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At least 91 records · Page 5

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NASA NTRS2001

Miniature Free-Flying Magnetometer Utilizing System-On-A-Chip Technology

Four Free-Flying Magnetometers (FFMs), developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the Enstrophy mission, were successfully deployed from the payload of a sounding rocket launched from Poker Flats, Alaska on February 11, 1999. The FFMs functioned successfully by synchronously measuring the vector magnetic field at 4 points separate from the payload and at relative distances up to 3 km, and communicated their data, in bursts, to the ground. This is the first time synchronized in-situ multipoint measurements of the Earth's magnetic field utilizing miniature spin-stabilized "sensorcraft" have been performed. The data they provided have enabled, for the first time, the direct measure of field-aligned current density and are enabling new science by determining the fine-scale structure of the currents in the Earth's ionosphere involved in the production of aurora. These proof-of-concept "hockey puck" (80 mm diameter, 38 mm height, 250 gram mass) FFMs were built using off-the-shelf commercial, industrial, and military grade surface-mount electronic components. Radiation-hard electronics was not required for the Enstrophy mission's short sub-orbital flight. The successful design, implementation, and flight demonstration of this 1st generation FFM design has provided a solid base for further development of a 2nd generation FFM design for planetary science applications. A reliable ultra-miniature radiation-hard 2nd-generation FFM utilizing System-On-A-Chip (SOAC) technologies is proposed. This design would be targeted for long-term planetary missions to investigate magnetospheric field configurations in regions having small-scale structure and to separate spatial and temporal variations. A fleet of short-lived (expendable) FFMs would be deployed into a targeted region to gather multiprobe vector magnetic field data. The FFMs would be ejected from a parent spacecraft at a speed of a few m/sec and would cover spatial volumes of order tens of kilometers for times of order one hour. The parent spacecraft would carry a sufficient number of FFMs for multiple deployments. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Eyre, F. B.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Miniaturized Wilkinson Power Dividers Utilizing Capacitive Loading

This letter reports the miniaturization of a planar Wilkinson power divider by capacitive loading of the quarter wave transmission lines employed in conventional Wilkinson power dividers. Reduction of the transmission line segments from lambda/4 to between lambda/5 and lambda/12 are reported here. The input and output lines at the three ports and the lines comprising the divider itself are coplanar waveguide (CPW) and asymmetric coplanar stripline (ACPS), respectively. The 10 GHZ power dividers are fabricated on high resistivity silicon (HRS) and alumina wafers. These miniaturized dividers are 74% smaller than conventional Wilkinson power dividers, and have a return loss better than +30 dB and an insertion loss less than 0.55 dB. Design equations and a discussion about the effect of parasitic reactance on the isolation are presented for the first time.

Scardelletti, Maximilian C.↗

NASA NTRS1996

Miniature Earthmover

International Machinery Corporation (IMC) developed a miniature earthmover, the 1/8 scale Caterpillar D11N Track-type Tractor, with trademark product approval and manufacturing/marketing license from Caterpillar, Inc. Through Marshall Space Flight Center assistance, the company has acquired infrared remote control technology, originally developed for space exploration. The technology is necessary for exports because of varying restrictions on radio frequency in foreign countries. The Cat D11N weighs only 340 pounds and has the world's first miniature industrial internal combustion engine. The earthmover's uses include mining, construction and demolition work, and hazardous environment work. IMC also has designs of various products for military use and other Caterpillar replicas.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2002

Miniature Joule Thomson (JT) CryoCoolers for Propellant Management

A proof-of-concept project is proposed here that would attempt to demonstrate how miniature cryocoolers can be used to chill the vacuum jacket line of a propellant transfer line and thus to achieve transfer line pre-chill, zero boil off and possible propellant densification. The project would be performed both at UCF and KSC, with all of the cryogenic testing taking place in the KSC cryogenic test bed. A LN2 line available in that KSC test facility would serve to simulate a LOX transfer line. Under this project, miniature and highly efficient cold heads would be designed. Two identical cold heads will be fabricated and then integrated with a JT-type cryogenic system (consisting of a common compressor and a common external heat exchanger). The two cold heads will be integrated into the vacuum jacket of a LN2 line in the KSC cryo lab, where the testing will take place.

Kapat, Jay↗

NASA NTRS2003

Miniaturized Plasma and Neutral Diagnostics for JIMO

We describe a miniaturized suite of instruments which provides both bulk energy resolved plasma properties and coarse neutral mass spectroscopy suitable for measurements on the Jupiter Icy Moons Orbiter (JIMO). The suite is comprised of two instruments; the Miniaturized Electro-Static Analyzer (MESA), and the Flat Plasma Spectrometer (FLAPS), designed to measure the near earth environment on the Air Force Academy small satellite missions Falconsat-2 and 3.

McHarg, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Applications of SPICE for modeling miniaturized biomedical sensor systems

This paper proposes a model for a miniaturized signal conditioning system for biopotential and ion-selective electrode arrays. The system consists of three main components: sensors, interconnections, and signal conditioning chip. The model for this system is based on SPICE. Transmission-line based equivalent circuits are used to represent the sensors, lumped resistance-capacitance circuits describe the interconnections, and a model for the signal conditioning chip is extracted from its layout. A system for measurements of biopotentials and ionic activities can be miniaturized and optimized for cardiovascular applications based on the development of an integrated SPICE system model of its electrochemical, interconnection, and electronic components.

Microelectrodes↗

NASA NTRS1999

Miniature EPSPs and sensory encoding in the primary afferents of the vestibular lagena of the toadfish, Opsanus tau

The synaptic activity transmitted from vestibular hair cells of the lagena to primary afferent neurons was recorded in vitro using sharp, intracellular microelectrodes. At rest, the activity was composed of miniature excitatory postsynaptic potentials (mEPSPs) at frequencies from 5 to 20/s and action potentials (APs) at frequencies betwen 0 and 10/s. mEPSPs recorded from a single fiber displayed a large variability. For mEPSPs not triggering APs, amplitudes exhibited an average coefficient of variance (CV) of 0.323 and rise times an average CV of 0.516. APs were only triggered by mEPSPs with larger amplitudes (estimated 4-6 mV) and/or steeper maximum rate of rise (10.9 mV/ms, +/- 3.7 SD, n=4 experiments) compared to (3.50 mV/ms, +/-0.07 SD, n=6 experiments) for nontriggering mEPSPs. The smallest mEPSPs showed a fast rise time (0.99 ms between 10% and 90% of peak amplitude) and limited variability across fibers (CV:0.18) confirming that they were not attenuated signals, but rather represented single-transmitter discharges (TDs). The mEPSP amplitude and rise-time relationship suggests that many mEPSPs represented several, rather than a single pulse of secretion of TDs. According to the estimated overall TD frequency, the coincidence of TDs contributing to the same mEPSP were not statistically independent, indicating a positive interaction between TDs that is reminiscent of the way subminiature signals group to form miniature signals at the neuromuscular junction. Depending on the duration and intensity of efferent stimulation, a complete block of AP initiation occurred either immediately or after a delay of a few seconds. Efferent stimulation did not significantly change AP threshold level, but abruptly decreased mEPSP frequency to a near-complete block that followed the block of APs. Maximum mEPSP rate of rise decreased during, and recovered progressively after, efferent stimulation. After termination of efferent stimulation, mEPSP amplitude did not recover instantly and for a few seconds the amplitude distribution of synaptic events showed fewer large-amplitude events than during the control period. This confirms that mEPSP amplitude and rate of rise properties, which are critical for triggering afferent APs, are modified by efferent activity. The depression of afferent AP firing during efferent stimulation corresponded to a decrease in mEPSP frequency and, to a lesser extent, a decrease in mEPSP amplitude and rate of rise, suggesting, a decrease in the level of interaction among TDs contibuting to a mEPSP.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2004

Miniaturized multiplex label-free electronic chip for rapid nucleic acid analysis based on carbon nanotube nanoelectrode arrays

BACKGROUND: Reducing cost and time is the major concern in clinical diagnostics, particularly in molecular diagnostics. Miniaturization technologies have been recognized as promising solutions to provide low-cost microchips for diagnostics. With the recent advancement in nanotechnologies, it is possible to further improve detection sensitivity and simplify sample preparation by incorporating nanoscale elements in diagnostics devices. A fusion of micro- and nanotechnologies with biology has great potential for the development of low-cost disposable chips for rapid molecular analysis that can be carried out with simple handheld devices. APPROACH: Vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) are fabricated on predeposited microelectrode pads and encapsulated in SiO2 dielectrics with only the very end exposed at the surface to form an inlaid nanoelectrode array (NEA). The NEA is used to collect the electrochemical signal associated with the target molecules binding to the probe molecules, which are covalently attached to the end of the MWNTs. CONTENT: A 3 x 3 microelectrode array is presented to demonstrate the miniaturization and multiplexing capability. A randomly distributed MWNT NEA is fabricated on each microelectrode pad. Selective functionalization of the MWNT end with a specific oligonucleotide probe and passivation of the SiO2 surface with ethylene glycol moieties are discussed. Ru(bpy)2+ -mediator-amplified guanine oxidation is used to directly measure the electrochemical signal associated with target molecules. SUMMARY: The discussed MWNT NEAs have ultrahigh sensitivity in direct electrochemical detection of guanine bases in the nucleic acid target. Fewer than approximately 1000 target nucleic acid molecules can be measured with a single microelectrode pad of approximately 20 x 20 microm2, which approaches the detection limit of laser scanners in fluorescence-based DNA microarray techniques. MWNT NEAs can be easily integrated with microelectronic circuitry and microfluidics for development of a fully automated system for rapid molecular analysis with minimum cost.

Carbon↗

NASA NTRS2005

The Performance of a Miniature Plant Cultivation System Designed for Space Flight Application

Constraints in both launch opportunities and the availability of in-flight resources for Shuttle and Space Station life science habitat facilities has presented a compelling impetus to improve the operational flexibility, efficiency and miniaturization of many of these systems. Such advances would not only invigorate the level of research being conducted in low Earth orbit but also present the opportunity to expand life science studies to outer space and planetary bodies. Work has been directed towards the development of a miniature plant cultivation module (PCM) capable of supporting the automated and controlled growth and spectral monitoring of small plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana. This paper will present data on the operational performance and efficiency of the cultivation module, and the extent to which such a system may be used to support plant growth studies in low Earth orbit and beyond.

Heyenga, Gerard↗

NASA NTRS2005

Miniaturized system of a gas chromatograph coupled with a Paul ion trap mass spectrometer

Miniature gas chromatography (GC) and miniature mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation has been developed to identify and quantify the chemical compounds present in complex mixtures of gases. The design approach utilizes micro-GC components coupled with a Paul quadrupole ion trap (QIT) mass spectrometer. Inherent to the system are high sensitivity, good dynamic range, good QIT resolution, low GC flow-rates to minimize vacuum requirements and the need for consumables; and the use of a modular approach to adapt to volatile organic compounds dissolved in water or present in sediment. Measurements are reported on system response to gaseous species at concentrations varying over four orders of magnitude. The ability of the system to deal with complicated mixtures is demonstrated, and future improvements are discussed. The GC/QIT system described herein has a mass, volume and power that are, conservatively, one-twentieth of those of commercial off-the-shelf systems. Potential applications are to spacecraft cabin-air monitoring, robotic planetary exploration and trace-species detection for residual gas analysis and environmental monitoring.

Miniaturization/instrumentation/methods↗

NASA NTRS2006

Miniature GC: Minicell ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) for astrobiology planetary missions

Astrobiology flight experiments require highly sensitive instrumentation for in situ analysis of volatile chemical species and minerals present in the atmospheres and surfaces of planets, moons, and asteroids. The complex mixtures encountered place a heavy burden on the analytical instrumentation to detect and identify all species present. The use of land rovers and balloon aero-rovers place additional emphasis on miniaturization of the analytical instrumentation. In addition, smaller instruments, using tiny amounts of consumables, allow the use of more instrumentation and/or longer mission life for stationary landers/laboratories. We describe here the development of a miniature GC - Minicell Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) under development through NASA's Astrobiology Science and Technology Instrument Development (ASTID) Program and NASA's Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program.

Kojiro, Daniel R.↗

NASA NTRS2008

Miniature Mass Spectrometers on Space and Planetary Missions

Space flight mass spectrometers contribute our understanding of the origin and evolution of our solar system and even of life itself. This fundamental role has motivated increasing interest in miniature mass spectrometry for planetary missions. Several remarkable new instruments are en route or under development to investigate the composition of planetary bodies such as Mars and comets. For instance, the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) suite on the 2009 Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission includes a quadrupole mass spectrometer with a sophisticated gas processing system as well as pyrolysis and chemical derivatization protocols for solid samples. Future missions will require even lighter, lower power, and yet more capable mass spectrometers, particularly to analyze samples in situ on planetary surfaces. We have been developing laser-based mass spectrometers for elemental and organic/molecular analysis of rock, ice, or fine particle samples. These typically use time-of-flight (TOF) mass analyzers, which are readily miniaturized and can detect both atomic species and complex organics that occur in a variety of planetary materials. For example, nonvolatile polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and kerogen-like macromolecular carbon are found in some carbonaceous meteorites, which derived from asteroid parent bodies. A single focused laser pulse is able to volatilize and ionize some of these compounds for direct TOF analysis. While this is possible without any sample preparation or contact, sensitivity and quantitative performance can improve significantly with some sample handling. As such we have also been examining robotic mechanisms and protocols to accompany space flight mass spectrometers. In addition, sensors in early development may significantly improve these capabilities, via use of techniques such as switchable polarity, ambient pressure, or resonant ionization; tandem mass spectrometry (TOF or ion trap); and chemical imaging.

Brinckerhoff, William↗

NASA NTRS2008

Miniature, Lightweight, One-Time-Opening Valve

The figure depicts the main parts of a prototype miniature, lightweight, onetime- opening valve. Like some other miniature one-time-opening valves reported in previous issues of NASA Tech Briefs, this valve is opened by melting a material that blocks the flow path. This valve is designed to remain closed at some temperature between room temperature and cryogenic temperature until the time of opening. The prototype valve includes a 1/8-in. (3-mm) aluminum tube, one end of which is plugged with a solder comprising about 37 weight percent of lead and 63 weight percent of tin. The tube and the solder both have a coefficient of thermal expansion of 23 micron/m-K at room temperature. Before plugging, the interior surface of the plug end of the tube is cleaned with a commercial flux paste developed specifically for preparing aluminum for bonding with lead/tin solder. The solder is then melted into the cleaned end of the tube, forming the plug. In a test, the plugged tube was pressurized to 1,000 psi (6.9 MPa) with helium and leak-tested. It was then cooled to a temperature of 77 K (about 196 C) and again leak-tested at the same pressure. Finally, at a lower pressure, the plugged end of the tube was heated to about 200 C (the melting temperature of the solder is 183 C), causing the solder plug to be ejected (see figure). It has been estimated that in a subsequent version of the valve, the plug could be melted by electrical heating, using a nichrome wire having a mass of only 10 g.

Jones, Jack↗

NASA NTRS2008

Miniature Latching Valve

A miniature latching valve has been invented to satisfy a need for an electrically controllable on/off pneumatic valve that is lightweight and compact and remains in the most recently commanded open or closed state when power is not supplied. The valve includes a poppet that is moved into or out of contact with a seat to effect closure or opening, respectively, of the flow path. Motion of the poppet is initiated by electrical heating of one of two opposing pairs of nickel/titanium shape-memory alloy (SMA) wires above their transition temperature: heated wires contract to their remembered length, applying tension to pull the poppet toward or away from the seat. A latch consisting mainly of a bistable Belleville washer (a conical spring) made of a hardened stainless steel operates between two stable positions corresponding to the fully closed or fully open state, holding the poppet in one of these positions when power is not applied to either pair of SMA wires. To obtain maximum actuation force and displacement, the SMA wires must be kept in tension. The mounting fixtures at the ends of the wires must support large tensile stresses without creating stress concentrations that would limit the fatigue lives of the wires. An earlier design provided for each wire to be crimped in a conical opening with a conical steel ferrule that was swaged into the opening to produce a large, uniformly distributed holding force. In a subsequent design, the conical ferrule was replaced with a larger crimped cylindrical ferrule depicted in the figure. A major problem in designing the valve was to protect the SMA wires from a bake-out temperature of 300 C. The problem was solved by incorporating the SMA wires into an actuator module that is inserted into a barrel of the valve body and is held in place by miniature clip rings.

Johnson, A. David↗

NASA NTRS2009

Scanning Miniature Microscopes without Lenses

The figure schematically depicts some alternative designs of proposed compact, lightweight optoelectronic microscopes that would contain no lenses and would generate magnified video images of specimens. Microscopes of this type were described previously in Miniature Microscope Without Lenses (NPO - 20218), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 22, No. 8 (August 1998), page 43 and Reflective Variants of Miniature Microscope Without Lenses (NPO 20610), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 26, No. 9 (September 1999), page 6a. To recapitulate: In the design and construction of a microscope of this type, the focusing optics of a conventional microscope are replaced by a combination of a microchannel filter and a charge-coupled-device (CCD) image detector. Elimination of focusing optics reduces the size and weight of the instrument and eliminates the need for the time-consuming focusing operation. The microscopes described in the cited prior articles contained two-dimensional CCDs registered with two-dimensional arrays of microchannels and, as such, were designed to produce full two-dimensional images, without need for scanning. The microscopes of the present proposal would contain one-dimensional (line image) CCDs registered with linear arrays of microchannels. In the operation of such a microscope, one would scan a specimen along a line perpendicular to the array axis (in other words, one would scan in pushbroom fashion). One could then synthesize a full two-dimensional image of the specimen from the line-image data acquired at one-pixel increments of position along the scan. In one of the proposed microscopes, a beam of unpolarized light for illuminating the specimen would enter from the side. This light would be reflected down onto the specimen by a nonpolarizing beam splitter attached to the microchannels at their lower ends. A portion of the light incident on the specimen would be reflected upward, through the beam splitter and along the microchannels, to form an image on the CCD. If the nonpolarizing beam splitter were replaced by a polarizing one, then the specimen would be illuminated by s-polarized light. Upon reflection from the specimen, some of the s-polarized light would become p-polarized. Only the p-polarized light would contribute to the image on the CCD; in other words, the image would contain information on the polarization rotating characteristic of the specimen.

Wang, Yu↗

NASA NTRS2007

Magnet-Based System for Docking of Miniature Spacecraft

A prototype system for docking a miniature spacecraft with a larger spacecraft has been developed by engineers at the Johnson Space Center. Engineers working on Mini AERCam, a free-flying robotic camera, needed to find a way to successfully dock and undock their miniature spacecraft to refuel the propulsion and recharge the batteries. The subsystems developed (see figure) include (1) a docking port, designed for the larger spacecraft, which contains an electromagnet, a ball lock mechanism, and a service probe; and (2) a docking cluster, designed for the smaller spacecraft, which contains either a permanent magnet or an electromagnet. A typical docking operation begins with the docking spacecraft maneuvering into position near the docking port on the parent vehicle. The electromagnet( s) are then turned on, and, if necessary, the docking spacecraft is then maneuvered within the capture envelope of the docking port. The capture envelope for this system is approximated by a 5-in. (12.7-cm) cube centered on the front of the docking-port electromagnet and within an angular misalignment of <30 . Thereafter, the magnetic forces draw the smaller spacecraft toward the larger one and this brings the spacecraft into approximate alignment prior to contact. Mechanical alignment guides provide the final rotational alignment into one of 12 positions. Once the docking vehicle has been captured magnetically in the docking port, the ball-lock mechanism is activated, which locks the two spacecraft together. At this point the electromagnet( s) are turned off, and the service probe extended if recharge and refueling are to be performed. Additionally, during undocking, the polarity of one electromagnet can be reversed to provide a gentle push to separate the two spacecraft. This system is currently being incorporated into the design of Mini AERCam vehicle.

Howard, Nathan↗

NASA NTRS2010

Miniaturized Environmental Scanning Electron Microscope for In Situ Planetary Studies

The exploration of remote planetary surfaces calls for the advancement of low power, highly-miniaturized instrumentation. Instruments of this nature that are capable of multiple types of analyses will prove to be particularly useful as we prepare for human return to the moon, and as we continue to explore increasingly remote locations in our Solar System. To this end, our group has been developing a miniaturized Environmental-Scanning Electron Microscope (mESEM) capable of remote investigations of mineralogical samples through in-situ topographical and chemical analysis on a fine scale. The functioning of an SEM is well known: an electron beam is focused to nanometer-scale onto a given sample where resulting emissions such as backscattered and secondary electrons, X-rays, and visible light are registered. Raster scanning the primary electron beam across the sample then gives a fine-scale image of the surface topography (texture), crystalline structure and orientation, with accompanying elemental composition. The flexibility in the types of measurements the mESEM is capable of, makes it ideally suited for a variety of applications. The mESEM is appropriate for use on multiple planetary surfaces, and for a variety of mission goals (from science to non-destructive analysis to ISRU). We will identify potential applications and range of potential uses related to planetary exploration. Over the past few of years we have initiated fabrication and testing of a proof-of-concept assembly, consisting of a cold-field-emission electron gun and custom high-voltage power supply, electrostatic electron-beam focusing column, and scanning-imaging electronics plus backscatter detector. Current project status will be discussed. This effort is funded through the NASA Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences - Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program.

Gaskin, Jessica↗

NASA NTRS2001

Miniaturized Autonomous Extravehicular Robotic Camera (Mini AERCam)

The NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) Engineering Directorate is developing the Autonomous Extravehicular Robotic Camera (AERCam), a low-volume, low-mass free-flying camera system . AERCam project team personnel recently initiated development of a miniaturized version of AERCam known as Mini AERCam. The Mini AERCam target design is a spherical "nanosatellite" free-flyer 7.5 inches in diameter and weighing 1 0 pounds. Mini AERCam is building on the success of the AERCam Sprint STS-87 flight experiment by adding new on-board sensing and processing capabilities while simultaneously reducing volume by 80%. Achieving enhanced capability in a smaller package depends on applying miniaturization technology across virtually all subsystems. Technology innovations being incorporated include micro electromechanical system (MEMS) gyros, "camera-on-a-chip" CMOS imagers, rechargeable xenon gas propulsion system , rechargeable lithium ion battery, custom avionics based on the PowerPC 740 microprocessor, GPS relative navigation, digital radio frequency communications and tracking, micropatch antennas, digital instrumentation, and dense mechanical packaging. The Mini AERCam free-flyer will initially be integrated into an approximate flight-like configuration for demonstration on an airbearing table. A pilot-in-the-loop and hardware-in-the-loop simulation to simulate on-orbit navigation and dynamics will complement the airbearing table demonstration. The Mini AERCam lab demonstration is intended to form the basis for future development of an AERCam flight system that provides beneficial on-orbit views unobtainable from fixed cameras, cameras on robotic manipulators, or cameras carried by EVA crewmembers.

Fredrickson, Steven E.↗