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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

A GNM mission and system design proposal

Here, the author takes an advocacy position for the proposed Mars Global Network Mission (GNM); it is not intended to be an objective review, although both pros and cons are presented in summary. The mission consists of launches from earth in the '96, '98, and '01 opportunities on Delta-class launch vehicles (approx. 1000 kg injected to Mars in 8 to 10 ft diameter shroud). The trans Mars boost stage injects a stack of small independent, aeroshelled spacecraft. The stack separates from the boost stage and each rigid (as opposed to deployable) aeroshell flies to Mars on its own, performing midcourse maneuvers as necessary. Each spacecraft flies a unique trajectory which is targeted to achieve approach atmospheric interface at the desired latitude and lighting conditions; arrival times may vary by a month or more. A direct entry is performed, there is no propulsive orbit capture. The aeroshelled rough-landers are targeted to achieve a desired attitude and entry flight path angle, and then follow a passive ballistic trajectory until terminal descent. Based on sensed acceleration (integrated to deduce altitude), the aft aeroshell skirt is jettisoned; a short later a supersonic parachute is deployed. The ballistic coefficient of the parachute is sized to achieve terminal velocity at about 8 km. However the parachute is not deployed until a few Km above the surface to minimize wind-induced drift. The nose cap descent imaging begins, a laser altimeter also measures true altitude. Based on range and range rate to the surface, the parachute is jettisoned and the lander uses descent engines to achieve touchdown velocity. A contact sensor shuts down the motors to avoid cratering, and the lander rough-lands at less than 5 m/sec. The remaining aeroshell and a deployable bladder attenuate landing loads and minimize the possibility of tip over. Science instruments are deployed and activated, and the network is established.

Bailey, Stephen↗

The Challenges in the Development of a Long Duration Space Mission Food System

The Advanced Food System at Johnson Space Center/NASA will be responsible for supplying food to the crew for long duration exploratory missions. These missions require development of both a Transit Food System and of a Planetary Food System. The Transit Food System will consist of pre-packaged food of extended shelf life. It will be supplemented with salad crops that will be consumed fresh. The challenge is to develop a food system with a shelf life of 3 - 5 years that will use minimal power and create minimal waste from the food packaging. The Planetary Food System will allow for food processing of crops grown on the planetary surface due to the presence of some gravitational force. Crops will be processed to final products to provide a nutritious and acceptable diet for the crew. The food system must be flexible due to crop variation, availability, and shelf life. Crew meals, based on thesc: crops, must be nutritious, high quality, safe, and contain variety. The Advanced Food System becomes a fulcrum creating the right connection from crops to crew meals while dealing with issues of integration within a closed self-regenerative system (e.g., safety, waste production, volumes, water usage, etc.).

Perchonok, Michele H.↗

A model for live mission data systems using the OAIS reference model

Space sciences are confronted with overwhelming volume of data. The data rates are increasing, the granularity of registered observations is continuously refining, and computer technology allows producing terabytes of images and catalogs. The inexpensive emerging storage technologies, combined with the availability of high-speed communications will offer the infrastructure for extremely large data repositories to be accessible on-line. Mission data will be quickly accessible almost immediately after it has been collected from space observations. On-line science will demand for new tools and technologies for data access, data analysis, and data discovery. These trends will enhance the archival operational concepts mainly related to the long-term information preservation, placing an equally important emphasis on rapid data production, and dissemination to consumers.

mission data systems srchive system OAIS data mana↗

The Fermi Gamma-Ray Space Telescope - Overview and Early Science Results

The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope (formerly named GLAST) was designed and built by NASA, many cooperating foreign space agencies, and the United States Department of Energy. It launched in June of 2008 and has been observing gamma-ray bursts for over 8 months. This paper describes the mission systems and the mission overview; how the instruments work; summarizes the on-orbit activation, and discusses the most recent science highlights.

Leibee, Jack↗

Human Systems Integration in Practice: Constellation Lessons Learned

NASA's Constellation program provided a unique testbed for Human Systems Integration (HSI) as a fundamental element of the Systems Engineering process. Constellation was the first major program to have HSI mandated by NASA's Human Rating document. Proper HSI is critical to the success of any project that relies on humans to function as operators, maintainers, or controllers of a system. HSI improves mission, system and human performance, significantly reduces lifecycle costs, lowers risk and minimizes re-design. Successful HSI begins with sufficient project schedule dedicated to the generation of human systems requirements, but is by no means solely a requirements management process. A top-down systems engineering process that recognizes throughout the organization, human factors as a technical discipline equal to traditional engineering disciplines with authority for the overall system. This partners with a bottoms-up mechanism for human-centered design and technical issue resolution. The Constellation Human Systems Integration Group (HSIG) was a part of the Systems Engineering and Integration (SE&I) organization within the program office, and existed alongside similar groups such as Flight Performance, Environments & Constraints, and Integrated Loads, Structures and Mechanisms. While the HSIG successfully managed, via influence leadership, a down-and-in Community of Practice to facilitate technical integration and issue resolution, it lacked parallel top-down authority to drive integrated design. This presentation will discuss how HSI was applied to Constellation, the lessons learned and best practices it revealed, and recommendations to future NASA program and project managers. This presentation will discuss how Human Systems Integration (HSI) was applied to NASA's Constellation program, the lessons learned and best practices it revealed, and recommendations to future NASA program and project managers on how to accomplish this critical function.

Zumbado, Jennifer Rochlis↗

Mission data system framework description

This document provides an overall description of the MDS Framework technology. Since the purpose is to provide a general reference for the frameworks, the descriptions are organized as compendium. This document does not provide guidance for how the MDS technology should be used.

Mission Data System↗

Data management in the mission data system

As spacecraft evolve from simple embedded devices to become more sophisticated computing platforms with complex behaviors it is increasingly necessary to model and manage the flow of data, and to provide uniform models for managing data that promote adaptability, yet pay heed to the physical limitations of the embedded and space environments.

mission data system (MDS)↗

Mission operations systems for planetary exploration

The purpose of the paper is twofold: (1) to present an overview of the processes comprising planetary mission operations as conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and (2) to present a project-specific and historical context within which this evolving process functions. In order to accomplish these objectives, the generic uplink and downlink functions are described along with their specialization to current flight projects. Also, new multimission capabilities are outlined, including prototyping of advanced-capability software for subsequent incorporation into more automated future operations. Finally, a specific historical ground is provided by listing some major operations software plus a genealogy of planetary missions beginning with Mariner 2 in 1962.

Mclaughlin, William I.↗

Teleoperator Maneuvering System (TMS) mission applications and benefits

Studies conducted by NASA have shown that the operating range of the Shuttle can be substantially increased and cost of payload operation be decreased by making use of the Teleoperator Maneuvering System (TMS). The TMS is remotely controlled, free-flying, orbital mini-tug vehicle capable of performing a wide range of remote satellite services missions. It can operate out of the Shuttle cargo bay, from a space station, or on top of an upper stage like Centaur. For high energy missions up to and including geostationary orbit, the TMS propulsion stage will augment the Transfer Orbit Stage (TOS) recently proposed for commercial development in providing an effective low-cost second-stage system for delivering intermediate sized payloads to geosynchronous orbit (GEO). Attention is given to TMS capabilities for both long duration and short term orbital missions, taking into account also Space Station support operations.

Cramblit, D. C.↗

Capability for Integrated Systems Risk-Reduction Analysis

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is working to increase the likelihoods of human health and performance success during long-duration missions, and subsequent crew long-term health. To achieve these goals, there is a need to develop an integrated understanding of how the complex human physiological-socio-technical mission system behaves in spaceflight. This understanding will allow HRP to provide cross-disciplinary spaceflight countermeasures while minimizing resources such as mass, power, and volume. This understanding will also allow development of tools to assess the state of and enhance the resilience of individual crewmembers, teams, and the integrated mission system. We will discuss a set of risk-reduction questions that has been identified to guide the systems approach necessary to meet these needs. In addition, a framework of factors influencing human health and performance in space, called the Contributing Factor Map (CFM), is being applied as the backbone for incorporating information addressing these questions from sources throughout HRP. Using the common language of the CFM, information from sources such as the Human System Risk Board summaries, Integrated Research Plan, and HRP-funded publications has been combined and visualized in ways that allow insight into cross-disciplinary interconnections in a systematic, standardized fashion. We will show examples of these visualizations. We will also discuss applications of the resulting analysis capability that can inform science portfolio decisions, such as areas in which cross-disciplinary solicitations or countermeasure development will potentially be fruitful.

Mindock, J.↗