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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 NTRS2026

Hydrofluoroether (HFE) Cleaning Fluid Replacement and Qualification

This NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Technical Assessment Report addresses the urgent need to identify, test, and qualify replacement cleaning solvents and technologies following 3M’s decision to discontinue production of hydrofluoroether (HFE) products, including Novec HFE-7100, by the end of 2025. HFE-7100 is widely used across NASA for precision cleaning of ground and flight hardware, especially in oxygen system components, and as a heat transfer fluid in high-power-density thermal control systems. The assessment evaluates commercially available replacement solvents, alternative cleaning technologies, and their compatibility with NASA’s operational requirements. Key findings include the identification of viable solvent replacements, their performance in contaminant removal, materials compatibility, and oxygen system safety. The report also explores novel cleaning approaches, including aqueous, supercritical CO₂, cryogenic aerosol, plasma, UV-ozone, magnetically optimized fluids, and induced charge active filtration, highlighting their merits, limitations, and readiness for NASA adoption. The NESC provides recommendations for solvent selection, facility adaptation, and continued technology maturation to ensure mission continuity and regulatory compliance.

Alternative Cleaning Technologies↗

NASA NTRS2012

Use of Commercial Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) Parts in NASA's Commercial Crew Program (CCP)

NASA's Commercial Crew and Cargo Program (CCP) is stimulating efforts within the private sector to develop and demonstrate safe, reliable, and cost-effective space transportation capabilities. One initiative involves investigating the use of commercial electronic parts. NASA's CCP asked the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to collect data to help frame the technical, cost, and schedule risk trades associated with electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts selection and specifically expressed desire of some of the CCP partners to employ EEE parts of a lower grade than traditionally used in most NASA safety-critical applications. This document contains the outcome from the NESC's review and analyses.

Gonzalex, Oscar↗

NASA NTRS2021

Orion Meteoroid and Debris Analysis with a Single Kevlar® Layer Enhancement to the Propulsion Tank Multi-Layer Insulation: Comparison of the Observed Data and the Adjusted Ballistic Models

In a continual mass optimization effort for the Orion vehicle by NASA and its prime contractor Lockheed Martin Space, along with the European Space Agency (ESA) and its contractors Airbus and Thales Alenia Space-Italy (TAS-I), a series of shield characterization shots have been performed to quantify the ballistic enhancement of a single-layer of Kevlar® in multi-layer insulation (MLI). This enhanced MLI is part of Orion’s propulsion subsystem, and it is planned to replace a double-layer Kevlar® configuration starting at the Artemis IV mission. This effort has included fifty-two shield characterization shots for five different shield configurations over the four Orion propellant storage vessels. These storage vessels are located in the European Service Module (ESM). This shield characterization has been managed by the Hypervelocity Impact Technology (HVIT) group in NASA Astromaterials Research and Exploration Sciences at Johnson Space Center (JSC) for the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) and the Multi-Purpose Crew Vehicle (MPCV) program office in coordination with Lockheed Martin Space and Thales Alenia Space-Italy (TAS-I). The shield characterization has used the two-stage, light-gas-gun at the Remote Hypervelocity Test Laboratory (RHTL) of NASA JSC White Sands Test Facility (WSTF) for acceleration of projectiles to representative orbital impact speeds. From this shield characterization effort, a revised ballistic limiting equation (BLE) has been developed for each of the five representative shielding configurations of the ESM pressure vessels. This document provides a brief description of the shield configurations considered for the Orion program and the shield characterization findings. These results are compared to the assumed BLE for each configuration going into the Artemis missions that utilize this version of ballistic enhanced MLI. The models are integrated into a fourteen day High Lunar Orbit (HLO) mission as a representative reliability prediction impact for Orion, and it has been found that the predicted risk of a loss-of-crew (LOC) event is actually a little less than half of the assumed value that launched this design modification opportunity.

Joshua E Miller↗

NASA NTRS2012

Structural Element Testing in Support of the Design of the NASA Composite Crew Module

In January 2007, the NASA Administrator and Associate Administrator for the Exploration Systems Mission Directorate chartered the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to design, build, and test a full-scale Composite Crew Module (CCM). For the design and manufacturing of the CCM, the team adopted the building block approach where design and manufacturing risks were mitigated through manufacturing trials and structural testing at various levels of complexity. Following NASA's Structural Design Verification Requirements, a further objective was the verification of design analysis methods and the provision of design data for critical structural features. Test articles increasing in complexity from basic material characterization coupons through structural feature elements and large structural components, to full-scale structures were evaluated. This paper discusses only four elements tests three of which include joints and one that includes a tapering honeycomb core detail. For each test series included are specimen details, instrumentation, test results, a brief analysis description, test analysis correlation and conclusions.

Kellas, Sotiris↗

NASA NTRS2020

Cyclomatic Complexity and Basis Path Testing Study

The NASA Chief Engineer requested the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) to conduct a study to determine the benefits of cyclomatic complexity and basis path testing (BPT) for software and whether they should be required. The principal focus of the assessment was to assess the use of cyclomatic complexity and BPT on safety-critical software. The purpose was to ensure that safety-critical software is not overly complicated to the point of increasing coding errors and that verification is more robust than for non-safety-critical software. This document contains the outcome of the assessment.

Cyclomatic Complexity; NASA Engineering and Safety↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 2 - Volume I: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements of the program's operations.

Jung, David S.↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Wet Life of Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) Batteries

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 3 - Volume I: Wet Life of Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) Batteries of the program's operations.

Jung, David S.↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop)

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This document contains Part 1 - Volume I: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries, and Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop).

Manzo, Michelle A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Generic Safety, Handling and Qualification Guidelines for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Availability of Source Materials for Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) Batteries; Maintaining Technical Communications Related to Aerospace Batteries (NASA Aerospace Battery Workshop)

This NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems Working Group was chartered within the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). The Battery Working Group was tasked to complete tasks and to propose proactive work to address battery related, agency-wide issues on an annual basis. In its first year of operation, this proactive program addressed various aspects of the validation and verification of aerospace battery systems for NASA missions. Studies were performed, issues were discussed and in many cases, test programs were executed to generate recommendations and guidelines to reduce risk associated with various aspects of implementing battery technology in the aerospace industry. This report contains the Appendices to the findings from the first year of the program's operations.

Manzo, Michelle A.↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Wet Life of Nickel-Hydrogen (Ni-H2) Batteries: Appendices - Volume 2, Part 3

Jung, David S,↗

NASA NTRS2010

NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Program: Recommendations for Technical Requirements for Inclusion in Aerospace Battery Procurements

Jung, David S.↗

NASA NTRS2020

Buckling of Thin-Walled Circular Cylinders

Recent industry and NASA experience with the development of launch vehicle structures have indicated a need for updated monographs for the design of buckling-critical structures that account for state-of-the-art structural configurations, material systems, and computational tools. This monograph provides an update to NASA SP-8007 (circa 1965, and 1968) and was prepared under the cognizance of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC). It summarizes all significant knowledge and experience accumulated from the NESC Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor (SBKF) Assessment (NESC Assessment #: 07-010-E) to date for use in the design of buckling-critical thin-walled circular cylinders. The format and terminology used in this monograph is similar to previous versions of NASA SP-8007 for ease of understanding and implementation. In addition, as with the design recommendations contained in the previous versions of NASA SP-8007, this monograph is to be regarded as a guideline to design and not as a NASA requirement, unless specified in formal program requirements. Furthermore, it is expected that the guidelines presented in this monograph will be updated as appropriate. Designers are advised to stay abreast of updates in the state-of-the-art and corresponding design criteria.

Buckling↗

NASA NTRS2017

International Space Station Lithium-Ion Main Battery Thermal Runaway Propagation Test

In 2010, the ISS Program began the development of Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) batteries to replace the aging Ni-H2 batteries on the primary Electric Power System (EPS). After the Boeing 787 Li-Ion battery fires, the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Power Technical Discipline Team was tasked by ISS to investigate the possibility of Thermal Runaway Propagation (TRP) in all Li-Ion batteries used on the ISS. As part of that investigation, NESC funded a TRP test of an ISS EPS non-flight Li-Ion battery. The test was performed at NASA White Sands Test Facility in October 2016. This paper will discuss the work leading up to the test, the design of the test article, and the test results.

International Space Statio↗

NASA NTRS2015

Advanced Booster Composite Case/Polybenzimidazole Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Insulation Development

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) was requested to examine processing sensitivities (e.g., cure temperature control/variance, debonds, density variations) of polybenzimidazole nitrile butadiene rubber (PBI-NBR) insulation, case fiber, and resin systems and to evaluate nondestructive evaluation (NDE) and damage tolerance methods/models required to support human-rated composite motor cases. The proposed use of composite motor cases in Blocks IA and II was expected to increase performance capability through optimizing operating pressure and increasing propellant mass fraction. This assessment was to support the evaluation of risk reduction for large booster component development/fabrication, NDE of low mass-to-strength ratio material structures, and solid booster propellant formulation as requested in the Space Launch System NASA Research Announcement for Advanced Booster Engineering Demonstration and/or Risk Reduction. Composite case materials and high-energy propellants represent an enabling capability in the Agency's ability to provide affordable, high-performing advanced booster concepts. The NESC team was requested to provide an assessment of co- and multiple-cure processing of composite case and PBI-NBR insulation materials and evaluation of high-energy propellant formulations.

Gentz, Steve↗

NASA NTRS2019

Radiation Single Event Effects (SEE) Impact on Complex Avionics Architecture Reliability

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has an urgent need to understand how system-level reliability of an avionics architecture is compromised when portions of the architecture are temporarily unavailable due to single event effects (SEE). The proposed activity parametrically evaluated these SEE impacts on system reliability based on mission duration, upset rate and recovery times for a representative redundant architecture. The key stakeholders for this study are NASA programs and projects that expect to use avionics architectures with electrical, electronic and electromechanical (EEE) parts susceptible to SEE when exposed to the mission expected radiation environment.

Hodson, Robert F.↗

NASA NTRS2025

Humans to Mars, but How Many? Trade Space Analyses for Mars Mission Crew Size

Missions to Mars will differ from previous human spaceflight missions in that the crew of astronauts will be required to operate in an Earth-independent manner due to the long communication delays. Without a systematic, repeatable process to determine the number and composition of crew necessary to successfully accomplish these missions, NASA increases the risk that crew sizes may be too small to meet primary mission objectives under nominal conditions and, more consequentially, that crewmembers may not have the expertise needed to successfully respond to unforeseen failures without the real-time expertise of the Mission Control Central (MCC) team NASA currently relies upon. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) developed a methodology for assessing the trade space of factors that affect the number of crew for Mars missions based on human performance and expertise modeling. This methodology includes the consideration of results from three human performance models developed using the Improved Performance Research and Integration Tool (IMPRINT) modeling platform as well as a custom-built model on expertise trained within the crew based on NASA’s crew qualification and responsibilities matrix (CQRM). We present example model results and discuss implications on trade space analyses for Mars mission crew size.

Mars Mission↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Status of Venus Global Reference Atmospheric Model (Venus-GRAM) Upgrades

Venus-GRAM Overview - Engineering-oriented atmospheric model that estimates mean values and statistical variations of Venus atmospheric properties - Outputs include atmospheric density, temperature, pressure, chemical composition, and wind components along a user-defined path - Widely used by the engineering community because of its ability to create realistic atmospheric dispersions - Can be integrated into high fidelity flight dynamic simulations of launch, entry, descent and landing (EDL), aerobraking and aerocapture - Has been used in multiple studies and proposals including NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Autonomous Aerobraking Study and various Discovery proposals - Optional trajectory input file consisting of time, height, latitude, and longitude can be used to provide the Venus-GRAM trajectory path - Optional auxiliary profile consisting of height, latitude, longitude, temperature, pressure, density, eastward wind, and northward wind may be used to replace model data in Venus-GRAM - Not a forecast model - GRAMs are also available for Earth, Mars, Titan, Neptune, Uranus, and Jupiter - Available through the NASA Software Catalog https://software.nasa.gov/software/MFS-33888-1

atmospheric models↗

NASA NTRS2012

Developing the Next Generation Shell Buckling Design Factors and Technologies

NASA s Shell Buckling Knockdown Factor (SBKF) Project was established in the spring of 2007 by the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) in collaboration with the Constellation Program and Exploration Systems Mission Directorate. The SBKF project has the current goal of developing less-conservative, robust shell buckling design factors (a.k.a. knockdown factors) and design and analysis technologies for light-weight stiffened metallic launch vehicle (LV) structures. Preliminary design studies indicate that implementation of these new knockdown factors can enable significant reductions in mass and mass-growth in these vehicles and can help mitigate some of NASA s LV development and performance risks. In particular, it is expected that the results from this project will help reduce the reliance on testing, provide high-fidelity estimates of structural performance, reliability, robustness, and enable increased payload capability. The SBKF project objectives and approach used to develop and validate new design technologies are presented, and provide a glimpse into the future of design of the next generation of buckling-critical launch vehicle structures.

Hilburger, Mark W.↗