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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 NTRS2020

NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration Mission Leaves Goddard Space Flight Center

On Jan. 22, 2020, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD) flight payload was delivered to Northrop Grumman’s facility in Sterling, Virginia. There the payload will be integrated onto the U.S. Air Force’s Space Test Program Satellite 6 (STPSat-6) and prepared for launch. LCRD will be NASA’s first end-to-end optical relay, sending and receiving data from missions in space to mission control on Earth.

Schauer, Katherine↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Yeast strain development to test in-space bioproduction in the Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) mission

The Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) is investigating the effects of lunar radiation and gravity on yeast viability, growth, and metabolism. LEIA is part of the CP-22 Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) surface mission to the south polar region of the Moon. The biological payload will test genetic factors that are likely to influence the tolerance of yeast for deep space and lunar surface radiation. LEIA is also investigating in-space production of β-carotene in bioengineered yeast. This carotenoid is both an antioxidant and pro-vitamin A- an essential human micronutrient. We report progress on engineering carotenoid-expressing strains to test the impacts of strain background and specific genetic variants on growth and production of β-carotene. To test for enhanced sensitivity to the LEIA mission environment, we generated gene knockouts for the RAD51 DNA damage repair locus as well as the SOD1, SOD2, and TSA1 reactive oxygen species (ROS) defense enzymes. We are also generating strains expected to increase tolerance to abiotic stressors and ROS. To be included in the biology payload, each strain needs to satisfy a series of requirements to be compatible with the mission concept of operations. The LEIA mission will conduct experiments using an autonomous light emitting diode optical detection system and microfluidics incubator to quantify growth, metabolism, and carotenoid production. Strains must produce sufficient carotenoids for bioproduction to be detectable with this optical system. Cells will be loaded into microfluidics cards, desiccated, and stored for 8-12 months prior to the initiation of lunar surface operations. The CLPS lander will operate for one lunar day, and strains will need to grow to stationary phase within 96 hours to ensure that telemetry of LEIA data to Earth can be completed. Genetic variants also need to display expected phenotypes within these optical detection, storage, and growth cycle constraints.

Yeast Engineering↗
NASA NTRS2018

BioSentinel: An Adaptable Platform for Studying the Biological Effects of Deep Space Radiation

NASA's BioSentinel mission is a 6U nanosatellite with autonomous life support that will utilize the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to study the DNA damage response to the deep space radiation environment. BioSentinel is planned to launch in 2019 as a secondary payload on the Space Launch System's first Exploration Mission (EM-1), and will undergo a lunar fly-by and enter heliocentric orbit after deployment. As the first biological mission beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) in nearly half a century, this mission will help fill critical gaps in knowledge about the effects of uniquely composed, chronic, low-flux deep space radiation on biological systems. Yeast is well-suited for this mission due to its desiccation tolerance and space-flight heritage. As a eukaryotic model organism, it also serves as a robust analog for human cells. Data gathered on this mission will thus inform us of the hazards involved in long-duration human exploration in deep space, and the protections necessary to mitigate them. Due to its low-cost, flexible and advanced technology, the 4U BioSensor payload contained within the nanosatellite is adaptable to other model microorganisms, exploration platforms and environments relevant to human exploration, such as the ISS, the Lunar Orbital Platform - Gateway and future lunar landers. In order to query the DNA damage response to deep space radiation, BioSentinel contains a wild type yeast strain as a positive control, and a radiation sensitive rad51 mutant strain that is defective for DNA repair. Yeast cells are desiccated in microfluidic cards, and rehydrated with growth medium and metabolic indicator dye at the desired time points during the mission. A thermal control system supports these stasis and growth states, and an optical system continuously measures cell growth and metabolism. An onboard radiation spectrometer and dosimeter allows us to correlate the dose, energy and particle-type of deep space radiation to the biological response. Data received from the deep space biosensor will be compared to control payloads on Earth and the ISS. Ongoing science testing for the BioSentinel project includes optimization for cell viability, desiccation tolerance, and long-term biocompatibility, as well as radiation experiments to understand the sensitivity and responsiveness of cells to varying radiation doses and particle types.

BioSentinel↗
NASA NTRS1982

The Pinhole/Occulter Facility

The Pinhole/Occulter Facility concept uses a remote occulting mask to provide high resolution observations of the solar corona and of astronomical X-ray sources. With coded-aperture and Fourier-transform techniques, the Pinhole/Occulter makes images at a resolution of 0.2 arc sec for 2-120 keV X-rays, using a 50-m boom erected from the payload bay of the Space Shuttle or mounted on a free-flying platform. The remote occulter also creates a large shadow area for solar coronal observations; the Pinhole/Occulter concept includes separate optical and ultraviolet telescopes with 50-cm apertures. These large telescopes will provide a new order of resolution and sensitivity for diagnostic observations of faint structures in the solar corona. The Pinhole/Occulter is a powerful and versatile tool for general-purpose X-ray astronomy, with excellent performance in a broad spectral band complementary to that accessible with AXAF. The large collecting area of 1.5 sq m results in a 5 sigma detection threshold of about 0.02 microJy for the 2-10 keV band.

Hudson, H. S.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Up, Up and Away: Arc Minute Pointing at 130,000 Feet

The InFOC-S X-ray telescope was launched September 16, 2004 aboard a 40 million cubic foot zero pressure high altitude balloon. Its primary objective was to demonstrate advances in hard X-ray focusing optics technology by flying an incident grazing mirror developed in cooperation between NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Nagoya University, Japan. Launched from Ft. Sumner, NM and recovered near Wickenburg, AZ, the payload successfully collected photons from several X-ray sources during its 27 hour flight at a float altitude of 130,000 feet. To accommodate the instrument's narrow field of view, a precision arc-minute attitude determination and control systems was flown. This paper describes the application of a traditional spacecraft star tracker gyro based attitude determination and control system to the balloon problem. The control system architecture is presented, hardware identified, and software outlined. Simulated results are compared against actual flight data, with recommendations for enhanced performance identified.

Freesland, Doug↗
NASA NTRS2009

Life Science Research in Outer Space: New Platform Technologies for Low-Cost, Autonomous Small Satellite Missions

We develop integrated instruments and platforms suitable for economical, frequent space access for autonomous life science experiments and processes in outer space. The technologies represented by three of our recent free-flyer small-satellite missions are the basis of a rapidly growing toolbox of miniaturized biologically/biochemically-oriented instrumentation now enabling a new generation of in-situ space experiments. Autonomous small satellites (~ 1 50 kg) are less expensive to develop and build than fullsize spacecraft and not subject to the comparatively high costs and scheduling challenges of human-tended experimentation on the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, and comparable platforms. A growing number of commercial, government, military, and civilian space launches now carry small secondary science payloads at far lower cost than dedicated missions; the number of opportunities is particularly large for so-called cube-sat and multicube satellites in the 1 10 kg range. The recent explosion in nano-, micro-, and miniature technologies, spanning fields from telecommunications to materials to bio/chemical analysis, enables development of remarkably capable autonomous miniaturized instruments to accomplish remote biological experimentation. High-throughput drug discovery, point-of-care medical diagnostics, and genetic analysis are applications driving rapid progress in autonomous bioanalytical technology. Three of our recent missions exemplify the development of miniaturized analytical payload instrumentation: GeneSat-1 (launched: December 2006), PharmaSat (launched: May 2009), and O/OREOS (organism/organics exposure to orbital stresses; scheduled launch: May 2010). We will highlight the overall architecture and integration of fluidic, optical, sensor, thermal, and electronic technologies and subsystems to support and monitor the growth of microorganisms in culture in these small autonomous space satellites, including real-time tracking of their culture density, gene expression, and metabolic activity while in the space environment. Flight data and results will be presented from GeneSat-1, which tracked gene expression levels of GFP-labeled E. coli and from PharmaSat, which monitored the dose dependency of an antifungal agent against S. cerevisiae. The O/OREOS SESLO instrument, which will study the effects of radiation and microgravity upon the viability and growth characteristics of B. subtilis and the halophile Halorubrum chaoviatoris for periods of 0 - 6 months in space, will be described as well. The ongoing expansion of the small satellite toolbox of biological technologies will be summarized.

Ricco, Antonio J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

IXPE - The Imaging X-Ray Polarimetry Explorer

The Imaging X-ray Polarimetry Explorer (IXPE) is a Small Explorer Mission that will be proposed in response to NASA's upcoming Announcement of Opportunity. IXPE will transform our understanding of the most energetic and exotic astrophysical objects, especially neutron stars and black holes, by measuring the linear polarization of astronomical objects as a function of energy, time and, where relevant, position. As the first dedicated polarimetry observatory IXPE will add a new dimension to the study of cosmic sources, enlarging the observational phase space and providing answers to fundamental questions. IXPE will feature x-ray optics fabricated at NASA/MSFC and gas pixel focal plane detectors provided by team members in Italy (INAF and INFN). This presentation will give an overview of the proposed IXPE mission, detailing the payload configuration, the expected sensitivity, and a typical observing program.

Ramsey, Brian↗
NASA NTRS2018

Preliminary Jitter Stability Results for the Large UV/Optical/Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor Concept Using a Non-Contact Vibration Isolation and Precision Pointing System

The Large / UltraViolet / Optical / InfraRed (LUVOIR) Surveyor is a concept mission for a large multi-wavelength serviceable observatory with ambitious design and science goals to enable advances across a broad range of astrophysics1. The payload, which includes the telescope instruments and Backplane Support Frame (BSF), is separated from the spacecraft, which includes the spacecraft bus, sun shield, and tower up to the 2-DOF gimbal, by a non-contact interface called the Vibration Isolation and Precision Pointing System (VIPPS).

Sacks, Lia W.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Optical and Mechanical Designs of the Multi-band SWIR Receiver for the Lunar Flashlight CubeSat Mission

Mapping and quantifying lunar water ice addresses one of NASA’s Strategic Knowledge Gaps to understand the lunar resource potential for future human exploration of the Moon. Lunar Flashlight is an innovative NASA CubeSat mission dedicated to mapping water ice in the permanently-shadowed and occasionally-sunlit regions in the vicinity of the lunar South Pole. Lunar Flashlight will acquire these measurements from lunar orbit using a multi-band laser reflectometer composed of an optical receiver aligned with four lasers emitting different wavelengths in the shortwave infrared spectral region between 1 µm and 2 µm. The receiver measures the laser radiance reflected from the lunar surface in each spectral band and continuum/absorption reflectance band ratios are then analyzed to quantify water ice concentration in the illuminated spot. The receiver utilizes a 70×70-mm, aluminum, off-axis paraboloidal mirror with a focal length of 70 mm, which collects the incoming light onto a single, 2 mm diameter InGaAs detector with a cutoff wavelength of 2.4 µm. We present the optical and mechanical designs of the receiver, including its optimization for rejection of solar stray-light from outside its intended field of view. This highly mass- and volume-constrained instrument payload will demonstrate several firsts, including being one of the first instruments onboard a CubeSat performing science measurements beyond low Earth orbit and the first planetary mission to use multi-band active reflectometry from orbit.

Sellar, R. Glenn↗
NASA NTRS1990

SPEAR-1: An experiment to measure current collection in the ionosphere by high voltage biased conductors

An experiment is described in which a high electrical potential difference, up to 45 kV, was applied between deployed conducting spheres and a sounding rocket in the ionosphere. Measurements were made of the applied voltage and the resulting currents for each of 24 applications of different high potentials. In addition, diagnostic measurements of optical emissions in the vicinity of the spheres, energetic particle flow to the sounding rocket, dc electric field and wave data were made. The ambient plasma and neutral environments were measured by a Langmuir probe and a cold cathode neutral ionization gauge, respectively. The payload is described and examples of the measured current and voltage characteristics are presented. The characteristics of the measured currents are discussed in terms of the diagnostic measurements and the in-situ measurements of the vehicle environment. In general, it was found that the currents observed were at a level typical of magnetically limited currents from the ionospheric plasma for potentials less than 12 kV, and slightly higher for larger potentials. However, due to the failure to expose the plasma contactor, the vehicle sheath modified the sphere sheaths and made comparisons with the analytic models of Langmuir-Blodgett and Parker-Murphy less meaningful. Examples of localized enhancements of ambient gas density resulting from the operation of the attitude control system thrusters (cold nitrogen) were obtained. Current measurements and optical data indicated localized discharges due to enhanced gas density that reduced the vehicle-ionosphere impedance.

Raitt, W. John↗
NASA NTRS1974

Phase A conceptual design study of the Atmospheric, Magnetospheric and Plasmas in Space (AMPS) payload

The 12 month Phase A Conceptual Design Study of the Atmospheric, Magnetospheric and Plasmas in Space (AMPS) payload performed within the Program Development Directorate of the Marshall Space Flight Center is presented. The AMPS payload makes use of the Spacelab pressurized module and pallet, is launched by the space shuttle, and will have initial flight durations of 7 days. Scientific instruments including particle accelerators, high power transmitters, optical instruments, and chemical release devices are mounted externally on the Spacelab pallet and are controlled by the experimenters from within the pressurized module. The capability of real-time scientist interaction on-orbit with the experiment is a major characteristic of AMPS.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2002

Geolocation Assessment Algorithm for CALIPSO Using Coastline Detection

Cloud-Aerosol Lidar Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) is a joint satellite mission between NASA and the French space agency CNES. The investigation will gather long-term, global cloud and aerosol optical and physical properties to improve climate models. The CALIPSO spacecraft is scheduled to launch in 2004 into a 98.2 inclination, 705 km circular orbit approximately 3 minutes behind the Aqua spacecraft. The payload consists of a two-wavelength polarization-sensitive lidar, and two passive imagers operating in the visible (0.645 mm) and infrared (8.7 - 12.0 mm) spectral regions. The imagers are nadir viewing and co-aligned with the lidar. Earth viewing measurements are geolocated to the Earth fixed coordinate system using satellite ephemeris, Earth rotation and geoid, and instrument pointing data. The coastline detection algorithm will assess the accuracy of the CALIPSO geolocation process by analyzing Wide Field Camera (WFC) visible ocean land boundaries. Processing space-time coincident MODIS and WFC scenes with the coastline algorithm will help verify the co-registration requirement with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) data. This paper quantifies the accuracy of the coastline geolocation assessment algorithm.

Currey, J. Chris↗
NASA NTRS1991

Cargo transfer vehicle RCS propellant contamination issues

The purpose of this report is to address Cargo Transfer Vehicle (CTV) RCS contamination issues and contribute to the resources necessary to optimize the vehicle and propulsion systems required in the CTV of the National Launch System (NLS) Heavy Lift Launch Vehicle (HLLV). This study reviews the thruster-induced contaminants; their transportation from the thrust chamber to the vehicle, payload, and SSF; and the mechanism by which damage is inflicted on their components. The effect of both monopropellant and bipropellant RCS rocket exhaust plumes on a spacecraft and related functional surfaces has been the subject of considerable study over the years. It is recognized that the RCS rocket produces contaminants which can significantly degrade the performance of optical windows, solar cells, thermal-protective coatings, and other external vehicle components. This is particularly true when the rocket is operating in the pulse mode. The exhaust plume impingement pressure and heat-transfer phenomena also complicate the environment to which the vehicle and its functional surfaces are exposed, but are not addressed in this study. Bipropellant contamination presented several modes of damage to incident surfaces, which can pose a long-term deleterious consequence to CTV payloads and the Space Station Freedom (SSF). Monopropellant contamination did not pose any significant long-term issues other than the possibility of aniline deposition. The use of either bipropellant and monopropellant propulsion systems can have a design impact on the CTV propulsion system with respect to maneuvering operations in the proximity of SSF.

Ballard, Richard O.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Insights and Observations From Operating A Laser Communication Terminal on the International Space Station (ISS)

The Integrated Laser Communication Relay Demonstration (LCRD) Low Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) is the first user platform for NASA’s first laser communication relay, LCRD. ILLUMA-T is hosted on the International Space Station (ISS) as an external payload of the Japanese Experiment Module – Exposed Facility (JEM-EF) situated in slot 3. The LCRD payload is hosted on the STPSat-6 spacecraft, which orbits Earth in a geostationary orbit at position 112 W. The ILLUMA-T-to-LCRD system provides a bidirectional, space-to-ground laser communication relay link transferring data up to 1.2 Gbps utilizing two optical ground stations (OGS), OGS-1 in California and OGS-2 in Hawai’i. This paper describes lessons learned from operating the ILLUMA-T system and examines topics such as the end-to-end system availability, predictive versus actual ephemeris, acquisition adjustments, modem timing and handshaking, the terminal’s physical placement and accommodations, and experiment development, execution, and analysis. The authors of this paper operate both the LCRD and ILLUMA-T laser terminals on a daily basis including pass planning, procedure execution, acquisition analysis, and real-time terminal commanding and telemetry monitoring. LCRD is a joint project involving NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the California Institute of Technology Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT LL). The ILLUMA-T payload is managed by NASA GSFC in Greenbelt, Maryland whose partners include the ISS program office at NASA’s Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas; the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama; the Glenn Research Center (GRC) in Cleveland, Ohio; and the MIT LL in Lexington, Massachusetts. ILLUMA-T is funded by the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Laser Communications↗
NASA NTRS1992

CONCAP 4: A Complex Autonomous Payload (CAP) for growing organic thin films in microgravity

A GAS facility has been developed for carrying out low temperature experiments. The arrangement being used on CONCAP IV-01 is designed for thin film growth in microgravity and can process up to twelve samples per mission. The nonlinear optical oven hardware can also be made suitable for other low temperature applications, such as gradient freeze and solution growth of crystals.

Carswell, W. E.↗
NASA NTRS2003

AM03-AM121-115 Hard X-Ray Optics Development at MSFC

We have developed the electroformed-nickel replication process to enable us to fabricate light-weight hard-x-ray region. Two projects currently utilizing this technology are the production of over 250 r from 5 to 10 cm, for our HERO balloon payload, and 15- and 23-cm-diameter shells for a prototype module. The challenge for the former is to fabricate, mount, align and fly a large number of high-r constraints of a modest budget. For the latter, the challenge is to maintain high angular resolution shell thicknesses (100 micron) which make the shells extremely sensitive to electroforming stresses process does not degrade the ultra-smooth surface finish (approx. 3 A required for eventual multilayer c on these two programs.

Ramsey, Brian↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fiber optic experiment for the Shuttle long-duration exposure facility

The present investigation is concerned with an active fiber-optic data transmission experiment which has been under development for a planned orbital exposure on the Shuttle Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF) and subsequent recovery for laboratory evaluation. The LDEF is a space shuttle payload which is designed to carry a large number of independent tray-mounted experiments into low earth orbit for exposure to the space environment. The LDEF is then to be recovered by a later shuttle flight for postflight examination. Data is stored on a tape recorder within the experiment tray; no telemetry is provided. A description is given of two independent experiment trays which are being prepared. The experiments are to be conducted to gain experience in the design of a complete fiber link for the space environment and to confirm that the effects of the critical environments in space, in particular particle radiation and temperature extremes, are not detrimental to satisfactory link operation.

Johnston, A. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The space simulation facilities at IAL SPACE

The thermal vacuum facilities of IAL SPACE were tailored for testing of the ESA payloads. They were progressively upgraded for cryogenic payloads including 4 K (liquid helium temperature) experiments. A detailed review of the three vacuum chambers, ranging from 1.5 to 5 m diameter, is presented including the corresponding capabilities in the vacuum, thermal, and optical fields. The various aspects of cleanliness, product assurance, and quality control are also presented.

Henrist, M.↗