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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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In the 1998 timeframe increasing numbers of proposed space-instrument programs within NASA and the Balistic Missile Defense Organization (BMDO) were in need of high-reliablility, long-life, low-vibration space cryocoolers.
An overview on engine development projects for potential use of ceramics is reported. A major ceramics materials technology effort is described to meet anticipated engine system requirements in terms of the automotive application, some of the more pressing technology needs, and some indications of how to conduct this technology program with industry-engine development projects focus on both gas turbine and Stirling engines.
An overview of past, present, and future airfoil research activities at the Langley Research Center is given. The immediate past and future occupy most of the discussion; however, past accomplishments and milestones going back to the early NACA years are dealt with in a broad-brush way to give a better perspective of current developments and programs. In addition to the historical perspective, a short description of the facilities which are now being used in the airfoil program is given. This is followed by a discussion of airfoil developments, advances in airfoil design and analysis tools (mostly those that have taken place over the past 5 or 6 years), and tunnel-wall-interference predictive methods and measurements. Future research requirements are treated.
An overview of NASA's Hall thruster research and development tasks conducted during fiscal year 2004 is presented. These tasks focus on: raising the technology readiness level of high power Hall thrusters, developing a moderate-power/ moderate specific impulse Hall thruster, demonstrating high-power/high specific impulse Hall thruster operation, and addressing the fundamental technical challenges of emerging Hall thruster concepts. Programmatic background information, technical accomplishments and out year plans for each program element performed under the sponsorship of the In-Space Transportation Program, Project Prometheus, and the Energetics Project are provided.
An overview of the OGO program is presented. Brief descriptions of the six OGO spacecraft, and the experiments on each are included.
An outlined overview of this module program is given. Tables are given for the following characteristics: module power trend, packing factor trend, cell and circuit characteristics, module physical characteristics, electrical performance, cell efficiency trend, module efficiency trend and module cost trend. The principal improvements are larger modules and higher performance.
A brief overview of the NASA program for managing scientific and technical information (STI) is given. The program's history and goals are discussed.
NASA's Advanced Composites Program (ACT) was initiated in 1988. A National Research Announcement was issued to solicit innovative ideas that could significantly contribute to development and demonstration of an integrated technology data base and confidence level that permits cost-effective use of composite primary structures in transport aircraft. Fifteen contracts were awarded by the Spring of 1989 and the participants include commercial and military airframe manufacturers, materials developers and suppliers, universities, and government laboratories. The program approach is to develop materials, structural mechanics methodology, design concepts, and fabrication procedures that offer the potential to make composite structures cost-effective compared to aluminum structure. Goals for the ACT program included 30-50 percent weight reduction, 20-25 percent acquisition cost reduction, and provided the scientific basis for predicting materials and structures performance. This paper provides an overview of the ACT program status, plans, and selected technical accomplishments. Sixteen additional papers, which provide more detailed information on the research and development accomplishments, are contained in this publication.
The 2026 AMMT program review meeting will cover work completed to-date in the 2026 fiscal year. This overview presentation introduces the neutron irradiation and corrosion work done under the environmental effects area
An overview of research on radio and radar meteors accomplished during the past decade is presented, and the work of the past year is highlighted. Velocity distribution and mass flux data are obtained for meteors in the range 10 to 0.0001 g, the size believed to be the principal hazard to space missions. The physical characteristics of mass, structure and density, luminosity, and ablation are briefly described, and the formulation of a theory for interactions of ionization and excitation during collision of atomic particles is mentioned. Five classes of meteoroids are identified, including the two of iron and stone meteorites. Stream meteors associated with known comets are Classes A or C, and parent comets of Class B streams are not observed. Class A meteoroids are identified with the core of a cometary nucleus, Class C with less dense surface of the nucleus after sublimation of ices, and Class B with less dense cores of smaller cometary nuclei. Atmospheric meteor phenomena associated with winds and gravity waves, density and temperature, atomic oxygen, and meteor rate changes are mentioned.
An overview of the Energy Research and Development Administration planned insolation data network is described. The design of the network is predicated on an analysis and definition of user requirements. Research and analysis projects covering data collection, forecasting and extrapolation are presented.
An overview of research, testing, and technology in the hypersonic range. Military and civilian hypersonic flight systems envisaged, ground testing facilities under development, methods for cooling the heated airframe, and use of hydrogen as fuel and coolant are discussed extensively. Air-breathing hypersonic cruise systems are emphasized, the airframe-integrated scramjet configuration is discussed and illustrated, materials proposed for hypersonic vehicles are reviewed, and test results on hypersonic flight (X-15 research aircraft) are indicated. Major advances and major problems in hypersonic flight and hypersonic technology are outlined, and the need for a hypersonic flying-laboratory research craft is stressed.
Program plans are established for a storable propellant space tug used to perform high energy orbit transfers from the space transportation system (STS) orbiter. The mission model for the STS in the 1980's is analyzed. Performance and mission requirements are determined. Various flight operations modes are evaluated and selected. Subsystems are selected and synthesized into various tug configurations. Program options for these configurations are defined, analyzed, and selected. Selected program options are further defined and optimized, including program requirements, tug vehicle definition, mission accomplishment, ground and flight operations, programmatics and costs.
A program of research and exploratory development was undertaken to assess the potential impact of Satellite Power System operation on the ionosphere. The program relies on the utilization of ground-based ionospheric heating facilities in order to simulate the ionospheric heating that will come from the Satellite Power System. Thus far, the experimental program directed toward assessing telecommunications impacts has received the most attention, and little impact was observed on VLF, LF, and MF operations.
An overview of the large wind turbine activities managed by NASA is given. These activities include resuls from the first and second generation field machines (Mod-0A, -1, and -2), the status of the Department of Interior WTS-4 machine for which NASA is responsible for technical management, and the design phase of the third generation wind turbines (Mod-5).
This program concentrates on analyzing a limited number of hot corroded components from the field and the carrying out of a series of controlled laboratory experiments to establish the effects of oxide scale and coating chemistry on hot corrosion life. This is to be determined principally from the length of the incubation period, the investigation of the mechanisms of hot corrosion attack, and the fitting of the data generated from the test exposure experiments to an empirical life prediction model.
An overview of the recent accomplishments, present activities, and future plans is provided. Sections following the introduction provides summaries of current flight projects and definition studies, brief descriptions of individual research activities, and a bibliography of referred Journal Articles appearing within the last three years.
An overview of solar power research and development projects at NASA GRC