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This is an overview presentation of In Space Propulsion Technology products that have been developed under the sponsorship of the Planetary Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate. The materials have been prepared for Outer Planetary Assessment Group Meeting in Atlanta, GA in January 2013.
The use of the proposed Space Station for technological experimentation is discussed. The general objectives and capabilities of the Station and the status of planning are reviewed; the external and internal environmental conditions at the 500-km 28.5-deg-inclination Station orbit are described; and six conceptual Technology Development Missions designed by NASA and included in the Mission Requirements Data Base are briefly characterized and illustrated with drawings. The missions considered concern spacecraft-materials performance, solar dynamic power, data transfer and processing microelectronics, long-term cryogenic-fluid storage, active-optics technology, and cryogenic-propellant transfer, storage, and reliquefaction.
The Space Science Technology and Evaluation Facility (SSTEF) is funded through the Game Changing Development program. This presentation describes the SSTEF project, collaborations and partnerships, progress made in FY24 included qualification testing, and planned activities for FY25.
Conference on technological developments in satellite communications, tracking, antenna arrays, attitude control, orbit calculations, and instrumentation
Design features of components for space erectable/deployable concepts are described along with the neutral buoyancy testing with the shuttle remote manipulator system. The basic structural configuration is a double folding cubic module. It is 3 meters by 3 meters in crosssection by 6 meters long. The first folding operation results in a 3 meter by 6 meter planar configuration. The second folding operation results in a 9 meter linear configuration. Folding (deployment) is achieved by single and double pivoting joints and telescoping diagonal members. Deployment and retraction is accomplished by an external force. Two joining devices, the module to module coupler and the automatic coupler, were designed and fabricated for test. The module to module coupler features angular and axial locking compliances of 10 deg and 2.5 mm, respectively. It also has a linear zero free play stiffness characteristic.
MRAM and DRAM memory technologies identified for possible radiation hardening were investigated for memory-array- and controller-level radiation sensitivity. TID and SEE performance of memory arrays and associated cells is good, but with some questions about viability of hardening of problematic control circuitry. Control-circuitry-related SEE problems are highlighted. TID data are focused on memory arrays only.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Fiscal Year 2010 (FY10) budget introduced a new strategic plan that placed renewed emphasis on advanced missions beyond Earth orbit. This supports NASA s 2011 strategic goal to create innovative new space technologies for our exploration, science, and economic future. As a result of this focus on undertaking many and more complex missions, NASA placed its attention on a greater investment in technology development, and this shift resulted in the establishment of the Technology Demonstrations Missions (TDM) Program. The TDM Program, within the newly formed NASA Office of the Chief Technologist, supports NASA s grand challenges by providing a steady cadence of advanced space technology demonstrations (Figure 1), allowing the infusion of flexible path capabilities for future exploration. The TDM Program's goal is to mature crosscutting capabilities to flight readiness in support of multiple future space missions, including flight test projects where demonstration is needed before the capability can transition to direct mission The TDM Program has several unique criteria that set it apart from other NASA program offices. For instance, the TDM Office matures a small number of technologies that are of benefit to multiple customers to flight technology readiness level (TRL) 6 through relevant environment testing on a 3-year development schedule. These technologies must be crosscutting, which is defined as technology with potential to benefit multiple mission directorates, other government agencies, or the aerospace industry, and they must capture significant public interest and awareness. These projects will rely heavily on industry partner collaboration, and funding is capped for all elements of the flight test demonstration including planning, hardware development, software development, launch costs, ground operations, and post-test assessments. In order to inspire collaboration across government and industry, more than 70% of the TDM funds will be competitively awarded as a result of yearly calls for proposed flight demonstrators and selected based on possible payoff to NASA, technology maturity, customer interest, cost, and technical risk reduction. This paper will give an overview of the TDM Program s mission and organization, as well as its current status in delivering advanced space technologies that will enable more flexible and robust future missions. It also will provide several examples of missions that fit within these parameters and expected outcomes.
Information is given in viewgraph form on the activities of the Flight Projects Division of NASA's Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology. Information is given on space research and technology strategy, current space flight experiments, the Long Duration Exposure Facility, the Orbiter Experiment Program, the Lidar In-Space Technology Experiment, the Ion Auxiliary Propulsion System, the Arcjet Flight Experiment, the Telerobotic Intelligent Interface Flight Experiment, the Cryogenic Fluid Management Flight Experiment, the Industry/University In-Space Flight Experiments, and the Aeroassist Flight Experiment.
The proceedings of the National Space Science Data Center Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications held July 23 through 25, 1991 at the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center are presented. The program includes a keynote address, invited technical papers, and selected technical presentations to provide a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990's.
This paper discusses the space power systems of the early 21st century. The focus is on those capabilities which are anticipated to evolve from today's state-of-the-art and the technology development programs presently in place or planned for the remainder of the century. The power system technologies considered include solar thermal, nuclear, radioisotope, photovoltaic, thermionic, thermoelectric, and dynamic conversion systems such as the Brayton and Stirling cycles. Energy storage technologies considered include nickel hydrogen biopolar batteries, advanced high energy rechargeable batteries, regenerative fuel cells, and advanced primary batteries. The present state-of-the-art of these space power and energy technologies is discussed along with their projections, trends and goals. A speculative future mission model is postulated which includes manned orbiting space stations, manned lunar bases, unmanned earth orbital and interplanetary spacecraft, manned interplanetary missions, military applications, and earth to space and space to space transportation systems. The various space power/energy system technologies anticipated to be operational by the early 21st century are matched to these missions.
We present the key technologies and capabilities that will enable a future, large-aperture ultravioletopticalinfrared (UVOIR) space observatory. These include starlight suppression systems, vibration isolation and control systems, lightweight mirror segments, detector systems, and mirror coatings. These capabilities will provide major advances over current and near-future observatories for sensitivity, angular resolution, and starlight suppression. The goals adopted in our study for the starlight suppression system are 10-10 contrast with an inner working angle of 40 milliarcsec and broad bandpass. We estimate that a vibration and isolation control system that achieves a total system vibration isolation of 140 dB for a vibration-isolated mass of 5000 kg is required to achieve the high wavefront error stability needed for exoplanet coronagraphy. Technology challenges for lightweight mirror segments include diffraction-limited optical quality and high wavefront error stability as well as low cost, low mass, and rapid fabrication. Key challenges for the detector systems include visible-blind, high quantum efficiency UV arrays, photon counting visible and NIR arrays for coronagraphic spectroscopy and starlight wavefront sensing and control, and detectors with deep full wells with low persistence and radiation tolerance to enable transit imaging and spectroscopy at all wavelengths. Finally, mirror coatings with high reflectivity ( 90), high uniformity ( 1) and low polarization ( 1) that are scalable to large diameter mirror substrates will be essential for ensuring that both high throughput UV observations and high contrast observations can be performed by the same observatory.
This paper presents a new method for evaluating relative strengths and impact of robotic technologies utilized for space exploration missions.
Some of the many new and advanced exploration technologies which will enable space missions in the 21st century and specifically the Manned Mars Mission are explored in this presentation. Some of these are the system on a chip, the Computed-Tomography imaging Spectrometer, the digital camera on a chip, and other Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) technology for space. Some of these MEMS are the silicon micromachined microgyroscope, a subliming solid micro-thruster, a micro-ion thruster, a silicon seismometer, a dewpoint microhygrometer, a micro laser doppler anemometer, and tunable diode laser (TDL) sensors. The advanced technology insertion is critical for NASA to decrease mass, volume, power and mission costs, and increase functionality, science potential and robustness.
There has been recent interest in inflatable space-structures technology for possible applications on US. Department of Defense (DOD) missions because of the technology's potential for high mechanical-packaging efficiency, variable stowed geometry, and deployment reliability. In recent years, the DOD-sponsored Large Radar Antenna Program (LRA) applied this new technology to a baseline concept: an inflatablehigidizable (lU) perimeter-truss structure supporting a meshhet parabolic-reflector antenna. The program addressed (a) truss concept development, (b) rigidizable materials concepts assessment, (c) meshhet concept selection and integration, and (d) developed potential mechanical-system p erformance estimates. Critical and enabling technologies were validated, especially orbital radiation durable rigidized materials, and high modulus, inflatable-deployablet russ numbers.
A status report is given concerning the technology assessment and implementation effort begun by NASA to provide the basis for a 'permanent' manned space station. NASA's space station technology discipline working groups are identified, and the groups' ground rules and technology and design goals are outlined. Selected examples of high-priority technology tasks are examined to delineate the extent to which space station design and use depend on advanced technology developments of the future. Attention is devoted to working group programs dealing with data management, power and thermal systems, auxiliary propulsion, attitude control and stabilization, communications, structural elements and mechanisms, environmental control and life-support systems, human capabilities, and systems and operations analysis.
This publication is a compilation of the panel summaries presented in the following areas: systems/operations technology; crew and life support; EVA; crew and life support: ECLSS; attitude, control, and stabilization; human capabilities; auxillary propulsion; fluid management; communications; structures and mechanisms; data management; power; and thermal control. The objective of the workshop was to aid the Space Station Technology Steering Committee in defining and implementing a technology development program to support the establishment of a permanent human presence in space. This compilation will provide the participants and their organizations with the information presented at this workshop in a referenceable format. This information will establish a stepping stone for users of space station technology to develop new technology and plan future tasks.
This report contains copies of nearly all of the technical papers and viewgraphs presented at the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) Conference on Mass Storage Systems and Technologies for Space and Earth Science Applications. This conference served as a broad forum for the discussion of a number of important issues in the field of mass storage systems. Topics include magnetic disk and tape technologies, optical disk and tape, software storage and file management systems, and experiences with the use of a large, distributed storage system. The technical presentations describe, among other things, integrated mass storage systems that are expected to be available commercially. Also included is a series of presentations from Federal Government organizations and research institutions covering their mass storage requirements for the 1990s.
Key issues are discussed that must be overcome in order to apply commercial semiconductor technologies in space, emphasizing ways to test and qualify devices so they meet radiation hardness requirements.