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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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Low-cost receivers for use in instructional broadcasting via satellites
Low cost microwave receiver and antenna for instructional satellite TV broadcasting in developing nations
Comprehensive study of Venus by means of a low-cost entry-probe and orbiter mission-series
Low cost entry probes and orbiter missions for exploration of planet Venus
Low-cost ablative heat shields for space shuttles
Low cost replaceable ablative heat shield panels for space shuttles
Low-cost molded plastic sounding rocket motors
Sounding rockets motors with integrally molded plastic case and nozzle, discussing cost effectiveness and demonstration tests
Considerations in the Adaptation of Low-cost Fuels to Gas-turbine-powered Commercial Aircraft
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Low cost composite materials for wind energy conversion systems
A winding process utilizing a low-cost E-glass fabric called transverse-filament tape for low-cost production of wind turbine generators (WTG) is described. The process can be carried out continuously at high speed to produce large one-piece parts with tapered wall thicknesses on a tapered mandrel. It is being used to manufacture blades for the NASA/DOE 200-ft-diameter MOD-1 WTG and Rockwell/DOE 40-kW small wind energy conversion system (SWECS).
AstroDOME: Standardized, Mass-Produceable, Small NASA Astrophysics Observatories for Big Missions
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center is investigating the use of small, commercial off the shelf (COTS) spacecraft to enable breakthrough astrophysics research at radically reduced cost over previous generations of missions. This paper will focus on the Mission Systems perspective of this investigation. It will cover the spacecraft to instrument interface, and lessons learned in early concept payload development. Low-cost COTS spacecraft have proliferated in the last ~5 years. They represent an order of magnitude reduction in the cost of spacecraft bus development and acquisition. They are enabled by the advent of low-cost smallsat launch options in the immediately preceding years, and are seeded by recent distributed and disaggregated missions in other sectors such as telecommunications megaconstellations (e.g. Starlink, OneWeb, Project Kuiper) and ongoing Space Development Agency (SDA) developments. Our study was tasked with developing a standardized, mass-produceable, astrophysics payload which is reconfigurable to different wavelength bands while maintaining a single optics bench design, and a standardized mechanical, electrical, data, and thermal interface to the spacecraft bus, and which may be reconfigured to multiple COTS spacecraft offerings. In this paper we will discuss lessons learned from our case study. We will also present identified keys to mission success for performing cutting edge astrophysics observations while taking advantage of economies of scale with a disaggregated, standardized architecture.
Connector for vacuum-jacketed lines cuts tubing system cost
A low-cost fitting, fabricated from standard connectors, is used for disconnecting flow lines in cryogenic systems. Utilizing vacuum-jacketed lines made from two sizes of tubing welded at the ends, the connectors are stronger and setup time is reduced.
USE OF DECOMPOSITION THEORY IN THE SOLUTION OF THE STATE ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM OF SEQUENTIAL MACHINES
Decomposition theory principles are used in developing a method of obtaining low-cost state variable assignments for sequential machines
Metal tube reducer is inexpensive and simple to operate
Low-cost metal tube reducer accepts tubing up to 1 inch outer diameter and can reduce this diameter to less than 1/2 inch with controlled wall thickness. This device can reduce all of the tube without waste. It produces extremely good surface finishes.
Method for controlling density and permeability of sintered powdered metals
Improved, relatively low-cost method has been developed to produce porous metals with predetermined pore size, pore spacing, and density, utilizing powder-metal processes. The method uses angular not spherical tungsten powder.
Simple demodulator for telemetry phase- shift keyed subcarriers
Circuit, suitable for operation at high signal-to-noise ratio environments, recovers pulse-code modulated data from digital telemetry systems which use phase-shift keyed subcarrier techniques. This demodulator is easily constructed from microcircuit elements and may be applied where low-cost, relatively high-level signal systems are used.
Improved fire resistant radio frequency anechoic materials
Protective, flameproof foam covering improves the resistance to fire and surface contamination of low-cost radio frequency absorbing and shielding anechoic materials. This promotes safety of operating personnel and equipment being tested in an otherwise combustible anechoic chamber.
Multilayer screen gives cathode ray tube high contrast
Fabrication method for cathode ray tubes uses low-cost siloxane resin formulations. The resins contain sufficient methyl or phenyl groups for solubility in organic solvents. After vaporization and baking, the polymerized material is stable under vacuum and under temperatures required for tube fabrication.
Inexpensive, removable coating for plaster tooling
Procedure for thinning and spaying a vinyl material provides strippable film for plaster surfaces. Coating is low-cost, effective seal against moisture and other sources of damage. Coating consists of a mixture of hot-spray vinyl material and 30 to 50 percent by volume of methyl ethyl ketone.
An Ultra-long Life, High-performance, Flexible Li-CO2Battery Based on Multifunctional Carbon Electrocatalysts
Integrating CO2 utilization and renewable energy delivery/storage, the rechargeable Li–CO2 battery has been considered as a promising candidate for next-generation secondary batteries. However, high-performance catalyst(s) for efficient formation and decomposition of the discharge product, Li2CO3, are an imperative part of a Li–CO2 battery. The development of flexible Li–CO2 batteries extends their applications into compliant and wearable devices/systems, but at the same time imposes a big challenge for battery fabrication and lifetime enhancement. In this study, a rechargeable quasi-solidus flexible Li–CO2 battery was designed and fabricated using highly active N,S-doped carbon nanotubes (N,S-doped CNTs) as the cathode catalyst, and a smart polymer gel as the flexible electrolyte. This newly-developed flexible Li–CO2 battery exhibited a capacity as high as 23560 mAh g−1 based on the catalyst mass and an ultra-long lifetime of up to 538 cycles with excellent mechanical flexibility. This work provides a platform for the design and development of high-performance flexible Li–CO2 batteries from low-cost, earth-abundant, carbon-based multifunctional cathode catalysts.
NASA Weather Balloon Demonstration of an Additively Manufactured Antenna
Additive manufacturing (AM) enables low-cost, lightweight, and geometrically flexible antennas for rapid deployment missions. This work reports a left-hand circularly polarized magneto-electric dipole printed on a Radix dielectric with inkjet silver metallization and demonstrated as a process replacement for NASA weather-balloon RF hardware. By combining substrate fabrication and metallization, AM provides value for unrecoverable or field-replaceable systems. A physics based verification workflow links AM-specific material behavior to electromagnetic performance and yields bounded total, radiation, and mismatch efficiencies. Standard surface-impedance and roughness models failed to reproduce the frequency-dependent radiation loss observed in printed inks, underscoring the need for AM-specific conductor parameterization. Mission testing confirmed TDRSS link closure from NASA’s Columbia Scientific Balloon Facility and validated a repeatable print–measure–fly workflow for bounding RF performance and qualifying AM antennas for field use.