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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 NTRS2014

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER)

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) is an approved NASA Explorer Mission of Opportunity dedicated to the study of the extraordinary gravitational, electromagnetic, and nuclear‐physics environments embodied by neutron stars. Scheduled to be launched in 2016 as an International Space Station payload, NICER will explore the exotic states of matter, using rotation‐resolved spectroscopy of the thermal and non‐thermal emissions of neutron stars in the soft (0.2‐12 keV) X‐ray band. Grazing‐incidence "concentrator" optics coupled with silicon drift detectors, actively pointed for a full hemisphere of sky coverage, will provide photon‐counting spectroscopy and timing registered to GPS time and position, with high throughput and relatively low background. The NICER project plans to implement a Guest Observer Program, which includes competitively selected user targets after the first year of flight operations. I will describe NICER and discuss ideas for potential Be/X‐ray binary science.

Wilson-Hodge, Colleen A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

The Ganymede Interior Structure, and Magnetosphere Observer (GISMO) Mission Concept

The NASA Planetary Science Summer School (PSSS) at JPL offers graduate students and young professionals a unique opportunity to learn about the mission design process. Program participants select and design a mission based on a recent NASA Science Mission Directorate Announcement of Opportunity (AO). Starting with the AO, in this case the 2009 New Frontiers AO, participants generate a set of science goals and develop a early mission concept to accomplish those goals within the constraints provided. As part of the 2010 NASA PSSS, the Ganymede Interior, Surface, and Magnetosphere Observer (GISMO) team developed a preliminary satellite design for a science mission to Jupiter's moon Ganymede. The science goals for this design focused on studying the icy moon's magnetosphere, internal structure, surface composition, geological processes, and atmosphere. By the completion of the summer school an instrument payload was selected and the necessary mission requirements were developed to deliver a spacecraft to Ganymede that would accomplish the defined science goals. This poster will discuss those science goals, the proposed spacecraft and the proposed mission design of this New Frontiers class Ganymede observer.

radar sounder↗
NASA NTRS2013

The ISIS Mission Concept: An Impactor for Surface and Interior Science

The Impactor for Surface and Interior Science (ISIS) mission concept is a kinetic asteroid impactor mission to the target of NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins-Spectral Interpretation-Resource Identification-Security-Regolith Explorer) asteroid sample return mission. The ISIS mission concept calls for the ISIS spacecraft, an independent and autonomous smart impactor, to guide itself to a hyper-velocity impact with 1999 RQ36 while the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft observes the collision. Later the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft descends to reconnoiter the impact site and measure the momentum imparted to the asteroid through the impact before departing on its journey back to Earth. In this paper we discuss the planetary science, human exploration and impact mitigation drivers for mission, and we describe the current mission concept and flight system design.

cratering experiment↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission

The Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, launched in September 2011, successfully completed its Primary Science Mission in June 2012 and is currently in Extended Mission operations. Competitively selected under a NASA Announcement of Opportunity in December 2007, GRAIL is a Discovery Program mission subject to a mandatory project cost cap. The purpose of the mission is to precisely map the gravitational field of the Moon to reveal its internal structure from crust to core, determine its thermal evolution, and extend this knowledge to other planets. The mission uses twin spacecraft flying in tandem to provide the gravity map. The GRAIL Flight System, consisting of the spacecraft and payload, was developed based on significant heritage from previous missions such an experimental U.S. Air Force satellite, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) mission, and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission. The Mission Operations System (MOS) was based on high-heritage multimission operations developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin. Both the Flight System and MOS were adapted to meet the unique challenges posed by the GRAIL mission design. This paper summarizes the implementation challenges and accomplishments of getting GRAIL ready for launch. It also discusses the in-flight challenges and experiences of operating two spacecraft, and mission results.

GRAIL↗
NASA NTRS2012

Designing Mission Operations for the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission

NASA's Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) mission, to understand the internal structure and thermal evolution of the Moon, offered unique challenges to mission operations. From launch through end of mission, the twin GRAIL orbiters had to be operated in parallel. The journey to the Moon and into the low science orbit involved numerous maneuvers, planned on tight timelines, to ultimately place the orbiters into the required formation-flying configuration necessary. The baseline GRAIL mission is short, only 9 months in duration, but progressed quickly through seven very unique mission phases. Compressed into this short mission timeline, operations activities and maneuvers for both orbiters had to be planned and coordinated carefully. To prepare for these challenges, development of the GRAIL Mission Operations System began in 2008. Based on high heritage multi-mission operations developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Lockheed Martin, the GRAIL mission operations system was adapted to meet the unique challenges posed by the GRAIL mission design. This paper describes GRAIL's system engineering development process for defining GRAIL's operations scenarios and generating requirements, tracing the evolution from operations concept through final design, implementation, and validation.

MOS↗
NASA NTRS2015

Design Development of a Combined Deployment and Pointing System for the International Space Station Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer Telescope

This paper describes the design of a unique suite of mechanisms which make up the Deployment and Pointing System (DAPS) for the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER/SEXTANT) instrument, an X-Ray telescope, which will be mounted on the International Space Station (ISS). The DAPS system uses 4 stepper motor actuators to deploy the telescope box, latch it in the deployed position, and allow it to track sky targets. The DAPS gimbal architecture provides full-hemisphere coverage, and is fully re-stowable. The compact design of the mechanism allowed the majority of total instrument volume to be used for science. Override features allow DAPS to be stowed by ISS robotics.

NICER Pointing↗
NASA NTRS2014

Introduction to the Solid State Based Interior Lighting System for ISS

Solid state lighting assembly (SSLA) were designed to replace general luminaire assembly (GLA) for both general interior illumination and improved circadian rhythm through melatonin control using multiple spectrums. To accomplish these goals, the light is design to operate in 3 modes with 3 distinct spectrum. The different spectrum provide control of the blue portion of the light which impacts melatonin production in humans which impacts sleep. General mode is a 4500K "neutral" light spectrum intended to the be the default mode of operation for day to day operations. Pre-sleep mode is a 2700K "warm" light spectrum intended to be used by the crew at the end of the work day. Phase-shift mode is a 6500K "cool" light spectrum intended to be used for altering the crew's sleep patterns.

Maida, James C.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Design Development of a Combined Deployment and Pointing System for the International Space Station Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer Telescope

This paper describes the design of a unique suite of mechanisms that make up the Deployment and Pointing System (DAPS) for the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER/SEXTANT) instrument, an X-Ray telescope, which will be mounted on the International Space Station (ISS). The DAPS system uses four stepper motor actuators to deploy the telescope box, latch it in the deployed position, and allow it to track sky targets. The DAPS gimbal architecture provides full-hemisphere coverage, and is fully re-stowable. The compact design of the mechanism allowed the majority of total instrument volume to be used for science. Override features allow DAPS to be stowed by ISS robotics.

Budinoff, Jason↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER): Design and Development

During 2014 and 2015, NASA's Neutron star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission proceeded successfully through Phase C, Design and Development. An X-ray (0.2{12 keV) astrophysics payload destined for the International Space Station, NICER is manifested for launch in early 2017 on the Commercial Resupply Services SpaceX-11 flight. Its scientific objectives are to investigate the internal structure, dynamics, and energetics of neutron stars, the densest objects in the universe. During Phase C, flight components including optics, detectors, the optical bench, pointing actuators, electronics, and others were subjected to environmental testing and integrated to form the flight payload. A custom-built facility was used to co-align and integrate the X-ray \concentrator" optics and silicon-drift detectors. Ground calibration provided robust performance measures of the optical (at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center) and detector (at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) subsystems, while comprehensive functional tests prior to payload-level environmental testing met all instrument performance requirements. We describe here the implementation of NICER's major subsystems, summarize their performance and calibration, and outline the component-level testing that was successfully applied.

SEXTANT↗
NASA NTRS2016

Gravity Field of the Orientale Basin from the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory Mission

The Orientale basin is the youngest and best-preserved major impact structure on the Moon. We used the Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory (GRAIL) spacecraft to investigate the gravitational field of Orientale at 3- to 5-kilometer (km) horizontal resolution. A volume of at least (3.4 +/- 0.2) × 10(exp 6) cu km of crustal material was removed and redistributed during basin formation. There is no preserved evidence of the transient crater that would reveal the basin's maximum volume, but its diameter may now be inferred to be between 320 and 460 km. The gravity field resolves distinctive structures of Orientale's three rings and suggests the presence of faults associated with the outer two that penetrate to the mantle. The crustal structure of Orientale provides constraints on the formation of multiring basins.

Zuber, Maria T.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Detrended Topographic Data of the South-pole Aitken Basin (SPA): Comparisons with Apollo 16 and Schiller-Schickard as Indications of the Formation and Evolution of the Spa Interior

Data from recent lunar orbital missions have provided critical insight into the surface composition, morphology, and geologic history of the Moon. A key region that has benefited from this new data is the South Pole-Aitken Basin (SPA), a key area for future sample return]. A key area of investigation of SPA has been the characterization of its surface, detailing the interior composition, geologic evolution, and possible exposure of deep-seated materials. Recently we have applied a number of datasets to ascertain the origin of surfaces in central SPA and identify units that represent the ancient SPA-derived impact melt and those that represent volcanic activity. Here we apply a technique that utilizes high-resolution topographic data to remove local slopes to highlight subtle topographic variations. Such detrended data allows us to characterize units that are either ancient (SPA impact melt) or that represent subsequent volcanic activity.

Petro, N. E.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Ecosystem Carbon Emissions from 2015 Forest Fires in Interior Alaska

In the summer of 2015, hundreds of wildfires burned across the state of Alaska, and consumed more than 1.6 million ha of boreal forest and wetlands in the Yukon-Koyukuk region. Mapping of 113 large wildfires using Landsat satellite images from before and after 2015 indicated that nearly 60% of this area was burned at moderate-to-high severity levels. Field measurements near the town of Tanana on the Yukon River were carried out in July of 2017 in both unburned and 2015 burned forested areas (nearly adjacent to one-another) to visually verify locations of different Landsat burn severity classes (low, moderate, or high). Results: Field measurements indicated that the loss of surface organic layers in boreal ecosystem fires is a major factor determining post-fire soil temperature changes, depth of thawing, and carbon losses from the mineral topsoil layer. Measurements in forest sites showed that soil temperature profiles to 30 cm depth at burned forest sites increased by an average of 8o - 10o C compared to unburned forest sites. Sampling and laboratory analysis indicated a 65% reduction in soil carbon content and a 58% reduction in soil nitrogen content in severely burned sample sites compared to soil mineral samples from nearby unburned spruce forests. Conclusions: Combined with nearly unprecedented forest areas severely burned in the Interior region of Alaska in 2015, total ecosystem fire emission of carbon to the atmosphere exceeded most previous estimates for the state.

Ecosystem↗
NASA NTRS2016

Shrink Tape Technique for Heat Forming Aluminum Substrates for Thin Foil X-Ray Mirrors and the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer X-Ray Concentrators

Consistent improvements in the design and fabrication of thin-foil, epoxy-replicated x-ray mirrors for astronomical telescopes have yielded increasingly higher quality and more precise astrophysical data. The Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) x-ray timing mission optics continues this tradition and introduces design elements that promise even more accurate measurements and precise astrophysical parameters. The singly reflecting concentrators have a curved axial profile to improve photon concentration and a sturdy full shell structure for enhanced module stability. These design elements introduced the challenge of reliably forming mirror substrates at an acceptable production rate. By developing a technique using heat shrink tape to compress and conform thin aluminum mirror substrates to shaping mandrels, production rate improved with successful fabrication. The technique's efficiency was analyzed by measuring hundreds of substrate profiles postforming, performance testing completely assembled concentrators composed of every size substrate, and comparing the results to simulated fabrication scenarios. On average, the profiles were copied within 4.6 plus or minus 3.7 percent. These measurements and the overall success of NICER's optics, via ground calibration, have shown that the heat-shrink tape method is reliable, repeatable, and could be used in future missions to increase production rate and improve performance.

Balsamo, Erin↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Moon's Deep Interior: A Hotbed for Seismicity and the Question of Partial Melt

Terrestrial planets all share a common structural framework (crust, mantle, core) which is developed very shortly after formation and which determines subsequent evolution. The Moon formed under very unique circumstances. Interior properties provide constraints on formation and evolution models, and possible indicators of an early dynamo for magnetic field generation: Layering, Composition, Seismic velocity & density, Presence of partial melt, Core state. Constraints on these properties arise from geophysical observations: Geodetic parameters, Lunar laser ranging, Gravity field, Magnetic induction, Heat flow, Seismology.

Weber, Renee↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure (SEIS): Experiment Data Distribution

The six sensors of SEIS (The Seismic Experiment for Interior Structure) [- one of three primary instruments on NASA's Mars Lander Insight] cover a broad range of the seismic bandwidth, from 0.01 hertz to 50 hertz, with possible extension to longer periods. Data are transmitted in the form of three continuous VBB (Very Broad-Band) components at 2 samples per second (sps), an estimation of the short period (SP) energy content from the SP at 1 sps, and a continuous compound VBB/SP vertical axis at 10 sps. The continuous streams are augmented by requested event data with sample rates from 20 to 100 sps. SEIS data products are downlinked from the spacecraft in raw CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) packets and converted to both the Standard for the Exchange of Earthquake Data (SEED) format files and ASCII tables (GeoCSV) for analysis and archiving. Metadata are available in dataless SEED and StionXML. Time series data (waveforms) are available in miniseed and GeoCSV. Data are distributed according to FDSN (Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks - http://www.fdsn.org) formats and interfaces. Wind, pressure and temperature data from the Auxiliary Payload Sensor Suite (APSS) will also be available in SEED format, and can be used for decorrelation and diagnostic purposes on SEIS.

Pardo, Constanza↗
NASA NTRS2019

Changes in Vegetation Cover of Yukon River Drainages in Interior Alaska Estimated from MODIS Greenness Trends, 2000 to 2018

Trends and transitions in the growing season MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time-series at 250-m resolution were analyzed for the period from 2000 to 2018 to understand recent patterns of vegetation change in ecosystems of the Yukon River basin in interior Alaska. Statistical analysis of changes in the NDVI time series was conducted using the "Breaks for Additive Seasonal and Trend" method (BFAST). This structural change analysis indicated that NDVI breakpoints and negative 18-yr trends in vegetation greenness over the years since 2000 could be explained in large part by the impacts of severe wildfires, commonly affecting shrubland and forested ecosystems at relatively low elevations (< 300 m).

Potter, Christopher↗
NASA NTRS2019

3D Radiative Hydrodynamics Modeling of Convection of Stars to Probe Their Interiors and Photospheric Properties

The dramatic flow of data from the Kepler and K2 missions opens the opportunity to significantly improve our knowledge of stellar interiors, surface dynamics, and structure. However, interpretation of these observations is a challenging task because it depends on tiny effects that can be studied only with advanced first-principles modeling. We present results of 3D time-dependent radiative hydrodynamic simulations of stellar outer convection zones and atmospheres taking into account chemical composition, radiative transfer, turbulence effects, and a realistic equation of state for main sequence stars. We will discuss properties of convective structure and dynamics, convective overshoot, effects of magnetic fields and rotation, as well as the potential influence of turbulent surface dynamics on high-precision RV measurements.

Photospheric↗