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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 145 records · Page 8
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Developmental Research in Space: Predicting Adult Neurobehavioral Phenotypes via Metabolomic Imaging

As human habitation and eventual colonization of space becomes an inevitable reality, there is a necessity to understand how organisms develop over the life span in the space environment. Microgravity, altered CO2, radiation and psychological stress are some of the key factors that could affect mammalian reproduction and development in space, however there is a paucity of information on this topic. Here we combine early (neonatal) in vivo spectroscopic imaging with an adult emotionality assay following a common obstetric complication (prenatal asphyxia) likely to occur during gestation in space. The neural metabolome is sensitive to alteration by degenerative changes and developmental disorders, thus we hypothesized that that early neonatal neurometabolite profiles can predict adult response to novelty. Late gestation fetal rats were exposed to moderate asphyxia by occluding the blood supply feeding one of the rats pair uterine horns for 15min. Blood supply to the opposite horn was not occluded (within-litter cesarean control). Further comparisons were made with vaginal (natural) birth controls. In one-week old neonates, we measured neurometabolites in three brain areas (i.e., striatum, prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus). Adult perinatally-asphyxiated offspring exhibited greater anxiety-like behavioral phenotypes (as measured the composite neurobehavioral assay involving open field activity, responses to novel object, quantification of fecal droppings, and resident-intruder tests of social behavior). Further, early neurometabolite profiles predicted adult responses. Non-invasive MRS screening of mammalian offspring is likely to advance ground-based space analogue studies informing mammalian reproduction in space, and achieving high-priority.

rodent development spacefligh↗
NASA NTRS2018

Overview of MSFC Additive Electronics Capabilities

Focus: Marshall seeks to support the Agency in the development of next generation printed electronics technologies for living and working in space, with emphasis on enhanced electronics manufacturing processes and capabilities development on the ground and in-space. Near-Term: Human Habitation Elements and Life Support Systems - pursuing integrated flexible wearable air, water, vital monitoring solutions for next generation printed technologies; Complete startup printing technology demonstrations which prove basic processes and establish ISM (In-Space Manufacturing) infrastructure needed for future applications including metals based manufacturing. Medium Term: Target low-cost research and demonstration activities that support multi-material additive manufacturing, more sophisticated parts production, printed electronics and ISM; Maturation and flight demonstration of printed propulsion system components, with emphasis on infusion into small-spacecraft-based missions. Long-Term: Evolve systems capabilities to be supportive of destination (lunar or Mars) resources and requirements, increase autonomy in systems and utilize in-situ resources towards manufacturing; Support development of self-replicable systems and their infusion into future spacecraft and missions.

MacLeod, Todd C.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Evacuated Airship for Mars Missions: NIAC Phase I, 2017

An evacuated or vacuum airship relies on the same principle of buoyancy used by standard balloons. However, unlike a balloon which uses a lighter than air gas to displace air and provide lift, the vacuum airship leverages a rigid structure to maintain a vacuum and displace air, thereby providing buoyancy. This method is similar to how a ship uses a rigid structure to displace water and fill the space with air; an evacuated airship uses the same mechanism, except air is displaced and the space remains vacant. Using this method, the evacuated airship is capable of utilizing the full potential of the displaced mass of air, which has interesting implications in the Martian atmosphere. Unlike other aerial vehicles, which are at a disadvantage in Martian atmospheric conditions, the evacuated airship benefits from the Martian atmosphere by virtue of the temperature and molecular composition. As a result, the evacuated airship offers an unprecedented payload capacity and, if implemented, may be used to transport current and future scientific instruments, other vehicles, rovers, and possibly even human habitations. A standard dirigible or balloon for Mars would have a severely limited span of operation and a very narrow field of study, nearly exclusively the atmosphere, but a vacuum airship can be used as a long term tool for many different missions: transportation, ground study, communications, atmospheric study, etcetera, thereby making it a far more economically sensible choice

Clarke, John-Paul↗
NASA NTRS2014

Biomaterials Out of Thin Air: In Situ, On-Demand Printing of Advanced Biocomposites: A New Materials Design and Production Technique Using 3D-Printed Arrays of Bioengineered Cells

We have completed the proof of concept described in our Phase I proposal, a two-material array of nonstructural proteins. We created an implementation of each step in our technology concept and demonstrated its critical functionality. The biological chassis and printing hardware we created as part of this work can be re-used for future work by inserting a material coding region upstream of the fluorescent tag. Overall, we showed that our technology concept is sound. The mission benefit analyses, as described in our Phase I proposal, are complete and contained in this report. These calculations show that our technology can save hundreds of kilograms of upmass for a potential planetary human habit construction mission: the mass per habitat module can be reduced by approximately one third if the biomaterials are manufactured on Earth and included in the mission upmass, and the full 240 kg per module can be saved if the materials are derived entirely from in situ resources. Mass savings between these two extremes is expected for an actual mission, depending on the level of in situ resource extraction technology. We have shown that continued advancement of this technology concept for use in a space mission environment is justified. Our survey of future development pathways proved extremely informative in light of the lessons learned from our proof of concept work and mission scenario analyses. For example, we were able for the first time to distinguish between the levels of functionality provided by production of structural proteins, other polymers such as polysaccharides, and true organic-inorganic composites such as bone and mineralized shell. This new information represents a significant advance in formulating specific applications, and key enabling technologies, for our proposed concept. We surveyed potential collaborations with other projects and synergies with enabling technologies that are developing. We have received requests for collaboration from other institutions, including labs at Stanford University and Drexel University. We have also received visits from industry, including Organovo, a tissue engineering company, and Autodesk, a major 3D and materials design software company. Finally, we have been in touch with the team behind the 2013 NIAC Phase ll 'Super Ball Bot-Structures for Planetary Landing and Exploration' and are planning to develop our biomaterial printing technology with the goal of enabling tensegrity-based rovers such as theirs to use lighter, more robust materials. A smooth transition from TRL 2 to TRL 3 assumes that the implementations of the technology concept which demonstrate critical functionality are also pathways for future development; while this is the case for most hardware or software projects, the multidisciplinary nature of our project, particularly the biological aspect of it, means that this is not always true. For example, as part of this work we showed that although there are large number of known genetic parts that correspond to non-structural materials, this is not true for sequences for structural organic proteins, let alone biominerals. These realizations allowed us to further subdivide our concept into more detailed development areas, some of which are clearly established at TRL 3, others of which were newly identified sub-technologies moved from TRL 1 to TRL 2. Similarly, although a single feasibility /benefit analysis is sufficient for advancement from TRL 2 to TRL 3, not all potential benefits to a technology concept as broad in scope as ours are apparent at TRL 2. Both our future pathways survey and our proof of concept work highlighted that the true mass savings potential of our technology concept cannot be quantified without modification of existing materials modelling tools to take into account the possibility of positional materials properties customization. Therefore, we have simultaneously both advanced one potential set of applications of our technology concept from TRL 2 to TRL 3 and also identified a previously unknown set of applications and advanced it from TRL 1 to TRL 2. Overall, we have moved the original formulation of our concept forward from TRL 2 to TRL 3, and the expanded formulation of it presented in this document has been advanced from a combination of TRL 1 and early 1RL 2 to an overall late TRL 2. We have also identified the key areas necessary for both short-term and long-term advancement, and made recommendations for specific future work in the most promising directions. With future work on a 1-2 year timeframe to continue advancement to overall TRL 3, we will be well positioned to begin work on a specific space mission technology insertion path.

Biology↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lessons Learned from the Airborne Particulate Monitor ISS Payload

Particulate monitoring on spacecraft has not been undertaken for air quality purposes for the first twenty years of human habitation on the International Space Station (ISS). The Airborne Particulate Monitor (APM) is a reference-quality instrument technology demonstration that characterized the airborne particles in the ISS cabin in real-time. Onboard aerosols have been measured with this higher fidelity instrument, so future miniaturized low-power aerosol instruments can be reliably compared in future ISS experiments. Several issues were encountered during the payload operations that are a result of the unique environment on ISS, which could not have been anticipated or eliminated by ground testing. First, the ISS had very small amounts of particulate matter in the particle measurement size range of the APM, which was unexpected. Second, despite the measured ‘clean’ environment, larger debris such as lint accumulated regularly on the cleanable inlet screen, which required regular inspection and crew time. The third issue is that particle emissions measured on ISS depend only on the activities in the immediate vicinity of the particle instrument and total particle concentrations cannot be generalized for the entire module. Finally, the sampling efficiency of APM on ISS is unknown because aisle-deployed instruments attached to wall panels of ISS are in the boundary layer of the large-scale ventilation flow of the modules. These issues are discussed and potential solutions for future particulate monitors are presented.

aerosol↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Metallic Vs Inflatable Primary Structure: A Comprehensive Trade for a Mars Transit Habitat

Large diameter inflatable habitat solutions are hypothesized to have an advantage over traditional metallic habitats of equal volume and functional requirements in terms of minimizing mass. A fair and comprehensive trade of metallic primary structure versus inflatable softgoods primary structure for a Mars Transit Habitat was conducted by The Boeing Company under the NASA Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2)Appendix A contract in order to determine the minimum mass option from a system level. A Mars Transit Habitat is a major system mass driver because small increases in the mass can create large mass changes in the propulsive stage, adding complexity and cost to the mission. Three different vehicle configurations were traded using a fixed volume constraint and the same Ground Rules and Assumptions(GR&A)provided by NASA. The configurations were 1) 5.5 m diameter metallic habitat, 2) 7.0 m diameter metallic habitat, and 3) 7.63 m diameter inflatable habitat. In order to complete the trade, each configuration was analyzed and sized, but a system level approach had to be taken to ensure other aspects and subsystems besides the structure were captured. The primary functions (i.e. restraint layer, bladder, multilayer insulation [MLI], micro-meteoroid orbital debris [MMOD]) and strength advantages of softgoods are well understood, but there were other system level impacts that were discovered or addressed that are unique to softgoods. For the metallic structure, a modern and mass optimal material and manufacturing process was adopted to ensure the lightest weight options were evaluated. Two different aluminium lithium structures were evaluated, a longer length 5.5 m diameter and a shorter length 7 m diameter structure. The trade demonstrates that each configuration is feasible and close to the target dry mass for the Mars Transit Habitat Trans-Martian Injection burn. System level mass was the primary consideration, but since the three concepts were close in total mass, a clear winner did not arise. Secondary factors were evaluated such as architecture habitability (human factors), development considerations, on-orbit activation and outfitting, extensibility to other applications, and configuration flexibility. The aggregation of the lowest mass, most benefits, and fewest challenges resulted in the 5.5m diameter metallic configuration being the most favorable.

Matthew Ziglar↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Instrument Data Integration Into the Virtual Reality Mission Simulation System for Decision Communication and Situational Awareness

In situ resource utilization (ISRU) technologies are a key advancement required to make human habitation on the Moon and Mars viable. The upcoming Volatiles Investigating Polar Exploration Rover (VIPER) mission will provide crucial correlations between volatiles and lunar geology to understand the water content available for ISRU on the moon. The mission will require the coordination of multi-disciplinary teams across the country making real time decisions based on rover instrument data. The virtual reality Mission Simulation System (vMSS) is a virtual reality platform designed at MIT by the Resource Exploration and Science of our Cosmic Environment (RESOURCE) team to provide teams with a collaboration interface for planetary missions like VIPER. Herein we determine the integration pathway for analog based datasets that are examples of VIPER's two main instruments, the near-infrared volatile spectrometer subsystem (NIRVSS) and the neutron spectrometer subsystem (NSS), into vMSS to provide the most valuable visualization tools. Focusing on improving situational awareness, decision making, reducing task load and incorporating comments from scientists working previous analogs and on the current VIPER mission, we recommend critical elements to implement into vMSS and the best approaches for data visualization. We present a review of relevant analogs and state of the art mission software. We have developed a design concept and path to flight of analysed instrument data integrated with data maps that allow for virtual manipulation and annotation between non-co-located team members. We focus on pre-mission mapping of a priori data for improved situational awareness, layering of analysed instrument data, correlative mapping and interactive capabilities for in-mission decision making, as well as archiving and annotation tools for post-mission analysis. Finally, we lay out the roadmap for the future development of immersive sample site visualization capabilities and the use of integrated instrument data in vMSS with automated temporal and geospatial planning.

Cody Alison Paige↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Utilizing Earth Observations to Understand Landscape Patterns and Assist in Wildlife Management in Iona National Park, Angola

Following the end of the Angolan Civil War (1975-2002), human habitation in Iona National Park has grown exponentially, as has the livestock population. An ongoing drought beginning in 2017 has brought people, livestock, and wildlife into increasing competition for resources within the park. This study used Earth observation data, primarily Landsat and Sentinel imagery, to examine landscape trends to improve wildlife preservation approaches in Iona National Park, Angola. In collaboration with the NGO African Parks, we developed a robust land use and land cover (LULC) classification model using remote sensing data to augment sparse ground-based data in this arid land region. We used Google Earth Engine and a random forest classifier to map vegetation types, water bodies, and potential wildlife habitats. This analysis resulted in a high spatial resolution LULC time-series between 1984-2023, highlighting critical periods of socioecological change over the past 40 years. These results increased the partner’s ability to make scientifically grounded decisions about resource allocation and conservation priorities. This analysis supports the feasibility of applying remote sensing techniques coupled with machine learning models in dry regions, where standard survey methods are frequently limited by accessibility and resource availability. However, we identified limitations in ground-truth data and the difficulty of recognizing certain vegetation types in arid areas. Despite these limitations, the study demonstrated Earth observations' ability to transform wildlife management techniques in distant and data-scarce locations, providing a reproducible foundation for similar ecosystems around the world.

Emmanuel Aklie↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Yeast Strain Development and Hardware Testing in Preparation of a Lunar BioSensor

With Artemis missions underway, it is clear we are going back to the Moon to stay. Before sending Astronauts for long-duration missions, it is crucial to understand the technological and biomedical countermeasures needed to protect them before they get there. We can use knowledge gained from biological CubeSats to guide the next generation of experiments to support human habitation on the Moon. Lunar Explorer Instrument for space biology Applications (LEIA) is NASA’s latest BioSensor, adapted BioSentinel, the only CubeSat to travel Beyond Low Earth Orbit. BioSentinel launched on Artemis I and is currently >50 million kilometers from Earth (as of July 2024). LEIA aims to identify biological responses to the Lunar environment, which unprotected against would pose a threat to astronauts (cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological impairment). The suite of instruments within LEIA detects Lunar radiation using two on-board radiation sensors (ARES charged particle detector, Mini-Fast Neutron Detector), then monitors real-time biological responses to the Lunar environment via an autonomous microfluidic system, fit with 3-LED emitter and detector boards and the alamarBlue metabolic indicator dye. LEIA will use a genetic approach in addition to synthetic biology to test counter-measure production in space, with the goal to inform and protect astronauts for future Moon missions. We have conducted preliminary tests in preparation for launch to the anticipated South Pole of the Moon, optimizing the biology (strain down-selection, desiccation tolerance, radiation sensitivity) and improving the hardware (including a blue LED to detect the beta-carotene countermeasure product). Our team will discuss these findings in several parts – an overview of the LEIA mission (Mark Settles), adapting flexible CubeSat platforms for deep-space applications (Sergio Santa Maria, Kira Rienecker), developing new technologies to support LEIA ground studies (Chinmayee Govinda Raj), and yeast strain development and hardware testing in preparation for LEIA (presented here).

synthetic biology↗
NASA NTRS2026

Extrusion-based Additive Manufacturing of Regolith-Filled Shape Memory Vitrimer Composite for Lunar Construction

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is visiting the moon again. This time, the objective is to explore establishing a permanent lunar base. To achieve both longterm human habitation on the moon and future deep space travel, it is crucial to make the most of the in-situ resources and build autonomous systems on the moon to support the construction of a lunar habitat. NASA’s In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) program aims to minimize the need to ship heavy prefabricated structures, reducing cost and enhancing sustainability. Here, we developed an economical extrusion method for printing lunar regolith-based composites using shape memory vitrimer as a binder. A rheological study is conducted to determine the extrudability of the composite with different regolith weight percentages. Several characterizations were conducted on the composites. The as-printed composites exhibited compressive and flexural strengths of 73.32 MPa and 156.59 MPa, respectively, and good impact tolerance. The composite maintained 57.92% of its mechanical properties even after the second crack healing cycle. The composites also exhibit shape fixity ratio of 90.02% and shape recovery ratio of 83.46%. The simple synthesis method, sustainability, and good thermomechanical properties make the 3D printed composite an ideal material for lunar construction applications.

Kingsley Yeboah Gyabaah↗
NASA NTRS2009

Usability: Human Research Program - Space Human Factors and Habitability

The Usability project addresses the need for research in the area of metrics and methodologies used in hardware and software usability testing in order to define quantifiable and verifiable usability requirements. A usability test is a human-in-the-loop evaluation where a participant works through a realistic set of representative tasks using the hardware/software under investigation. The purpose of this research is to define metrics and methodologies for measuring and verifying usability in the aerospace domain in accordance with FY09 focus on errors, consistency, and mobility/maneuverability. Usability metrics must be predictive of success with the interfaces, must be easy to obtain and/or calculate, and must meet the intent of current Human Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR). Methodologies must work within the constraints of the aerospace domain, be cost and time efficient, and be able to be applied without extensive specialized training.

Sandor, Aniko↗
NASA NTRS2015

A Modular Habitation System for Human Planetary and Space Exploration

A small-diameter modular pressure vessel system is devised that can be applied to planetary surface and deep space human exploration missions. As one of the recommendations prepared for the NASA Human Spaceflight Architecture Team (HAT) Evolvable Mars Campaign (EMC), a compact modular system can provide a Mars-forward approach to a variety of missions and environments. Small cabins derived from the system can fit into the Space Launch System (SLS) Orion "trunk", or can be mounted with mobility systems to function as pressurized rovers, in-space taxis, ascent stage cabins, or propellant tanks. Larger volumes can be created using inflatable elements for long-duration deep space missions and planetary surface outposts. This paper discusses how a small-diameter modular system can address functional requirements, mass and volume constraints, and operational scenarios.

habitation↗
NASA NTRS1987

Human factor design of habitable space facilities

Current fundamental and applied habitability research conducted as part of the U.S. space program is reviewed with emphasis on methods, findings, and applications of the results to the planning and design of the International Space Station. The discussion covers the following six concurrent directions of habitability research: operational simulation, functional interior decor research, space crew privacy requirements, interior layout and configuration analysis, human spatial habitability model, and analogous environments research.

Clearwater, Yvonne A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Human Engineering Operations and Habitability Assessment: A Process for Advanced Life Support Ground Facility Testbeds

Design and Human Engineering (HE) processes strive to ensure that the human-machine interface is designed for optimal performance throughout the system life cycle. Each component can be tested and assessed independently to assure optimal performance, but it is not until full integration that the system and the inherent interactions between the system components can be assessed as a whole. HE processes (which are defining/app lying requirements for human interaction with missions/systems) are included in space flight activities, but also need to be included in ground activities and specifically, ground facility testbeds such as Bio-Plex. A unique aspect of the Bio-Plex Facility is the integral issue of Habitability which includes qualities of the environment that allow humans to work and live. HE is a process by which Habitability and system performance can be assessed.

Connolly, Janis H.↗
DOE OSTI2021

Mars: new insights and unresolved questions

Mars exploration motivates the search for extraterrestrial life, the development of space technologies, and the design of human missions and habitations. Here, we seek new insights and pose unresolved questions relating to the natural history of Mars, habitability, robotic and human exploration, planetary protection, and the impacts on human society.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Plasma for Crewed Transit and Planetary Habitation

As human exploration moves beyond low Earth orbit, innovative life support and resource production systems become forerunners for human colonization. Plasma systems allow for complex chemical processes while mitigating consumable needs. Plasma technology and applications can redefine the space environment. With this, scientists at NASA are looking to close known space technology gaps and create a paradigm shift in space-based applications. NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is exploring the use of low-temperature plasma for applications in agriculture, sanitation ,regolith reduction, waste gasification, water activation, and nutrient recovery techniques. Using low temperature plasmas, we report on the success criteria and experimental results for plasma applications for crewed transit and planetary habitation.

Plasma↗