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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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649 records · Page 29
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine C Oliver↗
NASA NTRS2026

Advanced Materials Testing Plan for the Space Suit Portable Life Support System

The Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) has a tight mass requirement to meet while also meeting other requirements for supporting a crewmember in space, on the Moon, or on Mars. To meet these requirements, atypical materials must be considered to close the mass budget allocations. However, many of these materials and processes are relatively new and untested. Therefore, initial analysis and testing of some new and advanced processes have been conducted following a roadmap presented last year. This material testing has focused primarily on thermoplastics, both additively manufactured and machined, to assess plating and fastening operations that will be required. These processes will provide additional strength and shielding capability typically only achieved with metallics. This testing has also helped to define a forward plan to certify these materials and processes for critical spaceflight applications. This report will review testing plated thermoplastics both for strength and thermal properties. It will also review fastener and fastening options and look at insert and fastener testing. It will also review state-of-the-art methods being considered elsewhere and some additional testing being conducted. Using the testing results researched here, there will be recommendations on applications for each of these types of methods going forward.

Ryan Ogilvie↗
NASA NTRS2026

Advanced Materials Testing Plan for the Space Suit Portable Life Support System

The Space Suit Portable Life Support System (PLSS) has a tight mass requirement to meet while also meeting other requirements for supporting a crewmember in space, on the Moon, or on Mars. To meet these requirements, atypical materials must be considered to close the mass budget allocations. However, many of these materials and processes are relatively new and untested. Therefore, initial analysis and testing of some new and advanced processes have been conducted following a roadmap presented last year. This material testing has focused primarily on thermoplastics, both additively manufactured and machined, to assess plating and fastening operations that will be required. These processes will provide additional strength and shielding capability typically only achieved with metallics. This testing has also helped to define a forward plan to certify these materials and processes for critical spaceflight applications. This report will review testing plated thermoplastics both for strength and thermal properties. It will also review fastener and fastening options and look at insert and fastener testing. It will also review state-of-the-art methods being considered elsewhere and some additional testing being conducted. Using the testing results researched here, there will be recommendations on applications for each of these types of methods going forward.

Ryan Ogilvie↗
NASA NTRS1977

The Soviet-American Conference on Cosmochemistry of the Moon and Planets: Part 1

The present volumes contain papers presented at the Soviet-American Conference on the Cosmochemistry of the Moon and Planets held in Moscow from the 4th to the 8th of June, 1974. The basic goal of the conference was consideration of the origin of the planets of the solar system, based on the physical and chemical data obtained by study of the material of the Moon and planets. Papers at the conference were presented in the following sessions: 1. Differentiation of the material of the Moon and planets 2. The thermal history of the Moon 3. Lunar gravitation and magnetism 4. Chronology of the Moon, planets, and meteorites 5. The role of exogenic factors in the formation of the lunar surface 6. Cosmochemical hypotheses about the origin and evolution of the Moon and planets 7. New data about the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Jupiter The results presented in the papers are of exceptional scientific interest since on the one hand they contain new knowledge about the matter of the Moon and planets, while on the other they summarize significant material accumulated during recent years as the result of spacecraft missions to the Moon, Venus, Mars, Mercury, and Jupiter.

Moon↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Cryogenic Fuel Aviation – Challenges and Opportunities

NASA aeronautics goals include pioneering new technology to increase efficiency and reduce emissions from air travel. The feasibility of using of on-board cryogenic fuels systems in combination with fuel cells, high efficiency engines, and electric motors for high efficiency commercial transport aircraft is being examined at NASA in collaborations with external partners. Growing emphasis on next generation air transportation resulted in the development of strategic investigations into cryogenic fuels aviation, including roadmaps for maturing new technologies, needs to improve testing and manufacturing capabilities, and the requirements for establishing regulatory and certification standards. A NASA cross-organizational multidisciplinary project team is exploring new aircraft architectures, enabling materials, and the engineering challenges associated with cryogenic fuels for aircraft. The engineering challenges include high performance cryogenic, thermal management, and power/propulsion components and subsystems to tackle the challenging problem of development of commercially viable aircraft that would radically transform air transportation.

liquid natural gas↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Technology Assessment and Modelling of Three Terminal Tandem Solar Cells for In-Space Utilization

NASA seeks a sustained human presence on the lunar surface. High-efficiency and resilient energy systems are critical to supporting habitats, scientific outposts, and lunar surface operations. Photovoltaics have long been the backbone of space power systems, transitioning from silicon solar cells to multi-junction III-V solar cells, which now dominate state-of-the-art (SOA) technology. Multi-junction cells achieve high efficiency by layering semiconductors, each absorbing a specific portion of the solar spectrum. However, efficiency gains are increasingly constrained by device physics and manufacturing complexity. Additionally, higher-order junctions pose challenges for accurate modelling and performance characterization due to difficulties in replicating the AM0 spectrum.

solar cells↗
NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO 2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO 2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO 2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO 2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO 2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO 2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine Oliver↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SuperHERO X-ray Telescope Balloon Mission

The SuperHERO hard X-ray telescope will observe extended sources at unprecedented imaging resolution, revealing the origins of non-thermal emission in extreme astrophysical environments. Employing NASA Marshall Space Flight Center’s replicated NiCo full-shell X-ray mirror technology to achieve better than 10-arcsecond half-power diameter (HPD) angular resolution on a balloon platform, SuperHERO consists of seven identical, co-aligned telescopes with a combined effective area of 45 cm² at 30 keV. SuperHERO was selected in the APRA 2023 call as a five-year mission, with an inaugural two-day flight scheduled from Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in the fall of 2028. For its initial target, SuperHERO will observe the Crab pulsar wind nebula, localizing hard X-ray emission. Mission development is currently underway, with updates and status to be provided in this presentation.

Nick Thomas↗
NASA NTRS2020

The Slow Demise of the Long-Lived Sn 2005ip

The Type IIn supernova (SN IIn) 2005ip is one of the most well-studied and long-lasting examples of an SN interacting with its circumstellar environment. The optical light curve plateaued at a nearly constant level for more than five years, suggesting ongoing shock interaction with an extended and clumpy circumstellar medium (CSM). Here, we present continued observations of the SN from ∼1000 to 5000 d post-explosion at all wavelengths, including X-ray, ultraviolet, near-infrared (NIR), and mid-infrared. The UV spectra probe the pre-explosion mass loss and show evidence for CNO processing. From the bolometric light curve, we find that the total radiated energy is in excess of 10 50 erg, the progenitor star’s pre-explosion mass-loss rate was >~ 1 × 10 −2 Mꙩ yr −1 , and the total mass lost shortly before explosion was >~1Mꙩ, though the mass lost could have been considerably larger depending on the efficiency for the conversion of kinetic energy to radiation. The ultraviolet through NIR spectrum is characterized by two high-density components, one with narrow high-ionization lines, and one with broader low-ionization H I, He I, [OI], Mg II, and Fe II lines. The rich Fe II spectrum is strongly affected by Lyα fluorescence, consistent with spectral modelling. Both the Balmer and He I lines indicate a decreasing CSM density during the late interaction period. We find similarities to SN 1988Z, which shows a comparable change in spectrum at around the same time during its very slow decline. These results suggest that, at long last, the shock interaction in SN 2005ip may finally be on the decline.

stars↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.

Cryocooler↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization Testing of a 20 Kelvin Cryocooler for Space Applications

Future NASA space exploration missions will require long-duration storage and liquefaction of cryogenic liquids, enabled by active cooling provided by cryocoolers. Recent gap analyses of Lunar and Mars transportation systems have identified 20 K-class cryocoolers as a critical enabling technology for chemical and nuclear thermal propulsion architectures using liquid hydrogen propellant. To address this technology gap, NASA has undergone the development of a high-efficiency, high-capacity 20 K cryocooler via an SBIR partnership with Creare. While the January 2025 testing demonstrated functionality and compliance with contractual requirements, the objective of the NASA-led characterization effort was to generate a dataset for supporting future mission designs across a broader operating envelope, including off-nominal conditions. The cryocooler demonstrated strong performance, achieving a peak coefficient of performance of 17.68% relative to Carnot efficiency and a maximum lift capacity of 24.4 W at 21 K. Overall, the results confirm that the 20 W 20 K cryocooler provides a flexible range of capabilities to enable zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen for future Lunar and Mars missions. The data collected provide a strong foundation for model validation and future system design efforts.

Zero boil-off↗
NASA NTRS2026

Decoupling Surface Topography from Gravitational Acceleration in Cryogenic Pool Boiling

Boiling heat transfer is governed by a complex interplay between surface conditions and gravitational acceleration. To isolate the sole effects of gravity, we investigated the pool boiling characteristics of liquid nitrogen on atomically smooth silicon dioxide (SiO 2 ) surfaces under terrestrial (1-g) and reduced gravity (0±0.02 g) conditions achieved via parabolic flight. Our results quantify a drastic reduction in the critical heat flux (CHF) in reduced gravity, decreasing from 16.15 W/cm 2 at 1-g to 5−6 W/cm 2 at μ-g due to the suppression of buoyancy. Conversely, we observed a distinct increase in the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) in the reduced gravity condition prior to CHF. By utilizing a surface with a maximum peak-to-valley height of ≈36.7 nm and low contact angle hysteresis (<10°), we confirm this HTC enhancement is an intrinsic response to the gravitational environment, decoupled from surface-defect-induced nucleation. These findings demonstrate that the influence of surface topography is significantly more prominent in reduced gravity than in terrestrial conditions, providing a critical baseline for rationalizing the design of cryogenic thermal management systems in space and quantum applications.

Liquid nitrogen↗
NASA NTRS1992

Long Duration Exposure Facility experiment M0003 deintegration observation database

The four trays of the M0003 materials experiment on LDEF contained 1274 samples from 19 subexperiments. The complete sample complement represented a broad range of materials, including thin film optical coatings, paints, polymer sheets and tapes, adhesives, and composites, for use in various spacecraft applications including thermal control, structures, optics, and solar power. Since some subexperiments included duplicate samples exposed on the leading and trailing edge trays, for 9 week, 19 week, 40 week, and 68 month durations on both the leading and trailing edges, comparisons provided a valuable time history of degradation. During the deintegration of the subexperiments from the M0003 trays, each sample was examined using bright field, dark field, and Normarski light microscopy techniques. Over 3,000 color macrographs and photomicrographs were made of the condition of M0003 trays and the individual samples. Records of the condition of the samples, photographic records, and all available references of publications on postflight analyses on each sample were collected in a database. The photographs provide a visual comparison of the response of materials common to various subexperiments in different LDEF environments. Aerospace Corporation is distributing the database records and photographs and written records on materials of interest from the database is given in this presentation.

S. R. Gyetvay↗
NASA NTRS1992

A computerized aircraft battery servicing facility

The latest upgrade to the Aerospace Energy Systems Laboratory (AESL) is described. The AESL is a distributed digital system consisting of a central system and battery servicing stations connected by a high-speed serial data bus. The entire system is located in two adjoining rooms; the bus length is approximately 100 ft. Each battery station contains a digital processor, data acquisition, floppy diskette data storage, and operator interfaces. The operator initiates a servicing task and thereafter the battery station monitors the progress of the task and terminates it at the appropriate time. The central system provides data archives, manages the data bus, and provides a timeshare interface for multiple users. The system also hosts software production tools for the battery stations and the central system.

Glover, Richard D.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA Talks: Earth to Mars in 3 Giant Leaps

“Earth to Mars in 3 Giant Leaps” will explain why, despite landing astronauts on the Moon more than 40 years ago, humanity has not yet sent people to Mars. Astronaut Dr. Stan Love will demonstrate that the challenge is not simply building bigger rockets, it is overcoming the immense engineering, logistical, and human obstacles required for a safe round-trip mission to the Red Planet. The first giant leap focuses on Low Earth Orbit, where the International Space Station serves as humanity's laboratory for living and working in space; the second giant leap revisits the Apollo missions to the Moon, illustrating the extraordinary amount of energy required to travel beyond Earth orbit; and the third and greatest leap explores human exploration of Mars.

Stan Love↗
NASA NTRS1992

Materials And Processes Technical Information System (MAPTIS) LDEF materials database

The Materials and Processes Technical Information System (MAPTIS) is a collection of materials data which was computerized and is available to engineers in the aerospace community involved in the design and development of spacecraft and related hardware. Consisting of various database segments, MAPTIS provides the user with information such as material properties, test data derived from tests specifically conducted for qualification of materials for use in space, verification and control, project management, material information, and various administrative requirements. A recent addition to the project management segment consists of materials data derived from the LDEF flight. This tremendous quantity of data consists of both pre-flight and post-flight data in such diverse areas as optical/thermal, mechanical and electrical properties, atomic concentration surface analysis data, as well as general data such as sample placement on the satellite, A-O flux, equivalent sun hours, etc. Each data point is referenced to the primary investigator(s) and the published paper from which the data was taken. The MAPTIS system is envisioned to become the central location for all LDEF materials data. This paper consists of multiple parts, comprising a general overview of the MAPTIS System and the types of data contained within, and the specific LDEF data element and the data contained in that segment.

John M. Davis↗
NASA NTRS1994

High Velocity Oxygen Fuel Spraying of Erosion and Wear Resistant Coatings on Jet Engine Parts

High velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) spraying is the most recent development in the field of thermal spraying. The importance of this technique for the repair and new part manufacturing of jet engine parts is rapidly increasing. The HVOF uses a supersonic oxygen-fuel flame to heat and accelerate the powder particles that form the coating. The high particle velocity results in a high density and a low porosity, a high bond strength, and a high macro and micro hardness of the coating. The high quality of the HVOF coatings makes it possible to use these coatings on high loaded, rotating parts in jet engines. This paper will highlight the use of HVOF processes to apply erosion resistant cermet coatings to high pressure compressor blades. These blades are exposed to severe erosion. Next to the D-gun process, HVOF spraying is the only nonproprietary technique that can be used to apply these high performance coatings. Also the use of the HVOF process to apply wear resistant coatings and superalloys to jet engine parts will be discussed. The difference between HVOF coatings and plasma sprayed coatings will be highlighted. During HVOF spraying, the parts are exposed to a high heat flow. Solutions to avoid overheating, especially of titanium parts, will be presented.

A T J Verbeek↗
NASA NTRS2026

Does the International Space Station Leak DNA? Preliminary Results from the ISS External Microorganisms Payload

Existing crewed spacecraft like the ISS (International Space Station) leak by design. The ISS routinely releases gas to maintain life support systems and when astronauts exit the station to perform space walks. The chemical component of this leakage is well characterized, but the biological components are not. The ISS is not subject to planetary protection requirements, but planned missions to Mars will use similar systems and will be subject to planetary protection requirements. If detectable microorganisms are escaping through vents and or airlocks we may need to redesign our crewed habitats to minimize this type of contamination. To test the hypothesis that microorganisms from inside ISS are detectable on exterior surfaces an astronaut used the ISS External Microorganisms sampling kit (Rucker et al. 2018) to sample exterior surfaces of the ISS during an EVA (Extra Vehicular Activity) in January of 2025. These samples were returned to Earth for DNA extraction and sequencing. We successfully, extracted and sequenced bacterial, fungal and viral DNA from these samples that was not present in the negative controls. These results should help NASA refine the planetary protection requirements for crewed missions. Methods: The samples were collected using sterile, DNA free, buccal swabs (23 mm. diameter) housed in custom canisters. Each canister uses a 0.2 μm Teflon filter to maintain sterility as the caddy, holding 8 swabs moves in and out of vacuum. The astronaut sampled the: 1) airlock vestibule, 2) airlock thermal cover, 3) a gap in the micrometeorite shielding near the airlock, 4) a handrail near the airlock, 5) the Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly vent, and 6) the Vacuum Exhaust System vent. The seventh swab was exposed to vacuum during the EVA without touching it to a surface. The eighth swab, a negative control, was not opened until the caddy returned to Earth. DNA was extracted from the swabs using a QIamp UCP Pathogen kit and prepared for sequencing on an Aviti (Element Biosciences) sequencer (Arslan et al. 2024). The resulting sequences were analyzed using the EDGE Bioinformatics platform (Li et al. 2017). The sequences were analyzed individually using tools like BLAST, GOTTCHA2, Kraken2, and PanGIA. The data were also assembled into metagenome assembled genomes) using tools like CONCOCT, MaxBin2 and MetaBAT2. Results: We successfully extracted and sequenced bacterial, archaeal, fungal and viral DNA from all seven samples. The handrail swab had the lowest number of reads (768,651) and the airlock thermal cover had the highest number of reads (8,819,230). These samples contain DNA from human associated bacteria (e.g. Crynebacterium riegelii ), fungi (.e.g. Penicillium rubens ), and viruses (e.g Alphapapillomavirus ). Conclusion: Preliminary interpretation suggest that the airlock and the space suits themselves are the largest sources of contaminant DNA. Most if not all of the DNA is from organisms known to be present inside the ISS. Vents attached to life support systems may be a lesser source of biological contamination. Further analysis should help NASA address planetary protection knowledge gaps for crewed missions.

Aaron B Regberg↗