Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Launch Methods”

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 343 records · Page 19

Space Launch System (SLS) Human Factors Engineering Modeling & Analysis

The Human Systems Integration & Engineering (HSI&E) team at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) strives to advocate for the humans in the loop of Space Launch System’s (SLS) ground operations. Using assessment methods like human simulation, virtual reality, and physical mockups, both flight hardware and ground support equipment (GSE) are evaluated for human integration. Those ranging from 5th percentile female (approximately 5’2” tall) to 95th percentile male (approximately 6’2” tall) should be able to perform all SLS stacking operations. Operations include element physical mates, element electrical mates, and testing activities. The primary human simulation software used is Process Simulate Human (PSH) made by Siemens. This software supplies highly accurate human manikins that can interact with CAD models. PSH was used to evaluate the Transportation and Integration Platform’s (TIP) side opening that was designed for access to the Payload Adapter (PLA) cables. Technicians will need to access these cables for testing purposes before element stacking at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). After performing an analysis in PSH using the TIP side opening, it was found that neither a 5th percentile female or a 95th percentile male could perform the task as the designers had intended. There is a C-beam that blocks access to the cables (both physically and visually). An alternative analysis was performed using PSH to look at another access point to the PLA cables. Although this method would disrupt already established procedures and produce more work, the designers confirmed it was an option. Instead of technicians accessing the cables through the side opening in the TIP, a human simulation was performed for going through a panel opening in the bottom of the TIP. This method requires removal of a TIP panel and a stepladder of at least 36 inches for a 5th percentile female to access the cables.

human factors↗

A Plasma Aerocapture and Entry System for Manned Missions and Planetary Deep Space Orbiters

A rapid mission to Mars requires a large change in vehicle velocity upon arrival to establish a stable orbit. This demand is even greater for a Neptune science, requiring many kilometers per second of V. It is clear from past mission studies that a manned Mars mission and deep space planetary orbiters require aerobraking and aerocapture which use aerodynamic drag forces to slow the spacecraft. Aerocapture would enable long term studies of the outer planets and moons that would not be possible with existing braking methodologies. While the ability to utilize these atmospheres to slow down and capture spacecraft would dramatically reduce the cost, launch mass, and travel time, currently planned approaches require significant additional spacecraft mass and risk as the spacecraft must descend deep into the planetary atmosphere in order to produce significant drag on a relatively small aeroshell. The plasma based Magnetoshell being developed in this program holds the potential to perform the desired braking with significantly increased drag and control while dramatically reducing mass. Most importantly, this technology significantly lowers the risk involved with aerocapture thereby making manned planetary missions possible. The fundamental physics of the Magnetoshell is based on demonstrated experimental results. Successful implementation will dramatically decrease radiation exposures, mission risk, launch cost, and launch mass. Implementation of aerobraking by employing a solid deflector or aeroshell as a method for orbit insertion and circularization has been successfully demonstrated in the past, resulting in launch mass savings greater than 50%. In order to reduce the effect of frictional heating and dynamic pressure on the typically fragile aeroshell, or worse solar panels, the braking must be distributed over many orbital passes at a high altitude in the less dense regions of the atmosphere. It can thus take several months for a meter-scale, 1000 kg, aeroshell to execute the many elliptic orbital passes through the atmosphere to achieve the required V. This rather slow method of braking not only reduces frictional heating and dynamic forces, but also avoids unpredictable dynamic behavior due to turbulence, as well as unknown and seasonally variable atmospheric composition and temperature which has led to dangerous, mission-critical events. For exploration class missions such as DRA 5.0 aerocapture and Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are proposed for breaking at Mars for cargo missions. Traditional aerocapture is considered too risky for manned missions. Even with the enormous mass savings that aerocapture allows, it still requires 80 tons of aeroshell and significantly increased launch mass and propellant. As will be shown, by using Magnetoshells for aerobraking, the DRA 5.0 mission will save 224 metric tons (MT) and greater than $2 B in launch costs. Beyond the dramatic savings for existing mission architectures, a low-mass, risk-free aerocapture system would allow much more rapid missions to Mars and deep space orbiters by allowing direct, faster trajectories. As will be shown, the plasma Magnetoshell Aerobraking, Aerocapture, and Entry System (AAES) not only reduces mass and cost while enabling significant new mission architectures, but also significantly reduces radiation exposures by decreasing trip times.

Manned Missions↗

A Geometric Analysis to Protect Manned Assets from Newly Launched Objects - COLA Gap Analysis

A safety risk was identified for the International Space Station (ISS) by The Aerospace Corporation following the launch of GPS IIR-20 (March 24, 2009), when the spent upper stage of the launch vehicle unexpectedly crossed inside the ISS notification box shortly after launch. This event highlighted a 56-hour vulnerability period following the end of the launch Collision Avoidance (COLA) process where the ISS would be unable to react to a conjunction with a newly launched object. Current launch COLA processes screen each launched object across the launch window to determine if an object's nominal trajectory is predicted to pass within 200 km of the ISS (or any other manned/mannable object), resulting in a launch time closure. These launch COLA screens are performed from launch through separation plus I 00 minutes. Once the objects are in orbit, they are cataloged and evaluated as part of routine on-orbit conjunction assessment processes. However, as the GPS IIR-20 scenario illustrated, there is a vulnerability period in the time line between the end of launch COLA coverage and the beginning of standard on-orbit COLA assessment activities. The gap between existing launch and on-orbit COLA processes is driven by the time it takes to track and catalog a launched object, identify a conjunction, and plan and execute a collision avoidance maneuver. For the ISS, the total time required to accomplish an of these steps is 56 hours. To protect human lives, NASA/JSC has requested that an US launches take additional steps to protect the ISS during this "COLA gap" period. The uncertainty in the state of a spent upper stage can be quite large after all bums are complete and all remaining propellants are expelled to safe the stage. Simply extending the launch COLA process an additional 56 hours is not a viable option as the 3-sigma position uncertainty will far exceed the 200 km miss-distance criterion. Additionally, performing a probability of collision (Pc) analysis over this period is also not practical due to the limiting effects of these large orbit state uncertainties. An estimated upper bound for Pc for a typical spent upper stage if nominally aligned for a direct broadside collision with the ISS is only on the order of 10-6. For a smaller manned object such as a Soyuz capsule, the risk level decreases to an order of 10'8 . In comparison, the Air Force Range policy (AFI 91-217) for launch COLAs would only eliminate launch opportunities when conjunctions with objects exceed a Pc of 10'5 This paper demonstrates a conservative geometry-based methodology that may be used to determine if launch opportunities pose a threat to the ISS during the COLA gap period. The NASA Launch Services Program at Kennedy Space Center has developed this COLA gap analysis method and employed it fQr three NASA missions to identify potential ISS conjunctions and corresponding launch window closures during the 56-hour at-risk period. In the analysis, for each launch opportunity, the nominal trajectory of the spent upper stage and the orbit state of the ISS are propagated over the 56 hour period. Each time the upper stage crosses the orbit plane of the ISS, the relative radial and argument of latitude separations are calculated. A window cutout is identified if these separation differences fall within a mission-specific violation box, which is determined from the evaluation of a Monte Carlo dispersions analysis that quantifies the potential variation in the upper stage radial and argument of latitude differences. This paper details the results of these analyses and their impacts to each mission.

Hametz, Mark E.↗

KSC Launch Pad Flame Trench Environment Assessment

This report summarizes conditions in the Launch Complex 39 (LC-39) flame trenches during a Space Shuttle Launch, as they have been measured to date. Instrumentation of the flame trench has been carried out by NASA and United Space Alliance for four Shuttle launches. Measurements in the flame trench are planned to continue for the duration of the Shuttle Program. The assessment of the launch environment is intended to provide guidance in selecting appropriate test methods for refractory materials used in the flame trench and to provide data used to improve models of the launch environment in the flame trench.

Calle, Luz Marina↗

High frequency scattering from trihedral corner reflectors and other benchmark targets - SBR versus experiment

A general method for calculating the radar cross section (RCS) from a three-dimensional target is described. The target is first constructed by using a solid-geometry-modeling computer-aided design (CAD) package. Following the shooting and bouncing ray (SBR) method, a very dense grid of rays is launched from the incident direction toward the target. Each ray is traced according to the geometrical optics theory including the effect of ray tube divergence, polarization, and material reflection coefficient. At the point where the ray exits the target, a physical optics-type integration is performed to obtain the scattered far fields. This method is tested using several simple examples involving interaction among plates, cylinders, and spheres. The theoretical results are generally in good agreement with measured data.

Baldauf, John↗

Inference-Engine v0.1.0

Given a pre-trained neural network, Inference-Engine performs maps network inputs to outputs by executing the forward pass through the provided network. Although the predominant programming language for machine-learning is Python, most high-performance computing (HPC) applications are written in Fortran, C, or C++. Inference-Engine aims to support HPC programs and is written in Fortran, a language with a large feature set supporting interoperability with C. This software exposes concurrency in a portable way by using standard language features that some modern Fortran compilers can exploit with various optimizations, including offloading computation to a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). In particular, this software makes extensive use of Fortran's "do concurrent" parallel loop construct, implicitly parallel array statements, and pure procedures that can be invoked inside "do concurrent" blocks. Inference-Engine also supports dynamic choice of inference methods at runtime. Two current options include one method that uses Fortran's "dot_product" intrinsic function inside "do concurrent" blocks and another method that instead uses Fortran' "matmul" array intrinsic function. We plan to investigate automatic compiler offloading of "do concurrent" calculations to GPUs and compile-time substitution of optimized libraries such as the Basic Linear Algebra Library (BLAS) for "matmul" invocations. We also envision the potential for the choice of which method to use could happen at program launch based on in situ performance measurements on any given platform.

Rouson, Damian↗

Development of a Technology Roadmap for Online Monitoring of Nuclear Power Plants

The nuclear power industry has recently recognized the potential cost saving that can be achieved from migrating the current manual and labor dependent surveillance and preventive maintenance activities to data-driven online monitoring methods. Since then, several efforts have been launched with various degrees of momentum to tackle specific surveillance or preventive maintenance activities. The light water reactor sustainability program (LWRS) program has anticipated this need and launched an effort that aimed to develop a technology roadmap for the nuclear power industry. Because the roadmap has to be focused towards the user or application’s value, and because nuclear power plants have different process efficiencies and deficiencies, the technology roadmap has to be plant independent. Achieving this objective required optimizing the extent of details described by a technology roadmap. The approach followed is for the roadmap to describe the sequence of activities needed to automate a process or equipment activity, but not describe the sequence of processes or equipment to target. For example, the steps required to migrate the inspection of a pump are plant independent. However, defining that the migration of feed water pumps inspections to online monitoring should be performed before inspections of feed water valves is dependent on multiple plant factors such as the plant requirements, labor work capacity, and process or equipment conditions. The technology roadmap was broken down into six elements, four of which have a sequential path of advancement, while the other two are supporting elements to the sequential elements. The sequential part of the roadmap analyzes data collection, analytics, visualization, and management. For these elements of the technology roadmap, the migration of an activity is defined in three states. The base state is defined as the most primitive, manual, and labor dependent process used by some nuclear power plants. The modern state is defined as the state that can be achieved if the activities are augmented or replaced by current technologies that are commercially available or are soon to be available. The state of the art is defined as using technologies of the future, i.e. concept and technologies that are being researched. The data collection part of the technology roadmap defines three states of every process performed in a nuclear power plant. However, the data analytics part is described based on equipment, because automating an activity performed on one equipment required considering multiple data sources. The visualization and data management elements are process or equipment independent. Visualization describes the means to use human factor science and technologies advancement in presenting the data collected and the data analytics results. The data management targets storage, communication, and computational power need, in addition to data integration and sharing. Since storage, communication, and computational power technologies and path for deployment are known to any information technology organization, this effort targeted the cost of data management. This has a direct impact on the feasibility of the automation effort. The supporting elements analyzes the value of automating the activity and the change challenges to tackle. For the support elements, the roadmap targeted describing activities that need to be performed as part of the roadmap development. The value element of the roadmap describes how to analyze the cost saving and the associated risk. The change management identifies multiple factors to consider such as regulation, cybersecurity, resource availability, supporting infrastructure availability, feasibility (power, fitness, environment tolerance, facilities), and cultural change.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP): Report of the Second ARTMIP Workshop

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) have for the last decade been broadly recognized for their global and regional significance in mediating energy and water cycles. As a distinct large-scale circulation feature, ARs can be characterized by long, narrow bands of atmospheric moisture transport from the tropics to higher latitudes. They are both an important source of water supply to coastal regions as well as a hazard because of their predisposition to increase flood risk. However, predicting ARs poses a significant challenge to the scientific community, as they exhibit large variability from subseasonal-to-interannual time scales. On multi-decadal and longer time scales, it is unclear how the frequency and intensity of ARs will change with a warming climate. Hence ARs play a significant role in understanding predictability of water cycle variability and extremes as well as becoming a factor in assessing risks to future infrastructures. There is a large body of literature that has explored ARs from both global and regional perspectives and from timescales spanning hourly to centennial. Despite significant progress in understanding ARs, significant gaps remain, e.g., in characterizing the dynamical and thermodynamical processes associated with ARs, improving predictions of ARs at weather and subseasonal-to-seasonal timescales, and understanding and quantifying the impacts of ARs on the design and management of built infrastructures. Furthermore, the consensus definition of ARs remains essentially qualitative, and investigators have had to rely on heuristic definitions of ARs for quantitative studies. In the First Atmospheric River Tracking Method Intercomparison Project (ARTMIP) workshop held in May 2017, it was recognized that (1) there are many heuristic AR tracking algorithms employed in the literature, (2) our quantitative—and possibly qualitative— understanding of ARs and their impacts may depend on the details of the algorithm used, (3) no data set yet exists to systematically explore the impact of AR tracking algorithm choice on scientific results, and (4) the broader scientific community therefore lacks any formal guidance on the advantages and disadvantages of different AR tracking methods. The First ARTMIP workshop defined and launched a multi-tiered intercomparison experiment designed to fill this community need. The first tier of ARTMIP was aimed at understanding the impact of AR algorithms on quantitative baseline statistics and characteristics of ARs, and the second tier includes sensitivity studies designed around specific science questions, such as reanalysis uncertainty and influences associated with climate change. The Second ARTMIP workshop was convened on April 23-24, 2018, as a two-day event, and following the completion of Tier 1 of the ARTMIP effort: an experiment in which most existing AR tracking algorithms were run on a standardized data set of reanalyzed weather conditions.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Bubble Mass Transport Measurement in the Large-Scale Test Loops at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Molten salts are complex fluids that incorporate multi-phase behavior depending on the chemistry and the physical properties of the entrained components. These components include the carrier salt, the actinide fuel, and fission, activation, and corrosion products, the concentrations of which depends on the burnup history of the salt. Radionuclide transport from the salt into the cover gas / off-gas system depends on volatility as predicted by thermochemistry, but data from the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) conducted in the late 1960s suggest that bubble formation and transport are also important. Anomalously high fractions of noble metals were found in the off-gas system and were attributed to transportation with parent salt aerosols and their association with rising noble gas bubbles. The prediction of such phenomena requires coupled neutronic, thermal hydraulic, and chemical equilibrium calculations, the framework of which is being developed within the Nuclear Energy Advanced Modeling and Simulation (NEAMS) program supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE). However, separate effects tests and models of experiments using tools such as SAM and Thermochimica can guide model developers through important processes. Conversely, model development guides the choice of experiments and systems to provide data that are relevant for validation. This report describes several experiments that tracked gas transport in molten salts, ranging from small-scale systems to large-scale loops. Gas transportation in a molten salt, LiCl-KCl, has been studied using the shadowgraph technique. Sensors such as residual gas analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy have been tested for off-gas measurements. These data were used to interpret how the gases move through the upstream salt / cover gas and the interface between them. Differential pressure measurements were able to detect individual gas bubbles as they popped at the liquid–gas interface. Salt aerosols were collected on a cascade impactor. Their formation was also observed directly via the shadowgraph method, and most of these aerosols were launched ballistically into the cover gas. Fine mists could also be observed. Convection currents through the salt were visualized and can be used to calculate the thermophysical properties of the salt itself. The apparatuses described in this report and in a previous work (McFarlane et al. 2023) have been commissioned and are available for use in making further measurements of salt/surrogate fission product behavior. Novel approaches using neutron imaging are planned for the study of fluoride salts, which cannot be contained in quartz, so shadowgraph visualization is not available. Bubble transport in convective flow and in a slow-moving salt column are planned. The mobile laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system is available for several applications, including iodine capture in a molten hydroxide scrubber, H2 transport though molten salts to complement Raman analysis, and online tracking of salt aerosol generation, transport, and deposition. This report summarizes the findings from FY24 and the plans for FY25. The work completes milestone M2AT-24OR0702013 of the DOE-NE Advanced Reactor Technology, Molten Salt Reactor Campaign, DOE-NE-5.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Delta launch vehicle isogrid structure NASTRAN analysis

Structural analysis applications of NASTRAN to the isogrid structure of the Delta launch vehicle are discussed. Isogrid is a method employed to stiffen the booster cylindrical shell surface by integrally machining ribs and skin from one piece of metal. The ribs are arranged in a repetitive equilateral triangular pattern; this results in a structural surface whose stiffness is orthogonally isotopic. For that structure, both static and general instability buckling analyses are described and the theoretical results are compared to test data. One of the parameters included in the analysis is the effect of pressure loadings on the buckling allowable load. In addition, a description of a supplementary computer program is presented.

Knighton, D. J.↗

Recovered transient load analysis for payload structural systems

A recovered transient analysis technique is proposed wherein the results of a previous launch vehicle/payload system can be used to obtain the information on a new payload structure to be launched by an identical launch vehicle. The advantage of the proposed method is that the complete analysis can be performed within the payload organization with the same accuracy as that of a full scale, multiorganizational loads analysis. Also, the flight measured interface accelerations can be used as the forcing functions for more realistic representations of the dynamic environments.

Chen, J. C.↗

Comparison of damping measurement for a trunnion supported Shuttle payload

The damping of a trunnion-supported Space Shuttle payload, the Centaur G Prime upper stage launch vehicle, is measured using three different methods. The structural system behaves nonlinearly, and the damping values are found to be dependent on the response amplitude. The results of the damping measurements are compared, and their validities with respect to the coupled loads analysis are examined.

Chen, J.-C.↗

Chemical Engineering in Space

The aerospace industry has long been perceived as the domain of both physicists and mechanical engineers. This perception has endured even though the primary method of providing the thrust necessary to launch a rocket into space is chemical in nature. The chemical engineering and chemistry personnel behind the systems that provide access to space have labored in the shadows of the physicists and mechanical engineers. As exploration into the cosmos moves farther away from Earth, there is a very distinct need for new chemical processes to help provide the means for advanced space exploration. The state of the art in launch systems uses chemical propulsion systems, primarily liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, to provide the energy necessary to achieve orbit. As we move away from Earth, there are additional options for propulsion. Unfortunately, few of these options can compare to the speed or ease of use provided by the chemical propulsion agents. It is with great care and significant cost that gaseous compounds such as hydrogen and oxygen are liquefied and become dense enough to use for rocket fuel. These low-temperature liquids fall within a specialty area known as cryogenics. Cryogenics, the science and art of producing cold operating conditions for use on Earth, in orbit, or on some other nonterrestrial body, has become increasingly important to our ability to travel within our solar system. The production of cryogenic fuels and the long-term storage of these fluids are necessary for travel. As our explorations move farther away from Earth, we need to address how to produce the necessary fuels to make a round-trip. The cost and the size of these expeditions are extreme at best. If we take everything necessary for our survival for the round-trip, we invalidate any chance of travel in the near future. As with the early explorers on Earth, we need to harvest much of our energy and our life support from the celestial bodies. The in situ production of these energy sources is paramount to success. We are currently working on several processes to produce the propellants that would allow us to visit and explore the surface of Mars. The capabilities currently at our disposal for launching and delivering equipment to another planet or satellite dictate that the size and scale of any hardware must be extremely small. The miniaturization of the processes needed to prepare the in situ propellants and life support commodities is a real challenge. Chemical engineers are faced with the prospect of reproducing an entire production facility in miniature so the complex can be lifted into space and delivered to our destination. Another area that does not normally concern chemical engineers is the extreme physical aspects payloads are subjected to with the launch of a spacecraft. Extreme accelerations followed by the sudden loss of nearly all gravitational forces are well outside normal equipment design conditions. If the equipment cannot survive the overall trip, then it obviously will not be able to yield the needed products upon arrival. These launch constraints must be taken into account. Finally, we must consider both the effectiveness and efficiencies of the processes. A facility located on the Moon or Mars will not have an unlimited supply of power or other ancillary utilities. For a Mars expedition, the available electric power is severely limited. The design of both the processes and the equipment must be considered. With these constraints in mind, only the most efficient designs will be viable. Cryogenics, in situ resource utilization, miniaturization, launchability, and power/process efficiencies are only a few of the areas that chemical engineers provide support and expertise for the exploration of space.

Lobmeyer, Dennis A.↗

Trailing Ballute Aerocapture: Concept and Feasibility Assessment

Trailing Ballute Aerocapture offers the potential to obtain orbit insertion around a planetary body at a fraction of the mass of traditional methods. This allows for lower costs for launch, faster flight times and additional mass available for science payloads. The technique involves an inflated ballute (balloon-parachute) that provides aerodynamic drag area for use in the atmosphere of a planetary body to provide for orbit insertion in a relatively benign heating environment. To account for atmospheric, navigation and other uncertainties, the ballute is oversized and detached once the desired velocity change (Delta V) has been achieved. Analysis and trades have been performed for the purpose of assessing the feasibility of the technique including aerophysics, material assessments, inflation system and deployment sequence and dynamics, configuration trades, ballute separation and trajectory analysis. Outlined is the technology development required for advancing the technique to a level that would allow it to be viable for use in space exploration missions.

Miller, Kevin L.↗

Preflight and In-Flight Exercise Conditions for Astronauts on the International Space Station

The physiological demands of spaceflight require astronauts to have certain physical abilities. They must be able to perform routine and off-nominal physical work during flight and upon re-entry into a gravity environment to ensure mission success, such as an Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) or emergency egress. To prepare the astronauts for their mission, a Wyle Astronaut Strength Conditioning and Rehabilitation specialist (ASCR) works individually with the astronauts to prescribe preflight strength and conditioning programs and in-flight exercise, utilizing Countermeasure Systems (CMS) exercise hardware. PURPOSE: To describe the preflight and in-flight exercise programs for ISS crewmembers. METHODS: Approximately 2 years before a scheduled launch, an ASCR is assigned to each astronaut and physical training (PT) is routinely scheduled. Preflight PT of astronauts consists of carrying out strength, aerobic and general conditioning, employing the principles of periodization. Exercise programs are prescribed to the astronauts to account for their individual fitness levels, planned mission-specific tasks, areas of concern, and travel schedules. Additionally, astronauts receive instruction on how to operate CMS exercise hardware and receive training for microgravity-specific conditions. For example, astronauts are scheduled training sessions for the International Space Station (ISS) treadmill (TVIS) and cycle ergometer (CEVIS), as well as the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED). In-flight programs are designed to maintain or even improve the astronauts pre-flight levels of fitness, bone health, muscle strength, power and aerobic capacity. In-flight countermeasure sessions are scheduled in 2.5 h blocks, six days a week, which includes 1.5 h for resistive training and 1 h for aerobic exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Crewmembers reported the need for more scheduled time for preflight training. During flight, crewmembers have indicated that the in-flight exercise is sufficient, but would like more reliable and capable hardware.

Guilliams, Mark E.↗