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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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Multiple Uses for Foods
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Overall Energy Management as Related to Nutrition and Waste
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A study to develop a low temperature battery suitable for space probe applications final report
Low temperature batteries for deep space probes and extending battery usefulness by heating
The works of k. e. tsiolkovskiy on rocket technology
K. E. Tsiolkovskiy devoted a rather substantial portion of his works to the problem of flight by means of various reactive devices. We may state without exaggeration that Tsiolkovskiy considered his efforts in this direction to be of prime importance. Up to the time of his death Tsiolkovskiy continuously published articles; notes_ and calculations devoted to a comprehensive analysis of the possibilities and methods of interplanetary communications.
Radio Noise Problems in Arctic Regions
Three main types of radio noise should be considered when establishing noise levels for communication purposes or in experiments utilizing radio techniques in Arctic regions. These are atmospheric and man-made noise, and precipitation static. National Bureau of Standards radio noise data obtained hourly at Arctic and Antarctic stations on eight .fixed frequencies between 51 kc and 20 Mc/s are analyzed to show the characteristics of the three types. The diurnal and seasonal variations of atmospheric radio noise at high latitudes are explainable in terms of changes in propagation factors and in the distribution of world thunderstorm activity. In both northern and southern Arctic regions atmospheric noise decreases during polar cap absorption (PCA), most markedly in the h.f. band. The probable magnitude of man-made noise in the h.f. band is estimated from data taken during PCA, when atmospheric noise is absent. At Thule man-made noise on 2.5 and 5 Mc/s appears to be 57 and 49 dB above kTB (where kTB is antenna thermal noise power), respectively, while at Byrd Station the values are about 20 and 12 dB respectively. Precipitation static is generated on exposed antennas during periods of blowing snow (blizzards). The noise power magnitude can be at least 50 dB above man-made and atmospheric levels, but the maximum enhancement cannot be ascertained because of missing data. In winter and spring months at Byrd Station radio data dependent upon exposed antennas may be lost 10-30 per cent of the time due to precipitation static alone.
Propulsion and Power Generation
This document comprises material presented during one session of the Manned Planetary Mission Technology Conference, Lewis Research Center, May 21, 22, and 23, 1963. In order to expedite release to the conferees, the papers are being published with minimum editing and retyping of the original manuscripts. Thus the usual NASA format and style have been compromised. The purpose of the conference was to explore the possibilities and problems of manned planetary space flight. The results and contemplations of the individual papers should in no sense be regarded as a part of NASA plans and programs.
Launch Vehicle Implications for Mars Exploration
The objectives of this paper are to give a brief insight into the launch vehicle implications for a manned Mars expedition and follow-on exploration; and secondly, to show the effects of such a mission requirement on the launch vehicle system. Due to the complexity and intricacy of the overall mission, vehicle system, and their interrelationships, only the very broad and salient points will be discussed.
The NERVA Engine Program
The objective of the NERVA engine program is the development of a nuclear rocket engine for use in space missions. The letters N E R V A mean Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Application. NERVA is a long-range program that had its beginning in about 1955 when the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory began preliminary studies on the feasibility of thermal reactors for rocket application. At about the same time, the Livermore Laboratory began parallel studies, but this dual effort was discontinued about a year later. In 1961 an industrial contractor team, the Aerojet-General Corporation and the Westinghouse Electric Corporation, was selected to carry out the development of the NERVA engine, and their activity began in mid-1961. Aerojet was made the prime contractor with responsibility for the complete engine development program, and Westinghouse was made a principal subcontractor with responsibility for the development of the reactor. A government field office, the Cleveland Extension of the Space Nuclear Propulsion Office, was set up to manage this development program. This office is located in Cleveland because of the availability of technical backup at the Lewis Research Center.
Water-Moderated Reactor Concept
Because of the importance of nuclear rockets for manned planetary flight, the Lewis Research Center has been studying alternate nuclear rocket concepts that have the potential for meeting the high performance requirements of these missions. Lewis has concentrated its advanced nuclear rocket research program on a tungsten-water-moderated concept. The purpose of this presentation is to describe this concept and give a brief resume of some of the work that has been done in support of it.
Preliminary Study of a Nuclear Rocket System for Manned Planetary Missions
The primary purpose of the NERVA nuclear rocket currently under development Once developed, is to demonstrate the feasibility of nuclear rocket propulsion. Once developed, it may have application in missions such as a manned lunar landing or space station supply. Unfortunately, it is too small for manned interplanetary missions. This being the case, it was decided to examine a second-generation nuclear rocket suitable for manned interplanetary flight in order to get an idea of component characteristics and problem areas. This examination is, in general, based on current technology and includes the graphite reactor concept, a nozzle fabricated from Inconel X tubing, and conventional turbopump blading and bearings. Some of the preliminary results of this examination are reported herein.
Electric Propulsion for Manned Missions
Electric propulsion is of interest for manned interplanetary missions, primarily because it offers the potential of delivering and returning relatively large payload fractions from the planets. This can be achieved because of the high specific impulse obtainable when the propellant is accelerated by electrical means rather than thermally, as in chemical and nuclear rockets.
Wild Blue Yonder Propulsion Schemes
This paper will include a discussion of the ORION concept, several gaseous core nuclear rockets, thermonuclear propulsion utilizing superconducting magnets, and finally a lightweight radioisotope power generation system for electric propulsion. With the exception of the latter concept, all of these schemes have much in common. The initial vehicle weights would be very large - on the order of several million pounds. The payload fractions are high - on the order of 25 to 50 percent of the takeoff weight - for near Earth missions. The development problems would be severe, and, correspondingly, the development costs would be extreme - on the order of many billions of dollars. In addition, the launching problems from Earth would be fantastic - with nuclear radiation hazards and political overtones added for good measure. However, the reward for success would be great. One can contemplate large payload fractions propelled on space missions - with thrust-to-weight ratios, at least in some cases, greater than unity and with specific impulses of several thousand seconds. The mission transportation costs would run in terms of dollars per pound of payload with clear opportunities for reasonable manned expeditions across the solar system. This is the carrot that leads the endorsement of such gigantic projects.
The Detection of Water Vapor on Mars
We have found eleven weak lines of water vapor on a high dispersion near-infrared spectrogram of Mars taken at the coudè focus of the Mount Wilson 100-inch reflector on April 12/13,1963. We exposed 43 hours on ammoniated IV-N emulsion with a dispersion of 5.6 A/mm; the plate is well exposed at the poles and somewhat overexposed at the center of the planet’s disk. The Martian H 2 O lines in the X 8200 water-vapor band are displaced 0.42 A longward of their telluric counterparts due to the relative velocities of the earth and Mars: AV = +15 km/sec on that date. The Martian lines are strongest over the poles of the planet-we set the spectrograph slit daost north-south to cover both polar regions. This apparent polar strengthening of the Martian H 2 O lines is at least partially due to the increased air mass through the line of sight to high latitudes.
Space Electrical Power
The objectives and achievements of the development program for space electrical power systems are discussed. Power requirements for various space projects and products of power development research are considered. Research on the radiation-resistant n-p solar cell, thin-film solar cells, and rechargeable batteries is outlined. The development of Snap-8 is also discussed.
The Development of A Heated-Hybrid Generated Gas Pressurization System for Propellant Tanks
One of the most important considerations in the design of liquid fueled rockets is the method utilized to transfer the propellants from the propellant tanks to the rocket engine. Use of storable liquid propellant propulsion systems, particularly those employing hydrazine as a fuel, facilitates the attractive possibility of employing the monopropellant virtues of the fuel in order to generate gases for pressurization of the propellant tanks.
USE OF A SEALED SILVER-CADMIUM BATTERY ON EXPLORER XII
Performance of a sealed-silver cadmium battery on explorer xii
The Hall Current Plasma Accelerator
A theoretical and experimental investigation has been made of the operation of a relatively new type of plasma accelerator - the Hall Current Accelerator. This device employs the radial component of a fringing magnetic field, a Hall induced current, and an axial discharge to obtain the electromagnetic acceleration of a neutral plasma.