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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 NTRS2023

Designing an Observing System to Study the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) of the Earth in the 2020s

Observations of planet Earth from space are a critical resource for science and society. Satellite measurements represent very large investments and United States (US) agencies organize their effort to maximize the return on that investment. The US National Research Council conducts a survey of Earth science and applications to prioritize observations for the coming decade. The most recent survey prioritized a visible to shortwave infrared imaging spectrometer and a multispectral thermal infrared imager to meet a range of needs for studying Surface Biology and Geology (SBG). SBG will be the premier integrated observatory for observing the emerging impacts of climate change by characterizing the diversity of plant life and resolving chemical and physiological signatures. It will address wildfire risk, behavior, and recovery as well as responses to hazards such as oil spills, toxic minerals in minelands, harmful algal blooms, landslides, and other geological hazards. The SBG team analyzed needed instrument characteristics (spatial, temporal, and spectral resolutions, measurement uncertainty) and assessed the cost, mass, power, volume, and risk of different architectures. We present an overview of the Research and Applications trade-study analysis of algorithms, calibration and validation needs, and societal applications with specifics of substudies detailed in other articles in this special collection. We provide a value framework to converge from hundreds down to three candidate architectures recommended for development. The analysis identified valuable opportunities for international collaboration to increase the revisit frequency, adding value for all partners, leading to a clear measurement strategy for an observing system architecture.

Observing System↗
NASA NTRS2010

NASA Supportability Engineering Implementation Utilizing DoD Practices and Processes

The Ares I design and development program made the determination early in the System Design Review Phase to utilize DoD ILS and LSA approach for supportability engineering as an integral part of the system engineering process. This paper is to provide a review of the overall approach to design Ares-I with an emphasis on a more affordable, supportable, and sustainable launch vehicle. Discussions will include the requirements development, design influence, support concept alternatives, ILS and LSA planning, Logistics support analyses/trades performed, LSA tailoring for NASA Ares Program, support system infrastructure identification, ILS Design Review documentation, Working Group coordination, and overall ILS implementation. At the outset, the Ares I Project initiated the development of the Integrated Logistics Support Plan (ILSP) and a Logistics Support Analysis process to provide a path forward for the management of the Ares-I ILS program and supportability analysis activities. The ILSP provide the initial planning and coordination between the Ares-I Project Elements and Ground Operation Project. The LSA process provided a system engineering approach in the development of the Ares-I supportability requirements; influence the design for supportability and development of alternative support concepts that satisfies the program operability requirements. The LSA planning and analysis results are documented in the Logistics Support Analysis Report. This document was required during the Ares-I System Design Review (SDR) and Preliminary Design Review (PDR) review cycles. To help coordinate the LSA process across the Ares-I project and between programs, the LSA Report is updated and released quarterly. A System Requirement Analysis was performed to determine the supportability requirements and technical performance measurements (TPMs). Two working groups were established to provide support in the management and implement the Ares-I ILS program, the Integrated Logistics Support Working Group (ILSWG) and the Logistics Support Analysis Record Working Group (LSARWG). The Ares I ILSWG is established to assess the requirements and conduct, evaluate analyses and trade studies associated with acquisition logistic and supportability processes and to resolve Ares I integrated logistics and supportability issues. It established a strategic collaborative alliance for coordination of Logistics Support Analysis activates in support of the integrated Ares I vehicle design and development of logistics support infrastructure. A Joint Ares I - Orion LSAR Working Group was established to: 1) Guide the development of Ares-I and Orion LSAR data and serve as a model for future Constellation programs, 2) Develop rules and assumptions that will apply across the Constellation program with regards to the program's LSAR development, and 3) Maintain the Constellation LSAR Style Guide.

Smith, David A.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Rapid Modeling and Analysis Tools: Evolution, Status, Needs and Directions

Advanced aerospace systems are becoming increasingly more complex, and customers are demanding lower cost, higher performance, and high reliability. Increased demands are placed on the design engineers to collaborate and integrate design needs and objectives early in the design process to minimize risks that may occur later in the design development stage. High performance systems require better understanding of system sensitivities much earlier in the design process to meet these goals. The knowledge, skills, intuition, and experience of an individual design engineer will need to be extended significantly for the next generation of aerospace system designs. Then a collaborative effort involving the designer, rapid and reliable analysis tools and virtual experts will result in advanced aerospace systems that are safe, reliable, and efficient. This paper discusses the evolution, status, needs and directions for rapid modeling and analysis tools for structural analysis. First, the evolution of computerized design and analysis tools is briefly described. Next, the status of representative design and analysis tools is described along with a brief statement on their functionality. Then technology advancements to achieve rapid modeling and analysis are identified. Finally, potential future directions including possible prototype configurations are proposed.

Knight, Norman F., Jr.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NASA SPoRT Land Information System Products for Soil Moisture Analysis

The NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Program has been producing a near real-time instance of NASA’s Land Information System (hereafter known as SPoRT-LIS) since 2010, which contains output of soil moisture and temperature at layered depths. The unique configuration of the SPoRT-LIS enables decision-making on operational timescales since it assimilates near real-time observations such as Green Vegetation Fraction from the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite and Quantitative Precipitation Estimates from the Multi-Radar Multi-Sensor System. The SPoRT-LIS was developed initially to provide land surface initialization variables for local numerical weather prediction models, such as the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. The earliest documented uses of the SPoRT-LIS as a tool for local drought analysis came from the National Weather Service Office in Huntsville, AL in 2011, in which data were used to provide recommendations for drought category changes to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Through engagement with SPoRT collaborative partners, use of the SPoRT-LIS has gradually expanded in recent years as a component of drought analysis and feedback to the U.S. Drought Monitor. This effort was aided by feedback from end users who expressed needs for specific soil moisture variables, which led to increased applicability for analysis by others in the drought community. This presentation will provide information on the SPoRT-LIS for drought analysis and the collaborative process that has led to changes in product output to meet user needs, with focus in the Southern Appalachian region. However, applications for hydrology and fire weather will also be discussed.

Land surface modeling↗
NASA NTRS2003

Global and Local Helioseismic Studies of Solar Convection Zone Dynamics Using SOI-MDI on SOHO

Our joint collaborative analyses of global mode data to characterize the solar differential rotation (e.g. Thompson et al. 1996, Schou et al. 1998), and most recently to detect and analyze temporal variations in angular velocity Omega profiles both within the convection zone and in the deeper radiative interior (e.g. Howe et al 2000a,b; Toomre et al. 2000), have led to a series of fascinating discoveries. These should be pursued further as the solar cycle continues. The physical deductions being made from these studies have been greatly strengthened by utilizing both SOI-MDI and GONG data in order to have two independent observational realizations of Doppler images spanning a five-year interval, using two separate procedures to determine global mode splittings, and then analyzing those splitting data sets using both RLS and SOLA inversion procedures. There are considerable subtleties in the effects of instrumental response functions and calibrations, sensitivity of peak finding algorithms and their mode leakage estimates, and stochastic variations in mode amplitudes that can all contribute to apparent changes in the Omega profiles being inferred from sequences of helioseismic data. We have come to understand the implications of many of these calibration and analysis steps, greatly aided by frequent multi-week collaborative working sessions in our Helioseismic Analysis Facility (HAF) at JILA involving many members of the SO1 dynamics and inversion team, including most of our Co-Is during the summer months when we hold intensive working sessions. Considerable further focused attention is required in a collaborative setting on such global mode issues as we continue studying the changing sun.

Toomre, Juri↗
NASA NTRS2004

RXTE Observations of Several Strong Flares from the TeV Blazar 1ES 1959+650

Responding to the RXTE Cycle 7 NASA Research Announcement, we proposed to use the RXTE X-ray telescopes to intensively observe the TeV Gamma-ray Blazars Markarian 421, Markarian 501, 1ES 1959+650 and 1ES 1426+428, when their X-ray or TeV Gamma-ray fluxes would surpass preset trigger thresholds. In May and June, 2002, the Blazar 1ES 1959+650 (z=0.048) showed a series of spectacular X-ray and gamma-ray flares. Following the detection of a strong Gamma-ray flare on May 16 and 17 with the VERITAS 10 m Cherenkov Telescope, we invoked intensive RXTE observations, as well as complementary radio, optical and GeV/TeV Gamma-ray observations. From May 18 to August 14, more than 150 ksec RXTE observations were taken, yielding a unique data set with simultaneous RXTE and GeV/TeV Gamma-ray coverage.We used the financial support from the ADP program of NASA s Office for Space Science to perform a comprehensive analysis of the RXTE data. We studied in detail the temporal and spectral characteristics of the source. We collected multiwavelength data from a large number of collaborators, and performed a detailed cross-correlation analysis. Eventually, we interpreted the results in the framework of a Synchrotron-Self Compton model. The most important discovery of our research has been the detection of an orphan gamma-ray flare , not associated with an X-ray flare. The discovery showed conclusively that most models invoked to describe the non-thermal emission from blazars are overly simplistic.

Krawczynski, Henric↗
NASA NTRS1999

Electron Microscopy and Image Analysis for Selected Materials

This particular project was completed in collaboration with the metallurgical diagnostics facility. The objective of this research had four major components. First, we required training in the operation of the environmental scanning electron microscope (ESEM) for imaging of selected materials including biological specimens. The types of materials range from cyanobacteria and diatoms to cloth, metals, sand, composites and other materials. Second, to obtain training in surface elemental analysis technology using energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) analysis, and in the preparation of x-ray maps of these same materials. Third, to provide training for the staff of the metallurgical diagnostics and failure analysis team in the area of image processing and image analysis technology using NIH Image software. Finally, we were to assist in the sample preparation, observing, imaging, and elemental analysis for Mr. Richard Hoover, one of NASA MSFC's solar physicists and Marshall's principal scientist for the agency-wide virtual Astrobiology Institute. These materials have been collected from various places around the world including the Fox Tunnel in Alaska, Siberia, Antarctica, ice core samples from near Lake Vostoc, thermal vents in the ocean floor, hot springs and many others. We were successful in our efforts to obtain high quality, high resolution images of various materials including selected biological ones. Surface analyses (EDX) and x-ray maps were easily prepared with this technology. We also discovered and used some applications for NIH Image software in the metallurgical diagnostics facility.

Williams, George↗
NASA NTRS1991

A study of ion composition and dynamics at Comet Halley

This report details the participation by Lockheed co-investigators in the reduction, analysis, and interpretation of data obtained by the Ion Mass Spectrometer onboard the Giotto mission to Comet Halley. The data analysis activities and much of the scientific collaboration was shared by this team. One objective of the effort under this contract was to use data obtained by the Giotto Ion Mass Spectrometer (IMS) during the encounter with comet Halley for the purpose of advancing our understanding of the chemistry and physics of the interaction of the solar wind with comets and obtaining new information on the comet's composition. An additional objective was to make this unique data set available in a format which can be easily used by the reset of the cometary science community for other analysis in the future. The IMS has two sensors: the High Intensity Spectrometer (HIS) and the High Energy Range Spectrometer (HERS).

Shelley, E. G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Some Recent Observations on the Burning of Isolated N-Heptane and Alcohol Droplets

In a joint program involving Prof F.A. Williams of the University of California, San Diego and Dr. Vedha Nayagam of the National Center for Microgravity Research on Fluid and Combustion, the combustion of liquid fuel droplets having initial diameters between about 1 mm and 6 mm is being studied. The objectives of the work are to improve fundamental knowledge of droplet combustion dynamics through microgravity experiments and theoretical analyses. The Princeton contributions to the collaborative program supports the engineering design, data analysis, and data interpretation requirements for the study of initially single component, spherically symmetric, isolated droplet combustion studies through experiments and numerical modeling. The complementary UCSD contributions apply asymptotic theoretical analyses and are described in the published literature and in a companion communication in this volume. Emphases of the Princeton work are on the study of simple alcohols (methanol, ethanol), alcohol/water mixtures, and pure alkanes (n-heptane, n-decane) as fuels, with time dependent measurements of drop size, flame-stand-off, liquid-phase composition, and finally, extinction. Ground based experiments have included bench-scale studies at Princeton and collaborative experimental studies in the 2.2 and 5.18 second drop towers at NASA-Glenn Research Center. Spacelab studies have included fiber-supported droplet combustion (FSDC) experiments in the Glovebox facility with accompanying numerical analyses. Experiments include FSDC-1, performed on the USML-2 mission in October, 1995 (STS-73) and FSDC-2, on the second flight of the MSL-1 mission in July, 1997 (STS-94).

Dryer, F. L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Citizen Science Approach for Searching and Curating Literature of the Effects of Spaceflight on Cardiovascular Outcomes in Rodents and Humans

The spaceflight environment causes significant changes to the structure and function of the cardiovascular system, including fluid redistribution, alterations in blood pressure, and changes in cardiac output. The goal of this project is to quantitatively summarize the data on the effects of actual or simulated microgravity and radiation exposure resulting from spaceflight on the cardiovascular system. As the first step, a group of investigators approached through a collaboration of the Ames Life Science Data Archive (ALSDA) Analysis Working Group developed a list of relevant cardiovascular search terms. Based on these, medical librarians generated and executed the search strategy in Medline, CINAHL, Embase and NASA repositories. In parallel, we recruited students and young professionals from various space industry-affiliated organizations, resulting in ~100 individuals joining. With this program we aimed to reach students and young people underrepresented in STEM, including first-generation, female, minorities, disadvantaged backgrounds, fostered individuals, etc. These individuals completed a virtual training course on the nature and methodologies of the project. Following this, the participants were structured into teams with more senior/experienced individuals designated as team leaders. Currently, the teams are screening approximately 15,000 studies using the systematic review tool, Covidence. Teams will be extracting and curating data for meta-analysis of the cardiovascular spaceflight literature, but also extracting, submitting, and curating appropriate datasets into the new ALSDA submission portal and repository. This effort will result in collaborative publications based upon the literature meta-analyses, and a number of publicly accessible datasets for reuse, modeling, machine learning, and knowledge graph-type approaches. This approach reduces the length of time to complete title/abstract screening time from 1-2 years needed for this volume of studies, to 3-4 months, while also providing a unique, open-access educational experience to space research and training in knowledge synthesis tools to interested individuals.

space biology↗
NASA NTRS2011

Enterprise Reference Library

Introduction: Johnson Space Center (JSC) offers two extensive libraries that contain journals, research literature and electronic resources. Searching capabilities are available to those individuals residing onsite or through a librarian s search. Many individuals have rich collections of references, but no mechanisms to share reference libraries across researchers, projects, or directorates exist. Likewise, information regarding which references are provided to which individuals is not available, resulting in duplicate requests, redundant labor costs and associated copying fees. In addition, this tends to limit collaboration between colleagues and promotes the establishment of individual, unshared silos of information The Integrated Medical Model (IMM) team has utilized a centralized reference management tool during the development, test, and operational phases of this project. The Enterprise Reference Library project expands the capabilities developed for IMM to address the above issues and enhance collaboration across JSC. Method: After significant market analysis for a multi-user reference management tool, no available commercial tool was found to meet this need, so a software program was built around a commercial tool, Reference Manager 12 by The Thomson Corporation. A use case approach guided the requirements development phase. The premise of the design is that individuals use their own reference management software and export to SharePoint when their library is incorporated into the Enterprise Reference Library. This results in a searchable user-specific library application. An accompanying share folder will warehouse the electronic full-text articles, which allows the global user community to access full -text articles. Discussion: An enterprise reference library solution can provide a multidisciplinary collection of full text articles. This approach improves efficiency in obtaining and storing reference material while greatly reducing labor, purchasing and duplication costs. Most importantly, increasing collaboration across research groups provides unprecedented access to information relevant to NASA s mission. Conclusion: This project is an expansion and cost-effective leveraging of the existing JSC centralized library. Adding key word and author search capabilities and an alert function for notifications about new articles, based on users profiles, represent examples of future enhancements.

Bickham, Grandin↗
NASA NTRS2011

Deployment of an Advanced Electrocardiographic Analysis (A-ECG) to Detect Cardiovascular Risk in Career Firefighters

INTRODUCTION Sudden cardiac death is the leading cause of line of duty death among firefighters, accounting for approximately 45% of fatalities annually. Firefighters perform strenuous muscular work while wearing heavy, encapsulating personal protective equipment in high ambient temperatures, under chaotic and emotionally stressful conditions. These factors can precipitate sudden cardiac events like myocardial infarction, serious dysrhythmias, or cerebrovascular accidents in firefighters with underlying cardiovascular disease. Screening for cardiovascular risk factors is recommended but not always followed in this population. PHASER is a project charged with identifying and prioritizing risk factors in emergency responders. We have deployed an advanced ECG (A-ECG) system developed at NASA for improved sensitivity and specificity in the detection of cardiac risk. METHODS Forty-four professional firefighters were recruited to perform comprehensive baseline assessments including tests of aerobic performance and laboratory tests for fasting lipid profiles and glucose. Heart rate and conventional 12-lead ECG were obtained at rest and during incremental treadmill exercise testing (XT). In addition, a 5-min resting 12-lead A-ECG was obtained in a subset of firefighters (n=18) and transmitted over a secure networked system to a physician collaborator at NASA for advanced-ECG analysis. This A-ECG system has been proven, using myocardial perfusion and other imaging, to accurately identify a number of cardiac pathologies including coronary artery disease (CAD), left ventricular hypertrophy, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, non-ischemic cardiomyopathy, and ischemic cardiomyopathy. RESULTS Subjects mean (SD) age was 43 (8) years, weight 91 (13) kg, and BMI of 28 (3) kg/square meter. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) was 39 (9) ml/kg/min. This compares with the 45th %ile in healthy reference values and a recommended standard of 42 ml/kg/min for firefighters. The metabolic threshold (VO2Theta) above which lactate accumulates was 23 (8) ml/kg/min. The chronotropic index, a measure of cardiovascular strain during XT was 35 (8) /L compared with reference values for men of 40 /L. Total cholesterol, LDL-C and HDL-C were 202 (34),126 (29), and 55 (15) mg/dl, respectively. Fifty-one percent of subjects had .3 cardiovascular risk factors, 2 subjects had resting hypertension (BP.140/90), and 23 had pre-hypertension (.120/80 but <140/90). Seven had exaggerated exercise induced hypertension but only one had ST depression on XT ECG, at least one positive A-ECG score for CAD, and documented CAD based on cardiology referral. While all other subjects, including those with fewer risk factors, higher aerobic fitness, and normal exercise ECGs, were classified as healthy by A-ECG, there was no trend for association between risk factors and any of 20 A-ECG parameters in the grouped data. CONCLUSIONS A-ECG screening correctly identified the individual with CAD although there was no trend for A-ECG parameters to distinguish those with elevated BP or multiple risk factors but normal XT ECG. We have demonstrated that a new technology, advanced-ECG, can be introduced for remote firefighter risk assessment. This simple, time and cost-effective approach to risk identification that can be acquired remotely and transmitted securely can detect individuals potentially at risk for line-of-duty death. Additional research is needed to further document its value.

Dolezal, B. A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Some Recent Observations on the Burning of Isolated N-Heptane and Alcohol Droplets

In a joint program involving Prof. F.A. Williams of the University of California, San Diego and Dr. V. Nayagam of the National Center for Microgravity Research on Combustion and Fluid Dynamics, the combustion of liquid fuel droplets of n-heptane, n-decane, methanol, methanol-water, ethanol and ethanol-water having initial diameters between about 1 mm and 6 mm continues to be studied. The objectives of the work are to improve fundamental knowledge of droplet combustion dynamics for pure fuels and fuel-water mixtures through microgravity experiments and theoretical analyses. The Princeton contributions to the collaborative program supports the engineering design, data analysis, and data interpretation requirements for the study of initially single component, spherically symmetric, isolated droplet combustion studies through experiments and numerical modeling. The complementary UCSD contributions apply asymptotic theoretical analyses and are described in the published literature and in a companion communication in this conference. The combined program continues to focus on analyses of results obtained from Fiber Supported Droplet Combustion (FSDC) experiments (FSDC-2, STS- 94) conducted with the above fuels in shuttle cabin air and Droplet Combustion Experiment (DCE) data obtained for unsupported and fiber supported droplets of n-heptane in Helium-Oxygen mixtures and cabin air (STS-83, STS-94). The program is preparing for a second DCE experimental mission using methanol/methanol-water as fuels and helium-oxygen-nitrogen environments. DCE-2 is to be conducted aboard the International Space Station. Emphases of recent Princeton work are on the study of simple alcohols (methanol, ethanol) and alcohol/water mixtures as fuels, with time-dependent measurements of drop size, flame-standoff, liquid-phase composition, and finally, extinction. Ground based experiments have included bench-scale studies at Princeton and collaborative experimental studies in the 2.2 second drop tower at NASA-Glenn Research Center.

Dryer, F. L.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Performance Evaluation of the Approaches and Algorithms Using Hamburg Airport Operations

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been independently developing and testing their own concepts and tools for airport surface traffic management. Although these concepts and tools have been tested individually for European and US airports, they have never been compared or analyzed side-by-side. This paper presents the collaborative research devoted to the evaluation and analysis of two different surface management concepts. Hamburg Airport was used as a common test bed airport for the study. First, two independent simulations using the same traffic scenario were conducted; one by the DLR team using the Controller Assistance for Departure Optimization (CADEO) and the Taxi Routing for Aircraft: Creation and Controlling (TRACC) in a real-time simulation environment, and one by the NASA team based on the Spot and Runway Departure Advisor (SARDA) in a fast-time simulation environment. A set of common performance metrics was defined. The simulation results showed that both approaches produced operational benefits in efficiency, such as reducing taxi times, while maintaining runway throughput. Both approaches generated the gate pushback schedule to meet the runway schedule, such that the runway utilization was maximized. The conflict-free taxi guidance by TRACC helped avoid taxi conflicts and reduced taxiing stops, but the taxi benefit needed be assessed together with runway throughput to analyze the overall performance objective.

nasa-dlr research collaboration↗
NASA NTRS2005

Developing SNMS for Full-Spectrum High-Sensitivity In-Situ Isotopic Analysis of Individual Comet Grains Collected by Stardust?

In anticipation of the return of comet (and ISM?) dust grains by the Stardust mission [1] in mid-January next year, Academia Sinica (AS) and Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) have entered into a collaboration to develop instrument and method for the isotopic analysis of these samples. We need to achieve the highest possible sensitivity so that we can analyze individual grains one at a time to the smallest possible size. Only by doing so can we hope to reach one of the main science goals of the mission, namely the recognition of those isotopically distinct grains each carrying the characteristic signature of a particular nucleosynthetic stage of its parent star. In order to facilitate the interpretation of these grains the second requirement of our method is that the measurements must be made over the widest possible mass range before samples exhaustion. For instance, the thermonuclear fusion reactions that produced the isotopes of various major elements of a wide mass range required drastically different temperatures. Therefore their abundances could constrain the conditions at greatly varying depth inside the source star hence its structure and evolution.

Chen, Chun-Yen↗
NASA NTRS2003

Development of a Dynamically Configurable,Object-Oriented Framework for Distributed, Multi-modal Computational Aerospace Systems Simulation

This research is aimed at developing a neiv and advanced simulation framework that will significantly improve the overall efficiency of aerospace systems design and development. This objective will be accomplished through an innovative integration of object-oriented and Web-based technologies ivith both new and proven simulation methodologies. The basic approach involves Ihree major areas of research: Aerospace system and component representation using a hierarchical object-oriented component model which enables the use of multimodels and enforces component interoperability. Collaborative software environment that streamlines the process of developing, sharing and integrating aerospace design and analysis models. . Development of a distributed infrastructure which enables Web-based exchange of models to simplify the collaborative design process, and to support computationally intensive aerospace design and analysis processes. Research for the first year dealt with the design of the basic architecture and supporting infrastructure, an initial implementation of that design, and a demonstration of its application to an example aircraft engine system simulation.

Afjeh, Abdollah A.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Environmental Regulations as Drivers of Materials Obsolescence

This slide presentation reviews the operations of the Principal Center for Regulatory Risk Analysis and Communication (RRAC-PC) and the impact of environmental regulations in making some materials obsolete. The center is NASA's resource for identifying and managing risks associated with changing environmental regulations. To this end the center acts as an regulatory early warning system, to review track and analyze emerging regulations, collaborate with the technical community on regulatory risk analysis and interpretation and to represent NASA's interests to the regulatory agencies. Regulations frequently result in making some materials unavailable forcing a change to another material. Processes may also be changed due to environmental regulations. For example some items that were sprayed with a chemical may now have to be painted or dipped with the chemical. Sometimes a regulation changes the use of a certain product, which does not affect the usage on Earth, but has significant implications in space. An example of this is the use of lead-free solders of basically tin, which don't appear to have any problem on Earth, but in space applications tin whiskers have resulted in several confirmed satellite failures.

Scroggins, Sharon↗