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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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NASA NTRS2017

Lunar and Lagrangian Point L1 L2 CubeSat Communication and Navigation Considerations

CubeSats have grown in sophistication to the point that relatively low-cost mission solutions could be undertaken for planetary exploration. There are unique considerations for lunar and L1/L2 CubeSat communication and navigation compared with low earth orbit CubeSats. This paper explores those considerations as they relate to the Lunar IceCube Mission. The Lunar IceCube is a CubeSat mission led by Morehead State University with participation from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Busek Company and Vermont Tech. It will search for surface water ice and other resources from a high inclination lunar orbit. Lunar IceCube is one of a select group of CubeSats designed to explore beyond low-earth orbit that will fly on NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) as secondary payloads for Exploration Mission (EM) 1. Lunar IceCube and the EM-1 CubeSats will lay the groundwork for future lunar and L1/L2 CubeSat missions. This paper discusses communication and navigation needs for the Lunar IceCube mission and navigation and radiation tolerance requirements related to lunar and L1/L2 orbits. Potential CubeSat radios and antennas for such missions are investigated and compared. Ground station coverage, link analysis, and ground station solutions are also discussed. This paper will describe modifications in process for the Morehead ground station, as well as further enhancements of the Morehead ground station and NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) that are being considered. The potential NEN enhancements include upgrading current NEN Cortex receiver with Forward Error Correction (FEC) Turbo Code, providing X-band uplink capability, and adding ranging options. The benefits of ground station enhancements for CubeSats flown on NASA Exploration Missions (EM) are presented. This paper also describes how the NEN may support lunar and L1/L2 CubeSats without any enhancements. In addition, NEN is studying other initiatives to better support the CubeSat community, including streamlining the compatibility testing, planning and scheduling associated with CubeSat missions. Because of the lower cost, opportunity for simultaneous multipoint observations, it is inevitable that CubeSats will continue to increase in popularity for not only LEO missions, but for lunar and L1/L2 missions as well. The challenges for lunar and L1/L2 missions for communication and navigation are much greater than for LEO missions, but are not insurmountable. Advancements in flight hardware and ground infrastructure will ease the burden.

CubeSat↗
NASA NTRS2017

Lunar and Lagrangian Point L1 L2 CubeSat Communication and Navigation Considerations

CubeSats have grown in sophistication to the point that relatively low-cost mission solutions could be undertaken for planetary exploration. There are unique considerations for Lunar and L1L2 CubeSat communication and navigation compared with low earth orbit CubeSats. This paper explores those considerations as they relate to the MoreheadGSFC Lunar IceCube Mission. The Lunar IceCube is a CubeSat mission led by Morehead State University with participation from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, JPL, the Busek Company and Vermont Tech. It will search for surface water ice and other resources from a high inclination lunar orbit. Lunar IceCube is one of a select group of CubeSats designed to explore beyond low-earth orbit that will fly on NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) as secondary payloads for Exploration Mission (EM) 1. Lunar IceCube and the EM-1 CubeSats will lay the groundwork for future lunar and L1L2 CubeSat missions. This paper discusses communication and navigation needs for the Lunar IceCube mission and navigation and radiation tolerance requirements related to lunar and L1L2 orbits. Potential CubeSat radio and antennas for such missions are investigated and compared. Ground station coverage, link analysis, and ground station solutions are also discussed. There are currently modifications in process for the Morehead ground station. Further enhancement of the Morehead ground station and the NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) are being examined. This paper describes how the NEN may support Lunar and L1L2 CubeSats without any enhancements and potential expansion of NEN to better support such missions in the future. The potential NEN enhancements include upgrading current NEN Cortex receiver with Forward Error Correction (FEC) Turbo Code, providing X-band Uplink capability, and adding ranging options. The benefits of ground station enhancements for CubeSats flown on NASA Exploration Missions (EM) are presented. The paper also discusses other initiatives that the NEN is studying to better support the CubeSat community, including streamlining the compatibility test, planning and scheduling associated with CubeSat missions.

CubeSat↗
NASA NTRS2017

Orion European Service Module (ESM) Development, Integration and Qualification Status

ESA and the European Industry are supplying the European Service Module for Orion. An overview of the system and subsystem configuration of the Orion European Service Module (ESM) as designed and built for the EM-1 mission is provided as well as an outline of its development, assembly, integration and verification process performed by ESA and NASA in coordination with their respective Industrial prime contractors, Airbus Defence and Space and Lockheed Martin.

Berthe, Philippe↗
NASA NTRS2017

Trajectory Design for the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper Mission

The presented trajectory was designed for the Lunar Polar Hydrogen Mapper (LunaH-Map) 6U CubeSat, which was awarded a ride on NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) with Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) via NASAs 2015 SIMPLEX proposal call. After deployment from EM-1s upper stage (which is planned to enter heliocentric space via a lunar flyby), the LunaH-Map CubeSat will alter its trajectory via its low-thrust ion engine to target a lunar flyby that yields a Sun-Earth-Moon weak stability boundary transfer to set up a ballistic lunar capture. Finally, the orbit energy is lowered to reach the required quasi-frozen science orbit with periselene above the lunar south pole.

lunar polar orbit↗
NASA NTRS2017

EcAMSat and BioSentinel: Autonomous Bio Nanosatellites Addressing Strategic Knowledge Gaps for Manned Spaceflight Beyond LEO

Manned missions beyond low Earth orbit (LEO) require that several strategic knowledge gaps about the effects of space travel on the human body be addressed. NASA Ames Research Center has been the leader in developing autonomous bio nanosatellites, including past successful missions for GeneSat, PharmaSat, and OOREOS, that tackled some of these issues. These nanosatellites provide in situ measurements, which deliver insight into the dynamic changes in cell behavior in microgravity. In this talk, two upcoming bio nanosatellites developed at Ames, the E. coli Antimicrobial Satellite (EcAMSat) and BioSentinel, will be discussed. Both satellites contain microfluidic systems that precisely deliver nutrients to the microorganisms stored within wells of fluidic cards. Each well, in turn, has its own 3-color LED and detector system which is used to monitor changes in metabolic activity with alamarBlue, a redox indicator, and the optical density of the cells. EcAMSat investigates the effects of microgravity on bacterial resistance to antimicrobial drugs, vital knowledge for understanding how to maintain the health of astronauts in long-term and beyond LEO spaceflight. The behavior of wild type and mutant uropathic E. coli will be compared in microgravity and with ground data to help understand the molecular mechanisms behind antibiotic resistance and how these phenotypes might change in space. BioSentinel seeks to directly measure the effects of space radiation on budding yeast S. cerevisiae, particularly double strand breaks (DSB). While hitching a ride on the SLS EM-1 mission (Orions first unmanned mission to the moon) in 2018, BioSentinel will be kicked off and enter into a heliocentric orbit, becoming the first study of the effects of radiation on living organisms outside LEO since the Apollo program. The yeast are stored in eighteen independent 16-well microfluidic cards, which will be individually activated over the 12 month mission duration. In addition to the wild type and radiation-sensitive mutant strains, a BioSentinel strain of yeast has been developed, which requires a DSB to reactivate growth, thereby allowing for a direct measurement of DSBs caused by radiation. These two missions demonstrate the utility of using autonomous nanosatellites to address strategic knowledge gaps in the push to once again extend manned spaceflight beyond LEO.

Padgen, Mike↗
NASA NTRS2017

Lunar Flashlight and Other Lunar Cubesats

Water is a human-exploitable resource. Lunar Flashlight is a Cubesat mission to detect and map lunar surface ice in permanently-shadowed regions of the lunar south pole. EM-1 will carry 13 Cubesat-class missions to further smallsat science and exploration capabilities; much room to infuse LEO cubesat methodology, models, and technology. Exploring the value of concurrent measurements to measure dynamical processes of water sources and sinks.

Cohen, Barbara↗
NASA NTRS2017

Identification of Novel Desiccation-Tolerant S. cerevisiae Strains for Deep Space Biosensors

NASA's BioSentinel mission, a secondary payload that will fly on the Space Launch System's first Exploration Mission (EM-1), utilizes the budding yeast S. cerevisiae to study the biological response to the deep space radiation environment. Yeast samples are desiccated prior to launch to suspend growth and metabolism while the spacecraft travels to its target heliocentric orbit beyond Low Earth Orbit. Each sample is then rehydrated at the desired time points to reactivate the cells. A major risk in this mission is the loss of cell viability that occurs in the recovery period following the desiccation and rehydration process. Cell survival is essential for the detection of the biological response to features in the deep space environment, including ionizing radiation. The aim of this study is to mitigate viable cell loss in future biosensors by identifying mutations and genes that confer tolerance to desiccation stress in rad51, a radiation-sensitive yeast strain. We initiated a screen for desiccation-tolerance after rehydrating cells that were desiccated for three years, and selected various clones exhibiting robust growth. To verify retention of radiation sensitivity in the isolated clones - a crucial feature for a successful biosensor - we exposed them to ionizing radiation. Finally, to elucidate the genetic and molecular bases for observed desiccation-tolerance, we will perform whole-genome sequencing of those rad51 clones that exhibit both robust growth and radiation sensitivity following desiccation. The identification and characterization of desiccation-tolerant strains will allow us to engineer a biological model that will be resilient in face of the challenges of the deep space environment, and will thus ensure the experimental success of future biosensor missions.

S. cerevisiae↗
NASA NTRS2017

Biosentinel: Improving Desiccation Tolerance of Yeast Biosensors for Deep-Space Missions

BioSentinel is one of 13 secondary payloads to be deployed on Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) in 2019. We will use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biosensor to determine how deep-space radiation affects living organisms and to potentially quantify radiation levels through radiation damage analysis. Radiation can damage DNA through double strand breaks (DSBs), which can normally be repaired by homologous recombination. Two yeast strains will be air-dried and stored in microfluidic cards within the payload: a wild-type control strain and a radiation sensitive rad51 mutant that is deficient in DSB repairs. Throughout the mission, the microfluidic cards will be rehydrated with growth medium and an indicator dye. Growth rates of each strain will be measured through LED detection of the reduction of the indicator dye, which correlates with DNA repair and the amount of radiation damage accumulated. Results from BioSentinel will be compared to analog experiments on the ISS and on Earth. It is well known that desiccation can damage yeast cells and decrease viability over time. We performed a screen for desiccation-tolerant rad51 strains. We selected 20 re-isolates of rad51 and ran a weekly screen for desiccation-tolerant mutants for five weeks. Our data shows that viability decreases over time, confirming previous research findings. Isolates L2, L5 and L14 indicate desiccation tolerance and are candidates for whole-genome sequencing. More time is needed to determine whether a specific strain is truly desiccation tolerant. Furthermore, we conducted an intracellular trehalose assay to test how intracellular trehalose concentrations affect or protect the mutant strains against desiccation stress. S. cerevisiae cell and reagent concentrations from a previously established intracellular trehalose protocol did not yield significant absorbance measurements, so we tested varying cell and reagent concentrations and determined proper concentrations for successful protocol use.

BioSentinel↗
NASA NTRS2017

Identification of Novel Desiccation-Tolerant S. cerevisiae Strains for Deep Space Biosensors

NASA's BioSentinel mission, a secondary payload that will fly on the Space Launch Systems first Exploration Mission (EM-1), utilizes the budding yeast S. cerevisiae to study the biological response to the deep space radiation environment. Yeast samples are desiccated prior to launch to suspend growth and metabolism while the spacecraft travels to its target heliocentric orbit beyond Low Earth Orbit. Each sample is then rehydrated at the desired time points to reactivate the cells. A major risk in this mission is the loss of cell viability that occurs in the recovery period following the desiccation and rehydration process. Cell survival is essential for the detection of the biological response to features in the deep space environment, including ionizing radiation.The aim of this study is to mitigate viable cell loss in future biosensors by identifying mutations and genes that confer tolerance to desiccation stress in rad51, a radiation-sensitive yeast strain. We initiated a screen for desiccation-tolerance after rehydrating cells that were desiccated for three years, and selected various clones exhibiting robust growth. To verify retention of radiation sensitivity in the isolated clonesa crucial feature for a successful biosensorwe exposed them to ionizing radiation. Finally, to elucidate the genetic and molecular bases for observed desiccation-tolerance, we will perform whole-genome sequencing of those rad51 clones that exhibit both robust growth and radiation sensitivity following desiccation. The identification and characterization of desiccation-tolerant strains will allow us to engineer a biological model that will be resilient in face of the challenges of the deep space environment, and will thus ensure the experimental success of future biosensor missions.

S. cerevisiae↗
NASA NTRS2017

Environmental Control System Development

With the ever-growing desire for mankind to reach destinations whose distances had been deemed impossible to transit, the largest rocket known to man was designed and is being developed. The Space Launch System (SLS), National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) solution for deep space travel, will begin its missions with the launch of Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) and Exploration Mission 2 (EM-2). In order to accommodate the larger rocket, Kennedy Space Center made crucial upgrades to its existing facilities. At Launch Complex 39B, an entirely new Environmental Control System (ECS) was developed to supply the vehicle with the appropriate air or nitrogen gas mixture for launch. The new ECS displays must undergo Validation and Verification (V&V) using testing procedures developed to meet this requirement.

Stewart, Raymond↗
NASA NTRS2017

Cold Gas Reaction Control System for the Near Earth Asteroid Scout CubeSat

This paper describes the Attitude Control System (ACS) for the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout cubesat with particular focus on the Reaction Control System (RCS). NEA Scout is a 6-Unit cubesat with an 86-square-meter solar sail. NEA Scout will launch on Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), currently scheduled to launch in 2019. The spacecraft will rendezvous with an asteroid after a two year journey, and will conduct science imagery. The ACS consists of three major actuating subsystems: a Reaction Wheel (RW) control system, a Reaction Control System (RCS), and an Active Mass Translator (AMT) system. The three subsystems allow for a wide range of spacecraft attitude control capabilities, needed for the different phases of the NEA-Scout mission. The RCS performs a number of critical functions during NEA Scout’s mission. These requirements are described and the performance for achieving these requirements is shown. Moreover, NEA Scout employs a solar sail for long-duration propulsion. Solar sails are large, flexible structures that typically have low bending-mode frequencies. This paper demonstrates a robust performance while avoiding excitation of the sail’s structural modes.

Stiltner, Brandon C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Cold Gas Reaction Control System for the Near Earth Asteroid Scout CubeSat

This paper describes the Attitude Control System (ACS) for the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout cubesat with particular focus on the Reaction Control System (RCS). NEA Scout is a 6U cubesat with an 86 square-meter solar sail. NEA Scout will launch on Space Launch System (SLS) Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1), currently scheduled to launch in 2018. The spacecraft will rendezvous with an asteroid after a two year journey, and will conduct science imagery. The ACS consists of three major actuating subsystems: a Reaction Wheel (RW) control system, a Reaction Control System (RCS), and an Active Mass Translator (AMT) system. The three subsystems allow for a wide range of spacecraft attitude control capabilities, needed for the different phases of the NEA-Scout mission. The RCS performs a number of critical functions during NEA Scout's mission. These requirements are described and the performance for achieving these requirements is shown. Moreover, NEA Scout employs a solar sail for long-duration propulsion. Solar sails are large, flexible structures that typically have low bending-mode frequencies. This paper demonstrates a robust performance while avoiding excitation of the sail's structural modes.

Stiltner, Brandon C.↗
NASA NTRS2017

SCaN Transportable Communication Platform (STCP)

NASA Glenn Research Center required a satellite communication trailer that served dual purposes; 24/7 Emergency Communication Services (ECS) in the event of a natural or manmade disaster that disrupted conventional communications, and a Ka Band NASA TDRS capability providing a research capability for over the air evaluations/characterizations. The trailer was to be field deployable, environmentally controlled and self-contained providing local area networks (LANs) and Wide Area Networks (WAN's) with user access both wired (Ethernet) and wireless (802.11) supporting VoIP, Internet Web access and Email. The TDRSS terminal included a 200W TWT amplifier mounted on the feed boom, individual up and down converters, and custom integrated waveguide and a supporting feed system. Other features such as a mast, generator, electrical, lighting, surveillance, and storage capabilities were also required. The Trailer was developed and demonstrated these original requested capabilities. New Requirements are defined and the trailer is now being evolved and upgraded to be a backup for the Near- Earth Network (NEN) Stations at KSC that will support the launch phase of EM-1. This paper presents the current and future capabilities of the trailer and additional options that will make it a valuable deployable asset to support remote operations from any launch from location.

Ka Band↗
NASA NTRS2018

Space Launch Systems Block 1B Preliminary Navigation System Design

NASA is currently building the Space Launch Systems (SLS) Block 1 launch vehicle for the Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) test flight. In parallel, NASA is also designing the Block 1B launch vehicle. The Block 1B vehicle is an evolution of the Block 1 vehicle and extends the capability of the NASA launch vehicle. This evolution replaces the Interim Cryogenic Propulsive Stage (ICPS) with the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS). As the vehicle evolves to provide greater lift capability, increased robustness for manned missions, and the capability to execute more demanding missions so must the SLS Integrated Navigation System evolved to support those missions. This paper describes the preliminary navigation systems design for the SLS Block 1B vehicle. The evolution of the navigation hard-ware and algorithms from an inertial-only navigation system for Block 1 ascent flight to a tightly coupled GPS-aided inertial navigation system for Block 1B is described. The Block 1 GN&C system has been designed to meet a LEO insertion target with a specified accuracy. The Block 1B vehicle navigation system is de-signed to support the Block 1 LEO target accuracy as well as trans-lunar or trans-planetary injection accuracy. Additionally, the Block 1B vehicle is designed to support human exploration and thus is designed to minimize the probability of Loss of Crew (LOC) through high-quality inertial instruments and robust algorithm design, including Fault Detection, Isolation, and Recovery (FDIR) logic.

Oliver, T. Emerson↗
NASA NTRS2017

Biosentinel: Improving Desiccation Tolerance of Yeast Biosensors for Deep-Space Missions

BioSentinel is one of 13 secondary payloads to be deployed on Exploration Mission 1 (EM-1) in 2019. We will use the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a biosensor to determine how deep-space radiation affects living organisms and to potentially quantify radiation levels through radiation damage analysis. Radiation can damage DNA through double strand breaks (DSBs), which can normally be repaired by homologous recombination. Two yeast strains will be air-dried and stored in microfluidic cards within the payload: a wild-type control strain and a radiation sensitive rad51 mutant that is deficient in DSB repairs. Throughout the mission, the microfluidic cards will be rehydrated with growth medium and an indicator dye. Growth rates of each strain will be measured through LED detection of the reduction of the indicator dye, which correlates with DNA repair and the amount of radiation damage accumulated. Results from BioSentinel will be compared to analog experiments on the ISS and on Earth. It is well known that desiccation can damage yeast cells and decrease viability over time. We performed a screen for desiccation-tolerant rad51 strains. We selected 20 re-isolates of rad51 and ran a weekly screen for desiccation-tolerant mutants for five weeks. Our data shows that viability decreases over time, confirming previous research findings. Isolates L2, L5 and L14 indicate desiccation tolerance and are candidates for whole-genome sequencing. More time is needed to determine whether a specific strain is truly desiccation tolerant. Furthermore, we conducted an intracellular trehalose assay to test how intracellular trehalose concentrations affect or protect the mutant strains against desiccation stress. S. cerevisiae cell and reagent concentrations from a previously established intracellular trehalose protocol did not yield significant absorbance measurements, so we tested varying cell and reagent concentrations and determined proper concentrations for successful protocol use.

BioSentinel↗
NASA NTRS2018

NASA's Space Launch System Moves into Testing and Integration

NASA's Space Launch System (SLS) has moved from design and manufacturing into testing and integration for its first flight in fiscal year 2020. In 2017, the NASA/industry team completed manufacturing of all major structural elements for the launch vehicle for Exploration Mission-1 (EM-1). This work included shipping the first major flight hardware element to the launch site. Current work is focused on the initial Block 1 variant of SLS, capable of launching more than 70 metric tons (t) to low Earth orbit (LEO). As the needs of the nation's deep space exploration program grow, SLS performance is designed to evolve to a payload mass of 130 t to LEO and up to 45 metric tons (t) to trans-lunar injection (TLI). The advantages of this mass - as well as volume - are critical to the entire exploration architecture for deep space exploration. They translate to greater capability, greater infrastructure and operational simplicity, less overall mission risk, and opportunities to accomplish unprecedented exploration and discovery.

Honeycutt, John↗
NASA NTRS2018

Thermal Modeling and Correlation of the Space Environments Complex Vacuum Chamber and Cryoshroud

From Presentation: Formerly known as the Space Power Facility (SPF) Located at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, OH -- Houses large-scale test facilities including the Space Simulation Vacuum Chamber -- Largest vacuum chamber in the world -- 100 ft diameter, 122 ft tall -- Cryoshroud operates between -250 °F and +140 °F -- To be used for Orion EM-1 thermal vacuum test -- Thermal Desktop model of vacuum chamber, cryoshroud, mechanical ground support equipment (MGSE) including fluid model of GN2 -- Primary uses: Predict MGSE temperatures; Predict heat load on GN2 system -- Includes 96 TD Temperature Measures that represent test thermocouples -- Steady state correlation with 3 tests: 2 hot; 1 cold -- Two ISTs performed with no MGSE inside the cryoshroud: Insulated test: operated at 170 °F for 37 hours; Uninsulated test: operated at 170 °F for 14 days -- Only cryoshroud thermocouples were installed

Thermal modeling↗
NASA NTRS2014

BioSentinel

The BioSentinel mission was selected in 2013 as one of three secondary payloads to fly on the Space Launch Systems first Exploration Mission (EM-1) planned for launch in December 2017. The primary objective of BioSentinel is to demonstrate the use of simple model organisms as biosentinels to detect, measure, and correlate the impact of space radiation to biological organisms including humans, a health risk over long durations beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO). While progress identifying and characterizing biological radiation effects using Earth-based facilities has been significant, no terrestrial source duplicates the unique space radiation environment.

yeast S. cerevisiae↗