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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 559 records · Page 31
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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dual Glovebox Thermal Vacuum Chamber: Testing Capabilities for Spacesuit Arms and Gloves

The development of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and hand mobility EVA tasks are complex, high risk, and difficult to test in a simulated space environment. During the early assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), the Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) was tasked to design a chamber that could use two Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) arms and gloves in a simulated space environment versus testing with a full suit. The Dual Glovebox (DGB) Chamber was built and served to help develop EVA tools and operations to assist with Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle after the Columbia accident. With the recent development of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and new commercial suits through the Extravehicular Activities Services (xEVAS) contract, the DGB can support the need to do suit component testing at thermal extremes and EVA operations without the cost of full suit testing. The DGB can simulate realistic delta pressures, vacuum down to 5x10-4 Torr (0.066 Pa) with roughing and cryogenic pumps, and a wide range of temperatures achieved via a combination of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), conditioned Gaseous Nitrogen (GN2), Infrared (IR) lamps, and heater cables. Recent developmental work has verified operational status of the chamber and expanded the capabilities of the DGB to include thermal contact testing of suit gloves through two temperature-controlled grab bars. This paper will discuss the history and capabilities of the DGB, and the chamber’s future role in the development of new spacesuit systems.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA)↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dual Glovebox Thermal Vacuum Chamber: Testing Capabilities for Spacesuit Arms and Gloves

The development of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and hand mobility EVA tasks are complex, high risk, and difficult to test in a simulated space environment. During the early assembly of the International Space Station (ISS), the Crew and Thermal Systems Division (CTSD) at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) was tasked to design a chamber that could use two Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) arms and gloves in a simulated space environment versus testing with a full suit. The Dual Glovebox (DGB) Chamber was built and served to help develop EVA tools and operations to assist with Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle after the Columbia accident. With the recent development of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and new commercial suits through the Extravehicular Activities Services (xEVAS) contract, the DGB can support the need to do suit component testing at thermal extremes and EVA operations without the cost of full suit testing. The DGB can simulate realistic delta pressures, vacuum down to 5x10-4 Torr (0.066 Pa) with roughing and cryogenic pumps, and a wide range of temperatures achieved via a combination of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), conditioned Gaseous Nitrogen (GN2), Infrared (IR) lamps, and heater cables. Recent developmental work has verified operational status of the chamber and expanded the capabilities of the DGB to include thermal contact testing of suit gloves through two temperature-controlled grab bars. This paper will discuss the history and capabilities of the DGB, and the chamber’s future role in the development of new spacesuit systems.

spacesuit arms↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 4: Conceptual design report

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex (PTC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The PTC will train the space station payload scientists, station scientists, and ground controllers to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be onboard the Space Station Freedom. In the first step of this task, a methodology was developed to ensure that all relevant design dimensions were addressed, and that all feasible designs could be considered. The development effort yielded the following method for generating and comparing designs in task 4: (1) Extract SCS system requirements (functions) from the system specification; (2) Develop design evaluation criteria; (3) Identify system architectural dimensions relevant to SCS system designs; (4) Develop conceptual designs based on the system requirements and architectural dimensions identified in step 1 and step 3 above; (5) Evaluate the designs with respect to the design evaluation criteria developed in step 2 above. The results of the method detailed in the above 5 steps are discussed. The results of the task 4 work provide the set of designs which two or three candidate designs are to be selected by MSFC as input to task 5-refine SCS conceptual designs. The designs selected for refinement will be developed to a lower level of detail, and further analyses will be done to begin to determine the size and speed of the components required to implement these designs.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

Space Environmental Effects on Colored Coatings and Anodizes

Colored coatings and anodizes are used on spacecraft as markers and astronaut visual aids. These materials must be stable in the space environment and withstand atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, particulate radiation, thermal cycling, and high vacuum without significant change in optical and mechanical properties. A variety of colored coatings and anodizes have been exposed to simulated space environments at Marshall Space Flight Center and also actual space environment as part of the Passive Optical Sample Assembly (POSA) - I flight experiment. Colored coatings were developed by AZ Technology, Huntsville, AL, under a NASA contract for International Space Station (ISS). These include yellow, red, blue, and black paints suitable for Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) visual aids and ISS emblems. AaChron, Inc., Minneapolis, MN, developed stable colored anodizes, also in yellow, red, blue, and black, for astronaut visual aids. These coatings were exposed in the laboratory to approximately 550 equivalent sun-hours of solar ultraviolet radiation and approximately 1 x 10(exp 21) atoms/sq cm of atomic oxygen in vacuum. The AZ Technology yellow colored coating, designated TMS800IY, and all four AaChron colored anodizes were flown on POSA-I. POSA-I was a Risk Mitigation Experiment for ISS. It was attached to the exterior of the Mir space station docking module by EVA and was exposed for 18 months. The laboratory-simulated space environment, the natural space environment and the unique environment of an orbiting, active space station and their effects on these developmental materials are discussed.

Kamenetzky, Rachel R.↗
NASA NTRS2022

Cryogenic Thermal Coatings Final Report

The goals of this project were to produce yttrium oxide- (Y2O3) based tiles and a spray-on coating with minimal solar absorption, to perform exposure testing on these coatings (both rigid and sprayon), and to work towards a manufacturing process whereby these coatings could be made available to the space community. The Key Performance Parameters (threshold values) were to achieve 1% solar absorption for the tiles as measured in a deep space simulator, and 6% solar absorption for the spray-on coating as measured using a reflectance spectrometer. The values achieved were 1.2% (GRC Deep space simulator) and 4% (KSC spectrometer using Spectralon as a reference) for the tiles and spray-on coating, respectively. Exposure testing consisted of measuring tile and spray-on coating degradation due to atomic oxygen, ultraviolet radiation, and electrostatic fields. Atomic oxygen caused some degradation, while ultraviolet exposure caused a significant increase in absorption. However, in-space samples exposed to solar ultraviolet did not show this significant increase. This discrepancy is addressed in this report. As a result of this work, Y2O3 tiles have been manufactured in the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Applied Chemistry Laboratory (ACL), and the process has been transferred to the Thermal Protection System Facility (TPSF) at KSC. The TPSF manufactures coatings for the space community and is an ideal route by which future users could access Y2O3-based coatings. The spray-on coating has been developed such that it can be applied to a wide range of substrates, substantially lowering absorbed solar power as compared to currently available coatings.

Thermal Control Coatings↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 5: Study analysis report

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex (PTC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The PTC will train the space station payload scientists, station scientists, and ground controllers to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be on-board the Freedom Space Station. The further analysis performed on the SCS study as part of task 2-Perform Studies and Parametric Analysis-of the SCS study contract is summarized. These analyses were performed to resolve open issues remaining after the completion of task 1, and the publishing of the SCS study issues report. The results of these studies provide inputs into SCS task 3-Develop and present SCS requirements, and SCS task 4-develop SCS conceptual designs. The purpose of these studies is to resolve the issues into usable requirements given the best available information at the time of the study. A list of all the SCS study issues is given.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2013

Space Power Facility-Capabilities for Space Environmental Testing Within a Single Facility

The purpose of this paper is to describe the current and near-term environmental test capabilities of the NASA Glenn Research Center's Space Power Facility (SPF) located at Sandusky, Ohio. The paper will present current and near-term capabilities for conducting electromagnetic interference and compatibility testing, base-shake sinusoidal vibration testing, reverberant acoustic testing, and thermal-vacuum testing. The paper will also present modes of transportation, handling, ambient environments, and operations within the facility to conduct those tests. The SPF is in the midst of completing and activating new or refurbished capabilities which, when completed, will provide the ability to conduct most or all required full-scale end-assembly space simulation tests at a single test location. It is envisioned that the capabilities will allow a customer to perform a wide range of space simulation tests in one facility at reasonable cost.

Sorge, Richard N.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Alpha LAMP Integration Facility

This paper describes the activity recently completed to meet the simulated space environment requirements for the ground-based testing of an integrated Space Based Laser (SBL) system experiment. The need to maintain optical alignment in the challenging dynamic environment of the pressure recovery system required to simulate space dominated the design requirements. A robust system design was established which minimized the total program costs, most notably by reducing the cost of integrating the components of the experiment. The components of the experiment are integrated on an optical bench in a clean area adjacent to the vacuum chamber and moved on air bearings into the chamber for testing.

Oshiro, Richard↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dual Glovebox Thermal Vacuum Chamber: Testing Capabilities for Spacesuit Arms and Gloves

The development of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and hand mobility EVA tasks are complex, high risk, and difficult to test in a simulated space environment. During the early assembly of the International Space Station, the Crew and Thermal Systems Division at NASA JSC was tasked to design a chamber that could use two Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) arms in a simulated space environment versus testing with a full suit. The Dual Glove Box (DGB) Chamber was built and served to help develop EVA tools and operations to assist with Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle after the Columbia accident. With the recent development of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and new commercial suits through the Extravehicular Activities Services (xEVAS) contract, the DGB can support the need to do suit component testing at thermal extremes and EVA operations without the cost of full suit testing. The DGB can simulate realistic delta pressures, vacuum down to 10^-5 Torr with roughing and cryogenic pumps, and a wide range of shroud temperatures achieved via a combination of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), conditioned Gaseous Nitrogen (GN2), Infrared (IR) lamps, and heater plates. Recent developmental work has verified operational status of the chamber and expanded the capabilities of the DGB to include thermal contact testing of suit gloves through the development of 2 temperature-controlled grab bars. This paper will discuss the history and capabilities of the DGB, and the chamber’s future role in the development of new spacesuit systems.

Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits↗
NASA NTRS1994

New potentials of NIICHIMMASH's thermal vacuum facilities

The potentialities of existing test facilities as to simulating space environment governing factors for spacecraft successful development thermal vacuum testing are analyzed, ways of modernizing existing test facilities and specific proposals on their redesign are considered. The problem of spacecraft (S/C) ground development in simulated external environments, the solution of which started more than 30 years ago, has not lost its urgency today. Stringent requirements on S/C active lifetime under space conditions, module large dimensions, great number of extension elements and complicated mode of their interaction in long mission do not allow S/C designers to abandon ground tests. S/C thermal modes development is a combination of calculations, thermal vacuum tests and actions on improving S/C design and its thermal control system. Traditionally, tests are carried out by stages from component and end unit level verifications to complex tests of modules and S/C as a whole. In our opinion, sufficient correctness of calculated models and experience gained in organizations designing space systems allow to reduce cost and time of autonomous tests. Unfortunately, this is not true for complex (integrated) thermal vacuum tests. More than that, their recent programs include tasks of verifying other (than thermal control system) systems if S/C for operation under space simulated conditions. The outlined circumstances are the main reason for critical review of the potentialities of the existing test base, and of NIICHIMMASH's two large thermal vacuum chambers, first of all. The reasons for and ways of enlargement of these facilities potentially are analyzed and the results attained are described.

Afanassiev, N. A.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Dual Glovebox Thermal Vacuum Chamber: Testing Capabilities for Spacesuit Arms and Gloves

The development of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suits and hand mobility EVA tasks are complex, high risk, and difficult to test in a simulated space environment. During the early assembly of the International Space Station, the Crew and Thermal Systems Division’s Systems Test Branch at NASA JSC was tasked to design a chamber that could use two Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) arms in a simulated space environment versus testing with a full suit. The Dual Glove Box (DGB) Chamber was built and served to help develop EVA tools and operations to assist with Return to Flight for the Space Shuttle after the Columbia accident. With the recent development of the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and new commercial suits through the Extravehicular Activities Services (xEVAS) contract, the DGB can support the need to do suit component testing at thermal extremes and EVA operations without the cost of full suit testing. The DGB can simulate realistic delta pressures, vacuum down to 10^-5 Torr with roughing and cryogenic pumps, and a wide range of shroud temperatures achieved via a combination of Liquid Nitrogen (LN2), conditioned Gaseous Nitrogen (GN2), and Infrared (IR) lamps. Recent developmental work has verified operational status of the chamber and expanded the capabilities of the DGB to include thermal contact testing of suit gloves through the development of 2 temperature-controlled grab bars. This paper will discuss the history and capabilities of the DGB, and the chamber’s future role in the development of new spacesuit systems.

Kaixin Cui↗
NASA NTRS1989

Computer image generation: Reconfigurability as a strategy in high fidelity space applications

The demand for realistic, high fidelity, computer image generation systems to support space simulation is well established. However, as the number and diversity of space applications increase, the complexity and cost of computer image generation systems also increase. One strategy used to harmonize cost with varied requirements is establishment of a reconfigurable image generation system that can be adapted rapidly and easily to meet new and changing requirements. The reconfigurability strategy through the life cycle of system conception, specification, design, implementation, operation, and support for high fidelity computer image generation systems are discussed. The discussion is limited to those issues directly associated with reconfigurability and adaptability of a specialized scene generation system in a multi-faceted space applications environment. Examples and insights gained through the recent development and installation of the Improved Multi-function Scene Generation System at Johnson Space Center, Systems Engineering Simulator are reviewed and compared with current simulator industry practices. The results are clear; the strategy of reconfigurability applied to space simulation requirements provides a viable path to supporting diverse applications with an adaptable computer image generation system.

Bartholomew, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Changes in gravity influence rat postnatal motor system development: from simulation to space flight

Our research examines the role of the environment in postnatal nervous system development. Recently we have been studying the effects of changes in gravity on the motor system of rats from postnatal day (P) 2 to 31 using kinematic analysis of swimming, walking, and righting reflexes. Using the tail suspension model of weightlessness we identified sensitive and critical periods of motor system development corresponding to the time during which a motor skill is first achieved. Motor performance in suspended animals was marked by slow swimming, walking, and air-righting, all of which were characterized by hindlimb extension. (Walton et al, Neurosci. 52,763,1992). The critical periods identified in these studies contributed to determining the age of animals for a small payload, NIH.R3. This 9-day mission (STS-72) included 2 litters at P5, P7, or P15 at launch. The P7-16 and P15-24 groups were studied post-flight. On the landing day (R+0) surface righting, swimming and walking were slower in flight compared to control animals. Differences were more marked in the younger animals and the hindlimbs were more affected than the forelimbs with marked, prolonged extension of, at least, the ankle joint angle. Readaptation to 1G was slower in the P7-16 group with righting reflexes adapting first, walking last. We have shown that gravity is an important factor in postnatal nervous system development and that its affect depends on the age of the animal, duration of the perturbation, and the motor function studied.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS1981

Simulation of space plasma phenomena

The importance of computer modeling in investigating physical phenomena is discussed, noting that modern computers can follow the time evolution of systems containing many millions of degrees of freedom, all of which are simultaneously interacting with each other. The two types of models used in simulating plasma, that is, particle and fluid, are described. Attention is given to particle models and some recent results obtained concerning the diffuse aurora. The simulations are shown to give clear evidence that a type of nonlinear cyclotron resonance process for the cold particles is responsible for the saturation observed in these calculations. It is also responsible for the cold electron heating and it is found that at saturation the rate of heating of the cold electrons essentially balances the rate at which energy is fed into unstable waves.

Dawson, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Simulated space-based Doppler lidar performance in regions of backscatter inhomogeneities

The prospect of obtaining directly measured winds on a global scale has raised questions about the expected quality of the lidar wind measurements and the potential for biases due to sampling patterns and line-of-sight impediments. Extensive computer simulations are ongoing to address these and other issues. One source of measurement bias is found in regions of the atmosphere where gradients in both lidar backscatter and the winds occur together. The potential biases that result are identified and their magnitudes estimated.

Emmitt, G. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

ATS-F radiant cooler contamination test in a hydrazine thruster exhaust

A test was conducted under simulated space conditions to determine the potential thermal degradation of the ATS-F radiant cooler from any contaminants generated by a 0.44-N(0.1-lbf) hydrazine thruster. The radiant cooler, a 0.44-N(0.1-lbf)hydrazine engine, and an aluminum plate simulating the satellite interface were assembled to simulate their flight configuration. The cooler was provided with platinum sensors for measuring temperature, and its surfaces were instrumented with six quartz crystal microbalance units (QCM) to measure contaminant mass deposits. The complete assembly was tested in the molecular sink vacuum facility (Molsink) at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. This was the first time that a radiant cooler and a hydrazine engine were tested together in a very-high-vacuum space simulator, and this test was the first successful measurement of detectable deposits from hydrazine rocket engine plumes in a high vacuum. The engine was subjected to an accelerated duty cycle of 1 pulse/min, and after 2-hr of operation, the QCMs began to shift in frequency. The tests continued for several days and, although there was considerable activity in the QCMs, the cooler never experienced thermal degradation.

Chirivella, J. E.↗