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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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At least 127 records · Page 7
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

Origins of Energetic Ions in the Earth's Magnetosheath

The analysis and interpretation of the combined scientific data from the Hot Plasma Composition Experiment (HPCE) and the Charge Energy Mass (CHEM) spectrometer on the Active Mesospheric Particle Tracer Experiment (AMPTE) Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) spacecraft are discussed. These combined data sets have and will be used to survey the energetic ion environment in the Earth's magnetosheath to determine the origins and relative strengths of the energetic ion populations found there. A computer code was developed to analyze and interpret the data sets. The focus of the first year was on the determination of the contribution of leaked magnetospheric protons to the total energetic proton population. Emphasis was placed on intervals when the AMPTE spacecraft was in the plasma depletion layer because it was argued that in this region, only the leaked population contributes to the energetic ion population. Manipulation of the CHEM data and comparison of the CHEM and HPCE data over their common energy range near the magnetopause also contributed directly to a second study of that region.

Fuselter, S. A.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Asian Outflow and Trans-Pacific Transport of Carbon Monoxide and Ozone Pollution: An Integrated Satellite, Aircraft, and Model Perspective

Satellite observations of carbon monoxide (CO) from the Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) instrument are combined with measurements from the Transport and Chemical Evolution Over the Pacific (TRACE-P) aircraft mission over the northwest Pacific and with a global three-dimensional chemical transport model (GEOS-CHEM) to quantify Asian pollution outflow and its trans-Pacific transport during spring 2001. Global CO column distributions in MOPITT and GEOS-CHEM are highly correlated (R(exp 2) = 0.87), with no significant model bias. The largest regional bias is over Southeast Asia, where the model is 18% too high. A 60% decrease of regional biomass burning emissions in the model (to 39 Tg/yr) would correct the discrepancy; this result is consistent with TRACE-P observations. MOPITT and TRACE-P also give consistent constraints on the Chinese source of CO from fuel combustion (181 Tg CO/yr). Four major events of trans-Pacific transport of Asian pollution in spring 2001 were seen by MOPITT, in situ platforms, and GEOS-CHEM. One of them was sampled by TRACE-P (26-27 February) as a succession of pollution layers over the northeast Pacific. These layers all originated from one single event of Asian outflow that split into northern and southern plumes over the central Pacific. The northern plume (sampled at 6-8 km off California) had no ozone enhancement. The southern subsiding plume (sampled at 2-4 km west of Hawaii) contained a 8 - 17 ppbv ozone enhancement, driven by decomposition of peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN) to nitrogen oxides (NOx). This result suggests that PAN decomposition in trans-Pacific pollution plumes subsiding over the United States could lead to significant enhancements of surface ozone.

Heald, Colette L.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Global 3-D Modeling Studies Of Tropospheric Ozone And Related Gases

Our research was targeted at three issues: (1) the factors controlling ozone in the tropical troposphere, (2) the Asian outflow of ozone and its precursors, and (3) the causes of decadal trends observed in ozone and CO. We have also used support from this ACMAP grant to (1) work with Kelly Chance on the retrieval and interpretation of HCHO and NO2 observations from GOME, and (2) develop GEOS-CHEM into a versatile model supporting the work of a large number of users including outside Harvard. ACMAP has provided the core support for GEOS-CHEM development. Applications of the GEOS-CHEM model with primary support from ACMAP are discussed below. A list of publications resulting from this grant is given at the end of the report.

Jacob, Daniel J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

CFD Code Validation of Wall Heat Fluxes for a G02/GH2 Single Element Combustor

This paper puts forth the case for the need for improved injector design tools to meet NASA s Vision for Space Exploration goals. Requirements for this improved tool are outlined and discussed. The potential for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to meet these requirements is noted along with its current shortcomings, especially relative to demonstrated solution accuracy. The concept of verification and validation is introduced as the primary process for building and quantifying the confidence necessary for CFD to be useful as an injector design tool. The verification and validation process is considered in the context of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Combustion Devices CFD Simulation Capability Roadmap via the Simulation Readiness Level (SRL) concept. The portion of the validation process which demonstrates the ability of a CFD code to simulate heat fluxes to a rocket engine combustor wall is the focus of the current effort. The FDNS and Loci-CHEM codes are used to simulate a shear coaxial single element G02/GH2 injector experiment. The experiment was conducted a t a chamber pressure of 750 psia using hot propellants from preburners. A measured wall temperature profile is used as a boundary condition to facilitate the calculations. Converged solutions, obtained from both codes by using wall functions with the K-E turbulence model and integrating to the wall using Mentor s baseline turbulence model, are compared to the experimental data. The initial solutions from both codes revealed significant issues with the wall function implementation associated with the recirculation zone between the shear coaxial jet and the chamber wall. The FDNS solution with a corrected implementation shows marked improvement in overall character and level of comparison to the data. With the FDNS code, integrating to the wall with Mentor s baseline turbulence model actually produce a degraded solution when compared to the wall function solution with the K--E model. The Loci-CHEM solution, produced by integrating to the wall with Mentor s baseline turbulence model, matches both the heat flux rise rate in the near injector region and the peak heat flux level very well. However, it moderately over predicts the heat fluxes downstream of the reattachment point. The Loci-CHEM solution achieved by integrating to the wall with Mentor s baseline turbulence model was clearly superior to the other solutions produced in this effort.

Lin, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS2011

CFD Modeling of Launch Vehicle Aerodynamic Heating

The Loci-CHEM 3.2 Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) code is being used to predict Ares-I launch vehicle aerodynamic heating. CFD has been used to predict both ascent and stage reentry environments and has been validated against wind tunnel tests and the Ares I-X developmental flight test. Most of the CFD predictions agreed with measurements. On regions where mismatches occurred, the CFD predictions tended to be higher than measured data. These higher predictions usually occurred in complex regions, where the CFD models (mainly turbulence) contain less accurate approximations. In some instances, the errors causing the over-predictions would cause locations downstream to be affected even though the physics were still being modeled properly by CHEM. This is easily seen when comparing to the 103-AH data. In the areas where predictions were low, higher grid resolution often brought the results closer to the data. Other disagreements are attributed to Ares I-X hardware not being present in the grid, as a result of computational resources limitations. The satisfactory predictions from CHEM provide confidence that future designs and predictions from the CFD code will provide an accurate approximation of the correct values for use in design and other applications

Tashakkor, Scott B.↗
NASA NTRS2012

An Overview of the Lightning - Atmospheric Chemistry Aspects of the Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry (DC3) Experiment

Some of the major goals of the DC3 experiment are to determine the contribution of lightning to NO(x) in the anvils of observed thunderstorms, examine the relationship of lightning NO(x) production to flash rates and to lightning channel lengths, and estimate the relative production per flash for cloud-to-ground flashes and intracloud flashes. In addition, the effects of lightning NO(x) production on photochemistry downwind of thunderstorms is also being examined. The talk will survey the observation types that were conducted during DC3 relevant to these goals and provide an overview of the analysis and modeling techniques which are being used to achieve them. NO(x) was observed on three research aircraft during DC3 (the NCAR G-V, the NASA DC-8, and the DLR Falcon) in flights through storm anvils in three study regions (NE Colorado, Central Oklahoma to West Texas, and northern Alabama) where lightning mapping arrays (LMAs) and radar coverage were available. Initial comparisons of the aircraft NOx observations in storm anvils relative to flash rates have been conducted, which will be followed with calculations of the flux of NO(x) through the anvils, which when combined with observed flash rates can be used to estimate storm-average lightning NOx production per flash. The WRF-Chem model will be run for cloud-resolved simulations of selected observed storms during DC3. Detailed lightning information from the LMAs (flash rates and flash lengths as a function of time and vertical distributions of flash channel segments) will be input to the model along with assumptions concerning NO(x) production per CG flash and per IC flash. These assumptions will be tested through comparisons with the aircraft NOx data from anvil traverses. A specially designed retrieval method for lightning NO2 column amounts from the OMI instrument on NASA fs Aura satellite has been utilized to estimate NO2 over the region affected by selected DC3 storms. Combined with NO(x) to NO2 ratios from the aircraft data and WRF-Chem model and observed flash rates, average NO(x) production per flash can be estimated. Ozone production downwind of observed storms can be estimated from the WRF-Chem simulations and the specific downwind flights.

Pickering, K. E.↗
NASA NTRS2016

B33C-0612: Evaluation of Simulated Biospheric Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Atmospheric Concentrations Using Global in Situ Observations

Atmospheric mixing ratios of carbon dioxide (CO2) are largely controlled by anthropogenic emission sources and biospheric sources/sinks. Global biospheric fluxes of CO2 are controlled by complex processes facilitating the exchange of carbon between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere. These processes which play a key role in these terrestrial ecosystem-atmosphere carbon exchanges are currently not fully understood, resulting in large uncertainties in the quantification of biospheric CO2 fluxes. Current models with these inherent deficiencies have difficulties simulating the global carbon cycle with high accuracy. We are developing a new modeling platform, GEOS-Chem-CASA by integrating the year-specific NASA-CASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration - Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach) biosphere model with the GEOS-Chem (Goddard Earth Observation System-Chemistry) chemical transport model to improve the simulation of atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem carbon exchange. We use NASA-CASA to explicitly represent the exchange of CO2 between terrestrial ecosystem and atmosphere by replacing the baseline GEOS-Chem land net CO2 flux and forest biomass burning CO2 emissions. We will present the estimation and evaluation of these "bottom-up" land CO2 fluxes, simulated atmospheric mixing ratios, and forest disturbance changes over the last decade. In addition, we will present our initial comparison of atmospheric column-mean dry air mole fraction of CO2 predicted by the model and those retrieved from NASA's OCO-2 (Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2) satellite instrument and model-predicted surface CO2 mixing ratios with global in situ observations. This evaluation is the first step necessary for our future work planned to constrain the estimates of biospheric carbon fluxes through "top-down" inverse modeling, which will improve our understanding of the processes controlling atmosphere-terrestrial ecosystem greenhouse gas exchanges, especially over regions which lack in situ observations.

in situ observations↗
NASA NTRS2016

Linking Remotely Sensed Aerosol Types to Their Chemical Composition

Aerosol types measured during the Ship-Aircraft Bio-Optical Research (SABOR) experiment are related to GEOS-Chem model chemical composition. The application for this procedure to link model chemical components to aerosol type is desirable for understanding aerosol evolution over time. The Mahalanobis distance (DM) statistic is used to cluster model groupings of five chemical components (organic carbon, black carbon, sea salt, dust and sulfate) in a way analogous to the methods used by Burton et al. [2012] and Russell et al. [2014]. First, model-to-measurement evaluation is performed by collocating vertically resolved aerosol extinction from SABOR High Spectral Resolution LiDAR (HSRL) to the GEOS-Chem nested high-resolution data. Comparisons of modeled-to-measured aerosol extinction are shown to be within 35% +/- 14%. Second, the model chemical components are calculation into five variables to calculate the DM and cluster means and covariances for each HSRL-retrieved aerosol type. The layer variables from the model are aerosol optical depth (AOD) ratios of (i) sea salt and (ii) dust to total AOD, mass ratios of (iii) total carbon (i.e. sum of organic and black carbon) to the sum of total carbon and sulfate (iv) organic carbon to black carbon, and (v) the natural log of the aerosol-to-molecular extinction ratio. Third, the layer variables and at most five out of twenty SABOR flights are used to form the pre-specified clusters for calculating DM and to assign an aerosol type. After determining the pre-specified clusters, model aerosol types are produced for the entire vertically resolved GEOS-Chem nested domain over the United States and the model chemical component distributions relating to each type are recorded. Resulting aerosol types are Dust/Dusty Mix, Maritime, Smoke, Urban and Fresh Smoke (separated into 'dark' and 'light' by a threshold of the organic to black carbon ratio). Model-calculated DM not belonging to a specific type (i.e. not meeting a threshold probability) is termed an outlier and those DM values that can belong to multiple types (i.e. showing weak probability of belonging to a specific cluster) are termed as Overlap. MODIS active fires are overlaid on the model domain to qualitatively evaluate the model-predicted Smoke aerosol types.

Aerosol Types↗
NASA NTRS2017

Impact of Evolving Isoprene Mechanisms on Simulated Formaldehyde: An Inter-comparison Supported by in Situ Observations from SENEX

Isoprene oxidation schemes vary greatly among gas-phase chemical mechanisms, with potentially significant ramifications for air quality modeling and interpretation of satellite observations in biogenic-rich regions. In this study, in situ observations from the 2013 SENEX mission are combined with a constrained O-D photochemical box model to evaluate isoprene chemistry among five commonly used gas-phase chemical mechanisms: CBO5, CB6r2, MCMv3.2, MCMv3.3.1, and a recent version of GEOS-Chem. Mechanisms are evaluated and inter-compared with respect to formaldehyde (HCHO), a high-yield product of isoprene oxidation. Though underestimated by all considered mechanisms, observed HCHO mixing ratios are best reproduced by MCMv3.3.1 (normalized mean bias = -15%), followed by GEOS-Chem (-17%), MCMv3.2 (-25%), CB6r2 (-32%) and CB05 (-33%). Inter-comparison of HCHO production rates reveals that major restructuring of the isoprene oxidation scheme in the Carbon Bond mechanism increases HCHO production by only approx. 5% in CB6r2 relative to CBO5, while further refinement of the complex isoprene scheme in the Master Chemical Mechanism increases HCHO production by approx. 16% in MCMv3.3.1 relative to MCMv3.2. The GEOS-Chem mechanism provides a good approximation of the explicit isoprene chemistry in MCMv3.3.1 and generally reproduces the magnitude and source distribution of HCHO production rates. We analytically derive improvements to the isoprene scheme in CB6r2 and incorporate these changes into a new mechanism called CB6r2-UMD, which is designed to preserve computational efficiency. The CB6r2-UMD mechanism mimics production of HCHO in MCMv3.3.1 and demonstrates good agreement with observed mixing ratios from SENEX (-14%). Improved simulation of HCHO also impacts modeled ozone: at approx. 0.3 ppb NO, the ozone production rate increases approx. 3% between CB6r2 and CB6r2-UMD, and rises another approx. 4% when HCHO is constrained to match observations.

isoprene↗
NASA NTRS2016

Why Do Models Overestimate Surface Ozone in the Southeast United States?

Ozone pollution in the Southeast US involves complex chemistry driven by emissions of anthropogenic nitrogen oxide radicals (NO(x) triple bond NO + NO2) and biogenic isoprene. Model estimates of surface ozone concentrations tend to be biased high in the region and this is of concern for designing effective emission control strategies to meet air quality standards. We use detailed chemical observations from the SEAC(exp 4)RS aircraft campaign in August and September 2013, interpreted with the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model at 0.25 deg x 0.3125 deg horizontal resolution, to better understand the factors controlling surface ozone in the Southeast US. We find that the National Emission Inventory (NEI) for NO(x) from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is too high. This finding is based on SEAC(exp 4)RS observations of NO(x) and its oxidation products, surface network observations of nitrate wet deposition fluxes, and OMI satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 columns. Our results indicate that NEI NO(x) emissions from mobile and industrial sources must be reduced by 30-60%, dependent on the assumption of the contribution by soil NO(x) emissions. Upper-tropospheric NO2 from lightning makes a large contribution to satellite observations of tropospheric NO2 that must be accounted for when using these data to estimate surface NO(x) emissions. We find that only half of isoprene oxidation proceeds by the high-NO(x) pathway to produce ozone; this fraction is only moderately sensitive to changes in NO(x) emissions because isoprene and NO(x) emissions are spatially segregated. GEOS-Chem with reduced NO(x) emissions provides an unbiased simulation of ozone observations from the aircraft and reproduces the observed ozone production efficiency in the boundary layer as derived from a regression of ozone and NO(x) oxidation products. However, the model is still biased high by 6 plus or minus 14 ppb relative to observed surface ozone in the Southeast US. Ozonesondes launched during midday hours show a 7 ppb ozone decrease from 1.5 km to the surface that GEOS-Chem does not capture. This bias may reflect a combination of excessive vertical mixing and net ozone production in the model boundary layer.

Oxidation↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluating Summer-Time Ozone Enhancement Events in the Southeast United States

This study evaluates source attribution of ozone (O3) in the southeast US within O3 lamina observed by the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) Tropospheric Ozone Lidar Network (TOLNet) system during June 2013. This research applies surface-level and airborne in situ data and chemical transport model, GEOS-Chem, simulations in order to quantify the impact of North American anthropogenic emissions, wildfires, lightning NOx, and background stratospheric transport on the observed O3 lamina. During the summer of 2013, two anomalous O3 layers were observed and evaluated: 1) a nocturnal near-surface enhancement and 2) a late evening elevated (3-6 km above ground level) O3 plume. A "brute force" zeroing method was applied in GEOS-Chem to quantify the impact of individual emission sources and transport pathways on the vertical distribution of O3 during the two observed lamina. These model simulations suggest that the nocturnal O3 enhancement on June 12, 2013 below 3 km was primarily due to wildfire emissions and the fact that daily maximum anthropogenic emission contributions occurred during these night-time hours. During the second case study it was predicted that above average contributions from background stratospheric transport was largely contributing to the O3 lamina observed on June 29, 2013 between 3-6 km. Further evaluation suggested that a stratospheric intrusion was likely the main source contributing to this O3 enhancement between 3-6 km. Supporting information from other models, remote-sensing observations, and ground-based airborne in situ data agree with the source attribution predicted by GEOS-Chem simulations for both case studies. Overall, this study demonstrates the dynamic atmospheric chemistry occurring in the southeast US and displays the various emission sources and transport processes impacting O3 enhancements at different vertical levels of the troposphere.

Laminates↗
NASA NTRS2022

NASA GEOS Composition Forecast Modeling System GEOS-CF v1.0: Stratospheric Composition

The NASA Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Composition Forecast (GEOS-29CF) provides recent estimates and five-day forecasts of atmospheric composition to the public in near-real time. To do this, the GEOS Earth system model is coupled with the GEOS-Chem tropospheric-stratospheric unified chemistry extension (UCX) to represent composition from the surface to the top of the GEOS atmosphere (0.01 hPa). The GEOS-CF system is described, including updates made to the GEOS-Chem UCX mechanism within GEOS-CF for improved representation of stratospheric chemistry. Comparisons are made against balloon, lidar and satellite observations for stratospheric composition, including measurements of ozone (O3) and important nitrogen and chlorine species related to stratospheric O3recovery. The GEOS-CF nudges the stratospheric O3towards the GEOS Forward Processing (GEOS FP) assimilated O3product; as a result the stratospheric O3in the GEOS-CF historical estimate agrees well with observations. During abnormal dynamical and chemical environments such as the 2020 polar vortexes, the GEOS-CF O3forecasts are more realistic than GEOS FP O3forecasts because of the inclusion of the complex GEOS-Chem UCX stratospheric chemistry. Overall, the spatial patterns of the GEOS-CF simulated concentrations of stratospheric composition agree well with satellite observations. However, there are notable biases – such as low NOx and HNO3 in the polar regions and generally low HCl throughout the stratosphere – and future improvements to the chemistry mechanism and emissions are discussed. GEOS-CF is a new tool for the research community and instrument teams observing trace gases in the stratosphere and troposphere, providing near-real-time three-dimensional gridded information on atmospheric composition.

GEOS-CF↗
NASA NTRS2022

Source and Variability of Formaldehyde (HCHO) at Northern High Latitude: an Integrated Satellite, Aircraft, and Model Study

Here we use satellite observations of formaldehyde (HCHO)vertical column densities (VCD) from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI), aircraft measurements, combined with a nested regional chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem at 0.5°×0.625° resolution), to understand the variability and sources of summertime HCHO better in Alaska. We first evaluate GEOS-Chem with in-situ airborne measurements during Atmospheric Tomography Mission 1 (ATom-1) aircraft campaign. We show reasonable agreement between observed and modeled HCHO, isoprene, monoterpenes and the sum of methyl vinyl ketone and methacrolein (MVK+MACR) in continental boundary layer. In particular, HCHO profiles show spatial homogeneity in Alaska, suggesting a minor contribution of biogenic emissions to HCHO VCD. We further examine the TROPOMI HCHO product in Alaska summer, reprocessed by GEOS-Chem model output for a priori profiles and shape factors. For the year with low wildfire activity (e.g.,2018), we find that HCHO VCDs are largely dominated by background HCHO (58-71%), with minor contributions from wildfires (20-32%) and biogenic VOC emissions (8-10%). For the year with intense wildfires (e.g.,2019), summertime HCHO VCD is dominated by wildfire emissions (50-72%), with minor contributions from background (22-41%) and biogenic VOCs (6-10%). In particular, the model indicates a major contribution of wildfires from direct emissions of HCHO, instead of secondary production of HCHO from oxidation of larger VOCs. We find that the column contributed by biogenic VOC is often small and below the TROPOMI detection limit, in part due to the slow HCHO production from isoprene oxidation under low NOx conditions. This work highlights challenges for quantifying HCHO and its precursors in remote pristine regions.

HCHO↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A 1 MW Solar Electric and Chemical Propulsion Vehicle for Piloted Mars Opposition Class Missions

Previous investigations have extensively explored crew missions to and from Mars, with a prevailing approach termed the 'conjunction' class, necessitating an approximately 500-day stay at Mars for a cost-effective return. However, this configuration results in a mission duration exceeding 1000 days (roughly 3 years). In order to reduce crew health and surface operations risks, a shortened mission duration of 850 days is being explored by using a short ~30 day Mars surface stay and a ‘opposition’ class approach. A non-nuclear approach is possible by combining solar electric propulsion and a chemical stage. While past mission concepts for the conjunction missions also used solar electric propulsion they limited the SEP power to <700 kW. In order to achieve the 850 day round trip more SEP power is needed. A 1MW class SEP-Chem vehicle was found sufficient to perform the 850 day mission. The biggest challenge for the design will be the large, high power solar arrays, mainly from their deployment and stability. This work describes the design of the SEP-Chem vehicle, assembled in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) and employing super-heavy class and the Space Launch System (SLS) launchers.

SEP-Chem↗
NASA NTRS1972

Beryllium heat shield technology in the area of thermal protection devices

For future space applications, it is important that thermal protection systems be reusable for space shuttle flights. Beryllium offers a unique combination of properties for use as a heat shield material (stiffness, lightweight, ability to absorb heat). In order to adequately test these properties, it was necessary to fabricate heat shields. The concept used was a two-section test panel 99.1 x 99.1 cm (39 x 39 inch) with each section made of two 0.051 cm (0.020 inch) thick beryllium corrugations brazed together as a mirror image, with titanium (Ti-6Al-4V) used as standoffs to support the panel structure. The work prior to fabrication included brazability of both beryllium and titanium, forming of beryllium and titanium, machining processes involving beryllium and chem-milling beryllium. Sub-scale samples were made of all details before actual fabrication of the large panel. The full scale test panel was hot-formed at 950 K, chem-milled to 0.041 + or - 0.005 cm (0.016 + or - 0.002 inches), trimmed, vacuum brazed, drilled and assembled.

Muhl, A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Design, fabrication, and test of lightweight shell structure

A cylindrical shell skirt structure was subjected to a design and analysis study using a wide variety of structural materials and concepts. The design loading, axial compression, and torsion is representative of that expected on a typical space tug skirt section. Structural concepts evaluated included honeycomb sandwich, truss, isogrid, and skin/stringer/frame. The materials considered included a wide variety of structural metals as well as glass, graphite, and boron-reinforced composites. Honeycomb sandwich with aluminum faceskins, honeycomb sandwich with graphite/epoxy faceskins, and aluminum truss with fiberglass meteoroid protection layers were the designs selected for further evaluation. Procurement of materials required for fabrication is reported and the structural test plan and fabrication drawings are included. Construction of the graphite/epoxy faceskins, chem mill of the aluminum faceskins, chem mill of aluminum truss components, and fabrication of the graphite/epoxy honeycomb sandwich development panel is also reported.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1985

The charge-energy-mass spectrometer for 0.3-300 keV/e ions on the AMPTE CCE

The charge-energy-mass (CHEM) spectrometer on the Charge Composition Explorer (CCE) has the function to measure the energy spectra, pitch-angle distributions, and ionization states of ions in the earth's magnetosphere and magnetosheath in the energy range from 0.3 to 300 keV/charge with a time resolution of less than 1 min. The obtained data will provide essential information on outstanding problems related to ion sources and dynamical processes of space plasmas and of suprathermal ions. A description of the CHEM experiment is given, taking into account the principle of operation, the sensor, the electronics, instrument characteristics, specifications, and requirements. Questions of postlaunch performance are also discussed.

Gloeckler, G.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Propulsive options for a manned Mars transportation system

In this investigation, five potential manned Mars transportation systems are compared. These options include: (1) a single vehicle, chemically propelled (CHEM) option, (2) a single vehicle, nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) option, (3) a single vehicle solar electric propulsion (SEP) option, (4) a single vehicle hybrid nuclear electric propulsion (NEP)/CHEM option, and (5) a dual vehicle option (NEP cargo spacecraft and CHEM manned vehicle). In addition to utilizing the initial vehicle weight in low-earth orbit as a measure of mission feasibility, this study addresses the major technological barriers each propulsive scenario must surpass. It is shown that instead of a single clearly superior propulsion system, each means of propulsion may be favored depending upon the specified program policy and the extent of the desired manned flight time. Furthermore, the effect which aerobraking and multiple transfer cycles have upon mission feasibility is considered.

Braun, Robert D.↗