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The workshop to define feasible concepts in the UV-optical 1R area for Astronomy Spacelab Payloads is reported. Payloads proposed include: high resolution spectrograph, Schmidt camera spectrograph, UV telescope, and small infrared cryogenic telescope.
For a number of years, space research has been primarily conducted with sounding rockets and orbiting satellites. The use of satellites has disadvantages related to cost and the long lead time from design to launch, while a drawback in the case of sounding rockets is the short flight time of only a few minutes. The development of the Shuttle led to the proposal to employ for space research an autonomous free-flying payload deployed and recovered by the Shuttle. The proposed payload, called SPEAR (Small Payload Ejection and Recovery), looked very much like a rocket payload. Subsequently, the payload developed into a more compact form, and its name became Spartan-1. Attention is given to the demands of space research, the Spartan-1 payload, the payload functional control system, the thermal control system, the Spartan-1 mission, and the future of Spartan.
Totally integrated design facilitates electrical cleanliness and light weight, which are necessary in subsonic parachute-borne payloads for electrodynamics investigations. 'Blunt' probes measure ion conductivity, as do Gerdien condensers. Recent finite-element computer analyses combining flow and electrodynamics have resolved problems in determining ion densities and mobilities from Gerdien data. Three-axis electric fields are measured with deployable boom-mounted electrodes from dc through VLF. Splitting the cylindrical payload with an insulator and measuring the current between halves has provided a vertical Maxwell current detector mechanically rigid enough to measure, at ELF, energy related to coupling. A nose tip 'Smith' probe turbulence measurement is usually performed on ascent. Other instrumentation, such as photo-ionization sources and X-ray detectors, can also be included. These electrodynamic measurement payloads are about one meter in length and have a mass of about 9 kg. They can be launched with an Orion-class or smaller vehicle.
Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) manages NASA's Shuttle Small Payloads Project (SSPP). The SSPP designs, develops, tests, integrates and flies a group of small payload carrier systems for the space shuttle. These carriers - the Hitchhiker, Getaway Specials (GAS), and Space Experiment Module (SEM) - support payloads supplied by NASA, other U.S. government agencies, universities, high schools, domestic commercial customers, and foreign nationals and governments. These carriers can support payloads that range in size between 50 lbs. (23 kg) and 4,000 lbs. (2,270 kg).
The Low Cost Booster Technology Program, also known as the Bantam Booster program, is a NASA sponsored initiative to establish a viable commercial technology to support the market for placing small payloads in low earth orbit. This market is currently served by large boosters which orbit a number of small payloads on a single launch vehicle, or by these payloads taking up available space on major commercial launches. Even by sharing launch costs, the minimum cost to launch one of these small satellites is in the 6 to 8 million dollar range. Additionally, there is a shortage of available launch opportunities which can be shared in this manner. The goal of the Bantam program is to develop two competing launch vehicles, with launch costs in the neighborhood of 1.5 million dollars to launch a 150 kg payload into low earth orbit (200 nautical mile sun synchronous). Not only could the cost of the launch be significantly less than the current situation, but the payload sponsor could expect better service for his expenditure, the ability to specify his own orbit, and a dedicated vehicle. By developing two distinct launch vehicles, market forces are expected to aid in keeping customer costs low.
There is a need for novel lightweight radiation shielding materials for small satellites operating in LEO and beyond. Current commonly used shielding materials include aluminum and polyethylene, though often no additional shielding than that provided by structure is used due to mass and dimensional constraints. New materials are being developed which may offer advantages over these current solutions. These materials include novel lightweight composites impregnated with metallic nanoparticles, chitin-derived bioplastics, and aerogel-family materials. A compact CubeSat experiment payload that allows the simultaneous testing of numerus potential shielding materials would be useful to enable material comparison and efficacy validation. An effort currently underway seeks to develop such a miniaturized modularized payload, which will enable the testing of materials in 1U CubeSat form factor modules, with each module hosting four scintillator radiation detectors arrayed behind four sample material windows exposed to space. The first proposed mission will utilize a 2U payload volume to host two test quartets enabling eight materials to be tested. Such a test platform can potentially be used as a hosted payload on a variety of spacecraft to test additional materials in the future
There is a need for lightweight and novel radiation shielding for small satellites operating in LEO and beyond. Current state of the art shielding materials include aluminum and polyethylene, or no shielding due to weight and dimensional considerations. New materials are being developed which may offer advantages over current options. These materials include novel lightweight composites impregnated with metallic nanoparticles, chitin-derived bioplastics, and aerogel-family materials. A compact experiment platform that allows the simultaneous testing of a number of potential shielding materials will be useful in comparing and validating them. The effort now underway seeks to develop a miniaturized, modularized payload which will allow testing of materials using 1U CubeSat form factor modules with four scintillator radiation detectors arrayed behind four sample material windows exposed to space. The first proposed mission will utilize a 2U payload volume to host two test quartets enabling eight materials to be tested. Such a test platform can potentially be used as a hosted payload on a variety of spacecraft to test other materials in the future.
The Adaptive Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT), a mechanically deployable entry vehicle technology, has been under development at NASA since 2011. As part of the technical maturation of ADEPT, designs capable of delivering small payloads (10 kg) are being considered to rapidly mature sub 1 m deployed diameter designs. The unique capability of ADEPT for small payloads comes from its ability to stow within a slender volume and deploy to achieve a mass efficient drag surface with a high heat rate capability. The low ballistic coefficient results in entry heating and mechanical loads that can be met by a revolutionary three-dimensionally woven carbon fabric supported by a deployable skeleton structure. This carbon fabric has test proven capability as both primary structure and payload thermal protection system. In order to rapidly advance ADEPTs technical maturation, the project is developing test methods that enable thermostructural design requirement verification of ADEPT designs at the system level using ground test facilities. Results from these tests are also relevant to larger class missions and help us define areas of focused component level testing in order to mature material and thermal response design codes. The ability to ground test sub 1 m diameter ADEPT configurations at or near full-scale provides significant value to the rapid maturation of this class of deployable entry vehicles. This paper will summarize arc jet test results, highlight design challenges, provide a summary of lessons learned and discuss future test approaches based upon this methodology.
This viewgraph presentation reviews the history of the Bantam program that was cancelled in 1999 due to the decision that the focus on the small payloads was unsustainable and that there would be no return on investment. The comparison is made between NASA's Bantam program, and DARPA's (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) two similar projects (Falcon and Rascal). The Bantam Program was to be a small launch vehicle, aimed at launching small payloads (i.e., of 150-300 kg) into space.
Currently scheduled for liftoff in 2024, Gateway will be an outpost orbiting the moon for astronauts headed to and from the lunar surface and will serve as a staging point for deep space exploration. In January 2020, NASA Headquarters contacted Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) with a request that they provide a Heliophysics instrumentation package for Gateway. This package would later become known as the Heliophysics Environmental & Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite (HERMES). HERMES consists of four high-heritage instruments – a Miniaturized Electron pRoton Telescope (MERIT), an Electron Electrostatic Analyzer (EEA), a Solar Probe Analyzer-Ions (SPAN-I), and Noise Eliminating Magnetometer Instrument in a Small Integrated System (NEMISIS), which consists of one fluxgate and two magneto-inductive magnetometers. Launching HERMES with Gateway would provide an opportunity to conduct early science experiments on Gateway, but the plan to develop HERMES concurrently with Gateway and launch with the co-manifested vehicle brought numerous technical challenges for the pathfinder payload. HERMES was intended to be a low-cost, tailored Class-D mission, and maintaining that programmatic position proved difficult as the technical challenges grew. The effects of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were not factored in from the beginning and also created programmatic challenges. This paper will discuss what’s being done to overcome the technical and programmatic challenges to put HERMES on track for a 2024 Launch Readiness Date (LRD).
Currently scheduled for liftoff in 2024, Gateway will be an outpost orbiting the moon for astronauts headed to and from the lunar surface and serve as a staging point for deep space exploration. In January of 2020 NASA headquarters contacted Goddard Space Flight Center to request that they develop a Heliophysics instrumentation package for Gateway. This package would later become known as HERMES-Heliophysics Environmental & Radiation Measurement Experiment Suite. HERMES consists of a Miniaturized Electron pRoton Telescope (MERIT), an Electron Electrostatic Analyzer (EEA), Solar Probe Analyzers (SPAN)-A-ions, and Noise Eliminating Magnetometer Instrument in a Small Integrated System (NEMISIS), which consists of one fluxgate and two Magneto-Inductive Magnetometers. From the beginning the HERMES mission faced a number of Challenges. It was constrained to fit in a small, half meter, cube and it was required to weigh no more than 25kg. A new boom design for the magnetometer would be required and for safety reasons it must be able to retract autonomously with power removed. To complicate matters the location of the SORI-Small ORU- (Orbital Replacement Unit) Robotics Interface, the primary interface for the HERMES platform to the Gateway elements, was undetermined. Also, the mechanical, thermal and electrical interfaces are not fully defined. The Canadian Space Agency is still in process of designing the version of the SORI that will be flown on the Power and Propulsion Element (PPE) and Habitation and Logistics Outpost (HALO) elements, each of which are being developed by different contractors. At the time of initiating the HERMES project, neither of the Gateway module providers were under contract. Additionally, we would later learn the ISS heritage SORI modules were not originally designed for launching on the Gateway elements with a payload directly attached but rather were intended to be brought up on a separate carrier outfitted with launch locks and specialized launch structures from which the robotic arm on Gateway would then be used to detach the payload and install it on the SORI adapters while on orbit. Launching the integrated Payload/SORI on the PPE and HALO elements complicates the stiffness requirements and coupled loads analysis. Adding to this are serious constraints on Field-Of-View (FOV) for solar viewing and severe radiation exposure considerations brought on by slowly raising the orbit through the Van Allen Belts. Just to make things a little more challenging the budget for the entire project was intended to be a low-cost tailored Class-D mission approach. Plus, the effects of Corona VIrus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) were not factored in from the beginning. This paper will discuss what’s being done to overcome these challenges and put HERMES on track for a 2024 Launch Readiness Date (LRD).
The uranium 235U enrichment commonly used in fuel production for U.S. light water nuclear reactors typically does not exceed 5 wt%. In contrast, many of the currently investigated advanced reactor concepts demand fuel with higher enrichments. This includes high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU), characterized by a 235U enrichment of 5 to 20 wt%. The necessity of HALEU transportation in the fuel production cycle leads to new challenges caused by various technical and regulatory hurdles. Current U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission–approved transportation package designs for UF6 with enrichments above 5 wt% provide relatively small payloads [=116 kg (250 lb)]. Furthermore, in accordance with 10 CFR 71.55, package design activities for fissile material enriched above 5 wt% need to consider water infiltration in the containment as part of the criticality safety evaluations. This study presents a transportation package concept for HALEU advanced nuclear reactor fuel with a significantly higher payload of up to 376 kg (830 lb) of fissile material per package and up to 1881 kg (4149 lb) of HALEU per legal weight truck. The anticipated chemical form of the transported material is UO2 downblended from available highly enriched uranium. The concept utilizes a combination of existing transportation packaging, 18 inner canisters, and a novel basket design that includes a borated aluminum flux trap. Criticality and shielding evaluations; fundamental structural, confinement, and thermal assessments; and studies on package operations are presented. The results of this study build significant confidence in the technical feasibility of a high-capacity HALEU transportation package concept while demonstrating the concept’s potential to meet U.S. regulatory requirements.
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The development and design of a system of containers for the efficient integration of Space Station payloads is described called the Space Station Payload Adaptation System (SSPAS). The SSPAS was developed to address the incorporation of multiple payloads, the use of a small payload carrier, large numbers of samples, and on-orbit servicing. SSPAS subsystems such as the Spacelab rack are modular and designed for integration into the 'Quick Is Beautiful' (QIB) facility. The QIB is designed to provide access to space for small- and medium-sized microgravity research projects and proof-of-concept investigations. The power-distribution and heat-rejection potential of the QIB are described, and an improved experiment-apparatus container is proposed. The SSPAS rack-mounting and container concepts are concluded to make up an efficent system that can effectively exploit the R&D potential of the Space Station.
Since the creation of the NASA CubeSat Launch Initiative (NCSLI), the need for CubeSat rideshares has dramatically increased. After only three releases of the initiative, a total of 66 CubeSats now await launch opportunities. So, how is this challenge being resolved? NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP) has studied how to integrate PPODs on Athena, Atlas V, and Delta IV launch vehicles and has been instrumental in developing several carrier systems to support CubeSats as rideshares on NASA missions. In support of the first two ELaNa missions the Poly-Picosatellite Orbital Deployer (P-POD) was adapted for use on a Taurus XL (ELaNa I) and a Delta n (ELaNa III). Four P-PODs, which contained a total eight CubeSats, were used on these first ELaNa missions. Next up is ELaNa VI, which will launch on an Atlas V in August 2012. The four ELaNa VI CubeSats, in three P-PODs, are awaiting launch, having been integrated in the NPSCuLite. To increase rideshare capabilities, the Launch Services Program (LSP) is working to integrate P-PODs on Falcon 9 missions. The proposed Falcon 9 manifest will provide greater opportunities for the CubeSat community. For years, the standard CubeSat size was 1 U to 3U. As the desire to include more science in each cube grows, so does the standard CubeSat size. No longer is a 1 U, 1.5U, 2U or 3U CubeSat the only option available; the new CubeSat standard will include 6U and possibly even 12U. With each increase in CubeSat size, the CubeSat community is pushing the capability of the current P-POD design. Not only is the carrier system affected, but integration to the Launch Vehicle is also a concern. The development of a system to accommodate not only the 3U P-POD but also carriers for larger CubeSats is ongoing. LSP considers payloads in the lkg to 180 kg range rideshare or small/secondary payloads. As new and emerging small payloads are developed, rideshare opportunities and carrier systems need to be identified and secured. The development of a rideshare carrier system is not always cost effective. Sometimes a launch vehicle with an excellent performance record appears to be a great rideshare candidate however, after completing a feasibility study, LSP may determine that the cost of the rideshare carrier system is too great and, due to budget constraints, the development cannot go forward. With the current budget environment, one cost effective way to secure rideshare opportunities is to look for synergy with other government organizations that share the same interest.