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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 NTRS1989

A survey of advanced battery systems for space applications

The results of a survey on advanced secondary battery systems for space applications are presented. Fifty-five battery experts from government, industry and universities participated in the survey by providing their opinions on the use of several battery types for six space missions, and their predictions of likely technological advances that would impact the development of these batteries. The results of the survey predict that only four battery types are likely to exceed a specific energy of 150 Wh/kg and meet the safety and reliability requirements for space applications within the next 15 years.

Attia, Alan I.↗
NASA NTRS2025

Metallurgical and Thermal Properties of 57Ni-40Ti-3Hf (wt%)

Selected properties of 57Ni-40Ti-3Hf (wt%) were measured to further develop this material for use in aerospace rolling-element bearings. The average grain size and microindentation hardness of the material at room temperature were 90 μm and 549 HV, respectively. From room temperature to 500 °C, electrical resistivity increased from 8.9×10–7 to 11.3×10–7 Ω⋅m, thermal expansion coefficients varied from 1.1×10–5 to 1.2×10–5 mm/mm⋅°C, specific heat increased from 0.44 to 0.53 W⋅sec/g⋅K, thermal diffusivity rose from approximately 0.003 to 0.005 cm2/sec and thermal conductivity increased from approximately 0.09 to 0.19 W/cm⋅K. The behavior of the material can be explained by well-known metallurgical theory. These results are expected to provide a basis for design and modeling of future aerospace components.

rule of mixtures↗
DOE OSTI2026

Extreme confinement of hydrogen gas within fullerenelike nanoporous carbon

Nanoporous carbons and carbon nanostructures can store hydrogen at cryogenic temperatures but lack the volumetric and gravimetric capacity to be industrially significant. Recent inelastic neutron scattering experiments suggest a highly dense phase of hydrogen at temperatures well above the melting point of solid hydrogen. However, it remains unclear how pore geometry and intermolecular interactions enable these dense phases to exist, with dispersion (van der Waals) or electrostatic/induction suggested to be the key effects in slit and curved pores but their relative contributions have yet to be quantified. In this paper, we perform benchmark electronic structure calculations allowing the interactions between planar and curved aromatic molecules with hydrogen to be accurately determined. Dispersion was found to dominate over electrostatic and inductive effects with some many-body charge transfer (Dobson type-A) effects needed to capture the most highly curved structures. Density functional methods that include type-A many-body effects were found to accurately describe the intermolecular interactions at a fraction of the cost of coupled-cluster simulations and these approaches were used to calculate the energies inside large carbon bowl and slit pores. The interaction energies inside the bowl pores were found to depend on the orientation of the hydrogen molecule. This rotational barrier, modeled as a quantum hindered rotor, could reproduce the peak splitting observed in inelastic neutron scattering experiments, with weak splitting arising from bowl-like fullerene pores and strong splitting from highly confining nanotubelike pores. Increasing the fraction of such curved pores in nanoporous carbons may therefore offer a pathway to enhance their hydrogen-storage capacity. Moreover, the preferential adsorption of ortho hydrogen on nanotubelike pores could enable the storage of high-density hydrogen without the need to remove heat produced during the ortho-para hydrogen conversion.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Control Room of the Future Testbed Workshop – After-Action Report

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Electricity is supporting a one-year, multi-laboratory effort to define the needs and requirements for a Control Room of the Future testbed, or CROFT. The effort responds to increasing grid complexity driven by large new loads, dynamic generation resources, and the growing adoption of advanced technologies and tools, including artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). To support safe, secure, and effective grid modernization, CROFT will focus on how emerging technologies and tools can be rigorously evaluated in realistic operational settings, with attention to human-machine interaction, cognitive load, and workforce readiness. The project team includes Argonne National Laboratory, Idaho National Laboratory, National Laboratory of the Rockies, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. As part of the scoping effort, the team conducted two industry-focused workshops: one at DTECH on February 5, 2026, informed by prior industry interviews, and a second on May 4, 2026, adjacent to IEEE T&D. These engagements brought together utilities, vendors, consultants, national laboratories, academia, and government stakeholders to identify and prioritize use cases, barriers, validation needs, data-sharing constraints, and near- and longer-term requirements. This feedback will directly inform CROFT’s architecture and research focus areas, ensuring the testbed is grounded in real-world operational needs and designed to evaluate emerging technologies and tools in realistic control-room environments.

artificial intelligence↗
NASA NTRS1977

The Evolution of the Moon and the Terrestrial Planets

The thermal evolutions of the Moon, Mars, Venus, and Mercury are calculated theoretically starting from cosmochemical condensation models. An assortment of geological, geochemical, and geophysical data are used to constrain both the present-day temperatures and the thermal histories of the planets' interiors. Such data imply that the planets were heated during or shortly after formation and that all the terrestrial planets started their differentiations early in their history. Initial temperatures and core formation play the most important roles in the early differentiation. The size of the planet is the primary factor in determining its present-day thermal state. The Moon, smallest in size, is characterized as a differentiated body with a crust, a thick solid mantle, and an interior region which may be partially molten. It is presently cooling rapidly and is relatively inactive tectonically. Mercury, which probably has a large core, may have a 500-km-thick solid lithosphere and a partially molten core, if it is assumed that some heat sources exist in the core. If this is not the case, the planet's interior temperatures are everywhere below the melting curve for iron. The thermal evolution is dominated by the core separation and the high conductivity of iron that makes up the bulk of Mercury. Mars, intermediate in size, is assumed to have differentiated an Fe-FeS core. While the formation of an early crust is evident, large-scale melting and differentiation of the mantle silicates has occurred at least up until 1 b.y. ago. Present-day temperature profiles indicate moderate tectonic activity at the present time. Venus is characterized as a planet not unlike the Earth in many respects. Core formation has occurred probably during the first billion years after the formation. The present-day temperatures indicate a partially molten upper mantle overlain by a 100-km-thick lithosphere and a molten Fe-Ni core. We can expect that today Venus may have tectonic processes similar to the Earth's.

M Nafi Toksöz↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development and Validation of a High-Vacuum Thermal Conductivity Testbed for Aerospace Interface Materials

Spacecraft thermal margins depend on the temperature penalty of installed interfaces, yet catalog conductivity omits bondline thickness, mating surfaces, preload, and environment. The Testbed for Advanced Interface Materials in Vacuum (TAIMV) addresses this engineering-data gap by converting ambient/vacuum temperature fields from a four-coupon stack into quantities usable in spacecraft thermal models. Its 17-node steady-state model resolves axial conduction, parasitic fixture paths, grease-filled contact, radiation, and ambient convection. Four monolithic checks gave axial heat-rate ratios of 0.90–1.02, and Braycote calibration self-recovery gave 2.20% casewise mean absolute percentage error (MAPE) and 2.85% maximum difference. With transferable fixture terms frozen, Krytox LVP tested cross-material transfer against a manufacturer-derived external relation. The six Krytox cases gave 2.28% MAPE, 5.10% maximum difference, and full-field residual root-mean-square values of 0.553 °C ambient and 1.306 °C vacuum. Installed-joint resistance spanned 6.39–7.15 × 10⁻⁴ m²·K/W for Braycote and 4.09–4.49 × 10⁻⁴ m²·K/W for Krytox, corresponding to 2.33–6.66 K per modeled interface over the tested heat-flux range. TAIMV therefore supplies directly usable installed-joint resistance and conductance, plus apparent installed conductivity and explicitly model-conditioned grease conductivity/contact terms.

heat transfer↗
DOE OSTI2026

Gear Test Assembly - Experimental Testing and Analysis of Gears and Bearings - FY2026

The Gear Test Assembly (GTA) is an experimental test apparatus built and installed in the Mechanisms and Engineering Test Loop (METL) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). While designed to accommodate a variety of components intended for use in advanced compact in-vessel transfer machine, the focus of GTA been the testing of large radial spur gears. The performance of the components used in GTA motivates the choices made in the design, components, and material choices for the forthcoming METL test articles; the Gripper Test Assembly (GrTA), and the Bearing Test Assembly (BTA). To date, GTA has completed nine experimental testing campaigns and achieved over 21 million revolutions under prototypic sodium fast reactor loads and operating conditions. This report provides an overview and results for the two most recent experiments Campaign #8 and Campaign #9. `Campaign #8 was the first campaign to make use of a set of nickel alloy radial spur gears, made from Hastelloy C-22HS, and combined with heat-treated tapered roller bearings. The bearings and torque profile used allowed Campaign #8 to be directly compared with Campaign #1 where Inconel 718 gears were used instead. Campaign #8 attained 1,058,880 shaft revolutions within 23% of the 1,314,855 revolutions achieved in Campaign #1. These results demonstrate that the heat-treated tapered roller bearings show consistent increased lifetimes, approximately three times longer than for non heat-treated taper rollers, and that the particular material of the gear does not play a substantial role in performance. Similar to Campaign #7 where bearing failure resulted in fragmentation and transport of bearing material into the gear teeth led to tooth damage in the Inconel gears, a similar process led to the damage of the Hastelloy gears. Subsequent NDE analysis showed that the damage was only limited to the tooth surface and does not extend into the gear interiors. Based on the NDE reports, the Hastelloy gears can be reconditioned and put back into service for future campaigns as was done for the Inconel gears. Reconditioned Inconel 718 gears damaged in Campaign #7 were returned to service in Campaign #9 and paired with non heat-treated tapered roller bearings. In Campaign #9 a novel set of operating conditions were implemented whereby the gears and bearings were cycled between hot, submerged refueling conditions where fuel handling operations occurred and cold, dry, and inert conditions where the sodium was drained and the vessel was allowed to cool simulating long, ex-vessel storage of the fuel handling machine. A total of eight of these operating cycles were achieved before a bearing failure occurred after the accumulation of 475,692 shaft revolutions were achieved. During Campaign #9, one of the drive motors was damaged and over the course of a 240 day standby period, the entire GTA drive system was upgraded from a 480VAC system to a 240VAC system that provided the opportunity to consolidate wall-space in the METL facility and provide more space for additional test articles being installed in the coming year. The over 475,000 shaft revolutions achieved in Campaign #9 eclipses the previous record for lifetime of non heat-treated tapered roller bearings held by Campaign #3 of 392,000 shaft revolutions. Further analysis and future campaigns hope to shed light on the cause of this approximately 17% increase in lifetime.

42 ENGINEERING↗
NASA NTRS1984

Management and Performance of APPLE Battery in High Temperature Environment

India's first experimental communication satellite, APPLE, carried a 12 AH Ni-Cd battery for supplying power during eclipse. Failure to deploy one of the two solar panels resulted in the battery operating in a high temperature environment, around 40 C. This also resulted in the battery being used in diurnal cycles rather than just half yearly eclipse seasons. The management and performance of the battery during its life of two years are described. An attempt to identify the probable degradation mechanisms is also made.

Suresh, M. S.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Proximal remote sensing: an essential tool for bridging the gap between high‐resolution ecosystem monitoring and global ecology

Summary A new proliferation of optical instruments that can be attached to towers over or within ecosystems, or ‘proximal’ remote sensing, enables a comprehensive characterization of terrestrial ecosystem structure, function, and fluxes of energy, water, and carbon. Proximal remote sensing can bridge the gap between individual plants, site‐level eddy‐covariance fluxes, and airborne and spaceborne remote sensing by providing continuous data at a high‐spatiotemporal resolution. Here, we review recent advances in proximal remote sensing for improving our mechanistic understanding of plant and ecosystem processes, model development, and validation of current and upcoming satellite missions. We provide current best practices for data availability and metadata for proximal remote sensing: spectral reflectance, solar‐induced fluorescence, thermal infrared radiation, microwave backscatter, and LiDAR. Our paper outlines the steps necessary for making these data streams more widespread, accessible, interoperable, and information‐rich, enabling us to address key ecological questions unanswerable from space‐based observations alone and, ultimately, to demonstrate the feasibility of these technologies to address critical questions in local and global ecology.

Plant Sciences↗
DOE OSTI2024

Radiation-induced alteration of apatite on the surface of Mars: first in situ observations with SuperCam Raman onboard Perseverance

Abstract Planetary exploration relies considerably on mineral characterization to advance our understanding of the solar system, the planets and their evolution. Thus, we must understand past and present processes that can alter materials exposed on the surface, affecting space mission data. Here, we analyze the first dataset monitoring the evolution of a known mineral target in situ on the Martian surface, brought there as a SuperCam calibration target onboard the Perseverance rover. We used Raman spectroscopy to monitor the crystalline state of a synthetic apatite sample over the first 950 Martian days (sols) of the Mars2020 mission. We note significant variations in the Raman spectra acquired on this target, specifically a decrease in the relative contribution of the Raman signal to the total signal. These observations are consistent with the results of a UV-irradiation test performed in the laboratory under conditions mimicking ambient Martian conditions. We conclude that the observed evolution reflects an alteration of the material, specifically the creation of electronic defects, due to its exposure to the Martian environment and, in particular, UV irradiation. This ongoing process of alteration of the Martian surface needs to be taken into account for mineralogical space mission data analysis.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
NASA NTRS2026

Thermochemically-Closed Sonic-Flow Inversion for Enthalpy and Temperature in Multispecies Arc-Jet Flows

A thermochemically-closed sonic-flow inversion framework (TSIF) is developed to infer bulk enthalpy and total temperature upstream of a choked nozzle in arc-jet flows. The formulation recasts a pressure-rise total enthalpy quantification technique as an inverse problem in characteristic-velocity c * space using measured mass flow rate, upstream total pressure, gas composition, and nozzle throat geometry as inputs. Unlike calorimetric energy-balance approaches or optical diagnostics, the method relies primarily on routinely measured facility quantities combined with explicit thermochemical closure. Thermochemical states are obtained using NASA’s open-source Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code, enabling construction of a chemistry-consistent relation between characteristic velocity, total enthalpy, and total temperature under equilibrium or frozen assumptions. A discharge coefficient is self-calibrated using cold-flow (arc-off) operation data and applied to hot-flow (arc-on) measurements, enabling upstream losses to be accounted for without empirical correlations. The framework is applied to air, N 2 , and CO 2 –N 2 arc-jet flows and demonstrates expected trends for the inferred thermochemical states as function of arc power, specific energy input, mass-flow, heater configuration, and test gas. In the air limit, under equilibrium assumptions, the method recovers the classical high-enthalpy asymptotic correlation of Winovich with a mean residual of 4.4%, demonstrating compatibility with established sonic-flow scaling, while extending applicability to arbitrary multi-species mixtures and non-equilibrium chemistry. The framework provides a mixture-flexible methodology for determining bulk thermochemical states in modern arc-jet environments using routine facility pressure, mass-flow, gas-composition, and nozzle-geometry information together with a cold-flow calibration.

stagnation heat flux↗
NASA NTRS2026

Thermochemically-Closed Sonic-Flow Inversion for Enthalpy and Temperature in Multispecies Arc-Jet Flows

A thermochemically-closed sonic-flow inversion framework (TSIF) is developed to infer bulk enthalpy and total temperature upstream of a choked nozzle in arc-jet flows. The formulation recasts a pressure-rise total enthalpy quantification technique as an inverse problem in characteristic-velocity c * space using measured mass flow rate, upstream total pressure, gas composition, and nozzle throat geometry as inputs. Unlike calorimetric energy-balance approaches or optical diagnostics, the method relies primarily on routinely measured facility quantities combined with explicit thermochemical closure. Thermochemical states are obtained using NASA’s open-source Chemical Equilibrium with Applications (CEA) code, enabling construction of a chemistry-consistent relation between characteristic velocity, total enthalpy, and total temperature under equilibrium or frozen assumptions. A discharge coefficient is self-calibrated using cold-flow (arc-off) operation data and applied to hot-flow (arc-on) measurements, enabling upstream losses to be accounted for without empirical correlations. The framework is applied to air, N 2 , and CO 2 –N 2 arc-jet flows and demonstrates expected trends for the inferred thermochemical states as function of arc power, specific energy input, mass-flow, heater configuration, and test gas. In the air limit, under equilibrium assumptions, the method recovers the classical high-enthalpy asymptotic correlation of Winovich with a mean residual of 4.4%, demonstrating compatibility with established sonic-flow scaling, while extending applicability to arbitrary multi-species mixtures and non-equilibrium chemistry. The framework provides a mixture-flexible methodology for determining bulk thermochemical states in modern arc-jet environments using routine facility pressure, mass-flow, gas-composition, and nozzle-geometry information together with a cold-flow calibration.

inviscid theory↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Space Launch System Artemis I & II Post Flight Ascent Aerothermal Environments Overview

Since 2011 the Aerosciences Branch/EV33 at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has been involved with the development of ascent external aerothermal environments for the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) Block 1 launch vehicle for the purposes of supporting thermal analysis and the design of thermal protection systems. The SLS Block 1 Artemis I and II launch vehicles successfully launched from Pad39B at NASA Kennedy Space Center on November 16th, 2022 and April 1st, 2026, respectively. Over 70 aerothermal islands, consisting of over 265 operational instruments captured aerodynamic heating and plume induced environments throughout the launch vehicles. Gauges consisted of calorimeters, radiometers, gas temperature probes, pressure transducers, bi-directional pressure probes and thermocouples. Prior to launch, aerothermal design environment models were generated to predict ascent aerodynamic heating and plume induced environments over a design space that covered a range of vehicle trajectories that varied atmospheric, vehicle performance, and off-nominal, engine-out conditions. Post flight reconstruction models were developed for each flight island using the Day-of-Launch (DOL) Best Equivalent Trajectory (BET) that provided freestream conditions and propulsion system boundary conditions. This paper discusses a summary of the ascent aerothermal environments observed during the flights and the respective modelling approaches and the performance of them through comparisons of flight data and predictions.

aerothermodynamics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Experimental investigation of a closed vapour box module for a divertor-like configuration in Magnum-PSI

Efficient management of extreme heat fluxes in the divertor region to extend the lifetime of the components remains a critical challenge for the realization of nuclear fusion-based power plants. Among the alternative concepts explored for the divertor region, the use of liquid metals, particularly lithium, is of interest due its ability to dissipate the incoming plasma heat flux through the vapour shielding effect (VS). In this work, we experimentally investigated a ‘closed’ configuration of a dedicated Vapour Box Module (VBM) in the linear plasma device Magnum-PSI. The goal of the experiments is to simulate the vapour box divertor environment conditions and assess its performance in terms of power mitigation and redistribution and lithium confinement. Initial testing without Li demonstrated the efficacy of a closed VBM structure in inducing detachment via neutral gas accumulation. Apertures which enabled non-condensing gas to be effectively pumped while ensuring lithium condensed on the inner surfaces were therefore added. With a lithium capillary porous structure target used, lithium is directly vaporized by the plasma, forming a dense lithium vapour cloud that interacts with the incoming plasma. This resulted in a significant reduction of the target temperature of at least 48%, together with a temperature locking effect, a phenomenon typically observed in the VS regime. Lithium vapour confinement within the VBM was strongly correlated with the wall temperature. Relatively cold walls promoted Li re-condensation and therefore improved Li confinement, although with the expected trade-off of increased hydrogenic retention on lithium-wetted surfaces. As the wall temperature increased, the confinement efficiency decreased, consistent with reduced Li re-condensation and thermally activated Li–H chemistry and remobilization at the walls. Diagnostic measurements through embedded thermocouples and calorimetry revealed that lithium vaporization and re-condensation processes also playedsignificant roles in plasma power dissipation. The results advance the case for a closed divertor chamber with direct lithium evaporation from the strike-points as a viable method to manage divertor heat fluxes in future fusion reactors.

Romano, Fabio [Dutch Institute for Fundamental Ene↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thin Film Sensors for Fission Surface Power

Physical sensors fabricated with thin films could result a significant savings in space and weight with improved reliability for monitoring the long-term operation of fission surface power systems. Thin film sensors of 1 µm or less are attractive for FSP applications because they can be incorporated onto component surfaces with minimal machining and the additional weight to a system is minimal compared to thick film-, wire-, or foil-based sensors. The thin, surface fabrication of the sensors is also expected to make them less susceptible to deep dose effects that affect thicker sensors. An overview of thin film sensors using thermocouples and resistive elements designed, fabricated, and demonstrated at GRC for aerospace applications exceeding 900°C is presented.

Physical Sensors↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Laser Beam Welding Advancements for In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing

NASA is currently working to develop in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities for low Earth orbit and the lunar surface. One crucial technology for this effort is laser beam welding. Laser systems can perform joining, cleaning, cutting, and repair activities, which will enable the construction of large in-space structures that could not fit on a single launch vehicle, such as trusses for solar panels, radiators, or communications infrastructure. Multiple projects studying laser welding for space applications are currently underway at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. One of these, the DIsk-Shaped Configurable and Modular vAcuum uNit (DISCMAN), is a compact vacuum chamber designed to support parameter development for laser welding in microgravity. It contains a rotating platen with weld samples made from aluminum, steel, and titanium, a high-power infrared laser, and integrated pumps for pulling vacuum inside the sample cartridge. The DISCMAN payload is planned to launch to the International Space Station, where welds will be performed under sustained microgravity inside the Bishop Airlock. Another effort underway at Marshall is the Lunar Assembly and Servicing by Autonomous Robotics (LASAR) initiative. This project uses a space-rated robotic arm equipped with a laser weld head, wire feeder, and multiple cameras to perform welds in a thermal vacuum chamber simulating the lunar surface environment. Some of these welds are done on snowflake joints, which are specially designed to slot together to join segments of trussN structures, allowing for the construction of tall surface infrastructure. DISCMAN, LASAR, and other projects are being carried out to advance the technological maturity of in-space laser beam welding, collect data to inform computational models, and learn reliable processes for creating weld joints in space. This work supports NASA’s greater goals to expand humanity’s presence in low Earth orbit, establish a permanent moon base, and eventually send crewed missions to Mars and beyond.

Robotics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Collapse of magnetized white dwarfs as site of heavy-element formation and kilonova signal

We present the first end-to-end calculation connecting the accretion-induced collapse (AIC) of a magnetized, rapidly rotating white dwarf to observable kilonova signatures, combining two-dimensional (2D) general-relativistic neutrino-magnetohydrodynamic simulations, followed by radiation hydrodynamics with in-situ nuclear network and 2D Monte Carlo radiative transfer with spatially resolved heating rates. Unlike all previous unmagnetized AIC models – which predicted proton-rich, $^{56}$Ni-dominated ejecta – strong magnetic fields eject ${\approx }\, 0.2\, \mathrm{ M}_\odot$ of neutron-rich material ($\langle Y_e \rangle \sim 0.24$) on dynamical time-scales, before neutrino irradiation can raise the electron fraction, enabling strong r-process nucleosynthesis up to and beyond the third peak. The resulting kilonova is lanthanide-rich ($X_{\rm lan} \approx 8~{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$) and dominated by near-infrared emission. We compute synthetic light curves in the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope and J ames Webb Space Telescope bands and find striking agreement, without parameter tuning, between the observations of AT 2023vfi/GRB 230307A and our broadband light curves for polar viewing angles. These results establish magnetized AIC as a viable channel for heavy r-process element production and a compelling progenitor candidate for long-duration gamma-ray bursts with kilonova signatures.

MHD↗