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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 19 records
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NASA NTRS1999

Reuse fo a Cold War Surveillance Drone to Flight Test a NASA Rocket Based Combined Cycle Engine

Plans for and early feasibility investigations into the modification of a Lockheed D21B drone to flight test the DRACO Rocket Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine are discussed. Modifications include the addition of oxidizer tanks, modern avionics systems, actuators, and a vehicle recovery system. Current study results indicate that the D21B is a suitable candidate for this application and will allow demonstrations of all DRACO engine operating modes at Mach numbers between 0.8 and 4.0. Higher Mach numbers may be achieved with more extensive modification. Possible project risks include low speed stability and control, and recovery techniques.

Brown, T. M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

The Vision of Human Spaceflight

First, we live in a world where change is the norm, not the exception. The scientific revolution springing from quantum mechanics yielded new understanding of solid state physics leading to stunning advances in computation, communication, and transportation. Two World Wars and one Cold War introduced massive governmental investment in research and development. The unusual pragmatic and classless entrepreneurship of U.S. society promoted commercialization and innovative marketing of new technology. As a result, the 20th Century experienced a constantly accelerating culture of change. Those societies that accepted and embraced the new capabilities dominated commercially and militarily; those that did not fell behind. I remember when there was no color television, when there were no personal computers, when there was no email, when there was no World Wide Web, when there were no cell phones. Now many of us cannot live without these things. Change has become the measure of success. Our children anticipate the future and do not expect it to look like the past. Secondly, our elementary school students are fascinated by dinosaurs, ghosts, and space. Astronauts create excitement. None question that humans will be in space in their future. They see it every week, even every day, in stories on television. To be an astronaut is considered a legitimate ambition. They see space travel to be an adventure just as our grandparents saw exploring Africa or the polar regions to be an adventure into the unknown. Third, we live in a time when our understanding of the space environment makes us realize that the existence of our species is one large impact away from extinction. We understand that our population explosion is changing our home planet in fundamental ways and that wars over terrestrial resources may be less than two generations away. We feel more connected to our space neighborhood than ever before. Many nations of the world are looking outward toward our Moon in an unprecedented way. A lunar space mission will be launched from somewhere every year for the next decade, at least.

Mendell, Wendell↗
NASA NTRS1999

Single Step to Orbit; a First Step in a Cooperative Space Exploration Initiative

At the end of the Cold War, disarmament planners included a recommendation to ease reduction of the U.S. and Russian aerospace industries by creating cooperative scientific pursuits. The idea was not new, having earlier been suggested by Eisenhower and Khrushchev to reduce the pressure of the "Military Industrial Complex" by undertaking joint space exploration. The Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) proposed at the end of the Cold War by President Bush and Premier Gorbachev was another attempt to ease the disarmament process by giving the bloated war industries something better to do. The engineering talent and the space rockets could be used for peaceful pursuits, notably for going back to the Moon and then on to Mars with human exploration and settlement. At the beginning of this process in 1992 staff of the Stanford Center for International Cooperation in Space attended the International Space University in Canada, met with Russian participants and invited a Russian team to work with us on a joint Stanford-Russian Mars Exploration Study. A CIA student and Airforce and Navy students just happened to join the Stanford course the next year and all students were aware that the leader of the four Russian engineers was well versed in Russian security. But, as long as they did their homework, they were welcome to participate with other students in defining the Mars mission and the three engineers they sent were excellent. At the end of this study we were invited to give a briefing to Dr. Edward Teller at Stanford's Hoover Institution of War and Peace. We were also encouraged to hold a press conference on Capitol Hill to introduce the study to the world. At a pre-conference briefing at the Space Council, we were asked to please remind the press that President Bush had asked for a cooperative exploration proposal not a U.S. alone initiative. The Stanford-Russian study used Russia's Energia launchers, priced at $300 Million each. The mission totaled out to $71.5 Billion, to send a six-person crew to establish a Mars base and return. It was an on going international venture with plans for new crews, base expansion, and extended exploration at every two year opportunity. The $71.5 Billion international approach contrasted with NASA's own 90-day U.S. - alone study that proposed a package topping $500 Billion by some admissions. NASA's approach was also challenged by an internal D.O.E. proposal at much lower cost, described to the Mars Society last year by Lowell Wood and, of course, by Bob Zubrin's "Mars Direct" proposal.

Lusignan, Bruce↗
NASA NTRS2005

Rockets and People

Much has been written in the West on the history of the Soviet space program but few Westerners have read direct first-hand accounts of the men and women who were behind the many Russian accomplishments in exploring space.The memoirs of Academician Boris Chertok, translated from the original Russian, fills that gap.Chertok began his career as an electrician in 1930 at an aviation factory near Moscow.Twenty-seven years later, he became deputy to the founding figure of the Soviet space program, the mysterious Chief Designer Sergey Korolev. Chertok s sixty-year-long career and the many successes and failures of the Soviet space program constitute the core of his memoirs, Rockets and People. These writings are spread over four volumes. This is volume I. Academician Chertok not only describes and remembers, but also elicits and extracts profound insights from an epic story about a society s quest to explore the cosmos. In Volume 1, Chertok describes his early years as an engineer and ends with the mission to Germany after the end of World War II when the Soviets captured Nazi missile technology and expertise. Volume 2 takes up the story with the development of the world s first intercontinental ballistic missile ICBM) and ends with the launch of Sputnik and the early Moon probes. In Volume 3, Chertok recollects the great successes of the Soviet space program in the 1960s including the launch of the world s first space voyager Yuriy Gagarin as well as many events connected with the Cold War. Finally, in Volume 4, Chertok meditates at length on the massive Soviet lunar project designed to beat the Americans to the Moon in the 1960s, ending with his remembrances of the Energiya-Buran project.

Chertok, Boris E↗
NASA NTRS1985

Space-age Europe, 1957-1980

European space related research and development from the launch of Sputnik in 1957 to 1980 in discussed. The political response to Sputnik is analyzed in the context of cold war. The development of the European Space Agency is traced.

Mcdougall, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Strategic factors in the development of the National Technology Transfer Network

Broad consensus among industry and government leaders has developed over the last decade on the importance of applying the U.S. leadership in research and development (R&D) to strengthen competitiveness in the global marketplace, and thus enhance national prosperity. This consensus has emerged against the backdrop of increasing economic competition, and the dramatic reduction of military threats to national security with the end of the Cold War. This paper reviews the key factors and considerations that shaped - and continue to influence - the development of the Regional Technoloty Transfer Centers (RTTC) and the National Technology Transfer Center (NTTC). Also, the future role of the national network in support of emerging technology policy initiatives will be explored.

Root, Jonathan F.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Space and the American imagination

The introduction will set out the principal theme of the book: that the rise of the U.S. space program was due to a concerted effort by science writers, engineers, industrialists, and civic and political leaders to create a popular culture of space exploration based on important elements of American social life (such as frontier mythology, fears about the cold war, and the rise of the consumer culture). Much of the disillusionment with the NASA space program which set in during the third decade of space flight can be traced to a widening gap between popular expectations and the reality of space exploration.

Mccurdy, Howard E.↗
NASA NTRS1993

A new cooperative strategy for space in the 21st century

The context within which the major government space programs of the world are planned and obtain political approval has changed dramatically with the end of the Cold War. International economic competition has become a central issue in international affairs. Economic and political constraints require that space agencies adapt the ambitious plans they put forward in the 1980s to the realities of this decade and beyond. This paper argues that in this changed context, enhanced international space cooperation can make important contributions to advancing the core interests of nations and firms, and that in some situations, increased and more intimate cooperation may be the only way to achieve ambitious space goals. The paper contains a series of policy-oriented findings and recommendations that together comprise a 'new cooperative strategy' for space.

Delpech, J. F.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Mars together and FIRE and ICE: Report of the joint US/Russian technical working groups

The Cold War's end opened an opportunity for greater cooperation in planetary exploration for the United States and Russia. Two study groups were formed, Mars Together and FIRE and ICE. The Mars Together team developed a concept for a flight in 1998 that merged one U.S. Mars Surveyor 98 mission with the former Russian Mars 96 mission to further understanding of the Mars surface and atmosphere. The FIRE and ICE team developed concepts for a dual-spacecraft mission to the solar corona and for a mission to Pluto. The missions, scientific potential, and open issues are described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1995

Excursions in technology policy

This technical report presents a summary of three distinct projects: (1) Measuring economic benefits; (2) Evaluating the SBIR program; and (3) A model for evaluating changes in support for science and technology. the first project deals with the Technology Applications Group (TAG) at NASA Langley Research Center. The mission of TAG is to assist firms interested in commercializing technologies. TAG is a relatively new group as is the emphasis on technology commercialization for NASA. One problem faced by TAG and similar groups at other centers is measuring their effectiveness. The first project this summer, a paper entitled, 'Measuring the Economic Benefits of Technology Transfer from a National Laboratory: A Primer,' focused on this measurement problem. We found that the existing studies of the impact of technology transfer on the economy were conceptually flawed. The 'primer' outlines the appropriate theoretical framework for measuring the economic benefits of technology transfer. The second project discusses, one of the programs of TAG, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This program has led to over 400 contracts with Small Business since its inception in 1985. The program has never been evaluated. Crucial questions such as those about the extent of commercial successes from the contracts need to be answered. This summer we designed and implemented a performance evaluation survey instrument. The analysis of the data will take place in the fall. The discussion of the third project focuses on a model for evaluating changes in support for science and technology. At present several powerful forces are combining to change the environment for science and technology policy. The end of the cold war eliminated the rationale for federal support for many projects. The new- found Congressional conviction to balance the budget without tax increases combined with demographic changes which automatically increase spending for some politically popular programs will make it difficult to find funding for science and technology. Also, the two political parties have very different conceptions of the appropriate future for research and development spending. All these changes create the potential for serious, perhaps unintended, consequences for the economic future of the country. In a paper entitled, 'A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating the Impact of Changes in Federal Support for Science and Technology,' we introduce a model to evaluate the effects of changes in federal spending for science and technology. This paper both provides a way of organizing informed discussions and points out important research topics for science and technology policy.

Archibald, Robert B.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Demonstration of solar echoes using the Air Force OTH-B radar

From the late 50s to early 70s, attempts were made by at least two different groups to obtain information on physical conditions in the corona by means of active radar soundings. While echoes from the Sun were unquestionably detected. difficulties in their interpretation led to inconclusive results. A major hindrance to these efforts was the limited understanding of the day-to-day structure of the corona then available (e.g., pioneering work in solar wind studies were just underway. and coronal holes had not yet been discovered). With the end of the Cold War, the very large over-the-horizon (OTH) radars operated by the Air Force have been opened up to basic science research through the end of the fiscal year. In light of advances made in coronal physics and in signal processing technology since these early experiments were undertaken. access to the state-of-the art OTH-B radar offers a rare opportunity to gauge anew the scientific potential for radar sounding of the Sun. In principle, it should be possible to obtain useful data on plasma densities and motions over a range of heights in the corona near 0.5R(solar mass) above the solar surface We report here the preliminary findings from a sequence of observations taken over the course of a solar rotation.

Pizzo, V. J.↗
NASA NTRS1996

To See the Unseen: A History of Planetary Radar Astronomy

This book relates the history of planetary radar astronomy from its origins in radar to the present day and secondarily to bring to light that history as a case of 'Big Equipment but not Big Science'. Chapter One sketches the emergence of radar astronomy as an ongoing scientific activity at Jodrell Bank, where radar research revealed that meteors were part of the solar system. The chief Big Science driving early radar astronomy experiments was ionospheric research. Chapter Two links the Cold War and the Space Race to the first radar experiments attempted on planetary targets, while recounting the initial achievements of planetary radar, namely, the refinement of the astronomical unit and the rotational rate and direction of Venus. Chapter Three discusses early attempts to organize radar astronomy and the efforts at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory, in conjunction with Harvard radio astronomers, to acquire antenna time unfettered by military priorities. Here, the chief Big Science influencing the development of planetary radar astronomy was radio astronomy. Chapter Four spotlights the evolution of planetary radar astronomy at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a NASA facility, at Cornell University's Arecibo Observatory, and at Jodrell Bank. A congeries of funding from the military, the National Science Foundation, and finally NASA marked that evolution, which culminated in planetary radar astronomy finding a single Big Science patron, NASA. Chapter Five analyzes planetary radar astronomy as a science using the theoretical framework provided by philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn. Chapter Six explores the shift in planetary radar astronomy beginning in the 1970s that resulted from its financial and institutional relationship with NASA Big Science. Chapter Seven addresses the Magellan mission and its relation to the evolution of planetary radar astronomy from a ground-based to a space-based activity. Chapters Eight and Nine discuss the research carried out at ground-based facilities by this transformed planetary radar astronomy, as well as the upgrading of the Arecibo and Goldstone radars. A technical essay appended to this book provides an overview of planetary radar techniques, especially range-Doppler mapping.

Butrica, Andrew J.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Technology Transfer: Marketing Tomorrow's Technology

The globalization of the economy and the end of the Cold War have triggered many changes in the traditional practices of U.S. industry. To effectively apply the resources available to the United States, the federal government has firmly advocated a policy of technology transfer between private industry and government labs, in this case the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin is a strong proponent of this policy and has organized technology transfer or commercialization programs at each of the NASA field centers. Here at Langley Research Center, the Technology Applications Group (TAG) is responsible for facilitating the transfer of Langley developed research and technology to U.S. industry. Entering the program, I had many objectives for my summer research with TAG. Certainly, I wanted to gain a more thorough understanding of the concept of technology transfer and Langley's implementation of a system to promote it to both the Langley community and the community at large. Also, I hoped to become more familiar with Langley's research capabilities and technology inventory available to the public. More specifically, I wanted to learn about the technology transfer process at Langley. Because my mentor is a member of Materials and Manufacturing marketing sector of the Technology Transfer Team, another overriding objective for my research was to take advantage of his work and experience in materials research to learn about the Advanced Materials Research agency wide and help market these developments to private industry. Through the various projects I have been assigned to work on in TAG, I have successfully satisfied the majority of these objectives. Work on the Problem Statement Process for TAG as well as the development of the Advanced Materials Research Brochure have provided me with the opportunity to learn about the technology transfer process from the outside looking in and the inside looking out. Because TAG covers all of the research efforts conducted at Langley, my studies with TAG were ab!e to provide me an excellent overview of Langley's contribution to the aeronautics industry.

Tcheng, Erene↗
NASA NTRS1997

Risk Management of NASA Projects

Various NASA Langley Research Center and other center projects were attempted for analysis to obtain historical data comparing pre-phase A study and the final outcome for each project. This attempt, however, was abandoned once it became clear that very little documentation was available. Next, extensive literature search was conducted on the role of risk and reliability concepts in project management. Probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) techniques are being used with increasing regularity both in and outside of NASA. The value and the usage of PRA techniques were reviewed for large projects. It was found that both civilian and military branches of the space industry have traditionally refrained from using PRA, which was developed and expanded by nuclear industry. Although much has changed with the end of the cold war and the Challenger disaster, it was found that ingrained anti-PRA culture is hard to stop. Examples of skepticism against the use of risk management and assessment techniques were found both in the literature and in conversations with some technical staff. Program and project managers need to be convinced that the applicability and use of risk management and risk assessment techniques is much broader than just in the traditional safety-related areas of application. The time has come to begin to uniformly apply these techniques. The whole idea of risk-based system can maximize the 'return on investment' that the public demands. Also, it would be very useful if all project documents of NASA Langley Research Center, pre-phase A through final report, are carefully stored in a central repository preferably in electronic format.

Sarper, Hueseyin↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Difficult Road to Mars: A Brief History of Mars Exploration in the Soviet Union

Perminov was the leading designer for Mars and Venus spacecraft at the Soviet Lavochkin design bureau in the early days of Martian exploration. In addition to competing with the U.S. to get to the Moon, the Soviets also struggled to beat the U.S. to Mars during the Cold War. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, the Soviets attempted to send a number of robotic probes to Mars, but for a variety of reasons, most of these missions ended in failure. Despite these overall failures, the Soviets garnered a great deal of scientific and technical knowledge through these efforts. This monograph tells some fascinating, but little-known, stories.

Perminov, V. G.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Science Communications: Providing a Return on Investment to the Taxpayer

Nowhere is the disconnect between needing to better communicate science and technology and the skills and techniques used for that communication more evident than in the Federal research enterprise. As Federal research budgets stagnate or decline, and despite public clamor for more and better scientific information, communication of basic research results continues to rank among the lowest agency priorities, mortgaged against traditional public-relations activities to polish an agency's image or control negative information flow to the press and public. Alone among the Federal agencies, NASA articulates in its strategic plan the need "...to advance and communicate scientific knowledge and understanding..." These words emphasize the reality that if new knowledge is generated but not communicated, only half the job has been done. This is a reflection of the transition of NASA from primarily an engineering organization used to help win the Cold War to a producer of new knowledge and technology in the National interest for the 21st century.

Horack, John M.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Power to Explore: A History of the Marshall Space Flight Center, 1960-1990

This scholarly study of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center places the institution in social, political, scientific and technological context. It traces the evolution of Marshall, located in Huntsville, Alabama, from its origins as an Army missile development organization to its status in 1990 as one of the most diversified of NASA's field Center. Chapters discuss military rocketry programs in Germany and the United States, Apollo-Saturn, Skylab, Space shuttle, Spacelab, the Space Station, and various scientific and technical projects including the Hubble Space Telescope. It sheds light not only on the history of space technology, science and exploration, but also on the Cold War, federal politics and complex organizations.

Dunar, Andrew J.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Spacecraft Autonomy and Automation: A Comparative Analysis of Strategies for Cost Effective Mission Operations

The evolution of satellite operations over the last 40 years has drastically changed. October 4, 1957 (during the cold war) the Soviet Union launched the world's first spacecraft into orbit. The Sputnik satellite orbited Earth for three months and catapulted the United States into a race for dominance in space. A year after Sputnik, President Dwight Eisenhower formed the National Space and Aeronautics Administration (NASA). With a team of scientists and engineers, NASA successfully launched Explorer 1, the first US satellite to orbit Earth. During these early years, massive amounts of ground support equipment and operators were required to successfully operate spacecraft vehicles. Today, budget reductions and technological advances have forced new approaches to spacecraft operations. These approaches require increasingly complex, on board spacecraft systems, that enable autonomous operations, resulting in more cost-effective mission operations. NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, considered world class in satellite development and operations, has developed and operated over 200 satellites during its 40 years of existence. NASA Goddard is adopting several new millennium initiatives that lower operational costs through the spacecraft autonomy and automation. This paper examines NASA's approach to spacecraft autonomy and ground system automation through a comparative analysis of satellite missions for Hubble Space Telescope-HST, Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous-NEAR, and Solar Heliospheric Observatory-SoHO, with emphasis on cost reduction methods, risk analysis and anomalies and strategies employed for mitigating risk.

Wright, Nathaniel, Jr.↗