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NASA NTRS2019

Nasa's Astromaterials Collections: Housed at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, TX

The Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division at JSC is responsible for the curation of extraterrestrial samples from NASA's past, present and future sample return missions. These samples provide data that help scientists better understand the history and evolution of our Solar System. Our mission is to preserve, protect, and distribute samples for research by the present and future scientific community.

Graff, Paige V.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Stardust Mission Design

STARDUST is the fourth mission in a series from the NASA Discovery Program. It is a sample return mission, primarily aimed at returning comet coma samples to Earth for extensive laboratory analysis.

Stardust↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Emulation of Core Flight System Applications for Flight Software Development and Validation

The Mars Sample Return (MSR) campaign is an unprecedented attempt in the return of Martian samples back to Earth. The ascent from the surface will be performed by the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), a critical element in the mission that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing. To this end, innovations in flight software development, verification, and validation are occurring. The MAV flight computer will run Core Flight System (cFS), an open-source software environment developed by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). NASA Marshall’s MAV Mission and Fault Management (M&FM) Team has implemented an emulation of two applications of this architecture: Limit Checker and Stored Command. Using an emulation of the functionalities of these applications allows for rapid prototyping of table-based algorithms. Further, M&FM is leveraging an in-house, low-fidelity but high-throughput State Analysis Model (SAM), an integrated MATLAB Stateflow Plant and Software model. This model is run in parallel with the cFS emulation for full flyout testing of the M&FM algorithms, verification of intent of these algorithms, and for future auto-generation of application-ingestible M&FM tables. The tables can then be delivered to the MAV Flight Software (FSW) team in a seamless process, reducing the cost of traditional FSW development and the risk of starting M&FM FSW development at later points in the NASA program life cycle.

Cody Wheeler↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Emulation of Core Flight System Applications for Flight Software Development and Validation

Cody Wheeler↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Combined CFD/Material Response Analysis of 3MDCP Arcjet Experiments

The Mars Sample Return Earth Entry System (MSR-EES) project has selected 3-D Woven Mid-Density Carbon Phenolic (3MDCP) as the baseline thermal protection system (TPS) material for the capsule that will return Martian soil samples to Earth sometime in the 2030’s. A series of experiments in the NASA Ames AHF and IHF arcjets will be used to characterize the performance of 3MDCP and to develop and refine material response models for it. The test objectives for these experiments include obtaining in-depth and surface temperature data, mass loss and surface recession measurements, and char depth measurements. To provided pre- and post-test support for the arcjet experiments, a combined CFD/material response was performed using the DPLR and Icarus code. Pre-and post-test analysis on the 3MDCP arcjet experiments was performed using the DPLR CFD and Icarus material response codes. The codes were not tightly coupled, but boundary condition data required by Icarus (e.g., heat transfer coefficients and surface pressures), were extracted from the CFD solutions. This poster shows comparisons between DPLR/Icarus and the experimental data taken during arcjet experiment AHF-348 where 4-inch diameter iso-q models made from 3MDCP were tested in the 12-inch nozzle of the AHF arcjet. This poster also includes a top-level overview of the CFD/material response arcjet simulation process. Best-practices for running CFD solutions of arcjet experiments including how to determine the inflow conditions for the CFD solution from the arc heater settings are discussed. The required inputs to the material response solver are presented, as well as a discussion of how they can be extracted from the CFD solution.

thermal protection systems↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

SERENE: Saturn Enceladus Return Explorer with Nuclear Electric Propulsion

A ‘quick’ Enceladus sample return mission concept was developed based on the scientist recommendations at the recent ‘Accelerating Space Science with Nuclear Technology Workshop’. The Nuclear Electric Propulsion spacecraft assumed a follow-on 40 kWe nuclear reactor using the demonstrated 40 kWe Fission Surface Power system, expected in the early 2030s. The NEP vehicle also utilized a set of NEXT-C ion thrusters as well as planned Artemis commercial launchers. By launching the 40 kW NEP vehicle on a Starship and adding the propellants of 15 tankers, the 27t probe could be sent on a direct trajectory to Saturn (no Earth or Jupiter flybys) where NEP was used for Saturn capture, spiral down, spiral up and return to the Earth. A small lander obtained the surface Enceladus sample. Using the 40 kW NEP provided a round-trip time of only 16.5 years. A second option was more attractive from a science perspective whereby the NEP vehicle would deliver a large, 6t chemical lander to low Enceladus orbit where it would grab and return a sample to Earth (similar to the recent Orbilander design but in reverse). After deploying the lander, the NEP vehicle would stay in Saturn space performing a moon tour by orbiting four more moons and mapping the large moon of Titan. This option took slightly longer (18.5 yrs) due to the chemical return leg limitations. Both options demonstrated the agility, payload capability, and sample return goals the workshop recommended. An all-chemical option with two stages was roughly analyzed but took 21.5 yrs and required a Jupiter gravity assist.

Nuclear Electric Propulsion↗

DOE OSTI2013

THE ORIGIN OF ASTEROID 162173 (1999 JU{sub 3})

Near-Earth asteroid (162173) 1999 JU{sub 3} (henceforth JU{sub 3}) is a potentially hazardous asteroid and the target of the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency's Hayabusa-2 sample return mission. JU{sub 3} is also a backup target for two other sample return missions: NASA's OSIRIS-REx and the European Space Agency's Marco Polo-R. We use dynamical information to identify an inner-belt, low-inclination origin through the {nu}{sub 6} resonance, more specifically, the region with 2.15 AU < a < 2.5 AU and i < 8 Degree-Sign . The geometric albedo of JU{sub 3} is 0.07 {+-} 0.01, and this inner-belt region contains four well-defined low-albedo asteroid families (Clarissa, Erigone, Polana, and Sulamitis), plus a recently identified background population of low-albedo asteroids outside these families. Only two of these five groups, the background and the Polana family, deliver JU{sub 3}-sized asteroids to the {nu}{sub 6} resonance, and the background delivers significantly more JU{sub 3}-sized asteroids. The available spectral evidence is also diagnostic; the visible and near-infrared spectra of JU{sub 3} indicate it is a C-type asteroid, which is compatible with members of the background, but not with the Polana family because it contains primarily B-type asteroids. Hence, this background population of low-albedo asteroids is the most likely source of JU{sub 3}.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

NASA NTRS2009

High-Grading Lunar Samples for Return to Earth

Astronauts on long-duration lunar missions will need the capability to "high-grade" their samples to select the highest value samples for transport to Earth and to leave others on the Moon. We are supporting studies to defile the "necessary and sufficient" measurements and techniques for highgrading samples at a lunar outpost. A glovebox, dedicated to testing instruments and techniques for high-grading samples, is in operation at the JSC Lunar Experiment Laboratory.

Allen, Carlton↗

NASA NTRS2015

Strategic Map for Exploring the Ocean-World Enceladus

Among the many "ocean worlds" of our solar system, Enceladus appears unique in its combination of astrobiologically relevant, exploration-worthy attributes: extensive liquid-water ocean with high-temperature hydrothermal activity, containing salts and organics expressed predictably into space. The Enceladus south polar plume allows direct access to telltale molecules, ions, isotopes, and potential cytofragments in space. Plume mass spectroscopy and sample return, in situ investigation of surface fallback deposits, direct vent exploration, and eventually oceanographic exploration can all be envisioned. However, building consensus to fund such ambitious exploration hinges on acquiring key new data. A roadmap is essential. It could start with cost-capped onramps: 1) flythrough analysis of the plume, following up on Cassini measurements with modern instruments; 2) sample return of plume material for analysis on Earth. A methodical mission sequence in which each step depends on emergent results from prior missions would push in situ oceanographic exploration into the second half of this century. Even for this scenario, prioritization by the next planetary Decadal Survey would be pivotal.

Cassini↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating Biological Responses to Space-like Radiation using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

As we plan crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, it is essential to understand how persistent exposure to space radiation affects biology. Unlike on the International Space Station, where crew support and sample return are possible, experiments for long-duration missions require autonomous systems with no sample return. Human cells would be ideal biosensors, but limitations in culture methods, extended prelaunch storage, and long flight durations make it very difficult to keep human cells alive. Unlike other model systems, yeast can survive the constraints of long-duration spaceflight. Despite a billion years of evolution separating yeast from humans, we share homology in hundreds of genes important for basic cell function, including responses to DNA damage. Thus, yeast are excellent biosensors for detecting types/extent of damage induced by space radiation. BioSentinel is NASA’s latest biological CubeSat, and first interplanetary space bioscience mission. BioSentinel is manifested on Artemis 1, the first test flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, in the coming year. The BioSensor payload within BioSentinel contains two yeast strains. The wild type serves as a control for health and “normal” DNA damage repair (DDR). The rad51 deletion mutant is defective for DDR and will undergo alterations to growth and metabolism as it accumulates radiation damage. Changes in growth and metabolic activity will be measured using a 3-color LED detection system and the metabolic redox dye alamarBlue®. Preliminary tests indicate a significant change in alamarBlue response to space-like, low-dose ionizing radiation. We will discuss these findings in four parts – Introduction to biological CubeSats and the BioSentinel mission (presented by Sergio Santa Maria), preliminary responses to space-like ionizing radiation (presented here), a deeper dive into tracking metabolic changes after exposure to ionizing radiation (presented by Diana Gentry), and a look into methods for correcting flight optical data (presented by Abbey Kim). This work is funded by NASA’s Advanced Exploration Systems.

CubeSat↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Investigating Molecular Responses to Space Radiation for Biological Missions Beyond Low Earth Orbit

As we plan crewed missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, it is essential to understand how persistent exposure to deep space radiation affects biology. Unlike on the International Space Station (ISS), where crew support and sample return are possible, experiments for long-duration missions require autonomous systems with no sample return. Human cells would be ideal biosensors, but limitations in culture methods, extended prelaunch storage, and long flight durations make it difficult to keep human cells alive. Unlike other model systems, yeast can survive the constraints of long-duration spaceflight. Despite a billion years of evolution separating yeast from humans, we share homology in hundreds of genes important for basic cell function, including responses to DNA damage. Thus, yeast are excellent biosensors for detecting types/extent of damage induced by space radiation. BioSentinel is NASA’s latest biological CubeSat, and first interplanetary space bioscience mission. BioSentinel is launching on Artemis 1, the first flight of NASA’s Space Launch System, in 2022. The BioSensor payload within BioSentinel contains two yeast strains. The wild type serves as a control for health and normal DNA damage repair (DDR). The rad51 deletion mutant is defective for DDR and will undergo alterations to growth and metabolism as it accumulates radiation damage. Changes in growth and metabolic activity will be measured using a 3-color LED detection system and the metabolic redox dye alamarBlue®. Preliminary tests indicate a significant change in alamarBlue responses to space-like, low-dose ionizing radiation. We will discuss these findings in five parts – Introduction to NASA’s biological CubeSats and BioSentinel (presented by Sergio Santa Maria), analysis of flight data from the ISS mission (presented by Kylie Akiyama), preliminary molecular responses to space radiation (presented here), a deeper dive into those pathways (presented by Kyra Keenan), and characterizing stress response through redox potential data (presented by Diana Gentry).

Lauren Courtney Liddell↗

NASA NTRS2017

Field Exploration and Life Detection Sampling Through Planetary Analogue Sampling (FELDSPAR).

Exploration missions to Mars rely on rovers to perform analyses over small sampling areas; however, landing sites for these missions are selected based on large-scale, low-resolution remote data. The use of Earth analogue environments to estimate the multi-scale spatial distributions of key signatures of habitability can help ensure mission science goals are met. A main goal of FELDSPAR is to conduct field operations analogous to Mars sample return in its science, operations, and technology from landing site selection, to in-field sampling location selection, remote or stand-off analysis, in situ analysis, and home laboratory analysis. Lava fields and volcanic regions are relevant analogues to Martian landscapes due to desiccation, low nutrient availability, and temperature extremes. Operationally, many Icelandic lava fields are remote enough to require that field expeditions address several sampling constraints that are experienced in robotic exploration, including in situ and sample return missions. The Fimmvruhls lava field was formed by a basaltic effusive eruption associated with the 2010 Eyjafjallajkull eruption. Mlifellssandur is a recently deglaciated plain to the north of the Myrdalsjkull glacier. Holuhraun was formed by a 2014 fissure eruptions just north of the large Vatnajkull glacier. Dyngjusandur is an alluvial plain apparently kept barren by repeated mechanical weathering. Informed by our 2013 expedition, we collected samples in nested triangular grids every decade from the 10 cm scale to the 1 km scale (as permitted by the size of the site). Satellite imagery is available for older sites, and for Mlifellssandur, Holuhraun, and Dyngjusandur we obtained overhead imagery at 1 m to 200 m elevation. PanCam-style photographs were taken in the field by sampling personnel. In-field reflectance spectroscopy was also obtained with an ASD spectrometer in Dyngjusandur. All sites chosen were 'homogeneous' in apparent color, morphology, moisture, grain size, and reflectance spectra at all scales greater than 10 cm. Field lab assays were conducted to monitor microbial habitation, including ATP quantification, qPCR for fungal, bacterial, and archaeal DNA, and direct cell imaging using fluorescence microscopy. Home laboratory analyses include Raman spectroscopy and community sequencing. ATP appeared to be significantly more sensitive to small changes in sampling location than qPCR or fluorescence microscopy. Bacterial and archaeal DNA content were more consistent at the smaller scales, but similarly variable across more distant sites. Conversely, cell counts and fungal DNA content have significant local variation but appear relatively homogeneous over scales of 1 km. ATP, bacterial DNA, and archaeal DNA content were relatively well correlated at many spatial scales. While we have observed spatial variation at various scales and are beginning to observe how that variation fluctuates over time as biodiversity recovers after an eruption, we do not yet fully understand what parameters lead to the observed spatial variation. Home laboratory analyses will help us further understand the elemental and structural composition of the basaltic matrices, but further field analyses are vital for the understanding how temperature, moisture, incident radiation, and so forth influence the habitability of a microclimate.

Field↗

NASA NTRS1987

A Voyager-style tour of comets and asteroids 1994-2005

A low cost program that links a dual-comet flyby sample-return mission with a multicomet/asteroid tour is proposed. Two spacecraft are used to carry out this program: a three-axis stabilized Observer-class spacecraft and a smaller spin-stabilized sample-return probe. The Observer spacecraft uses earth-swingby and propulsive maneuvers to accomplish the small-body tour, which includes flybys of three comets (Tempel-1, Tempel-2, and Encke) and two asteroids (46-Hestia and 433-Eros) over a 12-year period. Two of these comets (Tempel-1 and Tempel-2) are also the shared targets, the Observer serves as a navigational aid for the probe, which scoops up dust particles as it flies through the cometary atmosphere. After collecting the cometary dust samples, the probe returns to a low earth orbit where it is recovered by the Space Shuttle.

Farquhar, Robert W.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Impact of NASA’s Entry Systems Modeling Project on Planetary Mission Design

Planetary missions continue to grow larger and more complex. Furthermore, the current focus on human exploration of the Moon and Mars, as well as Mars Sample Return(MSR), place increas-ingly stringent requirements on the reliability of the entry, descent, and landing (EDL) system that ensures the safe delivery of payload or crew to their destination. Planetary EDL is an area in which mission designers are critically reliant on modeling and simulation to demonstrate the reliability of the system, as there are no ground facilities that are able to fully test these systems in a flight-relevant environment. NASA’s state-of-the-art modeling and simulation capability must continually evolve to meet the needs of the next generation of planetary EDL. To accomplish this aim, NASA’s Entry Systems Modeling (ESM) Project was formed in 2013and is funded bythe Space Technology Mission Directorate(STMD) and Science Mission Directorate (SMD). ESM is the Agency’s only cross-cutting effort for advancing entry systems modeling and simulation capabilities across a range of technical disciplines and Solar System destinations. ESM is a portfolio project covering a variety of mid-TRL research efforts within four core EDL-related areas of investment: (1) Thermal protection material modeling, (2) Shock layer kinetics and radiation, (3) Aerosciences, and (4) Guidance, navigation, and con-trol. The material modeling group creates detailed material response modelsof thermal protection systems (TPS)from the micro to macro scale, and at the fun-damental and engineering levels. Shock layer kinetics and radiation focuses on radiative heating of space-craft, quantum chemistry and benchmark experiments for validation.Aerosciences is a broad research area that impacts many aspects of entry systems, including parachutes, aerodynamics, and turbulent heating augmentation due to TPS roughness.The guidance, navigation,and control effort under ESM is expanding the capabilities of NASA’s main flight mechanics tool, POST2, for use on high-performance computing architectures and to generalize interoperability with external applications for more detailed end-to-end simula-tion.In addition, several focusedresearch topics have been approvedto augment ESM’s core portfolio. These include efforts for deep post-flight analysis of Mars 2020/MEDLI2 flight data; development ofTPS failure models; improvement of hypersonic wakeflow models; and a recently concluded effort to provide material response models for NuSil-coated PICA heat-shield material. This presentation will discuss each of these investment areas and demonstrate via real mission examples how advances to the state-of-the-art enabled by ESM are directly impacting the missions of today and tomorrow, including InSight, Mars 2020, Mars Sample Return, Orion, and Dragonfly.

Entry Systems Modeling↗

NASA NTRS2003

AGE (Argon Geochronology Experiment): An Instrument for Geochronology on the Surface of Mars

As our knowledge of the planet Mars continues to grow, one parameter that remains elusive is the absolute chronology of the planet s geological history. Although crater counts have provided a robust relative chronology, impactor fluxes are poorly enough known that there are places on Mars where the absolute age is uncertain by a factor of two or more. To resolve these uncertainties, it will be necessary to either analyze well-documented samples returned to the Earth from the Martian surface or to perform in situ measurements with sufficient precision. Sample return is still at least a decade away, and even then it might be from a biologically interesting area that might be geologically complex. Hence an in situ measurement, within an uncertainty of 20% or better, could greatly improve our knowledge of the history of Mars. With funding from the Planetary Instrument Definition and Development Program (PIDDP), we have been working on an instrument to perform potassium-argon (K-Ar) and cosmic-ray exposure (CRE) dating in situ on the surface of Mars. For either of these techniques, it is necessary to measure the abundance of one or more major or minor elements (K in the case of KAr; all majors and minors in the case of CRE) and the abundance and isotopes composition of a noble gas (Ar in the case of K-Ar; He, Ne and Ar for CRE dating). The technology for either of these types of measurements exists, but has never before been integrated for a spacecraft. We refer to the instrument as AGE, the Argon Geochronology Experiment (although we will measure the noble gases He and Ne as well for CRE ages). We report here on the basic components that go into such an instrument, both those that use existing technology and those that had to be developed to create the integrated package.

Swindle, T. D.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Toward Lower Organic Environments in Astromaterial Sample Curation for Diverse Collections

Great interest was taken during the frenzied pace of the Apollo lunar sample return to achieve and monitor organic cleanliness. Yet, the first mission resulted in higher organic contamination to samples than desired. But improvements were accomplished by Apollo 12 [1]. Quarantine complicated the goal of achieving organic cleanliness by requiring negative pressure glovebox containment environments, proximity of animal, plant and microbial organic sources, and use of organic sterilants in protocols. A special low organic laboratory was set up at University of California Berkeley (UCB) to cleanly subdivide a subset of samples [2, 3, 4]. Nevertheless, the basic approach of handling rocks and regolith inside of a positive pressure stainless steel glovebox and restrict-ing the tool and container materials allowed in the gloveboxes was established by the last Apollo sample re-turn. In the last 40 years, the collections have grown to encompass Antarctic meteorites, Cosmic Dust, Genesis solar wind, Stardust comet grains and Hayabusa asteroid grains. Each of these collections have unique curation requirements for organic contamination monitor-ing and control. Here is described some changes allowed by improved technology or driven by changes in environmental regulations and economy, concluding with comments on organic witness wafers. Future sample return missions (OSIRIS-Rex; Mars; comets) will require extremely low levels of organic contamination in spacecraft collection and thus similarly low levels in curation. JSC Curation is undertaking a program to document organic baseline levels in current operations and devise ways to reduce those levels.

Allton, J. H.↗

NASA NTRS2022

Non-Protein Amino Acids Identified in Carbon-Rich Hayabusa Particles

Amino acid abundances in acid-hydrolyzed hot water extracts of gold foils containing five Category 3 (carbon-rich) Hayabusa particles were studied using liquid chromatography with tandem fluorescence and accurate mass detection. Initial particle analyses using field emission scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry indicated that the particles were composed mainly of carbon. Prior to amino acid analysis, infrared and Raman microspectroscopy showed some grains possessed primitive organic carbon. Although trace terrestrial contamination, namely L-protein amino acids, was observed in all Hayabusa extracts, several terrestrially uncommon non-protein amino acids were also identified. Some Hayabusa particles contained racemic (D≈L) mixtures of the non-protein amino acids β-aminoisobutyric acid (β-AIB) and β-amino-n-butyric acid (β-ABA) at low abundances ranging from 0.09 to 0.31 nmol g −1 . Larger abundances of the non-protein amino acid β-alanine (9.2 nmol g −1 , ≈4.5 times greater than background levels) were measured in an extract of three Hayabusa particles. This β-alanine abundance was ≈6 times higher than that measured in an extract of a CM2 Murchison grain processed in parallel. The comparatively high β-alanine abundance is surprising as asteroid Itokawa is similar to amino acid-poor LL ordinary chondrites. Elevated β-alanine abundances and racemic β-AIB and β-ABA in Hayabusa grains suggested these compounds have non-biological and plausibly non-terrestrial origins. These results are the first evidence of plausibly extraterrestrial amino acids in asteroid material from a sample-return mission and demonstrate the capabilities of the analytical protocols used to study asteroid Ryugu and Bennu samples returned by the JAXA Hayabusa2 and NASA OSIRIS-REx missions, respectively.

Eric T. Parker↗

NASA NTRS2011

Samples from Differentiated Asteroids; Regolithic Achondrites

Differentiated and partially differentiated asteroids preserve a glimpse of planet formation frozen in time from the early solar system and thus are attractive targets for future exploration. Samples of such asteroids arrive to Earth in the form of achondrite meteorites. Many achondrites, particularly those thought to be most representative of asteroidal regolith, contain a diverse assortment of materials both indigenous and exogenous to the original igneous parent body intermixed at microscopic scales. Remote sensing spacecraft and landers would have difficulty deciphering individual components at these spatial scales, potentially leading to confusing results. Sample return would thus be much more informative than a robotic probe. In this and a companion abstract [1] we consider two regolithic achondrite types, howardites and (polymict) ureilites, in order to evaluate what materials might occur in samples returned from surfaces of differentiated asteroids and what sampling strategies might be prudent.

Herrin J. S.↗