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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 NTRSDate not supplied

NASA BPS Reduced Gravity Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) Study

The Biological and Physical Sciences (BPS) Division of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD), and its predecessors, has sponsored extensive flight and ground experiments yielding benchmark datasets in many materials science research areas including thermophysical properties and solidification microstructure formation and evolution. The subject study sought to motivate and focus BPS’s engagement within the broader Integrated ICME community to understand the phenomena underlying material processing, structure, and properties in the microgravity environment of space and to support future space exploration efforts.

Louise Littles↗

NASA NTRS1989

Overview of the Center for Advanced Space Propulsion

The mission of the Center for Advanced Space Propulsion (CASP), a Center for the Commercial Development of Space (CCDS), is to strengthen U.S. competitiveness in space technology, foster cooperative research with industry and government, assist industry in developing commercial products and services, and perform research in advanced space propulsion. Current areas of focus are (1) advanced chemical propulsion, including high area ratio nozzle performance, variable thrust engine performance, and spray combustion stability; (2) artificial intelligence propulsion applications, including health monitoring of rocket engines, fault pattern detection and diagnosis, and intelligent hypertext applications; (3) microgravity fluid management, including liquid storage and transfer, a subscale orbital fluid transfer experiment, and helical, two-phase flow; (4) electric propulsion, including magnetic annular arc thruster, ion thrustor, and electrostatic plasma accelerator; and (5) laser materials processing.

George W Garrison↗

NASA NTRS2006

Nitrile/Buna N Material Failure Assessment for an O-Ring used on the Gaseous Hydrogen Flow Control Valve (FCV) of the Space Shuttle Main Engine

After the rollout of Space Shuttle Discovery in April 2005 in preparation for return-to-flight, there was a failure of the Orbiter (OV-103) helium signature leak test in the gaseous hydrogen (GH2) system. Leakage was attributed to the Flow Control Valve (FCV) in Main Engine 3. The FCV determined to be the source of the leak for OV-103 is designated as LV-58. The nitrile/Buna N rubber O-ring seal was removed from LV-58, and failure analysis indicated radial cracks providing leak paths in one quadrant. Cracks were eventually found in 6 of 9 FCV O-rings among the three Shuttle Orbiters, though none were as severe as those for LV-58, OV-103. Testing by EM10 at MSFC on all 9 FCV O- rings included: laser dimensional, Shore A hardness and properties from a dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) and an Instron tensile machine. The following test data was obtained on the cracked quadrant of the LV-58, OV-103 O-ring: (1) the estimated compression set was only 9.5%, compared to none for the rest of the O-ring; (2) Shore A hardness for the O.D. was higher by almost 4 durometer points than for the rest of the O-ring; and (3) DMA data showed that the storage/elastic modulus E was almost 25% lower than for the rest of the O-ring. Of the 8 FCV O-rings tested on an Instron, 4 yielded tensile strengths that were below the MIL spec requirement of 1350 psi-a likely influence of rubber cracking. Comparisons were made between values of modulus determined by DNA (elastic) and Instron (Young s). Each nitrile/Buna N O-ring used in the FCV conforms to the MIL-P-25732C specification. A number of such O-rings taken from shelf storage at MSFC and Kennedy Space Center (KSC) were used to generate a reference curve of DMA glass transition temperature (Tg) vs. shelf storage time ranging from 8 to 26 years. A similar reference curve of TGA onset temperature (of rubber weight loss) vs. shelf storage time was also generated. The DMA and TGA data for the used FCV O-rings were compared to the reference curves. Correlations were also made between the DMA modulus (at 22 C) and Shore A hardness for all 9 of the FCV O-rings used among the three Shuttle Orbiters. The radial cracking in the FCV O-rings was determined to be due to ozone attack, as nitrile/Buna N rubber is susceptible to such attack. Nitrile/Buna N material under MIL-P25732C should be used in a hydraulic fluid environment to help protect it from cracking. However, the FCV O-rings were used in an air only environment. The FCV design has as much as a 9-mil gap that allows the O.D. of the O-ring to be directly exposed to ozone, pressurized air and some elevated temperatures, accelerating the weathering process that leads to O-ring cracking. Space Shuttle flights will likely not continue past 2010. Therefore, Shuttle management decided to continue using the nitrile/Buna N material for the FCVs, but have each O-ring replaced after 3 years to minimize any chances for crack initiation.

Doug Wingard↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

P-band Antenna Array for NASA's Space Exploration Synthetic Aperture Radar (SESAR) Instrument

A dual-polarized, wideband, lightweight P-band (435 MHz) antenna element and array for spaceborne radar applications has been developed for NASA’s SESAR (Space Exploration Synthetic Aperture Radar) instrument for planetary synthetic aperture radar (SAR) applications. The antenna array is based on lightweight, low-profile antenna elements that form the building blocks of configurable “array panels” that can in turn be used to build larger arrays consisting of multiple panels. The element design combines a novel, mostly planar conductor antenna element geometry with a robust lightweight composite material construction.

Synthetic Aperture Radar↗

DOE OSTI2025

Establishing model credibility for process-microstructure-property relationships in additive manufacturing using exascale computing

Additive Manufacturing (AM) of alloys holds significant promise as a disruptive technology in various industries, yet its adoption is often hindered by challenges in achieving consistent part quality. These issues are primarily due to the complex process-microstructure-property (PSP) relationships inherent to AM. Computational models can greatly aid in understanding these relationships, but their widespread impact and adoption has been limited by a lack of validated, open-source, and computationally efficient PSP modeling frameworks and hardware limitations. Here, this study leverages the ExaAM software suite and data from the AMBench-2018 series of laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) benchmark experiments to perform a comprehensive model assessment, including verification, validation, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification. The RADICAL-EnTK workflow manager was used to perform an ensemble of heat transport, solidification, and mechanical response simulations on the exascale computer Frontier, considering uncertainties in critical model inputs such as laser spot size and nucleation parameters, and consisting of 125 explicit grain structure simulations and 7875 crystal plasticity simulations. For a selected location within the Inconel 625 AMBench-2018 test artifact, sensitivity analysis and uncertainty quantification were performed using the predicted distributions of grain structure and mechanical properties. Qualitative agreement was found between the predicted grain size and texture and the observed AMBench-2018 microstructure, the mean predicted yield stress was within 5% of the experimental measurement mean, and the mean predicted engineering stress at 5% strain was within 10% of the experimental measurement mean. The insights gained from development and validation of the ExaAM PSP modeling framework will help guide future directions for enhancing the credibility and reliability of PSP models in AM, thereby accelerating the adoption of AM technologies in various industries.

Additive manufacturing↗

NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine C Oliver↗

NASA NTRS1997

Analysis of Impact Induced Damage and its Effect on Structural Integrity of Space Flight Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels

The objective of this research work has been to provide analytical background and support to the ongoing experimental program at NASA, White Sands Test Facility, involving testing composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPV) for impact damage and cyclic pressurization. Preliminary theoretical basis, including the governing equations for a shallow shell subjected to internal pressure, has been established. Effects of the Griffith type cracks on the structural integrity of the cylindrical vessel were evaluated by methods of Fracture Mechanics. The results indicate that the effective mass of the pressure vessel is an important factor influencing the response to impact events. We also have found that the material properties of the target, contained in the constitutive equations of the composite attached to the Aluminum liner, dominate the impact event in the low velocity range, the material properties become less important, while the target mass distribution and the impactor mass become more significant as the velocity of the impactor increases. Therefore, at high-velocity impact it is not only the kinetic energy of the impactor but also its mass which has a significant effect on the dynamics of the event, and consequently on the induced damage. This work also suggests a methodology for an assessment of the rate of loading effects on the degradation of the material toughness associated with a high-velocity impact where the rate effects become significant. To model the rate dependence of the material response a viscoelastic-plastic constitutive equations were assumed, and on this basis predictions are made regarding the rate dependent material resistance curve. Other dynamic phenomena associated with the impact event have been treated in the framework of the Computational Mechanics using the courtesy of Prof. P. Guebelle and his graduate student at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign who have an access to a super-fast computer located on their campus. Finally, the guidelines for a follow-up research program are provided in the body of this report. They address three major areas: theoretical research, numerical studies, and further experimental work.

Michael P Wnuk↗

NASA NTRS1962

Mechanical Design of Spacecraft

In the spring of 1962, engineers from the Engineering Mechanics Division of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory gave a series of lectures on spacecraft design at the Engineering Design seminars conducted at the California Institute of Technology. Several of these lectures were subsequently given at Stanford University as part of the Space Technology seminar series sponsored by the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Presented here are notes taken from these lectures. The lectures were conceived with the intent of providing the audience with a glimpse of the activities of a few mechanical engineers who are involved in designing, building, and testing spacecraft. Engineering courses generally consist of heavily idealized problems in order to allow the more efficient teaching of mathematical technique. Students, therefore, receive a somewhat limited exposure to actual engineering problems, which are typified by more unknowns than equations. For this reason it was considered valuable to demonstrate some of the problems faced by spacecraft designers, the processes used to arrive at solutions, and the interactions between the engineer and the remainder of the organization in which he is constrained to operate. These lecture notes are not so much a compilation of sophisticated techniques of analysis as they are a collection of examples of spacecraft hardware and associated problems. They will be of interest not so much to the experienced spacecraft designer as to those who wonder what part the mechanical engineer plays in an effort such as the exploration of space.

MARINER SPACE PROBE↗

NASA NTRS2026

Equivalent System Mass Comparison of ECLSS CO 2 Removal Technologies

This project employs equivalent system mass (ESM) analyses to evaluate and compare state-of-the-art spacecraft CO 2 removal systems. The ESM methodology converts sizing characteristics such as volume, power, and cooling requirements into a unified metric of mass, allowing for simple quantitative comparison of equipment impacts on a system level. Comparison of six high TRL technologies – the Carbon Dioxide Removal System (CDRS), Thermal Amine Scrubber (TAS), Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA), Four-Bed CO 2 Scrubber (4BCO2), CO 2 and Humidity Control Swing Bed (CHC), and the Carbon Dioxide Removal by Ionic Liquid Sorbent (CDRILS) – was achieved using an existing ESM spreadsheet tool that formerly ranked such technologies for consideration on Gateway. Fidelity of the tool was increased through revision with the most up-to-date sizing and performance data for each technology. ESM values were then estimated using NASA-supplied Lunar, Martian, and low-Earth orbit habitat infrastructure costs. This paper details the ESM approach used, lists major performance variables for each CO 2 removal option, and summarizes conclusions of the technology comparison. The results are intended to act as a guide to assist programs in their selection of CO 2 technologies best suited for a specific vehicle or mission.

Madeleine Oliver↗

NASA NTRS2026

Diverse organic molecules on Mars revealed by the first SAM TMAH experiment

The search for organic matter on Mars has rapidly evolved in the past decade with simple aromatic, S-heterocycles, and aliphatic organic molecules detected in Gale crater. We report the in situ detection of >20 organic molecules from clay-bearing sandstones in the ~3.5-billion-year-old Knockfarrill Hill member of Glen Torridon, Gale crater, by the Sample Analysis at Mars instrument suite onboard the Curiosity rover. These molecules were liberated by the onboard tetramethylammonium hydroxide wet chemistry experiment. Diverse thermochemolysis products, including benzothiophene, methyl benzoate, and single and dicyclic aromatic molecules were released and detected by evolved gas analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Results indicate the experiment successfully released molecules preserved in ancient macromolecular or free organic matter within Martian bedrock despite ~3.5 billion years of diagenesis and radiation exposure.

Amy J Williams↗

NASA NTRS2026

Distribution of Extraterrestrial Nucleobases, Other N-Heterocycles, and Their Precursors in A Sample From Asteroid Bennu

The recent discovery of all five canonical nucleobases in samples from Bennu provides compelling evidence that some of life’s ingredients were synthesized abiotically in the parent body of this asteroid and/or its precedent components. However, due to the sample availability and the limited method for the analysis, the detailed distribution of nucleobases in the samples remains elusive. Here we report the concentrations of a diverse suite of nitrogen (N)-heterocycles including nucleobases extracted by 2% and 20% hydrochloric acid from a homogenized Bennu sample. The detection of both canonical and non-canonical nucleobase pairs confirms that these biologically important compounds are extraterrestrial. Pyrimidines are more abundant than purines—like the Orgueil meteorite, but unlike the Murchison meteorite and asteroid Ryugu samples—suggesting preferential synthesis in ammonia-rich ices from the outer Solar System. The distribution of other N-heterocycles is consistent with extensive aqueous alteration on the parent body. High concentrations of urea underscore its role in N-heterocycle synthesis. Our findings offer important information on the prebiotic inventory of N-heterocycles in the Solar System.

Yasuhiro Oba↗

DOE OSTI2024

Neuromorphic overparameterisation and few-shot learning in multilayer physical neural networks

Abstract Physical neuromorphic computing, exploiting the complex dynamics of physical systems, has seen rapid advancements in sophistication and performance. Physical reservoir computing, a subset of neuromorphic computing, faces limitations due to its reliance on single systems. This constrains output dimensionality and dynamic range, limiting performance to a narrow range of tasks. Here, we engineer a suite of nanomagnetic array physical reservoirs and interconnect them in parallel and series to create a multilayer neural network architecture. The output of one reservoir is recorded, scaled and virtually fed as input to the next reservoir. This networked approach increases output dimensionality, internal dynamics and computational performance. We demonstrate that a physical neuromorphic system can achieve an overparameterised state, facilitating meta-learning on small training sets and yielding strong performance across a wide range of tasks. Our approach’s efficacy is further demonstrated through few-shot learning, where the system rapidly adapts to new tasks.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗

NASA NTRS2002

Research Reports: 2001 NASA/ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program

For the thirty-seventh consecutive year, a NASA/ASEE (American Society for Engineering Education) Summer Faculty Fellowship Program was conducted at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The program was conducted by The University of Alabama in Huntsville and MSFC during the period May 29 - August 3, 2001. Operated under the auspices of the American Society for Engineering Education, the MSFC program, as well as those at other NASA Centers, was sponsored by the University Affairs Office, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC. The basic objectives of the programs, which are in the thirty-seventh year of operation nationally, are (1) to further the professional knowledge of qualified engineering and science faculty members; (2) to stimulate an exchange of ideas between participants and NASA; (3) to enrich and refresh the research and teaching activities of the participants' institutions; and (4) to contribute to the research objectives of the NASA Centers. The Faculty Fellows spent ten weeks at MSFC engaged in a research project compatible with their interests and background and worked in collaboration with a NASA MSFC colleague. This document is a compilation of Fellows' reports on their research during the summer of 2001.

Avionics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Crystallinity in Thermoplastic composites

Polymer matrix composites (PMCs) offer many benefits for the aerospace industry due to their potential for weight reduction when compared to metal or ceramic based materials. Most PMCs currently in flight use thermoset matrices, however, thermoplastic resins are being explored as alternatives due to their ability to be remelted, which is of particular interest due to the potential for in-situ repair and manufacturing required in space. Most thermoplastic resins are semicrystalline polymers. The properties of semicrystalline thermoplastics are largely influenced by their crystallinity, which can vary due to many factors including thermal treatments, environmental conditions, and mechanical deformation. Monitoring the crystallinity of thermoplastic composites is key to ensuring these materials reliably meet the high demands required by space exploration. This talk discusses the use of multiple techniques such as Polarized Light Optical Microscopy and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to characterize the crystallinity in various thermoplastic composites, including carbon fiber reinforced PMCs and novel bio-based Martian and Lunar regolith composites designed for in-situ manufacturing. This work aims to provide the fundamental data necessary to understand the effects of crystallinity on thermoplastic PMCs, which is key to advancing their use in space applications.

Thermoplastics↗

NASA NTRS2017

Legacy of the Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM)

NASA’s proposed Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM) began with the recognition in a 2010 NASA study that emerging high-power solar electric propulsion technology could be used to rendezvous with, capture, and return an entire, very small (~10,000 kg), near Earth asteroids to the International Space Station. A 2011 workshop by the Keck Institute for Space Studies (KISS) extended the earlier NASA study to asteroid masses of order 500,000 kg by returning them to cislunar space. Subsequent detailed NASA studies in 2013-2014 confirmed the feasibility of this concept. This led to the establishment of the Asteroid Redirect Mission program that consisted of a robotic mission to return multiple tons of asteroid material to cislunar space and a crewed mission to rendezvous with the robotic vehicle, perform two extra vehicular activities (EVAs), collect samples of the asteroid material, and return this material to Earth. Implementation of ARRM got midway through Phase B before being cancelled in April 2017. Although ARRM was cancelled, it has left a near-term legacy of positive impacts to the human spaceflight community, the planetary defense community, the deep space science community, and asteroid mining interests.

John R Brophy↗

NASA NTRS1977

A Survey of Lunar Rock Types and Comparison of the Crusts of Earth and Moon

The principal known types of lunar rocks are briefly reviewed, and their chemical relationships discussed. In the suite of low-KREEP highland rocks, Fe/(Fe + Mg) in the normative mafic minerals increases and the albite content of normative plagioclase decreases as the total amount of normative plagioclase increases, the opposite of the trend predicted by the Bowen reaction principle. Lunar highland samples analyzed are uniformly distributed in this sequence, in which normative plagioclase contents range from ~ 40 percent to ~ 100 percent. The distribution of compositions of rocks from terrestrial layered mafic intrusives is substantially different: here the analyses fall in several discrete clusters (anorthositic rocks, norites, granophyres and ferrogabbros, ultramafics), and the chemical trends noted above are not reproduced. It is suggested that the observed trends in lunar highland rocks could be produced by crystal fractionation in a deep global surface magma system if (1) plagioclase tended to float, upon crystallization, and (2) the magma was kept agitated and well mixed (probably by thermal convection) until crystallization was far advanced and relatively little residual liquid was left. When such a system was finally immobilized, the Fe-, Na-rich residual liquid would produce Fe-rich mafic minerals in the upper levels of the system, but could not much alter the composition of abundant calcic plagioclase. Conversely, the same liquid would produce sodic plagioclase deep in the sequence, but could not much alter the composition of abundant magnesian mafic minerals. After the crustal system solidified, but before extensive cooling had developed a thick, strong lithosphere, mantle convection was able to draw portions of the lunar anorthositic crust down into the mantle in a manner analogous to the present-day behavior of the terrestrial mantle and crust. At depth, the crustal material was heated; KREEP-rich norite was extracted by partial melting and erupted at the surface as a lava, analogous to terrestrial andesite eruptions.

John A Wood↗

DOE OSTI2025

Analysis of Liquids Using the Submerged Plasma for Isotopic Detection and Elemental Resolution (SPIDER)

We developed a sensor called the Submerged Plasma for Isotopic Detection and Elemental Resolution (SPIDER) probe, which uses an atmospheric pressure glow discharge below the surface of liquids to excite species in the liquid. Through emission spectroscopy of molten salts, liquid metals, and heavy water, we demonstrated the SPIDER probe’s high resolution, accuracy, and versatility. We successfully identified trace concentrations of transition and rare-earth metals in molten salts and detected the isotopic shift of the H β → D β emission line. Our analysis revealed unconventional spectral alkali line shapes, indicating two competing excitation modes: film explosion and droplet vaporization. The film explosion mode, characterized by dense plasma, exhibited self-reversal and broadband continuum emission, while the droplet vaporization mode, associated with diffusive plasma, produced narrow-line emissions. Furthermore, by analyzing circuit transients alongside individual plasma events, we observed that film explosions generate higher currents, likely due to a shorter plasma length as the current preferentially flows through the thin liquid layer. Altogether, our results highlight the SPIDER probe’s efficacy and flexibility, making it well-suited for online material quantification of liquids in extreme environments.

AES↗

NASA NTRS2026

Mechanical Properties of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Composites Exposed to Cryogenic Conditions and Space Radiation via Simulation and Testing

As NASA missions extend beyond low Earth orbit, increasing reliance is placed on carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites for spacecraft structures where mass efficiency, durability, and long-term reliability are critical. In service, these materials are subjected to a combination of ultraviolet radiation, vacuum, ionizing radiation, atomic oxygen, and extreme thermal excursions under sustained mechanical loading. Flight systems such as the Boeing Starliner and SpaceX Dragon employ external composite structures that will experience these environments for extended durations. Although prior spaceflight and ground studies have reported limited changes in bulk mechanical properties, the synergistic effects of these environments on composite microstructure, particularly at the fiber matrix interphase, remain insufficiently characterized and represent a potential qualification and reliability risk. This study investigates the effects of short-term cryogenic exposure on a radiation shielding carbon epoxy composite, SC2020, as a ground-based analog for space relevant thermal extremes. The SC2020 material system has previously flown on the International Space Station under the Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE) program. Composite specimens were exposed to liquid nitrogen for 6 and 24 hours and evaluated using a multiscale characterization framework that combined ASTM D3039 tensile testing, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) based interphase analysis, and helium gas permeability measurements. Tensile testing showed no statistically significant or permanent degradation in global strength or modulus following cryogenic exposure. In contrast, AFM measurements revealed reductions in interphase modulus, weakened adhesion, and increased nanoscale heterogeneity, indicating localized degradation mechanisms not captured by conventional bulk testing. Gas permeability measurements showed a progressive increase in helium diffusion with exposure duration, consistent with micro-void formation or partial interfacial debonding. The results indicate that cryogenic exposure initiates degradation at the fiber matrix interphase while leaving global mechanical properties largely unchanged over short durations. These findings underscore the importance of multiscale diagnostics for identifying early-stage damage mechanisms that may influence long term performance and qualification margins for spaceflight composite structures. The data presented establish a cryogenic baseline for comparison with forthcoming MISSE flight exposure results and support ongoing NASA Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) efforts aimed at improving composite qualification methodologies, risk assessment, and reliability prediction for space environments.

composite reliability↗