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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 NTRS2011

SpaceCube 2.0: An Advanced Hybrid Onboard Data Processor

The SpaceCube 2.0 is a compact, high performance, low-power onboard processing system that takes advantage of cutting-edge hybrid (CPU/FPGA/DSP) processing elements. The SpaceCube 2.0 design concept includes two commercial Virtex-5 field-programmable gate array (FPGA) parts protected by gradiation hardened by software" technology, and possesses exceptional size, weight, and power characteristics [5x5x7 in., 3.5 lb (approximately equal to 12.7 x 12.7 x 17.8 cm, 1.6 kg) 5-25 W, depending on the application fs required clock rate]. The two Virtex-5 FPGA parts are implemented in a unique back-toback configuration to maximize data transfer and computing performance. Draft computing power specifications for the SpaceCube 2.0 unit include four PowerPC 440s (1100 DMIPS each), 500+ DSP48Es (2x580 GMACS), 100+ LVDS high-speed serial I/Os (1.25 Gbps each), and 2x190 GFLOPS single-precision (65 GFLOPS double-precision) floating point performance. The SpaceCube 2.0 includes PROM memory for CPU boot, health and safety, and basic command and telemetry functionality; RAM memory for program execution; and FLASH/EEPROM memory to store algorithms and application code for the CPU, FPGA, and DSP processing elements. Program execution can be reconfigured in real time and algorithms can be updated, modified, and/or replaced at any point during the mission. Gigabit Ethernet, Spacewire, SATA and highspeed LVDS serial/parallel I/O channels are available for instrument/sensor data ingest, and mission-unique instrument interfaces can be accommodated using a compact PCI (cPCI) expansion card interface. The SpaceCube 2.0 can be utilized in NASA Earth Science, Helio/Astrophysics and Exploration missions, and Department of Defense satellites for onboard data processing. It can also be used in commercial communication and mapping satellites.

Lin, Michael↗
NASA NTRS2015

Continued Development of in Situ Geochronology for Planetary Missions

The instrument 'Potassium (K) Argon Laser Experiment' (KArLE) is developed and designed for in situ absolute dating of rocks on planetary surfaces. It is based on the K-Ar dating method and uses the Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy - Laser Ablation - Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (LIBSLA- QMS) technique. We use a dedicated interface to combine two instruments similar to SAM of Mars Science Laboratory (for the QMS) and ChemCam (for the LA and LIBS). The prototype has demonstrated that KArLE is a suitable and promising instrument for in situ absolute dating.

geochronology↗
NASA NTRS2016

TAT-C: A Trade-Space Analysis Tool for Constellations

Under a changing technological and economic environment, there is growing interest in implementing future NASA Earth Science missions as Distributed Spacecraft Missions (DSM). The objective of our project is to provide a framework that facilitates DSM Pre-Phase A investigations and optimizes DSM designs with respect to a-priori Science goals. In this first version of our Trade-space Analysis Tool for Constellations (TAT-C), we are investigating questions such as: Which type of constellations should be chosen? How many spacecraft should be included in the constellation? Which design has the best costrisk value? This paper describes the overall architecture of TAT-C including: a User Interface (UI) interacting with multiple users - scientists, missions designers or program managers; an Executive Driver gathering requirements from UI and formulating Trade-space Search Requests for the Trade-space Search Iterator, which in collaboration with the Orbit Coverage, Reduction Metrics, and Cost Risk modules generates multiple potential architectures and their associated characteristics. UI will include Graphical, Command Line and Application Programmer Interfaces to respond to the demands of various levels of users expertise. Science inputs are grouped into various mission concepts, satellite specifications, and payload specifications, while science outputs are grouped into several types of metrics - spatial, temporal, angular and radiometric. Orbit Coverage leverages the use of the Goddard Mission Analysis Tool (GMAT) to compute coverage and ancillary data that are passed to Reduction Metrics. Then, for each architecture design, Cost Risk will provide estimates of the cost and life cycle cost as well as technical and cost risk of the proposed mission. Additionally, the Knowledge Base module is a centralized store of structured data readable by humans and machines. It will support both TAT-C analysis when composing new mission concepts from existing model inputs, and TAT-C exploration when discovering new mission concepts by querying previous results.

Science Data Processing↗
NASA NTRS2018

PYSAT: Python Satellite Data Analysis Toolkit

A common problem in space science data analysis is combining complementary data sources that are provided and analyzed in different formats and programming languages. The Python Satellite Data Analysis Toolkit (pysat) addresses this issue by providing an open source toolkit that implements the general process of space science data analysis, from beginning to end, in an instrumentindependent manner. This toolkit uses an Instrument object that enables systematic analysis of science data from a variety of platforms within a single interface. Basic functions such as downloading, loading, and cleaning are included for all supported instruments. Common analysis routines are also included, which are instrument and data source independent. A nanokernel is used to provide instrument independence, it is attached to the Instrument object and mediates the systematic and arbitrary modification of loaded data. Pysat uses the nanokernel to improve the rigor of time series analysis, support onthefly orbit determination, and cleanly span file breaks. Pysat's functions and higherlevel scientific analysis features are validated through the use of unit testing. Further adoption by the community provides a set of scientific results produced by a common core, constituting a distributed heritage that supports the validity of the underlying processing and scientific output. These features are used to demonstrate consistency between derived electron density profiles and measured ion drifts, particularly downward ion drifts in the afternoon hours during extreme solar minimum. Pysat builds upon open source Python software that is freely available and encourages communitydriven development.

Stoneback, R.A.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Future Planetary Instrument Capabilities Made Possible by Micro- and Nanotechnology

A number of new instrument capabilities are currently in maturation for future in situ use on planetary science missions. Moving beyond the impressive in situ instrumentation already operating in planetary environments beyond Earth will enable the next step in scientific discovery. The approach for developing beyond current instrumentation requires a careful assessment of science-driven capability advancement. To this end, two examples of instrument technology development efforts that are leading to new and important analytical capabilities for in situ planetary science will be discussed: (1) an instrument prototype enabling the interface between liquid separation techniques and laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry and (2) an addressable excitation source enabling miniaturized electron probe microanalysis for elemental mapping of light and heavy elements.

Getty, Stephanie A.↗
NASA NTRS2021

Concept of Operations for OSIRIS-REx Optical Navigation Image Planning

Optical navigation (OpNav) is a critical subsystem of the OSIRIS-REx asteroid sample return mission, which operated in the vicinity of near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu from August 2018 through April 2021. A substantial amount of mission resources across multiple subsystems and institutions is required to ensure that the OpNav data are successfully acquired. The KinetX OpNav team, part of the Flight Dynamics System (FDS), is responsible for performing required analysis to develop the OpNav operations plans; requesting, reviewing and verifying the plans; and ultimately using the image data for critical navigation operations. The FDS team, responsible for the mission navigation, is operated by KinetX Aerospace with management and operations support from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. The Science Processing and Operations Center (SPOC), located at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, is responsible for generating the planning products for all science and most OpNav data. These plans are integrated into the spacecraft sequences, tested, and commanded by the Mission Support Area (MSA) at Lockheed Martin Space. To ensure mission-critical navigation image data are successfully acquired, the plan is developed through a waterfall of planning cycles over the course of 3 months prior to onboard plan execution. During the initial strategic planning for a mission phase, detailed analysis is performed by the OpNav team to conceptualize the concept of operations (ConOps) for image data collection. This phase OpNav Narrative is included along with other strategic planning documents for the key ground segment stakeholders to review and provide feedback. The detailed OpNav plans get defined in the tactical planning cycle, which spans 8 to 3 weeks before the week-long integrated sequence is executed on-board the spacecraft. During the tactical cycle, the initial OpNav Request is submitted along with the science requests, kicking off development of the science and OpNav plans. Once the initial plan is drafted, interfaces are exercised so that the plan can be reviewed and iterated, if necessary. A rigorous schedule is followed by the planning teams during the implementation cycle, spanning the last 18 days before uplink, to ensure all the necessary integration, testing, and reviewing can occur on time. The development of the OpNav planning ConOps, including responsibilities, interfaces, timelines, and procedures, took extensive collaboration across mission elements and institutions. The process was robust throughout the 137 weeks of continuous Optical Navigation Operations at Bennu, which concluded on April 9th, 2021.

Coralie D. Adam↗
DOE OSTI2024

Electrolyte–Electrocatalyst Interfacial Effects of Polymeric Materials for Tandem CO 2 Capture and Conversion Elucidated Using In Situ Electrochemical AFM

Integrating CO 2 capture and electrochemical conversion has been proposed as a strategy to reduce the net energy required for CO 2 regeneration in traditional CO 2 capture and conversion schemes and can be coupled with carbon-free renewable electricity. Polyethylenimine (PEI)-based materials have been previously studied as CO 2 capture materials and can be integrated in these reactive capture processes. PEI-based electrolytes have been found to significantly increase the CO 2 loading, and impact selectivity and rate of product formation when compared to the conventional aqueous electrolytes. However, the influence of these materials at the catalyst–electrode interface is currently not well understood. In this study, PEI-based electrolytes were prepared and their impact on the morphology of a silver electrode performing electrochemical CO 2 reduction (CO 2 R) was studied using in situ electrochemical atomic force microscopy (EC-AFM). The presence of PEI on the electrode surface could be distinguished based on nanomechanical properties (DMT modulus), and changes were observed as negative polarization was applied, revealing a reorganization of the PEI chains due to electrostatic interactions. These changes were impacted by the electrolyte composition, including the addition of supporting electrolyte KHCO 3 salt, as well as CO 2 captured by the PEI-based electrolyte, which minimized the change in surface mechanical properties and degree of PEI alignment on the electrode surface. The changes in surface mechanical properties were also dependent on the PEI polymer length, with higher molecular weight PEI showing different reconfiguration than the shorter polymer brushes. The study highlights that the choice of polymer material, the electrolyte composition, and CO 2 captured impact the nearelectrode environment, which has implications for CO 2 R, and presents EC-AFM as a new tool that can be used to probe the dynamic behavior of these interfaces during electrocatalysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Crystallization and assembly at interfaces: Celebrating the achievements of a vibrant research community

Crystallization is one of the cornerstones of modern materials science and engineering and plays a critical role in industries ranging from petroleum derivative manufacturing to microstructural engineering of structural materials and the defect-free growth of silicon single crystals for integrated chip technology. Also, in the realm of environmental and biological processes, the mineralization of diverse compounds has shaped the vast array of ecosystems we observe today. Conversely, understanding the crystallization and assembly of building blocks of various sizes at interfaces has broader impacts on materials synthesis, performance of energy storage devices, optimized processing conditions, and more.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Strong interfaces: the key to high strength in nano metallic laminates

Excellent mechanical properties of nanomaterials are usually attributed to their nanoscale feature size and high-density interfaces. This work explores the effects of intrinsic interface properties on mechanical properties of nano metallic laminates (NMLs). We show that the interface strength significantly affects the mechanical properties of NMLs. Via in situ mechanical testing and characterization, we investigate the deformation behavior and concurrent microstructure evolution in NMLs with four types of dissimilar interfaces. Our results show that the strength and deformation behaviors of NMLs are largely determined by interface strength. Strong interfaces can simultaneously increase the strength, work hardening capability, and deformability of NMLs. In conclusion, this work brings new insight into the design of advanced metallic materials through tuning of interface properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS2002

An Analysis for an Internet Grid to Support Space Based Operations

Currently, and in the past, dedicated communication circuits and "network services" with very stringent performance requirements have been used to support manned and unmanned mission critical ground operations at GSFC, JSC, MSFC, KSC and other NASA facilities. Because of the evolution of network technology, it is time to investigate other approaches to providing mission services for space ground and flight operations. In various scientific disciplines, effort is under way to develop network/komputing grids. These grids consisting of networks and computing equipment are enabling lower cost science. Specifically, earthquake research is headed in this direction. With a standard for network and computing interfaces using a grid, a researcher would not be required to develop and engineer NASA/DoD specific interfaces with the attendant increased cost. Use of the Internet Protocol (IP), CCSDS packet spec, and reed-solomon for satellite error correction etc. can be adopted/standardized to provide these interfaces. Generally most interfaces are developed at least to some degree end to end. This study would investigate the feasibility of using existing standards and protocols necessary to implement a SpaceOps Grid. New interface definitions or adoption/modification of existing ones for the various space operational services is required for voice both space based and ground, video, telemetry, commanding and planning may play a role to some undefined level. Security will be a separate focus in the study since security is such a large issue in using public networks. This SpaceOps Grid would be transparent to users. It would be anagulous to the Ethernet protocol's ease of use in that a researcher would plug in their experiment or instrument at one end and would be connected to the appropriate host or server without further intervention. Free flyers would be in this category as well. They would be launched and would transmit without any further intervention with the researcher or ground ops personnel. The payback in developing these new approaches in support of manned and unmanned operations is lower cost and will enable direct participation by more people in organizations and educational institutions in space based science. By lowering the high cost of space based operations and networking, more resource will be available to the science community for science. With a specific grid in place, experiment development and operations would be much less costly by using standardized network interfaces. Because of the extensive connectivity on a global basis, significant numbers of people would participate in science who otherwise would not be able to participate.

Bradford, Robert↗
NASA NTRS1981

Payload carrier systems for conducting sortie mode science

The capabilities and characteristics of the payload carriers developed to provide structural and operational interfaces between the Space Shuttle and the various types of experiments designed to operate in the sortie mode are discussed. The Spacelab is a flexible laboratory system composed of interchangeable elements that can be put together in eight different combinations of pallets and pressurized modules, and provides considerable standard services to users in such areas as equipment installation, power distribution, thermal control, command and data management, software, pointing systems and crew participation. A modular three-axis pointing control system designated the Annular Suspension and Pointing System, is being developed to provide additional pointing capabilities to those payloads that require capabilities not provided by the Spacelab instrument pointing system. Two engineering models of the Spacelab pallet have been designated Orbital Flight Test Pallets which, together with a special experiment support structure, are intended for initial and operational payloads that do not constitute a complete Spacelab mission. The simplest and smallest payload carriers are the Getaway Special cans, intended for small, self-contained, self-sufficient payloads, and the orbiter middeck lockers. In this way, most of the user requirements for Shuttle sortie missions identified to date can be fulfilled.

Jean, O. C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Space Station Biological Research Project Habitat: Incubator

Developed as part of the suite of Space Station Biological Research Project (SSBRP) hardware to support research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the Incubator is a temperature-controlled chamber, for conducting life science research with small animal, plant and microbial specimens. The Incubator is designed for use only on the ISS and is transported to/from the ISS, unpowered and without specimens, in the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) of the Shuttle. The Incubator interfaces with the three SSBRP Host Systems; the Habitat Holding Racks (HHR), the Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) and the 2.5 m Centrifuge Rotor (CR), providing investigators with the ability to conduct research in microgravity and at variable gravity levels of up to 2-g. The temperature within the Specimen Chamber can be controlled between 4 and 45 C. Cabin air is recirculated within the Specimen Chamber and can be exchanged with the ISS cabin at a rate of approximately equal 50 cc/min. The humidity of the Specimen Chamber is monitored. The Specimen Chamber has a usable volume of approximately equal 19 liters and contains two (2) connectors at 28v dc, (60W) for science equipment; 5 dedicated thermometers for science; ports to support analog and digital signals from experiment unique sensors or other equipment; an Ethernet port; and a video port. It is currently manifested for UF-3 and will be launched integrated within the first SSBRP Habitat Holding Rack.

Nakamura, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Role of SmallSats in Scientific Exploration and Commercialization of Space

Over the past decade, SmallSats have been established as having great potential for science exploration and commercialization of space. The SmallSat revolution aims to decrease the cost of space development, making space exploration accessible to students, educators, and public citizens. These efforts have focused on miniaturization of instruments and space platforms, as well as reducing their cost, mass, and needed power. In addition to enabling scientific exploration, SmallSats provide affordable means for the public to purchase remote sensing and communication products on a global scale. SmallSat mission concepts are particularly powerful when they are deployed in distributed architecture or constellations. For example, the most promising observation techniques for global science measurements of the Earth system and space weather require multi-point distributed observations of the Earth system at a feasible cost. The high cost of access to space has long been a barrier, especially with the prohibitive cost of large satellites. Affordable SmallSat constellations can be game-changers, enabling scientific exploration as well as commercial global data products. In this paper, we highlight investments made by NASA to date (specifically a study in developing and prototyping a SmallSat platform with standard interfaces), along with several example mission concept scenarios in Earth and space science (astrophysics, heliophysics, and planetary) applications that can be achieved using this platform.

technology development↗
NASA NTRS1999

Spacecraft Software Maintenance: An Effective Approach to Reducing Costs and Increasing Science Return

Flight software is a mission critical element of spacecraft functionality and performance. When ground operations personnel interface to a spacecraft, they are typically dealing almost entirely with the capabilities of onboard software. This software, even more than critical ground/flight communications systems, is expected to perform perfectly during all phases of spacecraft life. Due to the fact that it can be reprogrammed on-orbit to accommodate degradations or failures in flight hardware, new insights into spacecraft characteristics, new control options which permit enhanced science options, etc., the on- orbit flight software maintenance team is usually significantly responsible for the long term success of a science mission. Failure of flight software to perform as needed can result in very expensive operations work-around costs and lost science opportunities. There are three basic approaches to maintaining spacecraft software--namely using the original developers, using the mission operations personnel, or assembling a center of excellence for multi-spacecraft software maintenance. Not planning properly for flight software maintenance can lead to unnecessarily high on-orbit costs and/or unacceptably long delays, or errors, in patch installations. A common approach for flight software maintenance is to access the original development staff. The argument for utilizing the development staff is that the people who developed the software will be the best people to modify the software on-orbit. However, it can quickly becomes a challenge to obtain the services of these key people. They may no longer be available to the organization. They may have a more urgent job to perform, quite likely on another project under different project management. If they havn't worked on the software for a long time, they may need precious time for refamiliarization to the software, testbeds and tools. Further, a lack of insight into issues related to flight software in its on-orbit environment, may find the developer unprepared for the challenges. The second approach is to train a member of the flight operations team to maintain the spacecraft software. This can prove to be a costly and inflexible solution. The person assigned to this duty may not have enough work to do during a problem free period and may have too much to do when a problem arises. If the person is a talented software engineer, he/she may not enjoy the limited software opportunities available in this position; and may eventually leave for newer technology computer science opportunities. Training replacement flight software personnel can be a difficult and lengthy process. The third approach is to assemble a center of excellence for on-orbit spacecraft software maintenance. Personnel in this specialty center can be managed to support flight software of multiple missions at once. The variety of challenges among a set of on-orbit missions, can result in a dedicated, talented staff which is fully trained and available to support each mission's needs. Such staff are not software developers but are rather spacecraft software systems engineers. The cost to any one mission is extremely low because the software staff works and charges, minimally on missions with no current operations issues; and their professional insight into on-orbit software troubleshooting and maintenance methods ensures low risk, effective and minimal-cost solutions to on-orbit issues.

Shell, Elaine M.↗
DOE OSTI2025

In Situ Study of Resistive Switching in a Nitride‐Based Memristive Device

Abstract Resistive switching (RS) devices with ultra‐low‐voltage threshold and reliable switching repeatability exhibits great potential applications in energy‐efficient data storage and neuromorphic computing. Understanding switching mechanisms at nanoscale is critical to design RS devices with improved performance. In this work, a lamella memristive device using focused ion beam (FIB) method based on the metal/TiO x /TiN/Si structure device is fabricated. In situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and current–voltage ( I–V ) characteristic demonstrate that the lamella device shows a volatile RS behavior with a threshold switching at ≈ ± 0.4 V. In situ scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) experiments with electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) reveal that the charge carriers such as oxygen vacancies migrate under positive/negative DC bias and modulate Schottky barriers at the top and bottom metal/semiconductor interfaces. The RS mechanism of the lamella device is based on the Schottky barriers modulation and Joule heating assisted electric field triggered thermal runaway (FTTR) occurred at the metal/semiconductor interfaces. The fundamental insights gained from this study presents a perspective on interface‐type RS devices processing and opens up new technological opportunities of fabricating ultra‐low‐energy memristive devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

A high-resolution molecular spin-photon interface at telecommunication wavelengths

Optically addressable electronic spins in polyatomic molecules are a promising platform for quantum information science, with the potential to enable scalable qubit design and integration through atomistic tunability and nanoscale localization. However, optical state- and site-selection are an open challenge. Here, in this work, we introduce an organo-erbium spin qubit in which narrow (megahertz-scale) optical and spin transitions couple to provide high-resolution access to spin degrees of freedom with telecommunication-frequency light. This spin-photon interface enables demonstration of optical spin polarization and readout that distinguishes between spin states and magnetically inequivalent sites in a molecular crystal. Operation at frequencies compatible with mature photonic and microwave devices provides an opportunity for engineering scalable, integrated molecular spin-optical quantum technologies.

Weiss, Leah R. [University of Chicago, IL (United ↗
DOE OSTI2024

Heterostructural Rocksalt-Wurtzite Interfaces

Data and code accompanying the following publication: Sharad Mahatara and Stephan Lany, "Heterostructural interface engineering for ultrawide gap nitrides from first principles: TaC/AlN and TaC/GaN rocksalt-wurtzite interfaces," Physical Review Applied 22, 054044 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevApplied.22.054044

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗