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NASA NTRS2010

Understanding Mechanical Design with Respect to Manufacturability

At the NASA Prototype Development Laboratory in Kennedy Space Center, Fl, several projects concerning different areas of mechanical design were undertaken in order to better understand the relationship between mechanical design and manufacturabiIity. The assigned projects pertained specifically to the NASA Space Shuttle, Constellation, and Expendable Launch Vehicle programs. During the work term, mechanical design practices relating to manufacturing processes were learned and utilized in order to obtain an understanding of mechanical design with respect to manufacturability.

Mondell, Skyler↗

NASA NTRS2011

Combustion Model of Supersonic Rocket Exhausts in an Entrained Flow Enclosure

This paper describes the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model developed to simulate the supersonic rocket exhaust in an entrained flow cylinder. The model can be used to study the plume-induced environment due to static firing tests of the Taurus-II launch vehicle. The finite-rate chemistry is used to model the combustion process involving rocket propellant (RP-1) and liquid oxidizer (LOX). A similar chemical reacting model is also used to simulate the mixing of rocket plume and ambient air. The model provides detailed information on the gas concentration and other flow parameters within the enclosed region, thus allowing different operating scenarios to be examined in an efficient manner. It is shown that the real gas influence is significant and yields better agreement with the theory.

Vu, Bruce T.↗

NASA NTRS2012

NASA/SPoRT's GOES-R Activities in Support of Product Development, Management, and Training

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center supports many activities within the GOES-R Proving Grounds (PG). These include the development of imagery from existing instrumentation as a proxy to future Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) capabilities on GOES-R. The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Visible/Infrared Imager/Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instruments are used to provide a glimpse of the multi-spectral capabilities that will become the norm as the number of channels and data rate dramatically increase with GOES-R. The NOAA/NWS has plans to provide operational users with all ABI channels at the highest resolution. Data fusion of individual channels into composite red, green, and blue imagery products will assist the end user with this future wave of information. While increasing the efficiency in the operational use of ABI channels, these composites provide only qualitative information. Within the GOES-R PG, SPoRT and other partners are exploring ways to include quantitative information as part of the composite imagery. However, limitations in local hardware processing and/or data bandwidth for users of the GOES-R data stream are challenges to overcome. This presentation will discuss the creation of these composite images as well as possible solutions to address these processing challenges. In a similar manner the Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) to be launched on GOES-R presents several data management challenges. The GLM is a pioneering instrument to quantify total lightning from a geostationary platform. The expected data frequency from the GLM is to be at a sub-minute interval. Users of such a data set may have little experience in handling such a rapid update of information. To assist users, SPoRT is working with the NWS to develop tools within the user fs decision support system to allow tracking and analysis of total lightning from a storm-based perspective. This presentation will discuss the challenges and progress of this tool development work. With new data and products comes the need for user Training. Within the GOES-R PG SPoRT is supporting the demonstration of these future products by providing various training materials to end users. A summary of training provided to operational users will be discussed.

Fuell, Kevin K.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Onboard Autonomy and Ground Operations Automation for the Intelligent Payload Experiment (IPEX) CubeSat Mission

The Intelligent Payload Experiment (IPEX) is a cubesat manifested for launch in October 2013 that will flight validate autonomous operations for onboard instrument processing and product generation for the Intelligent Payload Module (IPM) of the Hyperspectral Infra-red Imager (HyspIRI) mission concept. We first describe the ground and flight operations concept for HyspIRI IPM operations. We then describe the ground and flight operations concept for the IPEX mission and how that will validate HyspIRI IPM operations. We then detail the current status of the mission and outline the schedule for future development.

project data planning↗

NASA NTRS2014

CubeSat Material Limits For Design for Demise

The CubeSat form factor of nano‐satellite (a satellite with a mass between one and ten kilograms) has grown in popularity due to their ease of construction and low development and launch costs. In particular, their use as student led payload design projects has increased due to the growing number of launch opportunities. CubeSats are often deployed as secondary or tertiary payloads on most US launch vehicles or they may be deployed from the ISS. The focus of this study will be on CubeSats launched from the ISS. From a space safety standpoint, the development and deployment processes for CubeSats differ significantly from that of most satellites. For large satellites, extensive design reviews and documentation are completed, including assessing requirements associated with reentry survivability. Typical CubeSat missions selected for ISS deployment have a less rigorous review process that may not evaluate aspects beyond overall design feasibility. CubeSat design teams often do not have the resources to ensure their design is compliant with reentry risk requirements. A study was conducted to examine methods to easily identify the maximum amount of a given material that can be used in the construction of a CubeSats without posing harm to persons on the ground. The results demonstrate that there is not a general equation or relationship that can be used for all materials; instead a limiting value must be defined for each unique material. In addition, the specific limits found for a number of generic materials that have been previously used as benchmarking materials for reentry survivability analysis tool comparison will be discussed.

Kelley, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS2014

CubeSat Material Limits for Design for Demise

The CubeSat form factor of nano-satellite (a satellite with a mass between one and ten kilograms) has grown in popularity due to their ease of construction and low development and launch costs. In particular, their use as student led payload design projects has increased due to the growing number of launch opportunities. CubeSats are often deployed as secondary or tertiary payloads on most US launch vehicles or they may be deployed from the ISS. The focus of this study will be on CubeSats launched from the ISS. From a space safety standpoint, the development and deployment processes for CubeSats differ significantly from that of most satellites. For large satellites, extensive design reviews and documentation are completed, including assessing requirements associated with re-entry survivability. Typical CubeSat missions selected for ISS deployment have a less rigorous review process that may not evaluate aspects beyond overall design feasibility. CubeSat design teams often do not have the resources to ensure their design is compliant with re-entry risk requirements. A study was conducted to examine methods to easily identify the maximum amount of a given material that can be used in the construction of a CubeSats without posing harm to persons on the ground. The results demonstrate that there is not a general equation or relationship that can be used for all materials; instead a limiting value must be defined for each unique material. In addition, the specific limits found for a number of generic materials that have been previously used as benchmarking materials for re-entry survivability analysis tool comparison will be discussed.

Kelley, R. L.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Designing Liquid Rocket Engine Injectors for Performance, Stability, and Cost

NASA is using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations to lower the cost and increase the performance and stability of fuel injector designs for next-generation liquid rocket engines (LREs). The Loci-STREAM CFD code is used to simulate the complex combustion processes inside the LRE. These analyses enable efficient evaluation of the performance and stability characteristics of injector design concepts, while decreasing reliance on the costly test-fail-fix cycle of traditional design approaches. These injector simulations were recently employed as a key part of the design process for an Advanced Booster concept for NASA's heavy-lift Space Launch System (SLS).

Westra, Douglas G.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Parametric Structural Model for a Mars Entry Concept

This paper outlines the process of developing a parametric model for a vehicle that can withstand Earth launch and Mars entry conditions. This model allows the user to change a variety of parameters ranging from dimensions and meshing to materials and atmospheric entry angles to perform finite element analysis on the model for the specified load cases. While this work focuses on an aeroshell for Earth launch aboard the Space Launch System (SLS) and Mars entry, the model can be applied to different vehicles and destinations. This specific project derived from the need to deliver large payloads to Mars efficiently, safely, and cheaply. Doing so requires minimizing the structural mass of the body as much as possible. The code developed for this project allows for dozens of cases to be run with the single click of a button. The end result of the parametric model gives the user a sense of how the body reacts under different loading cases so that it can be optimized for its purpose. The data are reported in this paper and can provide engineers with a good understanding of the model and valuable information for improving the design of the vehicle. In addition, conclusions show that the frequency analysis drives the design and suggestions are made to reduce the significance of normal modes in the design.

Lane, Brittney M.↗

NASA NTRS2019

The MERiT Onboard the CeREs: A Novel Instrument to Study Energetic Particles in the Earth's Radiation Belts

The Miniaturized Electron pRoton Telescope, MERiT, is a low‐mass, low‐power, compact instrument using an innovative combination of particle detectors, sensor electronics, and onboard processing. MERiT is flying on the Compact Radiation belt Explorer, CeREs, a 3U CubeSat launched into a low earth orbit of 500‐km altitude and inclination of 85° on 16 December 2018. The primary and secondary science goals of CeREs are to investigate electron microbursts and to study solar particles. MERiT comprises a stack of solid state detectors (SSD) behind space facing avalanche photo diodes (APDs) surrounded by W‐Al shielding to reduce side‐penetrating particle background. The APD‐SSD combination enables measurement of electrons from 5 to 200 keV and 1 to 8 MeV; protons from 200–400 keV and 7–100 MeV in differential channels with energy resolution ΔE/E≈30% for both electrons and protons. MERiT measures microbursts with a high time resolution ranging from 4 to 16 ms and solar particles with a cadence of 1 s. MERiT energy channels and cadences are software configurable via algorithms and lookup tables residing on a field‐programmable gate array. The lookup tables can be changed via ground commands. MERiT geometry factor is 31 sq.cm‐sr and optimized to measure microbursts with the instrument viewing the local zenith in orbit. MERiT enables investigation of dynamical processes of radiation belt electron energization and loss, solar electron and proton transport, and their access to the Earth's polar caps. We describe the MERiT sensor design, calibration, operational modes, data products, and science goals.

Kanekal, S. G.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Energy Efficient Large-Scale Storage of Liquid Hydrogen

The world’s largest liquid hydrogen storage tanks were constructed in the mid-1960sat the NASA Kennedy Space Center. These two vacuum-jacketed, perlite powder insulated tanks, still in service today, have 3,200 m3 of useable capacity. In 2018, construction began on an additional storage tank at Launch Complex 39B. This new tank will give an additional storage capacity of 4,700 m3 for a total on-site storage capacity of roughly 8,000 m3. NASA’s new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy lift rocket for the Artemis program includes an LH2tank that makes up the bulk of the vehicle, holding 2,033 m3 of LH2 in its 8.4-m diameter by40-m height. The new storage tank includes two new energy-efficient technologies: a glass bubbles insulation system in lieu of perlite, and an Integrated Refrigeration and Storage (IRAS)heat exchanger for controlled storage capability. The evacuated glass bubbles insulation system is based on the prior two decades of research to prove the thermal performance benefits as well as the mechanical and vacuum integrity; and has been shown to reduce LH2 boiloff by 46%versus perlite in field demonstrations. The IRAS capability is centered on a heat exchanger system that is built within the inner vessel to reject heat from the bulk liquid through the future implementation of an external helium refrigerator. Controlled storage via IRAS, when fully implemented, will provide full control of the ullage pressure, zero boiloff, and even production of densified LH2 pending its adoption on future launch vehicles. The design basics are described along with main construction and testing processes involved. The key features of the new technology items and implications on simplified operations and long-term energy savings are addressed

cryogenics↗

NASA NTRS2020

Mitigating Fading in Cislunar Communications: Application to the Human Landing System

NASA’s human exploration program is currently working towards landing astronauts on the surface of the Moon by 2024, close the lunar South Pole. To guarantee astronaut safety and maximize science data return, NASA is in the process of defining the communication architecture that will support all astronaut activities from launch to surface operations. Of particular interest to this paper are links from the lunar surface back to Earth without any intermediate relays. We show that the system geometry is such that antennas on the landing system will need to be pointed at low elevation angles, thus potentially causing multi-path fading effects not typically encountered in space communications. This paper is organized in three parts. First, we characterize the multi-path fading effects expected in links between the lunar South Pole and Earth and show that for moderate data rates (less than 1 Mbps) the links suffer from slow fading. We then show that for this operations regime the performance of forward error correction schemes is significantly worse for traditional Additive White Gaussian Noise channels. Finally, we investigate multi-copy mechanisms to mitigate the effects of fading, most notably repetition schemes and Automatic Repeat Request.

Sanchez Net, Marc↗

NASA NTRS2022

VIPRE: A Tool Aiding the Design for Entry Probe Missions

Exploring planetary atmospheres uncovers important information for how our solar system formed and evolved. While remote sensing is extensively used, some crucial observations require in-situ measurements by an atmospheric probe. Given their scientific importance, probe missions to Saturn, Uranus and Neptune are considered for the coming decades. In anticipation of future probe missions, the software tool VIPRE was developed as proof-of-concept to facilitate selection of probe entry locations. Currently, there is no analytical way to identify which interplanetary trajectory from thousands of feasible launch opportunities is optimal for a considered mission concept. The search and decision process for that solution is complex and relies on the intuition of mission designers, who focus on a subset of trajectories to make the trade space manageable. The idea of VIPRE is to (1) generate a multi-dimensional data cube showing relevant engineering and science parameters simultaneously for thousands of trajectories, and (2) visualize the data for all entry sites over the body's envelope. VIPRE lays the foundation to make the data available for browsing in a 3-D visualization to identify the best family of solutions for a given mission. The paper introduces the validated and verified core algorithms of VIPRE, published on GitHub. VIPRE serves as a basic framework to be used and extended for different purposes. The paper presents the motivation for the development and algorithms. It explains the computation and data visualization strategy, and gives a list of suggested functionalities to extend and further develop VIPRE to fully leverage its potential.

Ice Giants↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Transforming any Facility for Meeting Strict Cleanliness Requirements

Over the life of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), Integration & Test (I&T) has taken place in areas that needed considerable work to make the facility itself and/or the protocols used while working in the rooms suitable to meet JWST percent area coverage (PAC) and molecular accumulation requirements. In addition to normal particulate matter, JWST had a uniquely significant challenge: fibers! Fibers not only cause much higher PAC levels, but they also risk damaging the angstrom sized Near Infrared Spectrometer (NIRSpec) microshutter array (MSA), which is critical to NIRSpec instrument performance. The primary emphasis of this paper is to address particulate and fiber contamination. The success of the JWST mission required effective cleanrooms, protocols, and mitigations in non-cleanroom areas that were pressed into service to house contamination-sensitive optics and scientific instruments. Some presented profound challenges. These included: NASA’s 60-year-old Johnson Space Center (JSC) Chamber A, which had never been used for anything contamination-sensitive, and the European tropical launch facilities, which were designed to meet International Standard Organization (ISO) Class 8 processing for communication satellites. The final challenge for JWST, as if to stare us in the face and say, “I dare you to try and make me clean enough,” was preparing the 4 areas in the Centre Spatial Guyanais (CSG) Final Assembly Building (BAF) located in French Guiana, a building in which one entire side opens for Ariane 5 rocket ingress and egress. This paper will describe our initial evaluation processes and the actual work undertaken to transform even the most challenging areas into first class cleanrooms that met JWST particulate and fiber requirements.

James Webb Space Telescope↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Revisiting the Soyuz-1 Parachute Failure in the Context of Safety in the Modern Era

The Soyuz‑1 accident remains one of the most consequential parachute related failures in human spaceflight history and provides enduring lessons for modern Entry, Descent, and Landing (EDL) system design. Occurring during the height of the Cold War and the Space Race, the mission unfolded under extraordinary political and schedule pressure as the Soviet Union sought to maintain its early leadership in space achievements following the death of chief designer Sergei Korolev. Despite unresolved propulsion, electrical, and parachute system deficiencies, Soyuz‑1 proceeded to launch and immediately encountered critical inflight anomalies, including a failed solar panel deployment, attitude control issues, and communication dropouts. Upon reentry, a malfunction in the parachute system, driven by a primary main canopy that failed to deploy, and subsequent entanglement of the reserve main canopy with the primary drogue parachute, resulted in insufficient deceleration and the fatal crash of cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov. Subsequent investigations revealed deep rooted cultural and organizational issues within the Soviet space program, including inadequate testing, suppression of dissent, undocumented last minute design changes, and the absence of integrated parachute system verification. More than 200 design flaws were identified after the accident, and firsthand accounts, including those from Yuri Gagarin, highlighted widespread concern prior to launch. Over time, the Soviet program implemented substantial reforms: systematic design corrections, rigorous process documentation, and an extensive series of drop tests that ultimately transformed the Soyuz system into one of the world’s most reliable human-rated return vehicles. This paper examines the technical architecture of the Soyuz‑1 parachute system, reconstructs the likely deployment sequence and failure mechanism, and analyzes the cultural contributors that shaped the accident. The study draws parallels to modern spacecraft parachute development, emphasizing the critical importance of integrated system testing, transparent engineering culture, and continuous hardware surveillance. These lessons remain directly relevant to today’s NASA and Commercial Crew Programs (CCP), where the Government continues to refine its understanding of aggregate risk and strengthen overall astronaut safety in the face of increasingly complex parachute systems.

Aaron L Morris↗

NASA NTRS1993

Project Hyreus: Mars sample return mission utilizing in situ propellant production

Project Hyreus is an unmanned Mars sample return mission that utilizes propellants manufactured in situ from the Martian atmosphere for the return voyage. A key goal of the mission is to demonstrate the considerable benefits of using indigenous resources and to test the viability of this approach as a precursor to manned Mars missions. The techniques, materials, and equipment used in Project Hyreus represent those that are currently available or that could be developed and readied in time for the proposed launch date in 2003. Project Hyreus includes such features as a Mars-orbiting satellite equipped with ground-penetrating radar, a large rover capable of sample gathering and detailed surface investigations, and a planetary science array to perform on-site research before samples are returned to Earth. Project Hyreus calls for the Mars Landing Vehicle to land in the Mangala Valles region of Mars, where it will remain for approximately 1.5 years. Methane and oxygen propellant for the Earth return voyage will be produced using carbon dioxide from the Martian atmosphere and a small supply of hydrogen brought from Earth. This process is key to returning a large Martian sample to Earth with a single Earth launch.

Abrego, Anita↗

NASA NTRS1993

Project Hyreus: Mars Sample Return Mission Utilizing in Situ Propellant Production

Bruckner, A. P.↗

NASA NTRS1977

Materials and processes for shuttle engine, external tank, and solid rocket booster

The Shuttle flight system is composed of the Orbiter, an External Tank (ET) that contains the ascent propellant to be used by the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), and two Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB). The ET is expended on each launch; the Orbiter and SRB's are reusable. It is the requirement for reuse which poses the exciting new materials and processes challenges in the development of the Space Shuttle. A brief description of the Space Shuttle and the mission profile is given. The Shuttle configuration is then described with emphasis on the SSME, ET, and SRB. The materials selection, tracking, and control system used to assure reliability and to minimize cost are described, and salient features and challenges in materials and processes associated with the SSME, ET, and SRB are subsequently discussed.

Schwinghamer, R. J.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Remotely Controlled Mixers for Light Microscopy Module (LMM) Colloid Samples

Developed by NASA Glenn Research Center, the LMM aboard the International Space Station (ISS) is enabling multiple biomedical science experiments. Techshot, Inc., has developed a series of colloid specialty cell systems (C-SPECS) for use in the colloid science experiment module on the LMM. These low-volume mixing devices will enable uniform particle density and remotely controlled repetition of LMM colloid experiments. By automating the experiment process, C-SPECS allow colloid samples to be processed more quickly. In addition, C-SPECS will minimize the time the crew will need to spend on colloid experiments as well as eliminate the need for multiple and costly colloid samples, which are expended after a single examination. This high-throughput capability will lead to more efficient and productive use of the LMM. As commercial launch vehicles begin routine visits to the ISS, C-SPECS could become a significant means to process larger quantities of high-value materials for commercial customers.

Kurk, Michael A. (Andy)↗