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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 343 records · Page 19

Activation of the E1 Ultra High Pressure Propulsion Test Facility at Stennis Space Center

After a decade of construction and a year of activation the El Ultra High Pressure Propulsion Test Facility at NASA's Stennis Space Center is fully operational. The El UHP Propulsion Test Facility is a multi-cell, multi-purpose component and engine test facility . The facility is capable of delivering cryogenic propellants at low, high, and ultra high pressures with flow rates ranging from a few pounds per second up to two thousand pounds per second. Facility activation is defined as a series of tasks required to transition between completion of construction and facility operational readiness. Activating the El UHP Propulsion Test Facility involved independent system checkouts, propellant system leak checks, fluid and gas sampling, gaseous system blow downs, pressurization and vent system checkouts, valve stability testing, valve tuning cryogenic cold flows, and functional readiness tests.

Messer, Bradley↗

OTF CCSDS SM and C Interoperability Prototype

A presentation is provided to demonstrate the interoperability between two space flight Mission Operation Centers (MOCs) and to emulate telemetry, actions, and alert flows between the two centers. One framework uses a COTS C31 system that uses CORBA to interface to the local OTF data network. The second framework relies on current Houston MCC frameworks and ad hoc clients. Messaging relies on SM and C MAL, Core and Common Service formats, while the transport layer uses AMS. A centralized SM and C Registry uses HTTP/XML for transport/encoding. The project's status and progress are reviewed.

Reynolds, Walter F.↗

OTF Mission Operations Prototype Status

Reports on the progress of the JSC/OTF prototype of a CCSDS SM&C protocol based communications link between two space flight operations control centers. Varied implementations using software architectures from current web enterprise venues are presented. The AMS protocol (CCSDS Blue Book standard 735.1) was used for messaging and link communications.

Reynolds, Walter F.↗

Analysis of Complex Valve and Feed Systems

A numerical framework for analysis of complex valve systems supports testing of propulsive systems by simulating key valve and control system components in the test loop. In particular, it is designed to enhance the analysis capability in terms of identifying system transients and quantifying the valve response to these transients. This system has analysis capability for simulating valve motion in complex systems operating in diverse flow regimes ranging from compressible gases to cryogenic liquids. A key feature is the hybrid, unstructured framework with sub-models for grid movement and phase change including cryogenic cavitations. The multi-element unstructured framework offers improved predictions of valve performance characteristics under steady conditions for structurally complex valves such as pressure regulator valve. Unsteady simulations of valve motion using this computational approach have been carried out for various valves in operation at Stennis Space Center such as the split-body valve and the 10-in. (approx.25.4-cm) LOX (liquid oxygen) valve and the 4-in. (approx.10 cm) Y-pattern valve (liquid nitrogen). Such simulations make use of variable grid topologies, thereby permitting solution accuracy and resolving important flow physics in the seat region of the moving valve. An advantage to this software includes possible reduction in testing costs incurred due to disruptions relating to unexpected flow transients or functioning of valve/flow control systems. Prediction of the flow anomalies leading to system vibrations, flow resonance, and valve stall can help in valve scheduling and significantly reduce the need for activation tests. This framework has been evaluated for its ability to predict performance metrics like flow coefficient for cavitating venturis and valve coefficient curves, and could be a valuable tool in predicting and understanding anomalous behavior of system components at rocket propulsion testing and design sites.

Ahuja, Vineet↗

Modular Wireless Data-Acquisition and Control System

A modular wireless data-acquisition and control system, now in operation at Kennedy Space Center, offers high performance at relatively low cost. The system includes a central station and a finite number of remote stations that communicate with each other through low-power radio frequency (RF) links. Designed to satisfy stringent requirements for reliability, integrity of data, and low power consumption, this system could be reproduced and adapted to use in a broad range of settings.

Perotti, Jose↗

Common Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Software Development for Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Test Facilities

The advent of the commercial space launch industry and NASA's more recent resumption of operation of Stennis Space Center's large test facilities after thirty years of contractor control resulted in a need for a non-proprietary data acquisition systems (DAS) software to support government and commercial testing. The software is designed for modularity and adaptability to minimize the software development effort for current and future data systems. An additional benefit of the software's architecture is its ability to easily migrate to other testing facilities thus providing future commonality across Stennis. Adapting the software to other Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Centers such as MSFC, White Sands, and Plumbrook Station would provide additional commonality and help reduce testing costs for NASA. Ultimately, the software provides the government with unlimited rights and guarantees privacy of data to commercial entities. The project engaged all RPT Centers and NASA's Independent Verification & Validation facility to enhance product quality. The design consists of a translation layer which provides the transparency of the software application layers to underlying hardware regardless of test facility location and a flexible and easily accessible database. This presentation addresses system technical design, issues encountered, and the status of Stennis development and deployment.

Hebert, Phillip W., Sr.↗

Common Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Software Development for Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Test Facilities - A General Overview

The advent of the commercial space launch industry and NASA's more recent resumption of operation of Stennis Space Center's large test facilities after thirty years of contractor control resulted in a need for a non-proprietary data acquisition system (DAS) software to support government and commercial testing. The software is designed for modularity and adaptability to minimize the software development effort for current and future data systems. An additional benefit of the software's architecture is its ability to easily migrate to other testing facilities thus providing future commonality across Stennis. Adapting the software to other Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Centers such as MSFC, White Sands, and Plumbrook Station would provide additional commonality and help reduce testing costs for NASA. Ultimately, the software provides the government with unlimited rights and guarantees privacy of data to commercial entities. The project engaged all RPT Centers and NASA's Independent Verification & Validation facility to enhance product quality. The design consists of a translation layer which provides the transparency of the software application layers to underlying hardware regardless of test facility location and a flexible and easily accessible database. This presentation addresses system technical design, issues encountered, and the status of Stennis' development and deployment.

Hebert, Phillip W., Sr.↗

Human Performance Modeling and Simulation for Launch Team Applications

This paper describes ongoing research into modeling and simulation of humans for launch team analysis, training, and evaluation. The initial research is sponsored by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA)'s Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) and NASA's Exploration Program and is focused on current and future launch team operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC). The paper begins with a description of existing KSC launch team environments and procedures. It then describes the goals of new Simulation and Analysis of Launch Teams (SALT) research. The majority of this paper describes products from the SALT team's initial proof-of-concept effort. These products include a nominal case task analysis and a discrete event model and simulation of launch team performance during the final phase of a shuttle countdown; and a first proof-of-concept training demonstration of launch team communications in which the computer plays most roles, and the trainee plays a role of the trainee's choice. This paper then describes possible next steps for the research team and provides conclusions. This research is expected to have significant value to NASA's Exploration Program.

Peaden, Cary J.↗

NASA Range Safety Annual Report 2007

As always, Range Safety has been involved in a number of exciting and challenging activities and events. Throughout the year, we have strived to meet our goal of protecting the public, the workforce, and property during range operations. During the past year, Range Safety was involved in the development, implementation, and support of range safety policy. Range Safety training curriculum development was completed this year and several courses were presented. Tailoring exercises concerning the Constellation Program were undertaken with representatives from the Constellation Program, the 45th Space Wing, and the Launch Constellation Range Safety Panel. Range Safety actively supported the Range Commanders Council and it subgroups and remained involved in updating policy related to flight safety systems and flight safety analysis. In addition, Range Safety supported the Space Shuttle Range Safety Panel and addressed policy concerning unmanned aircraft systems. Launch operations at Kennedy Space Center, the Eastern and Western ranges, Dryden Flight Research Center, and Wallops Flight Facility were addressed. Range Safety was also involved in the evaluation of a number of research and development efforts, including the space-based range (formerly STARS), the autonomous flight safety system, the enhanced flight termination system, and the joint advanced range safety system. Flight safety system challenges were evaluated. Range Safety's role in the Space Florida Customer Assistance Service Program for the Eastern Range was covered along with our support for the Space Florida Educational Balloon Release Program. We hope you have found the web-based format both accessible and easy to use. Anyone having questions or wishing to have an article included in the 2008 Range Safety Annual Report should contact Alan Dumont, the NASA Range Safety Program Manager located at the Kennedy Space Center, or Michael Dook at NASA Headquarters.

Dumont, Alan G.↗

Results of a Longer Term NDACC Measurements Comparison Campaign at Mauna Loa Observatory

Between November, 2015 and January, 2015, the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) operated a pair of lidar instruments at the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) facility at Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii (Latitude 19.5 degrees North, Longitude 155.5 degrees West, altitude 3.397 kilometers). Measurements were made during six different four week periods during this time period by both the NASA GSFC Stratospheric Ozone Lidar (STROZ) and the Aerosol and Temperature (ATL) lidar. Also making measurements were the JPL Stratospheric Ozone Lidar and the NOAA Aerosol and Water Vapor Lidar. All instruments participate and archive data with the Network for the Detection of Atmospheric Composition Change (NDACC). Measurement comparisons were made among various instruments in accordance with the standard intercomparison protocols of the NDACC.

McGee, Thomas J.↗

NASA's Geoscience Training Program for Astronauts

Geoscientists have been training and preparing astronauts to observe the Earth from space and explore other planetary surfaces with a legacy that reaches back to the early days of the space program. Continuing this legacy and critical function, a core NASA team has been closely coordinating with the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) as well as academic, institute, and other governmental partners to conduct a comprehensive geoscience training program that ranges from initial astronaut candidate training to preparing crew for Artemis missions. Described below are the three program training phases, along with recent program highlights and forward planning.

Graff, T. G.↗

LUNAR SURFACE GEOSCIENCE TRAINING FOR ASTRONAUTS

Geoscientists have been training and preparing astronauts to observe the Earth from space and explore other planetary surfaces with a legacy that reaches back to the early days of the space program. Continuing this legacy and critical function, a core NASA team has been closely coordinating with the Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Operations Directorate (FOD) as well as academic, research institutions, and other governmental partners to conduct a comprehensive geoscience training program that ranges from initial astronaut candidate training to preparing assigned crew for future lunar surface missions. Described below are the three program training phases (summarized in Figure 1), along with recent program highlights and forward planning. Given NASA’s increased planning and development efforts regarding near-term lunar surface science activities, we welcome ideas, concepts, capabilities, collaborations, and innovations to this astronaut training program.

T. G. Graff↗

TPSAS-NF1676L-11045-DND

The International TOVS Working Group (ITWG) is convened as a sub-group of the International Radiation Commission (IRC) of the International Association of Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics (IAMAP). The ITWG continues to organize international TOVS study conferences which have met approximately every 18 months since 1983. The most recent conference, the seventeenth International TOVS Study Conference (ITSC-XVII) was held in Monterey, California from 12 to 20 April 2010. This report will cover the current ITWG status, objectives, activities, along with recommendations formulated during the recent ITSC conference to be forwarded to space agencies, operational NWP centers and the scientific community on issues ranging from data processing methods, derived products, and the impacts of radiances and inferred atmospheric temperature and moisture fields on numerical weather prediction, and weather and climate studies. Also to be reported on are activities of the technical sub-groups which meet informally to coordinate ATOVS processing software, radiative transfer models, sounding data for climate studies, use of sounding data in data assimilation/NWP, international issues, and future systems and frequency protection issues relevant to ATOVS. As the result of ITSC-XVII, a paper report and electronic proceedings are being formulated and will soon be published and distributed. The conference Working Group Report will summarize the recommendations and actions of these working sub-groups. Technical Proceedings of the scientific presentations and posters will also published. The ITWG web site (http://cimss.ssec.wisc.edu/itwg/) contains electronic versions of the conference papers, presentations and posters from earlier ITSCs. Together, these documents and web pages reflect the conduct of highly successful international collaborations.

Steve English↗

NASA’s Space Launch System: High C3 Launch Capability for Science Missions

As NASA’s initial Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 vehicle enters integration and stacking operations at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) this year in preparation for a 2021 launch, work is in progress on future more powerful variants of the vehicle. Available in the mid 2020s and 2030s, Block 1B and Block 2 will feature increased performance and unparalleled volume for payloads, providing an enabling launch option for science mission planners. The baseline SLS architecture consists of two five-segment solid rocket boosters and four RS-25 LH2/LOX engines. The evolved Block 1B and Block 2 vehicles use a four-engine LH2/LOX upper stage and can be outfitted with an 8.4 m-diameter pay-load fairing. Additional upper stages can be packaged in the 8.4 m fairing to enable high C3 (in the range of 300 km2/sec2) missions to Mercury, the Jovian system, the ice giants, the Kuiper Belt and beyond.

Stephen D Creech↗

Engineering and simulation of life sciences Spacelab experiments

The third in a series of Spacelab Mission Development tests was conducted at the Johnson (correction of Johnston) Space Center as a part of the development of Life Sciences experiments for the Space Shuttle era. The latest test was a joint effort of the Ames Research and Johnson Space Centers and utilized animals and men for study. The basic objective of this test was to evaluate the operational concepts planned for the Space Shuttle life science payloads program. A three-man crew (Mission Specialist and two Payload Specialists) conducted 26 experiments and 12 operational tests, which were selected for this 7-day mission simulation. The crew lived on board a simulated Orbiter/Spacelab mockup 24 hr a day. The Orbiter section contained the mid deck crew quarters area, complete with sleeping, galley and waste management provisions. The Spacelab was identical in geometry to the European Space Agency Spacelab design, complete with removable rack sections and stowage provisions. Communications between the crewmen and support personnel were configured and controlled as currently planned for operational shuttle flights. For this test a Science Operations Remote Center was manned at the Ames Research Center and was managed by simulated Mission Control and Payload Operation Control Centers at the Johnson Space Center. This paper presents the test objectives, description of the facilities and test program, and the results of this test.

Biological Sciences/instrumentation/methods↗

Space Mission Operations Ground Systems Integration Customer Service

The facility, which is now the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, has provided continuous space mission and related services for the space industry since 1961, from Mercury Redstone through the International Space Station (ISS). Throughout the long history of the facility and mission support teams, the HOSC has developed a stellar customer support and service process. In this era, of cost cutting, and providing more capability and results with fewer resources, space missions are looking for the most efficient way to accomplish their objectives. One of the first services provided by the facility was fax transmission of documents to, then, Cape Canaveral in Florida. The headline in the Marshall Star, the newspaper for the newly formed Marshall Space Flight Center, read "Exact copies of Documents sent to Cape in 4 minutes." The customer was Dr. Wernher von Braun. Currently at the HOSC we are supporting, or have recently supported, missions ranging from simple ISS payloads requiring little more than "bentpipe" telemetry access, to a low cost free-flyer Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT), to a full service ISS payload Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer 2 (AMS2) supporting 24/7 operations at three operations centers around the world with an investment of over 2 billion dollars. The HOSC has more need and desire than ever to provide fast and efficient customer service to support these missions. Here we will outline how our customer-centric service approach reduces the cost of providing services, makes it faster and easier than ever for new customers to get started with HOSC services, and show what the future holds for our space mission operations customers. We will discuss our philosophy concerning our responsibility and accessibility to a mission customer as well as how we deal with the following issues: initial contact with a customer, reducing customer cost, changing regulations and security, and cultural differences, to ensure an efficient response to customer issues using a small Customer Service Team (CST) and adaptability, constant communication with customers, technical expertise and knowledge of services, and dedication to customer service. The HOSC Customer Support Team has implemented a variety of processes, and procedures that help to mitigate the potential problems that arise when integrating ground system services for a variety of complex missions and the lessons learned from this experience will lead the future of customer service in the space operations industry.

Roth, Karl↗