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At least 163 records · Page 9

Accessing the Lunar Poles for Human Exploration Missions

The National Vision for Space Exploration calls for an American return to the Moon in preparation for the human exploration of Mars and other destinations. The surface environment of the Moon is a challenge for human operations, but recent findings from robotic and Earth-based studies have indicated that the polar regions of the Moon may offer advantages in terms of thermal conditions, availability of solar energy, and access to local resources. While accessing these regions represents a challenge due to orbital dynamics and propulsive performance, methods for accessing the regions with humans are being actively pursued, and environmental data gathering is planned through future robotic missions.

Joosten, B. Kent↗

"Intelligent Ensemble" Projections of Precipitation and Surface Radiation in Support of Agricultural Climate Change Adaptation

Earth's climate is changing and will continue to change into the foreseeable future. Expected changes in the climatological distribution of precipitation, surface temperature, and surface solar radiation will significantly impact agriculture. Adaptation strategies are, therefore, required to reduce the agricultural impacts of climate change. Climate change projections of precipitation, surface temperature, and surface solar radiation distributions are necessary input for adaption planning studies. These projections are conventionally constructed from an ensemble of climate model simulations (e.g., the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5)) as an equal weighted average, one model one vote. Each climate model, however, represents the array of climate-relevant physical processes with varying degrees of fidelity influencing the projection of individual climate variables differently. Presented here is a new approach, termed the "Intelligent Ensemble, that constructs climate variable projections by weighting each model according to its ability to represent key physical processes, e.g., precipitation probability distribution. This approach provides added value over the equal weighted average method. Physical process metrics applied in the "Intelligent Ensemble" method are created using a combination of NASA and NOAA satellite and surface-based cloud, radiation, temperature, and precipitation data sets. The "Intelligent Ensemble" method is applied to the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 anthropogenic climate forcing simulations within the CMIP5 archive to develop a set of climate change scenarios for precipitation, temperature, and surface solar radiation in each USDA Farm Resource Region for use in climate change adaptation studies.

Taylor, Patrick C.↗

Deep Mapping of Small Solar System Bodies with Galactic Cosmic Ray Secondary Particle Showers

We will investigate the use of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) secondary particles to probe the deep interiors of small solar system bodies (SSBs), including comets, asteroids, and geologic structures on the surfaces of airless bodies. Applications include solar system science, planetary defense, and resource utilization. Our Phase I study demonstrated that muons, the long-range charged component of GCR showers, can penetrate SSBs up to a km in diameter, providing information on their interior structure. Muons produced in Earth’s atmosphere have been applied to image the interior of large objects for science and engineering. In Phase I, we found that the production of muons in the solid surfaces of airless bodies is much smaller than in Earth’s atmosphere. Nevertheless, the flux of transmitted muons is sufficient to detect inclusions within an asteroid or comet in a reasonable amount of time, ranging from hours to weeks, depending on the size of the SSB and the density contrast, position and size of the inclusion. For asteroids and comets, large density variations (e.g., porous soil or ice versus solid rock) are relatively easy to detect. The intrinsic spatial resolution of muon radiography (“muography”) is on the scale of a few meters. The spatial resolution that can be achieved in practice depends on signal intensity and integration time (counting statistics), the angular resolution of the muon tracker (hodoscope) and details of data reduction and analysis methodology. Our Phase II project will assess remaining unknowns for the application of muography to determining the interior structure of SSBs, assess risks for implementation, and provide a roadmap for development of SSB muography beyond the NIAC program. To achieve our objectives, we will focus on four interrelated tasks: Task1) Signal and background characterization: Characterize the production and transmission of muons and secondary particle backgrounds made by cosmic ray showers in SSBs; and near-surface features from radiographic and tomographic data; Task2) Imaging studies: Develop methods to determine the density structure of SSB interiors and near-surface features from radiographic and tomographic data; Task3) Instrument design: Using simulations and bench-top laboratory experiments, investigate specific concepts for the design of compact hodoscopes and components; Task4) Synthesis: Combine the results of the first three tasks to determine the range of applicability of the method, identify the steps needed for maturation of the concept, and explore concepts for a pilot muography mission.

Prettyman, Thomas H.↗

Aerodynamic Implications of Aerocapture Systems for Uranus Orbiters

Exploration of the Ice Giants, Uranus in particular, has been indicated as the highest priority new flagship-class mission by the 2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. However, due to it’s location in the solar system, extensive travel time and resources are required for a mission to reach Uranus. Aerocapture offers shorter interplanetary transit times and reduced propellant requirements for such a mission when compared to a traditional propulsive-capture orbiter. Considerations for the aerodynamics of an aerocapture system enabling flagship-class science mission to Uranus are presented. The applicability of a low lift-to-drag entry vehicle aeroshell with flight heritage to a new planet and atmosphere is evaluated. A preliminary aerodatabase is formulated from low-fidelity methods and heritage flight mission data to provide initial estimates of trajectory space to be considered for inserting a spacecraft into orbit at Uranus using aerocapture. Computational fluid dynamics calculations in the free molecular, transitional, and continuum regimes using Direct Simulation Monte Carlo and Navier-Stokes solutions are used to assess the validity of this preliminary aerodatabase. The considered entry vehicle is found to varying levels of agreement with work done by previous flight missions when evaluated for flight in Uranus’ atmosphere. Implications for the aerodynamics of this vehicle as applied in an aerocapture system in flight at Uranus as found by the current work are discussed.

Eli R. Shellabarger↗

Aerodynamic Implications of Aerocapture Systems for Uranus Orbiters

Exploration of the Ice Giants, Uranus in particular, has been indicated as the highest priority new flagship-class mission by the 2022 Planetary Science Decadal Survey. However, due to it's location in the solar system, extensive travel time and resources are required for a mission to reach Uranus. Aerocapture offers shorter interplanetary transit times and reduced propellant requirements for such a mission when compared to a traditional propulsive-capture orbiter. Considerations for the aerodynamics of an aerocapture system enabling flagship-class science mission to Uranus are presented. The applicability of a low lift-to-drag entry vehicle aeroshell with flight heritage to a new planet and atmosphere is evaluated. A preliminary aerodatabase is formulated from low-fidelity methods and heritage flight mission data to provide initial estimates of trajectory space to be considered for inserting a spacecraft into orbit at Uranus using aerocapture. Computational fluid dynamics calculations in the free molecular, transitional, and continuum regimes using Direct Simulation Monte Carlo and Navier-Stokes solutions are used to assess the validity of this preliminary aerodatabase. The considered entry vehicle is found to varying levels of agreement with work done by previous flight missions when evaluated for flight in Uranus' atmosphere. Implications for the aerodynamics of this vehicle as applied in an aerocapture system in flight at Uranus as found by the current work are discussed.

Uranus↗

The flow of plasma in the solar terrestrial environment

The overall goal of our NASA Theory Program is to study the coupling, time delays, and feedback mechanisms between the various regions of the solar-terrestrial system in a self-consistent, quantitative, manner. To accomplish this goal, it will eventually be necessary to have time-dependent macroscopic models of the different regions of the solar-terrestrial system and we are continually working toward this goal. However, our immediate emphasis is on the near-earth plasma environment, including the ionosphere, the plasmasphere, and the polar wind. In this area, we have developed unique global models that allow us to study the coupling between the different regions. These results are highlighted. Another important aspect of our NASA Theory Program concerns the effect that localized structure has on the macroscopic flow in the ionosphere, plasmasphere, thermosphere and polar wind. The localized structure can be created by structured magnetospheric inputs (i.e., structured plasma convection, particle precipitation or Birkeland current patterns) or time variations in these inputs due to storms and substorms. Also, some of the plasma flows that we predict with our macroscopic models may be unstable. Another one of our goals is to examine the stability of our predicted flows. Because time-dependent three-dimensional numerical models of the solar-terrestrial environment generally require extensive computer resources, they are usually based on relatively simple mathematical formulations (i.e., simple MHD or hydrodynamic formulations). Therefore, another long-range goal of our NASA Theory Program is to study the conditions under which various mathematical formulations can be applied to specific solar-terrestrial regions. This may involve a detailed comparison of kinetic, semikinetic, and hydrodynamic predictions for a given polar wind scenario or it may involve the comparison of a small-scale particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of a plasma expansion event with a similar macroscopic expansion event. The different mathematical formulations have different strengths and weaknesses and a careful comparison of model predictions for similar geophysical situations will provide insight into when the various models can be used with confidence.

Schunk, Robert W.↗

The flow of plasma in the solar terrestrial environment

The overall goal of our NASA Theory Program is to study the coupling, time delays, and feedback mechanisms between the various regions of the solar-terrestrial system in a self-consistent, quantitative manner. To accomplish this goal, it will eventually be necessary to have time-dependent macroscopic models of the different regions of the solar-terrestrial system and we are continually working toward this goal. However, our immediate emphasis is on the near-earth plasma environment, including the ionosphere, the plasmasphere, and the polar wind. In this area, we have developed unique global models that allow us to study the coupling between the different regions. Another important aspect of our NASA Theory Program concerns the effect that localized structure has on the macroscopic flow in the ionosphere, plasmasphere, thermosphere, and polar wind. The localized structure can be created by structured magnetospheric inputs (i.e., structured plasma convection, particle precipitation or Birkeland current patterns) or time variations in these inputs due to storms and substorms. Also, some of the plasma flows that we predict with our macroscopic models may be unstable, and another one of our goals is to examine the stability of our predicted flows. Because time-dependent, three-dimensional numerical models of the solar-terrestrial environment generally require extensive computer resources, they are usually based on relatively simple mathematical formulations (i.e., simple MHD or hydrodynamic formulation). Therefore, another long-range goal of our NASA Theory Program is to study the conditions under which various mathematical formulations can be applied to specific solar-terrestrial regions. This may involve a detailed comparison of kinetic, semikinetic, and hydrodynamic predictions for a given polar wind scenario or it may involve the comparison of a small-scale particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation of a plasma expansion event with a similar macroscopic expansion event. The different mathematical formulations have different strengths and weaknesses and a careful comparison of model predictions for similar geophysical situations will provide insight into when the various models can be used with confidence.

Schunk, R. W.↗

Volatile-rich Asteroids in the Inner Solar System

Bennu (101195), target of the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) mission, is a type-B asteroid with abundant spectral evidence for hydrated silicates, low thermal inertia “boulders” and frequent bursts of particle emission. We suggest that Bennu’s parent body formed in the outer solar system before it was perturbed into the asteroid belt and then evolved into a near-Earth object. We show that this is consistent with models of planetesimal evolution. Bennu has many characteristics expected for a dormant comet, and could potentially contain a minimum of 1 wt.% adsorbed water if its gross mineralogy is consistent with the Orgueil meteorite. This is in addition to any ice or water contained within the hydrous minerals themselves. Based on this hypothesis, we predict the properties of the samples that will be returned to Earth by the OSIRIS-REx mission, including abundant phyllosilicate minerals, amorphous hydrated silicates and low-density, very high-porosity aggregates, already observed by the OSIRIS-REx instrument suite. We predict enrichments in D/H and 15N/14N, high C/Mg ratios (>∼7 wt%), and a greater range of organic compositions than found in meteorites, including an organic component poor in aromatics, and a more labile organic fraction. Ammonium salts, ranging from NH4Cl to ammonium–organic acid salts could carry much of the nitrogen in comets, yet only NH4CH3COO and heavier salts are sufficiently stable to be found in these returned samples. Water adsorbed onto highly porous grains should also be detected provided that the sample return capsule remains below 300 K during Earth return, and this water should be isotopically heavy.

Joseph A. Nuth, III↗

Solid-state Laser Development for the in Situ Spectroscopic Europa Explorer Instrument

The in Situ Spectroscopic Europa Explorer (iSEE) instrument is an ultra-compact laser-enabled Raman spectrometer instrument that meets the top-level science requirements for multiple future planetary in situ missions to explore the surface and atmospheric chemistry of planetary bodies across the Solar System. Enceladus, Europa, the Moon, Mars, and Venus are some of the primary targets for future NASA missions to search for extraterrestrial life and potentially habitable environments beyond Earth, further our understanding of the timing and formation of the Solar System and identify potentially viable economic resources such as water and/or valuable metal assets. We report on the advancement and space flight qualification of a compact, robust, solid-state laser operating at 515 nm that serves as the excitation source for the iSEE investigation. The iSEE instrument is being developed under a NASA Maturation of Instruments for Solar System Exploration (MatISSE) program. The iSEE laser is a diode pumped 1030 nm Yb:YAG microchip laser with a second harmonic generator to achieve an output wavelength of 515 nm and coupled to a multi-mode fiber for delivery to the Raman spectrometer probe. The fundamental 1030 nm laser operates at a pulse repetition frequency (PRF) of 1-10 kHz with pulse energy of 95 μJ and ~800 ps pulse width. A 15 mm long Type II KTP crystal is used for second harmonic generation from 1030 nm to 515 nm. The residual fundamental 1030 nm is separated from the 515 nm beam using a pair of dichroic filters. A focusing lens couples the 515 nm beam to the optical fiber to produce an output laser pulse energy of 20 μJ. A custom vacuum fiber feedthrough assembly was designed with two 105 μm core fibers, and two 200 μm core fibers. One fiber is needed for coupling the laser to the iSEE instrument, and the additionally fibers provide redundancy and design flexibility. The laser enclosure is pressurized with >1 atm of clean dry air. The laser has been designed to minimize the size, weight, and power (SWaP) for a lander instrument with minimal resources. The laser will go through environmental testing including vibration and thermal vacuum testing for space flight qualification. Here we discuss the design, trade studies, performance, and environmental qualificationtesting of the iSEE laser.

Solid state laser, Raman spectrometer, visible las↗

Frontier In-Situ Resource Utilization for Enabling Sustained Human Presence on Mars

The currently known resources on Mars are massive, including extensive quantities of water and carbon dioxide and therefore carbon, hydrogen and oxygen for life support, fuels and plastics and much else. The regolith is replete with all manner of minerals. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applicable frontier technologies include robotics, machine intelligence, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, 3-D printing/additive manufacturing and autonomy. These technologies combined with the vast natural resources should enable serious, pre- and post-human arrival ISRU to greatly increase reliability and safety and reduce cost for human colonization of Mars. Various system-level transportation concepts employing Mars produced fuel would enable Mars resources to evolve into a primary center of trade for the inner solar system for eventually nearly everything required for space faring and colonization. Mars resources and their exploitation via extensive ISRU are the key to a viable, safe and affordable, human presence beyond Earth. The purpose of this paper is four-fold: 1) to highlight the latest discoveries of water, minerals, and other materials on Mars that reshape our thinking about the value and capabilities of Mars ISRU; 2) to summarize the previous literature on Mars ISRU processes, equipment, and approaches; 3) to point to frontier ISRU technologies and approaches that can lead to safe and affordable human missions to Mars; and 4) to suggest an implementation strategy whereby the ISRU elements are phased into the mission campaign over time to enable a sustainable and increasing human presence on Mars.

Moses, Robert W.↗

Lunar magnetic fields - Implications for utilization and resource extraction

Numerical simulations are used to show that solar wind ion deflection by strong lunar magnetic anomalies can produce local increases, as well as decreases, in the implantation rate of solar wind hydrogen. Model simulations suggest that the ability of magnetic anomalies to shield the surface from incident ions increases with the angle of incidence and therefore for most particle sources, with selenographic latitude. The possibility that relatively strong anomalies can provide significant protection of materials and men against major solar flare particle events is found to be unlikely.

Hood, Lon L.↗

Atlas of albedo and absorbed solar radiation derived from Nimbus 6 earth radiation budget data set, July 1975 to May 1978

An atlas of monthly mean global contour maps of albedo and absorbed solar radiation is presented. The atlas is based on 35 months of continuous measurements from July 1975 through May 1978. The data were retrieved from measurements made by the shortwave wide field-of-view radiometer of the first Earth Radiation Budget (ERB) instrument, which flew on the Nimbus 6 spacecraft in 1975. Profiles of zonal mean albedos and absorbed solar radiation are tabulated. These geographical distributions are provided as a resource for studying the radiation budget of the earth. This atlas of albedo and absorbed solar radiation complements the atlases of outgoing longwave radiation by Bess and Smith in NASA-RP-1185 and RP-1186, also based on the Nimbus 6 and 7 ERB data.

Smith, G. Louis↗

Annular and Total Solar Eclipses of 2010

While most NASA eclipse bulletins cover a single eclipse, this publication presents predictions for two solar eclipses during 2010. This has required a different organization of the material into the following sections. Section 1 -- Eclipse Predictions: The section consists of a general discussion about the eclipse path maps, Besselian elements, shadow contacts, eclipse path tables, local circumstances tables, and the lunar limb profile. Section 2 -- Annular Solar Eclipse of 2010 Ja n 15: The section covers predictions and weather prospects for the annular eclipse. Section 3 -- Total Solar Eclipse of 2010 Jul 11: The se ction covers predictions and weather prospects for the total eclipse. Section 4 -- Observing Eclipses: The section provides information on eye safety, solar filters, eclipse photography, and making contact timings from the path limits. Section 5 -- Eclipse Resources: The final section contains a number of resources including information on the IAU Working Group on Eclipses, the Solar Eclipse Mailing List, the NASA eclipse bulletins on the Internet, Web sites for the two 2010 eclipses, and a summary identifying the algorithms, ephemerides, and paramete rs used in the eclipse predictions.

Espenak, Fred↗

UV Laser Development for In Situ Planetary Lander Instruments

Mass and Raman spectrometers represent progressive analytical platforms for future in situ lander missions to explore the surface chemistry of planetary bodies across the Solar System. Europa, the Moon, and Mars are some of the primary targets for future NASA missions to search for extraterrestrial life and potentially habitable environments beyond Earth, further our understanding of the timing and formation of the Solar System and identify potentially viable economic resources such as water and/or valuable metal assets. The CORALS (Characterization of Ocean Residues And Life Signatures) and CRATER (Characterization of Regolith And Trace Economic Resources) instruments are UV laser-enabled OrbitrapTM mass spectrometers currently under development for prospective lander missions to Europa and the Moon, respectively. The Raman Mass Spectrometer (RAMS) is a dual wavelength (UV and visible) laser enabled hybrid instrument that incorporates laser desorption/ ionization mass spectrometry (LDMS) and micro-Raman microspectroscopy imaging (μRS) into a compact instrument package for multiple planetary missions to the inner and outer Solar System. The Pulse Laser Ablation Sampling and Mass Analysis (PLASMA) instrument combines a multi-wavelength laser (deep-UV to near-IR), plasma source, and collision cell with a heritage quadrupole mass spectrometer (QMS) to enable high precision trace element analyses for a future Lunar lander instrument. We report on the advancement of four compact, robust, and high technology readiness level (TRL) solid state lasers operating at wavelengths 213 nm, 266 nm, 515 nm, 532 nm and 1064 nm that serve as the sampling and ionization sources, for the CRATER, CORALS, RAMS and PLASMA investigations.

Molly Fahey↗

Solar Thermal Propulsion Optical Figure Measuring and Rocket Engine Testing

Solar thermal propulsion has been an important area of study for four years at the Propulsion Research Center. Significant resources have been devoted to the development of the UAH Solar Thermal Laboratory that provides unique, high temperature, test capabilities. The facility is fully operational and has successfully conducted a series of solar thruster shell experiments. Although presently dedicated to solar thermal propulsion, the facility has application to a variety of material processing, power generation, environmental clean-up, and other fundamental research studies. Additionally, the UAH Physics Department has joined the Center in support of an in-depth experimental investigation on Solar Thermal Upper Stage (STUS) concentrators. Laboratory space has been dedicated to the concentrator evaluation in the UAH Optics Building which includes a vertical light tunnel. Two, on-going, research efforts are being sponsored through NASA MSFC (Shooting Star Flight Experiment) and the McDonnell Douglas Corporation (Solar Thermal Upper Stage Technology Ground Demonstrator).

Bonometti, Joseph↗

Orbit Stability of OSIRIS-REx in the Vicinity of Bennu Using a High-Fidelity Solar Radiation Model

The OSIRIS-REx mission (Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith EXPlorer) is an asteroid sample return mission to Bennu (RQ36) that is scheduled to launch in 2016. The planned science operations precluding the small retrieval involve operations in terminator orbits (orbit plane is perpendicular to the sun). Over longer durations the solar radiation pressure (SRP) perturbs the orbit causing it to precess. Our work involves: modeling high fidelity SRP model to capture the perturbations during attitude changes; design a stable orbit from the high fidelity models to analyze the stability over time.

Williams, Trevor↗

Mission Operations, Cubed: NASA Marshall Operations Support for SmallSats

SmallSats have come a long way since the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center supported its first “minisatellite” mission in 2010. And just as SmallSats themselves have evolved in those 12 years, so too has the HOSC’s mission support for SmallSats. Marshall Space Flight Center has a long history with payload and mission operations, including support for the Apollo missions to the moon, the Space Shuttle program, and 21 years of continuous around-the-clock science operations support for research aboard the International Space Station. Today, the HOSC is a multi-tenant facility, supporting not only ISS, but also NASA’s Commercial Crew program, the Space Launch System, the Hubble and Chandra observatories and others – including multiple SmallSat missions. Two SmallSat solar sail missions will be among those taking advantage of the HOSC’s resources for planning, training for and executing mission operations – the Near Earth Asteroid (NEA) Scout and Solar Cruiser missions. One of 10 6U CubeSats manifest on the Artemis I launch of NASA’s Space Launch System rocket this year, NEA Scout’s three-year mission will be supported through a more traditional operations concept, with a dedicated Flight Controller staff operating within the HOSC. Scheduled to launch as part of the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) in February 2025, Solar Cruiser’s 11-month mission will take a next-generation approach to operations by utilizing a multi-mission flight controller concept, as well as Marshall’s Telescience Resource Kit (TreK). TreK provides a suite of software applications and libraries that allow the Mission Operations Center to serve as an in-house ground system which incorporates remote and automation capability options for engineers and scientists. This presentation will compare the approaches the HOSC will use to support these two missions as a way of demonstrating the array of options NASA MSFC offers for operations support for CubeSat and SmallSat missions.

Darren S Wallace↗

Satellite Beach Energy - Restructuring the Energy Balance in Satellite Beach, Florida, by Quantifying Solar Energy Production Potential using NASA POWER Data Products and LiDAR

The City of Satellite Beach, Florida, has committed to supplying 100% of its energy use from renewable energy, primarily solar, by the year 2050. The team created a methodology for estimating rooftop solar power potential using a high-resolution Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) dataset and the NASA Prediction of Worldwide Energy Resources (POWER) dataset to assist Satellite Beach in reaching their solar renewable energy goals. The POWER dataset provides information on direct and diffuse solar irradiation on horizontal surfaces, surface albedo, and effects of local meteorology, such as clouds. The team integrated the solar irradiance data with the LiDAR data to model slope, aspect, and shadowing in the 7 km2 study area to find suitable roof segments for solar panel installation and estimate the solar potential of each segment. This process was supplemented by an analysis of land surface temperature and urban greenness measured through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager and Thermal Infrared Sensor (OLI/TIRS) observations. These metrics serve to target areas for cooling initiatives aimed at reducing Satellite Beach’s overall energy consumption. The team found the total rooftop solar potential throughout the city to be 221,919,330KWh per year with an average annual rooftop photovoltaic, or PV, potential of 55,647KWh per building. As such, the average building could generate over five times the annual energy needs for an average household if PV panels were installed on all viable areas of its roof.

Spencer Nelson↗