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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

CFD2030 Grand Challenge: CFD-in-the-Loop Monte Carlo Simulation for Space Vehicle Design

Space vehicle design and certification differs widely from aircraft design relying more on probabilistic approaches than deterministic. Monte Carlo simulation plays an important role in the probabilistic design of space vehicles to ensure robust and reliable operation. Today, Monte Carlo flight simulation requires 1000’s of trajectory simulations that use databases to provide aerosciences models. These databases can be extremely expensive and time consuming to develop. Replacing these databases with unsteady computational fluid dynamics directly in the simulation loop has potential to significantly reduce the time required to analyze space vehicle concepts, improve simulation accuracy, and reduce the cost of space vehicle development. The CFD Vision 2030 Study outlined gaps and roadblocks to meeting the vision described in the study. The geometric, physical, and computational challenges associated with CFD-in-the-loop Monte Carlo simulation for space vehicle design are substantial and serve as an excellent grand challenge to advance the CFD 2030 vision.

CFD2030↗
NASA NTRS1962

TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF U.S. SPACE VEHICLES

U.s. space vehicles development particularly saturn booster advances in structure, guidance and control, composite vehicle design, propulsion systems, fabrication, launching and handling

BOOSTER↗
NASA NTRS2006

Role of Process Control in Improving Space Vehicle Safety A Space Shuttle External Tank Example

Developing a safe and reliable space vehicle requires good design and good manufacturing, or in other words "design it right and build it right". A great design can be hard to build or manufacture mainly due to difficulties related to quality. Specifically, process control can be a challenge. As a result, the system suffers from low quality which leads to low reliability and high system risk. The Space Shuttle has experienced some of those cases, but has overcome these difficulties through extensive redesign efforts and process enhancements. One example is the design of the hot gas temperature sensor on the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), which resulted in failure of the sensor in flight and led to a redesign of the sensor. The most recent example is the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET) Thermal Protection System (TPS) reliability issues that contributed to the Columbia accident. As a result, extensive redesign and process enhancement activities have been performed over the last two years to minimize the sensitivities and difficulties of the manual TPS application process.

Safie, Fayssal M.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Method and Apparatus for Coupling Space Vehicles

A first space vehicle is attached with a second space vehicle which includes a rocket propulsion nozzle having a combustion chamber upstream from the nozzle throat. Apparatus 10 includes an elongate grappling arm 12 extending from the first space vehicle, a pair of inflatable bladders 16, 18 positioned about the grappling arm for engaging an inner surface of the combustion chamber upon inflation. and a pair of rear bladders 20, 22 positioned about the grappling arm for engaging an inner surface of the nozzle downstream from the combustion chamber upon inflation for aligning the grappling arm and the rocket propulsion nozzle. A pressurized fluid source 24 is provided on the first space vehicle for supplying fluid pressure to the inflatable bladders. and a fluid control valve manifold 30 selectively controls the release of pressurized fluid to the bladders. According to the method of the invention. the grappling arm is inserted into the rocket propulsion nozzle. and the control valves are actuated to first inflate the front bladders and thereby interconnect the grappling arm and the rocket propulsion nozzle. The rear bladders are subsequently inflated to align a central axis of the grappling arm with a central axis of the rocket propulsion nozzle. Inflation of the rear bladders provides an axial reaction load to balance the axial load provided by the front bladders. Attaching the vehicles in space may be controlled from the earth by activating the control valves to inflate the bladders. The cost of attaching space vehicles is significantly reduced by attaching a grappling arm on one vehicle with the existing rocket propulsion nozzle of another vehicle.

Schneider, William C.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Space vehicle

A space vehicle having an improved ascent configuration for use in traveling in space is presented. Components of the vehicle are: (1) a winged orbiter having an elongater fuselage and rearwardly directed main engines fixed to the fuselage; (2) an elongated tank assembly of an improved configuration disposed forwardly of the fuselage and connected with the main engines of the vehicle for supplying liquid propellants; and (3) a booster stage comprising a pair of integrated solid rocket boosters connected with the orbiter immediately beneath the fuselage and extended in substantial parallelism.

Vonpragenau, G. L.↗
NASA NTRS1963

THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANNED SPACE VEHICLES

Manned space vehicles beginning with the north american x-15 rocket powered air/space plane and including the mercury, gemini apollo satellites, the dynosoar orbital glider and future space programs

SPACE PROGRAM↗