SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Adaptive laboratory evolution”

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.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 91 records · Page 5

All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1998

International Space Station General Resource Reel

The construction and evolution of the International Space Station (ISS) is seen through various clips. Live footage shows the following: (1) the Zarya Module under construction and during launch preparations; (2) the Unity Module under construction, during launch preparations, and being lowered into the payload canister; (3) STS-88 Mission Specialists Jerry Ross and Jim Newman during training for their spacewalks, including activities in the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL); (4) Zarya and Unity docking to the Service Module; (5) the Expedition 1 crew (William Shepherd, Yuri Gidzenko, and Sergei Krikalev) during emergency escape training in the Black Sea and during water survival training at Johnson Space Center; (6) the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle Drop Test; and (7) the US Destiny Laboratory Module, Pressurized Mating Adapter (PMA), Service Module, Italian Multi-Purpose Logistics Module, US Airlock, and US Habitation Module under construction. Computerized animations show the following: (1) an ISS fly-around; (2) the STS-88 Space Shuttle as it docks with Zarya and attaches Zarya to the Unity Module; (3) the Space Shuttle as it docks with ISS and installs the Z1 truss segment and PMA; (4) the Soyuz spacecraft as it docks with ISS; (5) interior and exterior views of the Columbus Attached Pressurized Module; and (6) a Transhab animation showing the interior and exterior and marking the components.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2014

The Affect of the Space Environment on the Survival of Halorubrum Chaoviator and Synechococcus (Nageli): Data from the Space Experiment OSMO on EXPOSE-R

We have shown using ESA's Biopan facility flown in Earth orbit that when exposed to the space environment for 2 weeks the survival rate of Synechococcus (Nageli), a halophilic cyanobacterium isolated from the evaporitic gypsum-halite crusts that form along the marine intertidal, and Halorubrum chaoviator a member of the Halobacteriaceae isolated from an evaporitic NaCl crystal obtained from a salt evaporation pond, were higher than all other test organisms except Bacillus spores. These results led to the EXPOSE-R mission to extend and refine these experiments as part of the experimental package for the external platform space exposure facility on the ISS. The experiment was flown in February 2009 and the organisms were exposed to low-Earth orbit for nearly 2 years. Samples were either exposed to solar ultraviolet (UV)-radiation (lambda is greater than 110 nm or lambda is greater than 200 nm, cosmic radiation (dosage range 225-320 mGy), or kept in darkness shielded from solar UV-radiation. Half of each of the UV-radiation exposed samples and dark samples were exposed to space vacuum and half kept at 105 pascals in argon. Duplicate samples were kept in the laboratory to serve as unexposed controls. Ground simulation control experiments were also performed. After retrieval, organism viability was tested using Molecular Probes Live-Dead Bac-Lite stain and by their reproduction capability. Samples kept in the dark, but exposed to space vacuum had a 90 +/- 5% survival rate compared to the ground controls. Samples exposed to full UV-radiation for over a year were bleached and although results from Molecular Probes Live-Dead stain suggested approximately 10% survival, the data indicate that no survival was detected using cell growth and division using the most probable number method. Those samples exposed to attenuated UV-radiation exhibited limited survival. Results from of this study are relevant to understanding adaptation and evolution of life, the future of life beyond earth, the potential for interplanetary transfer of viable microbes via meteorites and dust particles as well as spacecraft, and the physiology of halophiles.

space flight↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spacecraft Material Characterization Using Reflectance Spectra Extracted from RGB/IR Color Images

The space environment is detrimental to the exterior of the spacecraft and imposes stringent requirements on spacecraft materials. Space materials are often expected to perform for 15-20 years in the harsh space environment without significant degradation of their optical, electrical, mechanical and thermal properties. Further, as commercial activities increase in the space domain, development of predictive capability for material evolution is critical for agile adaption of novel materials. Therefore, it is very important to understand the effects of the space environments on the spacecraft materials. The Materials on the International Space Station Experiment Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) has flown numerous material samples to investigate the effect of LEO space weather exposure on the performance and durability of materials and devices. We are manifest on the MISSE-16 mission, scheduled to launch in June 2022, to fly fifteen novel and well-characterized materials in the LEO environment for a duration of six months. Changes in spectral reflectivity will be measured in real time throughout the mission with an RGB/IR camera. These time-resolved data will function as a "space-truth" reference for our team's ongoing laboratory-based space weather-material interaction experiments. Correlation of the MISSE-16 data with extensive ground testing of duplicate samples under simulated space weather conditions will enable development of fundamental chemical models for material degradation. This paper discusses preliminary results from the ground test campaign to collect the RGB/IR images for pristine and damaged materials and the development of machine learning algorithms to extract reflectance spectra from the color images.

Jainisha R. Shah↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Spacecraft Material Characterization Using Reflectance Spectra Extracted from RGB/IR Color Images

Jainisha R. Shah↗

NASA NTRS2015

Advances in Astromaterials Curation: Supporting Future Sample Return Missions

NASA's Astromaterials, curated at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, are the most extensive, best-documented, and leastcontaminated extraterrestrial samples that are provided to the worldwide research community. These samples include lunar samples from the Apollo missions, meteorites collected over nearly 40 years of expeditions to Antarctica (providing samples of dozens of asteroid bodies, the Moon, and Mars), Genesis solar wind samples, cosmic dust collected by NASA's high altitude airplanes, Comet Wild 2 and interstellar dust samples from the Stardust mission, and asteroid samples from JAXA's Hayabusa mission. A full account of NASA's curation efforts for these collections is provided by Allen, et al [1]. On average, we annually allocate about 1500 individual samples from NASA's astromaterials collections to hundreds of researchers from around the world, including graduate students and post-doctoral scientists; our allocation rate has roughly doubled over the past 10 years. The curation protocols developed for the lunar samples returned from the Apollo missions remain relevant and are adapted to new and future missions. Several lessons from the Apollo missions, including the need for early involvement of curation scientists in mission planning [1], have been applied to all subsequent sample return campaigns. From the 2013 National Academy of Sciences report [2]: "Curation is the critical interface between sample return missions and laboratory research. Proper curation has maintained the scientific integrity and utility of the Apollo, Antarctic meteorite, and cosmic dust collections for decades. Each of these collections continues to yield important new science. In the past decade, new state-of-the-art curatorial facilities for the Genesis and Stardust missions were key to the scientific breakthroughs provided by these missions." The results speak for themselves: research on NASA's astromaterials result in hundreds of papers annually, yield fundamental discoveries about the evolution of the solar system (e.g. [3] and references contained therein), and serve the global scientific community as ground truth for current and planned missions such as NASA's Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres, and the future OSIRIS REx mission to asteroid Bennu [1,3]

Evans, C. A.↗

DOE OSTI2026

Correlative molecular-to-mesoscale evolution in conjugated polymers for intrinsically stretchable organic photovoltaics

Conjugated polymer thin films offer a unique combination of tunable optoelectronic properties and mechanical flexibility, making them as promising materials for intrinsically stretchable optoelectronic devices. However, achieving both mechanical robustness and high device performance remains a key challenge. Addressing this requires a fundamental understanding of how molecular and mesoscale structures evolve under mechanical strain. Here, we employ a comprehensive suite of X-ray spectroscopy and scattering techniques to investigate the multiscale structural evolution of conjugated polymer thin films during uniaxial deformation. We uncover a two-stage morphological response: an initial stage characterized by polymer chain alignment and rapid crystallite disruption, followed by continued chain orientation accompanied by intrachain torsion at higher strains. These correlative structural adaptations govern key material properties, including stress dissipation, optical absorption, and photovoltaic performance. Our findings establish a mechanistic framework for understanding deformation in semiconducting polymers and provide design principles for developing mechanically robust, high-performance stretchable electronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

NASA NTRS2011

Intelligent Autonomy for Unmanned Surface and Underwater Vehicles

As the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) and Autonomous Surface Vehicle (ASV) platforms mature in endurance and reliability, a natural evolution will occur towards longer, more remote autonomous missions. This evolution will require the development of key capabilities that allow these robotic systems to perform a high level of on-board decisionmaking, which would otherwise be performed by humanoperators. With more decision making capabilities, less a priori knowledge of the area of operations would be required, as these systems would be able to sense and adapt to changing environmental conditions, such as unknown topography, currents, obstructions, bays, harbors, islands, and river channels. Existing vehicle sensors would be dual-use; that is they would be utilized for the primary mission, which may be mapping or hydrographic reconnaissance; as well as for autonomous hazard avoidance, route planning, and bathymetric-based navigation. This paper describes a tightly integrated instantiation of an autonomous agent called CARACaS (Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing) developed at JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) that was designed to address many of the issues for survivable ASV/AUV control and to provide adaptive mission capabilities. The results of some on-water tests with US Navy technology test platforms are also presented.

environmental sensing↗

DOE OSTI2026

A haplotype-resolved, chromosome-scale genome assembly for the southern live oak, Quercus virginiana

Hybridization is a major force driving diversification, migration, and adaptation in Quercus species. While population genetics and phylogenetics have traditionally been used for studying these processes, advances in sequencing technology now enable us to incorporate comparative and pan-genomic approaches as well. Here, we present a highly contiguous, chromosome-scale and haplotype-resolved genome assembly for the southern live oak, Quercus virginiana, the first reference genome for section Virentes, as part of the American Campus Tree Genomes program. Originating from a clone of Auburn University's historic “Toomer's Oak,” this assembly contributes to the pool of genomic resources for investigating recombination, haplotype variation, and structural genomic changes influencing hybridization potential in this clade and across Quercus. It also provides insights into the architecture of the putative centromeric regions within the genus. Alongside other oak references, the Q. virginiana genome will support research into the evolution and adaptation of the Quercus genus.

Quercus virginiana↗

DOE OSTI2026

On the Ordering Mechanism of Cu + in 2D van der Waals Multiferroic CuCrP 2 S 6

CuCrP 2 S 6 is a van der Waals multiferroic where the tunable Cu + sublattice underpins its exceptional ferroelectric and electronic switching properties. Yet, the microscopic mechanism governing Cu + ordering has remained elusive. Here, we combine single-crystal X-ray and neutron diffraction with pair distribution function analysis to uncover a temperature-driven evolution of Cu + ordering, giving rise to an incommensurate quasi-antipolar phase between the paraelectric and antiferroelectric states. The modulation originates from correlated Cu + occupancy redistribution coupled to breathing distortion of surrounding S 3 triangles, establishing a symmetry-adapted lattice distortion mode. Diffuse scattering persisting over 35 K above the transition confirms that the structural instability follows an order-disorder mechanism. The spontaneous off-centering of Cu + positions CuCrP 2 S 6 as a model platform for correlated order-disorder phenomena in 2D layered ferroics, and provides design principles for next-generation memory and logic devices.

ferroelectrics↗

DOE OSTI2025

Clarifying Terminology in Microbial Ecology: A Call for Precision in Scientific Communication

The rapid evolution of microbiology as a field of research has led to the introduction of new terminology and the adaptation of existing terms. However, inconsistencies in the use of these terms, including variations across different scientific disciplines, can lead to confusion and miscommunication within the scientific community. This article discusses the importance of precise terminology in microbiome research, highlighting examples where terms have been misused or redefined without clear justification. We also present a list of frequently used terms in microbial ecology along with their specific definitions. We argue that the misuse of terminology can hinder scientific progress by creating ambiguity and misunderstanding. To address this, we propose a set of guidelines for the consistent use of key terms and provide clear definitions for some of the most commonly misused or newly introduced terms in the field. The definitions provided herein will also function as a guide for young researchers new to the field of microbial ecology. Accurate and consistent use of terminology is crucial for effective communication and collaboration in microbiology research. By adhering to standardised definitions, researchers can ensure that their work is clearly communicated and contributes meaningfully to the progress of science.

definitions↗

DOE OSTI2025

Improving the Parameterization of Cloud and Rain Microphysics in E3SM using Novel Observationally-Constrained Bayesian Approach (Final Technical Report)

In this project, we sought to develop new cloud and rain microphysics frameworks within the Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM). This work encompassed two primary avenues of research: 1) Further development of a Bayesian-based scheme called BOSS (Bayesian Observationally-constrained Statistical-physical Scheme) to represent cloud and rain microphysics, testing it in realistic high-resolution cloud models, and implementing it in E3SM; 2) Development of a methodology utilizing machine learning to enable computationally tractable use of tractable use of Markov chain Monte Carlo sampling for Bayesian parameter estimation in Earth system and cloud models. In this project, we adapted the BOSS microphysics scheme, originally formulated for rain-only, to include all liquid-phase microphysical processes for cloud and rain, in particular the processes that mediate between these two categories, for example the conversion from cloud to rain through collision and coalescence of drops. We constrained the scheme via comparison and testing against a detailed model that explicitly represents the evolution of cloud and rain particles, called a bin microphysics scheme.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

DOE OSTI2025

A staged deep learning approach to spatial refinement in 3D temporal atmospheric transport

High-resolution spatiotemporal simulations effectively capture the complexities of atmospheric plume dispersion in complex terrain. However, their high computational cost makes them impractical for applications requiring rapid responses or iterative processes, such as optimization, uncertainty quantification, or inverse modeling. To address this challenge, this work introduces the Dual-Stage Temporal Three-dimensional UNet Super-resolution (DST3D-UNet-SR) model, a highly efficient deep learning model for plume dispersion predictions. DST3D-UNet-SR is composed of two sequential modules: the temporal module (TM), which predicts the transient evolution of a plume in complex terrain from low-resolution temporal data, and the spatial refinement module (SRM), which subsequently enhances the spatial resolution of the TM predictions. We train DST3D-UNet-SR using a comprehensive dataset derived from high-resolution large eddy simulations (LES) of plume transport. We propose the DST3D-UNet-SR model to significantly accelerate LES of three-dimensional (3D) plume dispersion by three orders of magnitude. Additionally, the model demonstrates the ability to dynamically adapt to evolving conditions through the incorporation of new observational data, substantially improving prediction accuracy in high-concentration regions near the source.

3D temporal sequences↗

DOE OSTI2026

Enamel nanocrystal misorientation increased with meat-eating and agriculture

Enamel covers teeth, is the hardest tissue in the vertebrate body and has a complex multiscale structure from nanometres to millimetres. The structure comprises thin, long hydroxyapatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 OH) nanocrystals, 50–70 nm wide, many micrometres long, parallel and bundled into approximately 5-µm-wide rods. The rods undulate and cross into a microscale ‘decussation pattern’ that toughens enamel by deflecting cracks. However, the crystallographic orientation of enamel nanocrystals is poorly understood. Here we show that the misorientation angle of adjacent nanocrystals varies markedly across 12 primate teeth spanning 9 species, 17.8 million years of evolution and diverse diets. Using a method called Polarization Enabled Large Input of Crystal Angles at the Nanoscale (PELICAN), we compare nanocrystals in the same (pre)molar locations and show that misorientation increases with food hardness in extant and fossil non-human apes and monkeys. We compare misorientation across three major dietary shifts in human evolution: the transition to meat-eating about 2.0–1.5 million years before present, to agriculture (about 12,000 years before present), and the Industrial Revolution (about 250 years before present). We show that over the past 1.6 million years, in the human lineage misorientation increased with time, especially when meat and stone-ground grains were introduced into human diets, but not with the Industrial Revolution. Thus, besides macro-changes, teeth adapted to dietary change at the nanoscale and crystallographically. This observation suggests that misorientation may contribute to enamel’s resilience; thus, bioinspired materials may consider small misorientation angles for added resilience.

biomaterials↗

NASA NTRS2020

Neighbors on the Red Planet: Mars Science Laboratory Relay Coordination Post InSight Arrival

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) strategic communications planning toolset selects orbiter relay opportunities that the rover will use for transmitting data back to Earth. The toolset was extensively reworked in preparation for the Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport's (InSight) arrival at Mars in November 2018 and the regular use of Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) and Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO) orbiters as relay assets in addition to Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and 2001 Mars Odyssey (ODY). Overflight selection criteria was automated in the new toolset to take into account overflight deconfliction and down-selection as well as tactical timeline planning impacts and total data return. This was done while remaining flexible and configurable for changing mission priorities. As the Curiosity rover ages, the MSL planning team must overcome issues such as reduced budgets, memory bank anomalies, and reduced power availability. These are some examples of factors that affect the strategic communications planning toolset. In addition to adapting to evolving internal mission needs, the toolset must also be flexible to changes in the relay planning interface with other landers. The concept of shared relay or “split passes” was introduced when InSight began operating on Mars just 600 kilometers away and at the same longitude as MSL. This proximity meant that orbiters could now communicate with two landers during the same relay session. Over time, this new operational use-case became common practice as InSight and MSL settled into relay planning negotiations. Today, many TGO relay sessions are shared between MSL and InSight. As more orbiters pursue integrating this capability into nominal relay operations, and more landers arrive on Mars, the strategic communications process and toolsets increases in complexity. Development of a single tool that schedules relay sessions for all orbiters and landers simultaneously may become necessary as the number of Martian spacecraft increases. Examples of how toolset selection criteria and capabilities have helped or hindered MSL planning will be presented. Ongoing improvements to MSL toolsets and processes, as well as to shared relay tools such as Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) and General Telecom Predictor (GTP) are also discussed in this paper. Examples of how toolset selection criteria and capabilities have helped or hindered MSL planning will be presented. Ongoing improvements to MSL toolsets and processes, as well as to shared relay tools such as Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) and General Telecom Predictor (GTP) are also discussed in this paper.

Vandermey, Nancy↗

DOE OSTI2025

Classical and quantum simulations of 1+1-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ gauge theory at finite temperature and density

Simulating strongly coupled gauge theories at finite temperature and density is a longstanding challenge in nuclear and high-energy physics with fundamental implications for condensed matter physics. Here, we simulate such systems using minimally entangled typical thermal state (METTS) approaches, which combine classical random sampling with imaginary-time evolution, implementable on either classical or quantum computers, to estimate thermal averages of observables. We study 1+1-dimensional ${\mathbb{Z}}_{2}$ gauge theory coupled to spinless fermionic matter, which maps onto a local quantum spin chain. We benchmark both a classical matrix-product-state implementation of METTS and a recently proposed adaptive variational approach for near-term quantum devices, focusing on the equation of state and measures of fermion confinement. Of particular importance is the choice of basis for METTS sampling, which impacts both the sampling overhead and quantum circuit complexity. Our work sets the stage for future studies of strongly coupled gauge theories using classical and quantum hardware.

Chen, I-Chi [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United St↗

DOE OSTI2025

Voltage breakdown analyses in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis – the contributions of catalyst layer resistance on overall overpotentials

Despite many recent advances, overpotentials remain high for anion exchange membrane water electrolyzers (AEMWEs). Voltage breakdown analyses (VBA) can help decouple the origins of overpotentials and facilitate design decisions to improve cell performance, but studies investigating how to adapt and apply VBA to AEMWEs are lacking. Specifically, catalyst layer resistances and their contributions to overpotentials are not consistently quantified in water electrolysis and are rarely quantified for AEMWEs. This work presents a systematic methodology for VBA tailored to AEMWEs, including an approach to Tafel analysis in the absence of a reference electrode and under conditions where both the oxygen evolution reaction and hydrogen evolution reaction exhibit significant overpotentials. Catalyst layer resistance contributions are diagnosed via changes in the catalyst layer thickness, transport layer porosity, ionomer content, and electrolyte concentration. In this study, we explain discrepancies between inherent catalytic kinetics and device level performance and identify catalyst layer design strategies to reduce catalyst layer resistances.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

DOE OSTI2025

Fermionic Isometric Tensor Network States in Two Dimensions

We generalize isometric tensor network states to fermionic systems, paving the way for efficient adaptations of 1D tensor network algorithms to 2D fermionic systems. As the first application of this formalism, we developed and benchmarked a time-evolving block-decimation (TEBD) algorithm for real-time and imaginary-time evolution. The imaginary-time evolution produces ground-state energies for gapped systems, systems with a Dirac point, and systems with gapless edge modes to good accuracy. Here, the real-time TEBD captures the scattering of two fermions and the chiral edge dynamics on the boundary of a Chern insulator.

2-dimensional systems↗

DOE OSTI2025

Learning to Simulate Aerosol Dynamics with Graph Neural Networks

Aerosol effects on climate, weather, and air quality depend on characteristics of individual particles, which are tremendously diverse and change in time. Particle-resolved models are the only models able to capture this diversity in particle physiochemical properties, and these models are computationally expensive. As a strategy for accelerating particle-resolved microphysics models, we introduce Graph-based Learning of Aerosol Dynamics (GLAD) and use this model to train a surrogate of the particle-resolved model PartMC-MOSAIC. GLAD implements a Graph Network-based Simulator (GNS), a machine learning framework that has been used to simulate particle-based fluid dynamics models. In GLAD, each particle is represented as a node in a graph, and the evolution of the particle population over time is simulated through learned message passing. Here, we demonstrate our GNS approach on a simple aerosol system that includes condensation of sulfuric acid onto particles composed of sulfate, black carbon, organic carbon, and water. A graph with particles as nodes is constructed, and a graph neural network (GNN) is then trained using the model output from PartMC-MOSAIC. The trained GNN can then be used for simulating and predicting aerosol dynamics over time. Results demonstrate the framework's ability to accurately learn chemical dynamics and generalize across different scenarios, achieving efficient training and prediction times. We evaluate the performance across four scenarios, highlighting the framework's robustness and adaptability in modeling aerosol microphysics and chemistry.

aerosol chemistry dynamics↗