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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
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1999

Seasonal Characteristics of Non-Meteorological Radar Reflectivity Returns in Central Florida and Their Impact on TRMM Ground Validation

Radar data quality control is a major component to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Ground Validation (GV) effort. The quality control algorithm utilizes several adjustable height and reflectivity threshold parameters to remove non-precipitation echoes from ground-based radar data. Spurious radar reflectivity returns not removed during the quality control process may create biases in ground validation rainfall products used to evaluate rainfall measurements retrieved from aboard the TRMM satellite. To better evaluate the performance of the quality control algorithm, WSR-88D radar data from one primary GV site, Melbourne, Florida, are used to determine the seasonal characteristics of non-meteorological radar echoes in cast central Florida during the first year of the TRMM mission. It is demonstrated that unique spurious echo regimes develop throughout the year, leading to different levels of successful non-meteorological echo removal by the quality control algorithm. In addition to the type of non- precipitation echoes present, the success of the algorithm is also greatly dependent upon the amount of precipitation present. Less aggressive attempts to remove non-meteorological echoes must be employed when rain is observed so as not to remove these echoes as well. Therefore, precipitation statistics from ground validation monthly rainfall products will be utilized to further document the quality control algorithm performance. Moreover, these precipitation statistics will be used to demonstrate the relationship between dominant spurious echo regimes and rainfall amount. Finally, monthly statistics of contaminated ground validation radar data will be calculated and the effect on rainfall accumulation products will be discussed.

Robinson, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1976

Imaging radar observations of frozen Arctic lakes

A synthetic aperture imaging L-band radar flown aboard the NASA CV-990 remotely sensed a number of ice-covered lakes about 48 km northwest of Bethel, Alaska. The image obtained is a high resolution, two-dimensional representation of the surface backscatter cross section, and large differences in backscatter returns are observed: homogeneous low returns, homogeneous high returns and/or low returns near lake borders, and high returns from central areas. It is suggested that a low return indicates that the lake is frozen completely to the bottom, while a high return indicates the presence of fresh water between the ice cover and the lake bed.

Elachi, C.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The CRAF/Cassini power subsystem - Preliminary design update

A chronology is provided of the rationale leading from the early Mariner spacecraft to the CRAF/Cassini Mariner Mark II power subsystem architecture. The display pathway began with a hybrid including a solar photovoltaic array, a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (RTG), and a battery supplying a power profile with a peak loading of about 300 W. The initial concept was to distribute power through a new solid-state, programmable switch controlled by an embedded microprocessor. As the overall mission, science, and project design matured, the power requirements increased. The design evolved from the hybrid to two RTG plus batteries to meet peak loadings of near 500 W in 1989. Later that year, circumstances led to abandonment of the distributed computer concept and a return to centralized control. Finally, as power requirements continued to grow, a third RTG was added to the design and the battery removed, with the return to the discharge-controller for transients during fault recovery procedures.

Atkins, Kenneth L.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Distortion of Perceived Visual Space after Eccentric Gaze Holding

Previous studies have shown that rebound nystagmus can be a behavioral probe into the adaptive properties of the gaze-holding mechanism, showing that after prolonged eccentric gaze holding and upon return to central gaze the eye tends to drift towards the previously held position. It is not known whether perception of visual space is also affected by similar adaptation mechanisms. The current study seeks to elucidate if eccentric gaze holding changes the perception of space in a relative spatial judgment task. To measure their spatial bias, twelve subjects were asked to report which among two short vertical lines flashed to the left or to the right of the display was closer to a third central line. Perception was assessed after holding eccentric gaze at 40 degrees towards the left or right and compared with control trials without eccentric gaze holding. Subjects showed a significant difference in spatial bias between the leftward and rightward gaze holding conditions (p = 0.04), suggesting that the visual space changes differently with respect to the side where gaze was held. While we did not observe an overall bias (p = 0.327) under no gaze holding we did observe a significant correlation between handedness and spatial bias (r2 = 0.4, p = 0.04). We conclude that gaze holding temporarily distorts the perception of space in a mechanism that may be related to the adaptation of the gaze holding mechanism.

perception↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Oblique Eccentric Gaze Holding Evokes Larger Horizontal than Vertical Rebound Nystagmus

Rebound nystagmus (RN) has been used to probe the adaptation mechanisms of the gaze holding system. This type of nystagmus is invoked upon returning to central gaze after prolonged fixation at an eccentric point and it is thought to reflect a set-point adaptation of the neural integrator circuit. Previous studies have only observed horizontal RN after horizontal eccentric gaze holding, reflecting adaptation of the horizontal neural integrator. The current study seeks to elucidate how eccentric gaze at oblique target locations, where there are equal horizontal and vertical components, affects the characteristics of the resulting RN. For a given trial, subjects were instructed to fixate a central flashing target for 5 seconds, then fixate an eccentric continuous target for 30 seconds at one of six possible locations (4 oblique and 2 horizontal targets), and finally fixate centrally at a flashing target for 15 seconds where RN is assessed. Binocular eye-tracking data were collected at 250 Hz. Slow-phase velocity (SPV) or the slow drift part of the nystagmus was used to quantify the magnitude of RN. Subjects showed elevated SPV in the horizontal component (2.3 deg/s), but less in the vertical component (1.4 deg/s) after oblique eccentric gaze holding, reflecting an oblique RN. The smaller vertical RN may reflect a different behavior of the horizontal and vertical neural integrators which are anatomically separated. Under the current paradigm, oblique gaze holding would appear to have a smaller effect on adaptation of the vertical integrator than in the horizontal integrator. Further investigation is needed to establish the reference frame of this distinction between the horizontal and vertical integrator circuits.

gaze holding↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

How Eye Drift Adapts to the History of Eye Positions

Oculomotor behavior is a powerful tool to probe brain function and disease. Previous studies have shown how fixational drift velocities depend on eccentricity (Bertolini et al., 2013; Romano et al., 2017) and how fixational drift can adapt after prolonged eccentric fixation (Otero-Millan et al., 2019). Here, eighteen subjects completed two experiments where we measured drift velocity while fixating a briefly flashed target, to remove retinal slip cues. In the first experiment, we measured their baseline relationship between fixational drift velocity and eye position. In the second experiment, we investigated the adaptation of that relationship after prolonged fixation at a very eccentric position. This adaptation usually manifests by the presence of rebound nystagmus (RN) upon returning to central gaze. Our results replicate the finding that drift increases at central fixation in the direction consistent with rebound nystagmus, that is, towards the previously held eccentric position, highlighting that drift velocity depends on the history of eye positions. When examining the entire relationship between drift velocity and eye position we find a mostly linear relationship but with increased slope relative to the baseline condition. However, the adaptation of the integrator cannot be modeled by a simple change in leakiness, as that would not result in increased drift at central gaze. Other mechanisms of adaptation such as shifts in the position or velocity set-points for gaze holding could be present but are indistinguishable with the current data.

eye movement↗
NASA NTRS2002

Autonomous sciencecraft experiment : NASA New Millennium Program

In 2006, the Air Force TechSat 21 mission will fly the Autonomous Sciencecraft Experiment (ASE). ASE will perform onboard: science analysis, mission re-planning, and robust execution. These technologies will enable TechSat 21 to respond onboard to sciene opportunities by retargeting future science observations and returning only the most important science data. This capability can dramatically increase science return and is central to future mission concepts to monitor dynamic phenomena such as lo volcanoes, the Europa ice crust, and Martian sandstorms.

Autonomous sciencecraft experiment↗
NASA NTRS2004

Small Active Radiation Monitor

A device, named small active radiation monitor, allows on-orbit evaluations during periods of increased radiation, after extravehicular activities, or at predesignated times for crews on such long-duration space missions as on the International Space Station. It also permits direct evaluation of biological doses, a task now performed using a combination of measurements and potentially inaccurate simulations. Indeed the new monitor can measure a full array of radiation levels, from soft x-rays to hard galactic cosmic-ray particles. With refinement, it will benefit commercial (nuclear power-plant workers, airline pilots, medical technicians, physicians/dentists, and others) and military personnel as well as the astronauts for whom thermoluminescent dosimeters are inadequate. Civilian and military personnel have long since graduated from film badges to thermoluminescent dosimeters. Once used, most dosimeters must be returned to a central facility for processing, a step that can take days or even weeks. While this suffices for radiation workers for whom exposure levels are typically very low and of brief duration, it does not work for astronauts. Even in emergencies and using express mail, the results can often be delayed by as much as 24 hours. Electronic dosimeters, which are the size of electronic oral thermometers, and tattlers, small electronic dosimeters that sound an alarm when the dose/dose rate exceeds preset values, are also used but suffer disadvantages similar to those of thermoluminescent dosimeters. None of these devices fully answers the need of rapid monitoring during the space missions. Instead, radiation is monitored by passive detectors, which are read out after the missions. Unfortunately, these detectors measure only the absorbed dose and not the biologically relevant dose equivalent. The new monitor provides a real-time readout, a time history of radiation exposures (both absorbed dose and biologically relevant dose equivalent), and a count of the number of particles passing through a unit area. Better still, the monitor can be used anywhere.

Badhwar, Gautam D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of an Impedance Threshold Device as a VIIP Countermeasure

Visual Impairment /Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) is a top human spaceflight risk for which NASA does not currently have a proven mitigation strategy. Thigh cuffs (Braslets) and lower body negative pressure (LBNP; Chibis) devices have been or are currently being evaluated as a means to reduce VIIP signs and symptoms, but these methods alone may not provide sufficient relief of cephalic venous congestion and VIIP symptoms. Additionally, current LBNP devices are too large and cumbersome for their systematic use as a countermeasure. Therefore, a novel approach is needed that is easy to implement and provides specific relief of symptoms. This investigation will evaluate an impedance threshold device (ITD) as a VIIP countermeasure. The ITD works by providing up to 7 cm H2O (approximately 5 mmHg) resistance to inspiratory air flow, effectively turning the thorax into a vacuum pump upon each inhalation which lowers the intrathoracic pressure (ITP) and facilitates venous return to the heart. The ITD is FDA-approved and was developed to augment venous return to the central circulation and increase cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and in patients with hypotension. While the effect of ITD on CPR survival outcomes is controversial, the ITD's ability to lower ITP with a concomitant decrease in intracranial pressure (ICP) is well documented. A similar concept that creates negative ITP during exhalation (intrathoracic pressure regulator; ITPR) decreased ICP in 16 of 20 patients with elevated ICP in a hospital pilot study. ITP and central venous pressure (CVP) have been shown to decrease in microgravity however ITP drops more than CVP, indicating an increased transmural CVP. This could explain the paradoxical distention of jugular veins (JV) in microgravity despite lower absolute CVP and also suggests that JV transmural pressure is not dramatically elevated. Use of an ITD may lower JV pressure enough to remove or relieve cephalic venous congestion. During spaceflight experiments with Braslet thigh cuffs and modified (open-glottis) Mueller maneuvers, Braslets alone reduced cardiac preload but only reduced the internal JV (IJV) cross sectional area by 23%. The addition of Mueller maneuvers resulted in an IJV area reduction of 48%. This project will test if ITD essentially applies a Mueller maneuver with added negative ITP in every respiratory cycle, acting to: 1) reduce venous congestion in the neck and 2) potentially lower ICP. The expected mechanism of action is that in microgravity (or an analog) blood is relocated toward the heart from vasculature in the head and neck. Once validated, the ITD would be an exceptionally easy countermeasure to deploy and test on the ISS. Dosage could be altered though 1) duration of application and 2) inspiratory resistance set point. Effects could be additionally enhanced through co-application with other countermeasures such as thigh cuffs or LBNP.

Ebert, D.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Evaluation of an Impedance Threshold Device as a VIIP Countermeasure

Visual Impairment/Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) is a top human spaceflight risk for which NASA does not currently have a proven mitigation strategy. Thigh cuffs (Braslets) and lower body negative pressure (LBNP; Chibis) devices have been or are currently being evaluated as a means to reduce VIIP signs and symptoms, but these methods alone may not provide sufficient relief of cephalic venous congestion and VIIP symptoms. Additionally, current LBNP devices are too large and cumbersome for their systematic use as a countermeasure. Therefore, a novel approach is needed that is easy to implement and provides specific relief of symptoms. This investigation will evaluate an impedance threshold device (ITD) as a VIIP countermeasure. The ITD works by providing up to 7 cm H2O (approximately 5 mmHg) resistance to inspiratory air flow, effectively turning the thorax into a vacuum pump upon each inhalation which lowers the intrathoracic pressure (ITP) and facilitates venous return to the heart. The ITD is FDA-approved and was developed to augment venous return to the central circulation and increase cardiac output during cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and in patients with hypotension. While the effect of ITD on CPR survival outcomes is controversial, the ITD's ability to lower ITP with a concomitant decrease in intracranial pressure (ICP) is well documented. A similar concept that creates negative ITP during exhalation (intrathoracic pressure regulator; ITPR) decreased ICP in 16 of 20 patients with elevated ICP in a hospital pilot study. ITP and central venous pressure (CVP) have been shown to decrease in microgravity however ITP drops more than CVP, indicating an increased transmural CVP. This could explain the paradoxical distention of jugular veins (JV) in microgravity despite lower absolute CVP and also suggests that JV transmural pressure is not dramatically elevated. Use of an ITD may lower JV pressure enough to remove or relieve cephalic venous congestion. During spaceflight experiments with Braslet thigh cuffs and modified (open-glottis) Mueller maneuvers, Braslets alone reduced cardiac preload but only reduced the internal JV (IJV) cross sectional area by 23%. The addition of Mueller maneuvers resulted in an IJV area reduction of 48%. This project will test if ITD essentially applies a Mueller maneuver with added negative ITP in every respiratory cycle, acting to: 1) reduce venous congestion in the neck and 2) potentially lower ICP. The expected mechanism of action is that in microgravity (or an analog) blood is relocated toward the heart from vasculature in the head and neck. Once validated, the ITD would be an exceptionally easy countermeasure to deploy and test on the ISS. Dosage could be altered though 1) duration of application and 2) inspiratory resistance set point. Effects could be additionally enhanced through co-application with other countermeasures such as thigh cuffs or LBNP.

Ebert, Douglas↗
NASA NTRS2015

Autonomous Navigation, Dynamic Path and Work Flow Planning in Multi-Agent Robotic Swarms Project

Kennedy Space Center has teamed up with the Biological Computation Lab at the University of New Mexico to create a swarm of small, low-cost, autonomous robots, called Swarmies, to be used as a ground-based research platform for in-situ resource utilization missions. The behavior of the robot swarm mimics the central-place foraging strategy of ants to find and collect resources in an unknown environment and return those resources to a central site.

Technology Portfolio System↗
NASA NTRS2016

Nasa's Ant-Inspired Swarmie Robots

As humans push further beyond the grasp of earth, robotic missions in advance of human missions will play an increasingly important role. These robotic systems will find and retrieve valuable resources as part of an in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) strategy. They will need to be highly autonomous while maintaining high task performance levels. NASA Kennedy Space Center has teamed up with the Biological Computation Lab at the University of New Mexico to create a swarm of small, low-cost, autonomous robots to be used as a ground-based research platform for ISRU missions. The behavior of the robot swarm mimics the central-place foraging strategy of ants to find and collect resources in a previously unmapped environment and return those resources to a central site. This talk will guide the audience through the Swarmie robot project from its conception by students in a New Mexico research lab to its robot trials in an outdoor parking lot at NASA. The software technologies and techniques used on the project will be discussed, as well as various challenges and solutions that were encountered by the development team along the way.

biologically inspired robots↗
NASA NTRS1990

Young flood lavas in the Elysium Region, Mars

The nature and origin of a smooth plains unit (the Cerberus Plains) in southeastern Elysium and western Amazonis are reported. The interpretation that the Cerberus Plains resulted from flood plains style volcanism late in martian history is presented which carries implications for martian thermal history and volcanic evolution of a global scale. Although central construct volcanism (e.g., Olympus Mons) has long been recognized as occurring late in time, flood volcanism has not. Flood volcanism has been suggested as the origin of the ridged plains units (e.g., Lunae Planum, Solis, and Sinai Planum). This type of volcanic activity generally occurred early, and in Tharsis, the style of volcanism evolved from flood eruptions into centralized eruptions which built the large Tharsis Montes and Olympus Mons shields. Volcanism in the Elysium region seems to have followed a similar trend from flood eruptions to central construct building. But, the Cerberus Plains indicate that the volcanic style returned to flood eruption again after central constructional volcanism had ended.

Plescia, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Right Ventricular Tissue Doppler Assessment in Space During Circulating Volume Modification using the Braslet-M Device

This joint U.S. - Russian work aims to establish a methodology for assessing cardiac function in microgravity in association with manipulation of central circulating volume. Russian Braslet-M occlusion cuffs were used to temporarily increase the volume of blood in the lower extremities, which effectively reduces the volume returning to the heart in the central circulation. A novel methodology was tested on the International Space Station (ISS) to assess the volume status of crewmembers by evaluating the responses to application and release of the Braslet-on-occlusion cuffs, as well as to modified Valsalva and Mueller maneuvers. Baseline echocardiographic tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) of the right ventricular free wall with no Braslet applied shows early diastolic E' (16 cm/sec), late diastolic A' (14 cm/sec), and systolic (12 cm/sec) velocities compatible with normal subjects on Earth. TDI of the RV free wall with Braslet applied shows that early diastolic E' decreased by 50% (8 cm/sec), late diastolic A' increased by 45%, and systolic S' remains unchanged. TDI of the RV free wall approximately 8 beats after the Braslet was released shows early diastolic E' (8 cm/sec), late diastolic A' (12 cm/sec), and systolic S' (13 cm/sec) velocities. During this portion of the release, early diastolic E' did not recover to baseline values but late diastolic A' and systolic S' recovered to pre-Braslet values. The pre-systolic cross-sectional area of the internal jugular vein with Braslet off was 1.07 cm(sup 2) and 1.13 cm(sup 2) 10 min after the Braslet was applied. The presystolic cross-sectional area of the common femoral vein with Braslet off was 0.50 cm(sup 2), and was 0.54 cm(sup 2) 10 min after the Braslet was applied. The right ventricular myocardial performance Tei index also was calculated for comparison with typical values found in healthy subjects on Earth. Baseline and Braslet-on values for Tei index were 0.25 and 0.22 respectively. Braslet Tei indices are within normal ranges found in healthy subjects and temporarily become greater than 0.4 during the dynamic Braslet release portion of this study. Tissue Doppler imaging of the right ventricle revealed that the Braslet influenced cardiac preload and that fluid was sequestered in the lower-extremity interstitial and vascular space after only 10 minutes of application. This report demonstrates that Braslet application affects right ventricular physiology in long-duration space flight based on TDI and that this effect is in part due to venous hemodynamics.

Hamilton, D. R.↗
NASA NTRS2000

A Miniature Mars Ascent Vehicle

Launch of payloads from the surface of the Mars is a central element in any Sample Return program, and represents one of the most important objectives of NASA planetary science and Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) programs. Analysis of these samples in the sophisticated laboratories of Earth will give vastly more scientific as well as HEDS-relevant engineering and space-medicine knowledge of those bodies than can be performed from any feasible near-term miniaturized instruments. What is proposed here is a launch system with no moving parts of any kind: no gyroscope, no accelerometers, no control surfaces, and no thrust vector control.

B. H. Wilcox↗
NASA NTRS2016

Larch Forests of Middle Siberia: Long-Term Trends in Fire Return Intervals

Fire history within the northern larch forests of Central Siberia was studied (65+degN). Fires within this area are predominantly caused by lightning strikes rather than human activity. Mean fire return intervals (FRIs) were found to be 112 +/- 49 years (based on firescars) and 106 +/- 36 years (based on firescars and tree natality dates). FRIs were increased with latitude increase and observed to be about 80 years at 64N, about 200 years near the Arctic Circle and about 300 years nearby the northern range limit of larch stands (approx.71+degN). Northward FRIs increase correlated with incoming solar radiation (r = -0.95). Post- Little Ice Age (LIA) warming (after 1850) caused approximately a doubling of fire events (in comparison with a similar period during LIA). The data obtained support a hypothesis of climate-induced fire frequency increase. Keywords Fire ecology Fire history Fire frequency Siberian wildfires Larch forests Climate change

Fire ecology↗