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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 487 records · Page 27
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NASA NTRS2008

Semi-Automated Diagnosis, Repair, and Rework of Spacecraft Electronics

NASA's Constellation Program for Exploration of the Moon and Mars places human crews in extreme isolation in resource scarce environments. Near Earth, the discontinuation of Space Shuttle flights after 2010 will alter the up- and down-mass capacity for the International Space Station (ISS). NASA is considering new options for logistics support strategies for future missions. Aerospace systems are often composed of replaceable modular blocks that minimize the need for complex service operations in the field. Such a strategy however, implies a robust and responsive logistics infrastructure with relatively low transportation costs. The modular Orbital Replacement Units (ORU) used for ISS requires relatively large blocks of replacement hardware even though the actual failed component may really be three orders of magnitude smaller. The ability to perform in-situ repair of electronics circuits at the component level can dramatically reduce the scale of spares and related logistics cost. This ability also reduces mission risk, increases crew independence and improves the overall supportability of the program. The Component-Level Electronics Assembly Repair (CLEAR) task under the NASA Supportability program was established to demonstrate the practicality of repair by first investigating widely used soldering materials and processes (M&P) performed by modest manual means. The work will result in program guidelines for performing manual repairs along with design guidance for circuit reparability. The next phase of CLEAR recognizes that manual repair has its limitations and some highly integrated devices are extremely difficult to handle and demand semi-automated equipment. Further, electronics repairs require a broad range of diagnostic capability to isolate the faulty components. Finally repairs must pass functional tests to determine that the repairs are successful and the circuit can be returned to service. To prevent equipment demands from exceeding spacecraft volume capacity and skill demands from exceeding crew time and training limits, the CLEAR project is examining options provided by non-real time tele-operations, robotics, and a new generation of diagnostic equipment. This paper outlines a strategy to create an effective repair environment where, with the support of ground based engineers, crewmembers can diagnose, repair and test flight electronics in-situ. This paper also discusses the implications of successful tele-robotic repairs when expanded to rework and reconfiguration of used flight assets for building Constellation infrastructure elements.

Struk, Peter M.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Environmental Control and Life Support Technology Development for Exploration: 2020 to 2021 Overview

This paper provides an overview of NASA supported activities developing Environmental Control and Life Support (ECLSS) technologies in the following capability areas: life support, environmental monitoring, fire safety, and logistics. NASA has been refining technology needs for deep space missions including Gateway, lunar surface, Mars transit, and Mars surface missions. Validating technologies in relevant environments, both in low earth orbit (LEO) and ground tests is critical in understanding technology performance and long duration performance. On-orbit and ground tests inform NASA’s technology decisions to fill exploration gaps. NASA has multiple technology projects across the technology readiness spectrum with potential to fill or partially fill exploration gaps. For each capability area, this paper will describe select capability gaps, NASA technology project maturation over the past year, and key performance parameters (KPPs). KPPs are evolving but they still provide a useful measure in communicating progress and identifying development needs to fill exploration gaps. The intent is to provide a very high-level overview describing the projects that are supporting gap closure and provide references to additional technical details, progress, and KPPs.

James Lee Broyan↗
NASA NTRS2024

Synthetic Biology to Support Human Exploration of Deep Space

The International Space Station (ISS) has enabled a continuous human presence in space since November 2000. The ISS is in low Earth orbit, facilitating regular resupply missions to deliver air, water, food, spare parts, and science experiments. NASA’s Moon to Mars campaign seeks to return humans to the Moon and prepare for crewed missions to Mars. Increased distance from Earth poses logistical challenges to provide all resources needed by humans for deep space missions. NASA Ames Research Center is conducting a series of synthetic biology projects to test the use of microbes for on-demand biosynthesis of human micronutrients. The BioNutrients spaceflight experiments test an implementation concept to produce fermented food products in which microbe growth enhances micronutrient content. On-demand production of carotenoids was engineered into two yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) strains that have been tested in nearly 5 years of storage. One of the BioNutrients strains will be incorporated into the Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications (LEIA) project. LEIA is developing an instrument suite to be delivered to the lunar south pole region by the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. The LEIA instrument suite will be used to measure multiple yeast strains for growth, metabolic activity, and synthetic biology-enabled production of carotenoids, while taking real time measurements of biologically relevant radiation exposure on the lunar surface. LEIA data will be used to assess the impact of lunar surface radiation and reduced gravity on the production of engineered traits.

Synthetic Biology↗
NASA NTRS2005

STS-114: Discovery Mission Status/Post MMT Briefing

Bob Castle, Mission Operations Representative, and Wayne Hale, Space Shuttle Deputy Program Manager are seen during a post Mission Management Team (MMT) briefing. Bob Castle talks about the Multi-Purpose Logistics Module (MPLM) payload and its readiness for unberthing. Wayne Hale presents pictures of the Space Shuttle Thermal Blanket, Wind Tunnel Tests, and Space Shuttle Blanket Pre and Post Tests. Questions from the news media about the Thermal Protection System after undocking and re-entry of the Space Shuttle Discovery, and lessons learned are addressed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Suborbital Testing of the OSCAR Trash-to-Gas System

With the sustained human exploration of nearby celestial bodies on the horizon, a renewed outlook on crew waste management must be realized. Current waste management strategies aboard the International Space Station become impractical as we venture beyond low Earth orbit. Furthermore, for future exploration missions, extracting resources from various waste streams becomes increasingly advantageous. One method of combatting the long-duration waste management problem is by thermally degrading solid and liquid crew waste items into a chemically inert, ventable gas stream, a process known as Trash-to-Gas. The Orbital Syngas/Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) is the state-of-the-art Trash-to-Gas system which has been designed to explore microgravity Trash-to-Gas concepts for improved mass/volume reduction and resource recovery from waste. OSCAR is a subscale testbed design that supports the NASA Logistics Reduction project under the Advanced Exploration Systems Program and Space Technology Mission Directorate Flight Opportunities Program to determine the feasibility of Trash-to-Gas technology for future use on long duration space missions. OSCAR has flown on two suborbital flight demonstrations aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard launch vehicle. This paper presents a high-level comparative analysis of these microgravity test campaigns with Earth gravity laboratory experiments. Solid-to-gas conversion, gas production & composition, and reactor temperature & pressure are compared to highlight the operational factors and performance differences within the microgravity environment for future optimization.

Ray P Pitts↗
NASA NTRS1990

Spaceport operations for deep space missions

Space Station Freedom is designed with the capability to cost-effectively evolve into a transportation node which can support manned lunar and Mars missions. To extend a permanent human presence to the outer planets (moon outposts) and to nearby star systems, additional orbiting space infrastructure and great advances in propulsion system and other technologies will be required. To identify primary operations and management requirements for these deep space missions, an interstellar design concept was developed and analyzed. The assembly, test, servicing, logistics resupply, and increment management techniques anticipated for lunar and Mars missions appear to provide a pattern which can be extended in an analogous manner to deep space missions. A long range, space infrastructure development plan (encompassing deep space missions) coupled with energetic, breakthrough level propulsion research should be initiated now to assist in making the best budget and schedule decisions.

Holt, Alan C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

The Columbus logistics support at the APMC: Requirements and implementation aspects

This paper focuses on the logistics support to be provided by the APM Center (APMC). Among the Columbus ground infrastructures, this center is tasked to provide logistics, sustaining engineering and P/L integration support to the ongoing missions of the APM, i.e. the Columbus Laboratory attached to the Freedom Space Station. The following is illustrated: an analysis of the requirements that are levied on the logistics support of the APM; how such requirements are reflected in the corresponding support to be available on-ground and at APMC; the functional components of the APMC logistics support and how such components interact each other; how the logistics support function interfaces with the other functions of the ground support; and how the logistics support is being designed in terms of resources (such as hardware, data bases, etc.). Emphasis is given to the data handling aspects and to the related data bases that will constitute for the logistics activities the fundamental source of information during the APM planned lifetime. Functional and physical architectures, together with trades for possible implementation, are addressed. Commonalities with other centers are taken into account and recommendations are made for possible reuse of tools already developed in the C/D phase. Finally, programmatic considerations are discussed for the actual implementation of the center.

Canu, C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Photonic Component Qualification and Implementation Activities at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The photonics group in Code 562 at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center supports a variety of space flight programs at NASA including the: International Space Station (ISS), Shuttle Return to Flight Mission, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), Express Logistics Carrier, and the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program (NEPP). Through research, development, and testing of the photonic systems to support these missions much information has been gathered on practical implementations for space environments. Presented here are the highlights and lessons learned as a result of striving to satisfy the project requirements for high performance and reliable commercial optical fiber components for space flight systems. The approach of how to qualify optical fiber components for harsh environmental conditions, the physics of failure and development lessons learned will be discussed.

Ott, Melanie N.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Systems Analysis and Structural Design of an Unpressurized Cargo Delivery Vehicle

The International Space Station will require a continuous supply of replacement parts for ongoing maintenance and repair after the planned retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2010. These parts are existing line-replaceable items collectively called Orbital Replacement Units, and include heavy and oversized items such as Control Moment Gyroscopes and stowed radiator arrays originally intended for delivery aboard the Space Shuttle. Current resupply spacecraft have limited to no capability to deliver these external logistics. In support of NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture Study, a team at Langley Research Center designed an Unpressurized Cargo Delivery Vehicle to deliver bulk cargo to the Space Station. The Unpressurized Cargo Delivery Vehicle was required to deliver at least 13,200 lbs of cargo mounted on at least 18 Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanisms. The Crew Launch Vehicle design recommended in the Exploration Systems Architecture Study would be used to launch one annual resupply flight to the International Space Station. The baseline vehicle design developed here has a cargo capacity of 16,000 lbs mounted on up to 20 Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanisms. Major vehicle components are a 5.5m-diameter cargo module containing two detachable cargo pallets with the payload, a Service Module to provide propulsion and power, and an aerodynamic nose cone. To reduce cost and risk, the Service Module is identical to the one used for the Crew Exploration Vehicle design.

Wu, K. Chauncey↗
NASA NTRS2012

TPSAS-NF1676L-13680-DND

The International Space Station will require a continuous supply of replacement parts for ongoing maintenance and repair after the retirement of the Space Shuttle. These parts, existing line-replaceable items collectively called Orbital Replacement Units, include heavy and oversized items such as Control Moment Gyroscopes and stowed radiator arrays originally intended for delivery aboard the Space Shuttle. Current resupply spacecraft have limited to no capability to deliver these external logistics. In support of NASA?s Exploration Systems Architecture Study, a team at Langley Research Center designed an Unpressurized Cargo Delivery Vehicle to deliver bulk cargo to the Space Station. The Unpressurized Cargo Delivery Vehicle was required to deliver at least 13,200 lb of cargo mounted on at least 18 Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanisms. The baseline vehicle design developed here has a cargo capacity of 16,000 lbs mounted on up to 20 Flight Releasable Attachment Mechanisms. Major vehicle components are a 5.5m-diameter cargo module containing two detachable cargo pallets with the payload, a Service Module to provide propulsion and power, and an aerodynamic nose cone. To reduce cost and risk, the Service Module is identical to the one used for the Crew Exploration Vehicle design. The Crew Launch Vehicle design recommended in the Exploration Systems Architecture Study was used to launch one annual resupply flight to the International Space Station.

K Chauncey Wu↗
NASA NTRS2014

Advanced Space Surface Systems Operations

The importance of advanced surface systems is becoming increasingly relevant in the modern age of space technology. Specifically, projects pursued by the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations (GMRO) Lab are unparalleled in the field of planetary resourcefulness. This internship opportunity involved projects that support properly utilizing natural resources from other celestial bodies. Beginning with the tele-robotic workstation, mechanical upgrades were necessary to consider for specific portions of the workstation consoles and successfully designed in concept. This would provide more means for innovation and creativity concerning advanced robotic operations. Project RASSOR is a regolith excavator robot whose primary objective is to mine, store, and dump regolith efficiently on other planetary surfaces. Mechanical adjustments were made to improve this robot's functionality, although there were some minor system changes left to perform before the opportunity ended. On the topic of excavator robots, the notes taken by the GMRO staff during the 2013 and 2014 Robotic Mining Competitions were effectively organized and analyzed for logistical purposes. Lessons learned from these annual competitions at Kennedy Space Center are greatly influential to the GMRO engineers and roboticists. Another project that GMRO staff support is Project Morpheus. Support for this project included successfully producing mathematical models of the eroded landing pad surface for the vertical testbed vehicle to predict a timeline for pad reparation. And finally, the last project this opportunity made contribution to was Project Neo, a project exterior to GMRO Lab projects, which focuses on rocket propulsion systems. Additions were successfully installed to the support structure of an original vertical testbed rocket engine, thus making progress towards futuristic test firings in which data will be analyzed by students affiliated with Rocket University. Each project will be explained in further detail, as well as the full scope of the contributions made during this opportunity.

Robotics↗
NASA NTRS2017

Integrated Systems Health Management for Sustainable Habitats (Using Sustainability Base as a Testbed)

Habitation systems provide a safe place for astronauts to live and work in space and on planetary surfaces. They enable crews to live and work safely in deep space, and include integrated life support systems, radiation protection, fire safety, and systems to reduce logistics and the need for resupply missions. Innovative health management technologies are needed in order to increase the safety and mission-effectiveness for future space habitats on other planets, asteroids, or lunar surfaces. For example, off-nominal or failure conditions occurring in safety-critical life support systems may need to be addressed quickly by the habitat crew without extensive technical support from Earth due to communication delays. If the crew in the habitat must manage, plan and operate much of the mission themselves, operations support must be migrated from Earth to the habitat. Enabling monitoring, tracking, and management capabilities on-board the habitat and related EVA platforms for a small crew to use will require significant automation and decision support software.Traditional caution and warning systems are typically triggered by out-of-bounds sensor values, but can be enhanced by including machine learning and data mining techniques. These methods aim to reveal latent, unknown conditions while still retaining and improving the ability to provide highly accurate alerts for known issues. A few of these techniques will briefly described, along with performance targets for known faults and failures. Specific system health management capabilities required for habitat system elements (environmental control and life support systems, etc.) may include relevant subsystems such as water recycling systems, photovoltaic systems, electrical power systems, and environmental monitoring systems. Sustainability Base, the agency's flagship LEED-platinum certified green building acts as a living laboratory for testing advanced information and sustainable technologies that provides an opportunity to test novel machine learning and controls capabilities. In this talk, key features of Sustainability Base that make it relevant to deep space habitat technology and its use of these kinds of subsystems previously listed will be presented. The fact that all such systems require less power to support human occupancy can be used as a focal point to serve as a testbed for deep space habitats that will need to operate within finite energy budgets.

Systems Health Management↗
NASA NTRS1994

Development of Japanese experiment module remote manipulator system

National Space Development Agency of Japan (NASDA) is developing the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM), as its contribution to the International Space Station. The JEM consists of the pressurized module (PM), the exposed facility (EF), the experiment logistics module pressurized section (ELM-PS), the experiment logistics module exposed section (ELM-ES) and the Remote Manipulator System (RMS). The JEMRMS services for the JEM EF, which is a space experiment platform, consists of the Main Arm (MA), the Small Fine Arm (SFA) and the RMS console. The MA handles the JEM EF payloads, the SFA and the JEM element, such as ELM-ES.

Matsueda, Tatsuo↗
NASA NTRS1993

Space Station technology testbed: 2010 deep space transport

A space station in a crew-tended or permanently crewed configuration will provide major R&D opportunities for innovative, technology and materials development and advanced space systems testing. A space station should be designed with the basic infrastructure elements required to grow into a major systems technology testbed. This space-based technology testbed can and should be used to support the development of technologies required to expand our utilization of near-Earth space, the Moon and the Earth-to-Jupiter region of the Solar System. Space station support of advanced technology and materials development will result in new techniques for high priority scientific research and the knowledge and R&D base needed for the development of major, new commercial product thrusts. To illustrate the technology testbed potential of a space station and to point the way to a bold, innovative approach to advanced space systems' development, a hypothetical deep space transport development and test plan is described. Key deep space transport R&D activities are described would lead to the readiness certification of an advanced, reusable interplanetary transport capable of supporting eight crewmembers or more. With the support of a focused and highly motivated, multi-agency ground R&D program, a deep space transport of this type could be assembled and tested by 2010. Key R&D activities on a space station would include: (1) experimental research investigating the microgravity assisted, restructuring of micro-engineered, materials (to develop and verify the in-space and in-situ 'tuning' of materials for use in debris and radiation shielding and other protective systems), (2) exposure of microengineered materials to the space environment for passive and operational performance tests (to develop in-situ maintenance and repair techniques and to support the development, enhancement, and implementation of protective systems, data and bio-processing systems, and virtual reality and telepresence/kinetic processes), (3) subsystem tests of advanced nuclear power, nuclear propulsion and communication systems (using boom extensions, remote station-keeping platforms and mobile EVA crew and robots), and (4) logistics support (crew and equipment) and command and control of deep space transport assembly, maintenance, and refueling (using a station-keeping platform).

Holt, Alan C.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Earth Observatory Satellite system definition study. Report no. 6: Space shuttle interfaces/utilization

The impacts of achieving compatibility of the Earth Observatory Satellite (EOS) with the space shuttle and the potential benefits of space shuttle utilization are discussed. Mission requirements and mission suitability, including the effects of multiple spacecraft missions, are addressed for the full spectrum of the missions. Design impact is assessed primarily against Mission B, but unique requirements reflected by Mission A, B, and C are addressed. The preliminary results indicated that the resupply mission had the most pronounced impact on spacecraft design and cost. Program costs are developed for the design changes necessary to achieve EOS-B compatibility with Space Shuttle operations. Non-recurring and recurring unit costs are determined, including development, test, ground support and logistics, and integration efforts. Mission suitability is addressed in terms of performance, volume, and center of gravity compatibility with both space shuttle and conventional launch vehicle capabilities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1985

A home away from home

The role of the NASA-Marshall center in the development of the Space Station is discussed. The tasks of the center include the development of the life-support system; the design of the common module, which will form the basis for all pressurized Space Station modules; the design and outfit of a common module for the Material and Technology Laboratory (MTL) and logistics use; accommodations for operations of the Orbit Maneuvering Vehicle (OMV) and the Orbit Transfer Vehicle (OTV); and the Space Station propulsion system. A description of functions and design is given for each system, with particular emphasis on the goals of safety, efficiency, automation, and cost effectiveness.

Powell, L. E.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Airship logistics: The LTA vehicle; a total cargo system

Design considerations for logistics are dealt with as they pertain to the large rigid LTA vehicle as either a commercial or military cargo carrier. Pertinent factors discussed are: (1) the basic mission; (2) types of payload; (3) the payload space in regards to configuration and sizing, its capacity, and its loadability. A logistic capability comparison of selected cargo airships versus jumbo jets is also made.

Hackney, L. R. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 2: Concept document

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) concept document describes and establishes requirements for the functional performance of the SCS system, including interface, logistic, and qualification requirements. The SCS is the computational communications and display segment of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Payload Training Complex (PTC). The PTC is the MSFC facility that will train onboard and ground operations personnel to operate the payloads and experiments on board the international Space Station Freedom. The requirements to be satisfied by the system implementation are identified here. The SCS concept document defines the requirements to be satisfied through the implementation of the system capability. The information provides the operational basis for defining the requirements to be allocated to the system components and enables the system organization to assess whether or not the completed system complies with the requirements of the system.

Source record↗