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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
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NASA NTRS1993

Minutes of the Sixth CEOS Plenary Meeting

The Committee on Earth Observations Satellites (CEOS) minutes for the sixth plenary meeting held in London, December 9-11, 1992 are presented. Attending as prospective members were the Russian Space Agency (RSA), the Committee for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring of the Ministry for Ecology and Natural resources of the Russian Federation (ROSCOMGIDROMET), the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) and the National Remote Sensing Center of China (NRSCC). Actions taken at the meeting included membership issues, CEOS proposals, data policy, and working group reports. Data requirements of CEOS affiliates were also reported on. Additional summations and statements as well as lists of participants and future meetings are included. In general, topics covered related to remote sensing and global change.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2001

Overview of NASA's Space Solar Power Technology Advanced Research and Development Program

Large solar power satellite (SPS) systems that might provide base load power into terrestrial markets were examined extensively in the 1970s by the US Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Following a hiatus of about 15 years, the subject of space solar power (SSP) was reexamined by NASA from 1995-1997 in the 'fresh look' study, and during 1998 in an SSP 'concept definition study', and during 1999-2000 in the SSP Exploratory Research and Technology (SERT) program. As a result of these efforts, during 2001, NASA has initiated the SSP Technology Advanced Research and Development (STAR-Dev) program based on informed decisions. The goal of the STAR-Dev program is to conduct preliminary strategic technology research and development to enable large, multi-megawatt to gigawatt-class space solar power (SSP) systems and wireless power transmission (WPT) for government missions and commercial markets (in-space and terrestrial). Specific objectives include: (1) Release a NASA Research Announcement (NRA) for SSP Projects; (2) Conduct systems studies; (3) Develop Component Technologies; (4) Develop Ground and Flight demonstration systems; and (5) Assess and/or Initiate Partnerships. Accomplishing these objectives will allow informed future decisions regarding further SSP and related research and development investments by both NASA management and prospective external partners. In particular, accomplishing these objectives will also guide further definition of SSP and related technology roadmaps including performance objectives, resources and schedules; including 'multi-purpose' applications (commercial, science, and other government).

Howell, Joe↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Seeing the Future of Spaceflight: Applications of Extended Reality (XR) Technologies

INTRODUCTION Advances in Earth Independent Medical Operations (EIMO) focused capabilities will be crucial for completing successful beyond low-earth-orbit (LEO) missions, where traditional Earth-based medical support and near real-time communication are limited, intermittent, or absent. In such restricted or limited communication environments, emerging extended reality (ER or XR) technologies may play a vital role in ensuring crew health and safety. Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR) are common terms used to describe technologies that "generate or modify" while “extended reality” (ER or XR) is often used as an umbrella term for these technologies. This review explores how such cutting-edge “extended reality” information delivery systems are currently applied across various disciplines within NASA. The review focuses on their capabilities, limitations, and prospective future applications as they pertain to Earth-Independent Medical Operations and its components of pre-mission planning, medical decision making, resource management, and task load management. METHODS/DESIGN The review began with a literature search to identify relevant disciplines (e.g., medical education, austere environments) where XR technologies have been studied to highlight areas where evidence is lacking. Previous and current NASA XR projects and applications, as well as commercial partnerships, such as those with Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR), were identified. Discussions with technical experts involved in the design, development, and application of these technologies allowed for classification based on their respective spaceflight applications. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION This review highlights current and emerging XR technologies that have been developed, tested, and implemented both terrestrially and in spaceflight by NASA, its international partners, the U.S. Armed Forces, and various relevant commercial entities. While these novel information delivery systems vary in their respective technology readiness levels (TRL), they have the potential to be implemented on Earth, in LEO, and during deep space exploration. These systems have the potential for impacting and optimizing many aspects of EIMO.

Yevgeniy Zhivotovskiy↗
NASA NTRS1993

Robotic precursor missions to the moon and Mars

NASA's Office of Exploration has determined that both the global and the more focused data sets required for the engineering development of manned lunar and Martian exploration systems call for the running of robotic precursor missions. Accounts are presented of the nature of such robotic precursor efforts, which must conduct (1) resource characterization and location, (2) site selection, and (3) fundamental scientific data acquisition tasks. Attention is given to the configurations and instrument suites of prospective robotic lander designs.

Smith, William L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

In-Situ Studies of the Lunar Water Cycle Using a CLPS-Delivered Ion-Trap Mass Spectrometer (PITMS)

Characterize the lunar exosphere from the surface after descent and landing, and throughout the lunar day, to understand the release and movement of volatile species. Leverage the PROSPECT program and develop the ITMS as a standalone mass spectrometer suitable for commercial lunar landers. PITMS will consist of a PROSPECT-derived ITMS sensor and front-end electronics, newly developed controller and power supply boards, and a GSFC wrapper. Lander-friendly: low resource (<2 kg, 4-8 W), simple interfaces, passive, landing site agnostic.

Cohen, Barbara A.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Autonomous In-Situ Resources Prospector

This presentation will describe the concept of an autonomous, intelligent, rover-based rapid surveying system to identify and map several key lunar resources to optimize their ISRU (In Situ Resource Utilization) extraction potential. Prior to an extraction phase for any target resource, ground-based surveys are needed to provide confirmation of remote observation, to quantify and map their 3-D distribution, and to locate optimal extraction sites (e.g. ore bodies) with precision to maximize their economic benefit. The system will search for and quantify optimal minerals for oxygen production feedstock, water ice, and high glass-content regolith that can be used for building materials. These are targeted because of their utility and because they are, or are likely to be, variable in quantity over spatial scales accessible to a rover (i.e., few km). Oxygen has benefits for life support systems and as an oxidizer for propellants. Water is a key resource for sustainable exploration, with utility for life support, propellants, and other industrial processes. High glass-content regolith has utility as a feedstock for building materials as it readily sinters upon heating into a cohesive matrix more readily than other regolith materials or crystalline basalts. Lunar glasses are also a potential feedstock for oxygen production, as many are rich in iron and titanium oxides that are optimal for oxygen extraction. To accomplish this task, a system of sensors and decision-making algorithms for an autonomous prospecting rover is described. One set of sensors will be located in the wheel tread of the robotic search vehicle providing contact sensor data on regolith composition. Another set of instruments will be housed on the platform of the rover, including VIS-NIR imagers and spectrometers, both for far-field context and near-field characterization of the regolith in the immediate vicinity of the rover. Also included in the sensor suite are a neutron spectrometer, ground-penetrating radar, and an instrumented cone penetrometer for subsurface assessment. Output from these sensors will be evaluated autonomously in real-time by decision-making software to evaluate if any of the targeted resources has been detected, and if so, to quantify their abundance. Algorithms for optimizing the mapping strategy based on target resource abundance and distribution are also included in the autonomous software. This approach emphasizes on-the-fly survey measurements to enable efficient and rapid prospecting of large areas, which will improve the economics of ISRU system approaches. The mature technology will enable autonomous rovers to create in-situ resource maps of lunar or other planetary surfaces, which will facilitate human and robotic exploration.

Dissly, R. W.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Model of Ice Growth in Vacuum for Lunar Water Production

To support NASA’s goal of sustained lunar presence, the use of in-situ resource utilization will reduce launch weight and frequency of resupply missions. With the discovery of water in the permanently shadowed regions of the moon, the prospect of harvesting water has generated particular interest. A more fundamental understanding of water storage and capture in lunar conditions is necessary for effective and efficient water capture and transport. The present study derives a thermal model for ice height, heat flux, chamber pressure, and mass flow rate in sub-atmospheric pressures below the triple point. The thermal model compares ice layer height against the results of the experiment at two pressures (300 Pa and 500 Pa) and temperatures from -18°C to -3°C. The thermal model predicts the trends seen experimentally with an overall root mean square error of 0.1135 cm and coefficient of efficiency of 0.994, indicating the model predicts the experimental results. The thermal model can be utilized to examine the impacts of varying pressure, temperature, and cold plate area to determine the most effective ice growth conditions for efficient capture of water on the lunar surface. The thermal model will provide a useful tool for NASA in the design of the lunar ice tanker and shows the promise of effective capture water on the lunar surface.

Ice growth↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Thermal Model of Ice Growth in Vacuum for Lunar Water Production

To support NASA’s goal of sustained lunar presence, the use of in-situ resource utilization will reduce launch weight and frequency of resupply missions. With the discovery of water in the permanently shadowed regions of the moon, the prospect of harvesting water has generated particular interest. A more fundamental understanding of water storage and capture in lunar conditions is necessary for effective and efficient water capture and transport. The present study derives a thermal model for ice height, heat flux, chamber pressure, and mass flow rate in sub-atmospheric pressures below the triple point. The thermal model compares ice layer height against the results of the experiment at two pressures (300 Pa and 500 Pa) and temperatures from -18°C to -3°C. The thermal model predicts the trends seen experimentally with an overall root mean square error of 0.1135 cm and coefficient of efficiency of 0.994, indicating the model predicts the experimental results. The thermal model can be utilized to examine the impacts of varying pressure, temperature, and cold plate area to determine the most effective ice growth conditions for efficient capture of water on the lunar surface. The thermal model will provide a useful tool for NASA in the design of the lunar ice tanker and shows the promise of effective capture water on the lunar surface.

Ice growth↗
NASA NTRS1982

Prospects for augmenting Spacelab capability

Extensions and improvements projected for the baseline Spacelab system are with emphasis on near-term improvements currently being investigated by the ESA. This ESA Phase B study is primarily concerned with resources augmentation and mission duration extensions. Attention is also given to such long-term Spacelab applications as its use as an element of a larger space platform structure, constituting a permanently manned facility for the 1987/1990 period. Near-term improvements include the incorporation of radiator panels that cover the upper surface of the Spacelab module or extend outward from its pallets, pallet size variations for greater payload accommodation flexibility, and the accommodation of crews in the Spacelab interior.

Wienss, W.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Lunar bases and space activities of the 21st century

The present conference gives attention to such major aspects of lunar colonization as lunar base concepts, lunar transportation, lunar science research activities, moon-based astronomical researches, lunar architectural construction, lunar materials and processes, lunar oxygen production, life support and health maintenance in lunar bases, societal aspects of lunar colonization, and the prospects for Mars colonization. Specific discussions are presented concerning the role of nuclear energy in lunar development, achromatic trajectories and the industrial scale transport of lunar resources, advanced geologic exploration from a lunar base, geophysical investigations of the moon, moon-based astronomical interferometry, the irradiation of the moon by particles, cement-based composites for lunar base construction, electrostatic concentration of lunar soil minerals, microwave processing of lunar materials, a parametric analysis of lunar oxygen production, hydrogen from lunar regolith fines, metabolic support for a lunar base, past and future Soviet lunar exploration, and the use of the moons of Mars as sources of water for lunar bases.

Mendell, W. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Commercial development of space - A national commitment

The United States is currently in a unique position. It has all the assets required to lead the world in commercial space development. It has the transportation: the Shuttle and a family of expendable launch vehicles. Space Station Freedom is forthcoming. It has the extrepreneurial spirit, coupled with a strong university system and lending institutions with financial capacity necessary for entrepreneurial activities. But, there are a number of actions that the government should take to improve the climate and prospects for greater commercial development of space. This paper outlines some of the steps that NASA is taking to incentivize the private sector to apply its resources and talents to commercial space endeavors.

Rose, James T.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Resource Prospector: Mission Goals, Relevance and Site Selection

Over the last two decades a wealth of new observations of the moon have demonstrated a lunar water system dramatically more complex and rich than was deduced following the Apollo era. Observation from the Lunar Prospector Neutron Spectrometer (LPNS) revealed enhancements of hydrogen near the lunar poles. This observation has since been confirmed by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) instrument. The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission targeted a permanently shadowed, enhanced hydrogen location within the crater Cabeus. The LCROSS impact showed that at least some of the hydrogen enhancement is in the form of water ice and molecular hydrogen (H2). Other volatiles were also observed in the LCROSS impact cloud, including CO2, CO, an H2S. These volatiles, and in particular water, have the potential to be a valuable or enabling resource for future exploration. In large part due to these new findings, the NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD) have selected a lunar volatiles prospecting mission for a concept study and potential flight in CY2020. The mission includes a rover-borne payload that (1) can locate surface and near-subsurface volatiles, (2) excavate and analyze samples of the volatile-bearing regolith (up to 1 meter), and (3) demonstrate the form, extractability and usefulness of the materials.

Moon↗
NASA NTRS2014

Test and Recommendation of Flight-forward Resistive Temperature Detector for Resource Prospector Mission

The Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission planned to launch in 2018. The mission will use the Regolith and Environment Science & Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) Payload to prospect for lunar volatiles such as water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. These compounds will validate ISRU capability. The payload, particularly the Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) subsystem, requires numerous temperature measurements to accurately control on-board heaters that keep the volatiles in the vapor phase to allow quantification and prevent the clogging of delivery lines. Previous spaceflight missions have proven that Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD) failure impedes mission success. The research resulted in a recommendation for a flight-forward RTD. The recommendation was based on accuracy, consistency, and ease of installation of RTDs procured from IST, QTI, and Honeywell.

LAVA↗
NASA NTRS2012

Test and Recommendation of Flight-Forward Resistive Temperature Detector for Resource Prospector Mission

The Resource Prospector Mission (RPM) is an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) technology demonstration mission planned to launch in 2018. The mission will use the Regolith and Environment Science & Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE) Payload to prospect for lunar volatiles such as water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide. These compounds will validate ISRU capability. The payload, particularly the Lunar Advanced Volatile Analysis (LAVA) subsystem, requires numerous temperature measurements to accurately control on-board heaters that keep the volatiles in the vapor phase to allow quantification and prevent the clogging of delivery lines. Previous spaceflight missions have proven that Resistive Temperature Detector (RTD) failure impedes mission success. The research resulted in a recommendation for a flight-forward RTD. The recommendation was based on accuracy, consistency, and ease of installation of RTDs procured from IST, QTI, and Honeywell.

LAVA↗
NASA NTRS2021

Developing Compelling and Science-Focused Mission Concepts for NASA Competed Mission Proposals

Since the mid 1990s, NASA has used a competitive selection process to initiate new mission concepts. These competed missions are motivated by high-value science with low implementation and cost risks. Selectable mission concepts require highly focused science approaches—delivering high quality science “on a budget.” Prospective Principal Investigators (PIs) need to convince NASA that the science they are proposing is both compelling and has high programmatic value. Unfortunately, many of these PIs are not trained in the communication skills needed for “selling” a mission concept to stakeholders. This requires a proposal that presents an investigation in an accessible, relatable, authentic, and believable way. It is the onus of the proposing PI to convince NASA of the value of their particular science concept in a competitive environment, addressing any pre-conceived notions reviewers might have about the concept’s value, complexities, urgency, and other impediments to understanding.The importance of this can be seen in the NASA-sponsored PI Launchpad (Nov 2019 & Jun 2021)1 which was designed to help early career scientists understand the skills, methods, processes, and resources needed to develop compelling science mission concepts; as well as in JPL’s update to their concept maturity model (Jan 2020) which included the addition of Story and Strategy dimensions. This paper provides guidance to assist prospective PIs in developing compelling, science-focused mission concepts. It will provide direction for communicating concepts more clearly to make science objectives more relatable to both reviewers and a broader audience, improving the probability of selection.

Ziemer, John↗
NASA NTRS1973

ERTS-1 imagery use in reconnaissance prospecting: Evaluation of commercial utility of ERTS-1 imagery in structural reconnaissance for minerals and petroleum

The author has identified the following significant results. This study was performed to investigate applications of ERTS-1 imagery in commercial reconnaissance for mineral and hydrocarbon resources. ERTS-1 imagery collected over five areas in North America (Montana; Colorado; New Mexico-West Texas; Superior Province, Canada; and North Slope, Alaska) has been analyzed for data content including linears, lineaments, and curvilinear anomalies. Locations of these features were mapped and compared with known locations of mineral and hydrocarbon accumulations. Results were analyzed in the context of a simple-shear, block-coupling model. Data analyses have resulted in detection of new lineaments, some of which may be continental in extent, detection of many curvilinear patterns not generally seen on aerial photos, strong evidence of continental regmatic fracture patterns, and realization that geological features can be explained in terms of a simple-shear, block-coupling model. The conculsions are that ERTS-1 imagery is of great value in photogeologic/geomorphic interpretations of regional features, and the simple-shear, block-coupling model provides a means of relating data from ERTS imagery to structures that have controlled emplacement of ore deposits and hydrocarbon accumulations, thus providing a basis for a new approach for reconnaissance for mineral, uranium, gas, and oil deposits and structures.

Saunders, D. F.↗
NASA NTRS2006

The Development of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as a Regional Aviation Hub

Air transportation plays an important role in the social and economic development of the global system and the countries that seek to participate in it. As Africa seeks to take its place in the global economy, it is increasingly looking to aviation as the primary means of connecting its people and goods with the world. It has been suggested that Africa as a continent needs to move toward a system of hubs to optimize its scarce resources. Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, is one of the airports in the eastern region of Africa that is seeking to fill this role. This paper discusses the prospects for success and the challenges that it will need to overcome, including projections through 2020 for the growth in passenger and cargo traffic.

Irandu, Evaristus M.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Challenges of Rover Navigation at the Lunar Poles

Observations from Lunar Prospector, LCROSS, Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), and other missions have contributed evidence that water and other volatiles exist at the lunar poles in permanently shadowed regions. Combining a surface rover and a volatile prospecting and analysis payload would enable the detection and characterization of volatiles in terms of nature, abundance, and distribution. This knowledge could have impact on planetary science, in-situ resource utilization, and human exploration of space. While Lunar equatorial regions of the Moon have been explored by manned (Apollo) and robotic missions (Lunokhod, Cheng'e), no surface mission has reached the lunar poles.

Robotics↗