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At least 811 records · Page 45

Near-Earth Objects: Targets for Future Human Exploration, Solar System Science, Resource Utilization, and Planetary Defense

U.S. President Obama stated on April 15, 2010 that the next goal for human spaceflight will be to send human beings to a near-Earth asteroid by 2025. Given this direction from the White House, NASA has been involved in studying various strategies for near-Earth object (NEO) exploration in order to follow U.S. Space Exploration Policy. This mission would be the first human expedition to an interplanetary body beyond the Earth-Moon system and would prove useful for testing technologies required for human missions to Mars and other Solar System destinations. Missions to NEOs would undoubtedly provide a great deal of technical and engineering data on spacecraft operations for future human space exploration while conducting in-depth scientific investigations of these primitive objects. In addition, the resulting scientific investigations would refine designs for future extraterrestrial resource extraction and utilization, and assist in the development of hazard mitigation techniques for planetary defense. This presentation will discuss some of the physical characteristics of NEOs and review some of the current plans for NEO research and exploration from both a human and robotic mission perspective.

Abell, Paul A.↗

Solar electric propulsion thrust subsystem development

The Solar Electric Propulsion System developed under this program was designed to demonstrate all the thrust subsystem functions needed on an unmanned planetary vehicle. The demonstration included operation of the basic elements, power matching input and output voltage regulation, three-axis thrust vector control, subsystem automatic control including failure detection and correction capability (using a PDP-11 computer), operation of critical elements in thermal-vacuum-, zero-gravity-type propellant storage, and data outputs from all subsystem elements. The subsystem elements, functions, unique features, and test setup are described. General features and capabilities of the test-support data system are also presented. The test program culminated in a 1500-h computer-controlled, system-functional demonstration. This included simultaneous operation of two thruster/power conditioner sets. The results of this testing phase satisfied all the program goals.

Masek, T. D.↗

Titanium and chromium isotopic compositions of calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions: Implications for the sources of isotopic anomalies and the formation of distinct isotopic reservoirs in the early Solar System

As the earliest-dated solids in our Solar System, calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs) provide a record of their formation environment near the young Sun and hold clues to the formation of planetary-scale isotopic reservoirs in the solar protoplanetary disk. Although CAIs from several CV, CK, CM, CO, and ordinary chondrites have been analyzed previously for their Ti isotopic compositions, CAIs from just three CV chondrites have been analyzed for their Cr isotopic compositions, and only a handful of CAIs have been measured for both their Ti and Cr isotopic compositions. We report mass-independent Ti and Cr isotopic anomalies in several CAIs from CV and CK chondrites; this is the first report of the Cr isotopic composition of a CAI from a CK chondrite. With this data, we aim to better constrain the compositional range of CAIs in ε 50 Ti versus ε 54 Cr space, thereby facilitating the isotopic characterization of the material inherited by the solar protoplanetary disk and the role of CAIs in the formation of distinct planetary-scale isotopic reservoirs in our early Solar System. The narrow range in isotopic anomalies in CAIs when compared to other early-formed refractory inclusions such as platy hibonite crystals (PLACs) and spinel-hibonite inclusions (SHIBs) suggests that CAIs record the mixing of these precursor materials and the averaging of their larger isotopic anomalies. The isotopic composition of CAIs is therefore likely the result of a combination of factors, including mixing of material inherited from their formation region, heterogeneous carrier phase distribution, and thermal processing in the disk. The ε 50 Ti and ε 54 Cr isotopic compositions of CAIs are not correlated, further demonstrating that these isotopic anomalies have different carrier phases. The Ti and Cr isotopic compositions of CAIs additionally show that CAIs alone cannot be responsible for the compositional difference between the non-carbonaceous chondritic (NC) and carbonaceous chondritic (CC) isotopic reservoirs but nevertheless do play a role in the formation of these large-scale isotopic reservoirs in the early Solar System.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗

Detection of accreting gas toward HD 45677: A newly recognized, Herbig Be proto-planetary system

We report detection of high velocity, accreting gas toward the Be star with IR excess and bipolar nebula, HD 45677. High velocity (+200 to +400 km/s), variable column density gas is visible in all IUE spectra from 1979-1992 in transitions of Si II, C II, Al III, Fe III, Si IV, and C IV. Low-velocity absorption profiles from low oscillator-strength transitions of Si II, Fe II, and Zn II exhibit double-peaked absorption profiles similar to those previously reported in optical spectra of FU Orionis objects. The UV absorption data, together with previously reported analyses of the IR excess and polarization of this object, suggest that HD 45677 is a massive, Herbig Be star with an actively accreting circumstellar, proto-planetary disk.

Grady, C. A.↗

An analytic development of orbit determination for a distant, planetary orbiter

With the advent of the Mariner '71 Mission, NASA has been sending spacecraft to orbit various distant bodies within the solar system. At present, there is still no adequate theory describing the inherent state estimation accuracy, based on two-way, coherent range-rate data. It is the purpose of this article to lay the groundwork for a general elliptic theory, and in addition to provide an analytic solution for the special case of circular orbits. It is shown that circular orbits about distant planets may suffer singularities in over-all position error estimation. These singularities are due to orbit inclination, placement of the line-of-nodes, and insignificant cross-velocity at the start and end of retrograde motion when orbiting a superior planet. Even though these conclusions appear to yield poor state estimation, one should not be unduly alarmed inasmuch as the stated conditions for singularity are not maintained for extended periods during typical mission scenarios. However, mission analysts should be aware of these potential pitfalls and realize that spuriously large results for circular orbiters can be obtained and are not the result of incorrect assumptions or faulty software. The general elliptic problem appears so involved that analytic inversion at this time is just not feasible, and in any case the resulting expression for the position error would likely be so lengthy that any understanding would be lost in the maze.

Russell, R. K.↗

Method Development for In Situ Microbiome Profiling of the Water Recovery System’s Wastewater Tank Onboard the International Space Station

A distinctive microbial community has inhabited the wastewater tank within the International Space Station Water Recovery System (WRS) for over 14 years and experienced the stressors associated with the microgravity environment. The WRS generates potable water for the crew from urine distillate, humidity condensate, Sabatier product water, and the occasional off-loading of ground-supplied water. The reservoir for these products, the wastewater tank, does not have a means of microbial control. While samples are occasionally collected for analysis, the time between sample collection and the return to Earth, as well as the lack of preservation, results in a skewed depiction of the microbiome. Routinely observed from these returned samples are high counts (105 – 106 colony forming units per mL) and two prevailing genera, Burkholderia and Ralstonia. The wastewater tank likely contains a more diverse microbiome, as a higher diversity of bacteria and fungus has been noted upstream and downstream of the tank. To characterize the microbial profile of the tank, analysis needs to occur at the time of sample collection. Toward this goal, a method for in situ analysis based on nanopore sequencing was developed. The filter-to-sequencer method evolved from previous work that has been validated onboard the ISS (BEST payload and the BioMole Crew Health Care Systems Facility). The method, including filtration, DNA extraction, purification, amplification, library preparation, and nanopore sequencing will be described. Additionally, data collected with this method from both ISS and terrestrial samples will be detailed. The consumables needed to support in situ analysis of the tank are set to the launch to the ISS in the spring of 2023. This investigation will allow for the first accurate characterization of the microbiome of the tank providing insight for crew health, planetary protection, and has the potential to enable engineering controls for future space station water systems.

Sarah Stahl-Rommel↗

Remote platform power conserving system

A system is described where an unattended receiver and transmitter equipped data collection platform is interrogated by a substantially polar orbiting satellite. The method and apparatus involve physically representing the orbit of the satellite and the spin of the planetary body with timers, and using these representations to turn on the platform's receiver only when the satellite should be in radio range of the platform, whereby battery power at the platform is conserved.

Kurvin, C. W.↗

IRAS observations of novae. III - The related objects

Results are presented on an analysis of IRAS observations of a selected sample of 116 objects that show properties similar to those of classical novae detected and modeled by Harrison and Gehrz (1988, 1991). These objects include dwarf novae, novalike variables, symbiotic stars, and planetary nebulae with close binary central-star systems. A high detection rate of 80 percent was found for this sample, as compared with about 50 percent detection rate found in the earlier examined sample. A reexamination of data showed that, at low galactic latitudes, source confusion can account for many of the detections of novae. The seemingly high detection rates of other objects and the many high-latitude novae are difficult to explain.

Harrison, Tom↗

The exploration metaphor

NASA's experience in planetary exploration has demonstrated that the desktop workstation is inadequate for many visualization situations. The primary mission displays for the unmanned Surveyor missions to the moon during the mid-1960's, for example, were environmental images assembled on the inside surfaces of spherical shells. Future exploration missions will greatly benefit from advances in digital computer and display technology, but there remain unmet user interface needs. Alternative user interfaces and metaphors are needed for planetary exploration and other interactions with complex spatial environments. These interfaces and metaphors would enable the user to directly explore environments and naturally manipulate objects in those environments. Personal simulators, virtual workstations, and telepresence user interfaces are systems capable of providing this integration of user space and task space. The Exploration Metaphor is a useful concept for guiding the design of user interfaces for virtual environments and telepresence. To apply the Exploration Metaphor is to assert that computing is like exploration, and to support objects, operations, and contexts comparable to those encountered in the exploration of natural environments. The Exploration Metaphor, under development for user interfaces in support of NASA's planetary exploration missions and goals, will also benefit other applications where complex spatial information must be visualized. Visualization methods and systems for planetary exploration are becoming increasingly integrated and interactive as computing technology improves. These advances will benefit from virtual environment and telepresence interface technology. A key development has been the processing of multiple images and other sensor data to create detailed digital models of the planets and moons. Data from images of the Earth, Mars, and Miranda, for example, have been converted into 3D models, and dynamic virtual fly-overs have been computed as demonstrations. Similar processing of lower altitude photography and the use of computer aided design tools promise to produce very detailed models in the future.

Mcgreevy, Michael W.↗

Mars Pathfinder mission operations concepts

The Mars Pathfinder Project plans a December 1996 launch of a single spacecraft. After jettisoning a cruise stage, an entry body containing a lander and microrover will directly enter the Mars atmosphere and parachute to a hard landing near the sub-solar latitude of 15 degrees North in July 1997. Primary surface operations last for 30 days. Cost estimates for Pathfinder ground systems development and operations are not only lower in absolute dollars, but also are a lower percentage of total project costs than in past planetary missions. Operations teams will be smaller and fewer than typical flight projects. Operations scenarios have been developed early in the project and are being used to guide operations implementation and flight system design. Recovery of key engineering data from entry, descent, and landing is a top mission priority. These data will be recorded for playback after landing. Real-time tracking of a modified carrier signal through this phase can provide important insight into the spacecraft performance during entry, descent, and landing in the event recorded data is never recovered. Surface scenarios are dominated by microrover activity and lander imaging during 7 hours of the Mars day from 0700 to 1400 local solar time. Efficient uplink and downlink processes have been designed to command the lander and microrover each Mars day.

Sturms, Francis M., Jr.↗

Classification of Ion Mobility Data Using the Neural Network Approach

Determination of atmospheric and surface elemental and molecular composition of various solar system bodies is essential to the development of a firm understanding of the origin and evolution of the solar system. Furthermore, such data is needed to address the intriguing question of whether or not life exists or once existed elsewhere in the Solar System. As such, these measurements are among the primary scientific goals of NASA s current and future planetary missions. In recent years, significant progress toward both miniaturization and field portability of in situ analytical separation and detection devices have been made with future planetary explorations in mind. However, despite all these advances, accurate in situ identification of atmospheric and surface compounds remains a big challenge. In response to that we are developing various hardware and software tools which would enable us to uniquely identify species of interest in a complex chemical environment.

Duong, T. A.↗

IR Spectroscopy and Photo-Chemistry of Extraterrestrial Ices

Dense molecular clouds from which planetary systems form and the outer Solar System are both cold environments dominated by ices. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is used to probe these ices, but the IR absorptions of molecules depend on the conditions. As a result appropriate lab data is needed to correctly fit spectra of extraterrestrial ices. Such fits have shown that most of these ices are composed primarily of H2O, but also contain 1-10 percent of other simple molecules such as CO2, CO, CH4, & NH3;. We shall present near IR spectra of ice mixtures of relevance to icy outer Solar System bodies and show that they still hold surprises, such as the Cheshire cat-like CO2 (2v3) overtone near 2.134 micrometers (4685 cm-1) that is absent from spectra of pure CO2 but present in H2O-CO2 mixtures.

Max P Bernstein↗

An Analysis of the Origin and Propagation of the Multiple Coronal Mass Ejections of 2010 August 1

On 2010 August 1, the northern solar hemisphere underwent significant activity that involved a complex set of active regions near central meridian with, nearby, two large prominences and other more distant active regions. This activity culminated in the eruption of four major coronal mass ejections (CMEs), effects of which were detected at Earth and other solar system bodies. Recognizing the unprecedented wealth of data from the wide range of spacecraft that were available-providing the potential for us to explore methods for CME identification and tracking, and to assess issues regarding onset and planetary impact-we present a comprehensive analysis of this sequence of CMEs.We show that, for three of the four major CMEs, onset is associated with prominence eruption, while the remaining CME appears to be closely associated with a flare. Using instrumentation on board the Solar Terrestrial Relations Observatory spacecraft, three of the CMEs could be tracked out to elongations beyond 50◦; their directions and speeds have been determined by various methods, not least to assess their potential for Earth impact. The analysis techniques that can be applied to the other CME, the first to erupt, are more limited since that CME was obscured by the subsequent, much faster event before it had propagated far from the Sun; we discuss the speculation that these two CMEs interact. The consistency of the results, derived from the wide variety of methods applied to such an extraordinarily complete data set, has allowed us to converge on robust interpretations of the CME onsets and their arrivals at 1 AU.

Harrison, R. A.↗

Web Based Prognostics and 24/7 Monitoring

We created a general framework for analysts to store and view data in a way that removes the boundaries created by operating systems, programming languages, and proximity. With the advent of HTML5 and CSS3 with JavaScript the distribution of information is limited to only those who lack a browser. We created a framework based on the methodology: one server, one web based application. Additional benefits are increased opportunities for collaboration. Today the idea of a group in a single room is antiquated. Groups will communicate and collaborate with others from other universities, organizations, as well as other continents across times zones. There are many varieties of data gathering and condition-monitoring software available as well as companies who specialize in customizing software to individual applications. One single group will depend on multiple languages, environments, and computers to oversee recording and collaborating with one another in a single lab. The heterogeneous nature of the system creates challenges for seamless exchange of data and ideas between members. To address these limitations we designed a framework to allow users seamless accessibility to their data. Our framework was deployed using the data feed on the NASA Ames' planetary rover testbed. Our paper demonstrates the process and implementation we followed on the rover.

CSS3↗

Spaceflight Biospecimen and Data Sharing in Support of Science Discovery and Exploration

For decades, NASA and international partners have conducted biological experiments in space to understand effects of spaceflight and address potential hazards. To enable spaceflight back to the Moon, and then to Mars and beyond, it is imperative to further understand basic science and health risks associated with spaceflight, along with developing countermeasures. The sending of experiments and organisms into space is a costly endeavor. To maximize scientific return, sharing with the scientific community both space-flown biospecimens and data from completed experiments is essential. New fundamental, applied, and bioinformatic science insights can be gained from specimen and data sharing efforts. Data reuse enables spaceflight health risk modeling, analyzing adverse outcomes across spaceflight hazards, and deep space autonomous support for the flight medical officer. Space-flown biospecimens not required by mission Principal Investigators are regularly archived and made available for scientific request. The largest biorepository of these samples are found within NASA’s Institutional Scientific Collection at Ames Research Center (ISC-ARC), which stores over 32,000 specimens mostly from Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS) missions, but also some ground-based analog samples. The Ames Life Sciences Data Archive manages the ISC-ARC. Tissues are predominantly from mice and rats, though samples are also available from bacteria and quail. Only a handful of other similar collections exist worldwide. Rodent biospecimens exposed to simulated space radiation at Brookhaven National Laboratory are archived under the purview of NASA HRP Space Radiation Element. Microbial collection and analyses from 20 years of routine environmental monitoring of air, surfaces, and water systems of the ISS were performed to ensure a safe environment for astronauts. Samples from the ISC-ARC, space radiation and microbial collections are searchable and requestable through the NASA Life Sciences Data Archive (LSDA). Decades of planetary protection microbial isolates derived from spacecraft bioburden are archived in JPL’s microbial collection. Rodent biospecimens from spaceflight investigations conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) are archived and available at the JAXA Biorepository at Tsukuba Space Center. The Russian Institute of Biomedical Problems also has a collection of animal, microbial, cellular, and fungi available for research from ground analog experiments. Several data repositories exist for scientists to utilize. The LSDA is the primary NASA source of life sciences research data and information. It contains decades of spaceflight and ground-analog research involving human, microbial, cellular, plant, and animal subjects. Data is collected from NASA-funded investigations through the Human Research Program and the Space Biology Program. The NASA Lifetime Surveillance of Astronaut Health collects and grants access to clinical and occupational health monitoring data from astronauts, with a list and description of data collected available for request through the LSDA. NASA GeneLab at ARC collects genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, and metabolomic data from any species. It is a repository and platform for collaborative open-science bioinformatic approaches. JAXA is establishing an ‘omics-based repository in collaboration with the Tohoku Medical Megabank (ToMMo), called the JAXA-ToMMo Integrated Biobank for Space Life Science. Overall, the sharing of these biospecimen and data resources can assist researchers worldwide in understanding spaceflight effects on biology, along with enabling next generation data science applications for space exploration platforms. Websites: https://lsda.jsc.nasa.gov/ ; https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/isc-bsp ; https://www.nasa.gov/ames/research/space-biosciences/alsda

Ryan T. Scott↗

“Are We There Yet?” Can We Biomap the Solar System with Low-Cost Solar Sail Missions?

Abstract: So much of our effort in space exploration has been devoted to one-off missions with major investments in each. This is a great strategy for early investigations of clearly significant planetary and small body destinations, but we have an entire Solar System to interrogate and the pace has definitely been slow to date. We are in the dawning era of much smaller spacecraft, and the potential to gather data from multiple destinations over longer time spans with a heightened cadence of missions to allow us to conduct survey-style investigations of the vast number of objects that attend our particular star. If we think of solar systems as belonging to one of two classes, i.e. life-bearing or not life-bearing, then the presence of some sort of biological or prebiological phenomenon on any individual body in a system places that system in the first category. The emergence of life can then be considered as a solar system-wide property and the entire suite of ingredients and processes that go into kindling of life anywhere within that system is of interest. This ranges from bodies with prebiotic chemistry through to full-blown biospheres. Thus, all bodies in a solar system are part of the milieu within which life occurs. Can the idea of low-cost solar sail-propelled spacecraft deployed en masse be useful for something as hard to investigate as life-like phenomena and their precursors? Perhaps, the answer is yes, and we must give serious attention to the possibilities.

Penelope J Boston↗

Field Tests With Trident Drill in Bishop Tuff Help Prepare for Future Missions to Moon and Mars

We performed drilling in volcanic deposits near Bishop California using an engineering model of the Honeybee Robotics TRIDENT (The Regolith and Ice Drill for Exploration of New Terrains) drill [1] a rotary percussive 1-meter class drill that is carried on the PRIME1and VIPER (Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover)[2] missions that launch in 2024. A similar drilling system was planned for the proposed Icebreaker Discovery class mission to Mars [3] and the Mars Life Explorer mission recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey of planetary science [4]. The objectives of the project were (1) to use data collected by the drill for operational purposes as a probe of subsurface material properties in formations that are analogous to those that may be encountered on planetary surfaces; (2) correlate subsurface structures with those deduced from Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR); and (3) inspect the boreholes after they were drilled to test PERISCOPE (Probe for Exploring Regolith and Ice by Subsurface Classification of Organics, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and Elements), a newly developed downhole UV fluorescence spectrometer [5].

Carol R. Stoker↗

An Evolutionary System of Mineralogy: Proposal for A Classification of Planetary Materials Based on Natural Kind Clustering

Minerals reveal the nature of the co-evolving geosphere and biosphere through billions of years of Earth history. Mineral classification systems have the potential to elucidate this rich evolutionary story; however, the present mineral taxonomy, based as it is on idealized major element chemistry and crystal structure, lacks a temporal aspect, and thus cannot reflect planetary evolution. A complementary evolutionary system of mineralogy based on the quantitative recognition of “natural kind clustering” for a wide range of condensed planetary materials with different paragenetic origins has the potential to amplify, though not supersede, the present classification system.

Philosophy of mineralogy↗