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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2015

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Microbial Swab Tool

When we send humans to search for life on Mars, we'll need to know what we brought with us versus what may already be there. To ensure our crewed spacecraft meet planetary protection requirements--and to protect our science from human contamination--we'll need to know whether micro-organisms are leaking/venting from our ships and spacesuits. This is easily done by swabbing external vents and surfaces for analysis, but there was no US EVA tool for that job. NASA engineers developed an EVA-compatible swab tool that can be used to collect data on current hardware, which will influence eventual Mars life support and EVA hardware designs.

Rucker, Michelle↗
NASA NTRS2018

A Novel Reconfigurable GaN Based Fully Solid-State Microwave Power Module for Communications/Radar Applications

The paper presents the design, integration, and performance of a novel S-/X-band, GaN based, fully solid-state microwave power module (SSMPM). The SSMPM includes diplexers, pre-amplifiers, a multi-stage medium power amplifier, SPDT switches, and CW/Pulsed high-power amplifiers. These components are synergistically integrated such that a single SSMPM is capable of being dynamically reconfigured to function as a S-/X-band amplifier for TT&C/telecommunications for command/science date downlink and radar for remote sensing onboard a planetary exploration spacecraft. The SSMPM is capable of delivering Psat of 39.5 dBm (~10 W CW) at S-band, Psat of 46.7 dBm (~45 W CW) at X-band, and Psat of 51.2 dBm (~122 W Pulsed) at X-band.

Microwave Amplifier↗
NASA NTRS2016

A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight

In the nearly 60 years of spaceflight we have accomplished wonderful feats of exploration that have shown the incredible spirit of the human drive to explore and understand our universe. Yet in those 60 years we have barely left our solar system with the Voyager 1 spacecraft launched in 1977 finally leaving the solar system after 37 years of flight at a speed of 17 km/s or less than 0.006% the speed of light. As remarkable as this is we will never reach even the nearest stars with our current propulsion technology in even 10 millennium. We have to radically rethink our strategy or give up our dreams of reaching the stars, or wait for technology that does not currently exist. While we all dream of human spaceflight to the stars in a way romanticized in books and movies, it is not within our power to do so, nor it is clear that this is the path we should choose. We posit a technological path forward, that while not simple, it is within our technological reach. We propose a roadmap to a program that will lead to sending relativistic probes to the nearest stars and will open up a vast array of possibilities of flight both within our solar system and far beyond. Spacecraft from gram level complete spacecraft on a wafer ("wafersats") that reach more than _ c and reach the nearest star in 20 years to spacecraft with masses more than 105 kg (100 tons) that can reach speeds of greater than 1000 km/s. These systems can be propelled to speeds currently unimaginable with existing propulsion technologies. To do so requires a fundamental change in our thinking of both propulsion and in many cases what a spacecraft is. In addition to larger spacecraft, some capable of transporting humans, we consider functional spacecraft on a wafer, including integrated optical communications, imaging systems, photon thrusters, power and sensors combined with directed energy propulsion. The costs can be amortized over a very large number of missions beyond relativistic spacecraft as such planetary defense, beamed energy for distant spacecraft, sending power back to Earth, stand-off composition analysis of solar system targets, long range laser communications, SETI searches and even terra forming. The human factor of exploring the nearest stars and exo-planets would be a profound voyage for humanity, one whose non-scientific implications would be enormous. It is time to begin this inevitable journey far beyond our home.

Interstellar Flight↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Novel Reconfigurable GaN Based Fully Solid-State Microwave Power Module for Communications/Radar Applications

The paper presents as a proof-of-concept (POC) the design, integration, and performance of a novel reconfigurableS-/X-band, GaN based, fully solid-state microwave power module (SSMPM) to enable miniaturization of the overall RFsystem. The SSMPM includes diplexers, pre-amplifiers, a multistage medium power amplifier, SPDT switches, andCW/Pulsed high-power amplifiers. These components are synergistically integrated such that a single SSMPM is capable of being dynamically reconfigured to function as a CW S-/X-band amplifier for TT&C/science data downlink and as a pulsed X-band amplifier for remote sensing radar onboard a planetary exploration spacecraft. The POC SSMPM is capable of delivering Psat of 39 dBm (8 W CW) at S-band, P(sub sat) of 46 dBm (40 W CW) at X-band, and P(sub sat) of >50 dBm (>100 W Pulsed) at X-band.

Simons, Rainee N.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Multi-Band and Multi-Function Reconfigurable Gallium Nitride Based Fully Solid-State Microwave Power Module for Cognitive Radio/Radar Platforms

This paper presents as a proof-of-concept (POC) the design, integration, and performance of a novel reconfigurable S-/X-band Gallium Nitride (GaN) based fully solid-state microwave power module (SSMPM) for the role as the transmit module in a cognitive radio (CR). The SSMPM synergistically integrates multiple amplifiers through diplexing and high power switches to enable a single SSMPM capable of functioning as both S-/X-band amplifiers for telemetry, tracking, and command (TT&C), telecommunications, and science data downlink or as X-band radar for proximity sensing onboard a planetary exploration spacecraft. Integration of an electric field shaping field plate (FP) onto the GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) in this SSMPM provides increased performance and reliability for operation in the harsh conditions of space. This SSMPM is capable of delivering saturated power (Psat) of 39 dBm (8 W continuous wave (CW)) at S-band, P(sub sat) of 43 dBm (20 W CW) at X-band, and P(sub sat) of >50 dBm (>100 W Pulsed) at X-band.

Simons, Rainee N.↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Roadmap to Interstellar Flight

In the nearly 60 years of spaceflight we have accomplished wonderful feats of exploration that have shown the incredible spirit of the human drive to explore and understand our universe. Yet in those 60 years we have barely left our solar system with the Voyager 1 spacecraft launched in 1977 finally leaving the solar system after 37 years of flight at a speed of 17 km/s or less than 0.006% the speed of light. As remarkable as this, to reach even the nearest stars with our current propulsion technology will take 100 millennium. We have to radically rethink our strategy or give up our dreams of reaching the stars, or wait for technology that does not currently exist. While we all dream of human spaceflight to the stars in a way romanticized in books and movies, it is not within our power to do so, nor it is clear that this is the path we should choose. We posit a path forward, that while not simple, it is within our technological reach. We propose a roadmap to a program that will lead to sending relativistic probes to the nearest stars and will open up a vast array of possibilities of flight both within our solar system and far beyond. Spacecraft from gram level complete spacecraft on a wafer (“wafersats”) that reach more than ¼ c and reach the nearest star in 20 years to spacecraft with masses more than 105 kg (100 tons) that can reach speeds of greater than 1000 km/s. These systems can be propelled to speeds currently unimaginable with existing propulsion technologies. To do so requires a fundamental change in our thinking of both propulsion and in many cases what a spacecraft is. In addition to larger spacecraft, some capable of transporting humans, we consider functional spacecraft on a wafer, including integrated optical communications, imaging systems, photon thrusters, power and sensors combined with directed energy propulsion. The costs can be amortized over a very large number of missions beyond relativistic spacecraft as such planetary defense, beamed energy for distant spacecraft, sending power back to Earth, stand-off composition analysis of solar system targets, long range laser communications, SETI searches and even terra forming. The human factor of exploring the nearest stars and exo-planets would be a profound voyage for humanity, one whose non-scientific implications would be enormous. It is time to begin this inevitable journey far beyond our home.

Lubin, Philip↗
NASA NTRS2012

Radiation tests of highly scaled, high-density, commercial, nonvolatile NAND flash memories— update 2012

The space radiation environment poses a certain risk to all electronic components on Earth-orbiting and planetary mission spacecraft. In recent years, there has been increased interest in the use of high-density, commercial, nonvolatile flash memories in space because of ever-increasing data volumes and strict power requirements. They are used in a wide variety of spacecraft subsystems. At one end of the spectrum, flash memories are used to store small amounts of mission-critical data such as boot code or configuration files and, at the other end, they are used to construct multi-gigabyte data recorders that record mission science data. This report examines single-event effect (SEE) and total ionizing dose (TID) response in single-level cell (SLC) 32-Gb, multi-level cell (MLC) 64-Gb, and Triple-level (TLC) 64-Gb NAND flash memories manufactured by Micron Technology with feature size of 25 nm.

Allen, Gregory R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

New Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) Lift Concept for More Efficient Missions to Mars and Neptune

The potential for using an applied magnetic field to augment the aerodynamic lift and drag of a hypersonic vehicle entering Neptune or Mars was studied. The study was conducted to assess whether magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)could boost aerodynamic lift and/or drag for aerocapture of a spacecraft into planetary orbit. MHD seemed well suited to create Lorentz forces during aerocapture when the flow is most ionized and conductive. Neptune and Mars were selected since larger payloads and faster trip times to each planet may substantially increase scientific and exploration opportunities. The results of the systems analysis presented herein suggest that a single MHD effector located off-centerline creates steering forces equaling whole-body aerodynamic forces and suggests a ground-breaking opportunity for new mission classes. The magnetic field required to produce these large forces is around 1 Tesla (T) having a mass roughly the same amount as the ballast used for recent Mars lander missions.

Aerocapture↗
NASA NTRS2022

NASA’s Lunar Trailblazer Mission: A Pioneering Small Satellite for Lunar Water and Lunar Geology

Selected in 2019 as a NASA SIMPLEx mission, Lunar Trailblazer is in implementation for flight system delivery at the end of 2022. The mission’s goal is to understand the form, abundance, and distribution of water on the Moon and the lunar water cycle. Lunar Trailblazer also collects data of candidate landing sites to inform planning for future human and robotic exploration of the Moon and evaluate the potential for in situ resource utilization. Lunar Trailblazer’s two science instruments, the High-resolution Volatiles and Minerals Moon Mapper (HVM3) and the Lunar Thermal Mapper (LTM) provide simultaneous high-resolution spectral imaging data to map OH/water, crustal composition, and thermophysical properties from a 100±30 km lunar polar orbit. The ~210-kg flight system deploys from an ESPA Grande and utilizes a ~1000 m/s ΔV hydrazine chemical propulsion system, similar to that employed by GRAIL. Trailblazing elements include the novel state-of-the-art dataset collected at substantially reduced price point, fully geographically co-registered data products delivered to the Planetary Data System, planetary mission team demographics, Caltech campus mission operations, and student staffing of select mission ops roles. Lunar Trailblazer’s pioneering development is providing key lessons learned for future planetary small spacecraft.

Zareh, Shannon↗
NASA NTRS1993

Onboard Signal Processing: Wave of the Future for Planetary Radio Science?

Future spacecraft-based radio observations of planetary surfaces, rings, and atmospheres could significantly benefit from recent technological advances in real-time digital signal processing (DSP) hardware. Traditionally, the radio observations have been carried out in a 'down link' configuration in which about 20-W spacecraft transmitted RF power illuminates the target of interest and the perturbed signal is collected at an Earth receiving station. The down link configuration was dictated by the large throughput of received data, corresponding to a relatively large recording band width (about 50 kHz) needed to capture the coherent and scattered signal components in the presence of trajectory, ephemeris, and measurement uncertainties. An alternative 'up link' configuration in which powerful Earth-based radio transmitters (20-200 kW) are used to illuminate the target and data are recorded on board a spacecraft could enhance the measurements' signal-to-noise ratio by a factor of about 1000, allowing a quantum leap in scientific capabilities. Various aspects of alternative signal processing technologies are discussed.

Marouf, E. A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Information content of interferometric delay-rate measurements for planetary orbiter navigation

Spacecraft such as Magellan and Mars Observer will use earth-based interferometric delay-rate tracking to meet their navigation requirements. Examples of methods used to implement these measurements are Differenced One-Way Doppler, delta-Differenced One-Way Doppler, and Two-Way Minus Three-Way Doppler. These measurements have a greater capability to observe certain orbital elements than that possessed by two-way Doppler, which has been the sole data type used in all U.S. planetary orbiter missions to date. In this paper, an approximate analytic model is developed for delay-rate measurements, as a function of classical orbital elements. The resulting expressions are used to show how the information content of these data types varies with orbit size, shape, and orientation. Comparison is made with the information content of Doppler data, using orbital element sets derived from the Magellan and Mars Observer missions. Results indicate that navigation accuracy improvements obtained by augmenting Doppler data with delay-rate measurements are greatest for spacecraft in low-altitude circular orbits; but decrease steadily for orbits of progressively greater size and eccentricity. The differences in Doppler-only and Doppler plus delay-rate orbit determination accuracies were also found to be highly dependent on Doppler measurement accuracy.

Thurman, Sam W.↗
NASA NTRS1962

Aerodynamic Heating and Deceleration During Entry into Planetary Atmospheres

Dr. Chapman's lecture examines the physics behind spacecraft entry into planetary atmospheres. He explains how scientists determine if a planet has an atmosphere and how scientists can compute deceleration when the atmospheric conditions are unknown. Symbols and equations used for calculations for aerodynamic heating and deceleration are provided. He also explains heat transfer in bodies approaching an atmosphere, deceleration, and the use of ablation in protecting spacecraft from high temperatures during atmospheric entry.

Chapman, Dean R.↗