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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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At least 469 records · Page 26

The nutritional status of astronauts is altered after long-term space flight aboard the International Space Station

Defining optimal nutrient requirements is critical for ensuring crew health during long-duration space exploration missions. Data pertaining to such nutrient requirements are extremely limited. The primary goal of this study was to better understand nutritional changes that occur during long-duration space flight. We examined body composition, bone metabolism, hematology, general blood chemistry, and blood levels of selected vitamins and minerals in 11 astronauts before and after long-duration (128-195 d) space flight aboard the International Space Station. Dietary intake and limited biochemical measures were assessed during flight. Crew members consumed a mean of 80% of their recommended energy intake, and on landing day their body weight was less (P = 0.051) than before flight. Hematocrit, serum iron, ferritin saturation, and transferrin were decreased and serum ferritin was increased after flight (P < 0.05). The finding that other acute-phase proteins were unchanged after flight suggests that the changes in iron metabolism are not likely to be solely a result of an inflammatory response. Urinary 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine concentration was greater and RBC superoxide dismutase was less after flight (P < 0.05), indicating increased oxidative damage. Despite vitamin D supplement use during flight, serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol was decreased after flight (P < 0.01). Bone resorption was increased after flight, as indicated by several markers. Bone formation, assessed by several markers, did not consistently rise 1 d after landing. These data provide evidence that bone loss, compromised vitamin D status, and oxidative damage are among critical nutritional concerns for long-duration space travelers.

Space Flight↗

On the possibilty of clathrate hydrates on the Moon

One of the most important inferences of the Lunar Prospector mission data was the existence of subsurface water ice in the permanently shadowed craters near both lunar poles [Feldman et al., 1998]. We propose and substantiate an alternative explanation that hydrogen can exist in the shallow lunar subsurface in the form of clathrate hydrates: CH4 . 6H(2)o and/or CO2 . 6H(2)o.

Lunar subsurface calthrate hydrates↗

The MDS autonomous control architecture

We describe the autonomous control architecture for the JPL Mission Data System (MDS). MDS is a comprehensive new software infrastructure for supporting unmanned space exploration. The autonomous control architecture is one component of MDS designed to enable autonomous operations.

MDS autonomous control unmanned space exploration↗

State-based models for planning and execution coordination

Many traditional planners are built on top of existing execution engines that were not necessarily intended to be operated by a planner. The Mission Data System has been designed from the onset to have both an execution and planning engine and provides a framework for producing state-based models that can be used to coordinate planning and execution. The models provide a basis for ensuring the consistency of assumptions made by the execution engine and planner, and the frameworks provide a basis for run time communications between the planner and execution engines.

planning↗

Simulated NASA Satellite Data Products for the NOAA Integrated Coral Reef Observation Network/Coral Reef Early Warning System

This RPC (Rapid Prototyping Capability) experiment will demonstrate the use of VIIRS (Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite) and LDCM (Landsat Data Continuity Mission) sensor data as significant input to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ICON/ CREWS (Integrated Coral Reef Observation System/Coral Reef Early Warning System). The project affects the Coastal Management Program Element of the Applied Sciences Program.

Estep, Leland↗

The Hinode(Solar-B)Mission: An Overview

The Hinode satellite (formerly Solar-B) of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science (ISAS/JAXA) was successfully launched in September 2006. As the successor to the Yohkoh mission, it aims to understand how magnetic energy is transferred from the photosphere to the upper atmospheres and resulting in explosive energy releases. Hinode is an observatory style mission, with all the instruments being designed and built to work together to address the science aims. There are three instruments onboard: the Solar Optical Telescope (SOT), the EUV Imaging Spectrometer (EIS), and the X-ray Telescope (XRT). This paper overviews the mission, including the satellite, the scientific payload and operations. It will conclude with discussions on how the international science community can participate in the analysis of the mission data.

Kosugi, T.↗

Mach 10 Stage Separation Analysis for the X43-A

This paper describes the pre-flight stage separation analysis that was conducted in support of the final flight of the X-43A. In that flight, which occurred less than eight months after the successful Mach 7 flight, the X-43A Research Vehicle attained a peak speed of Mach 9.6. Details are provided on how the lessons learned from the Mach 7 flight affected separation modeling and how adjustments were made to account for the increased flight Mach number. Also, the procedure for defining the feedback loop closure and feed-forward parameters employed in the separation control logic are described, and their effect on separation performance is explained. In addition, the range and nominal values of these parameters, which were included in the Mission Data Load, are presented. Once updates were made, the nominal pre-flight trajectory and Monte Carlo statistical results were determined and stress tests were performed to ensure system robustness. During flight the vehicle performed within the uncertainty bounds predicted in the pre-flight analysis and ultimately set the world record for airbreathing powered flight.

Tartabini, Paul V.↗

Quiet Cruise Efficient Short Take-off and Landing Subsonic Transport System

This NASA funded study conceived a revolutionary airplane concept to enable future traffic growth by using regional air space. This requires a very quiet airplane with STOL capability. Starting with a Blended Wing Body that is cruise efficient with inherent low noise characteristics from forward noise shielding and void of aft downward noise reflections, integration of embedded distributed propulsion enables incorporation of the revolutionary concept for jet noise shielding. Embedded distributed propulsion also enables incorporation of a fan bleed internally blown flap for quiet powered lift. The powered lift provides STOL capability for operation at regional airports with rapid take-off and descent to further reduce flyover noise. This study focused on configuring the total engine noise shielding STOL concept with a BWB airplane using the Boeing Phantom Works WingMOD multidisciplinary optimization code to define a planform that is pitch controllable. The configuration was then sized and mission data developed to enable NASA to assess the flyover and sideline noise. The foundational technologies needed are identified including military dual use benefits.

Kawai, Ron↗

Safety Verification of a Fault Tolerant Reconfigurable Autonomous Goal-Based Robotic Control System

Fault tolerance and safety verification of control systems are essential for the success of autonomous robotic systems. A control architecture called Mission Data System (MDS), developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, takes a goal-based control approach. In this paper, a method for converting goal network control programs into linear hybrid systems is developed. The linear hybrid system can then be verified for safety in the presence of failures using existing symbolic model checkers. An example task is simulated in MDS and successfully verified using HyTech, a symbolic model checking software for linear hybrid systems.

goal network↗

FAILSAFE Health Management for Embedded Systems

The FAILSAFE project is developing concepts and prototype implementations for software health management in mission- critical, real-time embedded systems. The project unites features of the industry-standard ARINC 653 Avionics Application Software Standard Interface and JPL s Mission Data System (MDS) technology (see figure). The ARINC 653 standard establishes requirements for the services provided by partitioned, real-time operating systems. The MDS technology provides a state analysis method, canonical architecture, and software framework that facilitates the design and implementation of software-intensive complex systems. The MDS technology has been used to provide the health management function for an ARINC 653 application implementation. In particular, the focus is on showing how this combination enables reasoning about, and recovering from, application software problems.

Horvath, Gregory A.↗

A Focus on Cryogenic Engineering for the Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer (PIPER) Mission

Cryogenic engineering involves design and modification of equipment that is used under boiling point of nitrogen which is 77 K. The focus of this paper will be on the design of hardware for cryogenic use and a retrofit that was done to the main laboratory cryostat used to test flight components for the Primordial Inflation Polarization Explorer balloon-borne mission. Data from prior tests showed that there was a superfluid helium leak and a total disassemble of the cryostat was conducted in order to localize and fix the leak. To improve efficiency new fill tubes and clamps with modifications were added to the helium tank. Upon removal of the tank, corrosion was found on the flange face that connects to the helium cold plate and therefore had to be fully replaced and copper plated to prevent future corrosion. Indium seals were also replaced for the four fill tubes, a helium level sensor, and the nitrogen and helium tanks. Four additional shielded twisted pairs of cryogenic wire and a wire harness for the Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs) were added. Finally, there was also design work done for multiple pieces that went inside the cryostat and a separate probe used to test the SQUIDs. Upon successful completion of the cryostat upgrade, tests were run to check the effectiveness and stability of the upgrades. The post-retrofit tests showed minor leaks were still present and due to this, superfluidity has still not been attained. As such there could still be a possibility of a superfluid leak appearing in the future. Regardless, the copper plating on the helium tank has elongated the need to service it by three to five years.

Rosas, Rogelio↗

Howardite Noble Gases as Indicators of Asteroid Surface Processing

The HED (Howardite, Eucrite and Diogenite) group meteorites likely or iginate from the Asteroid 4 Vesta - one of two asteroid targets of NA SA's Dawn mission. Whilst Howardites are polymict breccias of eucriti c and diogenitic material that often contain "regolithic" petrologica l features, neither their exact regolithic nature nor their formation processes are well defined. As the Solar Wind (SW) noble gas compon ent is implanted onto surfaces of solar system bodies, noble gas anal yses of Howardites provides a key indicator of regolithic origin. In addition to SW, previous work by suggested that restricted Ni (300-12 00 micro g/g) and Al2O3 (8-9 wt%) contents may indicate an ancient we ll-mixed regolith. Our research combines petrological, compositional and noble gas analyses to help improve understanding of asteroid reg olith formation processes, which will play an intergral part in the i nterpretation of Dawn mission data. Following compositional and petrological analyses, we developed a regolith grading scheme for our sampl e set of 30 Howardites and polymict Eucrites. In order to test the r egolith indicators suggested by, our 8 selected samples exhibited a r ange of Ni, Al2O3 contents and regolithic grades. Noble gas analyses were performed using furnace stepheating on our MAP 215-50 noble gas mass spectrometer. Of our 8 howardites, only 3 showed evidence of SW noble gases (e.g approaching Ne-20/Ne-22 approximately equals 13.75, Ne-21/Ne-22 approximately equals 0.033). As these samples display low regolithic grades and a range of Ni and Al2O3 contents, so far we are unable to find any correlation between these indicators and "regolit hic" origin. These results have a number of implications for both Ho wardite and Vesta formation, and may suggest complex surface stratigr aphies and surface-gardening processes.

Cartwright, J. A.↗

Hydrological Variations in Australia Recovered by GRACE High-Resolution Mascons Solutions

Australia represents a challenging region in which to study hydrological variations as recovered by the GRACE (Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment) mission data. Much of Australia is characterized by relatively small hydrological signals, with large precipitation gradients between the North and the South. These signals are better recovered using innovative GRACE processing techniques such as high-resolution mascon solutions, which may help overcome the deficiencies in the standard GRACE data processing and filtering methods. We will show the power of using regional and global mas con solutions to recover hydrological variations from 2003 to 2011, as well as the oceanic mass variations in the surrounding regions. We will compare the GRACE signals with state of the art hydrology and ocean general circulation models, precipitation, soil moisture and groundwater data sets. We especially emphasize the gravity signatures observed during the decadal drought in the Murray-Darling river basin and the early 2011 floods in North-Western Australia.

Carabajal, Claudia C.↗

An Extended View of Ozone and Chemistry in the Atmosphere of Mars

We present an ongoing effort to characterize chemistry in Mars' atmosphere in multiple seasons on timescales longer than spaceflight missions through coordinated efforts by GSFC's HIPWAC spectrometer and Mars Express SPICAM, archival measurements, and tests/application of photochemical models. The trace species ozone (03) is an effective probe of Mars' atmospheric chemistry because it is destroyed by odd-hydrogen species (HOx, from water vapor photolysis). Observed ozone is a critical test for specific predictions by 3-D photochemical models (spatial, diurnal, seasonal). Coordinated measurements by HIPWAC and SPICAM quantitatively linked mission data to the 23-year GSFC ozone data record and also revealed unanticipated inter-decadal variability of same-season ozone abundances, a possible indicator of changing cloud activity (heterogeneous sink for HOx). A detailed study of long-term conditions is critical to characterizing the predictability of Mars' seasonal chemical behavior, particularly in light of the implications of and the lack of explanation for reported methane behavior.

Smith, Ramsey L.↗

An Extended View of Mars Ozone

We present an ongoing effort to characterize chemistry in Mars' atmosphere in multiple seasons on timescales longer than flight missions through coordinated efforts by GSFC's HIPWAC spectrometer and Mars Express SPICAM, archival measurements, and tests/application of photochemical models. The trace species ozone (O3) is an effective probe of atmospheric chemistry because it is destroyed by chemically active odd hydrogen species (HO(sub x)) that result from water vapor photolysis. Observed ozone abundance on Mars is a critical test for three-dimensional photochemistry coupled general circulation models (GCM) that make specific predictions for the spatial, diurnal, and seasonal behavior of ozone and related chemistry and climatological conditions. Coordinated measurements by HIPWAC and SPICAM quantitatively linked mission data to the 23-year GSFC ozone data record and also revealed unanticipated inter-decadal variability of same-season ozone abundances, a possible indicator of changing cloud activity (heterogeneous sink for HO(sub x)). A detailed study of long-term conditions is critical to characterizing the predictability of Mars' seasonal chemical behavior, particularly in light of the implications of and the lack of explanation for reported methane behavior.

Fast, Kelly↗

Real-Time Projection to Verify Plan Success During Execution

The Mission Data System provides a framework for modeling complex systems in terms of system behaviors and goals that express intent. Complex activity plans can be represented as goal networks that express the coordination of goals on different state variables of the system. Real-time projection extends the ability of this system to verify plan achievability (all goals can be satisfied over the entire plan) into the execution domain so that the system is able to continuously re-verify a plan as it is executed, and as the states of the system change in response to goals and the environment. Previous versions were able to detect and respond to goal violations when they actually occur during execution. This new capability enables the prediction of future goal failures; specifically, goals that were previously found to be achievable but are no longer achievable due to unanticipated faults or environmental conditions. Early detection of such situations enables operators or an autonomous fault response capability to deal with the problem at a point that maximizes the available options. For example, this system has been applied to the problem of managing battery energy on a lunar rover as it is used to explore the Moon. Astronauts drive the rover to waypoints and conduct science observations according to a plan that is scheduled and verified to be achievable with the energy resources available. As the astronauts execute this plan, the system uses this new capability to continuously re-verify the plan as energy is consumed to ensure that the battery will never be depleted below safe levels across the entire plan.

Wagner, David A.↗