SEARCH · Search NASA
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.
Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.
Mechanical cryocoolers represent a significant enabling technology for NASA's Earth and Space Science Missions. An overview is presented of ongoing cryocooler activities within NASA in support of current flight projects, near-term instruments, and long-term technology development.
Technology payoffs of representative ground based (Phase 1) and space based (Phase 2) mid lift/drag ratio aeroassisted orbit transfer vehicles (AOTV) were assessed and prioritized. A narrative summary of the cost estimates and work breakdown structure/dictionary for both study phases is presented. Costs were estimated using the Grumman Space Programs Algorithm for Cost Estimating (SPACE) computer program and results are given for four AOTV configurations. The work breakdown structure follows the standard of the joint government/industry Space Systems Cost Analysis Group (SSCAG). A table is provided which shows cost estimates for each work breakdown structure element.
In recent years, NASA has embarked on several new and exciting efforts in the exploration and use of space. The successful accomplishment of many planned missions and projects is dependent upon the development and deployment of previously unproven propulsion systems. Key to many of the propulsion systems is the use of structural ceramics and ceramic matrix composites. In spite of their promise, a number of programmatic and technical hurdles remain before the potential of ceramic materials can be realized. A programmatic environment which focuses on relatively short term hardware demonstration programs precludes traditional longer term material's development efforts. The challenge oftentimes becomes one of engineering ceramics into proposed missions. This is dependent upon a fundamental understanding of processing, degradation and design issues unique to space vehicle design and operations. A review of the general missions and benefits of utilizing ceramics and ceramic matrix composites will be presented. The design parameters and operating conditions will be presented for both specific missions/vehicles and classes of components. Key technical challenges and opportunities are identified along with suggested paths for addressing them.
In recent years, NASA has embarked on several new and exciting efforts in the exploration and use of space. The successful accomplishment of many planned missions and projects is dependent upon the development and deployment of previously unproven propulsion systems. Key to many of the propulsion systems is the use of structural ceramics and ceramic matrix composites. In spite of their promise, a number of programmatic and technical hurdles remain before the potential of ceramic materials can be realized. A programmatic environment which focuses on relatively short term hardware demonstration programs precludes traditional longer term material's development efforts. The challenge oftentimes becomes one of engineering ceramics into proposed missions. This is dependent upon a fundamental understanding of processing, degradation and design issues unique to space vehicle design and operations. A review of the general missions and benefits of utilizing ceramics and ceramic matrix composites will be presented. The design parameters and operating conditions will be presented for both specific missions/vehicles and classes of components. Key technical challenges and opportunities are identified along with suggested paths for addressing them.
NASA established the Space Flight Participant Program as a means to offer periodic opportunities for private citizens to fly on Space Shuttle missions. With the purpose of communicating the mission experience with the general public, it is expected that Space Flight Participants will be included on the crews of two to three Shuttle missions per year. This paper discusses the first flight opportunity - the NASA Teacher in Space Project - provided under this new initiative. Included in the discussion is a review of the events that led to the establishment of the Space Flight Participant Program, a review of the process that led to the selection of Christa McAuliffe as the first Space Flight Participant, a summary of the training activities to prepare a participant for a mission, and an outline of educational activities that will be offered by NASA in conjunction with Shuttle mission 51-L in January 1986 on which Ms. McAuliffe will fly.
Safety management areas of concern include the space shuttle main engine, shuttle avionics, orbiter thermal protection system, the external tank program, and the solid rocket booster program. The ground test program and ground support equipment system were reviewed. Systems integration and technical 'conscience' were of major priorities for the investigating teams.
Cost constraints to a large degree control the functionality and form of the IOC of the Space Station. Planning of Station missions must be delayed to retain flexibility, a goal also served by modular development of the Station and by multi-use laboratory modules. Early emphasis on servicing other spacecraft is recommended, as is using available Shuttle flight time for R&D on Space Station technologies and operations.
The results of the testing of wire insulation materials for space applications is presented in this report. The wire insulations tested were partially fluorinated polyimide, extruded ETFE, extruded PTFE, PTFE tape, and PTFE/Kapton. The tests performed were flammability tests, odor tests, compatibility tests with aerospace fluids, offgassing tests, and thermal vacuum stability tests.
An overview is presented of ongoing efforts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Goddard Space Flight Center in support of current flight projects, near-term flight instruments, and long-term technology development.
The objective of this program was to develop the technology necessary for operating Stirling power converters in a space environment and to demonstrate this technology in full-scale engine tests. Volume 2 of the report includes the following appendices: Appendix A: Heater Head Development (Starfish Heater Head Program, 1/10th Segment and Full-Scale Heat Pipes, and Sodium Filling and Processing); Appendix B: Component Test Power Converter (CTPC) Component Development (High-temperature Organic Materials, Heat Exchanger Fabrication, Beryllium Issues, Sodium Issues, Wear Couple Tests, Pressure Boundary Penetrations, Heating System Heaters, and Cooler Flow Test); Appendix C: Udimet Testing (Selection of the Reference Material for the Space Stirling Engine Heater Head, Udimet 720LI Creep Test Result Update, Final Summary of Space Stirling Endurance Engine Udimet 720L1 Fatigue Testing Results, Udimet 720l1 Weld Development Summary, and Udimet 720L1 Creep Test Final Results Summary), and Appendix D: CTPC Component Development Photos.
The Launch Processing System represents Kennedy Space Center's role in providing a major integrated hardware and software system for the test, checkout and launch of a new space vehicle. Past programs considered the active flight vehicle to ground interfaces as part of the flight systems and therefore the related ground system was provided by the Development Center. The major steps taken to transform the Launch Processing System from a concept to reality with the successful launches of the Shuttle Programs Space Transportation System are addressed.
Organizational problems in permanent organizations in outer space were analyzed. The environment of space provides substantial opportunities for organizational research. Questions about how to organize professional workers in a technologically complex setting with novel dangers and uncertainties present in the immediate environment are examined. It is suggested that knowledge from organization theory/behavior is an underutilized resource in the U.S. space program. A U.S. space station will be operable by the mid-1990's. Organizational issues will take on increasing importance, because a space station requires the long term organization of human and robotic work in the isolated and confined environment of outer space. When an organizational analysis of the space station is undertaken, there are research implications at multiple levels of analysis: for the individual, small group, organizational, and environmental levels of analysis. The research relevant to organization theory and behavior is reviewed.
The anticipated increase in rendezvous and docking activities in the various space programs in the Space Station era necessitates a renewed interest in manual docking procedures. Ten test subjects participated in computer simulated docking missions in which the influence of initial velocity was examined. All missions started from a resting position of 304.8 meters (1000 feet) along the space station's +V-bar axis. Test subjects controlled their vehicle with a translational hand controller and digital auto pilot which are both virtually identical to their space shuttle counterparts. While the 0.1 percent rule (range rate is equal to 0.1 percent of the range) used by space shuttle pilots is comfortably safe, it is revealed to be extremely inefficient in terms of time and not justifiable in terms of marginal safety. Time is worth money, not only because of training and launch costs, but because the sooner a pilot and spacecraft return from a mission, the sooner they can begin the next one. Inexperienced test subjects reduced the costs of simulated docking by close to a factor of 2 and achieved safe dockings in less than 4 percent of the time the baseline approach would entail. This reduction in time can be used to save lives in the event of an accident on orbit, and can tremendously reduce docking costs if fuel is produced from waste water on orbit.
This viewgraph presentation gives an overview of the Shuttle Small Payload Project Office activities. Information is given on the Hitchhiker and Hitchhiker-Junior programs, the Get Away Special program, space experiment module program, program costs, and future enhancements.
High altitude suborbital rockets (sounding rockets) have been extensively used for space science research in the post-World War II period; the NASA Sounding Rocket Program has been on-going since the inception of the Agency and supports all space science disciplines. In recent years, sounding rockets have been utilized to provide a low gravity environment for materials processing research, particularly in the commercial sector. Sounding rockets offer unique features as a low gravity flight platform. Quick response and low cost combine to provide more frequent spaceflight opportunities. Suborbital spacecraft design practice has achieved a high level of sophistication which optimizes the limited available flight times. High data-rate telemetry, real-time ground up-link command and down-link video data are routinely used in sounding rocket payloads. Standard, off-the-shelf, active control systems are available which limit payload body rates such that the gravitational environment remains less than 10(-4) g during the control period. Operational launch vehicles are available which can provide up to 7 minutes of experiment time for experiment weights up to 270 kg. Standard payload recovery systems allow soft impact retrieval of payloads. When launched from White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, payloads can be retrieved and returned to the launch site within hours.
As a continuing effort to assist in the design and characterization of space power systems, the NASA Lewis Research Center's Power and Propulsion Office developed a powerful computerized analysis tool called System Power Analysis for Capability Evaluation (SPACE). This year, SPACE was used extensively in analyzing detailed operational timelines for the International Space Station (ISS) program. SPACE was developed to analyze the performance of space-based photovoltaic power systems such as that being developed for the ISS. It is a highly integrated tool that combines numerous factors in a single analysis, providing a comprehensive assessment of the power system's capability. Factors particularly critical to the ISS include the orientation of the solar arrays toward the Sun and the shadowing of the arrays by other portions of the station.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Johnson Space Center's Mission Control Center is a space vehicle, space program agnostic facility. The current operational design is essentially identical to the original facility architecture that was developed and deployed in the mid-90's. In an effort to streamline the support costs of the mission critical facility, the Mission Operations Division (MOD) of Johnson Space Center (JSC) has sponsored an exploratory project to evaluate and inject current state-of-the-practice Information Technology (IT) tools, processes and technology into legacy operations. The general push in the IT industry has been trending towards a data-centric computer infrastructure for the past several years. Organizations facing challenges with facility operations costs are turning to creative solutions combining hardware consolidation, virtualization and remote access to meet and exceed performance, security, and availability requirements. The Operations Technology Facility (OTF) organization at the Johnson Space Center has been chartered to build and evaluate a parallel Mission Control infrastructure, replacing the existing, thick-client distributed computing model and network architecture with a data center model utilizing virtualization to provide the MCC Infrastructure as a Service. The OTF will design a replacement architecture for the Mission Control Facility, leveraging hardware consolidation through the use of blade servers, increasing utilization rates for compute platforms through virtualization while expanding connectivity options through the deployment of secure remote access. The architecture demonstrates the maturity of the technologies generally available in industry today and the ability to successfully abstract the tightly coupled relationship between thick-client software and legacy hardware into a hardware agnostic "Infrastructure as a Service" capability that can scale to meet future requirements of new space programs and spacecraft. This paper discusses the benefits and difficulties that a migration to cloud-based computing philosophies has uncovered when compared to the legacy Mission Control Center architecture. The team consists of system and software engineers with extensive experience with the MCC infrastructure and software currently used to support the International Space Station (ISS) and Space Shuttle program (SSP).