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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 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

ISS-based Development of Elements and Operations for Robotic Assembly of A Space Solar Power Collector

We present a concept for an ISS-based optical system assembly demonstration designed to advance technologies related to future large in-space optical facilities deployment, including space solar power collectors and large-aperture astronomy telescopes. The large solar power collector problem is not unlike the large astronomical telescope problem, but at least conceptually it should be easier in principle, given the tolerances involved. We strive in this application to leverage heavily the work done on the NASA Optical Testbed Integration on ISS Experiment (OpTIIX) effort to erect a 1.5 m imaging telescope on the International Space Station (ISS). Specifically, we examine a robotic assembly sequence for constructing a large (meter diameter) slightly aspheric or spherical primary reflector, comprised of hexagonal mirror segments affixed to a lightweight rigidizing backplane structure. This approach, together with a structured robot assembler, will be shown to be scalable to the area and areal densities required for large-scale solar concentrator arrays.

astronomy↗
NASA NTRS1993

Aeroelastic dynamics of mistuned blade assemblies with closely spaced blade modes

The aeroelastic characteristics of tuned and randomly mistuned blade assemblies which possess two blade-alone natural modes with close frequencies are studied. Modal interactions among the two blade modes are shown to be come extremely significant for small frequency separation. The two distinct loci of the aeroelastic eigenvalues, which characterize an assembly with well separated modes, fully merge into a single root locus as the blade-mode frequency separation vanishes. Also, while in the case of well separated blade modes the introduction of random mistuning into one blade mode affects only the assembly modes which are predominantly of that blade-mode type, mistuning results in the localization of all the assembly modes when the blade-alone natural frequencies are close. Results indicate that in the case of closely-spaced blade modes a single-degree of freedom blade model yields qualitatively erroneous results and that an N-blade assembly with two close blade modes behaves like an equivalent 2Nb-blade assembly with a single blade mode.

Pierre, Christophe↗
NASA NTRS1982

Large area space solar cell assemblies

Results of the development of a 34.3 sq cm space solar cell and integral glass cover are presented. Average AM(0) cell efficiency is 14 percent. The cell design includes a high performance back surface reflector yielding a thermal alpha of approximately 0.66. A novel process is described which integrates cell fabrication and encapsulation thereby achieving a reduction of encapsulation cost. Test results indicate the potential of this new technology.

Nowlan, M. J.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spectral characterization of the Roman Space Telescope Grism and Prism assemblies

The Roman Space Telescope (RST) Wide Field Instrument (WFI) recently completed its thermal vacuum (TVAC) campaign in Boulder, CO. This campaign, which concludes multiple years of preparation, represented the last opportunity for characterization and verification of the Grism and Prism spectral properties before launch; currently scheduled for late-2026. To this end, a highly-automated series of measurements were performed to acquire images of calibration spectra at many field points. Features that were measured during these efforts include dispersion scale, blue/red bandpass edges, diffraction order radiometry, and ghost images. A summary of the techniques and results for several of these efforts is provided here.

Astronomy↗
NASA NTRS2004

Bounding the risk of crew loss following orbital debris penetration of the International Space Station at assembly stages 1J and 1E

Orbital debris impacts on the International Space Station occur frequently. To date, none of the impacting particles has been large enough to penetrate manned pressurized volumes. We used the Manned Spacecraft Crew Survivability code to evaluate the risk to crew of penetrations of pressurized modules at two assembly stages: after Flight 1J, when the pressurized elements of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module, are present, and after Flight 1E, when the European Columbus Module is present. Our code is a Monte-Carlo simulation of impacts on the Station that considers several potential event types that could lead to crew loss. Among the statistics tabulated by the program is the probability of death of one or more crew members in the event of a penetration, expressed as the risk factor, R. This risk factor is dependent on details of crew operations during both ordinary circumstances and decompression emergencies, as well as on details of internal module configurations. We conducted trade studies considering these procedure and configuration details to determine the bounds on R at the 1J and 1E stages in the assembly sequence. Here we compare the R-factor bounds, and procedures could that reduce R at these stages. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

Models, Theoretical↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On-orbit/On-surface Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (OSAM) Architecture Simulation System (OASiS)

On-orbit/on-surface servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (OSAM) –recently renamed“in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing”(ISAM) –will aid in the development of vital research-enabling structuresin space, such as the In-space Assembled Telescope, the Lunar Gateway, and the Lunar Safe Haven. As these structures become larger and more complex, developers will need new methods for verifying and validating their OSAM mission architectures at full-scale prior to launch, without paying for extensive facility upgrades or additional hardware prototypes. Under the OSAM Architecture Simulation System (OASiS) project, modular OSAM modeling and simulation capabilities were developed to help rapidly prototype and evaluate OSAM technologies and operational concepts.Theywerethenusedto demonstrate and evaluate data from the simulation of a simpleOSAM operation against ananaloghardware setup. Using collected test data, the teamevaluatedthe accuracy of the simulation environment against the behavior of real hardwareandgainedinsight on how to further improve OSAM modeling and simulation. With thesenewcapabilities and many more to come, developers will be able to test complex OSAM operations on multiple scales, iterate on technology designs faster, achieve higher operational accuracy, and ultimately reduce mission development costs. A comprehensive, high-fidelity simulation environment will ensure the successful servicing, assembly, and manufacturing of structures that help us study and explore our universe.

isam↗
NASA NTRS2002

Bounding the Risk of Crew Loss Following Orbital Debris Penetration of the International Space Station at Assembly Stages 1J and 1E

Orbital debris impacts on the International Space Station occur frequently. To date, none of the impacting particles has been sufficiently large to penetrate manned pressurized volumes. We used the Manned Spacecraft Crew Survivability code to evaluate the risk to crew of penetrations of pressurized modules at two assembly stages: after Flight lJ, when the pressurized elements of Kibo, the Japanese Experiment Module, are present, and after Flight lE, when the European Columbus Module is present. Our code is a Monte Carlo simulation of impacts on the Station that considers several potential event types that could lead to crew loss. Among the statistics tabulated by the program is the probability of death of one or more crew members, expressed as the risk factor, R. This risk factor is dependent on details of crew operations during both ordinary circumstances and decompression emergencies, as well as on details of internal module configurations. We conducted trade studies considering these procedure and configuration details to determine the bounds on R at the 1J and 1E stages in the assembly sequence. Here we compare the R-factor bounds, and procedures and configurations that reduce R at these stages.

Evans, S.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Era of International Space Station Research: Discoveries and Potential of an Unprecedented Laboratory in Space

The assembly of the International Space Station was completed in early 2011. Its largest research instrument, the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer is planned for launch in late April. Unlike any previous laboratory in space, the ISS offers a long term platform where scientists can operate experiments rapidly after developing a new research question, and extend their experiments based on early results. This presentation will explain why having a laboratory in orbit is important for a wide variety of experiments that cannot be done on Earth. Some of the most important results from early experiments are already having impacts in areas such as health care, telemedicine, and disaster response. The coming decade of full utilization offers the promise of new understanding of the nature of physical and biological processes and even of matter itself.

Robinson, Julie A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Automated assembly of large space structures

A research program to evaluate telerobotic methods for inspace assembly of large truss structures has been initiated at the NASA Langley Research Center. A commercial robot is mounted on a carriage positioning system and a tetrahedral truss, which is composed of 102 members each 2 m long, is assembled on a rotating motion-base. The facility system is described including details of characterization tests on the truss structure. The current status of the assembly tests is discussed and observations from these tests indicate that no problems have been encountered that would prohibit automated telerobotic assembly from being a viable inspace construction method.

Rhodes, Marvin D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Heavy lift vehicles for transportation to a low earth orbit Space Station for assembly of a Human to Mars Mission

Heavy lift vehicle configurations are proposed which will meet the requirements for transporting the elements of a Human to Mars Mission to a low earth orbit Space Station for assembly. Both near term derivative type vehiles as well as advanced technology vehicles are considered. The capability of these vehicles to accommodate the precursor missions are also examined. The implications on launch vehicle payload accommodation design and orbital operations are discussed.

Swalley, Frank E.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Cryogenic Optical Performance of a Light-weight Mirror Assembly for Future Space Astronomical Telescopes: Optical Test Results and Thermal Optical Model

A 40 cm diameter mirror assembly was interferometrically tested at room temperature down to 250 degrees Kelvin for thermal deformation. The 2.5 m radius of curvature spherical mirror assembly was constructed by low temperature fusing three abrasive waterjet core sections between two face sheets. The 93% lightweighted Corning ULE mirror assembly represents the current state of the art for future UV, optical, near IR space telescopes. During the multiple thermal test cycles, test results of interferometric test, thermal IR images of the front face were recorded in order to validate thermal optical model.

Eng, Ron↗
NASA NTRS1991

Automated assembly of large space structures

The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include: the Telerobotic Assembly Facility; joint components; the robot end effector; assembly projected time; typical truss assembly breakdown; the Automated Structures Assembly Facility's current control hierarchy; an assembly problem summary; observations and results; sensor monitoring and error recovery; recommendations and conclusions; and current plans and development.

Marvin D Rhodes↗
NASA NTRS1984

Space station automation study. Volume 1: Executive summary. Autonomous systems and assembly

The space station automation study (SSAS) was to develop informed technical guidance for NASA personnel in the use of autonomy and autonomous systems to implement space station functions. The initial step taken by NASA in organizing the SSAS was to form and convene a panel of recognized expert technologists in automation, space sciences and aerospace engineering to produce a space station automation plan.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1986

A space station Structures and Assembly Verification Experiment, SAVE

The Space Station structure has been baselined to be a 5 M (16.4 ft) erectable truss. This structure will provide the overall framework to attach laboratory modules and other systems, subsystems and utilities. The assembly of this structure represents a formidable EVA challenge. To validate this capability the Space Station Structures/Dynamics Technical Integration Panel (TIP) met to develop the necessary data for an integrated STS structures flight experiment. As a result of this meeting, the Langley Research Center initiated a joint Langley/Boeing Aerospace Company study which supported the structures/dynamics TIP in developing the preliminary definition and design of a 5 M erectable space station truss and the resources required for a proposed flight experiment. The purpose of the study was to: (1) devise methods of truss assembly by astronauts; (2) define a specific test matrix for dynamic characterization; (3) identify instrumentation and data system requirements; (4) determine the power, propulsion and control requirements for the truss on-orbit for 3 years; (5) study the packaging of the experiment in the orbiter cargo bay; (6) prepare a preliminary cost estimate and schedule for the experiment; and (7) provide a list of potential follow-on experiments using the structure as a free flyer. The results of this three month study are presented.

Russell, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Mobile work station concept for assembly of large space structures (zero gravity simulation tests)

The concept presented is intended to enhance astronaut assembly of truss structure that is either too large or complex to fold for efficient Shuttle delivery to orbit. The potential of augmented astronaut assembly is illustrated by applying the result of the tests to a barebones assembly of a truss structure. If this structure were assembled from the same nestable struts that were used in the Mobile Work Station assembly tests, the spacecraft would be 55 meters in diameter and consist of about 500 struts. The struts could be packaged in less than 1/2% of the Shuttle cargo bay volume and would take up approximately 3% of the mass lift capability. They could be assembled in approximately four hours. This assembly concept for erectable structures is not only feasible, but could be used to significant economic advantage by permitting the superior packaging feature of erectable structures to be exploited and thereby reduce expensive Shuttle delivery flights.

Heard, W. L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Controls for space structures

Assembly and operation of large space structures (LSS) in orbit will require robot-assisted docking and berthing of partially-assembled structures. These operations require new solutions to the problems of controls. This is true because of large transient and persistent disturbances, controller-structure interaction with unmodeled modes, poorly known structure parameters, slow actuator/sensor dynamical behavior, and excitation of nonlinear structure vibrations during control and assembly. For on-orbit assembly, controllers must start with finite element models of LSS and adapt on line to the best operating points, without compromising stability. This is not easy to do, since there are often unmodeled dynamic interactions between the controller and the structure. The indirect adaptive controllers are based on parameter estimation. Due to the large number of modes in LSS, this approach leads to very high-order control schemes with consequent poor stability and performance. In contrast, direct model reference adaptive controllers operate to force the LSS to track the desirable behavior of a chosen model. These schemes produce simple control algorithms which are easy to implement on line. One problem with their use for LSS has been that the model must be the same dimension as the LSS - i.e., quite large. A control theory based on the command generator tracker (CGT) ideas of Sobel, Mabins, Kaufman and Wen, Balas to obtain very low-order models based on adaptive algorithms was developed. Closed-loop stability for both finite element models and distributed parameter models of LSS was proved. In addition, successful numerical simulations on several LSS databases were obtained. An adaptive controller based on our theory was also implemented on a flexible robotic manipulator at Martin Marietta Astronautics. Computation schemes for controller-structure interaction with unmodeled modes, the residual mode filters or RMF, were developed. The RMF theory was modified to compensate slow actuator/sensor dynamics. These new ideas are being applied to LSS simulations to demonstrate the ease with which one can incorporate slow actuator/sensor effects into our design. It was also shown that residual mode filter compensation can be modified for small nonlinearities to produce exponentially stable closed-loop control. A theory for disturbance accommodating controllers based on reduced order models of structures was developed, and stability results for these controllers in closed-loop with large-scale finite element models of structures were obtained.

Balas, Mark↗
NASA NTRS1980

The assembly of large structures in space - An evaluation of hardware configurations and assembly techniques through neutral buoyancy simulation

The implementation of NASA's Space Transportation System (STS) presents the opportunity for the on-orbit assembly of structures which, before the advent of multi-launch missions, were not possible because of their physical size. This report presents the results of an eight-month effort in the investigation of assembly techniques and hardware configurations used in assembly of the basic tetrahedral cell by A7LB pressure-suited subjects in Marshall Space Flight Center's Neutral Buoyancy Simulator. Eleven subjects participated in assembly procedures which investigated two types of structural members and two configurations of attachment hardware. The assembly was accomplished through extra-vehicular activity (EVA) only, EVA with simulated manned maneuvering unit (MMU), and EVA with simulated MMU and simulated remote manipulator system (RMS). Assembly times as low as 10.20 minutes per tetrahedron were achieved.

Loughead, T. E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Quantity Distance for the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building for Solid Propellant Fueled Launchers

The NASA KSC VAB was built to process Apollo launchers in the 1960's, and later adapted to process Space Shuttles. The VAB has served as a place to assemble solid rocket motors (5RM) and mate them to the vehicle's external fuel tank and Orbiter before rollout to the launch pad. As Space Shuttle is phased out, and new launchers are developed, the VAB may again be adapted to process these new launchers. Current launch vehicle designs call for continued and perhaps increased use of SRM segments; hence, the safe separation distances are in the process of being re-calculated. Cognizant NASA personnel and the solid rocket contractor have revisited the above VAB QD considerations and suggest that it may be revised to allow a greater number of motor segments within the VAB. This revision assumes that an inadvertent ignition of one SRM stack in its High Bay need not cause immediate and complete involvement of boosters that are part of a vehicle in adjacent High Bay. To support this assumption, NASA and contractor personnel proposed a strawman test approach for obtaining subscale data that may be used to develop phenomenological insight and to develop confidence in an analysis model for later use on full-scale situations. A team of subject matter experts in safety and siting of propellants and explosives were assembled to review the subscale test approach and provide options to NASA. Upon deliberations regarding the various options, the team arrived at some preliminary recommendations for NASA.

Stover, Steven↗