re-entry. In this generator mode of operation the Lorentz Force serves both to drive the current and then to act on the current to decelerate the system. One of the most important features of tether thrusters is that they use renewable energy sources to drive the electrical current flow in either the orbit-raising or orbit-lowering modes. Sources inherent to Earth orbit are used. To raise the orbit, sunlight can be converted to the electrical energy required to drive the tether current. To lower the orbit, the orbital energy itself (supplied by the Earth-to-orbit launcher when it raises the system into orbit) is the energy source of the tether current via the action of the Lorentz Force. Electrodynamic tethers can be directly applied to a wide spectrum of uses in space. As a propulsion system, they include satellite de-orbit, transfer of a satellite from one orbit to another, altitude maintenance for large spacecraft such as the International Space Station, and since it works wherever there is a magnetic field and an ionosphere planetary exploration missions. An electrodynamic tether upper stage could be used as an Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV) to move payloads within low earth orbit. The OTV would rendezvous with the payload and launch vehicle, grapple the payload and maneuver it to a new orbital altitude or inclination without the use of boost propellant. The tug could then lower its orbit to rendezvous with the next payload and repeat the process. Conceivably, such a system could perform several orbital maneuvering assignments without resupply, making it relatively inexpensive to operate.

Johnson, Les↗
NASA NTRS2011

Shaping NASA's Kennedy Space Center Safety for the Future

With the completion of the Space Shuttle Program, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) safety function will be required to evolve beyond the single launch vehicle launch site focus that has held prominence for almost fifty years. This paper will discuss how that evolution is taking place. Specifically, we will discuss the future of safety as it relates to a site that will have multiple, very disparate, functions. These functions will include new business; KSC facilities not under the control of NASA; traditional payload and launch vehicle processing; and, operations conducted by NASA personnel, NASA contractors or a combination of both. A key element in this process is the adaptation of the current KSC set of safety requirements into a multi-faceted set that can address each of the functions above, while maintaining our world class safety environment. One of the biggest challenges that will be addressed is how to protect our personnel and property without dictating how other Non-NASA organizations protect their own employees and property. The past history of KSC Safety will be described and how the lessons learned from previous programs will be applied to the future. The lessons learned from this process will also be discussed as information for other locations that may undergo such a transformation.

Kirkpatrick, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Space Launch System Operations Strategy

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), is charged with delivering a new capability for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth orbit (BEO). The SLS may also provide backup crew and cargo services to the International Space Station, where astronauts have been training for long-duration voyages to destinations such as asteroids and Mars. For context, the SLS will be larger than the Saturn V, providing 10 percent more thrust at liftoff in its initial 70 metric ton (t) configuration and 20 percent more in its evolved 130-t configuration. The SLS Program knows that affordability is the key to sustainability. This paper will provide an overview of its operations strategy, which includes initiatives to reduce both development and fixed costs by using existing hardware and infrastructure assets to meet a first launch by 2017 within the projected budget. It also has a long-range plan to keep the budget flat using competitively selected advanced technologies that offer appropriate return on investment. To arrive at the launch vehicle concept, the SLS Program conducted internal engineering and business studies that have been externally validated by industry and reviewed by independent assessment panels. A series of design reference missions has informed the SLS operations concept, including launching the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) on an autonomous demonstration mission in a lunar flyby scenario in 2017, and the first flight of a crew on Orion for a lunar flyby in 2021. Additional concepts address the processing of very large payloads, using a series of modular fairings and adapters to flexibly configure the rocket for the mission. This paper will describe how the SLS, Orion, and Ground Systems Development and Operations (GSDO) programs are working together to create streamlined, affordable operations for sustainable exploration for decades to come.

Singer, Joan A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

NASA Space Launch System Operations Strategy

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Launch System (SLS) Program, managed at the Marshall Space Flight Center, is charged with delivering a new capability for human and scientific exploration beyond Earth orbit. The SLS also will provide backup crew and cargo services to the International Space Station, where astronauts have been training for long-duration voyages to destinations such as asteroids and Mars. For context, the SLS will be larger than the Saturn V, providing 10 percent more thrust at liftoff in its initial 70 metric ton (t) configuration and 20 percent more in its evolved 130 t configuration. The SLS Program knows that affordability is the key to sustainability. This paper will provide an overview of its operations strategy, which includes initiatives to reduce both development and fixed costs by using existing hardware and infrastructure assets to meet a first launch by 2017 within the projected budget. It also has a long-range plan to keep the budget flat using competitively selected advanced technologies that offer appropriate return on investment. To arrive at the launch vehicle concept, the SLS Program conducted internal engineering and business studies that have been externally validated by industry and reviewed by independent assessment panels. A series of design reference missions has informed the SLS operations concept, including launching the Orion Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle on an autonomous demonstration mission in a lunar flyby scenario in 2017, and the first flight of a crew on Orion for a lunar flyby in 2021. Additional concepts address the processing of very large payloads, using a series of modular fairings and adapters to flexibly configure the rocket for the mission. This paper will describe how the SLS, Orion, and 21st Century Ground Systems programs are working together to create streamlined, affordable operations for sustainable exploration.

Singer, Joan A.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Spring 2013 Graduate Engineering Internship Summary

In the spring of 2013, I participated in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Pathways Intern Employment Program at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida. This was my final internship opportunity with NASA, a third consecutive extension from a summer 2012 internship. Since the start of my tenure here at KSC, I have gained an invaluable depth of engineering knowledge and extensive hands-on experience. These opportunities have granted me the ability to enhance my systems engineering approach in the field of payload design and testing as well as develop a strong foundation in the area of composite fabrication and testing for repair design on space vehicle structures. As a systems engineer, I supported the systems engineering and integration team with final acceptance testing of the Vegetable Production System, commonly referred to as Veggie. Verification and validation (V and V) of Veggie was carried out prior to qualification testing of the payload, which incorporated the process of confirming the system's design requirements dependent on one or more validation methods: inspection, analysis, demonstration, and testing.

Ehrlich, Joshua↗
NASA NTRS2015

Coupled Loads Analysis of the Modified NASA Barge Pegasus and Space Launch System Hardware

A Coupled Loads Analysis (CLA) has been performed for barge transport of Space Launch System hardware on the recently modified NASA barge Pegasus. The barge re-design was facilitated with detailed finite element analyses by the ARMY Corps of Engineers - Marine Design Center. The Finite Element Model (FEM) utilized in the design was also used in the subject CLA. The Pegasus FEM and CLA results are presented as well as a comparison of the analysis process to that of a payload being transported to space via the Space Shuttle. Discussion of the dynamic forcing functions is included as well. The process of performing a dynamic CLA of NASA hardware during marine transport is thought to be a first and can likely support minimization of undue conservatism.

Knight, J. Brent↗
NASA NTRS2017

Red Dragon Drill Missions to Mars

We present the concept of using a variant of a Space Exploration Technologies Corporation (SpaceX) Dragon space capsule as a low-cost, large-capacity, near-term, Mars lander (dubbed "Red Dragon") for scientific and human precursor missions. SpaceX initially designed the Dragon capsule for flight near Earth, and Dragon has successfully flown many times to low-Earth orbit (LEO) and successfully returned the Dragon spacecraft to Earth. Here we present capsule hardware modifications that are required to enable flight to Mars and operations on the martian surface. We discuss the use of the Dragon system to support NASA Discovery class missions to Mars and focus in particular on Dragon's applications for drilling missions. We find that a Red Dragon platform is well suited for missions capable of drilling deeper on Mars (at least 2 m) than has been accomplished to date due to its ability to land in a powered controlled mode, accommodate a long drill string, and provide payload space for sample processing and analysis. We show that a Red Dragon drill lander could conduct surface missions at three possible targets including the ice-cemented ground at the Phoenix landing site (68degN), the subsurface ice discovered near the Viking 2 (49degN) site by fresh impact craters, and the dark sedimentary subsurface material at the Curiosity site (4.5degS).

Drill↗
NASA NTRS2015

AMO EXPRESS: A Command and Control Experiment for Crew Autonomy Onboard the International Space Station

NASA is investigating a range of future human spaceflight missions, including both Mars-distance and Near Earth Object (NEO) targets. Of significant importance for these missions is the balance between crew autonomy and vehicle automation. As distance from Earth results in increasing communication delays, future crews need both the capability and authority to independently make decisions. However, small crews cannot take on all functions performed by ground today, and so vehicles must be more automated to reduce the crew workload for such missions.NASAs Advanced Exploration Systems Program funded Autonomous Mission Operations (AMO) project conducted an autonomous command and control experiment on-board the International Space Station that demonstrated single action intelligent procedures for crew command and control. The target problem was to enable crew initialization of a facility class rack with power and thermal interfaces, and involving core and payload command and telemetry processing, without support from ground controllers. This autonomous operations capability is enabling in scenarios such as initialization of a medical facility to respond to a crew medical emergency, and representative of other spacecraft autonomy challenges. The experiment was conducted using the Expedite the Processing of Experiments for Space Station (EXPRESS) rack 7, which was located in the Port 2 location within the U.S Laboratory onboard the International Space Station (ISS).

Autonomous Mission Operations↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ISS Plug-in Plan (IPiP) 101

The ISS Plug-in Plan (IPiP) Team coordinates and develops an integrated plug-in plan each Increment for Payload and Systems hardware that connects downstream of a UOP or SUP. This presentation is to familiarize Payload Developers with the processes and forms used by IPiP.

plug-in↗
NASA NTRS1983

Launch processing for Spacelab 1

The final integration of Spacelab payloads with the Shuttle is described. Attention is given to launch processing planning, schedules, quality control, and problem reports and configuration maintenance. Also covered are the integration and checkout of individual and combined experiments, mounting the end cones, attachment of the transfer tunnel, and inclusion of an extra experiments pallet. The entire Spacelab module was subjected to a full systems simulation before deliverance to the Orbiter bay. Modular parts that were transferred from building-to-building were placed in sealed containers filled with a purged atmosphere during transport.

Mcbrayer, R. O.↗
NASA NTRS1996

ISS External Payload Accommodations (EXPRESS pallet)

The 'expedite the process of experiments to Space Station' (EXPRESS) pallet which is attached to the DS3 truss segment of the International Space Station (ISS) via the payload attach structure is illustrated. The EXPRESS pallet constitutes the primary ISS external payload carrier. Each pallet carries six robotically replaceable payload adapters which are capable of containing one or more payloads. The following aspects of the EXPRESS program and pallet are illustrated: the concept drivers; the physical integration; the installation and in-orbit replacement; and the experiments to be implemented. The program status is summarized.

Harvey L. Shelton↗
NASA NTRS2000

Overview of TPS Tasks

The objectives of the project summarized in this viewgraph presentation are the following: (1) Develop a lightweight and low cost durable Thermal Protection System (TPS) for easy application to reusable launch vehicle payload launchers; (2) Develop quickly processed composite TPS processing and repair techniques; and (3) Develop higher temperature capability tile TPS. The benefits of this technology include reduced installation and operations cost, enhanced payload capability resulting from TPS weight reduction, and enhanced flight envelope and performance resulting from higher temperature capability TPS which can result in improved safety.

Johnson, Sylvia M.↗
NASA NTRS2016

ISS Payload Human Factors

The ISS Payload Human Factors Implementation Team (HFIT) is the Payload Developer's resource for Human Factors. HFIT is the interface between Payload Developers and ISS Payload Human Factors requirements in SSP 57000.  HFIT provides recommendations on how to meet the Human Factors requirements and guidelines early in the design process. HFIT coordinates with the Payload Developer and Astronaut Office to find low cost solutions to Human Factors challenges for hardware operability issues.

Ellenberger, Richard↗