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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

Destination Station: Bringing The International Space Station to Communities Across the United States

Today, space is no longer just a field of advanced technological development and of scientific research of excellence, but has become an essential asset for everyday life. Space has spurred countless scientific and technological achievements which are commonly used in aeronautics, medicine, material science and production, in information and communications technology. In parallel, more and more services are carried out through the use of space applications, ranging from detection of natural disasters and environmental monitoring to global navigation and telecommunication. Using space missions to build a better understanding of the universe fulfills our centuries-old curiosity and leads humanity into the future, opening up new frontiers of knowledge. The International Astronautical Congresses have always represented an arena in which issues have been discussed with friendship and among experts: scientists, technicians and managers from universities, agencies, research centres and industry. At the same time it introduces students and young professionals to the field.

Edgington, Susan↗

Urban Biomining Meets Printable Electronics: End-To-End at Destination Biological Recycling and Reprinting

Space missions rely utterly on metallic components, from the spacecraft to electronics. Yet, metals add mass, and electronics have the additional problem of a limited lifespan. Thus, current mission architectures must compensate for replacement. In space, spent electronics are discarded; on earth, there is some recycling but current processes are toxic and environmentally hazardous. Imagine instead an end-to-end recycling of spent electronics at low mass, low cost, room temperature, and in a non-toxic manner. Here, we propose a solution that will not only enhance mission success by decreasing upmass and providing a fresh supply of electronics, but in addition has immediate applications to a serious environmental issue on the Earth. Spent electronics will be used as feedstock to make fresh electronic components, a process we will accomplish with so-called 'urban biomining' using synthetically enhanced microbes to bind metals with elemental specificity. To create new electronics, the microbes will be used as 'bioink' to print a new IC chip, using plasma jet electronics printing. The plasma jet electronics printing technology will have the potential to use martian atmospheric gas to print and to tailor the electronic and chemical properties of the materials. Our preliminary results have suggested that this process also serves as a purification step to enhance the proportion of metals in the 'bioink'. The presence of electric field and plasma can ensure printing in microgravity environment while also providing material morphology and electronic structure tunabiity and thus optimization. Here we propose to increase the TRL level of the concept by engineering microbes to dissolve the siliceous matrix in the IC, extract copper from a mixture of metals, and use the microbes as feedstock to print interconnects using mars gas simulant. To assess the ability of this concept to influence mission architecture, we will do an analysis of the infrastructure required to execute this concept on Mars, and additional opportunities it could offer mission design from the biological and printing technologies. In addition, we will do an analysis of the impact of this technology for terrestrial applications addressing in particular environmental concerns and availability of metals.

Space mission↗

NASA's Space Launch System: Opportunities for Small Satellites to Deep Space Destinations

The first flight of NASA's new exploration-class launch vehicle, the Space Launch System (SLS), will test a myriad of systems designed to enable the next generation of deep space human spaceflight, while also providing the rare opportunity for 13 6U CubeSat-class payloads to be deployed in several locations along the flight path. The first mission of SLS and NASA's new Orion crew vehicle, Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1), will launch from upgraded facilities at Kennedy Space Center no earlier than fiscal year 2020. The initial Block 1 configuration for EM-1 will be capable of lofting at least 26 metric tons (t) of payload to the moon, with propulsion supplied by twin five-segment solid rocket boosters, four RS-25 engines and an Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage (ICPS). SLS will send Orion into a distant retrograde lunar orbit, paving the way for future missions to cislunar space and eventually Mars. The multidisciplinary small satellites for EM-1 derive from NASA research, as well as from international partners, industry and academia. Research subjects for the various smallsats include the moon, sun and an asteroid. Science objectives vary from characterizing the effects of radiation on living organisms (yeast) to landing the smallest spacecraft yet on the moon to supporting space weather research. Some of the payloads are technology demonstrations that will pave the way for more ambitious future missions that will be deployed by the more powerful SLS Block 1B configuration.

Robinson, Kimberly F.↗

White Paper: Gateway Destination Orbit Model: A Continuous 15 Year NRHO Reference Trajectory

The Gateway program has selected a Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) of the L2 southern family as its operational orbit. In order to facilitate mission analysis for Gateway and associated programs utilizing this orbit, a representative reference trajectory 15 years in duration has been developed. The purpose of this white paper is to review the properties of this NRHO reference trajectory.

lunar synodic resonant↗

Destination: Mars. Biology Research to Support Human Space Exploration

This is a public talk about astronaut health risks during deep space exploration, including exposure to deep space radiation (galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events), microgravity and other stressors, and about the research currently being done at NASA Ames and other institutions to investigate and mitigate these risks. I will specifically focus on the risk posed by exposure to deep space radiation, and will briefly describe my own research on developing human brain-on-a-chip models to investigate its impact on the central nervous system.

human spaceflight, space radiation, organ-on-a-chi↗

Triton: Fascinating Moon, Likely Ocean World, Compelling Destination!

Triton is an important signpost in understanding the diverse populations of both Ocean Worlds and Kuiper Belt Objects. As a likely ocean world, it is unique by virtue of its kidnapped history from the Kuiper Belt: its large orbital inclination makes it the only ocean world thought to be primarily heated by obliquity tides (Nimmo and Spencer, 2015). It is volatile-rich due to its formation in the outer Solar System and its unusual surface geology may be the product of cryovolcanism. Observations from New Horizons and Cassini motivate re-examination of Triton datasets and models, with value for comparative planetology of ocean worlds and KBOs, most notably with Europa, Enceladus, Titan, and Pluto. We re-explore old datasets with the new perspective of the importance of ocean worlds in our Solar System and the search for life.

J Castillo-Rogez↗

System Level TVAC Functional Testing for the Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) Payload Destined for the International Space Station

The Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) Payload will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. ILLUMA-T is an optical communications payload that will make the ISS the first space-based user to communicate with NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). The system will support all-optical forward links up to 150 Mbps and return links up to 1 Gbps. The payload recently underwent system level Thermal VACuum (TVAC) functional testing at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. We present an overview of the payload’s TVAC functional tests and results.

lasercom↗

System Level TVAC Functional Testing for the Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) Payload Destined for the International Space Station

The Integrated LCRD Low-Earth Orbit User Modem and Amplifier Terminal (ILLUMA-T) payload will be launched to the International Space Station (ISS) in 2023. ILLUMA-T is an optical communications payload that will make the ISS the first space-based user to communicate with NASA’s Laser Communications Relay Demonstration (LCRD). The system will support all-optical forward links up to 150 Mbps and return links up to 1 Gbps. The payload recently underwent system level Thermal VACuum (TVAC) functional testing at MIT Lincoln Laboratory. We present an overview of the payload’s TVAC functional tests and results.

laser communications↗

Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destination (CLD) Concept of Operations

This concept of operations describes: - High-level Government goals, objectives, and needs for the CLD program, vehicle(s), and missions, - Strategies, policies, and processes for developing, certifying, maintaining, using, and retiring CLDs in the context of Government use, and - Government and CLD partner roles, responsibilities, and interactions during various phases of Government CLD operations. The intent of this document is to describe the overall high-level concept of how the end-to-end CLD service will be used to convey the nature and scope of services the Government intends to procure from the CLD partner. It will provide insight into NASA’s concepts for CLD operations rather than to provide mature, explicit, or complete requirements. It addresses how the concept of operations will be used to meet NASA expectations from an operational perspective to facilitate an understanding of the end-to-end CLD service needs, goals, and objectives (NGOs). Formal CLD requirements and standards are detailed in the NASA Commercial LEO Development Program’s (CLDP) various requirements, interface, process, and standards documents, as well as the contractual Statements of Work (SOW) and Data Requirement Deliverables (DRD). As such, the Concept of Operations can use terms such as “should” or “may” or “expects to” since it is not a contractual requirements document. It exists solely to convey the initial nature and type of services the Government intends to procure and is not, per se, a requirements document.

Operations↗