Results for “eigenstate thermalization” — Page 22

NASA NTRS2026

The Hyperspectral Microwave Photonic Instrument (HyMPI) and its NEDT Performance

This work presents an overview of a hyperspectral microwave-photonic spectrometer and demonstrates the system end-to-end noise equivalent delta temperature (NEDT) performance. The system aims at augmenting the remote sensing capability from space, with a focus on the Earth’s planetary boundary layer (PBL) thermal microwave (MW) spectral region (0-200 GHz). Combining a Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) channelizer and an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) spectrometer, the PIC & ASIC (PICASIC) module is capable of processing 40 GHz spectra at hyperspectral (4 MHz) resolution. The photonic technology is agnostic to the spectral region and multiple photonic modules can cover the entire 200 GHz spectrum. Measured results of the end-to-end system NEDT agree with predicted values confirming that the NEDT is primarily dominated by the noise figure of the MW front-end, with the optical link adding no significant noise. The data also demonstrate that a single module enables simultaneous super- and hyper-spectral resolution channel analysis across a 40 GHz range.

spectrometer↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of Solar-Carbothermal System to Extract Oxygen From Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment [1]. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Koorosh R Araghi↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of Solar Carbothermal System to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Aaron Paz↗

NASA NTRS2026

A Multi-Tier Autonomous Aerial Architecture for Wildfire Detection, Characterization, and Communication in Infrastructure-Denied Environments

Wildfire response depends on how fast an ignition can be confirmed and located, especially in remote regions where ground-based communication and monitoring may be limited. Geostationary sensors provide frequent observations but at kilometer-scale resolution, which is too coarse to resolve small fires in remote terrain. Ground camera networks require sightlines and infrastructure that back-country areas lack. To address these limitations, this work proposes a Multi-Tier Autonomous Wildfire Intelligence System that combines wide-area monitoring with targeted, high-resolution sensing. A solar-powered high-altitude long endurance (HALE) platform operating at approximately 60,000 ft provides persistent wide-area thermal and optical surveillance, running onboard edge inference to screen candidate ignitions and reduce false positives and downlink bandwidth. When a candidate ignition is detected, low-altitude uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) can be deployed to conduct localized observations, including high-resolution imaging and atmospheric measurements such as wind and plume observation. By combining persistent detection with local sensing, the proposed architecture is designed to provide first responders with timely, high-resolution information about fire location and behavior to aid in emergency decision making.

Wildfire management, UAS, drones↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of Yarn Micro-Mechanics of Woven Heat Shield Materials

Carbon and phenolic fibers are commonly used in ablative thermal protection materials, such as 3-dimensional Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP), a 3D-woven composite comprised of mixed-fiber yarn bundles. Predicting the micro-mechanical response and fracture of twisted yarns composed of brittle and ductile fibers requires a modeling approach that captures per-fiber yielding, fiber fracture, and inter-fiber friction and contact. This work presents an extended bonded particle model (BPM) for discrete element method (DEM) simulation of fiber and yarn mechanics, implemented in LAMMPS. The model builds on the incremental bond formulation of Guo et al. and introduces a piecewise elasto-plastic constitutive law for axial extension, enabling representation of fibers that yield before failure. 3MDCP yarns were constructed using measured fiber radius distributions and helical twist geometry. Tensile simulations of single-ply 3MDCP yarns show good agreement with vender stress–strain results. Fiber breakage models also show details on yarn breakage propagration, centered radially in the yarn. Yarn breakage of multi-ply 3MDCP also matched experimental observations in per-ply breakage; however, predicted yarn breakage strength were found higher than experimental observations.

Discrete Element Method↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Simulations of Yarn Micro-Mechanics of Woven Heat Shield Materials (3MDCP)

Carbon and phenolic fibers are commonly used in ablative thermal protection materials, such as 3-dimensional Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP), a 3D-woven composite comprised of mixed-fiber yarn bundles. Predicting the micro-mechanical response and fracture of twisted yarns composed of brittle and ductile fibers requires a modeling approach that captures per-fiber yielding, fiber fracture, and inter-fiber friction and contact. This work presents an extended bonded particle model (BPM) for discrete element method (DEM) simulation of fiber and yarn mechanics, implemented in LAMMPS. The model builds on the incremental bond formulation of Guo et al. and introduces a piecewise elasto-plastic constitutive law for axial extension, enabling representation of fibers that yield before failure. 3MDCP yarns were constructed using measured fiber radius distributions and helical twist geometry. Tensile simulations of single-ply 3MDCP yarns show good agreement with vender stress–strain results. Fiber breakage models also show details on yarn breakage propagration, centered radially in the yarn. Yarn breakage of multi-ply 3MDCP also matched experimental observations in per-ply breakage; however, predicted yarn breakage strength were found higher than experimental observations.

Woven↗

NASA NTRS2026

Prototype Demonstration of an Integrated Solar Concentrator System and Carbothermal Reactor Using Solar Energy to Extract Oxygen from Regolith

The Carbothermal Reduction Demonstration (CaRD) project was an effort to develop a prototype system to demonstrate the extraction of oxygen from simulated lunar regolith using concentrated solar energy and a carbothermal reaction. The prototype consisted of a deployable solar concentrator capable of tracking the sun, carbothermal reactor, fluid system, gas analysis, and a solar concentrator control system consisting of avionics and software. These subsystems were developed by multiple NASA centers and a private industry partner, Sierra Space. The various teams worked together to define requirements and interfaces to successfully assemble the complex system and demonstrate an integrated solar carbothermal process. The solar concentrator developed at Glenn Research Center (GRC) was designed to be stowed for a launch environment then deployed on the lunar surface. It utilized a crossed dragone configuration of composite mirrors to direct horizontal sunlight onto a target 90° from the incoming sunlight. The key performance parameters for the solar concentrator were efficiency and power density. The carbothermal reactor was developed by Sierra Space through a separate project called the Carbothermal Oxygen Production Reactor (COPR) where it successfully demonstrated a fully automated process in a thermal vacuum environment. The fluid system needed for the carbothermal reaction was also developed by Sierra Space and successfully demonstrated in the same thermal vacuum test. The gas analysis system was developed at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and was required to determine the amount of oxygen extracted during each test. The gas analysis system was based on the Mass Spectrometer Observing Lunar Operations (MSOLO) instrument. Avionics and software for the CaRD prototype were also developed at KSC and based on experience with MSOLO avionics and software. The control system was designed to stow, deploy, track the sun, and perform beam alignment of the concentrated light. The prototype subsystems were integrated and tested at Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) Energy Systems Test Area. A heliostat was used to direct sunlight toward the prototype in a way that is representative of the sunlight conditions at the south pole of the Moon. When concentrated sunlight was focused on simulated lunar regolith within the reactor, the gas analysis team confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide gas, which confirmed that a solar carbothermal reaction took place. The key performance parameter for the integrated prototype was grams of oxygen extracted per kilowatt hour of energy arriving at the concentrator primary mirror. The prototype design successfully demonstrated end-to-end capability and further steps to achieve a flight capable system have been defined. With lunar data, engineers would be able to design a scaled-up system capable of extracting oxygen from regolith at useful quantities for crew life support and rocket propellant. On the long term, this method of In-Situ Resource Utilization could be used to drastically reduce the cost and risk of a sustained human presence on the Moon by reducing the amount of oxygen that would have to be delivered.

Oxygen from Regolith↗

NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine C Oliver↗

NASA NTRS2026

Advanced Materials Testing Plan for the Space Suit Portable Life Support System

The Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) has a tight mass requirement to meet while also meeting other requirements for supporting a crewmember in space, on the Moon, or on Mars. To meet these requirements, atypical materials must be considered to close the mass budget allocations. However, many of these materials and processes are relatively new and untested. Therefore, initial analysis and testing of some new and advanced processes have been conducted following a roadmap presented last year. This material testing has focused primarily on thermoplastics, both additively manufactured and machined, to assess plating and fastening operations that will be required. These processes will provide additional strength and shielding capability typically only achieved with metallics. This testing has also helped to define a forward plan to certify these materials and processes for critical spaceflight applications. This report will review testing plated thermoplastics both for strength and thermal properties. It will also review fastener and fastening options and look at insert and fastener testing. It will also review state-of-the-art methods being considered elsewhere and some additional testing being conducted. Using the testing results researched here, there will be recommendations on applications for each of these types of methods going forward.

Ryan Ogilvie↗

NASA NTRS2026

Advanced Materials Testing Plan for the Space Suit Portable Life Support System

The Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) has a tight mass requirement to meet while also meeting other requirements for supporting a crewmember in space, on the Moon, or on Mars. To meet these requirements, atypical materials must be considered to close the mass budget allocations. However, many of these materials and processes are relatively new and untested. Therefore, initial analysis and testing of some new and advanced processes have been conducted following a roadmap presented last year. This material testing has focused primarily on thermoplastics, both additively manufactured and machined, to assess plating and fastening operations that will be required. These processes will provide additional strength and shielding capability typically only achieved with metallics. This testing has also helped to define a forward plan to certify these materials and processes for critical spaceflight applications. This report will review testing plated thermoplastics both for strength and thermal properties. It will also review fastener and fastening options and look at insert and fastener testing. It will also review state-of-the-art methods being considered elsewhere and some additional testing being conducted. Using the testing results researched here, there will be recommendations on applications for each of these types of methods going forward.

Ryan Ogilvie↗

NASA NTRS1977

The Soviet-American Conference on Cosmochemistry of the Moon and Planets: Part 1

The present volumes contain papers presented at the Soviet-American Conference on the Cosmochemistry of the Moon and Planets held in Moscow from the 4th to the 8th of June, 1974. The basic goal of the conference was consideration of the origin of the planets of the solar system, based on the physical and chemical data obtained by study of the material of the Moon and planets. Papers at the conference were presented in the following sessions: 1. Differentiation of the material of the Moon and planets 2. The thermal history of the Moon 3. Lunar gravitation and magnetism 4. Chronology of the Moon, planets, and meteorites 5. The role of exogenic factors in the formation of the lunar surface 6. Cosmochemical hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Moon and planets 7. New data about the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter The results presented in the papers are of exceptional scientific interest since on the one hand they contain new knowledge about the matter of the Moon and planets, while on the other they summarize significant material accumulated during recent years as the result of spacecraft missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter.

Moon↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cryogenic Fuel Aviation – Challenges and Opportunities

NASA aeronautics goals include pioneering new technology to increase efficiency and reduce emissions from air travel. The feasibility of using of on-board cryogenic fuels systems in combination with fuel cells, high efficiency engines, and electric motors for high efficiency commercial transport aircraft is being examined at NASA in collaborations with external partners. Growing emphasis on next generation air transportation resulted in the development of strategic investigations into cryogenic fuels aviation, including roadmaps for maturing new technologies, needs to improve testing and manufacturing capabilities, and the requirements for establishing regulatory and certification standards. A NASA cross-organizational multidisciplinary project team is exploring new aircraft architectures, enabling materials, and the engineering challenges associated with cryogenic fuels for aircraft. The engineering challenges include high performance cryogenic, thermal management, and power/propulsion components and subsystems to tackle the challenging problem of development of commercially viable aircraft that would radically transform air transportation.

liquid natural gas↗

NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO 2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO 2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO 2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO 2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO 2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO 2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine Oliver↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SuperHERO X-ray Telescope Balloon Mission

The SuperHERO hard X-ray telescope will observe extended sources at unprecedented imaging resolution, revealing the origins of non-thermal emission in extreme astrophysical environments. Employing NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s replicated NiCo full-shell X-ray mirror technology to achieve better than 10-arcsecond half-power diameter (HPD) angular resolution on a balloon platform, SuperHERO consists of seven identical, co-aligned telescopes with a combined effective area of 45 cm² at 30 keV. SuperHERO was selected in the APRA 2023 call as a five-year mission, with an inaugural two-day flight scheduled from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in the fall of 2028. For its initial target, SuperHERO will observe the Crab pulsar wind nebula, localizing hard X-ray emission. Mission development is currently underway, with updates and status to be provided in this presentation.

Nick Thomas↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.

Cryocooler↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.

Zero boil-off↗

NASA NTRS2026

Decoupling Surface Topography from Gravitational Acceleration in Cryogenic Pool Boiling

Boiling heat transfer is governed by a complex interplay between surface conditions and gravitational acceleration. To isolate the sole effects of gravity, we investigated the pool boiling characteristics of liquid nitrogen on atomically smooth silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) surfaces under terrestrial (1-g) and reduced gravity (0±0.02 g) conditions achieved via parabolic flight. Our results quantify a drastic reduction in the critical heat flux (CHF) in reduced gravity, decreasing from 16.15 W/cm 2 at 1-g to 5−6 W/cm 2 at μ-g due to the suppression of buoyancy. Conversely, we observed a distinct increase in the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in the reduced gravity condition prior to CHF. By utilizing a surface with a maximum peak-to-valley height of ≈36.7 nm and low contact angle hysteresis (<10°), we confirm this HTC enhancement is an intrinsic response to the gravitational environment, decoupled from surface-defect-induced nucleation. These findings demonstrate that the influence of surface topography is significantly more prominent in reduced gravity than in terrestrial conditions, providing a critical baseline for rationalizing the design of cryogenic thermal management systems in space and quantum applications.

Liquid nitrogen↗

NASA NTRS1992

Long Duration Exposure Facility experiment M0003 deintegration observation database

The four trays of the M0003 materials experiment on LDEF contained 1274 samples from 19 subexperiments. The complete sample complement represented a broad range of materials, including thin film optical coatings, paints, polymer sheets and tapes, adhesives, and composites, for use in various spacecraft applications including thermal control, structures, optics, and solar power. Since some subexperiments included duplicate samples exposed on the leading and trailing edge trays, for 9 week, 19 week, 40 week, and 68 month durations on both the leading and trailing edges, comparisons provided a valuable time history of degradation. During the deintegration of the subexperiments from the M0003 trays, each sample was examined using bright field, dark field, and Normarski light microscopy techniques. Over 3,000 color macrographs and photomicrographs were made of the condition of M0003 trays and the individual samples. Records of the condition of the samples, photographic records, and all available references of publications on postflight analyses on each sample were collected in a database. The photographs provide a visual comparison of the response of materials common to various subexperiments in different LDEF environments. Aerospace Corporation is distributing the database records and photographs and written records on materials of interest from the database is given in this presentation.

S. R. Gyetvay↗