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At least 1,531 records · Page 85

Commissioning of NASA's 3rd Generation Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS KLM)

In the summer of 2017, the third and final spacecraft of the 3rd generation of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS) launched aboard an Atlas V rocket from Complex 41 on the Eastern Test Range. Finishing final testing and integration in the first quarter of 2018, the TDRS-M communication and navigation satellite completes a constellation that began service in the early 1980s. The 3rd generation of spacecraft, TDRS-K, L, and M, not only provided beneficial systems engineering lessons in handling anomalous Radio Frequency and Doppler interference as well as integrating new spacecraft into an aging ground support infrastructure, but also supplies NASA with a valuable test bed for new operational concepts and technologies useful in defining the future architecture of the NASA Space Network. This paper presents an overview of the TDRS-K, L, and M missions, including transfer orbit, Level 5 bus and payload testing, and finally NASA-led Level 6 testing, which includes active TDRS System (TDRSS) users. Highlights include relevant testing results, commissioning challenges, and lessons learned. The final discussion includes a brief overview of future NASA communication and navigation technologies and network architectures.

Data Relay↗

Water and Ammonia Desorption from 5A Zeolite

The objective of this project is to demonstrate the adsorption and desorption characteristics of water and ammonia on 5A zeolite during regeneration conditions. As discussed in literature, zeolite material is a crystalline hydrated aluminosilicate material. Zeolites have high cation exchange ability and are commonly used as adsorbents in separation and purification processes. The property of uniformly sized pores allows zeolites to selectively separate gases. Because they have varying ion selectivity, there is competitive adsorption in a multicomponent mixture. 5A zeolite has a uniform pore diameter of 5 Angstroms. Water and ammonia are miscible components with similar molecular weights and size. This makes distinguishing the two compounds difficult using mass spectrometry. In a previous study, it was shown that water tends to desorb from 5A zeolite from 40 deg. C to 353 deg. C with peaks at 177 deg. C and 244 deg. C, while ammonia tends to desorb from 300 deg. C to 580 deg. C with a peak at 436 deg. C as determined using a Micromeritics AutoChem 2920 Instrument. The one drawback of using a Micromeritics Instrument is that only a few milligrams of sample material can be used. Bench scale tests can better demonstrate desorption characteristics of water and ammonia during regeneration from 5A zeolite material. Water in argon carrier gas and ammonia in hydrogen carrier gas will be tested separately, then a mixture of the two will be tested. Initial bake-out conditions: hydrogen carrier gas, slowly raise temp to approximately 450 deg. C until desired moisture content <100 ppm is achieved. Water loading: argon carrier gas through bubbler until breach is observed using the residual gas analyzer (RGA). Ammonia loading: hydrogen carrier gas through system until breach is observed using RGA. Regeneration conditions: hydrogen carrier gas, raise temp to approximately 300 deg. C, then slowly to 450 deg. C. Observe signals on RGA. Weigh samples between tests and integrate RGA signals. Accomplishments: Developed work control documentation and completed safety related requirements; Flow sheet and test system development; Initial bake-out of first sample. Testing will determine if regenerating zeolite material can be safely accomplished by high-temperature bake-out to remove ammonia. If unsuccessful, ammonia would only be removed at the end of life.

12 MANAGEMENT OF RADIOACTIVE AND NON-RADIOACTIVE W↗

Develop and test fuel cell powered on-site integrated total energy systems

On-going testing of an 11 cell, 10.7 in. x 14 in. stack (about 1 kW) reached 2600 hours on steady load. Nonmetallic cooling plates and an automated electrolyte replenishment system continued to perform well. A 10 cell, 10.7 in. x 14 in. stack was constructed with a modified electrolyte matrix configuration for the purpose of reducing cell IR loss. The desired effect was achieved, but the general cell performance level was irregular. Evaluation is continuing. Preparations for a long term 25 cell, 13 in. x 23 in. test stack (about 4 kW) approached completion. Start up in early May 1984 is expected.

Kaufman, A.↗

Integration of proteomics and metabolomics into the Design, Build, Test, Learn cycle to improve 3-hydroxypropionic acid production in Aspergillus pseudoterreus

Biological engineering of microorganisms to produce value-added chemicals is a promising route to sustainable manufacturing. However, overproduction of metabolic intermediates at high titer, rate, and yield from inexpensive substrates is challenging in non-model systems where limited information is available regarding metabolic flux and its control in production conditions. Integrated multi-omic analyses of engineered strains offers an in-depth look at metabolites and proteins directly involved in growth and production of target and non-target bioproducts. Here we applied multi-omic analyses to overproduction of the polymer precursor 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus pseudoterreus. A synthetic pathway consisting of aspartate decarboxylase, beta-alanine pyruvate transaminase, and 3HP dehydrogenase was designed and built for A. pseudoterreus. Strains with single- and multi-copy integration events were isolated and multi-omics analysis consisting of intracellular and extracellular metabolomics and targeted and global proteomics was used to interrogate the strains in shake-flask and bioreactor conditions. Production of a variety of co-products (organic acids and glycerol) and oxidative degradation of 3HP were identified as metabolic pathways competing with 3HP production. Intracellular accumulation of nitrogen as 2,4-diaminobutanoate was identified as an off-target nitrogen sink that may also limit flux through the engineered 3HP pathway. Elimination of the high-expression oxidative 3HP degradation pathway by deletion of a putative malonate semialdehyde dehydrogenase improved the yield of 3HP by 3.4× after 10 days in shake-flask culture. This is the first report of 3HP production in a filamentous fungus amenable to industrial scale biomanufacturing of organic acids at high titer and low pH.

Pomraning, Kyle R.↗

Detector arrays for low-background space infrared astronomy

The status of development and characterization tests of integrated infrared detector array technology for astronomy applications is described. The devices under development include intrinsic, extrinsic silicon, and extrinsic germanium detectors, with hybrid silicon multiplexers. Laboratory test results and successful astronomy imagery have established the usefulness of integrated arrays in low-background astronomy applications.

Mccreight, C. R.↗

Detector arrays for low-background space infrared astronomy

The status of development and characterization tests of integrated infrared detector array technology for astronomy applications is described. The devices under development include intrinsic, extrinsic silicon, and extrinsic germanium detectors, with hybrid silicon multiplexers. Laboratary test results and successful astronomy imagery have established the usefulness of integrated arrays in low-background astronomy applications.

Mccreight, C. R.↗

Integrated 10 kV SiC VSD and High-Speed MW Motor for Gas Compression Systems

The objective of this project was to develop and test an integrated drive package including a 10 kV silicon carbide (SiC) - based variable-speed drive (VSD) and a high-speed megawatt-rated motor. This design was intended for gas compression applications that meet the objectives and technical targets of DE-FOA-0001208.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Microlfuidic Component Development

908 Devices Inc. (908 Devices) had proposed to meet Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) requirements for a portable chemical vapor detector system, by coupling their high-pressure ion trap mass spectrometer to a microfabricated gas chromatography column (μGC). Sandia National Laboratories (SNL’s) role under this Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) Project Task Statement (PTS) was to provide silicon μGC die (of two design variants), and μPC die (also of two variants) for testing and integration by the CRADA partners. These design variants were fabricated and delivered by SNL in Project Year 1. In Project Year 2, SNL personnel have advised 908 Devices personnel regarding operation and test of μGC and μPC components, as well as integration of these components into a complete chemical analysis system.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

ENDF/B-VIII.0: The 8 th Major Release of the Nuclear Reaction Data Library with CIELO-project Cross Sections, New Standards and Thermal Scattering Data

We describe the new ENDF/B-VIII.0 evaluated nuclear reaction data library. ENDF/B-VIII.0 fully incorporates the new IAEA standards, includes improved thermal neutron scattering data and uses new evaluated data from the CIELO project for neutron reactions on 1 H, 16 O, 56 Fe, 235 U, 238 U and 239 Pu described in companion papers in the present issue of Nuclear Data Sheets. The evaluations benefit from recent experimental data obtained in the U.S. and Europe, and improvements in theory and simulation. Notable advances include updated evaluated data for light nuclei, structural materials, actinides, fission energy release, prompt fission neutron and γ-ray spectra, thermal neutron scattering data, and charged-particle reactions. Integral validation testing is shown for a wide range of criticality, reaction rate, and neutron transmission benchmarks. In general, integral validation performance of the library is improved relative to the previous ENDF/B-VII.1 library.

73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS↗

Low-cost, Risk-Reduction Testing of Class D Spacecraft Photovoltaic Systems

The end-to-end verification of a spacecraft photovoltaic power generation system requires light! A low-cost, portable, and end-to-end photovoltaic-system test appropriate for NASAs new generation of Class D missions is presented. High risk, low-cost, and quick-turn satellites rarely have the resources to execute the traditional approaches from higher-class (A-C) missions. The Class D approach, as demonstrated on the Lunar Atmospheric and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE), utilizes a portable, metal-halide, theatre lamp for an end-to-end photovoltaic system test. While not as precise and comprehensive as the traditional Large Area Pulsed Solar Simulator (LAPSS) test, the LADEE method leverages minimal resources into an ongoing assessment program that can be applied through numerous stages of the mission. The project takes a true Class D approach in assessing the technical value of a costly, high-fidelity performance test versus a simpler approach with less programmatic risk. The resources required are a fraction of that for a LAPSS test, and is easy to repeat due to its portability. Further, the test equipment can be handed down to future projects without building an on-site facility.At the vanguard of Class D missions, the LADEE team frequently wrestled with and challenged the status quo. The philosophy of risk avoidance at all cost, typical to Class A-C missions, simply could not be executed. This innovative and simple testing solution is contextualized to NASA Class D programs and a specific risk encountered during development of the LADEE Electrical Power System (EPS). Selection of the appropriate lamp and safety concerns are discussed, with examples of test results. Combined with the vendors panel-level data and periodic inspection, the method ensures system integrity from Integration and Test (IT) through launch. Following launch, mission operations tools are utilized to assess system performance based on a scant amount of available data.

photovoltaic↗

Dynamic System Scaling Applied to Zr-4 Cladding under RIA Conditions

The research and development lifecycle for new fuel designs currently has an ideal 20-25 year timeline. Efforts are currrently underway to accelerate fuel design and development using high performance fuel modeling codes and reduced scale experiments with new instrumentation techniques. However current tools available require a full scale prototype to be designed and tested for fuel qualification. The thermal-hydraulics community has leveraged scaling methodologies to use reduced scale integral effect test facilities (Westinghouse AP600/1000, NuScale Power Module) in lieu of building full scale prototypes for reactor design certification. Dynamic System Scaling (DSS) is a recent development to scaling methodologies that enable the tracking and quantification of dynamic scaling distortions experienced throughout a transient. Recent TREAT experiments performed reactivity initiated accident (RIA) pulses on UO2 fuel rodlets in Zr-4 cladding and were accompanied by BISON predictions for the cladding temperature. DSS is applied to pyrometer data of outer cladding temperatures and two BISON predictions after peak cladding temperature has been reached. One BISON case uses a constant gap conductance value between the fuel and cladding and the other using a conventional gap conductance model. Results from the DSS analysis show that there is good agreement between both BISON predictions and the experimental data and that there is not a significant distortion seen between using either gap conductance model.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

The New LOTIS Test Facility

The Large Optical Test and Integration Site (LOTIS) at the Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in Sunnyvale, CA is designed for the verification and testing of optical systems. The facility consists of an 88 foot temperature stabilized vacuum chamber that also functions as a class 10k vertical flow cleanroom. Many problems were encountered in the design and construction phases. The industry capability to build large chambers is very weak. Through many delays and extra engineering efforts, the final product is very good. With 11 Thermal Conditioning Units and precision RTD s, temperature is uniform and stable within 1oF, providing an ideal environment for precision optical testing. Within this chamber and atop an advanced micro-g vibration-isolation bench is the 6.5 meter diameter LOTIS Collimator and Scene Generator, LOTIS alignment and support equipment. The optical payloads are also placed on the vibration bench in the chamber for testing. This optical system is designed to operate in both air and vacuum, providing test imagery in an adaptable suite of visible/near infrared (VNIR) and midwave infrared (MWIR) point sources, and combined bandwidth visible-through-MWIR point sources, for testing of large aperture optical payloads. The heart of the system is the LOTIS Collimator, a 6.5m f/15 telescope, which projects scenes with wavefront errors <85 nm rms out to a 0.75 mrad field of view (FOV). Using field lenses, performance can be extended to a maximum field of view of 3.2 mrad. The LOTIS Collimator incorporates an extensive integrated wavefront sensing and control system to verify the performance of the system.

Bell, R. M.↗

Multipole approximation of special nonlinear magnets for the IOTA ring

All existing focusing optics for accelerators are built to be "linear", i.e. the transverse focusing force is proportional to the particle displacement from the closed orbit. Such approach is used in order to make trajectories stable in the entire area of phase space, because the potential describing linear focusing is integrable and does not produce chaotic motion. Technically, the needed field is achieved with the help of dipole and quadrupole magnets. But the linear motion is unstable to perturbations in the focusing fields and excludes any betatron tune spread over particle's energy, which is beneficial for the beam stability. Moreover, the focusing strength depends on the particle's energy deviation from the designed one. These undesired effects are usually suppressed by the addition of non- linear elements, such as sextupoles and octupoles. Unfortunately, these additions make focusing potential nonintegrabe, leading to the limitation of stable phase space area. Recent research showed, that there exist non-linear potentials that, nevertheless, are fully integrable [1, 2]. Thus, there is an opportunity to create stable non-linear focusing optics that provides high betatron tune spread and mitigate magnetic field errors. This approach is to be implemented in electron storage ring called Integrable Optics Test Accelerator (IOTA) at Fermilab [3]. The main goal is to show the possibility to implement the nonlinear integrable system in a realistic accelerator design. Development of a magnet, which creates exact non-linear potential, is a technically complicated task, that takes much time and efforts. However, it is possible to expand the non- linear potential into superposition of multipoles of even orders (i.e quadrupole, octupole, etc.). Though this series is not convergent in the entire space, a few low order terms can be used to model the true potential in some limited area. In turn, each of the multipole potentials can be generated by speci ed electrical current in PCB coiled on the surface of storage ring's vacuum tube. Such approach is much cheaper than the creation of a magnet of solid iron with high current coil and faster than the development of \exact" non-linear magnet, but it can help identify some features of non-linear integrable optics application. The goal of this research work is to find analytically the angular distribution of electrical current on the surface of the vacuum tube, which creates inside it multipole potential with given parameters. Hereafter, there is the task to develop a model of flexible printed circuit board (PCB), which could be coiled around the vacuum tube in order to provide the desired current distribution.

Vorobev, Viktor↗

Solid state television camera

The design, fabrication, and tests of a solid state television camera using a new charge-coupled imaging device are reported. An RCA charge-coupled device arranged in a 512 by 320 format and directly compatible with EIA format standards was the sensor selected. This is a three-phase, sealed surface-channel array that has 163,840 sensor elements, which employs a vertical frame transfer system for image readout. Included are test results of the complete camera system, circuit description and changes to such circuits as a result of integration and test, maintenance and operation section, recommendations to improve the camera system, and a complete set of electrical and mechanical drawing sketches.

Source record↗

Spacecraft signal sources portable test system

There is a frequent need to measure the frequency stability and phase noise levels of very high performance signal sources that are required for certain spacecraft missions. These measurements need to be done at different locations as the spacecraft subsystems progress through the various stages of development, assembly, test, and integration. Allan Deviation and Phase Noise of high performance sources are generally measured by comparing the unit under test to a reference standard. Five basic requirements are associated with making these kind of measurements: (1) the reference standard performance needs to be equal or better than the unit under test; (2) the measurement system needs to accommodate odd, nonstandard measurement frequencies that can range from 4 MHz to 35 GHz; (3) warm-up frequency drift and aging can corrupt a measurement and must be dealt with; (4) test equipment generated noise must be understood and prevented from limiting the measurements; (5) test equipment noise performance must be verifiable in the field as needed. A portable measurement system that was built by JPL and used in the field is described. The methods of addressing the above requirements are outlined and some measurement noise floor values are given. This test set was recently used to measure state of the art crystal oscillator frequency standards on the TOPEX and MARS OBSERVER spacecraft during several stages of acceptance tests.

Kirk, Albert↗

Design and Demonstration of the Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) on the ExoMars 2018 Rover

The Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer (MOMA) investigation is a key astrobiology experiment scheduled to launch on the joint ESA-Roscosmos ExoMars 2018 rover mission. MOMA will examine the chemical composition of geological samples acquired from depths of up to two meters below the martian surface, where fragile organic molecules may be protected from destructive cosmic radiation and/or oxidative chemical reactions. The heart of the MOMA mass spectrometer subsystem (i.e., MOMA-MS) is a miniaturized linear ion trap (LIT) that supports two distinct modes of operation to detect: i) volatile and semi-volatile, low-to-moderate mass organics (less than or equal to 500 Da) via pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography mass spectrometry (pyr/GCMS); and, ii) more refractory, moderate-to-high mass compounds (up to 1000 Da) via laser desorption (LDMS) at ambient Mars pressures. Additionally, the LIT mass analyzer enables selective ion trapping via multi-frequency waveform ion excitation (e.g., stored waveform inverse Fourier transform, or SWIFT), and structural characterization of complex molecules using tandem mass spectrometry (MSIMS). A high-fidelity Engineering Test Unit (ETU) of MOMAMS, including the LIT subassembly, dual-gun electron ionization source, micropirani pressure gauge, solenoid-driven aperture valve, redundant detection chains, and control electronics, has been built and tested at NASA GSFC under relevant operational conditions (pressure, temperature, etc.). Spaceflight qualifications of individual hardware components and integrated subassemblies have been validated through vibration, shock, thermal, lifetime, and performance evaluations. The ETU serves as a pathfinder for the flight model buildup, integration and test, as the ETU meets the form, fit and function of the flight unit that will be delivered to MPS in late 2015. To date, the ETU of MOMA-MS has been shown to meet or exceed all functional requirements, including mass range, resolution, accuracy, instrumental drift, and Iimit-of-detection specifications, thereby enabling the primary science objectives of the MOMA investigation and ExoMars 2018 mission.

Mars Organic Molecule Analyzer↗

To the Moon! Space Launch System Modal Testing with Video and Motion Magnification

MIT Lincoln Laboratory and NASA Marshall Space Flight Center have been collaborating on using video camera measurements and motion magnification for modal testing of large aerospace components for several years. This presentation will discuss results from the Space Launch System Integrated Modal Test (IMT) and Dynamic Rollout/Rollback Test (DRRT) in support of the Artemis I mission. During the IMT, the data collection focused on operational mode shapes. In addition, the cameras were repositioned mid-test to better understand the physics of a low-frequency torsion mode. The non-contact nature of video data capture allowed for the quick redeployment of the cameras while not causing any delay in test schedule, whereas traditional instrumentation would have required a pause in testing to attach the sensors to the test article. The motion magnification analysis was able to find the low-frequency operational mode shapes and help the test team better understand the physics of the torsion mode. Building upon the success of the IMT motion magnification work, a camera system was used during the DRRT to find operational mode shapes, if the physics of the low-frequency torsion mode remained with different boundary conditions, and relative deflection of the vehicle and ML tower during the roll. In this paper we will present operational mode shape results, discuss the physics of the torsion mode, and review experimental setup idiosyncrasies to help the community in designing video camera measurement systems.

optical↗