Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Sample Collection”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Stable Isotope and Geochemical Evidence for Hydrological Isolation in an Arctic Coastal Plain Landscape, Barrow, Alaska, 2013

Data include results from water chemistry and water isotope analyses for samples collected in Barrow, Alaska during July and September 2013. Samples were from surface and soil pore waters from 15 locations: 3 locations from interlake polygonal terrain, 6 locations associated with interlake drainages, and 6 locations within or at the outlets of different aged drained thaw lake basins (DTLBs). Samples were taken in different drainage flow types at three different depths at each location in and around the Barrow Environmental Observatory. This dataset includes one .csv data file and one .pdf user guide.The Next-Generation Ecosystem Experiments: Arctic (NGEE Arctic), was a 15-year research effort (2012-2027) to reduce uncertainty in Earth System Models by developing a predictive understanding of carbon-rich Arctic ecosystems and feedbacks to climate. NGEE Arctic was supported by the Department of Energy's Office of Biological and Environmental Research.The NGEE Arctic project had two field research sites: 1) located within the Arctic polygonal tundra coastal region on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO) and the North Slope near Utqiagvik (Barrow), Alaska and 2) multiple areas on the discontinuous permafrost region of the Seward Peninsula north of Nome, Alaska. Through observations, experiments, and synthesis with existing datasets, NGEE Arctic provided an enhanced knowledge base for multi-scale modeling and contributed to improved process representation at global pan-Arctic scales within the Department of Energy's Earth system Model (the Energy Exascale Earth System Model, or E3SM), and specifically within the E3SM Land Model component (ELM).

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1987

A preliminary study of Mars rover/sample return missions

The Solar System Exploration Committee (SSEC) of the NASA Advisory Council recommends that a Mars Sample Return mission be undertaken before the year 2000. Comprehensive studies of a Mars Sample Return mission have been ongoing since 1984. The initial focus of these studies was an integrated mission concept with the surface rover and sample return vehicle elements delivered to Mars on a single launch and landed together. This approach, to be carried out as a unilateral U.S. initiative, is still a high priority goal in an Augmented Program of exploration, as the SSEC recommendation clearly states. With this background of a well-understood mission concept, NASA decided to focus its 1986 study effort on a potential opportunity not previously examined; namely, a Mars Rover/Sample Return (MRSR) mission which would involve a significant aspect of international cooperation. As envisioned, responsibility for the various mission operations and hardware elements would be divided in a logical manner with clearly defined and acceptable interfaces. The U.S. and its international partner would carry out separately launched but coordinated missions with the overall goal of accomplishing in situ science and returning several kilograms of surface samples from Mars. Important considerations for implementation of such a plan are minimum technology transfer, maximum sharing of scientific results, and independent credibility of each mission role. Under the guidance and oversight of a Mars Exploration Strategy Advisory Group organized by NASA, a study team was formed in the fall of 1986 to develop a preliminary definition of a flight-separable, cooperative mission. The selected concept assumes that the U.S. would undertake the rover mission with its sample collection operations and our international partner would return the samples to Earth. Although the inverse of these roles is also possible, this study report focuses on the rover functions of MRSR because rover operations have not been studied in as much detail as the sample return functions of the mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1988

In situ chemical analyses of extraterrestrial bodies

One of the most important tasks on any sample return mission will have to be a quick sample characterization in order to guarantee a variety of collected samples. An alpha particle instrument with alpha, proton and X-ray modes can provide a quick and almost complete chemical analysis of Mars samples. This instrument is based on three interactions of the alpha particles from a radioactive source with matter: elastic scattering of the alpha particles by nuclei (alpha mode), (alpha,p) nuclear reaction with some light elements (proton mode), and excitation of the atomic structure of atoms by alpha particles, leading to emission of characteristic X-rays of the lunar surface at three sites during the Surveyor mission of 1967 to 1968. Since then the instrument has been improved and miniaturized substantially. As shown in the past, the alpha particle instrument can operate under Martian conditions without any degradation in the performance. The alpha and proton modes can provide vital information about the light elements, while the X-ray mode with its ambient temperature X-ray detector will be useful for the heavier elements. The excitation of the atomic structure is provided by the same alpha radioactive source that is used by alpha and proton modes or by an auxiliary X-ray source that is selected to enhance the sensitivity to some important geochemical elements.

Economou, Thanasis E.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Mars Rover Sample Return - Rover challenges

Mission requirements, design considerations, and scenarios are presented for the Mars Rover Sample Return mission to send rovers to Mars to collect samples for return to earth. Rover automation is examined in detail. Issues of rover design related to mobility, local navigation, and sample acquisition are discussed. Scenarios for rover operation are given, including a comparison between the level of automation of the computer-aided remote driving system and the level of the semiautonomous navigation system. It is suggested that the rover must be more automated than previous aircraft.

Allen, Lew↗
NASA NTRS1998

Workshop on New Views of the Moon: Integrated Remotely Sensed, Geophysical, and Sample Datasets

It has been more than 25 years since Apollo 17 returned the last of the Apollo lunar samples. Since then, a vast amount of data has been obtained from the study of rocks and soils from the Apollo and Luna sample collections and, more recently, on a set of about a dozen lunar meteorites collected on Earth. Based on direct studies of the samples, many constraints have been established for the age, early differentiation, crust and mantle structure, and subsequent impact modification of the Moon. In addition, geophysical experiments at the surface, as well as remote sensing from orbit and Earth-based telescopic studies, have provided additional datasets about the Moon that constrain the nature of its surface and internal structure. Some might be tempted to say that we know all there is to know about the Moon and that it is time to move on from this simple satellite to more complex objects. However, the ongoing Lunar Prospector mission and the highly successful Clementine mission have provided important clues to the real geological complexity of the Moon, and have shown us that we still do not yet adequately understand the geologic history of Earth's companion. These missions, like Galileo during its lunar flyby, are providing global information viewed through new kinds of windows, and providing a fresh context for models of lunar origin, evolution, and resources, and perhaps even some grist for new questions and new hypotheses. The probable detection and characterization of water ice at the poles, the extreme concentration of Th and other radioactive elements in the Procellarum-Imbrium-Frigon's resurfaced areas of the nearside of the Moon, and the high-resolution gravity modeling enabled by these missions are examples of the kinds of exciting new results that must be integrated with the extant body of knowledge based on sample studies, in situ experiments, and remote-sensing missions to bring about the best possible understanding of the Moon and its history.

Jolliff, Brad L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Curation protocol of Phobos sample returned by the Martian Moon Exploration (MMX)

The Martian Moons Exploration (MMX) aims to return the regolith samples from the Martian moon, Phobos. After the topographic and spectroscopic observation, the spacecraft will land on the surface of Phobos to conduct the sampling operation[1–2]. Pneumatic and coring samplers will collect ≥10 g Phobos grains from two different sites. The collected samples will be retrieved from the capsule and transferred to the curation facility in 2029.

R Fukai↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ISS External Microorganisms: A Planetary Protection Payload Ready-for-Flight

Before NASA or COSPAR is able to set planetary protection requirements for crewed missions to locations like Mars there are a number of critical knowledge gaps that must be addressed (1). One of the most important knowledge gaps is an understanding of microbial leakage from crewed habitats and space suits. Current ECLSS (Environmental Control and Life Support System) and PLSS (Portable Life Support System) requirements do not include any provisions to control microbes that may escape along with vented or leaked gasses. The current generation of NASA space suits can leak at rates as high as 100 cm3/min. during nominal operation (2). ISS (International Space Station) intentionally vents atmospheric gases like CO2to maintain habitable conditions for the crew. Furthermore, every time an airlock is used for EVA (extravehicular activity) there is an accompanying release of internal atmosphere. Since it is not possible to sterilize a crewed mission, it is important that we understand what if any microbes are entrained in these vented and leaked products. It is also important to understand if these microbes can survive on exterior surfaces. Recent sampling of the Russian segments of ISS suggest that bacteria and fungi from inside ISS may be capable of surviving on external surfaces (3). NASA has developed an aseptic sampling tool for use during EVA and plans to collect samples from vents on ISS to build on these results. The results of this work will be used to develop planetary protection requirements for vented and leaked gasses from crewed volumes.

M S Bell↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Biosignature Preservation Potential of Sulfate-Rich Rocks From Hogwallow Flats, Jezero Crater, Mars

The Mars 2020 Perseverance Rover discovered fine grained sedimentary rocks in the Hogwallow Flats member of the Shenandoah Formation at the ~3.6- to 3.8-billion-year-old Jezero crater, Mars. Mudstones and sandstones at the 3-meter-thick Hogwallow Flats (HWF) outcrop, and a laterally equivalent outcrop known as “Yori Pass”, show extensive evidence of diagenesis (alteration after deposition). Enhanced preservation of organic matter and other biosignatures can occur in early diagenetic environments associated with aqueous alteration in a lake, floodplain or pro-deltaic setting, as envisaged for HWF and Yori Pass [1]. Three drilled rock cores were collected from HWF-type bedrock as part of the Mars Sample Return Program. They are considered to be the samples with the highest potential to preserve organic compounds and biosignatures out of all samples collected so far by Perseverance (as of mission Sol 1000) [2]. This work outlines the implications of diagenesis for biosignature preservation in rock samples for possible return to Earth.

Mars 2020↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurement of isotopic abundances in collected stratospheric ozone samples

Enrichment of heavy O3 isotopes has been measured in collected stratospheric samples. A balloon-borne cryogenic sampler was used to gather six O3 samples between 26 and 35 km in three flights. Subsequent laboratory mass spectrometer analysis of rare O3 isotopes at both mass 49 and 50 has resulted in more precise measurements than have previously been reported with in situ and ground-based techniques. In one flight, (O-50)3 was enriched by 12-16 percent and (O-49)3 by 9-11 percent, both increasing with altitude. In the remaining two flights, the isotope enrichment was nearly mass-independent at 8-9 percent. The enrichments in O3 at mass 50 are less than the large 40 percent value observed in some stratospheric measurements but similar to (O-49)3 and (O-50)3 fractionations produced in laboratory-generated ozone.

Schueler, B.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Detection of a Space Capsule Entering Earth’s Atmosphere with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS)

On 24 September 2023, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security-Regolith Explorer sample return capsule (SRC) entered Earth’s atmosphere after successfully collecting samples from an asteroid. The known trajectory and timing of this return provided a rare opportunity to strategically instrument sites to record geophysical signals produced by the capsule because it travelled at hypersonic speeds through the atmosphere. For this work, we deployed two distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) interrogators to sample over 12 km of surface-draped fiber-optic cables, as well as six collocated seismometer-infrasound sensor pairs, spread across two sites near Eureka, Nevada. This campaign-style rapid deployment is the first reported recording of an SRC re-entry with any distributed fiber-optic sensing technology. The DAS interrogators recorded an impulsive arrival with an extended coda which had features that were similar to recordings from both the seismometers and infrasound sensors. While the signal-to-noise ratio of the DAS data was lower than the seismic-infrasound data, the extremely dense spacing of fiber-optic sensors allowed for more phases to be clearly distinguished and the visualization of the continuous transformation of the wavefront as it impacted the ground. Unexpectedly, the DAS recordings contain less low-frequency content than is present in both the seismic and infrasound data. The deployment conditions strongly affected the recorded DAS data; in particular, we observed that fiber selection and placement exert strong controls on data quality.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2024

Production rate calibration for cosmogenic 10 Be in pyroxene by applying a rapid fusion method to 10 Be-saturated samples from the Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

Measurements of multiple cosmogenic nuclides in a single sample are valuable for various applications of cosmogenic nuclide exposure dating and allow for correcting exposure ages for surface weathering and erosion and establishing exposure–burial history. Here we provide advances in the measurement of cosmogenic 10 Be in pyroxene and constraints on the production rate that provide new opportunities for measurements of multi-nuclide systems, such as 10 Be/ 3 He, in pyroxene-bearing samples. We extracted and measured cosmogenic 10 Be in pyroxene from two sets of Ferrar Dolerite samples collected from the Transantarctic Mountains in Antarctica. One set of samples has 10 Be concentrations close to saturation, which allows for the production rate calibration of 10 Be in pyroxene by assuming production–decay equilibrium. The other set of samples, which has a more recent exposure history, is used to determine if a rapid fusion method can be successfully applied to samples with Holocene to Last Glacial Maximum exposure ages. From measured 10 Be concentrations in the near-saturation sample set we find the production rate of 10 Be in pyroxene to be 3.74 ± 0.10 atoms g -1 yr -1 , which is consistent with 10 Be/ 3 He paired nuclide ratios from samples assumed to have simple exposure. Given the high 10 Be concentration measured in this sample set, a sample mass of ~ 0.5 g of pyroxene is sufficient for the extraction of cosmogenic 10 Be from pyroxene using a rapid fusion method. However, for the set of samples that have low 10 Be concentrations, measured concentrations were higher than expected. We attribute spuriously high 10 Be concentrations to failure in removing all meteoric 10 Be and/or a highly variable and poorly quantified procedural blank background correction.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS1974

Evaluation of digitally corrected ERTS images

The discussion is limited to processes by which a set of data samples collected on a geometrically distorted grid can be converted to samples on a different precisely specified grid. It is assumed that a mathematical expression for the desired transformation already exists. Concern will be the effects on image quality (specifically loss of resolution, photometric accuracy, and miscellaneous aberations) that result from various techniques used in accomplishing the resampling. The resampling techniques evaluated have included nearest neighbor, bilinear, cubic convolution, and various truncated versions of sinc (x). The conclusion is that cubic convolution yields substantially higher quality output data for scenes typically encountered and can, in some instances, substantially enhance one's ability to abstract information.

Taber, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The measurement of carbon monoxide and methane in the National Capital Air Quality Control Region. I - Measurement systems

The Carbon Monoxide Pollution Experiment (COPE) and the National Capital Air Quality Control Region (NCAQCR) undertook a series of measurements of atmospheric CO and CH4 to determine the accuracy of the airborne COPE Correlation Interfer4meter. The device, a modified Michelson interferometer, measures the atmospheric column density of CO and CH4 at 2.3 microns with tropospheric measurement sensitivities of 70 and 10 PPB, respectively. Data for evaluating the remote measurements included atmospheric column density measurements at a ground truth site using a van-mounted infrared Fourier spectrometer; continuous ground level gas chromatographic measurements; and chromatographic data from atmospheric grab samples collected by aircraft and at ground locations. The instruments and sampling techniques used in the experiment are described in detail.

Lebel, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

The effect of sample holder material on ion mobility spectrometry reproducibility

When a positive detection of a narcotic occurs during the search of a vessel, a decision has to be made whether further intensive search is warranted. This decision is based in part on the results of a second sample collected from the same area. Therefore, the reproducibility of both sampling and instrumental analysis is critical in terms of justifying an in depth search. As reported at the 2nd Annual IMS Conference in Quebec City, the U.S. Coast Guard has determined that when paper is utilized as the sample desorption medium for the Barringer IONSCAN, the analytical results using standard reference samples are reproducible. A study was conducted utilizing papers of varying pore sizes and comparing their performance as a desorption material relative to the standard Barringer 50 micron Teflon. Nominal pore sizes ranged from 30 microns down to 2 microns. Results indicate that there is some peak instability in the first two to three windows during the analysis. The severity of the instability was observed to increase as the pore size of the paper is decreased. However, the observed peak instability does not create a situation that results in a decreased reliability or reproducibility in the analytical result.

Jadamec, J. Richard↗
NASA NTRS1999

Mars Sample Handling and Requirements Panel (MSHARP)

In anticipation of the return of samples from Mars toward the end of the first decade of the next century, NASA's Office of Space Sciences chartered a panel to examine how Mars samples should be handled. The panel was to make recommendations in three areas: (1) sample collection and transport back to Earth; (2) certification of the samples as nonhazardous; and (3) sample receiving, curation, and distribution. This report summarizes the findings of that panel. The samples should be treated as hazardous until proven otherwise. They are to be sealed within a canister on Mars, and the canister is not to be opened until within a Biosafety Hazard Level 4 (BSL-4) containment facility here on Earth. This facility must also meet or exceed the cleanliness requirements of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) facility for curation of extraterrestrial materials. A containment facility meeting both these requirements does not yet exist. Hazard assessment and life detection experiments are to be done at the containment facility, while geochemical characterization is being performed on a sterilized subset of the samples released to the science community. When and if the samples are proven harmless, they are to be transferred to a curation facility, such as that at JSC.

Carr, Michael H.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Electronics for Extreme Environments

Most of the NASA missions involve extreme environments comprising radiation and low or high temperatures. Current practice of providing friendly ambient operating environment to electronics costs considerable power and mass (for shielding). Immediate missions such as the Europa orbiter and lander and Mars landers require the electronics to perform reliably in extreme conditions during the most critical part of the mission. Some other missions planned in the future also involve substantial surface activity in terms of measurements, sample collection, penetration through ice and crust and the analysis of samples. Thus it is extremely critical to develop electronics that could reliably operate under extreme space environments. Silicon On Insulator (SOI) technology is an extremely attractive candidate for NASA's future low power and high speed electronic systems because it offers increased transconductance, decreased sub-threshold slope, reduced short channel effects, elimination of kink effect, enhanced low field mobility, and immunity from radiation induced latch-up. A common belief that semiconductor devices function better at low temperatures is generally true for bulk devices but it does not hold true for deep sub-micron SOI CMOS devices with microscopic device features of 0.25 micrometers and smaller. Various temperature sensitive device parameters and device characteristics have recently been reported in the literature. Behavior of state of the art technology devices under such conditions needs to be evaluated in order to determine possible modifications in the device design for better performance and survivability under extreme environments. Here, we present a unique approach of developing electronics for extreme environments to benefit future NASA missions as described above. This will also benefit other long transit/life time missions such as the solar sail and planetary outposts in which electronics is out open in the unshielded space at the ambient space temperatures and always exposed to radiation. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Patel, J. U.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Mars Sample Handling Protocol Workshop Series: Workshop 2

Numerous NASA reports and studies have identified Planetary Protection (PP) as an important part of any Mars sample return mission. The mission architecture, hardware, on-board experiments, and related activities must be designed in ways that prevent both forward- and back-contamination and also ensure maximal return of scientific information. A key element of any PP effort for sample return missions is the development of guidelines for containment and analysis of returned sample(s). As part of that effort, NASA and the Space Studies Board (SSB) of the National Research Council (NRC) have each assembled experts from a wide range of scientific fields to identify and discuss issues pertinent to sample return. In 1997, the SSB released its report on recommendations for handling and testing of returned Mars samples. In particular, the NRC recommended that: a) samples returned from Mars by spacecraft should be contained and treated as potentially hazardous until proven otherwise, and b) rigorous physical, chemical, and biological analyses [should] confirm that there is no indication of the presence of any exogenous biological entity. Also in 1997, a Mars Sample Quarantine Protocol workshop was convened at NASA Ames Research Center to deal with three specific aspects of the initial handling of a returned Mars sample: 1) biocontainment, to prevent 'uncontrolled release' of sample material into the terrestrial environment; 2) life detection, to examine the sample for evidence of organisms; and 3) biohazard testing, to determine if the sample poses any threat to terrestrial life forms and the Earth's biosphere. In 1999, a study by NASA's Mars Sample Handling and Requirements Panel (MSHARP) addressed three other specific areas in anticipation of returning samples from Mars: 1) sample collection and transport back to Earth; 2) certification of the samples as non-hazardous; and 3) sample receiving, curation, and distribution. To further refine the requirements for sample hazard testing and the criteria for subsequent release of sample materials from quarantine, the NASA Planetary Protection Officer convened an additional series of workshops beginning in March 2000. The overall objective of these workshops was to develop comprehensive protocols to assess whether the returned materials contain any biological hazards, and to safeguard the purity of the samples from possible terrestrial contamination. This document is the report of the second Workshop in the Series. The information herein will ultimately be integrated into a final document reporting the proceedings of the entire Workshop Series along with additional information and recommendations.

Rummel, John D.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Gas Emissions Acquired during the Aircraft Particle Emission Experiment (APEX) Series

NASA, in collaboration with other US federal agencies, engine/airframe manufacturers, airlines, and airport authorities, recently sponsored a series of 3 ground-based field investigations to examine the particle and gas emissions from a variety of in-use commercial aircraft. Emissions parameters were measured at multiple engine power settings, ranging from idle to maximum thrust, in samples collected at 3 different down stream locations of the exhaust. Sampling rakes at nominally 1 meter down stream contained multiple probes to facilitate a study of the spatial variation of emissions across the engine exhaust plane. Emission indices measured at 1 m were in good agreement with the engine certification data as well as predictions provided by the engine company. However at low power settings, trace species emissions were observed to be highly dependent on ambient conditions and engine temperature.

Changlie, Wey↗