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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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NASA NTRS1995

Some Recent Advances and Applications of Infrared Detector Technology at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory has a long history in the development and application of infrared detector technology for the exploration of our planetary system. We will describe some recent applications of IR detector technology at JPL for ground based astronomy, the Earth Observing System, the Cassini Mission to Saturn, and the other proposed planetary missions. The infrared detector technologies to be discussed include single element, multiplexed linear and staring arrays, using a wide variety of infrared sensing materials including InSb, InGaAs, HgCdTe (PV and PC) and SiAs.

IR↗
NASA NTRS2016

Enhancing the Cassini Mission Through FP Applications After Launch

Although rigorous pre-emptive measures are taken to preclude failures and anomalous conditions from occurring in JPL spacecraft missions prior to launch, unforeseeable problems can still surface after liftoff. In the case of the Cassini/Huygens Mission-to-Saturn spacecraft, several problems were observed post-launch: 1) immediately after takeoff, the collected engineering/science data stored on the Solid State Recorders (SSR) contained a significantly higher number of corrupted bits than was expected (considerably over spec) due to human error in the memory mapping of these devices, 2) numerous Solid State Power Switches (SSPS) sporadically tripped off throughout the mission due to cosmic ray bombardment from the unique space environment, and 3) false assumptions in the pressure regulator design in combination with missing heritage test data led to inaccurate design conclusions, causing the issuance of two waivers for the regulator to close properly (a potentially mission catastrophic single-point failure which occurred 24 days after launch) - amongst other problems. For Cassini, some of these anomalies led to arduous work-arounds or required continuous monitoring of telemetry variables by the ground-based Spacecraft Operations Flight Support (SOFS) team in order to detect and fix fault occurrences as they happened. Fortunately, sufficient funding and schedule margin allowed several Fault Protection (FP) solutions to be implemented into post-launch Flight Software (FSW) uploads to help resolve these issues autonomously, reducing SOFS ground support efforts while improving anomaly recovery time in order to preserve maximum science capture. This paper details the FP applications used to resolve the above issues as well as to optimize solutions for several other problems experienced by the Cassini spacecraft during its fight, in order to enhance the spacecraft's overall mission success throughout the 18 years of its 20 year expedition to and within the Saturnian system.

fault protection↗
NASA NTRS2011

CIRS-lite, a Fourier Transform Spectrometer for Low-Cost Planetary Missions

Passive spectroscopic remote sensing of planetary atmospheres and surfaces in the thermal infrared is a powerful tool for obtaining information about surface and atmospheric temperatures, composition, and dynamics (via the thermal wind equation). Due to its broad spectral coverage, the Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) is particularly suited to the exploration and discovery of molecular species. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) developed the CIRS (Composite Infrared Spectrometer) FTS for the NASA/ESA Cassini mission to the Saturnian system. CIRS observes Saturn, Titan, icy moons such as Enceladus, and the rings in thermal self-emission over the spectral range of 7 to 1000 ell11. CIRS has given us important new insights into stratospheric composition and jets on Jupiter and Saturn, the cryo-geyser and thermal stripes on Enceladus, and the winter polar vortex on Titan. CIRS has a mass of 43 kg, contrasted with the earlier GSFC FTS, pre-Voyager IRIS (14 kg). Future low-cost planetary missions will have very tight constraints on science payload mass, thus we must endeavor to return to IRIS-level mass while maintaining CIRS-level science capabilities ("do more with less"). CIRS-lite achieves this by pursuing: a) more sensitive infrared detectors (high Tc superconductor) to enable smaller optics. b) changed long wavelength limit from 1000 to 300 microns to reduce diffraction by smaller optics. c) CVD (chemical vapor deposition) diamond beam-splitter for broad spectral coverage. d) single FTS architecture instead of a dual FTS architecture. e) novel materials, such as single crystal silicon for the input telescope primary.

Brasunas, J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Titan's Cold Case Files - Outstanding Questions After Cassini-Huygens

The entry of the Cassini-Huygens spacecraft into orbit around Saturn in July 2004 marked the start of a golden era in the exploration of Titan, Saturn's giant moon. During the prime mission (2004-2008), ground-breaking discoveries were made by the Cassini orbiter including the equatorial dune fields (flyby T3, 2005), northern lakes and seas (T16, 2006), and the large positive and negative ions (T16 & T18, 2006), to name a few. In 2005 the Huygens probe descended through Titan's atmosphere, taking the first close-up pictures of the surface, including large networks of dendritic channels leading to a dried-up seabed, and also obtaining detailed profiles of temperature and gas composition during the atmospheric descent. The discoveries continued through the Equinox mission (2008-2010) and Solstice mission (2010-2017) totaling 127 targeted flybys of Titan in all. Now at the end of the mission, we are able to look back on the high-level scientific questions from the start of the mission, and assess the progress that has been made towards answering these. At the same time, new scientific questions regarding Titan have emerged from the new discoveries that have been made. In this paper we review a cross-section of important scientific questions that remain partially or completely unanswered, ranging from Titan's deep interior to the exosphere. Our intention is to help formulate the science goals for the next generation of planetary missions to Saturn and Titan, and to stimulate new experimental, observation and theoretical investigations in the interim, before such missions arrive again at Titan.

Nixon, C. A.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A silicone column for GC analysis of polar and nonpolar chemicals

The investigation of the Saturnian System is being proposed jointly by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). The mission is scheduled for a launch in 1996. The mission provides an opportunity for close observation and exploration of Saturn's atmosphere, the complex Saturnian System of satellites and rings, Titan (Saturn's planet-sized moon), and Saturn's magnetosphere. The mission gives special attention to Titan which is blanketed by a thick, opaque atmosphere. An atmospheric probe will be deposited into the Titan Atmosphere for in situ measurement during a slow, three hour descent to the surface. The results from this analysis may provide the information which is important to the research of chemical evolution, and the origin of life. An analytical system was developed as a part of the Titan Aerosol Gas Experiment (TAGEX), a proposed experiment for the Cassini Mission. This system will use two highly sensitive detectors, the Metastable Ionization Detector (MID) and the Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS). Unfortunately, when commercial columns are utilized with these highly sensitive detectors, volatile components continuously bleed from the column and interfere with the detector. In addition, light columns must be able to separate polar and nonpolar organic chemicals within 10-15 minutes under isothermal conditions for the Titan Mission. Therefore, a highly crosslinked silicone polymeric packed column was developed which is able to efficiently separate amines, alcohols, and hydrocarbons with retention times less that 15 minutes at 100 C isothermal condition.

Shen, T. C.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Chemical models of the deep atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn

New and updated chemical kinetic data, elemental abundances, and thermodynamic data are used for thermochemical equilibrium and, where relevant, thermochemical kinetic calculations of gas abundances and condensate stability in the hot, deep atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn. Over 2000 compounds of all naturally occurring elements in the periodic table are considered. The calculations range from 298 to 2000 K and are done for adiabatic models of the two planetary atmospheres. The results predict the abundances of many gases which are potentially observable by the Galileo probe to Jupiter, by the Cassini mission to Saturn, and by Earth-based and Earth-orbital telescopes. In addition, the results also predict many new species which are potentially observable by a new generation of entry probes capable of penetrating deeper into the atmospheres of Jupiter and Saturn.

Fegley, Bruce, Jr.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Photochemical Studies of Chemistry in the Outer Solar System

The goal of the proposed science investigation is to gain a quantitative understanding of chemical processes and their coupling with atmospheric dynamics in the reducing atmospheres of the outer solar system, with a particular focus on Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations and future experiments such as the Cassini Mission to Saturn and Titan. The proposed work is divided into two related tasks. We have carried out a systematic comparison between atmospheric models for every giant planet and Titan, which employ a consistent set of photochemical reactions. Combined with recent observations of hydrocarbon species by ISO, this can provide the most rigorous test of our current understanding of the photochemistry of hydrocarbon in the outer solar system. The emphasis will be on the methyl radical (CH3), first detected by IS0 in the atmospheres of Saturn and Neptune (Bezard et al. 1998). CH3 is one of the most important radicals in the hydrocarbon photochemistry because it is the primary product of methane photolysis and plays an essential role in forming C2H6, the most abundant and stable C2 species. A fundamental understanding of the distribution of CH3 provides unique insights into the chemistry of hydrocarbons as well as comparative planetology.

Yung, Yuk L.↗
NASA NTRS2008

The Saturn System's Icy Satellites: New Results from Cassini

Cassini-Huygens is a multidisciplinary, international planetary mission consisting of an orbiting spacecraft and a probe. The Huygens probe successfully landed on Titan's surface on January 14, 2005, while the orbiter has performed observations of Saturn, its rings, satellites, and magnetosphere since it entered orbit around Saturn on July 1, 2004. The Cassini mission has been prolific in its scientific discoveries about the Saturn system. In this special section, we present new mission results with a focus on the 'icy satellites,' which we define as all Saturn's moons with the exception of Titan. The results included in this section have come out of the Cassini SOST--Satellites Orbiter Science Team--a multi-instrument and multidiscipline group that works together to better understand the icy satellites and their interactions with Saturn and its rings. Other papers included in this issue present ground-based observations and interior modeling of these icy moons.

Cassini↗
NASA NTRS1983

Planetary ring systems

It is pointed out that in the last several years planetary ring studies have evolved from observations of a single example, related to Saturn, to studies of a class of objects. The rings of Uranus were discovered in 1977 by their unexpected occultations of a star. Observations of planetary rings during the time from 1979 to 1982 are largely related to space missions involving the Pioneer 11 Saturn encounter (1979), and Voyager Jupiter (1979) and Saturn (1980-81) encounters. However, ground-based observations he also played and will continue to play a major role. The rings of Saturn are discussed, taking into account structural details, particle properties, and questions concerning an existence of embedded moonlets. Details regarding Jupiter's ring and Uranus' rings are also investigated. Theoretical developments of general interest are considered, giving attention to gravitational torques, internal collective effects, and electromagnetic and erosive processes acting on ring particles.

Cuzzi, J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

VIMS Observations of Titan During the First Two Close Flybys by the Cassini-Huygens Mission

The joint NASA-ESA-ASI Cassini-Huygens mission reached the saturnian system on July 1st 2004. It started the observations of Saturn s environment including its atmosphere, rings, and satellites (Phoebe, Iapetus and Titan). Titan, one of the primary scientific interests of the mission, is veiled by an ubiquitous thick haze. Its surface cannot be seen in the visible but as the haze effects decrease with increasing wavelength, there is signal in the infrared atmospheric windows if no clouds are present. Onboard the Cassini spacecraft, the VIMS instrument (Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer) is expected to pierce the veil of the hazy moon and successfully image its surface in the infrared wavelengths, taking hyperspectral images in the range 0.4 to 5.2 micron. On 26 October (TA) and 13 December 2004 (TB), the Cassini-Huygens mission flew over Titan at an altitude lower than 1200 km at closest approach. VIMS acquired several tens of image cubes with spatial resolution ranging from a few tens of kilometers down to 1.5 kilometer per pixel, demonstrating its capability for studying Titan s geology.

Rodriquez, S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Voyages to Saturn

The Voyager mission to Saturn is explained in detail. A history of Saturn observations from ancient times to the present is given. The Voyager spacecraft and their instruments are described. An overview of planetary astronomy is presented. The text is supplemented by numerous black and white and color photographs. The Saturn satellites are discussed in detail, and preliminary pictorial maps of the satellites are given.

Morrison, D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Deep space propagation experiments at Ka-band

Propagation experiments as essential components of the general plan to develop an operational deep space telecommunications and navigation capability at Ka-band (32 to 35 GHz) by the end of the 20th century are discussed. Significant benefits of Ka-band over the current deep space standard X-band (8.4 GHz) are an improvement of 4 to 10 dB in telemetry capacity and a similar increase in radio navigation accuracy. Propagation experiments are planned on the Mars Observer Mission in 1992 in preparation for the Cassini Mission to Saturn in 1996, which will use Ka-band in the search for gravity waves as well as to enhance telemetry and navigation at Saturn in 2002. Subsequent uses of Ka-band are planned for the Solar Probe Mission and the Mars Program.

Butman, Stanley A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan

The Cassini/Huygens mission is a joint endeavor between NASA, the EuropeanSpace Agency, and the Italian Space Agency to send a spacecraft to perform an extensive exploration of the Saturnian system, including an atmospheric probe to go to the surface of Titan. The spacecraft was launched on October 15, 1997, and now has completed five years of its nearly seven year journey to Saturn. The cruise period has been a relatively passive time for the spacecraft, but an intensely busy one for the flight team. There is now less than two years to go until arrival at Saturn, and a significant portion of the effort deliberately planned for the post-launch period remains to be completed. Ground activities include the development of flight software, ground software, and science observation plans in order to be prepared to operate the mission after arrival at Saturn. This paper provides an update to the mission status and progress over the past year.

Cassini Huygens Saturn Titan↗
DOE OSTI2023

NASA Dragonfly Mission MMRTG

The Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) group at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) is supporting NASA’s New Frontier class mission, Dragonfly, to explore the Saturn moon Titan. Titan has been observed by both Voyager spacecrafts in 1979 and 1980 and during over 100 close flyby encounters by the Cassini orbiter and subsequent landing of the Huygens probe which landed on Titan in 2005. The probe lasted about 2.5 hours without an RPS due to the thick atmosphere and cold climate but gave scientists valuable insight into the geology of Titan. The surface is composed of vast sand dunes and liquid methane with an atmosphere composed primarily of nitrogen that is 60% more dense as the Earth’s with 1/7th of Earth’s gravity. These conditions allow for exploration using a dual-quadcopter. Due to the extreme temperatures (-290°F or -180°C), changes to the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG) are required. This generator, designated flight unit 4 or MMRTG-F4, is being built by a team lead by INL and includes the prime contractor Aerojet Rocketdyne and their supplier Teledyne Energy System. This poster outlines the mission, the unique challenges and updates the build progress.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1995

Accuracy of wet troposphere radio path delay estimated from infrared emission

Several radio science applications require determination of the excess radio-propagation path delay caused by the Earth's atmosphere. These include very long baseline interferometry, spacecraft tracking, and potentially, detection of gravitational waves utilizing a link to a distant interplanetary spacecraft. At Ka band, the major source of variability of path delay is the fluctuations in the moisture content of the troposphere. The path delay characterization requirements for a planned gravitational wave experiment are novel and challenging. the error contribution to the phase observations due to path delay variation must be reduced by nearly two orders of magnitude over that occurring naturally on time scales of 100 to 10,000 seconds. Current approaches relying on microwave water vapor radiometry with ancillary data can deliver one order of magnitude calibration of these fluctuations, and more advanced systems are under development within the 2001-2002 time frame of the Cassini Mission to Saturn. The current work evaluates the potential for an alternative observational approach, using a ground-based Fourier transform spectrometer.

Parker, J. W.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Navigation accuracy at Jupiter and Saturn using optical observations of planetary satellites

Autonomous on-board navigation has the potential to enable new types of missions and decrease reliance on NASA’s Deep Space Network for navigation purposes. Previous results have shown that navigating with only optical images of asteroids is feasible for inner planet cruise. In this study, we show that images of natural satellites can be used to navigate during approach and tour phases around the gas giants. We investigate the Jupiter and Saturn systems here, and specifically assess the performance of optical-only navigation for the Juno, Europa Clipper, and Cassini trajectories. Early approach phases and tours at Jupiter would require radiometric data to navigate, but the performance of optical-only data rivals the as-flown performance for Cassini at Saturn.

Broschart, Stephen B.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Distributed Spacecraft Mission (DSM) Plume Design Reference Mission (DRM) Inter-Satellite Link Modeling, Analysis and Simulation

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Radical Innovation Initiative (RI2) plans to focus intently on DSM capability advancements in FY22-24. A DSM mission involves multiple spacecraft, arranged in a constellation, to achieve one or more common goals via the use of inter-satellite links (ISL) between the satellites. Recently, the GSFC Internal Research & Development (IRAD) program established Enceladus as a design reference mission (DRM) for the current DSM effort to foster the conceptual development of communication architecture, requirements, and solutions for future DSM ISL, as well as being able to push other research areas of interest. Enceladus is an icy moon of the planet Saturn. The DRM Enceladus mission concept involves a constellation of 24 small satellites, orbiting Enceladus around 100 km altitude in 3 planes, as observing nodes for science measurement. The mission science data will be sent back to Earth through a relay orbiting Saturn, using the constellation’s inter-satellite links. A QualNet/STK simulation model of the Relay and constellation ISL optical and RF links is developed for the design and optimization of the link and orbital parameters, as well as the inter-networking protocols. Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN) is utilized in the application layer modeling. This paper describes the plume DRM mission concept of an Enceladus constellation to relay science data to Earth and includes the proposed communication architecture and operation concepts. We present details of the QualNet/STK engineering model for this communication scenario to simulate the end-to-end data traffic through multiple layers (physical, data link, networking, transport and application). A link analysis for the constellation’s ISL, constellation to Relay and Direct to Earth (DTE) optical link is provided and discussed. The results of end-to-end traffic simulation for the data throughout/latency evaluation and assessment of the communication architecture are presented. The investigation of the concept of optical multiple access (OMA) for the Plume DRM is discussed. The modeling and simulation methodology developed in this paper is applicable to other DSMs in near Earth and deep space such as Earth-Moon L1/L2 and Lunar regions.

Distributed Spacecraft Mission (DSM) Inter-satelli↗
NASA NTRS1985

Solar wind flow about the outer planets - Gas dynamic modeling of the Jupiter and Saturn bow shocks

It has been found that the solar wind is diverted about planets through the formation of bow shocks which heat and deflect the flow. These observations are based on missions concerned with Mercury, Venus, earth, and Mars during the 1960s and 1970s. The present study has the objective to extend to Jupiter and Saturn certain aspects of the analyses which have been carried out on the terrestrial planets. In particular, the Pioneer 10 and 11 and Voyager 1 and 2 observations near Jupiter and Saturn are used to characterize the relevant upstream flow parameters at 5 and 9 AU. Attention is given to solar wind parameters, bow shock and magnetopause models, and the solar wind standoff distance, and aspects of gas-dynamic modeling.

Slavin, J. A.↗