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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
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NASA NTRS1992

The Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE)

The characteristics of a large lidar system, the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment (LITE), which is being developed for launch in 1994 into an earth orbit, are described together with the type of investigations to be performed by LITE. LITE will measure atmospheric parameters such as cloud heights, profiles of aerosols and temperature, and surface characteristics. The experiment is modular in design and can be used as a testbed for the evolution of future lidar designs and technologies. Diagrams of the LITE hardware pallet configuration for Shuttle flights, the LITE telescope receiver configuration, and the optics bench layout are presented.

Mccormick, M. P.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Exploring Heart and Lung Function in Space: ARMS Experiments

The Advanced Respiratory Monitoring System (ARMS) is a suite of monitoring instruments and supplies used to study the heart, lungs, and metabolism. Many experiments sponsored by the European Space Agency (ESA) will be conducted using ARMS during STS-107. The near-weightless environment of space causes the body to undergo many physiological adaptations, and the regulation of blood pressure is no exception. Astronauts also experience a decrease in blood volume as an adaptation to microgravity. Reduced blood volume may not provide enough blood pressure to the head during entry or landing. As a result, astronauts often experience light-headedness, and sometimes even fainting, when they stand shortly after returning to Earth. To help regulate blood pressure and heart rate, baroreceptors, sensors located in artery walls in the neck and near the heart, control blood pressure by sending information to the brain and ensuring blood flow to organs. These mechanisms work properly in Earth's gravity but must adapt in the microgravity environment of space. However, upon return to Earth during entry and landing, the cardiovascular system must readjust itself to gravity, which can cause fluctuation in the control of blood pressure and heart rate. Although the system recovers in hours or days, these occurrences are not easily predicted or understood - a puzzle investigators will study with the ARMS equipment. In space, researchers can focus on aspects of the cardiovascular system normally masked by gravity. The STS-107 experiments using ARMS will provide data on how the heart and lungs function in space, as well as how the nervous system controls them. Exercise will also be combined with breath holding and straining (the Valsalva maneuver) to test how heart rate and blood pressure react to different stresses. This understanding will improve astronauts' cardiopulmonary function after return to Earth, and may well help Earthbound patients who experience similar effects after long-term bed rest.

Andre Kuipers↗
NASA NTRS1981

Space Construction Experiment Definition Study (SCEDS), part 1. Volume 2: Study results

A basic Space Shuttle flight experiment which will provide needed data on the construction of large space systems from the Orbiter was defined. The predicted dynamic behavior of a representative large structure, on-orbit construction operations, and Orbiter control during and after construction were studied. Evolutionary or supplemental flight experiments for the development or augmentation of a basic flight experiment were identified and defined. The study was divided into six major tasks with appropriate sub-tasks noted.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2010

Materials International Space Station Experiment-6 (MISSE-6) Atomic Oxygen Fluence Monitor Experiment

An atomic oxygen fluence monitor was flown as part of the Materials International Space Station Experiment-6 (MISSE-6). The monitor was designed to measure the accumulation of atomic oxygen fluence with time as it impinged upon the ram surface of the MISSE 6B Passive Experiment Container (PEC). This was an active experiment for which data was to be stored on a battery-powered data logger for post-flight retrieval and analysis. The atomic oxygen fluence measurement was accomplished by allowing atomic oxygen to erode two opposing wedges of pyrolytic graphite that partially covered a photodiode. As the wedges of pyrolytic graphite erode, the area of the photodiode that is illuminated by the Sun increases. The short circuit current, which is proportional to the area of illumination, was to be measured and recorded as a function of time. The short circuit current from a different photodiode, which was oriented in the same direction and had an unobstructed view of the Sun, was also to be recorded as a reference current. The ratio of the two separate recorded currents should bear a linear relationship with the accumulated atomic oxygen fluence and be independent of the intensity of solar illumination. Ground hyperthermal atomic oxygen exposure facilities were used to evaluate the linearity of the ratio of short circuit current to the atomic oxygen fluence. In flight, the current measurement circuitry failed to operate properly, thus the overall atomic oxygen mission fluence could only be estimated based on the physical erosion of the pyrolytic graphite wedges. The atomic oxygen fluence was calculated based on the knowledge of the space atomic oxygen erosion yield of pyrolytic graphite measured from samples on the MISSE 2. The atomic oxygen fluence monitor, the expected result and comparison of mission atomic oxygen fluence based on the erosion of the pyrolytic graphite and Kapton H atomic oxygen fluence witness samples are presented in this paper.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Dendritic Alloy Solidification Experiment (DASE)

A space experiment, and supporting ground-based research, is proposed to study the microstructural evolution in free dendritic growth from a supercooled melt of the transparent model alloy succinonitrile-acetone (SCN-ACE). The research is relevant to equiaxed solidification of metal alloy castings. The microgravity experiment will establish a benchmark for testing of equiaxed dendritic growth theories, scaling laws, and models in the presence of purely diffusive, coupled heat and solute transport, without the complicating influences of melt convection. The specific objectives are to: determine the selection of the dendrite tip operating state, i.e. the growth velocity and tip radius, for free dendritic growth of succinonitrile-acetone alloys; determine the growth morphology and sidebranching behavior for freely grown alloy dendrites; determine the effects of the thermal/solutal interactions in the growth of an assemblage of equiaxed alloy crystals; determine the effects of melt convection on the free growth of alloy dendrites; measure the surface tension anisotropy strength of succinon itrile -acetone alloys establish a theoretical and modeling framework for the experiments. Microgravity experiments on equiaxed dendritic growth of alloy dendrites have not been performed in the past. The proposed experiment builds on the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment (IDGE) of Glicksman and coworkers, which focused on the steady growth of a single crystal from pure supercooled melts (succinonitrile and pivalic acid). It also extends the Equiaxed Dendritic Solidification Experiment (EDSE) of the present investigators, which is concerned with the interactions and transients arising in the growth of an assemblage of equiaxed crystals (succinonitrile). However, these experiments with pure substances are not able to address the issues related to coupled heat and solute transport in growth of alloy dendrites.

Beckermann, C.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Lidar In-space Technology Experiment: Overview and early results

The September 1994 Shuttle flight of the Lidar In-space Technology Experiment (LITE) brought to fruition 10 years of effort at NASA's Langley Research Center where it was built. Being the first flight of a spaceborne lidar to measure atmospheric constituents and parameters and surface properties, it culminates the efforts of many worldwide over the last 20 years to usher in this new remote sensing technique from space. This paper will describe the LITE instrument, the in-orbit performance, and initial results. In addition, the global correlative measurements program will be outlined which involved 60 groups in 20 countries who made various simultaneous ground-based or aircraft measurements as LITE flew overhead.

McCormick, M. Patrick↗
NASA NTRS2000

Life into Space: Space Life Sciences Experiments, Ames Research Center, Kennedy Space Center, 1991-1998, Including Profiles of 1996-1998 Experiments

We have now conducted space life sciences research for more than four decades. The continuing interest in studying the way living systems function in space derives from two main benefits of that research. First, in order for humans to engage in long-term space travel, we must understand and develop measures to counteract the most detrimental effects of space flight on biological systems. Problems in returning to the conditions of Earth must be kept to a manageable level. Second, increasing our understanding of how organisms function in the absence of gravity gives us new understanding of fundamental biological processes. This information can be used to improve human health and the quality of life on Earth.

Souza, Kenneth↗
NASA NTRS1993

Effect of low gravity on calcium metabolism and bone formation (L-7)

Recently, attention has been focused on the disorders of bone and calcium metabolism during space flight. The skeletal system has evolved on the Earth under 1-g. Space flights under low gravity appear to cause substantial changes in bone and calcium homeostasis of the animals adapted to 1-g. A space experiment for the First Materials Processing Test (FMPT) was proposed to examine the effects of low gravity on calcium metabolism and bone formation using chick embryos loaded in a space shuttle. This space experiment was proposed based on the following two experimental findings. First, it has been reported that bone density decreases significantly during prolonged space flight. The data obtained from the US Skylab and the U.S.S.R. Salyut-6 cosmonauts have also documented that the degree of bone loss is related to the duration of space flight. Second, the US-Soviet joints space experiment demonstrated that the decrease in bone density under low gravity appears to be due to the decrease in bone formation rather than the increase in bone resorption. The purpose of our space experiment is, therefore, to investigate further the mechanisms of bone growth under low gravity using fertilized chick embryos.

Suda, Tatsuo↗
NASA NTRS1974

Apollo experience report. Crew-support activities for experiments performed during manned space flight

Experiments are performed during manned space flights in an attempt to acquire knowledge that can advance science and technology or that can be applied to operational techniques for future space flights. A description is given of the procedures that the personnel who are directly assigned to the function of crew support at the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center use to prepare for and to conduct experiments during space flight.

Mckee, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Controls, Astrophysics, and Structures Experiment in Space (CASES)

As the size and performance requirements of future NASA and DOD spacecrafts and payloads tend to increase, the associated control systems that must effect these requirements tend to interact with the vehicle's structural dynamics. Some of the Control Structure Interaction (CSI) issues are being addressed in a flight experiment which is entitled CASES (Controls, Astrophysics and Structures Experiment in Space). As one of the first CSI flight experiments, the main emphasis for CASES is to provide a test bed for validating CSI developments and simultaneously, to pave the way for subsequent CSI experiments and science missions by establishing precedents for flight qualifying Large Space Structures (LSS)-class spacecraft. In addition, CASES provides an opportunity to obtain data bases for in-space controls and structures experiments and, at the same time, to gather hard x ray data from pertinent galactic sources.

Waites, Henry B.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Some instrumentation requirement issues for the Space Station structural characterization experiment

The Space Station will provide unique opportunities to the research and technology community as a national in-space research facility. Opportunities will exist for technology experiments in a variety of disciplines, including dynamics and control of large space structures (LSS). The Space Station Structural Characterization Experiment (SSSCE) is an early space station technology experiment now under development. The objective of the experiment is to instrument and use the Space Station as a generic research test article, in support of research and technology activities in the areas of structural dynamics and control/structure interaction (CSI). Tests will be conducted, potentially, on each assembly flight configuration, as well as on the phase 1 configuration. Structural dynamic response data will be measured and transferred to the ground for analysis. These measurements will support the development and in-space verification of system identification and analytical modeling techniques for future LSS, including the evolutionary Space Station. The paper begins by restating the principal objective of SSSCE, along with the basic approach that will be used. The body of the paper deals with instrumentation requirement issues. The paper closes with several questions concerning modal-testing objectives and limitations, a brief review of a previous on-orbit experiment, the Solar Array Flight Experiment, and concluding remarks.

Pappa, Richard S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Command and Control of Space Assets Through Internet-Based Technologies Demonstrated

The NASA Glenn Research Center successfully demonstrated a transmission-control-protocol/ Internet-protocol- (TCP/IP) based approach to the command and control of onorbit assets over a secure network. This is a significant accomplishment because future NASA missions will benefit by using Internet-standards-based protocols. Benefits of this Internet-based space command and control system architecture include reduced mission costs and increased mission efficiency. The demonstration proved that this communications architecture is viable for future NASA missions. This demonstration was a significant feat involving multiple NASA organizations and industry. Phillip Paulsen, from Glenn's Project Development and Integration Office, served as the overall project lead, and David Foltz, from Glenn's Satellite Networks and Architectures Branch, provided the hybrid networking support for the required Internet connections. The goal was to build a network that would emulate a connection between a space experiment on the International Space Station and a researcher accessing the experiment from anywhere on the Internet, as shown. The experiment was interfaced to a wireless 802.11 network inside the demonstration area. The wireless link provided connectivity to the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) Internet Link Terminal (TILT) satellite uplink terminal located 300 ft away in a parking lot on top of a panel van. TILT provided a crucial link in this demonstration. Leslie Ambrose, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, provided the TILT/TDRSS support. The TILT unit transmitted the signal to TDRS 6 and was received at the White Sands Second TDRSS Ground Station. This station provided the gateway to the Internet. Coordination also took place at the White Sands station to install a Veridian Firewall and automated security incident measurement (ASIM) system to the Second TDRSS Ground Station Internet gateway. The firewall provides a trusted network for the simulated space experiment. A second Internet connection at the demonstration area was implemented to provide Internet connectivity to a group of workstations to serve as platforms for controlling the simulated space experiment. Installation of this Internet connection was coordinated with an Internet service provider (ISP) and local NASA Johnson Space Center personnel. Not only did this TCP/IP-based architecture prove that a principal investigator on the Internet can securely command and control on-orbit assets, it also demonstrated that valuable virtual testing of planned on-orbit activities can be conducted over the Internet prior to actual deployment in space.

Foltz, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Measurements of Optically Transparent and Mirrored Specimens from the POSA and EOIM III Space Flight Experiments

A selected set of optically transparent specimens and first surface mirror specimens have been examined subsequent to on-orbit exposure. Certain specimens were from the Passive Optical Sample Assembly I and II experiments flown on the MIR Space Station. Other specimens were from the Energetic Oxygen Interaction with materials III experiment flown on the STS in August 1992. A comparison of pre- and post-flight transmission of reflectance measurements, as appropriate, has been carried out. Data from different specimens includes results of measurements for IR, optical, UV and/or vacuum UV wavelength intervals. Results of these measurements clearly show the effects of molecular contamination deposits on the surfaces during the on-orbit exposures. Surface analysis on a attracted set of specimens provides and estimate of contaminant thickness and composition and provides an insight into on-orbit deposition rates and surface oxidation reactions. For both the EOIM III and POSA I & II experiments, the primary source of contamination were outgassed silicones. Both experiments received approximately the same fluence of atomic oxygen (approx. 1-2 x 1020 atoms per square centimeter). ROSA specimens received between approx. 400 and 580 equivalent sun hours (ESH) of solar radiation over an 18 month period in orbit. The EOIM specimens were on an STS flight of about 1 week duration and received only approx. 5-10 ESH of solar radiation.

Pippin, Gary↗
NASA NTRS1985

Ignition of beam plasma discharge in the electron beam experiment in space

An ignition of beam plasma discharge (BPD) in space was observed in a neutral gas-electron beam interaction experiment by Space Shuttle/Spacelab-1 in 1983. An electron beam of 8 kV 100 mA was injected into a high dense nitrogen gas cloud of 10 to the 23rd molecules which was released during 100 msec from the Orbiter. The appearance of the beam and its surroundings observed by a low-light-level TV camera showed a local ignition of the beam plasma discharge in the gas cloud. The enhanced plasma production, generation of auroral emission, and associated wave emission were also detected by onboard diagnostic instruments.

Sasaki, S.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE): Overview, Accomplishments and Future Needs

Materials and devices used on the exterior of spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) are subjected to environmental threats that can cause degradation in material properties, possibly threatening spacecraft mission success. These threats include: atomic oxygen (AO), ultraviolet and x-ray radiation, charged particle radiation, temperature extremes and thermal cycling, micrometeoroid and debris impacts, and contamination. Space environmental threats vary greatly based on spacecraft materials, thicknesses and stress levels, and the mission environment and duration. For more than a decade the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) has enabled the study of the long duration environmental durability of spacecraft materials in the LEO environment. The overall objective of MISSE is to test the stability and durability of materials and devices in the space environment in order to gain valuable knowledge on the performance of materials in space, as well as to enable lifetime predictions of new materials that may be used in future space flight. MISSE is a series of materials flight experiments, which are attached to the exterior of the International Space Station (ISS). Individual experiments were loaded onto suitcase-like trays, called Passive Experiment Containers (PECs). The PECs were transported to the ISS in the Space Shuttle cargo bay and attached to, and removed from, the ISS during extravehicular activities (EVAs). The PECs were retrieved after one or more years of space exposure and returned to Earth enabling post-flight experiment evaluation. MISSE is a multi-organization project with participants from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Department of Defense (DoD), industry and academia. MISSE has provided a platform for environmental durability studies for thousands of samples and numerous devices, and it has produced many tangible impacts. Ten PECs (and one smaller tray) have been flown, representing MISSE 1 through MISSE 8, yielding long-duration space environmental performance and durability data that enable material validation, processing recertification and space qualification; improved predictions of materials and component lifetimes in space; model verification and development; and correlation factors between space-exposure and ground-facilities enabling more accurate in-space performance predictions based on ground-laboratory testing. A few of the many experiment results and observations, and their impacts, are provided. Those highlighted include examples on improved understanding of atomic oxygen scattering mechanisms, LEO coating durability results, and polymer erosion yields and their impacts on spacecraft design. The MISSE 2 Atomic Oxygen Scattering Chamber Experiment discovered that the peak flux of scattered AO was determined to be 45 deg from normal incidence, not the model predicted cosine dependence. In addition, the erosion yield (E(sub y)) of Kapton H for AO scattered off oxidized-Al is 22% of the E(sub y) of direct AO impingement. These results were used to help determine the degradation mechanism of a cesium iodide detector within the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph Experiment. The MISSE 6 Indium Tin Oxide (ITO) Degradation Experiment measured surface electrical resistance of ram and wake ITO coated samples. The data confirmed that ITO is a stable AO protective coating, and the results validated the durability of ITO conductive coatings for solar arrays for the Atmosphere-Space Transition 2 Explorer program. The MISSE 2, 6 and 7 Polymer Experiments have provided LEO AO Ey data on over 120 polymer and composites samples. The flight E(sub y) values were found to range from 3.05 x 10(exp -26) cu cm/atom for the AO resistant polymer CORIN to 9.14 x 10(exp -26) cu cm/atom for polyoxymethylene (POM). In addition, flying the same polymers on different missions has advanced the understanding of the AO E(sub y) dependency on solar exposure for polymers containing fluorine. The MISSE polymer results are highly requested and have impacted spacecraft design for WorldView-2 & -3, the Global Precipitation Measurement-Microwave Imager, and other spacecraft. The flight data has enabled the development of an Atomic Oxygen Erosion Predictive Tool that allows the erosion prediction of new and non-flown polymers. The data has also been used to develop a new NASA Technical Standards Handbook "Spacecraft Polymers Atomic Oxygen Durability Handbook." Many intangible benefits have also been derived from MISSE. For example, over 40 students have collaborated on Glenn's MISSE experiments, which have resulted in greater than $80K in student scholarships and awards in national and international science fairs. Students have also given presentations and won poster competition awards at international space conferences.

Flight Experiment↗
NASA NTRS1996

Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA-2) Space Flight Experiment

NASA Lewis Research Center's Electro-Physics Branch is participating in the POSA-2 Space Flight Experiment to assess the effects of low Earth orbit and spacecraft environment contamination on power system materials and surfaces. This experiment package will be flown for 1 year in low Earth orbit and will be returned to Earth for subsequent evaluation of optical and thermal properties. Representative samples of solar array blanket materials, solar dynamic reflector materials, thermal control coatings, and sapphire are included in the experiment package.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Mission analysis for coincident measurements of the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite and Space Shuttle experiments

The launch and orbital characteristics of Space Shuttle missions which will maximize the coincident measurement opportunities between the Atmospheric Laboratory for Applications and Science (ATLAS) and the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) experiments are presented. Updated UARS orbit conditions are used and several ATLAS orbit constraints are incorporated, and the study is expanded to include other classes of instruments on the two satellites. The effects of launch time, altitude, and orbit inclination on the number and latitudinal distribution of coincident measurement opportunities for the UARS and Shuttle experiments are investigated. Large numbers of coincident measurements are possible for UARS and ATLAS limb-viewing experiments, but their distribution is greatly dependent on the inclination of the satellites and initial equatorial crossing times. Results indicate that a great number of coincident measurements may be obtained between limb-scanning devices (300-400) and that observation of the extreme latitudes (70-80 degrees) is obtained with an ATLAS inclination of 57 degrees.

Harrison, Edwin F.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Studies of dynamic processes related to active experiments in space plasmas

This is the final report for grant NAGw-2055, 'Studies of Dynamic Processes Related to Active Experiments in Space Plasmas', covering research performed at the University of Michigan. The grant was awarded to study: (1) theoretical and data analysis of data from the CHARGE-2 rocket experiment (1keV; 1-46 mA electron beam ejections) and the Spacelab-2 shuttle experiment (1keV; 100 mA); (2) studies of the interaction of an electron beam, emitted from an ionospheric platform, with the ambient neutral atmosphere and plasma by means of a newly developed computer simulation model, relating model predictions with CHARGE-2 observations of return currents observed during electron beam emissions; and (3) development of a self-consistent model for the charge distribution on a moving conducting tether in a magnetized plasma and for the potential structure in the plasma surrounding the tether. Our main results include: (1) the computer code developed for the interaction of electrons beams with the neutral atmosphere and plasma is able to model observed return fluxes to the CHARGE-2 sounding rocket payload; and (2) a 3-D electromagnetic and relativistic particle simulation code was developed.

Banks, Peter M.↗