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Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. Economy

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the thirteenth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 14 Feb. - 15 Aug. 1991. The progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology is described. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 12, and issues of A&R implementation into Ground Mission Operations and A&R enhancement of science productivity. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

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Some Recent Contributions to the Study of Transition and Turbulent Boundary Layers

The first part of this paper reviews the present state of the problem of the instability of laminar boundary layers which has formed an important part of the general lectures by von Karman at the first and fourth Congresses and by Taylor at the fifth Congress. This problem may now be considered as essentially solved as the result of work completed since 1938. When the velocity fluctuations of the free-stream flow are less than 0.1 percent of the mean speed, instability occurs as described by the well-known Tollmien-Schlichting theory. The Tollmien-Schlichting waves were first observed experimentally by Schubauer and Skramstad in 1940. They devised methods of introducing controlled small disturbances and obtained measured values of frequency, damping, and wave length at various Reynolds numbers which agreed well with the theoretical results. Their experimental results were confirmed by Liepmann. Much theoretical work was done in Germany in extending the Tol1mien-Schlichting theory to other boundary conditions, in particular to flow along a porous wall to which suction is applied for removing part of the boundary layer. The second part of this paper summarizes the present state of knowledge of the mechanics of turbulent boundary layers, and of the methods now being used for fundamental studies of the turbulent fluctuations in turbulent boundary layers. A brief review is given of the semi-empirical method of approach as developed by Buri, Gruschwitz, Fediaevsky, and Kalikhman. In recent years the National Advisory.Commsittee for Aeronautics has sponsored a detailed study at the National Bureau of Standards of the turbulent fluctuations in a turbulent boundary layer under adverse pressure gradient sufficient to produce separation. The aims of this investigation and its present status are described.

Dryden, Hugh L↗

Advancing automation and robotics technology for the Space Station Freedom and for the U.S. economy

In April 1985, as required by Public Law 98-371, the NASA Advanced Technology Advisory Committee (ATAC) reported to Congress the results of its studies on advanced automation and robotics technology for use on Space Station Freedom. This material was documented in the initial report (NASA Technical Memorandum 87566). A further requirement of the law was that ATAC follow NASA's progress in this area and report to Congress semiannually. This report is the sixteenth in a series of progress updates and covers the period between 15 Sep. 1992 - 16 Mar. 1993. The report describes the progress made by Levels 1, 2, and 3 of the Space Station Freedom in developing and applying advanced automation and robotics technology. Emphasis was placed upon the Space Station Freedom Program responses to specific recommendations made in ATAC Progress Report 15; and includes a status review of Space Station Freedom Launch Processing facilities at Kennedy Space Center. Assessments are presented for these and other areas as they apply to the advancement of automation and robotics technology for Space Station Freedom.

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CSTAR support for the commercial Launch Voucher Demonstration Program

Congress mandated a Launch Voucher Demonstration Program (LVDP) in the NASA FY 1993 Authorization Bill. This program was to have been put into place by October 1, 1993 and would end on September 30, 1995, with a report to Congress on January 31, 1996. CSTAR was asked to provide a participatory relationship to NASA concerning the Launch Voucher Demonstration Program, specifically due to CSTAR's COMET experience and knowledge of the CCDS payload and transportation planning, budgeting, and contract management process. This paper describes CSTAR's involvement in the development of the Launch Voucher Demonstration Program.

Myers, Carter H.↗

Vannevar Bush 2: Science for the 21st Century. Why Should Federal Dollars be Spent to Support Scientific Research?

On July 5, 1945, Dr. Vannevar Bush delivered a report to President Truman known as 'Science: The Endless Frontier'. In the report, Dr. Bush stated that 'scientific progress is one essential key to our security as a nation, to our better health, to more jobs, to a higher standard of living, and to our cultural progress'. Bush addressed job creation, the independence of basic research, the ties between research and application, and the nations's need for new talent. In 1995, there are strong similarities between the issues addressed in the Congress, Administration, and the public and those following World War 2. Federal funds and research funding are under severe pressure, including that from fiscal constraints in the federal budget due to the large and growing deficit and the escalating cost of health care. Defense conversion is addressed in the Congress and in industry, where many jobs are at stake. Conversion of the national laboratories, particularly nuclear weapons laboratories, has been a subject of a governmental commission and is the subject of draft legislation. Health care costs and the appropriate role of the federal government in funding basic and applied research has become a major topic of debate. Discussion on education in science has grown from the issue of how to produce more Ph.D.'s to how to improve the understanding of technology and science among the general public.

Miller, Kate↗

NASA Performance Plan

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) passed by Congress and signed by the President in 1993 provides a new tool to improve the efficiency of all Federal agencies. The goals of GPRA are to: Improve citizen confidence in Government performance; Improve Federal program management, effectiveness, and public accountability; and Improve congressional decisionmaking on where to commit the Nation's financial and human resources. The Act directs Executive Branch agencies to develop a customer-focused strategic plan that aligns activities with concrete missions and goals. The first plans were submitted in September 1998 as part of the Fiscal Year 1999 (FY99) budget process. These budget submissions were expected to support the goals expressed in the agency strategic plans. The Act also directs agencies to manage and measure results to justify congressional appropriations and authorizations. Six months after the completion of the fiscal year, agencies will report on the degree of success in achieving the goals and evaluation measures defined in the strategic and performance plans. The plans required by GPRA have been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and to Congress. Copies of NASA plans are available from the Office of Policy and Plans at NASA Headquarters and can be accessed on the i nterinet web sites identified in the Appendix.

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To Boldly Go: America's Next Era in Space. The Universe Now and Beyond

Dr. France Cordova, NASA's Chief Scientist opened this, the third session in the NASA Administrator's Seminar Series, by asking the following question: 'What would be a bold and aspiring agenda for America's next era in space?' It aimed at answering the following questions: What do we know about the universe? How do we know it? (Dr. Cordova also mentioned that the first seminar was about the definition of cellular life and how to recognize it, and featured as speakers, Dr. Lynn Margoles and Dr. Leslie Orgle.) Administrator Daniel S. Goldin was introduced; he welcomed the attendees, and remarked that NASA personnel have a critical need to explain to Congress and the public why a space program is important. Congress and the public pay for the space programs. Therefore the programs' importance cannot remain in the sole domain of scientists. The first speaker, Dr. Vera Ruben of the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institute of Washington, was introduced as an art historian expert in cosmology and an observational astronomer. Dr. Ruben brought up a number of questions regarding the substance, location, and origin of dark matter, radiation, galaxies, and the lumpy structure of galaxies in space, as well as the age and density of our universe. The next speaker was Dr. Bohdan Paczynski, a theoretical astrophysicist from Princeton University's Department of Astrophysical Sciences. The final speaker, Dr. Linda Schale is a cosmologist from the University of Texas at Austin. She was said to be a 'paleontologist of the human mind' who tries 'to understand mechanisms people use to understand the world'. The concluding discussion centered on why NASA scientists don t communicate better with people who are not highly educated. This is a big concern because to continue its work, NASA needs to communicate the importance of its goals to the average person. Additional information is included in the original extended abstract.

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Forty-Fourth Annual Report of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics Administrative Report Including Technical Reports Nos. 1342 to 1392

In accordance with act of Congress, approved March 3, 1915, as amended (U.S.C., title 50, .sw 151), which established the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the Committee submits its Forty-fourth Annual Report for the fiscal year 1958. This is the Committee's final report to the Congress. The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-568) provides in section 301 that the NACA "shall cease to exist" and "all functions, powers, duties, and obligations, and all real and personal property, personnel (other than members of the Committee), funds, and records of the NACA shall be transferred to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The aforesaid act provides that "this section shall take effect 90 days after the date of the enactment of this act, or on any earlier date on which the Administrator shall determining and announce by proclamation published in the Federal Register, that the Administration has been organized and is prepared to discharge the duties and exercise the power conferred upon it by this act." The Administrator, Hon. T. Keith Glennan has advised the Committee of his intention to issue such proclamation, effective October 1,1958.

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KSC SBIR/STTR 2004 Program Year Report

The Kennedy Space Center Level III SBIR/STTR management staff is under the Technology Transfer Office within the Spaceport Engineering and Technology Directorate. The SBIR and STTR programs provide an opportunity for small high technology companies and research institutions to participate in Government-sponsored research and development (R&D) programs in key technology areas. The SBIR program was established by Congress in 1982 to provide increased opportunities for small businesses to participate in R&D programs, increase employment, and improve U.S. competitiveness. The program's specific objectives are to stimulate U.S. technological innovation, use small businesses to meet Federal research and development needs, increase private sector commercialization of innovations, and foster and encourage participation by socially disadvantaged businesses. Legislation enacted in December 2000 reauthorized the program and strengthened emphasis on pursuing commercial applications of SBIR projects. An SBIR Phase I contract is the opportunity to establish the feasibility and technical merit of a proposed innovation. Selected competitively, the Phase I contract lasts for 6 months and is funded up to $70,000. SBIR Phase II contracts continue the most promising Phase I projects based on scientific! technical merit, expected value to NASA, company capability, and commercial potential. Phase II contracts are usually for a period of 24 months and may not exceed $600,000. NASA usually selects approximately 40 percent of Phase I projects to continue to the Phase II level. Phase III is the process of furthering the development of a product to make it commercially available. The STTR program awards contracts to small business concerns for cooperative R&D with a nonprofit research institution. Research institutions include nonprofit research organizations, Federal laboratories, or universities. The goal of the program established by Congress is to facilitate the transfer of technology developed by a research institution through the entrepreneurship of a small business. The STIR program is smaller in funding than the SBIR program. While the proposal is submitted by the small business concern, at least 30 percent of the funding and work must originate with the research institution. STTR Phase I projects receive up to $100K for a one-year effort, and a Phase II contract receives up to $600K for two years.

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First Semiannual Report of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

The First Semiannual Report of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is submitted to Congress pursuant to section 206 (a) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 (Public Law 85-568) to provide for research into problems of flight within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, which states: The Administration shall submit to the President for transmittal to Congress, semiannually and at such other times as it deems desirable, a report on its activities and accomplishments.

Glennan, T. Keith↗

A Glimpse of Scientific Research on Fundamental Problems of Military and Civil Aeronautics

Among the outstanding accomplishments of the last century is man's conquest of the air. That conquest began in 1903 when the Wright brothers made the first successful flight of an airplane at Kitty Hawk, N. C. Five years later the United States Government purchased its first airplane for the use of the Army, and began the training of officers for military flying. During the years immediately preceding the outbreak of the World War the Government and a meager aircraft industry had made important progress, but the Government, practically the only customer, had purchased less than 100 airplanes. In the meantime, leading European nations, sensing acutely the potentialities of aircraft in warfare, had made greater progress and had begun laying the foundations for the new science of aeronautics. The World War gave a remarkable impetus to the development of aeronautics and emphasized the need for organized research on the fundamental problems of flight. By act of Congress approved March 3, 1915, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics was created and charged with the duty of supervising, directing, and conducting fundamental scientific research and experiment in aeronautics. With the farsighted support of the Congress the Committee has led the world in the development of unique aeronautical research facilities in its laboratories at Langley Field, Va. The research programs include problems initiated by the Committee and its subcommittees and also investigations requested by the Army, the Navy, and the Civil Aeronautics Authority. The results of researches conducted under one control, serve without duplication of effort, the needs of all branches of aviation, civil and military, and exert a profound influence on the progress of aeronautics by improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of aircraft. A brief description of the results of some of the committee's researches and of the equipment employed will be found in the following pages.

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Success Factors in Human Space Programs - Why Did Apollo Succeed Better Than Later Programs?

The Apollo Program reached the moon, but the Constellation Program (CxP) that planned to return to the moon and go on to Mars was cancelled. Apollo is NASA's greatest achievement but its success is poorly understood. The usual explanation is that President Kennedy announced we were going to the moon, the scientific community and the public strongly supported it, and Congress provided the necessary funding. This is partially incorrect and does not actually explain Apollo's success. The scientific community and the public did not support Apollo. Like Apollo, Constellation was announced by a president and funded by Congress, with elements that continued on even after it was cancelled. Two other factors account for Apollo's success. Initially, the surprise event of Uri Gagarin's first human space flight created political distress and a strong desire for the government to dramatically demonstrate American space capability. Options were considered and Apollo was found to be most effective and technically feasible. Political necessity overrode both the lack of popular and scientific support and the extremely high cost and risk. Other NASA human space programs were either canceled, such as the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI), repeatedly threatened with cancellation, such as International Space Station (ISS), or terminated while still operational, such as the space shuttle and even Apollo itself. Large crash programs such as Apollo are initiated and continued if and only if urgent political necessity produces the necessary political will. They succeed if and only if they are technically feasible within the provided resources. Future human space missions will probably require gradual step-by-step development in a more normal environment.

Success factors↗

Nuclear Qualms Intern Poster

A 2022 Reuters poll found that 45% of Americans support nuclear power, 33% oppose it, and 20% are unsure, with opposers primarily concerned about meltdowns and nuclear waste. Establishing trust with the public has historically been a challenge for the nuclear energy development community. Technical jargon, specialized concepts and popular fictional portrayals are among the barriers to reassuring the public of modern reactor designs’ safety. Using ten letters sent in 1993 to Congress by interest groups and other archival sources, we demonstrate how the public’s misguided nuclear qualms contributed to Congress cancelling the promising Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) project at Argonne National Laboratory West’s (later INL) EBR II reactor in 1994. The decision halted the completion of a groundbreaking technology that cost the world 28 years and counting in lost time to validate and commercialize IFR technology.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Technical Evaluation of the Department of Energy Research and Development Activities in Underground Research Laboratories - 20287

Congress created the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board (NWTRB) in the 1987 Nuclear Waste Policy Amendments Act (Public Law 100-203) to evaluate the technical and scientific validity of activities undertaken by the Secretary of Energy to implement the Nuclear Waste Policy Act. Since 2012, DOE has collaborated in research conducted in several underground research laboratories (URLs) located in Europe and Asia. According to DOE, these international collaborations have been beneficial to its spent nuclear fuel (SNF) and high-level waste radioactive (HLW) disposal research program, particularly after the termination of the Yucca Mountain repository program when DOE began generic research on alternative host rocks (crystalline, clay, and salt) and repository environments very different from those at Yucca Mountain. In accordance with its mandate, the NWTRB is reviewing the DOE research and development (R and D) activities related to URLs. The NWTRB's review is documented in a report to Congress and the Secretary of Energy that will be released in January 2020, and this paper summarizes the NWTRB review and findings. The NWTRB held a fact-finding meeting with DOE and subsequently held a workshop on international URL collaborations in April of 2019. Based on the presentations and discussions at the workshop and at the fact-finding meeting, as well as information from reports published by DOE and others, there are four principal findings related to DoE's URL-related R and D activities. First, DOE participation in URL-related international research greatly benefits the U.S. geologic disposal R and D program by furthering its understanding of generic and site-specific disposal issues relevant to alternative repository host rocks and environments. DOE-funded R and D activities also are benefiting the URL-related research of other countries, especially in the area of complex analytical and numerical model/software development. Second, the more developed repository programs in other countries have focused on creating and strengthening their safety cases and making them transparent to the public. Repository programs in other countries use URLs to explain the technical bases underlying their safety cases, periodically reassess knowledge gaps and define new activities to strengthen the technical bases, and demonstrate the technology that will allow implementation of the proposed safety concept. Third, countries with more developed geologic disposal programs have found domestic URLs essential to their repository programs. DOE needs domestic URLs to advance geologic disposal efforts over the next decades and further its ability to train the next generation of scientists, engineers, and skilled technical workers. Fourth, DoE's international URL collaborations have advanced its generic disposal R and D program, including development of modeling capabilities recognized internationally as state-of-the-art, but further work on its coupled thermal-hydrological-mechanical-chemical models and URL- and laboratory-based research can strengthen its program. (authors)

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

SIVB's 2024 In Vitro Biology Meeting Proceedings

SIVB's 2024 World Congress on In Vitro Biology took place in Saint Louis, Missouri, from June 8th to 12th, 2024. The conference featured renowned speakers from academic and non-academic institutions who will present recent advancements in critical areas like plant transformation, genome editing, synthetic biology, advanced breeding technologies, cellular agriculture, future food sources, chromosome engineering, epigenetics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. The Society for In Vitro Biology (SIVB) has always considered the education and professional development of young researchers as an integral component of its mission. The 2024 World Congress program, along with SIVB’s student initiatives, was customized to foster scientific growth and professional development among students and young scientists empowering them in their professional journeys. The recording of the DOE supported "Single Cell RNA Sequencing" workshop was made publicly available at https://youtu.be/A0UnuYwefwg for easy retrieval and reference of all information shared during the live event, thereby increasing accessibility and knowledge transfer. Their are 14 articles in the proceedings and the full list of files is located at https://link.springer.com/journal/11626/volumes-and-issues/60-1/supplement.

10 SYNTHETIC FUELS↗

CCUS deployment under the U.S. 45Q tax credit and adaptation by other North American Governments: MARKAL modeling results

In 2018, U.S. Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act, known as 45Q [H.R. 3761], expanding the corporate income tax credit for carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS). 45Q provides a performance-based tax credit for carbon capture projects of $30/ton of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) (tCO 2 ) for anthropogenic CO 2 going to enhanced oil recovery (EOR), and $50/tCO 2 if going to straight storage. There are several conditions; for example, there is a 12-year time limit on tax credits for a new plant that commences construction before 2024 [H.R. 3761]. Here, this study aims to test the incremental impact of the 45Q tax credits on CCUS deployment, CO 2 -EOR, and power generation technological changes for North American (the United States, Canada, and Mexico) long-term energy system development. The scenario results show that offering a 12-year CO 2 storage subsidy provides the motivation needed for CCUS investment during the 12-year subsidy period, and the benefits of such investment can be sustained over the 40-year lifetime under CO 2 taxation. The modeling results show that carbon capture generation replaces uncontrolled fossil-fueled power, not new or existing renewables, so power generation and corresponding emission reductions from renewables remain unaffected by the availability of 45Q in the United States. Our scenario with CCUS technological learning indicates that CCUS could play a very important role under stringent environmental constraints. Thus, accelerated support and funding for the large-scale CCUS demonstrations is important for the execution of both short- and long-term climate mitigation goals. Given the significant role of the United States, Canada, and Mexico on the world energy system, our results represent an important contribution to the study of global energy trends.

42 ENGINEERING↗

An overview of the fusion landscape

Fusion is very attractive as a potential energy source, but it is taking a long time to develop into a commercial reality. Given the challenges of climate change and the need for dispatchable power as a complement to renewable energy sources that vary on daily and seasonal timescales, there is great enthusiasm internationally to accelerate the commercialization of fusion energy. Forty-five private companies around the globe, with total financing of $7.1 billion, are engaged in the development of fusion energy. In the United States, the White House has put forward a “Bold Decadal Vision for Commercial Fusion Energy,” with bipartisan support from Congress. To develop commercial fusion energy, certain goals must be met. In conclusion, a wide variety of approaches are being pursued to meet these goals.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Wake Effects in Lower Carbon Future Scenarios

In August 2022, the U.S. Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which intended to accelerate U.S. decarbonization, clean energy manufacturing, and deployment of new power and end-use technologies. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory has examined possible scenarios for growth by 2050 resulting from the IRA and other emissions reduction drivers and defined several possible scenarios for large-scale wind deployment. These scenarios incorporate large clusters of turbines operating as wind farms grouped around existing or likely transmission lines which will result in wind farm wakes. Using a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model, we assess these wake effects in a domain in the U. S. Southern Great Plains for a representative year with four scenarios in order to validate the simulations, estimate the internal wake impact, and quantify the cluster wake effect. Herein, we present a validation of the ”no wind farm” scenario and quantify the internal waking effect for the ”ONE” wind farm scenario. Future work will use the “MID” scenario (more than 8000 turbines) and the “HI” scenario (more than 16,000 turbines) to quantify the effect of cluster wakes or inter-farm wakes on power production.

17 WIND ENERGY↗