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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 721 records · Page 40
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2019

A Proposal for Standardized MMOD Shielding for Robotic Spacecraft

NASA robotic spacecraft are required to assess the potential for small debris induced failure for all disposal-critical components. Additional shielding might then be necessary in order to meet the acceptable risk requirement for the overall mission. Traditionally this requirement had been met with little or no additional shielding. Since the introduction of a high density debris population in ORDEM 3.0, some missions, especially those in higher portions of Low Earth Orbit, have needed additional MMOD-specific shielding in order for the mission to meet the requirement. This is a costly design effort when performed late in the project life cycle, which adds unexpected mass to the spacecraft components during the integration phase, and could disrupt thermal management.A proposal is discussed to develop a more cost-effective approach to MMOD-shielding, which can be employed earlier in the hardware design phase. The development and adoption of standardized shielding assemblies allows early tailoring of the shielding around a component, so that the mass is accounted for, as well as the small particle penetration risk, at a point in the design phase when the cost and schedule impact are more manageable. A set of several assemblies can be developed with a range of protection thresholds, in order to control mass where less shielding is needed. Such shielding assemblies would be developed in collaboration with blanket assembly specialists and thermal control engineers to ensure manufacturability and thermal performance challenges are known and acceptable. One clear benefit of such an approach is that hypervelocity testing can be performed on each of the standard shield assemblies to refine and confirm their performance prior to use.The challenges inherent in designing supplemental MMOD shielding will be discussed, including variations in the orbital debris environment and performance prediction. The benefits of a standardized shielding approach and example applications will also be presented.

Hull, Scott M.↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Proposal for Standardized MMOD Shielding for Robotic Spacecraft

NASA robotic spacecraft are required to assess the potential for small debris induced failure for all disposal-critical components. Additional shielding might then be necessary in order to meet the acceptable risk requirement for the overall mission. Traditionally this requirement had been met with little or no additional shielding. Since the introduction of a high density debris population in ORDEM 3.0, some missions, especially those in higher portions of Low Earth Orbit, have needed additional MMOD-specific shielding in order for the mission to meet the requirement. This is a costly design effort when performed late in the project life cycle, which adds unexpected mass to the spacecraft components during the integration phase, and could disrupt thermal management. A proposal is discussed to develop a more cost-effective approach to MMOD-shielding, which can be employed earlier in the hardware design phase. The development and adoption of standardized shielding assemblies allows early tailoring of the shielding around a component, so that the mass is accounted for, as well as the small particle penetration risk, at a point in the design phase when the cost and schedule impact are more manageable. A set of several assemblies can be developed with a range of protection thresholds, in order to control mass where less shielding is needed. Such shielding assemblies would be developed in collaboration with blanket assembly specialists and thermal control engineers to ensure manufacturability and thermal performance challenges are known and acceptable. One clear benefit of such an approach is that hypervelocity testing can be performed on each of the standard shield assemblies to refine and confirm their performance prior to use.The challenges inherent in designing supplemental MMOD shielding will be discussed, including variations in the orbital debris environment and performance prediction. The benefits of a standardized shielding approach and example applications will also be presented.

Hull, Scott M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A Proposed Update to the Solar Irradiance Spectrum Used in LOWTRAN and MODTRAN

The calibrated upwelling radiance spectra measured by AVIRIS are increasingly being analyzed with radiative transfer codes. Analysis of AVIRIS data with the LOWTRAN and MODTRAN radiative transfer codes has led to indications of an error in the solar irradiance spectra used by these codes. This paper presents evidence for the error and a proposed update to the solar irradiance spectra used by LOWTRAN and MODTRAN.

AVIRIS↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Proposal for a Sample Return from Titan

We propose to explore a Titan sample return mission using in-situ volatile propellants available on its surface. Titan is unique in the outer solar system in that it is the only moon with a thick atmosphere, andthe only body in the solar system outside the Earth with liquid seas on its surface. The Titanian oceans, however, are seas of liquid hydrocarbons, and the rocks on the surface are solid water ice. Many studies of space development emphasize use of the in-situ resources to eliminate the requirement to launch propellants from Earth. With water, liquid methane,and ethane easily available, Titan is a rocket scientist’s dream for propellants.

Titan↗
NASA NTRS2023

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (Sans): Proposed Pathogenesis, Terrestrial Analogs, and Emerging Countermeasures

Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS) refers to a distinct constellation of ocular, neurological, and neuroimaging findings observed in astronauts during and following long duration spaceflight. These ocular findings, to include optic disc edema, posterior globe flattening, chorioretinal folds, and hyperopic shifts, were first described by NASA in 2011. SANS is a potential risk to astronaut health and will likely require mitigation prior to planetary travel with prolonged exposures to microgravity. While the exact pathogenesis of SANS is not completely understood, several hypotheses have been proposed to explain this neuro-ocular phenomenon. In this paper, we briefly discuss the current hypotheses and contributing factors underlying SANS pathophysiology as well as analogs utilized to study SANS on Earth. We also review emerging potential countermeasures for SANS including lower body negative pressure, nutritional supplementation, and translaminar pressure gradient modulation. Ongoing investigation within these fields will likely be instrumental in preparing and protecting astronaut vision for future spaceflight missions including deep space exploration.

Astronauts↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mineralogical, Elemental, and Tomographic Reconnaissance Investigation for CLPS (METRIC): A Proposed Mission to the Lunar South Pole-Aitken Basin

The global Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) hypothesis is based on analyses of ferroan anorthosites (FAN), magnesian plutonic rocks (Mg-suite), and KREEPy (Potassium - K; Rare Earth Elements - REE; Phosphorous - P) material present at the Apollo landing sites and the assumed global distribution of these lithologies. However, orbital spacecraft data over the last two decades have highlighted that the location of the Apollo missions within and near the Procellarum KREEP Terrane (PKT) is compositionally anomalous and not representative of the entire lunar surface and suggests that Apollo samples provide a biased view of the Moon. Further, meteorites, which originate from random areas on the lunar surface, including those not visited by Apollo, Luna, or Chang’E-5, provide complementary datasets that reveal a more complex lunar formation and evolution than the simple LMO onion skin model. While many recent investigations support and refine the LMO model, other recent studies have questioned whether this mechanism alone is responsible for the primordial differentiation of the Moon. Thus, relating the distinct and asymmetrically distributed geochemical terranes on the Moon, especially KREEP which is a predicted global LMO product, to lunar formation and differentiation remains a fundamental goal of lunar science. The South Pole-Aitken (SPA) impact carved a two-and-a-half thousand-kilometer basin into the Moon’s ancient crust, excavating material from as deep as the upper mantle. Orbital remote sensing of the basin indicates compositions with elevated thorium (Th) contents and unique mineralogies that provide a window into early lunar structure and LMO processes. We propose to land a powerful characterization laboratory at Birkeland crater on the far side of the Moon–where Th-rich SPA ejecta have been re-exposed near the surface–in order to address outstanding questions about the evolution of the Moon.

K M Cannon↗
NASA NTRS2020

Reply to “A Comment on ‘an Evolutionary System of Mineralogy: Proposal for A Classification of Planetary Materials Based on Natural Kind Clustering’”

I welcome the “Comment” from Hatert et al. (2021) related to the proposal for an “Evolutionary system of mineralogy” (Hazen 2019) and thank them for their historically informed, conceptually nuanced, and consistently constructive contribution. They offer corrections related to two facets of my paper that seemed unfairly to criticize aspects of the International Mineralogical Association’s Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification (IMA-CNMNC) protocols for classifying minerals. First, they note an unfortunate inferred ambivalence with respect to the relationship between the IMA system and the new evolutionary system. If I was once ambivalent, that view has changed. Having spent the past two years in an ongoing effort to develop this new historical approach, I am struck every day by the power of the IMA-CNMNC system of species classification and nomenclature, which is fundamental and indispensable to the science of mineralogy. As Hatert et al. suggest, any new approach to organizing natural solids, including one focused on planetary evolution, must rest on the foundation provided by the IMA-CNMNC and its many volunteers who selflessly bring order to the mineral kingdom. In the best scenario, the evolutionary system may one day emerge as one of several useful approaches that complement and amplify but in no way replace this core IMA-CNMNC foundation, as clearly stated in the abstract of Hazen (2019). Second, Hatert et al. (2021) offer corrections regarding the IMA-CNMNC approach to classification, in particular a mischaracterization of the formal process to incorporate amorphous phases, poorly crystalline materials, and loosely defined “mineraloids.” I am grateful for the clarifications, as well as the implication that IMA protocols may facilitate the embrace of additional such phases in the future. Finally, I welcome the chance to explore further the emerging concept of “natural kinds” as applied to the mineral kingdom. Here, our thoughts differ. I suggest that minerals, considered in their information-rich, idiosyncratic, paragenetic contexts (in contrast to IMA-CNMNC species), have the potential to represent quintessential examples of “natural kinds.” Furthermore, when viewed in their evolutionary context, minerals offer an intriguing opportunity to expand the concept of “historical natural kinds” beyond its present limited and, at times, controversial use in biology, into the realm of the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere.

Philosophy of mineralogy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

AIAA ASCEND 2023 Panel Session Proposal: Community Perspectives on Establishing a Government-Funded National Laboratory in a Commercially-Driven LEO Ecosystem

AIAA ASCEND 2023 Panel Session Proposal: Community Perspectives on Establishing a Government-Funded National Laboratory in a Commercially-Driven LEO Ecosystem Submitted by the NASA Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy March 8, 2023 Session Format: Panel Session Topic: Expanding and Evolving the Space Economy Session Title: Community Perspectives on Establishing a Government-Funded National Laboratory in a Commercially-Driven LEO Ecosystem Short Session Description: NASA is preparing for the retirement of the ISS and transition of government-sponsored low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities to Commercial LEO Destinations (CLDs), which includes a government-funded national lab. This transition necessitates new models to connect government-funded users of the LEO environment to CLDs. This panel will highlight updates on what may constitute a national laboratory, share perspectives from members of LEO user communities, and open the discussion for additional comments. Requested Session Duration: 90 minutes Extended Session Description: NASA is preparing for the retirement of the ISS and transition of low-Earth orbit (LEO) activities to Commercial LEO Destinations (CLDs), including planning for a national laboratory. This transition necessitates new models for connecting government-funded users of the LEO environment to CLDs. NASA has made progress on models and a stepwise strategy to enable this national laboratory. This session will discuss guiding national strategies and highlight perspectives on what constitutes a national laboratory from current user communities. A NASA panel participant will introduce the rationale for continuing a national laboratory utilizing CLDs and speak on progress-to-date. This includes furthering national priorities to continue a space-based microgravity national laboratory. It also may include a brief overview of a study conducted by NASA which elucidates a trade space of models for a national laboratory and highlights from an interagency working group on microgravity for additional context. A moderator and five panelists representing diverse LEO user communities will then share perspectives on topics relating to this new dynamic ecosystem, expectations for models and activities, and other thoughts on NASA’s progress. Panelists may consist of members from the following communities: NASA, other U.S. government agencies, startups, small businesses, academia, and non-profits. The panel then plans to open discussion to the audience for questions, input, and additional feedback. Session Goal(s)/Outcome(s): By hosting a panel session, NASA aims to accomplish two goals. First, NASA wishes to update the community on progress towards establishing a national laboratory in low-Earth orbit. This includes sharing key perspectives heard from stakeholder communities. The second goal is to highlight the collaborative nature of such an undertaking and to facilitate additional discussion with other current and future users of the LEO community. Participants (not exhaustive): Erica Rodgers; Robyn Gatens

Erica Marie Rodgers Heusinkveld↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Proposed Clock Synchronization Method for the Solar System Internet

Networked communications in space are necessary to achieve scalability in terms of the number of communicating nodes but also in terms of the overall system complexity. A key component to such a system is the ability to synchronize clocks, which is the focus of this paper. The so-called Solar System Internet (SSI) will be built upon Delay Tolerant Networking (DTN), which, in analogy to the Internet Protocol (IP), can be considered a suite of protocols necessary for networking in the space domain. Therefore, our goal is to extend this suite to include a DTN clock synchronization capability, analogous to the Network Time Protocol (NTP) used in the Internet. A motivating example of a network in space is NASA’s LunaNet, a vision for a multi-hop multi-path network extending to the moon wherein not all nodes will have direct connections to an authoritative reference clock. In this paper, we propose a general clock synchronization methodology and algorithm that could be used for LunaNet as well as more elaborate time-varying networks. In recent years, DTN has benefited from modeling efforts founded on the mathematical tool of sheaves. Here we continue this work to provide an approach to clock synchronization. Due to the time-varying nature of space networks, absolute consensus is not possible. However, the sheaf Laplacian provides a practical, distributed approach to approximating consensus by allowing data to diffuse through the network. In particular, the sheaf Laplacian is readily computable, lending our approach to implementation. Our approach is well suited to handle the difficulties of space networks. For instance, differences in clock accuracy mean certain nodes are more authoritative than others; we can account for these differences through hierarchies in the network, generalizing the strata in NTP. Furthermore, just as error estimation is an integral part of NTP, we are able to give concrete error bounds for our approach. Indeed, different applications (e.g., communications schedules, pointing, navigation, distributed science) will have different requirements, hence it is necessary to maintain clocks within a given tolerance. We outline some of the necessary steps to turn our approach into a practical network protocol that could be used in DTN, and we conclude the paper with suggestions for future research.

Michael Moy↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Review on Sensor Spatial Resolution and A Proposal on Grid Pixel Sizing

Sensor spatial resolution (SSR) is a determining factor in developing remote sensing instruments for earth observations. The SSR is defined as the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of sensor point/line spread function (PSF/LSF). This presentation first discusses large variations in image absolute SSR and SSR ratios to ground sampling distance (GSD) or grid pixel size from multiple instruments including AVHRR (Advanced Very-High Resolution Radiometer), MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer), VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite), WorldView and Planet. When the physics based SSR is more than twice the nominal grid pixel size, a more appropriate grid pixel size is proposed.

Guoqing (Gary) Lin↗
NASA NTRS2024

Lessons Learned in Designing A Proposed Ultraviolet Sterilization System for Space

This paper presents a number of lessons learned while designing a proposed sterilization system for Mars Sample Return. This sterilization system is needed to inactivate any potentially hazardous Mars material on the exterior surface of the vessel containing sealed sample tubes filled with Mars rock cores, regolith and atmosphere. These returned samples would provide information on the geologic history of Mars, the evolution of its climate and the potential for ancient life. Mars Sample Return is categorized at Planetary Protection Category V Restricted Earth Return, so it is required to protect the Earth–Moon system from the biological impact of returning samples from Mars to Earth. This article reviews lessons learned in the development of a particular engineering implementation to support the protection of the Earth–Moon biosphere: the use of in situ ultraviolet LED illumination. The details of the biological efficacy of this approach or the policy-related impacts are outside of the scope of this manuscript. The lessons learned presented here include establishing design requirements for the system, the selection of a light source, optical design options, contamination control and approaches to thermal and power management.

Planetary Protection↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Proposed Reliability-Based Damage Tolerance Guidelines for Space Systems

Deterministic damage tolerance guidelines for highly reusable and efficiently designed launch systems can be challenging to meet and result in overly conservative assessments for tightly controlled manufacturing processes. Deterministic approaches may be unconservative when the structure is workmanship sensitive and there is a wide spread in fracture properties. Reliability-based damage tolerance assessments targeting a component reliability over the service life commensurate to mission risk posture is a promising alternative. Low production rates, short fleets, and lack of standards or guidance has slowed down widespread adoption of this method. Guidance for the robust application of reliability-based damage tolerance for space systems are proposed. These guidelines cover the treatment of uncertainty in damage tolerance analysis, the collection of data to develop probabilistic distributions, uncertainty propagation methods, and types of hardware.

Reliability-Based Damage Tolerance↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Sensorimotor Application of Proposed Methods to Combine the Effects of Multiple Countermeasures for PRisM

Risk associated with human systems is challenging to quantify but is critical for the mission planning and decision making required to enable future Lunar and Martian missions. To address this gap, the Crew Health and Performance-Probabilistic Risk Assessment (CHP-PRA) project is developing an integrated computational model for CHP mission risk. Much like how MEDPRAT is designed to allow medical resource trades informed by medical risk, CHP-PRA will enable analogous trades in human system risks across multiple CHP functions and capabilities. Human performance is one component of the risk intended to be captured by CHP-PRA through the Performance Risk Model (PRisM). The sensorimotor risk area provides a good frame of reference for investigating the structure of a performance model because most tasks that astronauts are expected to perform require input from the sensory system and/or movement/motor control. Additionally, sensorimotor countermeasures are an area of particular concern for NASA’s Human Research Program because of the increased sensorimotor risk associated with surface operations in Lunar and Martian missions. Thus, a tool that can quickly compare risk reductions of potential countermeasures would be beneficial in guiding research and development of effective countermeasures. In this proof of concept, we present a systematic way to combine multiple performance data sets for humans subjected to different countermeasures such that we can predict the countermeasure(s) that optimize astronaut performance on relevant tasks. PRisM assumes that both the tests that are used to measure countermeasure effectiveness (input data) and the tasks we use to represent astronaut performance, can be broken down and represented as a function/vector of the human systems required to perform that test/task. Through mathematical combination, test data are used to predict performance on astronaut tasks that use similar systems. We propose that when combining countermeasures evaluated using the same test, that only one value should be used to represent their combined effectiveness. We start our analysis with the assumption that two countermeasures together will perform better than each countermeasure individually. Our initial implementation of this framework compares various space motion sickness countermeasures and the most up to date analysis will be demonstrated at the IWS.

Caroline R Austin↗
DOE OSTI2015

Proposal to Search for Magnetically Charged Particles with Magnetic Charge 1e

A model for composite elementary Standard Model (SM) particles based upon magnetically bound vorton pairs, we briefly introduce here, predicts the existence of a complete family of magnetically charged particles, as well as their neutral isotopic partners (all counterparts to the SM elementary particles), in which the lowest mass (charged) particle would be an electrically neutral stable lepton, but which carries a magnetic charge equivalent to 1e. This new particle, which we call a magneticon (a counterpart to the electron) would be pair produced at all e + e - colliders at an E cm above twice its mass. In addition, PP and PPbar colliders should also be able to produce these new particles through the Drell-Yan process. To our knowledge, no monopole search experiment has been sensitive to such a low-charged magnetic monopole above a particle mass of about 5 GeV/c 2 . Hence, we propose that a search for such a stable particle of magnetic charge 1e should be undertaken. We have taken the ATLAS detector at the LHC as an example in which this search might be done. To this end, we modeled the magnetic fields and muon trigger chambers of this detector. We show results from a simple Monte Carlo simulation program to indicate how these particles might look in the detector and describe how one might search for these new particles in the ATLAS data stream.

ATLAS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Design Considerations for Proposed Fermilab Integrable RCS

Integrable optics is an innovation in particle accelerator design that provides strong nonlinear focusing while avoiding parametric resonances. One promising application of integrable optics is to overcome the traditional limits on accelerator intensity imposed by betatron tune-spread and collective instabilities. The efficacy of high-intensity integrable accelerators will be undergo comprehensive testing over the next several years at the Fermilab Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) and the University of Maryland Electron Ring (UMER). We propose an integrable Rapid-Cycling Synchrotron (iRCS) as a replacement for the Fermilab Booster to achieve multi-MW beam power for the Fermilab high-energy neutrino program. We provide a overview of the machine parameters and discuss an approach to lattice optimization. Integrable optics requires arcs with integer-pi phase advance followed by drifts with matched beta functions. We provide an example integrable lattice with features of a modern RCS - long dispersion-free drifts, low momentum compaction, superperiodicity, chromaticity correction, separate-function magnets, and bounded beta functions.

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Proposal and Evaluation of Subordinate Standard Solar Irradiance Spectra: Preprint

This paper introduces a concept for global tilted irradiance (GTI) subordinate standard spectra to supplement the current standard spectra used in solar photovoltaic applications as defined in ASTM G173 and IEC60904. The proposed subordinate standard spectra correspond to atmospheric conditions and tilt angles that depart significantly from the main standard spectrum, and they can be used to more accurately represent various local conditions. For the definition of subordinate standard spectra cases with an elevation 1.5 km above sea level, the question arises whether the air mass should be calculated including a pressure correction or not. This study focuses on the impact of air mass used in standard spectra, and it uses data from 29 locations to examine which air mass is most appropriate for GTI and direct normal irradiance (DNI) spectra. Overall, it is found that the pressure-corrected air mass of 1.5 is most appropriate for DNI spectra. For GTI, a non-pressure-corrected air mass of 1.5 was found to be more appropriate.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2016

XDV: A proposal for an X-ray Doppler Velocimetry diagnostic

Presentation describes proposal to arrange several bent crystals, each tuned to a different center wavelength within the motional Doppler-broadened profile of a suitable x-ray emission line, to produce a multispectral image that maps wavelength shift to line-of-sight velocity.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗