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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 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1972

Results of the 1970 balloon flight solar cell standardization program

For the eighth consective year, high-altitude calibration of solar cells was accomplished with the aid of free-flight balloons. Flights were conducted to an altitude of 36,576 m which is above 99.5% of earth's atmosphere where all water vapor levels and significant ozone bands are absent. Solar cells calibrated in this manner are significant used as intensity references in solar simulators and in terrestrial sunlight. Discussed is the method employed for high altitude balloon flight solar cell calibration. Also presented are data collected on 52 standard solar cells on two flights conducted in 1970. Solar cells flown repeatedly on successive flights have shown correlation of better than + or - 1.0%.

Greenwood, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1983

THERMTRAJ: A FORTRAN program to compute the trajectory and gas film temperatures of zero pressure balloons

A FORTRAN computer program called THERMTRAJ is presented which can be used to compute the trajectory of high altitude scientific zero pressure balloons from launch through all subsequent phases of the balloon flight. In addition, balloon gas and film temperatures can be computed at every point of the flight. The program has the ability to account for ballasting, changes in cloud cover, variable atmospheric temperature profiles, and both unconditional valving and scheduled valving of the balloon gas. The program was verified for an extensive range of balloon sizes (from 0.5 to 41.47 million cubic feet). Instructions on program usage, listing of the program source deck, input data and printed and plotted output for a verification case are included.

Horn, W. J.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Verification and Quantification of Single Event Effects on High Speed SRAM in Terrestrial Environments

As integrated circuits become more sensitive to charged particles and neutrons, anomalous performance due to single event effects (SEE) is a concern and requires experimental verification and quantification. The Center for Applied Radiation Research (CARR) at Prairie View A&M University has developed experiments as a participant in the NASA ER-2 Flight Program, the APEX balloon flight program and the Student Launch Program. Other high altitude and ground level experiments of interest to DoD and commercial applications are being developed. The experiment characterizes the SEE behavior of high speed and high density SRAM's. The system includes a PC-104 computer unit, an optical drive for storage, a test board with the components under test, and a latchup detection and reset unit. The test program will continuously monitor the stored checkerboard data pattern in the SW and record errors. Since both the computer and the optical drive contain integrated circuits, they are also vulnerable to radiation effects. A latchup detection unit with discrete components will monitor the test program and reset the system when necessary. The first results will be obtained from the NASA ER-2 flights, which are now planned to take place in early 1998 from Dryden Research Center in California. The series of flights, at altitudes up to 70,000 feet, and a variety of flight profiles should yield a distribution of conditions for correlating SEES. SEE measurements will be performed from the time of aircraft power-up on the ground throughout the flight regime until systems power-off after landing.

Huff, H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Results of the 1981 NASA/JPL balloon flight solar cell calibration program

The calibration of the direct conversion of solar energy through use of solar cells at high altitudes by balloon flight is reported. Twenty seven modules were carried to an altitude of 35.4 kilometers. Silicon cells are stable for long periods of time and can be used as standards. It is demonstrated that the cell mounting cavity may be either black or white with equal validity in setting solar simulators. The calibrated cells can be used as reference standards in simulator testing of cells and arrays.

Seaman, C. H.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The NASA long duration balloon project

A review is presented of the long duration balloon (LDB) project to develop a near-global capability for both Antarctica and midlatitude applications. This project would include the systems required to conduct flights of scientific experiments weighing 1500 lb or more on conventional balloons for periods up to three weeks. The objective of this program is to satisfy approved support requirements for experimenters conducting scientific tests from free-floating high-altitude balloons.

Stuchlik, David↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploring the Potential of Hydrogen as a Lift Gas for Nasa’s Scientific Balloon Program

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Balloon Program has a rich history of conducting scientific research in the stratosphere, offering a unique platform for experiments in the near-space environment. One critical component of these high-altitude balloons is the choice of lift gas, which is pivotal to achieving the desired altitude and, thus, mission objectives. Traditionally, helium has been the preferred lift gas due to its inert properties and safety considerations. However, the increasing demand and limited global helium reserves have prompted NASA to explore alternative lift gases, with hydrogen emerging as the most logical choice. Hydrogen boasts several advantages, including its abundant availability, cost-effectiveness, and enhanced lift capability compared to helium. Moreover, it can support a wide range of scientific payloads, enabling extended mission durations and increased payload capacities, ultimately strengthening the program’s scientific potential. However, adopting hydrogen as a lift gas is not without challenges. Safety concerns, especially during the launch and recovery phases, are paramount. NASA and the other major players in the scientific ballooning community have been developing stringent safety protocols and engineering solutions to mitigate these risks. This development includes specialized support systems, leak detection mechanisms, and enhanced launch and recovery procedures. Additionally, environmental considerations must be carefully evaluated. Hydrogen release has the potential to increase concentrations of various greenhouse gases, and its usage must be balanced against the benefits it offers to scientific research and exploration. This paper delves into the ongoing research and development efforts to ensure balloon-based research’s long-term sustainability and its ability to continue pushing the boundaries of scientific discovery. This research demonstrates NASA’s commitment to innovation, safety, and environmental responsibility while maintaining its mission to advance our understanding of the Earth and the cosmos.

balloon↗
NASA NTRS1995

Results of the 1995 JPL balloon flight solar cell calibration program

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) solar cell calibration program was conceived to produce reference standards for the purpose of accurately setting solar simulator intensities. The concept was to fly solar cells on a high-altitude balloon, to measure their output at altitudes near 120,000 ft (36.6 km), to recover the cells, and to use them as reference standards. The procedure is simple. The reference cell is placed in the simulator beam, and the beam intensity is adjusted until the reference cell reads the same as it read on the balloon. As long as the reference cell has the same spectral response as the cells or panels to be measured, this is a very accurate method of setting the intensity. But as solar cell technology changes, the spectral response of the solar cells changes also, and reference standards using the new technology must be built and calibrated. Until the summer of 1985, there had always been a question as to how much the atmosphere above the balloon modified the solar spectrum. If the modification was significant, the reference cells might not have the required accuracy. Solar cells made in recent years have increasingly higher blue responses, and if the atmosphere has any effect at all, it would be expected to modify the calibration of these newer blue cells much more so than for cells made in the past. JPL has been flying calibration standards on high-altitude balloons since 1963 and continues to organize a calibration balloon flight at least once a year. The 1995 flight was the 48th flight in this series. The 1995 flight incorporated 46 solar cell modules from 7 different participants. The payload included Si, amorphous Si, GaAs, GaAs/Ge, dual junction cells, top and bottom sections of dual junction cells, and a triple junction cell. A new data acquisition system was built for the balloon flights and flown for the first time on the 1995 flight. This system allows the measurement of current-voltage (I-V) curves for 20 modules in addition to measurement of modules with fixed loads as had been done in the past.

Anspaugh, B. E.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Nonlinear viscoelastic characterization of polymer materials using a dynamic-mechanical methodology

Polymer materials retrieved from LDEF exhibit nonlinear constitutive behavior; thus the authors present a method to characterize nonlinear viscoelastic behavior using measurements from dynamic (oscillatory) mechanical tests. Frequency-derived measurements are transformed into time-domain properties providing the capability to predict long term material performance without a lengthy experimentation program. Results are presented for thin-film high-performance polymer materials used in the fabrication of high-altitude scientific balloons. Predictions based upon a linear test and analysis approach are shown to deteriorate for moderate to high stress levels expected for extended applications. Tests verify that nonlinear viscoelastic response is induced by large stresses. Hence, an approach is developed in which the stress-dependent behavior is examined in a manner analogous to modeling temperature-dependent behavior with time-temperature correspondence and superposition principles. The development leads to time-stress correspondence and superposition of measurements obtained through dynamic mechanical tests. Predictions of material behavior using measurements based upon linear and nonlinear approaches are compared with experimental results obtained from traditional creep tests. Excellent agreement is shown for the nonlinear model.

Strganac, Thomas W.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Updated Electronic Testbed System

As we continue to advance in exploring space frontiers, technology must also advance. The need for faster data recovery and data processing is crucial. In this, the less equipment used, and lighter that equipment is, the better. Because integrated circuits become more sensitive in high altitude, experimental verification and quantification is required. The Center for Applied Radiation Research (CARR) at Prairie View A&M University was awarded a grant by NASA to participate in the NASA ER-2 Flight Program, the APEX balloon flight program, and the Student Launch Program. These programs are to test anomalous errors in integrated circuits due to single event effects (SEE). CARR had already begun experiments characterizing the SEE behavior of high speed and high density SRAM's. The research center built a error testing system using a PC-104 computer unit, an Iomega Zip drive for storage, a test board with the components under test, and a latchup detection and reset unit. A test program was written to continuously monitor a stored data pattern in the SRAM chip and record errors. The devices under test were eight 4Mbit memory chips totaling 4Mbytes of memory. CARR was successful at obtaining data using the Electronic TestBed System (EBS) in various NASA ER-2 test flights. These series of high altitude flights of up to 70,000 feet, were effective at yielding the conditions which single event effects usually occur. However, the data received from the series of flights indicated one error per twenty-four hours. Because flight test time is very expensive, the initial design proved not to be cost effective. The need for orders of magnitude with more memory became essential. Therefore, a project which could test more memory within a given time was created. The goal of this project was not only to test more memory within a given time, but also to have a system with a faster processing speed, and which used less peripherals. This paper will describe procedures used to build an updated Electronic Testbed System.

Brewer, Kevin L.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Deep Space Test Bed

The DSTB Facility provides a new capability for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration s (NASA s) Space Radiation Shielding Project (SRSP). The objective of the DSTB is to provide a platform to conduct radiation shielding investigations in an environment more similar to deep space than most Low Earth orbits or is achievable at a particle accelerator. The DSTB provides a means to experimentally test radiation shielding effectiveness of various materials and to test the accuracy of radiation transport code predictions in the deep space cosmic ray environment more frequently and at a lower cost compared to space flight missions. New spectrometers, dosimeters and other techniques may be exercised and verified using the DSTB before space flight. The DSTB will be implemented through NASA s National Scientific Balloon Facility (NSBF) which provides polar balloon flights that lift science payloads to high altitude (120,000 A. (36.58km)) to escape much of the shielding effects of the Earth s atmosphere and magnetosphere. Polar flights are conducted through NSBF in coordination with the United States Polar Program. The DSTB will be launched on a Long Duration Balloon (LDB) from McMurdo, Antarctica (77.86 degrees south latitude) for circumpolar flights, nominally 20 days, traveling to the west and typically bounded between 73 to 82 degrees south latitude. Float altitudes for these balloons with payload are 115,000 to 130,000 feet (35.05 to 39.62km). The DSTB will be able to accommodate up to 20 investigations per flight. Annual flight opportunities are planned starting in December 2005. Balloon campaigns in Antarctica occur in December and January during the Austral summer. Since a key goal of the DSTB facility is to efficiently serve the varied needs of the radiation shielding community; it must be designed with a flexible architecture. By implementing the DSTB facility with NASA s balloon program, which operates under reduced formalities compared to space flight, the DSTB facility can adjust for different investigation priorities on successive flights. This flexibility in the DSTB will be applied at several levels; in the distribution of the shared resources for each flight; addressing the payload configuration on a system level for each flight; and utilizing a selection process for investigations that considers yearly flight opportunities as well as the possibility for repeated flights. This approach for operating the DSTB facility will allow it to handle a wide range of investigations.

Milton, Martha E.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Nimbus 4/IRLS Balloon Interrogation Package (BIP)

The balloon interrogation package (BIP), an integral part of the overall interrogation, recording, and location subsystems (IRLS) for the Nimbus 4 program, is described. The BIP is a self-contained, integrated transponder designed to be carried aloft by a constant altitude, superpressure balloon to an altitude of 67,000 or 78,000 feet. After launch the BIP senses high-altitude balloon overpressure and temperature, and upon receipt of an interrogated command from the IRLS aboard the Nimbus 4 satellite, the BIP enodes the data on a real-time basis into a pulse-code modulation (PCM) format and transmits this data to the satellite. A summary of the program activity to produce 30 BIP systems and to support balloon launches from Ascension Island is presented.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2013

Small Payload Launch Integrated Testing Services (SPLITS) - SPSDL

My experience working on the Small Payload Launch Integrated Testing Services project has been both educational and rewarding. I have been given the opportunity to work on and experiment with a number of exciting projects and initiatives, each offering different challenges and opportunities for teamwork and collaboration. One of my assignments is to aid in the design and construction of a small-scale two stage rocket as part of a Rocket University initiative. My duties include programming a microcontroller to control the various sensors on the rocket as well as process and transmit data. Additionally, I am writing a graphical user interface application for the ground station that will receive the transmitted data from the rocket and display the information on screen along with a 3D rendering displaying the rocket orientation. Another project I am working on is to design and develop the avionics that will be used to control a high altitude balloon flight that will test a sensor called a Micro Dosimeter that will measure the total ionizing dose absorbed by electrical components during a flight. This includes assembling and soldering the various sensors and components, programming a microcontroller to input and process data from the Micro Dosimeter, and transmitting the data down to a ground station as well as save the data to an on-board SD card. Additionally, I am aiding in the setup and development of ITOS (Integrated Test and Operations System) capability in the SPSDL (Spaceport Processing System Development Lab).

Intern↗
NASA NTRS1975

IMS/Satellite Situation Center report. Special IMS periods for 1976

Special International Magnetospheric Study (IMS) Satellite Periods selected at times when two or more satellites are expected to be in interesting regions of the magnetosphere simultaneously are described. Data are presented to aid in defining a program of magnetospheric observations which emphasizes coordinated measurements of satellites, rockets, balloons, aircraft, and ground-based stations. The position is given of currently operating high altitude spacecraft in the Geocentric Solar Ecliptic, Geocentric Solar Magnetospheric, and Solar Magnetic coordinate systems to determine their passage through the bow shock, the magnetopause, the cusp, or the neutral sheet region. Information on the synchronous and low altitude spacecraft and experiments are included in tabular form along with a tabular summary of all the rocket, balloon, and aircraft campaigns in 1976.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

The NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center program in gamma-ray burst astronomy

The research program in gamma-ray burst astronomy at the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center is described. Large-area scintillation detector arrays have been flown on high-altitude balloons, and an array is being developed for the Gamma-Ray Observatory. The design of these detectors is described along with results obtained from previous balloon flights.

Fishman, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Vertical structure and characteristics of 23-60 day (zonal) oscillations over the tropical latitudes during the winter months of 1986 - Results of equatorial wave campaign-II

Results are presented of the equatorial wave campaign-II, a meteorological rocket study which was part of the Indian Middle Atmosphere Program. The equatorial wave campaign-II was conducted from Shar, India (13.7 deg N, 80.2 deg E) from January 15-February 28, 1986. By means of high altitude balloon and the RH-200 meteorological rocket, winds were measured from ground level up to 60 km altitude once each day during the 45-day period. The oscillation frequencies of the deviations in the east-west component of the winds from their mean at each 1-km height interval are obtained by the maximum entropy method. The phases and amplitudes of these frequencies are determined by use of the least squares method on the wind variation time series. Enhanced wave activity is shown to take place in the troposphere and lower mesosphere. The tropospheric waves observed suggest themselves to be Rossby waves of extratropical origin penetrating to tropical latitudes. The observed stratospheric/mesospheric waves appear to emanate from a source around the stratopause.

Raghavarao, R.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Improving UV Resistance of High Strength Fibers Used In Large Scientific Balloons

For the last three decades, NASA has been involved in the development of giant balloons that are capable of lifting heavy payloads of equipment (such as large telescopes and scientific instruments) to the upper atmosphere. While the use of such balloons has led to scientific discoveries, the demand for competitive science payloads and observational programs continues to rise. The NASA Balloon Program Office has entered a new phase of research to develop an Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) that will lift payloads of up to 3,600 kg to altitudes of up to 40 km. The flight duration is targeted to ranges between 30 to 100 days. Attaining these target durations requires the development of a super-pressure balloon design. The use of textile structures have already been established in these missions in the form of high strength tendons essential for the super pressure pumpkin design. Unfortunately, high strength fibers lose significant strength upon exposure to Ultra Violet (UV) radiation. Such UV degradation poses a serious challenge for the development of the ULDB. To improve the mission performance of the ULDB, new methods for protecting the tendons from the environmental effects need to be developed. NASA and NC State University College of Textiles are undertaking a research program to address these issues. Four tracks have been identified to prepare finishes that are believed to enhance the resistance of high strength fibers to UV. These tracks are: (a) self-polymerizing, (b) diffusion application, (c) polymer-filled with 30-40% UV absorber, and (d) combination of dyeing plus surface application. Four high performance fibers have been selected for this research investigation. These are Vectran (trademark), Spectra (trademark), Kevlar (trademark) and, PBO (Zylon (trademark)). This work will address the current progress of evaluating the performance of the UV finishes. This will be accomplished by comparing the tensile properties (strength, breaking elongation, modulus, etc) of untreated, unexposed to UV fibers; untreated exposed to UV fibers; and treated exposed to UV fibers.

Said, M.↗