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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 NTRS2015

Empirical Model Development for Predicting Shock Response on Composite Materials Subjected to Pyroshock Loading: Appendices - Volume 2, Part 1

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) received a request to develop an analysis model based on both frequency response and wave propagation analyses for predicting shock response spectrum (SRS) on composite materials subjected to pyroshock loading. The model would account for near-field environment (approximately 9 inches from the source) dominated by direct wave propagation, mid-field environment (approximately 2 feet from the source) characterized by wave propagation and structural resonances, and far-field environment dominated by lower frequency bending waves in the structure. This document contains appendices to the Volume I report.

Steven J Gentz↗
DOE OSTI2026

Thin Film Synthesis of SrZn2P2 with SrI2 Post-Annealing for Enhanced Crystallinity and Optoelectronic Quality

Ternary Zintl phosphides are promising light-absorbing semiconductors for thin-film optoelectronic applications, but strategies for controlling their microstructure and optoelectronic quality remain underexplored. Here, we report the synthesis of phase-pure SrZn2P2 thin films using radio-frequency co-sputtering in a PH3 + Ar atmosphere and investigate the impact of post-growth processing on their structural and optical properties. Grazing-incidence X-ray scattering and Raman spectroscopy confirm the formation of crystalline SrZn2P2 films over a finite compositional window. Optical measurements reveal clear absorption near the direct-band-gap energy (~1.8 eV) and near-band-edge photoluminescence. Further, we have studied the effects of chemically compatible halide-assisted annealing. It is found that SrI2 treatments lead to pronounced grain growth and reduced diffraction peak broadening while preserving phase purity, in contrast to rapid thermal or forming-gas annealing. Notably, annealing with SrI2 at 450 degrees C significantly enhances both the intensity and spatial uniformity of the photoluminescence, thus connecting the observed microstructural consolidation with improved radiative recombination. Our study demonstrates that halide-assisted annealing provides an effective pathway for microstructural control in SrZn2P2 thin films and highlights a generalizable processing strategy for advancing Zintl phosphide semiconductors toward optoelectronic applications.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

The Future of Oaks in the Santa Monica Mountains: A Case Study in Using Remote Sensing Data for Species Distributions Models

The Woolsey Fire began on November 8, 2018, and lasted for almost two weeks, during which it burned almost 100,000 acres of valuable landscape and habitat, including a vast area of woodland. The persistence of key woodland species provides aesthetic, monetary, and ecological value to the landscape through carbon sequestration, air temperature moderation, and erosion mitigation, among other ecosystem services. This study investigated the impact of the Woolsey Fire on native woodland species distributions and identified areas suitable for restoration within the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. The team partnered with the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains; National Park Service, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area; California Department of Parks and Recreation, Los Angeles County Division; County of Los Angeles Fire Department, Prevention Services Bureau, Forestry Division; County of Los Angeles Department of Regional Planning; and the University of Montana. The Earth observations used include data from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, NASA ER-2 Jet Airborne Visible InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer, Shuttle Radar Topography Mission, and RapidEye. The team produced maps of burn severity from the Woolsey Fire, its impact on plant species distributions, and habitat suitability projections for 2050 and 2099 to assist partners in prioritizing areas for restoration. A plant community classification was successfully created using Multiple Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (MESMA). Overall accuracy was assessed at 90.54% by comparing the classification to validation pixels derived from ground truth information provided by our partners.

Roger Ly↗
NASA NTRS1997

FAST Spacecraft Battery Design and Performance

The Fast Auroral Snapshot (FAST) Explorer spacecraft is to study the physical processes that produce the aurora borealis and aurora australis. It is a unique plasma physics experiment that will take fundamental measurements of the magnetic and electrical fields. This investigation will add significantly to our understanding of the near-earth space environments and its effect. The FAST has a 1 year requirement and 3-year goal for its mission life in low earth orbit. The FAST power power system topology is a Direct Energy Transfer (DET) system based on the SAMPEX design. The FAST flight battery supplies power to the satellite during pre-launch operations, the launch phase, the eclipse periods for all mission phases, and when the load is about 50 watts.

Jung, David S.↗
NASA NTRS2026

SCOAPE-II: A 2024 Multiplatform Measurement Campaign off the US Gulf Coast to Assess Oil and Gas Emissions on the Outer Continental Shelf

Nine years ago, the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the Agency with Air Quality (AQ) jurisdiction over the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) of the US Gulf Coast west of 87.5° W longitude, asked NASA to determine the feasibility of using satellite data to measure offshore emissions in a region of concentrated oil and natural gas (ONG) operations. To study this issue NASA and BOEM conducted the May 2019 Satellite Coastal and Oceanic Atmospheric Pollution Experiment (SCOAPE) cruise in the Gulf. SCOAPE addressed both technological and scientific issues related to measuring nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 , a common air pollutant), including contrasting near-shore and deepwater regimes. Given the April 2023 launch of the geostationary Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution (TEMPO) AQ satellite, a 2024 SCOAPE-II was conducted in the Gulf with both ship and aircraft measurements. We present an overview of the SCOAPE-II campaign, analysis and validation of satellite-observed NO 2 , and evaluate measurements of methane from ship, aircraft, and satellite near ONG platforms. Our SCOAPE-II results are as follows: 1) Satellite NO 2 measurements (∼13:30 local time) from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) are more accurate than TEMPO’s hourly scans (8.6% vs. 23.6% mean absolute bias); a new version of TEMPO data is currently being processed; 2) ship and aircraft measurements captured dozens of NO 2 and methane plumes from ONG operations, showing that they are persistent emitters; 3) satellite measurements of methane failed to replicate ship and aircraft measurements, presenting ongoing challenges for operational emissions monitoring over the Gulf.

satellite validation↗
NASA NTRS1992

Flight Testing

It is considered by the Flight Mechanics Panel of AGARD as vitally important that the NATO flight test community meet regularly so that new techniques for flight test, instrumentation and data analysis and lessons learned from past and on-going programs be disseminated to ensure that safe efficient cost-effective and timely testing is accomplished. There are many new systems being tested or planned for testing in the near future. These include programmable signal processor radars, integrated flight, fire and propulsion control systems, thrust vectoring, low observable technologies, multifunction pilot displays and multisensor integration. Acquisition and processing of large quantities of avionics multiplex data are challenges that must be met. There is a need for greater use of simulators and other hardware-in-the-loop ground test facilities.

Source record↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

On-Orbit Calibration Assessment of NOAA-21 VIIRS Thermal Emissive Bands and Implications for JPSS-4 VIIRS

The Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument onboard the NOAA-21 (N21) satellite has been successfully operating for over three years collecting valuable scientific measurements. A large suite of weather forecasting models and scientific research applications are supported with the VIIRS measurements from N21 combined with those acquired from the VIIRS instrument onboard the S-NPP and NOAA-20 spacecraft. Among the 22 VIIRS spectral bands, there are seven thermal emissive bands (TEB) covering the 3.7 to 12.2 µm spectral range at two different spatial resolutions. The VIIRS TEB detectors are calibrated onboard using a blackbody at a controlled temperature and a space view for background signal measurement. In this paper, we discuss the on-orbit performance of the N21 VIIRS TEB using various parameters such as the detector gain, noise, and offset. This on-orbit assessment provides critical insights into instrument behavior and calibration performance that will inform pre-launch testing and post-launch validation strategies for the upcoming JPSS-4 VIIRS mission scheduled for launch in 2027. The methodologies and lessons learned from characterizing the N21 TEB performance will enable more efficient and comprehensive radiometric assessment of the next VIIRS instrument. Specific focus is placed on identifying performance trends and anomaly signatures observed during the N21 commissioning phase that can enhance the JPSS4 instrument checkout procedures and accelerate the transition to routine on-orbit operations. The established performance baselines and uncertainty estimates will serve as an acceptance criterion for the JPSS-4 commissioning activities, ensuring mission readiness and data continuity for operational users.

Amit Angal↗
NASA NTRS1977

Geochemical Zoning and Early Differentiation in the Moon

The volatile elements (e.g., Rb, Pb, Tl, Bi, Cs) seem to have been depleted at the time of lunar accretion. Accordingly, it may be assumed that the moon initially accreted from refractory material. The good correlation between volatile/involatile element ratios (e.g., Cs/U, K/La, K/Zr) in both highland and maria samples means that element distribution in lunar crustal rocks is not governed by volatility differences. This and other evidence encourages the view that the moon was accreted homogeneously. A consequence of homogeneous accretion theories is that very efficient large-scale element fractionation is required to account both for the high near-surface concentrations of refractory elements (e.g., Th, U, REE, Zr, Ba, etc.) and for the Ca-Al-rich crust.

S R Taylor↗
NASA NTRS2008

Spray Forming of NiTi and NiTiPd Shape-Memory Alloys

In the work to be presented, vacuum plasma spray forming has been used as a process to deposit and consolidate prealloyed NiTi and NiTiPd powders into near net shape actuators. Testing showed that excellent shape memory behavior could be developed in the deposited materials and the investigation proved that VPS forming could be a means to directly form a wide range of shape memory alloy components. The results of DSC characterization and actual actuation test results will be presented demonstrating the behavior of a Nitinol 55 alloy and a higher transition temperature NiTiPd alloy in the form of torque tube actuators that could be used in aircraft and aerospace controls.

Aero-Surface Controls↗
NASA NTRS2026

The Contaminant Footprint of Landed Spacecraft: Toward an Inventory and Modelling Framework

All spacecraft generate and carry contaminants, i.e., unwanted and potentially harmful material. When a spacecraft lands and operates in near-vacuum, as onto Earth’s Moon, it introduces contaminants into its environment that may compromise mission science objectives and engineering performance. Contamination of solar system bodies may irrevocably degrade targets of unique value to planetary scientists, for instance, as lunar landed spacecraft introduce propellant effluents into the otherwise pristine ice of the Moon’s permanently shadowed regions. NASA’s planetary protection discipline seeks to ensure that solar system bodies are not contaminated, for scientific purposes, by terrestrial material (i.e., forward contamination). This interest aligns with planetary science interest in mitigating the transport of terrestrial contaminants onto solar system bodies and in controlling types of contamination that could compromise the scientific value of samples or measurements. NASA, and other entities that practice planetary science, have compelling and multidisciplinary interests in the preservation of special regions and sampling sites of high scientific value – including lunar permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) – from inadvertent contamination by any spacecraft, and in understanding the contamination of such regions by all spacecraft. Organic molecular contamination here represents a primary threat. Organic molecules will be introduced to solar system bodies by nominal landed spacecraft and crew processes – including by the action of descent and ascent engines; natural materials outgassing; and crew environmental and life support system sources. Molecular contaminants can also travel in the free-molecular sense at global scale across near-vacuum bodies, including into regions where they may be permanently trapped. This presentation will address a high-level study to identify sources of contaminants – in particular, organic material – generated by landed spacecraft along with the transport vectors by which these contaminants can reach sites of scientific interest on bodies like the Moon. A vision for an integrated modeling framework for the organic contamination footprint of spacecraft missions, individually and collectively, will also be described and presented along with initial conclusions related to organic molecular transport.

Gas Dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2026

High-Q superconducting lumped-element resonators for low-mass axion searches

Low-frequency superconducting lumped-element resonators have recently attracted significant attention in the context of axion dark matter searches. Here, we present the design and implementation of a fixed-frequency superconducting resonator operating near 250 kHz, possessing an inductor volume of ∼1 liter and achieving an unloaded quality factor Q ≈ 2.1 × 10 6 . This resonator represents a significant improvement over the state of the art and informs the design of searches for low-mass axions.

Bosons↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Evaluating Crystallinity in Thermoplastic Composites for Aerospace Applications

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 faster production. Most thermoplastic resins are semicrystalline polymers. The properties of semicrystalline thermoplastics are directly influenced by their crystallinity, which can vary due to many factors including thermal treatments, environmental conditions, and mechanical deformation. Within thermoplastic PMC parts, crystallinity gradients can arise due to variations in part geometry, across part thicknesses, and along bonded joints. Monitoring the crystallinity of thermoplastic composites is key to ensuring these materials meet the high demands required for aerospace. Several different analytical techniques exist that can be used to characterize the bulk crystallinity of thermoplastic materials. However, many existing methods lack the specificity required to identify the subtle variations in crystallinity that may play a significant role in the performance and durability of PMC parts. Because of this, a significant amount of work is still required to fully characterize and understand the crystallinity profiles of thermoplastic PMCs and the resulting impact to material properties. This talk discusses the use of multiple techniques such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry, Polarized Light Optical Microscopy, and Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy to characterize the crystallinity in carbon fiber/thermoplastic composites. Samples of different crystallinity profiles were manufactured using various cooling procedures. 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 aerospace applications.

Thermoplastics↗
DOE OSTI2026

Explainable machine learning reveals that local structural motifs encode the thermodynamic state across the CuZr metallic glass-forming range

Metallic glasses derive their properties from the statistics of local atomic motifs rather than from long-range order, yet a quantitative, chemistry-specific link between motif populations and the underlying glassy state has remained elusive. In this work we combine large-scale molecular dynamics, Voronoi tessellation, deep neural networks, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to identify which local structural motifs define the glassy state of Cu—Zr metallic glasses. A dataset of 17,180 atomistic configurations spanning ten compositions (Cu 20 Zr 80 –Cu 80 Zr 20 ) and four quench rates (10 9 –10 12 K/s) is used to train a feed-forward neural network that regresses temperature across the 50–2000 K liquid–supercooled–glass range, achieving a mean absolute error of 19.89 K and R 2 = 0.9974, confirming that the local structural state is faithfully encoded in motif-level structure. SHAP analysis then reveals that a tightly coupled near-icosahedral family of motifs (coordination numbers (CN) 11–13, including the full icosahedron 001200 and its single-atom-perturbation sibling 10930) collectively encodes the thermodynamic state of the system across the full glass-forming range. The CN = 11–13 ordered members carry negative SHAP values at high populations, tracking the most deeply-quenched configurations, while 10930 shows the reversed signature consistent with its role as a soft-spot host whose population shrinks as the icosahedral network deepens. The analysis demonstrates that explainable machine learning can isolate the minimal motif vocabulary defining the glassy state and recovers the near-icosahedral building blocks previously identified by data-driven analyses of Cu—Zr. The approach provides a general, chemistry-specific route for characterizing the structural state of disordered materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Development of large-scale, 3D Printed high temperature ceramic material

Through this collaborative effort, a new 3D printing platform for ceramics called laser-induced slip casting (LIS) was explored and developed for improving the processing and manufacture of silicon carbide (SiC), a high temperature ceramic material. This method prints layers of ceramic slips/slurries with subsequent selective-laser heating to dry each layer to build a 3D structure. The completed and dried part is then sintered. This manufacturing process is inherently lower cost than alternative ceramic printing methods such as binder jet technology or stereolithography when it comes to the feedstock material but is more expensive than robocasting or direct ink writing. However, it has the potential to make more controlled parts with less defects compared to robocasting. The largest cost is the heating source for the printer. With this technique, there is potential to make large ceramic parts in a near-net shape. Further, there is no known commercial manufacturing of 3D printed ceramics that creates a large range of different high-density ceramics at large scale. The goals and outcomes for the development of the new printing technology were: 1) assessing the technology with alumina by characterizing coupons, 2) printing and sintering of silicon carbide (SiC), and 3) characterization and properties testing of materials printed and a scale-up of SiC part(s). Through this collaborative project, it was sought to provide the best solution to achieving highly dense and near-net shaped ceramic parts at large scale and reduced cost. The goal was to produce high density sintered materials for applications in defense, energy generating systems, armor, and wear parts using 3D printing methods. Variables including powder particle sizes, dispersant molecular weights (MWs), binders, printing parameters, and post processing were explored as well as the characterization of the physical properties (add specifics here).

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Design Trade-Offs in Composite Fuel Cell Membranes: Effects of Reinforcement and Chemical Additives

Perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes are critical components in proton exchange membrane fuel cells, where performance depends on balancing ionic conductivity, mechanical durability, and chemical stability. This study characterizes a composite membrane (NC700) featuring PFSA-impregnated expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) reinforcement and cerium-based radical scavengers, benchmarked against unreinforced NR211. Complementary techniques, including electron microscopy, X-ray scattering, infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and dynamic mechanical analysis, identify the structural and compositional strategies employed in NC700. Water sorption isotherms reveal lower water uptake for NC700 across all conditions, attributed to reinforcement and cerium incorporation. Reinforcement reduces in-plane swelling from 11% to 2.1% at 90% RH, confirming strong swelling anisotropy, while maintaining mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. While the ionic conductivity of NC700 is approximately 10% lower than that of NR211, the reduced thickness yields a 40% decrease in calculated area-specific resistance, suggesting the composite architecture can favorably shift the conductivity-stability trade-off. The composite structure also reduces gas permeability, indicating potential for improved separator function alongside favorable transport properties. Systematic deconvolution of reinforcement and additive contributions shows that conductivity losses from cerium incorporation are largely offset by gains from the lower equivalent-weight polymer, providing quantitative relationships that may guide composite membrane design for fuel cells and other electrochemical applications.

25 ENERGY STORAGE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Alumina–Titania Nanolaminate Condensers for Hot Programmable Catalysis

Nanolaminates composed of thin alternating layers of Al2O 3 and TiO 2 (ATO) were engineered by using atomic layer deposition as the dielectric material for a Pt-on-carbon catalytic condenser. Investigation assessed synthesis parameters including the deposition temperature, Al 2 O 3 and TiO 2 layer thicknesses, total number of layers, and a capping Al 2 O 3 layer on the maximum charge accumulation in the Pt catalyst. The highest capacitance ATO configuration demonstrated a specific capacitance of ∼1200 nF/cm 2 with working voltages of ±5 V, enabling the storage of 4 × 10 13 electrons or holes per cm 2 at room temperature. The ATO devices exhibited enhanced capacitance at elevated temperatures of up to 400 °C, suggesting the suitability of these materials for high-temperature applications. Adsorption of carbon monoxide on the Pt/C-ATO device characterized by grazing incidence infrared spectroscopy showed changes in the surface binding energy of 13.1 ± 0.8 kJ/mol for an applied external voltage bias of ±1 V.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
NASA NTRS1977

Lunar Igneous Rocks and the Nature of the Lunar Interior

Lunar igneous rocks, properly interpreted, can give useful information about mineral assemblages and mineral chemistry as a function of depth in the lunar interior. Though intensely brecciated, terra rocks reveal, in their chemistry, evidence for a magmatic history. Partial melting of feldspathic lunar crustal material occurred in the interval 4.6 to 3.9 Gy. Melting of ilmenite-bearing cumulates at depths near 100 km produced parent magmas for Apollo 11 and 17 titaniferous mare basalts in the interval 3.8 to 3.6 Gy. Melting of ilmenite-free olivine pyroxenites (also cumulates?) at depths greater than 200 km produced low-titanium mare basalts in the interval 3.4 to 3.1 Gy. No younger igneous rocks have yet been recognized among the lunar samples and present-day melting seems to be limited to depths greater than 1000 km.

James Fred Hays↗
DOE OSTI2026

Technoeconomic Studies for the Rorex Creek Pumped Storage Hydro Project: An Evaluation of New Pumped Storage Hydro in the Tennessee Valley Authority System

This report evaluates the economic viability of the proposed 1,200 MW, 23,365 MWh Rorex Creek Pumped Storage Hydro (PSH) plant that would be located near Pisgah, Alabama. In addressing this question, this study has developed processes, models and data that better value PSH from a utility perspective, more specifically a vertically integrated utility, enabling optimal PSH design and deployment. This study is designed to enhance TVA’s toolset in making PSH investment decisions and contribute to the design of a more cost-effective, stable future grid. These techniques can then be applied to a broader range of assets and utilities.

Cohen, Stuart↗