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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 NTRS2012

Navigation/Prop Software Suite

Navigation (Nav)/Prop software is used to support shuttle mission analysis, production, and some operations tasks. The Nav/Prop suite containing configuration items (CIs) resides on IPS/Linux workstations. It features lifecycle documents, and data files used for shuttle navigation and propellant analysis for all flight segments. This suite also includes trajectory server, archive server, and RAT software residing on MCC/Linux workstations. Navigation/Prop represents tool versions established during or after IPS Equipment Rehost-3 or after the MCC Rehost.

Bruchmiller, Tomas↗
NASA NTRS2014

Three Dimensional Lightning Launch Commit Criteria Visualization Tool

Lightning occurrence too close to a NASA LSP or future SLS program launch vehicle in flight would have disastrous results. The sensitive electronics on the vehicle could be damaged to the point of causing an anomalous flight path and ultimate destruction of the vehicle and payload.According to 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) Lightning Launch Commit Criteria (LLCC), a vehicle cannot launch if lightning is within 10 NM of its pre-determined flight path. The 45 WS Launch Weather Officers (LWOs) evaluate this LLCC for their launch customers to ensure the safety of the vehicle in flight. Currently, the LWOs conduct a subjective analysis of the distance between lightning and the flight path using data from different display systems. A 3-D display in which the lightning data and flight path are together would greatly reduce the ambiguity in evaluating this LLCC. It would give the LWOs and launch directors more confidence in whether a GO or NO GO for launch should be issued. When lightning appears close to the path, the LWOs likely err on the side of conservatism and deem the lightning to be within 10 NM. This would cause a costly delay or scrub. If the LWOs can determine with a strong level of certainty that the lightning is beyond 10 NM, launch availability would increase without compromising safety of the vehicle, payload or, in the future, astronauts.The AMU was tasked to conduct a market research of commercial, government, and open source software that might be able to ingest and display the 3-D lightning data from the KSC Lightning Mapping Array (LMA), the 45th Space Wing Weather Surveillance Radar (WSR), the National Weather Service in Melbourne Weather Surveillance Radar 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), and the vehicle flight path data so that all can be visualized together. To accomplish this, the AMU conducted Internet searches for potential software candidates and interviewed software developers.None of the available off-the-shelf software had a 3-D capability that could display all of the data in a single visualization. The AMU determined there are two viable software packages that could satisfy the 45 WS requirement with further development and recommends the KSC Weather Office follow-up with both organizations to request development costs.

weather↗
NASA NTRS2018

Narrowband Propagation Statistics of Aeronautical Mobile-Ground Links in the L- and C-Bands

To provide for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS), command and control (C2) links must be highly reliable. Hence, protected aviation spectrum is required to support such links for UAS that are integrated into controlled non-segregated airspace. For air-ground (i.e., non-satellite) links, protected aviation spectrum to support C2 links is available in the 960-1164 MHz (L) and 5030-5091 MHz (C) bands. The performance of any C2 system is critically dependent upon the characteristics of the air-ground (AG) channel. Therefore, as part of its UAS Integration in the NAS (UAS in the NAS) project, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) performed a series of air-ground propagation flight tests to collect AG channel data for model development and analysis of potential C2 communications links capable of providing the required reliability. NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) conducted an extensive air-ground channel propagation measurement campaign (at altitude) for frequencies in the 960-977 MHz and 5030-5091 MHz ranges, for seven different terrain environments. The measurements were conducted in 2013, and produced the largest set of AG channel data ever gathered to date. This data was subsequently processed to develop models for the AG channel. The statistics collected enabled the derivation of channel model parameters for both narrowband and wideband channels. In order to make the propagation data widely available, the resulting narrowband statistics were processed and submitted to the International Telecommunications Union - Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study Group 3 Data Banks. Formats for data tables were developed, and tables of the aggregate narrowband propagation statistics for the seven ground site terrain environments were prepared, submitted to, and approved by, the ITU-R Study Group 3. This paper provides brief background on the measurement campaign, collection and processing of data, and development of the narrowband data tables. It further provides examples of the data and its use.

radiofrequency spectrum↗
NASA NTRS2018

Narrowband Propagation Statistics of Aeronautical Mobile-Ground Links in the L- and C-Bands

To provide for the safe integration of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) into the National Airspace System (NAS), command and control (C2) links must be highly reliable. Hence, protected aviation spectrum is required to support such links for UAS that are integrated into controlled non-segregated airspace. For air-ground (i.e., non-satellite) links, protected aviation spectrum to support C2 links is available in the 960-1164 MHz (L) and 5030-5091 MHz (C) bands. The performance of any C2 system is critically dependent upon the characteristics of the air-ground (AG) channel. Therefore, as part of its UAS Integration in the NAS (UAS in the NAS) project, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) performed a series of air-ground propagation flight tests to collect AG channel data for model development and analysis of potential C2 communications links capable of providing the required reliability. NASA's Glenn Research Center (GRC) conducted an extensive air-ground channel propagation measurement campaign (at altitude) for frequencies in the 960-977 MHz and 5030-5091 MHz ranges, for seven different terrain environments. The measurements were conducted in 2013, and produced the largest set of AG channel data ever gathered to date. This data was subsequently processed to develop models for the AG channel. The statistics collected enabled the derivation of channel model parameters for both narrowband and wideband channels. In order to make the propagation data widely available, the resulting narrowband statistics were processed and submitted to the International Telecommunications Union Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Study Group 3 Data Banks. Formats for data tables were developed, and tables of the aggregate narrowband propagation statistics for the seven ground site terrain environments were prepared, submitted to, and approved by, the ITU-R Study Group 3. This paper provides brief background on the measurement campaign, collection and processing of data, and development of the narrowband data tables. It further provides examples of the data and its use.

aircraft communications↗
NASA NTRS2015

NASA Engineering and Safety Center Technical Bulletin No. 15-03: Best Practices for Use of Sine Vibration Testing

Sine Vibration (SV) Testing involves subjecting the test article to a swept sine input over a frequency range (typically 5-100 Hz) to replicate the low-frequency launch environment. This test method is used for various purposes on a structural model but mainly on flight articles. The SV levels are derived from measured flight data or based on interface acceleration levels from coupled loads analysis (CLA). A logarithmic sweep rate is typically used to excite a constant time interval per bandwidth for the test (e.g., 2 or 4 octave/min), which is intended to simulate sustained sine and transient events that occur during launch. Risks can be mitigated through best practices.

Best Practices↗
NASA NTRS1998

Nimbus/TOMS Science Data Operations Support

Projected goals include the following: (1) Participate in and provide analysis of laboratory and in-flight calibration of LTV sensors used for space observations of backscattered LTV radiation; (2) Provide support to the TOMS Science Operations Center, including generating instrument command lists and analysis of TOMS health and safety data; (3) Develop and maintain software and algorithms designed to capture and process raw spacecraft and instrument data, convert the instrument output into measured radiance and irradiances, and produce scientifically valid products; (4) Process the TOMS data into Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 data products; (5) Provide analysis of the science data products in support of NASA GSFC Code 916's research.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Design, Instrumentation, and Data Analysis for the SLS Core Stage Green Run Test Series

The Space Launch System (SLS) Core Stage (CS) Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system is comprised of eight mechanical feedback Shuttle heritage Type III TVC actuators and four RS-25 engines, each attached to a Shuttle heritage gimbal block/bearing. The actuators are powered by a Shuttle-derived hydraulic Core Auxiliary Power Unit (CAPU), and integrated with an all-new Core Stage thrust structure. The actuators are interfaced to the SLS Vehicle Management (VM) software via an all-new TVC Actuator Control (TAC) avionics subsystem. Despite the significant test and flight experience of the Shuttle hardware, the SLS Green Run ambient and hot fire test activities revealed a number of new findings associated with the dynamic response of the TVC integrated system. Test responses suggested that the TVC system did not meet its performance specifications and its step and frequency responses exhibited unexpected departures from prior lab tests and modeled behavior. This paper is the fifth installment in a seven-paper series surveying the design, engineering, test validation, and flight performance of the Core Stage Thrust Vector Control system. In this paper, the design of the TVC analyses conducted during the Core Stage Green Run test series are discussed in detail. Throughout the course of the test activities, the SLS flight control team worked diligently with the Core Stage contractor to revise test command profiles and ensure sufficient instrumentation was available to collect data. Post-test analysis combined the Green Run modal, ambient, and hot fire test data, MSFC 2- axis Core Stage TVC Inertial Load Simulator (ILS) data, Hardware-In-the-Loop (HWIL) Systems Integration Lab (SIL) results, and actuator Acceptance Testing Procedure (ATP) responses. These data were used to characterize the response, validate critical math models of the TVC subsystem, and isolate the probable cause of the unexpected responses. Through comprehensive analysis of the available test data sources, the integrated team identified the dominant contributors to the observed response and developed test-correlated rationale for vehicle flight control system performance, ultimately leading to a confident posture for the Artemis I mission.

John H. Wall↗
NASA NTRS2011

Space Motion Sickness - Analysis of Medical Debriefs Data for Incidence and Treatment

Astronauts use medications for the treatment of a variety of illnesses during space travel. Data mining efforts to assess minor clinical conditions occurring during Shuttle flights STS-1 through STS-94 revealed that space motion sickness (SMS) was the most common ailment during early flight days, occurring in approx.40% of crewmembers, followed by digestive system disturbances (9%) and infectious diseases, which most commonly involved the respiratory or urinary tracts. A more recent analysis of postflight medical debriefs data to examine trends with respect to medication use by astronauts during spaceflights indicated that ~37% of all prescriptions recorded was for pain followed by sleep (22%), SMS (18%), decongestion (14%), and all others (14%). Further analysis revealed that about 150 of 317 crewmembers experienced symptoms of SMS. Nearly all (132 of 150) crewmembers took medication for the treatment of symptoms with a total of 387 doses. Promethazine was taken most often (201 doses); in most cases this resulted in alleviation of symptoms with 130 crewmembers (65%) reporting feeling much or somewhat better. Although fewer total doses of the combination of promethazine and dextroamphetamine (Phen/Dex) were taken (45 doses), slightly more than half of these doses resulted in improvement. The combination of scopolamine and dextroamphetamine (Scop/Dex) was reported to be effective in only 37% of cases, with 36 of 97 total doses resulting in improvement. A higher percentage (24%) of Scop/Dex doses was reported to be ineffective compared with promethazine alone or as Phen/Dex (10% and 7%, respectively). Comparisons of the effectiveness of the different dosage forms of promethazine revealed that intramuscular injection was most effective in alleviating symptoms with 55% feeling much better, 16% feeling somewhat better, and only 7% feeling no effect or worse. Overall, it appears that promethazine alone was used more frequently during flight and was reported effective for the treatment of SMS.

Putcha, Lakshmi↗
NASA NTRS1984

Investigation of the external flow analysis for density measurements at high altitude

The results of analysis performed on the external flow around the shuttle orbiter nose regions at the Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS) inlet orifice are presented. The purpose of the analysis is to quantitatively characterize the flow conditions to facilitate SUMS flight data reduction and subsequent determination of orbiter aerodynamic force coefficients in the hypersonic rarefied flow regime. Experimental determination of aerodynamic force coefficients requires accurate simultaneous measurement of forces (or acceleration) and dynamic pressure along with independent knowledge of density and velocity. The SUMS provides independent measurement of dynamic pressure; however, it does so indirectly and requires knowledge of the relationship between measured orifice conditions and the dynamic pressure which can only be determined on the basis of molecule or theory for a winged configuration. Monte Carlo direct simulation computer codes were developed for both the flow field solution at the orifice and for the internal orifice flow. These codes were used to study issues associated with geometric modeling of the orbiter nose geometry and the modeling of intermolecular collisions including rotational energy exchange and a preliminary analysis of vibrational excitation and dissociation effects. Data obtained from preliminary simulation runs are presented.

Bienkowski, G. K.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Evaluation of SAGE II and Balloon-Borne Stratospheric Aerosol Measurements

Under funding from this proposal we evaluated measurements of stratospheric sulfate aerosols from three platforms. Two were satellite platforms providing solar extinction measurements, the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II using wavelengths from 0.386 - 1.02 microns, and the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) using wavelengths from 2.45 to 5.26 microns. The third set of measurements was from in situ sampling by balloonborne optical particle counters (OPCs). The goal was to determine the consistency among these data sets. This was accomplished through analysis of the existing measurement records, and through additional balloonborne OPC flights coinciding with new SAGE II observations over Laramie, Wyoming. All analyses used the SAGE II v 6.0 data. This project supported two balloon flights per year over Laramie dedicated to SAGE II coincidence. Because logistical factors, such as poor surface weather or unfavorable payload impact location, can make it difficult to routinely obtain close coincidences with SAGE II, we attempt to conduct nearly every Laramie flight (roughly one per month) in conjunction with a SAGE II overpass. The Laramie flight frequency has varied over the years depending on field commitments and funding sources. Current support for the Laramie measurements is from the National Science Foundation in addition to support from this NASA grant. We have also completed a variety of comparisons using aerosol measurements from SAGE II, OPCs, and HALOE. The instruments were compared for their various estimates of aerosol extinction at the SAGE II wavelengths and for aerosol surface area. Additional results, such as illustrated here, can be found in a recently accepted manuscript describing comparisons between SAGE II, HALOE, and OPCs for the period 1982 - 2000. While overall, the impression from these results is encouraging, the agreement of the measurements changes with latitude, altitude, time, and parameter. In the broadest sense, these comparisons fall into two categories: high aerosol loading (volcanic periods) and low aerosol loading (background periods and altitudes above 25 km). When the aerosol amount is low SAGE II and HALOE extinctions are higher than the OPC estimates, while the SAGE II surface areas are lower than HALOE and the OPCS. Under high loading conditions, all three instruments mutually agree to within 50%.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2005

Hyper-X (X-43A) Flight Test Range Operations

The Hyper-X program flew X-43A research vehicles to hypersonic speeds over the Pacific Ocean in March and November 2004 from the Western Aeronautical Test Range, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California. The program required multiple telemetry ground stations to provide continuous coverage of the captive carry, launch, boost, experiment, and descent phases of these missions. An overview is provided of vehicle telemetry and distributed assets that supported telemetry acquisition, best-source selection, radar tracking, video tracking, flight termination systems, and voice communications. Real-time data display and processing are discussed, and postflight analysis and comparison of data acquired are presented.

Hyper-X↗
NASA NTRS2002

System IDentification Programs for AirCraft (SIDPAC)

A collection of computer programs for aircraft system identification is described and demonstrated. The programs, collectively called System IDentification Programs for AirCraft, or SIDPAC, were developed in MATLAB as m-file functions. SIDPAC has been used successfully at NASA Langley Research Center with data from many different flight test programs and wind tunnel experiments. SIDPAC includes routines for experiment design, data conditioning, data compatibility analysis, model structure determination, equation-error and output-error parameter estimation in both the time and frequency domains, real-time and recursive parameter estimation, low order equivalent system identification, estimated parameter error calculation, linear and nonlinear simulation, plotting, and 3-D visualization. An overview of SIDPAC capabilities is provided, along with a demonstration of the use of SIDPAC with real flight test data from the NASA Glenn Twin Otter aircraft. The SIDPAC software is available without charge to U.S. citizens by request to the author, contingent on the requestor completing a NASA software usage agreement.

Morelli, Eugene A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Recent Results of NASA's Space Environments and Effects Program

The Space Environments and Effects (SEE) Program is a multi-center multi-agency program managed by the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The program evolved from the Long Duration Exposure Facility (LDEF), analysis of LDEF data, and recognition of the importance of the environments and environmental effects on future space missions. It is a very comprehensive and focused approach to understanding the space environments, to define the best techniques for both flight and ground-based experimentation, to update the models which predict both the environments and the environmental effects on spacecraft, and finally to ensure that this information is properly maintained and inserted into spacecraft design programs. Formal funding of the SEE Program began initially in FY95. A NASA Research Announcement (NRA) solicited research proposals in the following categories: 1) Engineering environment definitions; 2) Environments and effects design guidelines; 3) Environments and effects assessment models and databases; and, 4) Flight/ground simulation/technology assessment data. This solicitation resulted in funding for eighteen technology development activities (TDA's). This paper will present and describe technical results rom the first set of TDA's of the SEE Program. It will also describe the second set of technology development activities which are expected to begin in January 1998. These new technology development activities will enable the SEE Program to start numerous new development activities in support of mission customer needs.

Minor, Jody L.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Apollo experiment S-211 low brightness, astronomical photography

The low brightness image analysis for the Apollo flights is reported. The objectives of Experiment S-21 are discussed along with the photographic equipment, and the data processing and analysis flow are presented. Photographic data for Apollo 14, 15, 16, and 17 are included.

Mercer, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Evaluation and Analysis of F-16XL Wind Tunnel Data From Static and Dynamic Tests

A series of wind tunnel tests were conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center as part of an ongoing effort to develop and test mathematical models for aircraft rigid-body aerodynamics in nonlinear unsteady flight regimes. Analysis of measurement accuracy, especially for nonlinear dynamic systems that may exhibit complicated behaviors, is an essential component of this ongoing effort. In this report, tools for harmonic analysis of dynamic data and assessing measurement accuracy are presented. A linear aerodynamic model is assumed that is appropriate for conventional forced-oscillation experiments, although more general models can be used with these tools. Application of the tools to experimental data is demonstrated and results indicate the levels of uncertainty in output measurements that can arise from experimental setup, calibration procedures, mechanical limitations, and input errors.

Kim, Sungwan↗
NASA NTRS1998

Development of the X-33 Aerodynamic Uncertainty Model

An aerodynamic uncertainty model for the X-33 single-stage-to-orbit demonstrator aircraft has been developed at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center. The model is based on comparisons of historical flight test estimates to preflight wind-tunnel and analysis code predictions of vehicle aerodynamics documented during six lifting-body aircraft and the Space Shuttle Orbiter flight programs. The lifting-body and Orbiter data were used to define an appropriate uncertainty magnitude in the subsonic and supersonic flight regions, and the Orbiter data were used to extend the database to hypersonic Mach numbers. The uncertainty data consist of increments or percentage variations in the important aerodynamic coefficients and derivatives as a function of Mach number along a nominal trajectory. The uncertainty models will be used to perform linear analysis of the X-33 flight control system and Monte Carlo mission simulation studies. Because the X-33 aerodynamic uncertainty model was developed exclusively using historical data rather than X-33 specific characteristics, the model may be useful for other lifting-body studies.

Cobleigh, Brent R.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Thermal Testing and Model Correlation of the Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) Observatories

International Conference on Envronmental Systems (ICES), Seattle WA NCTS 20964-15. The Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) mission is a Solar Terrestrial Probes mission comprising four identically instrumented spacecraft that will use Earths magnetosphere as a laboratory tostudy the microphysics of three fundamental plasma processes: magnetic reconnection, energetic particle acceleration, and turbulence. This paper presents the complete thermal balance (TB) test performed on the first of four observatories to go through thermal vacuum (TV) and the minibalance testing that was performed on the subsequent observatories to provide a comparison of all four. The TV and TB tests were conducted in a thermal vacuum chamber at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in Washington, D.C. with the vacuum level higher than 1.3 x 10-4 Pa (10-6 torr)and the surrounding temperature achieving -180 C. Three TB test cases were performed that included hot operational science, cold operational science and a cold survival case. In addition to the three balance cases a two hour eclipse and a four hour eclipse simulation was performed during the TV test to provide additional transient data points that represent the orbit in eclipse (or Earth's shadow) The goal was to perform testing such that the flight orbital environments could be simulated as closely as possible. A thermal model correlation between the thermal analysis and the test results was completed. Over 400 1-Wire temperature sensors, 200 thermocouples and 125 flight thermistor temperature sensors recorded data during TV and TB testing. These temperatureversus time profiles and their agreements with the analytical results obtained using Thermal Desktop and SINDAFLUINT are discussed. The model correlation for the thermal mathematical model (TMM) is conducted based on the numerical analysis results and the test data. The philosophy of model correlation was to correlate the model to within 3 C of the test data using the standard deviation and mean deviation error calculation. Individual temperature error goal is to be within 5 C and the heater power goal is to be within 5 of test data. The results of the model correlation are discussed and the effect of some material and interface parameters on the temperature profiles are presented.

Thermal↗
NASA NTRS1999

Investigation of Wake-Vortex Aircraft Encounters

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is addressing airport capacity enhancements during instrument meteorological conditions though the Terminal Area Productivity (TAP) program. The major goal of the TAP program is to develop the technology that will allow air traffic levels during instrument meteorological condition to approach those achieved during visual operations. The Reduced Spacing Operations (RSO) subelement of TAP at the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) will develop the Aircraft Vortex Spacing System (AVOSS). The purpose of the AVOSS is to integrate current and predicted weather conditions, wake vortex transport and decay knowledge, wake vortex sensor data, and operational definitions of acceptable strengths for vortex encounters to produce dynamic wake vortex separation criteria. The proposed research is in support of the wake vortex hazard definition component of the LaRC AVOSS development research. The research program described in the next section provided an analysis of the static test data and uses this data to evaluate the accuracy vortex/wake-encounter models. The accuracy of these models has not before been evaluated using experimental data. The research results also presented the first analysis of the forces and moments imparted on an airplane during a wake vortex encounter using actual flight test data.

Smith, Sonya T.↗