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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 91 records · Page 5

Identification of a TAAT-containing motif required for high level expression of the COL1A1 promoter in differentiated osteoblasts of transgenic mice

Our previous studies have shown that the 49-base pair region of promoter DNA between -1719 and -1670 base pairs is necessary for transcription of the rat COL1A1 gene in transgenic mouse calvariae. In this study, we further define this element to the 13-base pair region between -1683 and -1670. This element contains a TAAT motif that binds homeodomain-containing proteins. Site-directed mutagenesis of this element in the context of a COL1A1-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct extending to -3518 base pairs decreased the ratio of reporter gene activity in calvariae to tendon from 3:1 to 1:1, suggesting a preferential effect on activity in calvariae. Moreover, chloramphenicol acetyltransferase-specific immunofluorescence microscopy of transgenic calvariae showed that the mutation preferentially reduced levels of chloramphenicol acetyltransferase protein in differentiated osteoblasts. Gel mobility shift assays demonstrate that differentiated osteoblasts contain a nuclear factor that binds to this site. This binding activity is not present in undifferentiated osteoblasts. We show that Msx2, a homeodomain protein, binds to this motif; however, Northern blot analysis revealed that Msx2 mRNA is present in undifferentiated bone cells but not in fully differentiated osteoblasts. In addition, cotransfection studies in ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells using an Msx2 expression vector showed that Msx2 inhibits a COL1A1 promoter-chloramphenicol acetyltransferase construct. Our results suggest that high COL1A1 expression in bone is mediated by a protein that is induced during osteoblast differentiation. This protein may contain a homeodomain; however, it is distinct from homeodomain proteins reported previously to be present in bone.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

Considerations for Storage of High Test Hydrogen Peroxide (HTP) Utilizing Non-Metal Containers

When working with high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide, it is critical that the storage container be constructed of the proper materials, those which will not degrade to the extent that container breakdown or dangerous decomposition occurs. It has been suggested that the only materials that will safely contain the peroxide for a significant period of time are metals of stainless steel construction or aluminum use as High Test Hydrogen Peroxide (HTP) Containers. The stability and decomposition of HTP will be also discussed as well as various means suggested in the literature to minimize these problems. The dangers of excess oxygen generation are also touched upon.

Moore, Robin E.↗

Expert system for controlling plant growth in a contained environment

In a system for optimizing crop growth, vegetation is cultivated in a contained environment, such as a greenhouse, an underground cavern or other enclosed space. Imaging equipment is positioned within or about the contained environment, to acquire spatially distributed crop growth information, and environmental sensors are provided to acquire data regarding multiple environmental conditions that can affect crop development. Illumination within the contained environment, and the addition of essential nutrients and chemicals are in turn controlled in response to data acquired by the imaging apparatus and environmental sensors, by an ''expert system'' which is trained to analyze and evaluate crop conditions. The expert system controls the spatial and temporal lighting pattern within the contained area, and the timing and allocation of nutrients and chemicals to achieve optimized crop development. A user can access the ''expert system'' remotely, to assess activity within the growth chamber, and can override the ''expert system''.

May, George A.↗

Water Containment Systems for Testing High-Speed Flywheels

Water-filled containers are used as building blocks in a new generation of containment systems for testing high-speed flywheels. Such containment systems are needed to ensure safety by trapping high-speed debris in the event of centrifugal breakup or bearing failure. Traditional containment systems for testing flywheels consist mainly of thick steel rings. The effectiveness of this approach to shielding against high-speed debris was demonstrated in a series of tests.

Trase, Larry↗

Turbomolecular Pumps for Holding Gases in Open Containers

Proposed special-purpose turbomolecular pumps denoted turbotraps would be designed, along with mating open containers, to prevent the escape of relatively slowly (thermal) moving gas molecules from the containers while allowing atoms moving at much greater speeds to pass through. In the original intended applications, the containers would be electron-attachment cells, and the contained gases would be vapors of alkali metal atoms moving at thermal speeds that would be of the order of a fraction of 300 meters per second. These cells would be parts of apparatuses used to measure fluxes of neutral atoms incident at kinetic energies in the approximate range of 10 eV to 10 keV (corresponding to typical speeds of the order of 40,000 m/s and higher). The incident energetic neutral atoms would pass through the cells, wherein charge-exchange reactions with the alkali metal atoms would convert the neutral atoms to negative ions, which, in turn, could then be analyzed by use of conventional charged-particle optics.

Keller, John W.↗

Corrosion-Resistant Container for Molten-Material Processing

In a carbothermal process, gaseous methane is passed over molten regolith, which is heated past its melting point to a temperature in excess of 1,625 C. At this temperature, materials in contact with the molten regolith (or regolith simulant) corrode and lose their structural properties. As a result, fabricating a crucible to hold the molten material and providing a method of contact heating have been problematic. Alternative containment approaches use a large crucible and limit the heat zone of the material being processed, which is inefficient because of volume and mass constraints. Alternative heating approaches use non-contact heating, such as by laser or concentrated solar energy, which can be inefficient in transferring heat and thus require higher power heat sources to accomplish processing. The innovation is a combination of materials, with a substrate material having high structural strength and stiffness and high-temperature capability, and a coating material with a high corrosion resistance and high-temperature capability. The material developed is a molybdenum substrate with an iridium coating. Creating the containment crucible or heater jacket using this material combination requires only that the molybdenum, which is easily processed by conventional methods such as milling, electric discharge machining, or forming and brazing, be fabricated into an appropriate shape, and that the iridium coating be applied to any surfaces that may come in contact with the corrosive molten material. In one engineering application, the molybdenum was fashioned into a container for a heat pipe. Since only the end of the heat pipe is used to heat the regolith, the container has a narrowing end with a nipple in which the heat pipe is snugly fit, and the external area of this nipple, which contacts the regolith to transfer heat into it, is coated with iridium. At the time of this reporting, no single material has been found that can perform the functions of this combination of materials, and other combinations of materials have not proven to be survivable to the corrosiveness of this environment. High-temperature processing of materials with similar constituencies as lunar regolith is fairly common. The carbo-thermal process is commonly used to make metallurgical-grade silicon for the semiconductor and solar-cell industries.

Stern, Theodore G.↗

Expert system for controlling plant growth in a contained environment

In a system for optimizing crop growth, vegetation is cultivated in a contained environment, such as a greenhouse, an underground cavern or other enclosed space. Imaging equipment is positioned within or about the contained environment, to acquire spatially distributed crop growth information, and environmental sensors are provided to acquire data regarding multiple environmental conditions that can affect crop development. Illumination within the contained environment, and the addition of essential nutrients and chemicals are in turn controlled in response to data acquired by the imaging apparatus and environmental sensors, by an "expert system" which is trained to analyze and evaluate crop conditions. The expert system controls the spatial and temporal lighting pattern within the contained area, and the timing and allocation of nutrients and chemicals to achieve optimized crop development. A user can access the "expert system" remotely, to assess activity within the growth chamber, and can override the "expert system".

May, George A.↗

High Energy Failure Containment for Spacecraft

Objective: The objective of this paper will be to investigate advancements and any commonality between spacecraft debris containment and the improvements being made in ballistic protection. Scope: This paper will focus on cross application of protection devices and methods, and how they relate to protecting humans from failures in spacecraft. The potential gain is to reduce the risk associated with hardware failure, while decreasing the weight and size of energy containment methods currently being used by the government and commercial industry. Method of Approach: This paper will examine testing that has already been accomplished in regards to the failure of high energy rotating hardware and compare it to advancements in ballistic protection. Examples are: DOT research and testing of turbine containment as documented in DOT/FAA/AR-96/110, DOT/FAA/AR-97/82, DOT/FAA/AR-98/22. It will also look at work accomplished by companies such as ApNano and IBD Deisenroth in the development of nano ceramics and nanometric steels. Other forms of energy absorbent materials and composites will also be considered and discussed. New Advances in State of the Art: There have been numerous advances in technology in regards to high energy debris containment and in the similar field of ballistic protection. This paper will discuss methods such as using impregnated or dry Kevlar, ceramic, and nano-technology which have been successfully tested but are yet to be utilized in spacecraft. Reports on tungsten disulfide nanotubes claim that they are 4-5 times stronger than steel and reports vary about the magnitude increase over Kevlar, but it appears to be somewhere in the range of 2-6 times stronger. This technology could also have applications in the protection of pressure vessels, motor housings, and hydraulic component failures.

Pektas, Pete↗

Lunar dust simulant containing nanophase iron and method for making the same

A lunar dust simulant containing nanophase iron and a method for making the same. Process (1) comprises a mixture of ferric chloride, fluorinated carbon powder, and glass beads, treating the mixture to produce nanophase iron, wherein the resulting lunar dust simulant contains .alpha.-iron nanoparticles, Fe.sub.2O.sub.3, and Fe.sub.3O.sub.4. Process (2) comprises a mixture of a material of mixed-metal oxides that contain iron and carbon black, treating the mixture to produce nanophase iron, wherein the resulting lunar dust simulant contains .alpha.-iron nanoparticles and Fe.sub.3O.sub.4.

Hung, Chin-cheh↗

Odor Control Test Report of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization

The purpose of this report is to summarize the conclusions for the odor control test of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB), P/N SDD46107234-306 in an environment simulating a space craft capsule. JSC 65891, Odor Control Test Plan of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization, documents the test plan. The details of the test set-up and data reduction are detailed in the WSTF test report for this test WSTF #10-44500, Odor Control Test Plan of the Urine Containment Bag (UCB) for Orion Utilization,. This document outlines the project conclusions and forward plans with regard to trash containment for Constellation.

Casper, Stephanie↗

Radiation Shielding Materials Containing Hydrogen, Boron, and Nitrogen: Systematic Computational and Experimental Study

The key objectives of this study are to investigate, both computationally and experimentally, which forms, compositions, and layerings of hydrogen, boron, and nitrogen containing materials will offer the greatest shielding in the most structurally robust combination against galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), secondary neutrons, and solar energetic particles (SEP). The objectives and expected significance of this research are to develop a space radiation shielding materials system that has high efficacy for shielding radiation and that also has high strength for load bearing primary structures. Such a materials system does not yet exist. The boron nitride nanotube (BNNT) can theoretically be processed into structural BNNT and used for load bearing structures. Furthermore, the BNNT can be incorporated into high hydrogen polymers and the combination used as matrix reinforcement for structural composites. BNNT's molecular structure is attractive for hydrogen storage and hydrogenation. There are two methods or techniques for introducing hydrogen into BNNT: (1) hydrogen storage in BNNT, and (2) hydrogenation of BNNT (hydrogenated BNNT). In the hydrogen storage method, nanotubes are favored to store hydrogen over particles and sheets because they have much larger surface areas and higher hydrogen binding energy. The carbon nanotube (CNT) and BNNT have been studied as potentially outstanding hydrogen storage materials since 1997. Our study of hydrogen storage in BNNT - as a function of temperature, pressure, and hydrogen gas concentration - will be performed with a hydrogen storage chamber equipped with a hydrogen generator. The second method of introducing hydrogen into BNNT is hydrogenation of BNNT, where hydrogen is covalently bonded onto boron, nitrogen, or both. Hydrogenation of BN and BNNT has been studied theoretically. Hyper-hydrogenated BNNT has been theoretically predicted with hydrogen coverage up to 100% of the individual atoms. This is a higher hydrogen content than possible with hydrogen storage; however, a systematic experimental hydrogenation study has not been reported. A combination of the two approaches may be explored to provide yet higher hydrogen content. The hydrogen containing BNNT produced in our study will be characterized for hydrogen content and thermal stability in simulated space service environments. These new materials systems will be tested for their radiation shielding effectiveness against high energy protons and high energy heavy ions at the HIMAC facility in Japan, or a comparable facility. These high energy particles simulate exposure to SEP and GCR environments. They will also be tested in the LaRC Neutron Exposure Laboratory for their neutron shielding effectiveness, an attribute that determines their capability to shield against the secondary neutrons found inside structures and on lunar and planetary surfaces. The potential significance is to produce a radiation protection enabling technology for future exploration missions. Crew on deep space human exploration missions greater than approximately 90 days cannot remain below current crew Permissible Exposure Limits without shielding and/or biological countermeasures. The intent of this research is to bring the Agency closer to extending space missions beyond the 90-day limit, with 1 year as a long-term goal. We are advocating a systems solution with a structural materials component. Our intent is to develop the best materials system for that materials component. In this Phase I study, we have shown, computationally, that hydrogen containing BNNT is effective for shielding against GCR, SEP, and neutrons over a wide range of energies. This is why we are focusing on hydrogen containing BNNT as an innovative advanced concept. In our future work, we plan to demonstrate, experimentally, that hydrogen, boron, and nitrogen based materials can provide mechanically strong, thermally stable, structural materials with effective radiation shielding against GCR, SEP, and neutrons.

Radiation↗

Mobile/Modular BSL-4 Facilities for Meeting Restricted Earth Return Containment Requirements

NASA robotic sample return missions designated Category V Restricted Earth Return by the NASA Planetary Protection Office require sample containment and biohazard testing in a receiving laboratory as directed by NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8020.12D - ensuring the preservation and protection of Earth and the sample. Currently, NPR 8020.12D classifies Restricted Earth Return for robotic sample return missions from Mars, Europa, and Enceladus with the caveat that future proposed mission locations could be added or restrictions lifted on a case by case basis as scientific knowledge and understanding of biohazards progresses. Since the 1960s, sample containment from an unknown extraterrestrial biohazard have been related to the highest containment standards and protocols known to modern science. Today, Biosafety Level (BSL) 4 standards and protocols are used to study the most dangerous high-risk diseases and unknown biological agents on Earth. Over 30 BSL-4 facilities have been constructed worldwide with 12 residing in the United States; of theses, 8 are operational. In the last two decades, these brick and mortar facilities have cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars dependent on the facility requirements and size. Previous mission concept studies for constructing a NASA sample receiving facility with an integrated BSL-4 quarantine and biohazard testing facility have also been estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars. As an alternative option, we have recently conducted an initial trade study for constructing a mobile and/or modular sample containment laboratory that would meet all BSL-4 and planetary protection standards and protocols at a faction of the cost. Mobile and modular BSL-2 and 3 facilities have been successfully constructed and deployed world-wide for government testing of pathogens and pharmaceutical production. Our study showed that a modular BSL-4 construction could result in approximately 90% cost reduction when compared to traditional construction methods without compromising the preservation of the sample or Earth.

Calaway, M. J.↗

Fault Propagation, EMI Propagation, and Fault Containment in Aerospace Systems

The occurrence of faults in aerospace system hardware and software have consequences ranging from minor effects to catastrophic effects, and such faults can directly affect the safety of hardware and personnel. There are many origins to fault conditions, and the hardware that is capable of still meeting its performance requirements after experiencing itself a fault is said to be fault tolerant. A fault tolerant hardware is capable of detecting, isolating, and recovering from a fault condition; and this is a subfield of control engineering. An aerospace system that has been shown to have electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in all its subsystems and systems cannot induced faults caused by electromagnetic interference (EMI). It can be proposed that the presence of EMI (or lack of EMC) is analogous to a potential fault initiator and the effects can likewise range from minor to severe. This paper starts by addressing the consequences of hardware failure in aerospace systems from a fault perspective, because the design of fault tolerant system is a major endeavor in aerospace. To arrive to this goal the paper starts with the concepts of fault, fault propagation, and a new concept called fault containment region. The paper then proceeds to provide two very recent examples in the aircraft industry of fault propagation with catastrophic effects. The paper proceeds to introduce the concept of EMI fault containment and a brief introduction to another new concept called the EMI containment region. The paper proceeds with an example of EMI fault containment region. The paper ends with a lesson learned conclusions.

Perez, Reinaldo↗

Mars Sample Receiving Facility Research and Development to Enable Preservation, Safe Containment, and Scientific Research of Martian Samples on Earth

NASA and ESA are working together to plan a joint campaign to potentially bring back the first Martian samples to Earth in the early 2030s. On the surface of Mars, the Mars 2020Perseverance Rover is selecting and packaging samples that could be returned to Earth for careful examination by an international team of scientists. In preparation for this historic sample return, advance planning is underway to design and build a Mars Sample Receiving Facility (SRF) in the mid-2020s. In 2022, a Mars Sample Receiving Facility Assessment Study(MSAS) will be conducted to further define construction modality and capability options for a facility in the conterminous United States. Since Mars Sample Return (MSR) is currently categorized as a planetary protection restricted Earth return, this new facility would feature biosafety level 4 (BSL-4)-like high containment to protect Earth’s biosphere from any potential hazard. In addition, the facility also requires integration of cleanroom technologies to mitigate against terrestrial contamination and preserve sample integrity for science investigations. The integration of both clean handling and high containment requires significant technology research and development (R&D) by the mid-2020s to support the definition and planning of a SRF before commencing the site specific design phase. The SRF project will need to solidify the inorganic, organic, and biological contamination control (CC) requirements for the facility. This could entail a translation of Mars 2020 mission CC requirements for geologic material to engineering requirements for surfaces and airborne molecular contamination inside isolators and cleanrooms. In tandem, the project will need to determine precision cleaning and sterilization approaches for cleanrooms, isolators, equipment, and tools. Initial material selections for the facility construction materials, cleanrooms, isolators, and BSL-4 suits/garments are an important activity. The recent construction of the OSIRIS-REx and Hayabusa2 curation cleanroom laboratories greatly benefited from early materials testing, before the design phase, to reduced organic outgassing and particulate shedding inside the laboratory. While the early biohazard investigations in the SRF may deem the samples safe to release to laboratories throughout the world, sterilization methods need to be defined to safely release Martian samples. One key aspect of enabling simultaneous sample containment and cleanliness is the concept of a Double-Walled Isolator (DWI) that ESA has been pursuing. Further R&D is needed about DWIs, sample handling, and instrumentation interfaces before beginning the SRF site specific design phase. A working isolator/DWI engineering model should be developed and fabricated. Isolator sizes, connections, pass-through antechambers, and configurations and basic interfaces with instruments and tools as well as the use of robotic, mechanical, and/or human manipulation need to be considered. Inert high purity gas supply (one-pass or recirculation) and other isolator utilities must be determined. Special accommodations for large instruments (e.g., XCT,SEM, etc.) need to be developed. Techniques for opening the sample tubes packaged by M2020and extracting the headspace gas while keeping samples pristine will be challenging, requiring additional R&D, and engagement of the M2020 project. In addition, careful micromanipulation for subdivision and packaging of samples will also need to be included. These combined R&D activities are important before commencing the SRF design phase to ensure safe biohazard containment, sample preservation, and science integrity for the samples that would be studied in the SRF and in laboratories around the world.

mars sample return↗

Thinking Inside the Box: A Hands-On Student Activity for Building a Contamination Containment Glovebox to Encourage Problem Solving in a Collaborative Environment

Contamination containment gloveboxes are sealed containers where operators outside the glovebox can safely manipulate hazardous or contamination-sensitive materials inside the glovebox through glove ports on the container. Containment gloveboxes are used in the space industry to study sample materials returned from space such as lunar, asteroid, and comet materials, to manufacture sensitive instruments and space ight hardware, and to perform contamination-sensitive experiments. A hands-on activity has been developed by contamination control engineer and STEM education experts as part of the Virginia Earth System Science Scholars (VESSS) summer academy program to teach high school students about gloveboxes and about problem solving in a collaborative environment. In this activity, student teams are given a list of common household materials (e.g. plastic bags, plastic straws, aluminum foil, tape, disposable gloves, etc.) for building their own glovebox. Students work together to sketch and design their glovebox before being provided a kit of materials, which they must purchase along with any extra materials with a mock team budget. They are given 30 minutes to build their glovebox, however, they do not know what will be placed inside the glovebox or what operations they will need to perform within the glovebox. At the end of the build time, teams are given a small, sealed paper envelope which they place in the glovebox. Each team selects a team member to be designated as the operator, and the operator places their hands in the gloves of the glovebox. The operator uses their gloves to open the envelope in the glovebox, and they discover they have 20 minutes to assemble a jigsaw puzzle. However, the puzzle is \contaminated" with talcum powder. After the 20 minute time period, teams are judged on how well they completed and cleaned the contaminated puzzle. In a post-activity debrief, teams discuss lessons learned such as how the actual built box di ered from the sketched design, the challenge of managing a budget for materials, how the team dealt with surprises, and if their glovebox allowed enough room for the operator to perform the task. This activity has been part of the VESSS summer academy since 2016, and teaches students teamwork, creativity, hands-on experimentation, communication, and reasoning skills. In a demonstration at IAC, a volunteer from the audience will be chosen to assemble a glovebox during the presentation using the same kit of materials and will demonstrate handling puzzle pieces in the completed glovebox.

Elaine Seasly↗

Assessing the Oxygen Permeability of Candidate Asteroid Sample Containers With Optochemical Sensors

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at NASA Johnson Space Center currently curates 500 mg (10%) of carbonaceous asteroid Ryugu regolith collected by the Japan Aerospace and Exploration Agency’s Hayabusa II spacecraft and returned to Earth in 2021. In September 2023, NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft returned at least 70 grams of regolith collected from the surface of Carbonaceous Asteroid Bennu. These new astromaterials collections are stored and handled in gloveboxes and desiccators that are continuously purged with ultrapure nitrogen in order to minimize contamination and alteration of extraterrestrial samples from terrestrial environments, e.g., reaction with terrestrial oxygen and water. Ito et al. have previously reported on the development of containers to transport samples between facilities in inert, sealed environments; Hayabusa2 samples allocated to investigators by JAXA’s Extraterrestrial Sample Curation Center (ESCuC) are shipped in these Facility-to-Facility Transfer Containers (FFTCs). NASA curation has also been investigating sealed containers for storage, transportation, and allocation of Bennu and Ryugu regolith in sealed anoxic environments. In order to assess the ability of candidate sample containers to maintain nitrogen environments, we have utilized optochemical sensors to measure trace oxygen levels within sealed volumes.

C J Snead↗

Waste Container Filtration to Minimize Microbial Escape During Long-Term Storage on Mars

In the search for life on Mars, keeping its surface pristine and free of microbes due to human presence is of utmost importance. Astronauts will use emptied logistics containers during their Mars stay to store waste. These containers will be left on the planet’s surface and are a potential source of microorganism contamination. It is desired for these containers to be free from leaks for a minimum of 50 years. If leaks do occur, a likely location will be at any ports. At these locations the mating surfaces will be sealed using a flexible gasket material like a thin metal or a polymer. Eventually these seals will fail. To mitigate these effects, a particulate filter can be employed to equilibrate the pressure between the Martin environment and inside the container. To meet planetary protection requirements, the filter can only allow particulates smaller than 0.2 m diameter to pass. This paper discusses why a particulate filter may be needed and how such a filter could be tested to survive and operate in the harsh Martian environment.

planetary protection↗

Waste Container Filtration to Minimize Microbial Escape During Long-Term Storage on Mars

In the search for life on Mars, keeping its surface pristine and free of microbes due to human presence is of utmost importance. Astronauts will use emptied logistics containers during their Mars stay to store waste. These containers will be left on the planet’s surface and are a potential source of microorganism contamination. It is desired for these containers to be free from leaks for a minimum of 50 years. If leaks do occur, a likely location will be at any ports. At these locations the mating surfaces will be sealed using a flexible gasket material like a thin metal or a polymer. Eventually these seals will fail. To mitigate these effects, a particulate filter can be employed to equilibrate the pressure between the Martin environment and inside the container. To meet planetary protection requirements, the filter can only allow particulates smaller than 0.2 μm diameter to pass. This paper discusses why a particulate filter may be needed and how such a filter could be tested to survive and operate in the harsh Martian environment.

planetary protection↗