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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2010

Fault Management Technology Maturation for NASA's Constellation Program

This slide presentation reviews the maturation of fault management technology in preparation for the Constellation Program. There is a review of the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) and a discussion of a couple of incidents with the shuttle main engine and tanking that indicated the necessity for predictive maintenance. Included is a review of the planned Ares I-X Ground Diagnostic Prototype (GDP) and further information about detection and isolation of faults using Testability Engineering and Maintenance System (TEAMS). Another system that being readied for use that detects anomalies, the Inductive Monitoring System (IMS). The IMS automatically learns how the system behaves and alerts operations it the current behavior is anomalous. The comparison of STS-83 and STS-107 (i.e., the Columbia accident) is shown as an example of the anomaly detection capabilities.

Waterman, Robert D.↗
NASA NTRS2013

2013 Summer Internship

Objectives of Internship: a.) To learn about human spaceflight and how NASA operates. b.) To acquire sound lab techniques. c.) To study microorganisms, particularly in relation to humans and spaceflight.

Williams, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2014

Flammability Configuration Analysis for Spacecraft Applications

Fire is one of the many potentially catastrophic hazards associated with the operation of crewed spacecraft. A major lesson learned by NASA from the Apollo 204 fire in 1966 was that ignition sources in an electrically powered vehicle should and can be minimized, but can never be eliminated completely. For this reason, spacecraft fire control is based on minimizing potential ignition sources and eliminating materials that can propagate fire. Fire extinguishers are always provided on crewed spacecraft, but are not considered as part of the fire control process. "Eliminating materials that can propagate fire" does not mean eliminating all flammable materials - the cost of designing and building spacecraft using only nonflammable materials is extraordinary and unnecessary. It means controlling the quantity and configuration of such materials to eliminate potential fire propagation paths and thus ensure that any fire would be small, localized, and isolated, and would self-extinguish without harm to the crew. Over the years, NASA has developed many solutions for controlling the configuration of flammable materials (and potentially flammable materials in commercial "off-the-shelf" hardware) so that they can be used safely in air and oxygen-enriched environments in crewed spacecraft. This document describes and explains these design solutions so payload customers and other organizations can use them in designing safe and cost-effective flight hardware. Proper application of these guidelines will produce acceptable flammability configurations for hardware located in any compartment of the International Space Station or other program crewed vehicles and habitats. However, use of these guidelines does not exempt hardware organizations of the responsibility for safety of the hardware under their control.

Pedley, Michael D.↗
NASA NTRS2017

The Nitty Gritty: How We Make Analogs Work

NASA's Human Research Program (HRP) is becoming increasingly reliant on Isolated, Confined and Controlled (ICC) analogs to accomplish many of its research objectives. Compared to other research platforms, ICC analogs present a unique set of operational challenges that must be addressed in order to ensure a high fidelity research environment. In particular, the Human Exploration Research Analog (HERA) habitat, which is classified as an ICC environment, has been developed over the past three years to accommodate the operational needs of research investigations from each of the HRP Elements. During the development period, various types of requirements have contributed to the current operational model, which strives to achieve the highest possible level of mission fidelity with limited resources. This presentation will focus on the operational aspects of the HERA habitat, with emphasis on how we develop the analog research environment to meet researchers' needs. Specific discussion topics include mission scenario development, operational tasks, mission timeline integration, stressor implementation, console support, and improvements based on lessons learned. The information is intended to help investigators better understand the details behind HERA operations and the benefits to their research goals.

Self, A. L.↗
NASA NTRS2017

Methodology for Assessing Reusability of Spaceflight Hardware

In 2011 the Space Shuttle, the only Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) in the world, returned to earth for the final time. Upon retirement of the Space Shuttle, the United States (U.S.) no longer possessed a reusable vehicle or the capability to send American astronauts to space. With the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) out of the RLV business and now only pursuing Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV), not only did companies within the U.S. start to actively pursue the development of either RLVs or reusable components, but entities around the world began to venture into the reusable market. For example, SpaceX and Blue Origin are developing reusable vehicles and engines. The Indian Space Research Organization is developing a reusable space plane and Airbus is exploring the possibility of reusing its first stage engines and avionics housed in the flyback propulsion unit referred to as the Advanced Expendable Launcher with Innovative engine Economy (Adeline). Even United Launch Alliance (ULA) has announced plans for eventually replacing the Atlas and Delta expendable rockets with a family of RLVs called Vulcan. Reuse can be categorized as either fully reusable, the situation in which the entire vehicle is recovered, or partially reusable such as the National Space Transportation System (NSTS) where only the Space Shuttle, Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSME), and Solid Rocket Boosters (SRB) are reused. With this influx of renewed interest in reusability for space applications, it is imperative that a systematic approach be developed for assessing the reusability of spaceflight hardware. The partially reusable NSTS offered many opportunities to glean lessons learned; however, when it came to efficient operability for reuse the Space Shuttle and its associated hardware fell short primarily because of its two to four-month turnaround time. Although there have been several attempts at designing RLVs in the past with the X-33, Venture Star and Delta Clipper Experimental (DC-X), reusability within the spaceflight arena is still in its infancy. With unlimited resources (namely, time and money), almost any launch vehicle and its associated hardware can be made reusable. However, an endless supply of funds for space exploration is not the case in today's economy for neither government agencies nor their commercial counterparts. Therefore, any organization wanting to be a leader in space exploration and remain competitive in this unforgiving space faring industry must confront shrinking budgets with more cost conscious and efficient designs. Therefore, standards for developing reusable spaceflight hardware need to be established. By having standards available to existing and emerging companies, some of the potential roadblocks and limitations that plagued previous attempts at reuse may be minimized or completely avoided.

Childress-Thompson, Rhonda↗
NASA NTRS2017

Models of Weather Impact on Air Traffic

Flight delays have been a serious problem in the national airspace system costing about $30B per year. About 70 of the delays are attributed to weather and upto two thirds of these are avoidable. Better decision support tools would reduce these delays and improve air traffic management tools. Such tools would benefit from models of weather impacts on the airspace operations. This presentation discusses use of machine learning methods to mine various types of weather and traffic data to develop such models.

data mining↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA SEXTANT Mission Operations Architecture

The Station Explorer for X-Ray Timing and Navigation (SEXTANT) mission is a technology demonstration enhancement to the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, a NASA Astrophysics Explorer Mission of Opportunity to the International Space Station (ISS) that was launched in June of 2017. The NICER instrument is a precision pointing X-ray telescope that times pulsar sourced photon arrivals which the SEXTANT mission uses to perform autonomous onboard X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XNAV). By comparing the detected time of arrival of X-ray photons to a reference of expected pulsar timing models, one can infer a range and range rate measurement based on light time delay. Since both timing and orientation information comes from a celestial source, this technology could provide a GPS-like navigation capability available throughout our Solar System and beyond. Applications that XNAV can support include outer planet and interstellar missions, manned missions, libration orbit missions, and current infrastructure such as the Deep Space Network (DSN). The SEXTANT team successfully completed a first demonstration of in-space and autonomous XNAV in November 2017. NICER and SEXTANT have separate teams, with NICER being the primary team with its own science objectives. Operational modes for both missions must have concurrent and independent components as well as an integrated ground system. This paper describes on the operational infrastructure and successful operations for performing X-ray Pulsar Navigation with the Station Explorer for X-ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) demonstration. This paper first details the infrastructure implemented, then the concept of operations, and finally the operations for the SEXTANT demonstration and lessons learned.

Ground Systems↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA Station Explorer for X-Ray Timing and Navigation Technology (SEXTANT) Mission Operations Architecture

"The Station Explorer for X-Ray Timing and Navigation (SEXTANT) mission is a technology demonstrationenhancement to the Neutron Star Interior Composition Explorer (NICER) mission, a NASA AstrophysicsExplorer Mission of Opportunity to the International Space Station (ISS) that was launched in June of 2017.The NICER instrument is a precision pointing X-ray telescope that provides measurements of neutron stars,which the SEXTANT mission uses to perform autonomous onboard X-ray Pulsar Navigation (XNAV) by usingmilli-second pulsars (MSPs), a category of neutron stars, as timing sources for navigation. By comparing thedetected time of arrival of X-ray photons to a reference of expected pulsar lightcurve timing models, one caninfer a range and range rate measurement based on light time delay. Since both timing and orientationinformation comes from a celestial source, this technology could provide a GPS-like navigation capabilityavailable throughout our Solar System and beyond. Applications that XNAV can support include outer planetand interstellar missions, manned missions, libration orbit missions, and current infrastructure such as the DeepSpace Network (DSN). The SEXTANT team successfully completed a rst demonstration of in-space andautonomous XNAV in November 2017. NICER and SEXTANT have separate teams, with NICER being theprimary team with its own science objectives. Operational modes for both missions must have concurrent andindependent components as well as an integrated ground system. Within this joint mission pro le, SEXTANToperations requires an infrastructure and cadence that is exible to handle concurrent science operations fromthe NICER team, independent autonomous navigation demonstrations, and events within the extensive ISSoperations environment. This paper rst details the infrastructure implemented and its concept of operations.It then describes the operations for the SEXTANT demonstration and lessons learned."

Yu, Wayne H.↗
NASA NTRS2010

TPSAS-NF1676L-11132-DND

The Orion Pad Abort 1 Flight Test occurred on May 6th, 2010 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test was the first for the Orion vehicle and was primarily a test of the Orion Launch Abort System’s ability to execute an abort from the launch pad. The test was successful, and, in most cases, results were well within predicted outcomes. For this test, the thermal control subsystem was an inherent part of the flight operations team. The thermal team provided pre-launch predictions of component temperatures, set component temperature limits, and monitored those limits during the flight operations process as part of the primary flight operations team. The thermal team was also responsible for day-of-flight predictions of the main abort motor’s propellant mean bulk temperature, a key launch constraint for the test. After the test, thermal data was collected, reviewed, and compared against pre-launch predictions showing very good agreement in most areas. Based on the pre-test and flight operations experience, a detailed list of lessons learned has been developed and will be reviewed prior to potential future Orion or other such flight tests.

Joseph F Gasbarre↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

TPSAS-NF1676L-11021-DND

The Orion Pad Abort 1 Flight Test occurred on May 6th, 2010 at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The test was the first for the Orion vehicle and was primarily a test of the Orion Launch Abort System’s ability to execute an abort from the launch pad. The test was successful and in most cases results were well within predicted outcomes. For this test, the thermal control subsystem was an inherent part of the flight operations team. The thermal team provided pre-launch predictions of component temperatures, set component temperature limits, and monitored those limits during the flight operations process as part of the primary flight operations team. The thermal team was also responsible for day-of-flight predictions of the main abort motor’s propellant mean bulk temperature, a key launch constraint for the test. After the test, thermal data was collected, reviewed, and compared against pre-launch predictions showing very good agreement in most areas. Based on the pre-test and flight operations experience, a detailed list of lessons learned has been developed and will be reviewed prior to potential future Orion or other such flight tests.

Joseph F Gasbarre↗
NASA NTRS2020

Development and Evaluation of the Active Response Gravity Offload System as a Lunar and Martian EVA Simulation Environment

In preparation for future exploration missions, NASA seeks the ability to simulate partial-gravity operations for use in ground-based research, crew training, and engineering design evaluations. The Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is designed to simulate reduced gravity environments, such as lunar, Martian, or microgravity, using a robotic system similar to an overhead bridge crane. ARGOS continuously offloads a portion of a suited human’s weight during all dynamic motions within the test facility, which can include basic functional movements such as walking, running, and jumping, as well as a wide range of planetary surface activities. This system will be used as part of a metabolic-rate task characterization study to determine the workload associated with partial-gravity extravehicular activity (EVA). Pilot testing was conducted using the MKIII prototype planetary space suit and two gimbal designs to determine the ability of the ARGOS test environment to simulate planetary EVA operations. This paper will describe the lessons learned from the feasibility testing, simulation-environment mockup design, and the results from the pilot tests and their influence into the final study design. Being able to effectively simulate partial-gravity environments and characterize the performance of crewmembers will have an impact on multiple domains including suit design, task design, thermal models, and life-support-system capacity verification plans, among others.

Omar S Bekdash↗
NASA NTRS2003

Atmospheric sounding at JPL: current and future technologies

We discuss lessons learned on AIRS in the development and operations as well as plans for next generation systems including SIRAS, a wide field hyperspectral infrared imaging spectrometer which offers AIRS spectral performance at 24x the spatial resolution.

infrared↗
NASA NTRS2022

Electrical Ground Support Equipment for the Sampling Caching System of the Mars 2020 Rover

In this work we describe in detail the architecture, design, testing and operation of the Electrical Ground Support Equipment (EGSE) “Blue Box” used to test and validate the Sampling Caching System (SCS) of the Mars 2020 Perseverance rover. The Blue Box architecture is centered around COTS motor controllers and COTS input-output modules communicating over an EtherCAT bus. A custom, low-level safety subsystem ensures no harm can be done to the flight articles. The modular architecture of the EGSE reduces cost and complexity while expediting assembly time. The Blue Box drives the 19 actuators of the SCS which span the main robotic arm, the corer system, the internal sample handling arm, the sample tube sealing system and the gas dust removal tool; mimicking the Rover Motor Control Assembly (RMCA). Due to the limited availability of RMCA’s, the EGSE enabled and performed the bulk of testing activities for SCS. The majority of the SCS actuators are composed of a 3-phase DC brushless motors, hall sensors for commutation, dual resolvers for output angular measurement, brakes, heaters and platinum thermistors. Additionally, the EGSE read 12 strain gauges forming part of a force torque sensor, and switches used for external positioning references. Over the 3-year span of the V&V campaign for the SCS, over 32 EGSE systems were built, tested and deployed to test venues at JPL and externally. The EGSE tested several families of the SCS subsystem, ranging from engineering units, life test units and two flight units. Test venues that this EGSE supported included lab benches, ultra-clean cleanrooms, ATLO facilities, and thermal vacuum chambers. Together with the test software systems, SSDEV and SSDEV-ECAT, the Blue Box EGSE enabled the team to efficiently test flight hardware and flight software together. We go over the safety features and fault management techniques employed to protect flight hardware. The effects of the long, 50-feet, EGSE harnesses on motor performance, EMI, electrical noise, and motor control performance are explained. Mitigations to these unwanted effects, including shielding strategy and inductance compensation, are summarized. We go over an excerpt of notable anomalies that this EGSE suffered through its operation, along with investigations and resolutions. Lessons learned, areas of improvement as part of future work, and recommendations for future implementations for similar EGSE’s, are shared.

Levine, Dan↗
NASA NTRS2024

Physiological and Subjective Responses of Pilots during Advanced Air Mobility Flight Testing with Automated Systems

Aviation is constantly evolving, mostly due to the integration of automated systems into the National Airspace System. This presents a host of challenges and opportunities. NASA’s Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project has taken a significant leap forward with a research flight test led by the Integration of Automated Systems (IAS) sub-project. This effort focused on assessing automated flight deck algorithms essential for supporting high-density Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations. Carrying out a two-ship flight test in UAM Maturity Level 4 scenarios, the team evaluated state-of-the-art algorithms, including Hazard Perception and Avoidance (HPA) and flight path management (FPM) systems. This paper investigates into pilots’ physiological and subjective responses during the flight scenarios conducted. In collaboration with Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL), we collected and analyzed live-flight biometric data using eye tracking, mobile brain imaging, and heart rate sensors. The study provides insights into pilots’ workload and cognitive engagement while navigating automated tools, leveraging both biometric data and post-encounter subjective assessments. The research highlights the interaction between human operators and automated systems, contributing valuable lessons learned about gathering human data in live-flight environments. The knowledge acquired from this study enhances our understanding of human factors in automated flight and informs future studies attempting to undertake similar feats.

Kevin J. Monk↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Physiological and Subjective Responses of Pilots During Advanced Air Mobility Flight Testing With Automated Systems

Aviation is constantly evolving, mostly due to the integration of automated systems into the National Airspace System. This presents a host of challenges and opportunities. NASA's Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) project has taken a significant leap forward with a research flight test led by the Integration of Automated Systems (IAS) sub-project. This effort focused on assessing automated flight deck algorithms essential for supporting high-density Urban Air Mobility (UAM) operations. Carrying out a two-ship flight test in UAM Maturity Level 4 scenarios, the team evaluated state-of-the-art algorithms, including Hazard Perception and Avoidance (HPA) and flight path management (FPM) systems. This presentation focuses on results of pilots' physiological and subjective responses during the flight scenarios conducted. In collaboration with Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL), we collected and analyzed live-flight biometric data using eye tracking, mobile brain imaging, and heart rate sensors. The data provides insights into pilots' workload and cognitive engagement while navigating automated tools, leveraging both biometric data and post-encounter subjective assessments. The research highlights the interaction between human operators and automated systems, contributing valuable lessons learned about gathering human data in live-flight environments. The knowledge acquired from this endeavor enhances our understanding of human factors in automated flight and informs future studies attempting to undertake similar feats.

air mobility↗
NASA NTRS2024

ECI Final Report: Closing of Critical Technology Gaps for Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines

NASA has successfully fired several configurations of a dual regenerative 10K lbf class Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines using cryogenic liquid methane, liquid hydrogen, and RP-1 as fuel and liquid or gaseous oxygen as the oxidizer. In addition, 3 hot fire test phases were conducted to evaluate parametrically varying combustor geometries using a subscale 500-1K lbf class thruster RDRE. Several studies were successfully completed to evaluate the impacts of contraction ratio, annulus L’, heat transfer through calorimetry, and varying injector designs. Laser powder bed fusion GRCop-42, GRX-810, and C-103 alloys were used for the outer bodies, inner bodies, nozzles, and injector variations. The development of RDRE technology is only now possible with additive manufacturing techniques and these specialized alloys. Critical design parameters, design rules of thumb, and operability limitations have been identified. Major lessons learned in the development of critical components have also been documented. All critical technology gaps have been demonstrated at one scale or another and closed. A major finding of this work is that the combustion efficiency of the RDRE is far superior to that of the traditional liquid rocket engine requiring an order of magnitude lower chamber volume and residence time to react. Because of this, the design trade space opens up significantly. More compact chamber geometries are now possible with potential mass savings and significant length savings possible to flight geometries. In addition, the ceiling for the technology, in terms of Isp, has not yet been reached. It is likely that an additional ~10% better Isp over equivalent state-of-the-art combustion devices may be achieved over the next decade should the technology continue to be developed. This technology has been shown to be viable for near term infusion (2-5 years) into space missions and enable cost effective space access for US industry. This final report documents all major findings from this early career initiative (ECI) project and lays out what is needed post ECI.

Thomas Teasley↗
DOE OSTI2024

Full-Scale Development and Piloting of a Hybrid Digital Twin for Wastewater Operations Optimization

This full-scale pilot of a machine learning based nutrient controller/digital twin is being done as part of The Water Research Foundation (WRF) project 5121: Development of Innovative Predictive Control Strategies for Nutrient Removal. The overall goal of this project is to develop and full-scale test a hybrid (machine learning + mechanistic model) nutrient management controller at four different water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs). The controller demonstrates both short-term optimization functions and predictive capabilities. This project includes the design of the controller, its performance at the WRRFs, and a description of the future improvements.

Johnson, Bruce↗
DOE OSTI2024

Updates and Lessons Learned from NuMI Beamline at Fermilab

The Neutrinos at the Main Injector (NuMI) beamline at Fermilab generates an intense muon neutrino beam for the NOvA (NuMI Off-axis $\nu_e$ Appearance) long-baseline neutrino experiment. Over the years, the NuMI beamline has been pivotal in advancing neutrino physics, providing invaluable data and insights. This proceeding paper discusses updates and the lessons learned from recent experiences during the beam operations, maintenance, and monitoring of the NuMI beamline. Key topics include the optimization of beam performance and challenges in maintaining beamline stability. The paper aims to share best practices and provide a road-map for future beamline projects, including the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility (LBNF).

43 PARTICLE ACCELERATORS↗