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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 NTRS1981

Surface penetrators for planetary exploration: Science rationale and development program

Work on penetrators for planetary exploration is summarized. In particular, potential missions, including those to Mars, Mercury, the Galilean satellites, comets, and asteroids are described. A baseline penetrator design for the Mars mission is included, as well as potential instruments and their status in development. Penetration tests in soft soil and basalt to study material eroded from the penetrator; changes in the structure, composition, and physical properties of the impacted soil; seismic coupling; and penetrator deflection caused by impacting rocks, are described. Results of subsystem studies and tests are given for design of entry decelerators, high-g components, thermal control, data acquisition, and umbilical cable deployment.

Murphy, J. P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer science instruments development - Lessons learned

The science instruments development project for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) satellite is reviewed. Issues discussed include the philosophical basis of the program, the establishment of a tight development team, the approach to planning and phasing activities, the handling of the most difficult technical problems, and the assessment of the work done during the preimplemntation period of the project.

Malina, Roger F.↗
NASA NTRS2016

WindBots: A Concept for Persistent In-Situ Science Explorers for Gas Giants

This report summarizes the study of a mission concept to Jupiter with one or multiple Wind Robots able to operate in the Jovian atmosphere, above and below the clouds - down to 10 bar, for long durations and using energy obtained from local sources. This concept would be a step towards persistent exploration of gas giants by robots performing in-situ atmospheric science, powered by locally harvested energy. The Wind Robots, referred in this report as WindBots (WBs), would ride the planetary winds and transform aeolian energy into kinetic energy of flight, and electrical energy for on-board equipment. Small shape adjustments modify the aerodynamic characteristics of their surfaces, allowing for changes in direction and a high movement autonomy. Specifically, we sought solutions to increase survivability to strong/turbulent winds, and mobility and autonomy compared to passive balloons.

WindBots↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Science, Exploration and the Human Experience.

Dr. Darlene S. Lim is a research scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley, and the Deputy Project Scientist and Science Operations Lead for NASA's Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) Lunar Mission. The VIPER lunar rover mission is a mobile robot that will go to the South Pole of the Moon to get a close-up view of the location and concentration of water ice that could eventually be harvested to sustain human exploration on the Moon, Mars — and beyond. VIPER represents the first resource mapping mission on another celestial body and presents a unique operational paradigm within the history of robotic spaceflight. Throughout her career, Darlene has led several NASA-funded programs that have been focused on blending field science research with the development of capabilities and concepts for future human-robotic spaceflight to the Moon and Mars. These research activities have taken her around the world, from pole to pole, land to sea, and to many lakes in between, where she has studied life in extreme environments, the way people conduct science, and how they need to be supported in their work of discovery and exploration. At the center of each of these endeavors is the human - the person who must interact with others, with technology, and with the environment of interest, to apply the scientific method towards the accrual and expansion of knowledge about the planet that we live on and beyond. Darlene has been working with teams of scientists and engineers from a variety of disciplines to hone her understanding of the process by which their interactions and research needs can be supported and enabled under intense operational conditions such as those associated with Moon and Mars exploration. Darlene’s presentation will take the audience through the arc of her research over the past two decades culminating in her on-going work with the NASA VIPER lunar rover mission.

Darlene Sze Shien Lim↗
NASA NTRS1993

Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer Science Operation Center

The EUVE Science Operations Center (ESOC) is a satellite payload operations center for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer project, located on the Berkeley campus of the University of California. The ESOC has the primary responsibility for commanding the EUVE telescopes and monitoring their telemetry. The ESOC is one of a very few university-based satellite operations facilities operating with NASA. This article describes the history, operation, and advantages of the ESOC as an on-campus operations center.

Wong, G. S.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Missions to Near-Earth Asteroids: Implications for Exploration, Science, Resource Utilization, and Planetary Defense

Introduction: In 2009 the Augustine Commission identified near-Earth asteroids (NEAs) as high profile destinations for human exploration missions beyond the Earth-Moon system as part of the Flexible Path. More recently the U.S. presidential administration directed NASA to include NEAs as destinations for future human exploration with the goal of sending astronauts to a NEA in the mid to late 2020s. This directive became part of the official National Space Policy of the United States of America as of June 28, 2010. NEA Space-Based Survey and Robotic Precursor Missions: The most suitable targets for human missions are NEAs in Earth-like orbits with long synodic periods. However, these mission candidates are often not observable from Earth until the timeframe of their most favorable human mission opportunities, which does not provide an appropriate amount of time for mission development. A space-based survey telescope could more efficiently find these targets in a timely, affordable manner. Such a system is not only able to discover new objects, but also track and characterize objects of interest for human space flight consideration. Those objects with characteristic signatures representative of volatile-rich or metallic materials will be considered as top candidates for further investigation due to their potential for resource utilization and scientific discovery. Once suitable candidates have been identified, precursor spacecraft are required to perform basic reconnaissance of a few NEAs under consideration for the human-led mission. Robotic spacecraft will assess targets for potential hazards that may pose a risk to the deep space transportation vehicle, its deployable assets, and the crew. Additionally, the information obtained about the NEA's basic physical characteristics will be crucial for planning operational activities, designing in-depth scientific/engineering investigations, and identifying sites on the NEA for sample collection. Human Exploration Considerations: These missions would be the first human expeditions to interplanetary bodies beyond the Earth-Moon system and would prove useful for testing technologies required for human missions to Mars, Phobos and Deimos, and other Solar System destinations. Current analyses of operational concepts suggest that stay times of 15 to 30 days may be possible at a NEA with total mission duration limits of 180 days or less. Hence, these missions would undoubtedly provide a great deal of technical and engineering data on spacecraft operations for future human space exploration while simultaneously conducting detailed investigations of these primitive objects with instruments and equipment that exceed the mass and power capabilities delivered by robotic spacecraft. All of these activities will be vital for refinement of resource characterization/identification and development of extraction/utilization technologies to be used on airless bodies under low- or micro-gravity conditions. In addition, gaining enhanced understanding of a NEA s geotechnical properties and its gross internal structure will assist the development of hazard mitigation techniques for planetary defense. Conclusions: The scientific, resource utilization, and hazard mitigation benefits, along with the programmatic and operational benefits of a human venture beyond the Earth-Moon system, make a piloted sample return mission to a NEA using NASA s proposed human exploration systems a compelling endeavor.

Abell, P. A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Antarctic Exploration Parallels for Future Human Planetary Exploration: Science Operations Lessons Learned, Planning, and Equipment Capabilities for Long Range, Long Duration Traverses

The purpose for this workshop can be summed up by the question: Are there relevant analogs to planetary (meaning the Moon and Mars) to be found in polar exploration on Earth? The answer in my opinion is yes or else there would be no reason for this workshop. However, I think some background information would be useful to provide a context for my opinion on this matter. As all of you are probably aware, NASA has been set on a path that, in its current form, will eventually lead to putting human crews on the surface of the Moon and Mars for extended (months to years) in duration. For the past 50 V 60 years, starting not long after the end of World War II, exploration of the Antarctic has accumulated a significant body of experience that is highly analogous to our anticipated activities on the Moon and Mars. This relevant experience base includes: h Long duration (1 year and 2 year) continuous deployments by single crews, h Established a substantial outpost with a single deployment event to support these crews, h Carried out long distance (100 to 1000 kilometer) traverses, with and without intermediate support h Equipment and processes evolved based on lessons learned h International cooperative missions This is not a new or original thought; many people within NASA, including the most recent two NASA Administrators, have commented on the recognizable parallels between exploration in the Antarctic and on the Moon or Mars. But given that level of recognition, relatively little has been done, that I am aware of, to encourage these two exploration communities to collaborate in a significant way. [Slide 4] I will return to NASA s plans and the parallels with Antarctic traverses in a moment, but I want to spend a moment to explain the objective of this workshop and the anticipated products. We have two full days set aside for this workshop. This first day will be taken up with a series of presentations prepared by individuals with experience that extends back as far as the late 1940s and includes contemporary experience. The people presenting bring a variety of points of view, including not only U.S. but international, although most, if not all, have collaborated on international teams. The second day will consist of a series of small focused group interactions centered on those elements likely to be needed for traverse missions, such as mobility, habitation, and extravehicular activity (EVA, aka space suits). Our invited participants will be talking with people that specialize in these elements so that we can foster more direct interaction and exchange of experiences between these two exploration communities. After the workshop we will be preparing a report documenting these presentations and the essence of the focused interactions.

Hoffman, Stephen J.↗
NASA NTRS2019

FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration): Overview of Science and Exploration Research to Enable Lunar and Planetary Exploration

The FINESSE (Field Investigations to Enable Solar System Science and Exploration) project is an Ames-led research program administered by NASA’s SSERVI (Solar System Exploration Research Virtual Institute). FINESSE is in its fifth and final year of operations and here we provide an overview of the science and exploration research conducted to date.

Heldmann, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Science exploration opportunities for manned missions to the Moon, Mars, Phobos, and an asteroid

Scientific exploration opportunities for human missions to the Moon, Phobos, Mars, and an asteroid are addressed. These planetary objects are of prime interest to scientists because they are the accessible, terresterial-like bodies most likely to be the next destinations for human missions beyond Earth orbit. Three categories of science opportunities are defined and discussed: target science, platform science, and cruise science. Target science is the study of the planetary object and its surroundings (including geological, biological, atmospheric, and fields and particle sciences) to determine the object's natural physical characteristics, planetological history, mode of origin, relation to possible extant or extinct like forms, surface environmental properties, resource potential, and suitability for human bases or outposts. Platform science takes advantage of the target body using it as a site for establishing laboratory facilities and observatories; and cruise science consists of studies conducted by the crew during the voyage to and from a target body. Generic and specific science opportunities for each target are summarized along with listings of strawman payloads, desired or required precursor information, priorities for initial scientific objectives, and candidate landing sites. An appendix details the potential use of the Moon for astronomical observatories and specialized observatories, and a bibliography compiles recent work on topics relating to human scientific exploration of the Moon, Phobos, Mars, and asteroids. It is concluded that there are a wide variety of scientific exploration opportunities that can be pursued during human missions to planetary targets but that more detailed studies and precursor unmanned missions should be carried out first.

Nash, Douglas B.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Space Launch System Artemis I CubeSats: SmallSat Vanguards of Exploration, Science and Technology

When NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket launches in 2021 with the Orion crew vehicle, it will lay the foundation for NASA’s goal of landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon as part of the Artemis program. This first flight—Artemis I—will also mark a milestone for smallsats. Thirteen6U CubeSats are manifested on the Artemis I flight, the first fleet of CubeSats carried as a ride share opportunity to deep space.(NASA’s first CubeSats to deep space, the twin Mars Cube One [MarCO] spacecraft, were an integral part of the InSight Mars lander mission). The Artemis I CubeSat manifest represents a diverse collection of smallsats performing an array of science missions and technology demonstrations. Payloads from NASA, international partners, academia and industry will execute a variety of experiments. Several smallsats will perform lunar-focused missions that may return data that addresses Strategic Knowledge Gaps (SKGs) in the agency’s lunar exploration program. Indeed, the Artemis I CubeSats will be in the vanguard of the agency’s 21st-century lunar program. The Artemis I missions will produce data to support space radiation awareness,crewed landings and in-situ resource utilization, helping to support a sustained human lunar presence. Several of the Artemis I CubeSats are demonstrating new technologies, including propulsion capabilities. Among the Artemis I CubeSats are three selected through NASA’s Cube Quest Challenge, part of the Centennial Challenges program. These three missions will compete for prize money while meeting specific technical development goals. Payloads from the Japanese and Italian space agencies provide an early opportunity for international involvement in the Artemis program. Student involvement in almost half of the payloads allow STEM engagement with NASA’s Artemis program. The SLS Block 1 vehicle for the Artemis I flight is manufactured with several elements delivered to Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and being prepared for stacking and integration. The new-development of the program, the 212-footcore stage with its four RS-25 engines installed is currently at Stennis Space Center (SSC) for “green run” testing. Following the green run test campaign, the stage will ship to KSC, where it will be integrated with the rest of the vehicle, including the upper stage adapter, where the Artemis I smallsats will be housed.

Kimberly F Robinson↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Language Model For Earth Science: Exploring Potential Downstream Applications As Well As Current Challenges

The use of deep learning techniques to build transformer language models such as SciBERT and GPT3 have transformed the natural language technology (NLT) landscape. These new NLTs are being used in speech to text and vice versa, auto-mated text classification, sentiment analysis, topic modeling, text summarization, and cognitive assistants. While Earth science has no shortage of unstructured data such as journal and conference papers, little efforts have focused on harnessing NLTs for knowledge extraction and supporting the scientific process. This paper surveys the use of language models in different science. BERT-E, a new Earth science-specific language model, is presented. BERT-E is generated using a transfer learning solution. A language model that has already been trained for general Science (SciBERT) is fine-tuned using abstracts and full text extracted from various Earth science-related articles. A downstream keywords classification application is used for evaluation, and the use of BERT-E shows improved performance. The need to develop a robust set of benchmarks in evaluating the language model such as BERT-E is discussed. Finally, example applications are presented to inspire additional ideas for applications using domain-specific language models.

R Ramachandran↗
NASA NTRS2010

Implications of Wind-Assisted Aerial Navigation for Titan Mission Planning and Science Exploration

The recent Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM) proposal incorporates a montgolfiere (hot air balloon) as part of its architecture. Standard montgolfiere balloons generate lift through heating of the atmospheric gases inside the envelope, and use a vent valve for altitude control. A Titan aerobot (robotic aerial vehicle) would have to use radioisotope thermoelectric generators (RTGs) for electric power, and the excess heat generated can be used to provide thermal lift for a montgolfiere. A hybrid montgolfiere design could have propellers mounted on the gondola to generate horizontal thrust; in spite of the unfavorable aerodynamic drag caused by the shape of the balloon, a limited amount of lateral controllability could be achieved. In planning an aerial mission at Titan, it is extremely important to assess how the moon-wide wind field can be used to extend the navigation capabilities of an aerobot and thereby enhance the scientific return of the mission. In this paper we explore what guidance, navigation and control capabilities can be achieved by a vehicle that uses the Titan wind field. The control planning approach is based on passive wind field riding. The aerobot would use vertical control to select wind layers that would lead it towards a predefined science target, adding horizontal propulsion if available. The work presented in this paper is based on aerodynamic models that characterize balloon performance at Titan, and on TitanWRF (Weather Research and Forecasting), a model that incorporates heat convection, circulation, radiation, Titan haze properties, Saturn's tidal forcing, and other planetary phenomena. Our results show that a simple unpropelled montgolfiere without horizontal actuation will be able to reach a broad array of science targets within the constraints of the wind field. The study also indicates that even a small amount of horizontal thrust allows the balloon to reach any area of interest on Titan, and to do so in a fraction of the time needed by the unpropelled balloon. The results show that using the Titan wind field allows an aerobot to significantly extend its scientific reach, and that a montgolfiere (unpropelled or propelled) is a highly desirable architecture that can very significantly enhance the scientific return of a future Titan mission.

aerobot↗
NASA NTRS2012

JESTR: Jupiter Exploration Science in the Time Regime

Solar system objects are inherently time-varying with changes that occur on timescales ranging from seconds to years. For all planets other than the Earth, temporal coverage of atmospheric phenomena is limited and sparse. Many important atmospheric phenomena, especially those related to atmospheric dynamics, can be studied in only very limited ways with current data. JESTR is a mission concept that would remedy this gap in our exploration of the solar system by ncar-continuous imaging and spectral monitoring of Jupiter over a multi-year mission lifetime.

Noll, Keith S.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA's Space Launch System: Payload Opportunities for Lunar Exploration, Science Missions

Nearing its first launch, the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s new super heavy-lift launch vehicle, offers highly energetic launches that deliver more mass and provide more volume in 8.4 m-diameter and potentially larger fairings to make a new generation of deep space missions possible. An evolvable launcher available in crew, crew with a co-manifested payload (CPL) and cargo-only configurations, SLS is a crucial capability to enable astronauts to return to the Moon, but it also offers key benefits for science missions. NASA’s 21st-century return to the Moon recently received a formal name: the Artemis program. In addition to the core enabling capabilities of SLS and the Orion crew spacecraft, NASA will also enlist international and commercial partnerships for Artemis. The Agency intends to build a scientific outpost in lunar orbit, the Gateway, from which human and robotic missions to and from the surface can rendezvous. SLS will launch Orion on a series of missions leading to landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon as part of Artemis. SLS uses proven propulsion systems: two solid rocket boosters and four RS-25s engines that have been upgraded to provide more thrust and operate in the SLS environment. SLS Block 1 uses a modified Delta IV Heavy upper stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) and lifts at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The Block 1 vehicle can also be outfitted with a 5 m-diameter fairing. Block 1B, the next major variant, also uses solid rocket boosters and RS-25 engines to achieve Earth escape velocity, but replaces the single-engine liquid hydrogen (LH2)/liquid oxygen (LOX) ICPS with a four-engine LH2/LOX Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) to increase mass to TLI to 34-37 t, depending on crew or cargo configuration. In the Block 1B crew configuration, a 10 m-tall Universal Stage Adapter (USA) connects the vehicle to Orion and can carry a CPL up to 10 t. The USA provides 286 m3 of unpressurized volume for payloads. For large payloads, 8.4 m- and 10 m-diameter cargo fairings in 19.1 m and 27.4 m lengths are possible. The ultimate SLS vehicle, Block 2, incorporates evolved boosters to reach a lift capacity of more than 45 t to TLI. The capabilities of SLS not only make new missions to the Moon possible, but also game-changing science missions, such as deployment of large-aperture space telescopes, spacecraft to the ice giants or even probes to the interstellar medium. This paper will discuss the capabilities of SLS, the vehicle’s planned evolution, missions that can effectively utilize the vehicle and manufacturing status of the vehicle.

Creech, Stephen D.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA's Space Launch System: Payload Opportunities for Lunar Exploration, Science Missions

Nearing its first launch, the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s new super heavy-lift launch vehicle, offers highly energetic launches that deliver more mass and provide more volume in 8.4 m-diameter and potentially larger fairings to make a new generation of deep space missions possible. An evolvable launcher available in crew, crew with a co-manifested payload (CPL) and cargo-only configurations, SLS is a crucial capability to enable astronauts to return to the Moon, but it also offers key benefits for science missions. NASA’s 21st-century return to the Moon recently received a formal name: the Artemis program. In addition to the core enabling capabilities of SLS and the Orion crew spacecraft, NASA will also enlist international and commercial partnerships for Artemis. The Agency intends to build a scientific outpost in lunar orbit, the Gateway, from which human and robotic missions to and from the surface can rendezvous. SLS will launch Orion on a series of missions leading to landing the first woman and the next man on the Moon as part of Artemis. SLS uses proven propulsion systems: two solid rocket boosters and four RS-25s engines that have been upgraded to provide more thrust and operate in the SLS environment. SLS Block 1 uses a modified Delta IV Heavy upper stage, called the Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS) and lifts at least 26 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The Block 1 vehicle can also be outfitted with a 5 m-diameter fairing. Block 1B, the next major variant, also uses solid rocket boosters and RS-25 engines to achieve Earth escape velocity, but replaces the single-engine liquid hydrogen (LH2)/liquid oxygen (LOX) ICPS with a four-engine LH2/LOX Exploration Upper Stage (EUS) to increase mass to TLI to 34-37 t, depending on crew or cargo configuration. In the Block 1B crew configuration, a 10 m-tall Universal Stage Adapter (USA) connects the vehicle to Orion and can carry a CPL up to 10 t. The USA provides 286 m3 of unpressurized volume for payloads. For large payloads, 8.4 m- and 10 m-diameter cargo fairings in 19.1 m and 27.4 m lengths are possible. The ultimate SLS vehicle, Block 2, incorporates evolved boosters to reach a lift capacity of more than 45 t to TLI. The capabilities of SLS not only make new missions to the Moon possible, but also game-changing science missions, such as deployment of large-aperture space telescopes, spacecraft to the ice giants or even probes to the interstellar medium. This paper will discuss the capabilities of SLS, the vehicle’s planned evolution, missions that can effectively utilize the vehicle and manufacturing status of the vehicle.

Creech, Steve↗