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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 NTRS1975

Delineation of the boundaries of a buried pre-glacial valley with LANDSAT-1 data

The continuity of a narrow meandering strip of Udoll (prairie) soils running east and west for approximately 40 miles across north central Indiana in an area predominantly of Udalfs (timber soils) was detected from LANDSAT-1 data taken on June 9, 1973. This data was processed through a clustering procedure and classified with resulting increased definition of the boundaries among soils grouped according to nine categories and vegetation to two categories of reflectance. This dark stretch of prairie soil is believed to have formed in the heavy textured, poorly drained glacial debris which filled a major pre-glacial tributary of the Teays River System. Ready identification and location of the valley has significance to soil survey and land classification people as a guide to soil classification and land use and to geologists as a guide to location of a potentially economically significant aquifer.

Peterson, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2016

The Orion Exploration Flight Test Post Flight Solid Particle Flight Environment Inspection and Analysis

Orbital debris in the millimeter size range can pose a hazard to current and planned spacecraft due to the high relative impact speeds in Earth orbit. Fortunately, orbital debris has a relatively short life at lower altitudes due to atmospheric effects; however, at higher altitudes orbital debris can survive much longer and has resulted in a band of high flux around 700 to 1,500 km above the surface of the Earth. While large orbital debris objects are tracked via ground based observation, little information can be gathered about small particles except by returned surfaces, which until the Orion Exploration Flight Test number one (EFT-1), has only been possible for lower altitudes (400 to 500 km). The EFT-1 crew module backshell, which used a porous, ceramic tile system with surface coatings, has been inspected post-flight for potential micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) damage. This paper describes the pre- and post-flight activities of inspection, identification and analysis of six candidate MMOD impact craters from the EFT-1 mission.

Miller, Joshua E.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Establishment and Implementation of a Close Approach Evaluation and Avoidance Process for Earth Observing System Missions

In the fall of 2004, the Earth Science Mission Operations Project tasked the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSPC) Flight Dynamics Analysis Branch with establishment of a process to protect the high-value Earth Observing System (EOS) missions (Terra, Aqua, and Aura) from close approaches with space debris and other orbiting objects. An agreement between GSFC and the United States Strategic Command was put in place so that close approach predictions would be routinely generated. This paper describes the ESMO conjunction assessment process for the EOS satellites. Process details, including tools and algorithms developed, are discussed. Particular details for a predicted close approach between Terra and a piece of space debris that resulted in the execution of a debris avoidance maneuver are included. This close approach example is described in detail fiom the first screening identification through execution of the mitigation maneuver to illustrate both the process and lessons learned fiom its implementation.

Newman, Lauri↗
NASA NTRS2006

Comparison of Orbital Parameters for GEO Debris Predicted by LEGEND and Observed by MODEST: Can Sources of Orbital Debris be Identified?

Since 2002 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has carried out an optical survey of the debris environment in the geosynchronous Earth-orbit (GEO) region with the Michigan Orbital Debris Survey Telescope (MODEST) in Chile. The survey coverage has been similar for 4 of the 5 years allowing us to follow the orbital evolution of Correlated Targets (CTs), both controlled and un-controlled objects, and Un-Correlated Targets (UCTs). Under gravitational perturbations the distributions of uncontrolled objects, both CTs and UCTs, in GEO orbits will evolve in predictable patterns, particularly evident in the inclination and right ascension of the ascending node (RAAN) distributions. There are several clusters (others have used a "cloud" nomenclature) in observed distributions that show evolution from year to year in their inclination and ascending node elements. However, when MODEST is in survey mode (field-of-view approx.1.3deg) it provides only short 5-8 minute orbital arcs which can only be fit under the assumption of a circular orbit approximation (ACO) to determine the orbital parameters. These ACO elements are useful only in a statistical sense as dedicated observing runs would be required to obtain sufficient orbital coverage to determine a set of accurate orbital elements and then to follow their evolution. Identification of the source(s) for these "clusters of UCTs" would be advantageous to the overall definition of the GEO orbital debris environment. This paper will set out to determine if the ACO elements can be used to in a statistical sense to identify the source of the "clustering of UCTs" roughly centered on an inclination of 12deg and a RAAN of 345deg. The breakup of the Titan 3C-4 transtage on February 21, 1992 has been modeled using NASA s LEGEND (LEO-to-GEO Environment Debris) code to generate a GEO debris cloud. Breakup fragments are created based on the NASA Standard Breakup Model (including fragment size, area-to-mass (A/M), and delta-V distributions). Once fragments are created, they are propagated forward in time with a subroutine GEOPROP. Perturbations included in GEOPROP are those due to solar/lunar gravity, radiation pressure, and major geopotential terms. The question to be addressed: are the UCTs detected by MODEST in this inclination/RAAN region related to the Titan 3C-4 breakup? Discussion will include the observational biases in attempting to detect a specific, uncontrolled target during given observing session. These restrictions include: (1) the length of the observing session which is 8 hours or less at any given date or declination; (2) the assumption of ACO elements for detected object when the breakup model predicts debris with non-zero eccentricities; (3) the size and illumination or brightness of the debris predicted by the model and the telescope/sky limiting magnitude.

Barker, Edwin S.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Identification of a Common R-Chondrite Impactor on the Ureilite Parent Body

Polymict ureilites are brecciated ultramafic meteorites that contain a variety of single mineral and lithic clasts. They represent the surface debris from a small, differentiated asteroid. We are continuing a detailed petrological study of several polymict ureilites including EET 87720, EET 83309 and FRO93008 (from Antarctica), North Haig, Nilpena (Australia), DaG 976, DaG 999, DaG 1000 and DaG 1023 (Libya). The latter four stones are probably paired. Clast sizes can be 10 mm in diameter, so a thin-section can consist of a single lithic clast.

Downes, H.↗
NASA NTRS2009

An Assessment of GEO Orbital Debris Photometric Properties Derived from Laboratory-Based Measurements

Optical observations of orbital debris offer insights that differ from radar measurements (specifically the size parameter and wavelength regime). For example, time-dependent photometric data yield lightcurves in multiple bandpasses that aid in material identification and possible periodic orientations. This data can also be used to help identify shapes and optical properties at multiple phase angles. Capitalizing on optical data products and applying them to generate a more complete understanding of orbital space objects, is a key objective of NASA s Optical Measurement Program, and a primary driver for creation of the Optical Measurements Center (OMC). The OMC attempts to emulate space-based illumination conditions using equipment and techniques that parallel telescopic observations and source-target-sensor orientations. The OMC uses a 300 Watt Xenon arc lamp as a solar simulator, a CCD camera with Johnson/Bessel colored filters, and a robotic arm to orientate/rotate objects to simulate an object's orbit/rotational period. A high-resolution, high bandwidth (350nm-2500nm) Analytical Spectral Devices (ASD) spectrometer is also employed to baseline various material types. Since observation of GEO targets are generally restricted to the optical regime (due to radar range limitations), analysis of their properties is tailored to those revealed by optical data products. In this connection, much attention has been directed towards understanding the lightcurves of orbital debris with high area-to-mass (A/m) ratios (greater than 0.9 square meters per kilogram). A small population of GEO debris was recently identified, which exhibits the properties of high A/m objects, such as variable eccentricities and inclinations a dynamical characteristic generally resulting from varying solar radiation pressure on high A/m objects. Materials such as multi-layered insulation (MLI) and solar panels are two examples of materials with high area-to mass ratios. Lightcurves for such objects can vary greatly (even for the same object under different illumination conditions). For example, specular reflections from multiple facets of the target surface (e.g. Mylar or Aluminized Kapton) can lead to erratic, orientation-dependent light curves. This paper will investigate published color photometric data for a series of orbital debris targets and compare it to the empirical photometric measurements generated in the OMC. The specific materials investigated (known to exist in GEO) are: an intact piece of MLI, separated layers of MLI, and multiple solar cells materials. Using the data acquired over specific rotational angles through different filters (B, V, R, I), a color index is acquired (B-R, R-I). As a secondary check, the spectrometer is used to define color indexes for the same material. Using these values and their associated lightcurves, this laboratory data is compared to observational data obtained on the 1m telescope of the Astronomical Institute of the University of Bern (AUIB) and the 0.9 m Small and Moderate Aperture Research Telescope System (SMARTS) telescope at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO). We will present laboratory generated lightcurves with color indexes of the high A/m materials alongside telescopic data of targets with high A/m values. We will discuss the relationship of laboratory to telescope data in the context of classification of GEO debris objects.

Rodriquez-Cowardin, H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Review of Nuclear Forensics: 2016-2020

The study of nuclear forensics harkens back to the Manhattan Project-era, when scientists first started to analyze the debris from the 1945 Trinity test. Political turmoil stemming from the Cold War and the rehabilitation of Germany following WWII has led to new challenges in international security involving nuclear proliferation. Nuclear materials have, on occasion, been lost, misplaced, or stolen from former Soviet countries, and illicit materials have been interdicted all over the world. The National Technical Nuclear Forensics Center (NTNFC) was established in 2006, and has been at the forefront of drive to advance nuclear forensic capabilities in the United States. The ultimate goal of nuclear forensics is to examine nuclear and other radioactive materials using analytical techniques to determine origin and history of the material, particularly in the context of law enforcement investigations. Nuclear forensics can be divided into two parts: predetonation and post-detonation. Pre-detonation forensics, as the name implies, is the investigation of a nuclear material or weapon that has not been detonated or involved in an explosion, whereas postdetonation forensics is the study of activation or fission products in debris or the environment following the use of a nuclear or radiological dispersal device (RDD). Both parts require a number of analytical chemical and radiochemical techniques to determine identification of the material. Many advancements in analytical techniques, including rapidity, sample size, and forensic signatures have been made in recent years. The analytical methods that can be used in a nuclear forensic investigation, such as mass spectrometry and gamma spectroscopy, have been described in detail in previous reviews, including Straub et.al, and will not be explained here. This review will discuss recent publications (from 2016 to present) describing advancements of techniques such as radiochronometry, morphology, development of novel reference materials, and inter-laboratory collaborations for both pre- and post-detonation nuclear forensics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Antarctic and Spherule Studies

The session "Antarctic and Spherule Studies" included the following reports:In Situ Magnetic Identification and Classification of Meteorites in Antarctica; Pb, Nd and Sr Isotopes in Aerosols Extracted from Snow, Berkner Island, Antarctica; Olivine Textures and Compositions in BIT-58 Ablation Debris; and Extraterrestrial Spherules with Fe-Ni Core and Pt Group Nuggets in Pleistocene Sediment from Hungary.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2023

Comparative Study on Deep Learning Methods for Defect Identification and Classification in Composite Aerostructure Material

Aircraft structures are required to have a high level of quality to satisfy their need for light weight, efficient flight, and withstanding high loads over their lifespan. These aerostructures are typically made from composite material due to their good tensile strength and resistance to compression. To ensure their structural integrity, the composite material requires inspection for common flaws such as porosity, delaminations, voids, foreign object debris, and other defects. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a popular non-destructive inspection (NDI) technique used for effectively evaluating composite material. Current inspection methods rely heavily on human experience and are extremely time consuming. Therefore, there is a need for the development of techniques to reduce the manual inspection time. This work compares the performance of different deep learning-based methods in the identification and classification of defects. Deep learning has shown great promise in numerous fields, and we show its effectiveness in the evaluation of composite aerostructure material. Furthermore, the methods developed here are both highly reliable with a top recall value of 98.63% as well as extremely efficient requiring an average of 4 seconds during the inferencing stage to evaluate new composites.

composites↗
DOE OSTI2024

Evaluating Model Robustness for Defect Identification and Classification in a Composite Aerostructure Material

Aircraft structures are required to have a high level of quality to satisfy their need for light weight, efficient flight, and withstanding high loads over their lifespan. These aerostructures are typically made from a composite material due to their good tensile strength and resistance to compression. To ensure their structural integrity, the composite material requires inspection for common flaws such as porosity, delaminations, voids, foreign object debris, and other defects. Ultrasonic testing (UT) is a popular non-destructive inspection (NDI) technique used for effectively evaluating the composite material. Current inspection methods rely heavily on human experience and are extremely time consuming. Therefore, there is a need for the development of techniques to reduce the manual inspection time. This work compares the performance of different deep learning-based methods in the identification and classification of defects. Deep learning has shown great promise in numerous fields, and we show its effectiveness in the evaluation of the composite aerostructure material. The methods developed here are both highly reliable with a top recall value of 98.64% as well as extremely efficient requiring an average of 4 s during the inferencing stage to evaluate new composites. Lastly, we investigate model robustness to concept drift by measuring its performance over time.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1973

Comet Encke: Meteor metallic ion identification by mass spectrometer

Positive metallic ions have been measured in the earth's atmosphere between 85 and 120 km, during the period of the beta Taurids meteor shower, which is associated with Comet Encke. The ions originate during and following ablation of extraterrestrial debris by the earth's atmosphere. The enhancement of metal ion density during meteor showers is primary evidence for their extraterrestrial origin. The present results were obtained from a rocket-borne ion mass spectrometer.

Goldberg, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Orbital Debris Characterization via Laboratory Optical Measurements

Optical observations of orbital debris offer insights that differ from radar measurements (specifically the size parameter,wavelength regime,and altitude range). For example, time-dependent photometric data yield lightcurves in multiple bandpasses that aid in material identification and possible periodic orientations. These data can also be used to help identify shapes and optical properties at multiple phase angles. Capitalizing on optical data products and applying them to generate a more complete understanding of orbital objects is a key objective of NASA's Optical Measurement Program, and the primary reason for the creation of the Optical Measurements Center(OMC). The OMC attempts to emulate space-based illumination conditions using equipment and techniques that parallel telescopic observations and source-target-sensor orientations.

Cowardin, Healther↗
NASA NTRS2007

Genesis Concentrator Target Particle Contamination Mapping and Material Identification

The majority of surface particles were found to be < 5 microns in diameter with increasing numbers close to the optical resolution limit of 0.3 microns. Acceleration grid EDS results show that the majority of materials appear to be from the SRC shell and SLA materials which include carbon-carbon fibers and Si-rich microspheres in a possible silicone binder. Other major debris material from the SRC included white paint, kapton, collector array fragments, and Al. Image analysis also revealed that SRC materials were also found mixed with the Utah mud and salt deposits. The EDS analysis of the acceleration grid showed that particles < 1 m where generally carbon based particles. Chemical cleaning techniques with Xylene and HF in an ultrasonic bath are currently being investigated for removal of small particles by the Genesis science team as well as ultra-pure water megasonic cleaning by the JSC team [4]. Removal of organic contamination from target materials is also being investigated by the science team with the use of UV-ozone cleaning devices at JSC and Open University [5]. In preparation for solar wind oxygen analyses at UCLA and Open University [1, 2], surface particle contamination on three Genesis concentrator targets was closely examined to evaluate cleaning strategies. Two silicon carbide (Genesis sample # 60001 and 60003) and one chemical vapor deposited (CVD) 13C concentrator target (60002) were imaged and mosaic mapped with optical microscopes. The resulting full target mosaic images and particle feature maps were subsequently compared with non-flight, but flight-like, concentrator targets and sample return capsule (SRC) materials. Contamination found on the flown concentrator acceleration grid was further examined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) for particle identification was subsequently compared with the optical images from the flown targets. Figure 1 show that all three targets imaged in this report are fully intact and do not show any signs of material fractures. However, previous ellipsometry results and overview imaging of both flown SiC targets show a solar wind irradiation gradient from the center focal point to the outer edge [3]. In addition, due to the hard landing, each target has experienced varying degrees of impacts, scratches, and particle debris from the spacecraft and Utah impact site.

Calaway, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space Shuttle Columbia Reconstruction Effort: An Analysis of the Thermal Protection System.

Upon the breakup of the Space Shuffle Columbia, which occurred during peak heating, at an altitude of 200,000 feet, and traveling at Mach 19, the daunting responsibility was placed upon National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to determine the root cause of the accident. One of the foremost tasks was to begin locating Columbia's debris, which was scattered acr ss a 2,000 square miles area of Texas and into western Louisiana. Each potential shuttle debris piece found was categorized and the longitude and latitude noted. This provided crucial data to the vehicle's breakup trajectory path and aided in locating key shuffle components. Since the airframe and tiles would be the primary focus during the reconstruction effort at the Kennedy Space center in Florida, packing and shipping was crucial to the preservation of the shape and condition of each recovered object. Over 83,000 pieces of Columbia, in a five-month timeframe, were located. The recovered tiles still bonded to structure indicated failures modes due to heating and aerodynamic loads. Also, different types of tile bond failure modes were observed, with adhesion failures at the Koropon layer or material failure at the tile's densification layer. Numerous tiles had the identification markings burned off, slumping of the Reaction-Cured Glass (RCG) coating, and of the Ll-900 silica base material. The conditions in which the tiles were found resulted in developing methods to aid in the identification of the tile. Correctly identifying each tile was critical to understanding the heating patterns of the tiles in relationship to the vehicle, since it was known that the lower left wing received the initial external tank foam impact. With the aid of multiple disciplines, the clues found in the TPS debris, lead to the root cause of the breakup of Columbia.

Micklos, Ann M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Asteroid compositional rings: Clues to the compositions of primordial planetesimals in the middle solar system

The distribution of asteroid taxonomic types at distances between 2.1 and 5.3 AU is discussed. There are four major, overlapping but compositionally distinct rings of asteroids present within this range of heliocentric distance. The rings, within which 80% of each of 4 major taxonomic types (S, C, P, and D) fall, are centered at 2.6 (0.7), 2.9 (0.8), 3.4 (0.7), and 4.6 (1.5) AU respectively, where the numbers in parentheses are the ring widths in AU. The overall physical resemblence between the asteroid rings and planetary rings is poor; physically the asteroid belt more closely resembles a debris strewn satellite system. Once the mineralogy of these taxonomic types is established, and complications arising from postaccretionary metamorphism are dealt with, they may be used as probes of physical conditions in the early solar system. The identification of primordial planetesimals can be used in studying the siblings of the planetesimals responsible for the final stage of planetary accretion.

Tedesco, E. F.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Synthetic data-driven deep learning for label-free autonomous atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a widely used tool for nanoscale characterization across materials science, energy research, and biology. However, its adoption in high-throughput materials discovery and statistically driven studies remains limited by a strong dependence on expert operator input and by the scarcity of annotated experimental AFM datasets needed to enable data-driven automation. Here, we introduce SimuScan, a synthetic-data–driven framework that enables reliable AFM feature identification, segmentation, and targeted imaging without requiring large manually labeled experimental datasets. SimuScan generates tunable, high-fidelity synthetic AFM images of defined morphologies while incorporating realistic experimental artifacts, including tip–sample convolution, noise, flattening distortions, and surface debris. These datasets are shown to support scalable, label-free training of modern deep learning models for AFM analysis. When integrated into data-driven AFM workflows, SimuScan-trained models can locate and analyze nanoscale structures across large datasets and guide targeted follow-up imaging. We validate this approach on nanostructured surfaces, DNA assemblies, and bacterial cells, demonstrating robust generalization across diverse sample types with minimal operator intervention. More broadly, this work establishes a general strategy for generating explicitly conditioned, task-relevant synthetic data to improve the reliability of downstream models in autonomous microscopy.

Millan-Solsona, Ruben [Oak Ridge National Laborato↗
DOE OSTI2021

Persistent meanders and eddies lead to quasi-steady Lagrangian transport patterns in a weak western boundary current

The Brazil Current (BC) is a weak western boundary current flowing along the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean. It is frequently described as a flow with intense mesoscale activity and relatively low volume transport between 5.0 and 10.0 Sv. We use a 13-year eddy-resolving primitive-equation simulation to show that the presence of persistent meanders and eddies leads to characteristic quasi-steady Lagrangian transport patterns, aptly extracted through climatological Lagrangian Coherent Structures (cLCS). The cLCS position the surface expression of the BC core along the 2000-m isobath, in excellent visual agreement with high resolution satellite sea-surface temperature and the model Eulerian mean velocity. The cLCS deformation pattern also responds to zonally persistent cross-shelf SSH transition from positive (high) values near coastline to low (negative) values between 200- and 2000-m and back to positive (high) offshore from the 2000-m isobath. Zonally-paired cyclonic and anticyclonic structures are embedded in this transition, also causing the cLCS to deform into chevrons. An efficient transport barrier is identified close to the 200-m isobath confirmed by limited inshore movement of drogued drifters and accurately indicated by an along slope maxima of climatological strength of attraction. We also show that the persistent cyclonic and anticyclonic structures may induce localized cross-shelf transport. Regions of low climatological strength of attraction coincide with large shelves and with stagnant synthetic trajectories. We also show that cLCS accurately depict trajectories initiated at the location of Chevron’s spill (November 2011) as compared to synthetic and satellite-tracked trajectories, and the outline of the oil from that accident. There is also an agreement between the large-scale oil slicks reaching the Brazilian beaches (from August 2019 to February 2020) and the strength of climatological attraction at the coast. Our work also clarifies the influence of persistent mesoscale structures on the regional circulation. The identification and quantitative description of climatological Lagrangian coherent structures is expected to improve the effectiveness of future emergency response to oil spills, contingency planning, rescue operations, larval and fish connectivity assessment, drifter launch strategies, waste pollutant and marine debris dispersion and destination.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗