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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 847 records · Page 47
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

Development of the dynamic motion simulator of 3D micro-gravity with a combined passive/active suspension system

The establishment of those in-orbit operations like 'Rendez-Vous/Docking' and 'Manipulator Berthing' with the assistance of robotics or autonomous control technology, is essential for the near future space programs. In order to study the control methods, develop the flight models, and verify how the system works, we need a tool or a testbed which enables us to simulate mechanically the micro-gravity environment. There have been many attempts to develop the micro-gravity testbeds, but once the simulation goes into the docking and berthing operation that involves mechanical contacts among multi bodies, the requirement becomes critical. A group at the Tokyo Institute of Technology has proposed a method that can simulate the 3D micro-gravity producing a smooth response to the impact phenomena with relatively simple apparatus. Recently the group carried out basic experiments successfully using a prototype hardware model of the testbed. This paper will present our idea of the 3D micro-gravity simulator and report the results of our initial experiments.

Yoshida, Kazuya↗
NASA NTRS1993

Spacecraft fault tolerance: The Magellan experience

Interplanetary and earth orbiting missions are now imposing unique fault tolerant requirements upon spacecraft design. Mission success is the prime motivator for building spacecraft with fault tolerant systems. The Magellan spacecraft had many such requirements imposed upon its design. Magellan met these requirements by building redundancy into all the major subsystem components and designing the onboard hardware and software with the capability to detect a fault, isolate it to a component, and issue commands to achieve a back-up configuration. This discussion is limited to fault protection, which is the autonomous capability to respond to a fault. The Magellan fault protection design is discussed, as well as the developmental and flight experiences and a summary of the lessons learned.

Kasuda, Rick↗
NASA NTRS1994

(abstract) Sciencecraft

The technological capabilities are now at hand to design an integrated system that combines science instruments, spacecraft, and propulsion elements into a single system. The authors have called this a sciencecraft since it is intended to provide automatic scientific observations of planetary and astrophysical objects. Integration of function allows lower mass and cost and supports a short development cycle. A specific science mission is described in this paper, a flyby of Neptune, Triton, and an object in the Kuiper belt. The SCIENCECRAFT system is described. It has electric propulsion and is capable of measuring the surface constituents and morphology of objects visited and characterizing their atmospheres both in emission and adsorption (against the Sun). Miniature fields and particles experiments are incorporated that will provide interplanetary information together with details of the magnetic and electric attributes of each object. The Sciencecraft is Delta launched and has a flight time to the Kuiper belt of 7 years. The design is such that the craft functions in a largely autonomous mode to provide low cost mission operations.

planetary astrophysics science instruments spacecr↗
NASA NTRS2015

NASA Ames Sustainability Initiatives: Aeronautics, Space Exploration, and Sustainable Futures

In support of the mission-specific challenges of aeronautics and space exploration, NASA Ames produces a wealth of research and technology advancements with significant relevance to larger issues of planetary sustainability. NASA research on NexGen airspace solutions and its development of autonomous and intelligent technologies will revolutionize both the nation's air transporation systems and have applicability to the low altitude flight economy and to both air and ground transporation, more generally. NASA's understanding of the Earth as a complex of integrated systems contributes to humanity's perception of the sustainability of our home planet. Research at NASA Ames on closed environment life support systems produces directly applicable lessons on energy, water, and resource management in ground-based infrastructure. Moreover, every NASA campus is a 'city'; including an urbanscape and a workplace including scientists, human relations specialists, plumbers, engineers, facility managers, construction trades, transportation managers, software developers, leaders, financial planners, technologists, electricians, students, accountants, and even lawyers. NASA is applying the lessons of our mission-related activities to our urbanscapes and infrastructure, and also anticipates a leadership role in developing future environments for living and working in space.

Planetary futures↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Pathfinding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles (PAAV) Multi-Vehicle Operations with Digital Trajectories

The Path Finding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles (PAAV) subproject under ATM-X is developing concepts and solutions to allow pilots to supervise multiple uncrewed flights at a time. This line of research stems from industry's desire to leverage Uncrewed Aircraft (UA) operations to achieve maximum productivity from pilot and aircraft resources, driven partially by pilot staffing shortages. Trajectory based solutions delivered by data link offer a potential solution to the multi-vehicle (m:N) problem by minimizing the number of instructions between remote pilots and air traffic controllers. Furthermore, such solutions avoid the need for pilots to monitor multiple voice frequencies at a time for air traffic control instructions to manage multiple flights. This panel presentation will give a brief introduction to PAAV followed by a description of NASA's AutoResolver capability for generating comprehensive air traffic control clearances and communicating them via data link for controller approval and flight execution.

multi vehicle control, trajectory based operations↗
NASA NTRS1998

Mission Operations with an Autonomous Agent

The Remote Agent (RA) is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) system which automates some of the tasks normally reserved for human mission operators and performs these tasks autonomously on-board the spacecraft. These tasks include activity generation, sequencing, spacecraft analysis, and failure recovery. The RA will be demonstrated as a flight experiment on Deep Space One (DSI), the first deep space mission of the NASA's New Millennium Program (NMP). As we moved from prototyping into actual flight code development and teamed with ground operators, we made several major extensions to the RA architecture to address the broader operational context in which PA would be used. These extensions support ground operators and the RA sharing a long-range mission profile with facilities for asynchronous ground updates; support ground operators monitoring and commanding the spacecraft at multiple levels of detail simultaneously; and enable ground operators to provide additional knowledge to the RA, such as parameter updates, model updates, and diagnostic information, without interfering with the activities of the RA or leaving the system in an inconsistent state. The resulting architecture supports incremental autonomy, in which a basic agent can be delivered early and then used in an increasingly autonomous manner over the lifetime of the mission. It also supports variable autonomy, as it enables ground operators to benefit from autonomy when L'@ey want it, but does not inhibit them from obtaining a detailed understanding and exercising tighter control when necessary. These issues are critical to the successful development and operation of autonomous spacecraft.

Pell, Barney↗
NASA NTRS2005

Autonomous Assembly of Modular Structures in Space and on Extraterrestrial Locations

The new U.S. National Vision for Space Exploration requires many new enabling technologies to accomplish the goals of space commercialization and returning humans to the moon and extraterrestrial environments. Traditionally, flight elements are complete subsystems requiring humans to complete the integration and assembly. These bulky structures also require the use of heavy launch vehicles to send the units to a desired location. This philosophy necessitates a high degree of safety, numerous space walks at a significant cost. Future space mission costs must be reduced and safety increased to reasonably achieve exploration goals. One proposed concept is the autonomous assembly of space structures. This concept is an affordable, reliable solution to in-space and extraterrestrial assembly. Assembly is autonomously performed when two components join after determining that specifications are correct. Local sensors continue monitor joint integrity post assembly, which is critical for safety and structural reliability. Achieving this concept requires a change in space structure design philosophy and the development of innovative technologies to perform autonomous assembly. Assembly of large space structures will require significant numbers of integrity sensors. Thus simple, low-cost sensors are integral to the success of this concept. This paper addresses these issues and proposes a novel concept for assembling space structures autonomously. Core technologies required to achieve in space assembly are presented. These core technologies are critical to the goal of utilizing space in a cost efficient and safe manner. Additionally, these novel technologies can be applied to other systems both on earth and extraterrestrial environments.

Alhorn, Dean C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Energy Beam Highways Through the Skies

The emergence of Energy Beam Flight Transportation Systems could dramatically change the way we travel in the 21st Century. A framework for formulating 'Highways of Light' and the top level architectures that invoke radically new Space Power Grid infrastructure, are introduced. Basically, such flight systems, hereafter called Lightcraft, would employ off-board energy beam sources (either laser or microwave) to energize on-board dependent 'motors' -- instead of the traditional autonomous 'engines' with their on-board energy sources (e.g., chemical fuels). Extreme reductions in vehicle dry mass appear feasible with the use of off-board power and a high degree of on-board artificial intelligence. Such vehicles may no longer need airports for refueling (since they require no propellant), and could possibly pick up travelers at their homes -- before motoring over to one of many local boost stations, for the flight out. With off-board power, hyper-energetic acceleration performance and boost-glide trajectories become feasible. Hypersonic MS airbreathing propulsion can enable boosts up to twice escape velocity, which will cut trip times to the moon down to 5.5 hours. The predominant technological, environmental and social factors that will result from such transportation systems will be stressed. This presentation first introduces the remote source siting options for the space power system infrastructure, and then provides three representative laser/microwave Lightcraft options (derived from historical Case Studies): i.e., 'Acorn', 'Toy Top', and 'Disc.' Next the gamut of combined-cycle engine options developed for these Lightcraft are examined -- to illuminate the 'emerging technologies' that must be harnessed to produce flight hardware. Needed proof-of concept experiments are identified, along with the Macro-Level Issues that can springboard these revolutionary concepts into hardware reality.

Myrabo, Leik N.↗
NASA NTRS2003

The autonomous sciencecraft constellations

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. In this paper we discuss how these AI technologies are synergistically integrated in a hybrid multi-layer control architecture to enable a virtual spacecraft science agent. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment ASE AI technolo↗
NASA NTRS2002

Spacecraft autonomy using onboard processing for a SAR constellation mission

The Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE) will fly onboard the Air Force TechSat 21 constellation of three spacecraft scheduled for launch in 2006. ASE uses onboard continuous planning, robust task and goal-based execution, model-based mode identification and reconfiguration, and onboard machine learning and pattern recognition to radically increase science return by enabling intelligent downlink selection and autonomous retargeting. In this paper we discuss how these AI technologies are synergistically integrated in a hybrid multi-layer control architecture to enable a virtual spacecruft science agent. Demonstration of these capabilities in a flight environment will open up tremendous new opportunities in planetary science, space physics, and earth science that would be unreachable without this technology.

Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment ASE virtual spa↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bootstrapping Multi-Agent Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) System Integration Using Ground-Based Assets: Lessons Learned

In support of the Autonomy Teaming and TRAjectories for Complex Trusted Operational Reliability (ATTRACTOR) project, a fleet of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) was developed as a test and evaluation (T\&E) platform to reduce system integration gaps between simulation and live flight hardware. While simulation and hardware-in-the-loop bench testing provide adequate environments for preliminary validation, differences in system deployment architecture, software interfaces, and hardware infrastructure increase the risks to safety, property, and the project. Given ATTRACTOR’s goal of establishing a basis of certification of trust and trustworthiness in multi-agent autonomous systems, bridging these gaps was critical to successful project execution and feasibility assessment. In this paper we present the UGV fleet and its role in speeding up system integration, smoothing the transition from simulation to flight, and providing researchers an easy-to-use hardware test bed. An overview of the hardware and software on-board the vehicles is provided along with supporting infrastructure. The system integration process is documented including results in supporting both the overarching design reference mission (DRM) of ATTRACTOR and individual research efforts conducted since the creation of the fleet. Finally, we discuss the practical lessons learned regarding the testing, deployment, and operation of multi-agent autonomous systems.

Matthew P. Vaughan↗
NASA NTRS2007

Proceedings of the 20th International Symposium on Space Flight Dynamics

Topics include: Measuring Image Navigation and Registration Performance at the 3-Sigma Level Using Platinum Quality Landmarks; Flight Dynamics Performances of the MetOp A Satellite during the First Months of Operations; Visual Navigation - SARE Mission; Determining a Method of Enabling and Disabling the Integral Torque in the SDO Science and Inertial Mode Controllers; Guaranteeing Pointing Performance of the SDO Sun-Pointing Controllers in Light of Nonlinear Effects; SDO Delta H Mode Design and Analysis; Observing Mode Attitude Controller for the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter; Broken-Plane Maneuver Applications for Earth to Mars Trajectories; ExoMars Mission Analysis and Design - Launch, Cruise and Arrival Analyses; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Aerobraking Daily Operations and Collision Avoidance; Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Interplanetary Cruise Navigation; Motion Parameters Determination of the SC and Phobos in the Project Phobos-Grunt; GRAS NRT Precise Orbit Determination: Operational Experience; Orbit Determination of LEO Satellites for a Single Pass through a Radar: Comparison of Methods; Orbit Determination System for Low Earth Orbit Satellites; Precise Orbit Determination for ALOS; Anti-Collision Function Design and Performances of the CNES Formation Flying Experiment on the PRISMA Mission; CNES Approaching Guidance Experiment within FFIORD; Maneuver Recovery Analysis for the Magnetospheric Multiscale Mission; SIMBOL-X: A Formation Flying Mission on HEO for Exploring the Universe; Spaceborne Autonomous and Ground Based Relative Orbit Control for the TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X Formation; First In-Orbit Experience of TerraSAR-X Flight Dynamics Operations; Automated Target Planning for FUSE Using the SOVA Algorithm; Space Technology 5 Post-Launch Ground Attitude Estimation Experience; Standardizing Navigation Data: A Status Update; and A Study into the Method of Precise Orbit Determination of a HEO Orbiter by GPS and Accelerometer.

Woodard, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2009

Flight Test Performance of a High Precision Navigation Doppler Lidar

A navigation Doppler Lidar (DL) was developed at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) for high precision velocity measurements from a lunar or planetary landing vehicle in support of the Autonomous Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) project. A unique feature of this DL is that it has the capability to provide a precision velocity vector which can be easily separated into horizontal and vertical velocity components and high accuracy line of sight (LOS) range measurements. This dual mode of operation can provide useful information, such as vehicle orientation relative to the direction of travel, and vehicle attitude relative to the sensor footprint on the ground. System performance was evaluated in a series of helicopter flight tests over the California desert. This paper provides a description of the DL system and presents results obtained from these flight tests.

Pierrottet, Diego↗
NASA NTRS1988

Computer vision techniques for rotorcraft low-altitude flight

A description is given of research that applies techniques from computer vision to automation of rotorcraft navigation. The effort emphasizes the development of a methodology for detecting the ranges to obstacles in the region of interest based on the maximum utilization of passive sensors. The range map derived from the obstacle detection approach can be used as obstacle data for the obstacle avoidance in an automataic guidance system and as advisory display to the pilot. The lack of suitable flight imagery data, however, presents a problem in the verification of concepts for obstacle detection. This problem is being addressed by the development of an adequate flight database and by preprocessing of currently available flight imagery. Some comments are made on future work and how research in this area relates to the guidance of other autonomous vehicles.

Sridhar, Banavar↗
NASA NTRS1991

Autonomous Mars ascent and orbit rendezvous for earth return missions

The details of tha assessment of autonomous Mars ascent and orbit rendezvous for earth return missions are presented. Analyses addressing navigation system assessments, trajectory planning, targeting approaches, flight control guidance strategies, and performance sensitivities are included. Tradeoffs in the analysis and design process are discussed.

Edwards, H. C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Dryden Status

This viewgraph presentation reviews the recent activities of NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. Some of the activities are: the delivery of Ikhana, a platform to conduct Earth Science Missions; work on Autonomous Airborne Refueling Demonstration (AARD); progress in developing Quiet Spike, an extendable boom to reduce sonic boom signature; and work on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) and Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV)

Bosworth, John T.↗