Current NEPP Program Work and the Focus on COTS Utilization
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commercial electronics↗
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Dimmable Electronic Ballast for a Gas Discharge Lamp
Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is the most efficient photocatalyst for organic oxidative degradation. TiO2 is effective not only in aqueous solution, but also in nonaqueous solvents and in the gas phase. It is photostable, biologically and chemically inert, and non-toxic. Low-energy UV light (approximately 375 nm, UV-A) can be used to photoactivate TiO2. TiO2 photocatalysis has been used to mineralize most types of organic compounds. Also, TiO2 photocatalysis has been effectively used in sterilization. This effectiveness has been demonstrated by its aggressive destruction of microorganisms, and aggressive oxidation effects of toxins. It also has been used for the oxidation of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide, and ammonia to nitrogen. Despite having many attractive features, advanced photocatalytic oxidation processes have not been effectively used for air cleaning. One of the limitations of the traditional photocatalytic systems is the ballast that powers (lights) the bulbs. Almost all commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) ballasts are not dimmable and do not contain safety features. COTS ballasts light the UV lamp as bright as the bulb can be lit, and this results in shorter bulb lifetime and maximal power consumption. COTS magnetic ballasts are bulky, heavy, and inefficient. Several iterations of dimmable electronic ballasts have been developed. Some manifestations have safety features such as broken-bulb or over-temperature warnings, replace-bulb alert, logbulb operational hours, etc. Several electronic ballast boards capable of independently lighting and controlling (dimming) four fluorescent (UV light) bulbs were designed, fabricated, and tested. Because of the variation in the market bulb parameters, the ballast boards were designed with a very broad range output. The ballast boards can measure and control the current (power) for each channel.
Raducanu, Marius↗
The Gas Phase Protonation Sites of Six Naturally Occurring Nicotinoids
We have determined the gas phase protonation sites of six naturally occurring nicotinoids, namely nicotine (NIC), nornicotine (NOR), anabasine (ANB), anatabine (ANT), cotinine (COT) and myosmine (MYO) from experimental cryogenic ion trap infrared spectroscopy and first principles electronic structure calculations. The structural motif of these compounds consists of a common Pyridine and a differing non-Pyridine rings. The protonation site on either of these two rings correlates with the nicotinoid’s biological activity (addiction). At room temperature NIC is a mixture of Pyridine and Pyrrolidine (non-Pyridene) protomers, NOR, ANB, ANT and COT are pure Pyridine protomers and finally MYO is mostly a Pyroline (non-Pyridine) protomer. Their biological activity (addiction) correlates with the protonation preference in the nonPyridine protomer, with the exception of MYO, which, although is protonated in the Pyroline (non-Pyridine) protomer, it is not addictive because of a conjugated p system that induces a flat structure that is not optimally interacting with the environment in the in the binding pocket of the human brain.
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
Radiation Hardness Assurance Issues Associated with COTS in JPL Flight Systems: The Challenge of Europa
With the decreasing availability of radiation hardened electronics and the new NASA paradigm of faster, more aggressive and less expensive space missions, there has been an increasing emphasis on using high performance commercial microelectronic parts and circuits in NASA spacecraft.
Europa radiation effects microelectronics↗
Technology Validation of Optical Fiber Cables for Space Flight Environments
Periodically, commercially available (COTS) optical fiber cable assemblies are characterized for space flight usage under the NASA Electronic Parts and Packaging Program (NEPP). The purpose of this is to provide a family of optical fiber cable options to a variety of different harsh environments typical to space flight missions. The optical fiber cables under test are evaluated to bring out known failure mechanisms that are expected to occur during a typical mission. The tests used to characterize COTS cables include: (1) vacuum exposure, (2) thermal cycling, and (3) radiation exposure. Presented here are the results of the testing conducted at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on COTS optical fiber cables over this past year. Several optical fiber cables were characterized for their thermal stability both during and after thermal cycling. The results show how much preconditioning is necessary for a variety of available cables to remain thermally stable in a space flight environment. Several optical fibers of dimensions 100/140/172 microns were characterized for their radiation effects at -125 C using the dose rate requirements of International Space Station. One optical fiber cable in particular was tested for outgassing to verify whether an acrylate coated fiber could be used in a space flight optical cable configuration.
Ott, Melanie N.↗
Goddard Space Flight Center's Structural Dynamics Data Acquisition System
Turnkey Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) data acquisition systems typically perform well and meet most of the objectives of the manufacturer. The problem is that they seldom meet most of the objectives of the end user. The analysis software, if any, is unlikely to be tailored to the end users specific application; and there is seldom the chance of incorporating preferred algorithms to solve unique problems. Purchasing a customized system allows the end user to get a system tailored to the actual application, but the cost can be prohibitive. Once the system has been accepted, future changes come with a cost and response time that's often not workable. When it came time to replace the primary digital data acquisition system used in the Goddard Space Flight Center's Structural Dynamics Test Section, the decision was made to use a combination of COTS hardware and in-house developed software. The COTS hardware used is the DataMAX II Instrumentation Recorder built by R.C. Electronics Inc. and a desktop Pentium 4 computer system. The in-house software was developed using MATLAF3 from The Mathworks. This paper will describe the design and development of the new data acquisition and analysis system.
McLeod, Christopher↗
Goddard Space Flight Center's Structural Dynamics Data Acquisition System
Turnkey Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) data acquisition systems typically perform well and meet most of the objectives of the manufacturer. The problem is that they seldom meet most of the objectives of the end user. The analysis software, if any, is unlikely to be tailored to the end users specific application; and there is seldom the chance of incorporating preferred algorithms to solve unique problems. Purchasing a customized system allows the end user to get a system tailored to the actual application, but the cost can be prohibitive. Once the system has been accepted, future changes come with a cost and response time that's often not workable. When it came time to replace the primary digital data acquisition system used in the Goddard Space Flight Center's Structural Dynamics Test Section, the decision was made to use a combination of COTS hardware and in-house developed software. The COTS hardware used is the DataMAX II Instrumentation Recorder built by R.C. Electronics Inc. and a desktop Pentium 4 computer system. The in-house software was developed using MATLAB from The MathWorks. This paper will describe the design and development of the new data acquisition and analysis system.
McLeod, Christopher↗
A Step Forward Infusion of Reliable COTS Plastic Parts in NASA Flight Hardware
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& Engineering Office↗
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Analysis Of Optical Payload For Lasercomm Science (OPALS) sealed enclosure module
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) using the commercial CFD package CFDesign has been performed at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in support of the Phaeton Early Career Hire Program's Optical Payload for Lasercomm Science (OPALS) mission. The OPALS project is one which involves an International Space Station payload that will be using forced convection cooling in a hermetically sealed enclosure at 1 atm of air to cool "off-the-shelf" vendor electronics. The CFD analysis was used to characterize the thermal and fluid flow environment within a complicated labyrinth of electronics boards, fans, instrumentation, harnessing, ductwork and heat exchanger fins. The paradigm of iteratively using CAD/CAE tools and CFD was followed in order to determine the optimum flow geometry and heat sink configuration to yield operational convective film coefficients and temperature survivability limits for the electronics payload. Results from this current CFD analysis and correlation of the CFD model against thermal test data will be presented. Lessons learned and coupled thermal / flow modeling strategies will be shared in this paper.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)↗
Electronic Packaging for Space Applications Workshop 1999
This paper presents viewgraphs on the Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Program. The topics include: 1) Advocacy for COTS; 2) MARS01 Program/Requirements; 3) MARS01 COTS Screening Flow; 4) Test Results-Electrical, C-Sam, Burn-In; 5) Value Added Analysis (Risk Reduction); 6) Value Added Analysis (Cost); 7) Impact of COTS ++ Screening and 8) Summary.
Sandor, Mike↗
Extended Temperature Operation of Isolated, Precision Gate Driver, ADuM4120
Electronics used in space missions encounter exposure to extreme temperatures and operation under wide thermal swings. Most commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices are not designed to function under such extreme conditions and very little data exist on their performance outside their specified range of operation. Extending the temperature range at which electronic parts can operate reliably leads to potential benefits resulting in improving reliability, reducing mass/weight, and simplifying thermal design due to elimination of thermal control elements and fewer parts count. In this work, the performance of an isolated, precision gate driver for controlling power-level transistors, including gallium nitride (GaN) and silicon carbide (SiC) devices, was evaluated under extreme temperatures and thermal cycling. The investigations were carried out to assess performance for potential use of this device in space exploration missions under extreme temperature conditions.
Wide Bandgap Power Electronics↗
Electronic Components for use in Extreme Temperature Aerospace Applications
Electrical power management and control systems designed for use in planetary exploration missions and deep space probes require electronics that are capable of efficient and reliable operation under extreme temperature conditions. Space-based infra-red satellites, all-electric ships, jet engines, electromagnetic launchers, magnetic levitation transport systems, and power facilities are also typical examples where the electronics are expected to be exposed to harsh temperatures and to operate under severe thermal swings. Most commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) devices are not designed to function under such extreme conditions and, therefore, new parts must be developed or the conventional devices need to be modified. For example, spacecraft operating in the cold environment of deep space carry a large number of radioisotope heating units in order to maintain the surrounding temperature of the on-board electronics at approximately 20 C. At the other end, built-in radiators and coolers render the operation of electronics possible under hot conditions. These thermal measures lead to design complexity, affect development costs, and increase size and weight. Electronics capable of operation at extreme temperatures, thus, will not only tolerate the hostile operational environment, but also make the overall system efficient, more reliable, and less expensive. The Extreme Temperature Electronics Program at the NASA Glenn Research Center focuses on research and development of electronics suitable for applications in the aerospace environment and deep space exploration missions. Research is being conducted on devices, including COTS parts, for potential use under extreme temperatures. These components include semiconductor switching devices, passive devices, DC/DC converters, operational amplifiers, and oscillators. An overview of the program will be presented along with some experimental findings.
Patterson, Richard L.↗
Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Graphics Processing Board (GPB) Radiation Test Evaluation Report
Large round trip communications latency for deep space missions will require more onboard computational capabilities to enable the space vehicle to undertake many tasks that have traditionally been ground-based, mission control responsibilities. As a result, visual display graphics will be required to provide simpler vehicle situational awareness through graphical representations, as well as provide capabilities never before done in a space mission, such as augmented reality for in-flight maintenance or Telepresence activities. These capabilities will require graphics processors and associated support electronic components for high computational graphics processing. In an effort to understand the performance of commercial graphics card electronics operating in the expected radiation environment, a preliminary test was performed on five commercial offthe- shelf (COTS) graphics cards. This paper discusses the preliminary evaluation test results of five COTS graphics processing cards tested to the International Space Station (ISS) low earth orbit radiation environment. Three of the five graphics cards were tested to a total dose of 6000 rads (Si). The test articles, test configuration, preliminary results, and recommendations are discussed.
Salazar, George A.↗
Effects of Temperature on the Performance and Stability of Recent COTS Silicon Oscillators
Silicon oscillators have lately emerged to serve as potential replacement for crystal and ceramic resonators to provide timing and clock signals in electronic systems. These semiconductor-based devices, including those that are based on MEMS technology, are reported to be resistant to vibration and shock (an important criteria for systems to be deployed in space), immune to EMI, consume very low current, require few or no external components, and cover a wide range of frequency for analog and digital circuits. In this work, the performance of five recently-developed COTS silicon oscillator chips from different manufacturers was determined within a temperature range that extended beyond the individual specified range of operation. In addition, restart capability at extreme temperatures, i.e. power switched on while the device was soaking at extreme (hot or cold) temperature, and the effects of thermal cycling under a wide temperature range on the operation of these silicon oscillators were also investigated. Performance characterization of each oscillator was obtained in terms of its output frequency, duty cycle, rise and fall times, and supply current at specific test temperatures. The five different oscillators tested operated beyond their specified temperature region, with some displaying excellent stability throughout the whole test temperature range. Others experienced some instability at certain temperature test points as evidenced by fluctuation in the output frequency. Recovery from temperature-induced changes took place when excessive temperatures were removed. It should also be pointed out that all oscillators were able to restart at the extreme test temperatures and to withstand the limited thermal cycling without undergoing any significant changes in their characteristics. In addition, no physical damage was observed in the packaging material of any of these silicon oscillators due to extreme temperature exposure and thermal cycling. It is recommended that additional and more comprehensive testing under long term cycling be carried out to fully establish the reliability of these devices and to determine their suitability for use in space exploration missions under extreme temperature conditions.
Patterson, Richard L.↗
Simulated Space Environment Effects on a Candidate Solar Sail Material
For long duration missions of solar sail vehicles, the sail material needs to survive the harsh space environment as the degradation of the sail material determines its operational lifetime. Therefore, understanding the effects of the space environment on the sail membrane is essential for mission success. In this study, the effect of simulated space environments of ionizing radiation and thermal aging were investigated. In order to assess some of the potential damage effects on the mechanical, thermal and optical properties of a commercial off the shelf (COTS) polyester solar sail membrane. The solar sail membrane was exposed to high energy electrons [about 70 keV and 10 nA/cm(exp. 2)], and the physical properties were characterized. After about 8.3 Grad dose, the tensile modulus, tensile strength and failure strain of the sail membrane decreased by 20 to 95%. The aluminum reflective layer was damaged and partially delaminated but it did not show any significant change in solar absorbance or thermal emittance. The mechanical properties of a precracked sample, simulating potential impact damage of the sail membrane, as well as thermal aging effects on metallized PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) film, will be discussed.
Kang, Jin Ho↗
PHALANX: Expendable Projectile Sensor Networks for Planetary Exploration
Technologies enabling long-term, wide-ranging measurement in hard-to-reach areas are a critical need for planetary science inquiry. Phenomena of interest include flows or variations in volatiles, gas composition or concentration, particulate density, or even simply temperature. Improved measurement of these processes enables understanding of exotic geologies and distributions or correlating indicators of trapped water or biological activity. However, such data is often needed in unsafe areas such as caves, lava tubes, or steep ravines not easily reached by current spacecraft and planetary robots. To address this capability gap, we have developed miniaturized, expendable sensors which can be ballistically lobbed from a robotic rover or static lander - or even dropped during a flyover. These projectiles can perform sensing during flight and after anchoring to terrain features. By augmenting exploration systems with these sensors, we can extend situational awareness, perform long-duration monitoring, and reduce utilization of primary mobility resources, all of which are crucial in surface missions. We call the integrated payload that includes a cold gas launcher, smart projectiles, planning software, network discovery, and science sensing: PHALANX. In this paper, we introduce the mission architecture for PHALANX and describe an exploration concept that pairs projectile sensors with a rover “mothership.” Science use cases explored include reconnaissance using ballistic cameras, volatiles detection, and building timelapse maps of temperature and illumination conditions. Strategies to autonomously coordinate constellations of deployed sensors to self-discover and localize with peer ranging (i.e. a “local GPS”) are summarized, thus providing communications infrastructure beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) of the rover. Capabilities were demonstrated through both simulation and physical testing with a terrestrial prototype. The approach to developing a terrestrial prototype is discussed, including design of the launching mechanism, projectile optimization, micro-electronics fabrication, and sensor selection. Results from early testing and characterization of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components are reported. Nodes were subjected to successful burn-in tests over 48 hours at full logging duty cycle. Integrated field tests were conducted in the Roverscape, a half-acre planetary analog environment at NASA Ames, where we tested up to 10 sensor nodes simultaneously coordinating with an exploration rover. Ranging accuracy has been demonstrated to be within +/-10cm over 20m using commodity radios when compared to high-resolution laser scanner ground truthing. Evolution of the design, including progressive miniaturization of the electronics and iterated modifications of the enclosure housing for streamlining and optimized radio performance are described. Finally, lessons learned to date, gaps toward eventual flight mission implementation, and continuing future development plans are discussed.
Dille, Michael↗
Standards and Specifications for Ground Processing of Space Vehicles: From an Aviation-Based Shuttle Project to Global Application
Proprietary or unique designs and operations are expected early in any industry's development, and often provide a competitive early market advantage. However, there comes a time when a product or industry requires standardization for the whole industry to advance...or survive. For the space industry, that time has come. Here, we will focus on standardization of ground processing for space vehicles and their ground systems. With the retirement of the Space Shuttle, and emergence of a new global space race, affordability and sustainability are more important now than ever. The growing commercialization of the space industry and current global economic environment are driving greater need for efficiencies to save time and money. More RLV's (Reusable Launch Vehicles) are being developed for the gains of reusability not achievable with traditional ELV's (Expendable Launch Vehicles). More crew/passenger vehicles are also being developed. All of this calls for more attention needed for ground processing-repeatedly before launch and after landing/recovery. RLV's should provide more efficiencies than ELV's, as long as MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) is well-planned-even for the unplanned problems. NASA's Space Shuttle is a primary example of an RLV which was supposed to thrive on reusability savings with efficient ground operations, but lessons learned show that costs were (and still are) much greater than expected. International standards and specifications can provide the commonality needed to simplify design and manufacturing as well as to improve safety, quality, maintenance, and operability. There are standards organizations engaged in the space industry, but ground processing is one of the areas least addressed. Challenges are encountered due to various factors often not considered during development. Multiple vehicle elements, sites, customers, and contractors pose various functional and integration difficulties. Resulting technical publication structures and methods are incongruent. Some processing products are still done on paper, some electronic, and many being converted in between. Business systems then are not fully compatible, and paper as well as electronic conversions are time-consuming and costly. NASA and its Shuttle contractors setup rules and systems to handle what has produced over 130 RLV launches, but they have had many challenges. Attempts have been made to apply aviation industry specifications to make the Shuttle more efficient with its ground processing. One efficiency project example was to make a Shuttle Maintenance Manual (SMM) based on the commercial ATA (Air Transport Association of America) Spec 100 for technical publications. This industry standard, along with others, has been a foundation for efficient global MRO of commercial airlines for years. A modified version was also made for some military aircraft. The SMM project found many similarities in Spec 100 which apply to the Shuttle, and room for expansion for space systems/structures not in aircraft. The SMM project team met with the ATA and representatives from NASA's X-33 and X-34 programs to discuss collaboration on a national space standard based on Spec 100. A pilot project was enabled for a subset of Shuttle systems. Full implementation was not yet achieved, X-33 and X-34 were cancelled, and the Shuttles were then designated for retirement. Nonetheless, we can learn from this project how to expand this concept to all space vehicle products. Since then, ATA has joined with ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe) and AIA (Aerospace Industries Association) to form a much-enhanced and expanded international specification: Sl000D, International Specification for Technical Publications. It includes air, land, and sea vehicles, missiles, support equipment, ordnance, and communications. It is used by a growing number of countries for commercial and government products. Its modular design is supported by a Common Source Dabase (CSDB), and COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) software is available for production of IETP's (Interactive Electronic Technical Publications). A few space industry products in Europe have begun to apply Sl000D already. Also, there are other related standards/specifications which have global implications. We have an opportunity to adapt Sl000D and possibly other standards for use with space vehicles and ground systems. Sl000D has plenty of flexibility to apply to any product needed. To successfully grow the viability of the space industry, all members, commercial and government, will need to engage cooperatively in developing and applying standards to move toward interoperability. If we leverage and combine the best existing space standards and specifications, develop new ones to address known gaps, and adapt the best applicable features from other industries, we can establish an infrastructure to not only accelerate current development, but also build longevity for a more cohesive international space community.
Ingalls, John↗
Robust, Radiation Tolerant Command and Data Handling and Power System Electronics for SmallSats
In today's budgetary environment, there is significant interest within the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to enable small robotic science missions that can be executed faster and cheaper than previous larger missions. To help achieve this, focus has shifted from using exclusively radiation-tolerant or radiation-hardened parts to using more commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components for NASA small satellite missions that can last at least one year in orbit. However, there are some portions of a spacecraft's avionics, such as the Command and Data Handling (C&DH) subsystem and the Power System Electronics (PSE) that need to have a higher level of reliability that goes beyond what is attainable with currently available COTS parts. While there are a number of COTS components that can withstand a total ionizing dose (TID) of tens or hundreds of kilorads, there is still a great deal of concern about tolerance to and mitigation of single-event effects (SEE).
6U satellite↗