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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

Ares I-X Range Safety Analyses Overview

Ares I-X was the first test flight of NASA's Constellation Program's Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle designed to provide manned access to low Earth orbit. As a one-time test flight, the Air Force's 45th Space Wing required a series of Range Safety analysis data products to be developed for the specified launch date and mission trajectory prior to granting flight approval on the Eastern Range. The range safety data package is required to ensure that the public, launch area, and launch complex personnel and resources are provided with an acceptable level of safety and that all aspects of prelaunch and launch operations adhere to applicable public laws. The analysis data products, defined in the Air Force Space Command Manual 91-710, Volume 2, consisted of a nominal trajectory, three sigma trajectory envelopes, stage impact footprints, acoustic intensity contours, trajectory turn angles resulting from potential vehicle malfunctions (including flight software failures), characterization of potential debris, and debris impact footprints. These data products were developed under the auspices of the Constellation's Program Launch Constellation Range Safety Panel and its Range Safety Trajectory Working Group with the intent of beginning the framework for the operational vehicle data products and providing programmatic review and oversight. A multi-center NASA team in conjunction with the 45th Space Wing, collaborated within the Trajectory Working Group forum to define the data product development processes, performed the analyses necessary to generate the data products, and performed independent verification and validation of the data products. This paper outlines the Range Safety data requirements and provides an overview of the processes established to develop both the data products and the individual analyses used to develop the data products, and it summarizes the results of the analyses required for the Ares I-X launch.

Starr, Brett R.↗

Ares I-X Range Safety Flight Envelope Analysis

Ares I-X was the first test flight of NASA's Constellation Program's Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle designed to provide manned access to low Earth orbit. As a one-time test flight, the Air Force's 45th Space Wing required a series of Range Safety analysis data products to be developed for the specified launch date and mission trajectory prior to granting flight approval on the Eastern Range. The range safety data package is required to ensure that the public, launch area, and launch complex personnel and resources are provided with an acceptable level of safety and that all aspects of prelaunch and launch operations adhere to applicable public laws. The analysis data products, defined in the Air Force Space Command Manual 91-710, Volume 2, consisted of a nominal trajectory, three sigma trajectory envelopes, stage impact footprints, acoustic intensity contours, trajectory turn angles resulting from potential vehicle malfunctions (including flight software failures), characterization of potential debris, and debris impact footprints. These data products were developed under the auspices of the Constellation's Program Launch Constellation Range Safety Panel and its Range Safety Trajectory Working Group with the intent of beginning the framework for the operational vehicle data products and providing programmatic review and oversight. A multi-center NASA team in conjunction with the 45th Space Wing, collaborated within the Trajectory Working Group forum to define the data product development processes, performed the analyses necessary to generate the data products, and performed independent verification and validation of the data products. This paper outlines the Range Safety data requirements and provides an overview of the processes established to develop both the data products and the individual analyses used to develop the data products, and it summarizes the results of the analyses required for the Ares I-X launch.

Starr, Brett R.↗

A Compilation of Space Shuttle Sonic Boom Measurements - Supplemental STS Sonic Boom Files

Supplemental STS Sonic Boom Files for NASA/CR-2011-217080. Data files included on CDROM formatted to ISO 9660 standards. Sonic boom measurements have been obtained on 26 flights of the Space Shuttle system beginning with the launch of STS-1 on April 12, 1981, to the reentry-descent of STS-41 into EAFB on Oct. 10, 1990. A total of 23 boom measurements were acquired within the focus region off the Florida coast during 3 STS launch-ascents and 113 boom measurements were acquired during 23 STS reentry-descent to landing into Florida and California. Sonic boom measurements were made under, and lateral to, the vehicle ground track and cover the Mach-altitude range of about 1.3 to 23 and 54,000 feet to 243,000 feet, respectively. Vehicle operational data, flight profiles and weather data were also gathered during the flights. This STS boom database is contained in 26 documents, some are formal and referenceable but most internal documents. Another 38 documents, also non-referenceable, contain predicted sonic boom footprints for reentry-descent flights on which no measurements were made. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the STS sonic boom database and summarize the main findings.

Maglieri, Domenic J.↗

A Compilation of Space Shuttle Sonic Boom Measurements

Sonic boom measurements have been obtained on 26 flights of the Space Shuttle system beginning with the launch of STS-1 on April 12, 1981, to the reentry-descent of STS-41 into EAFB on Oct. 10, 1990. A total of 23 boom measurements were acquired within the focus region off the Florida coast during 3 STS launch-ascents and 113 boom measurements were acquired during 23 STS reentry-descent to landing into Florida and California. Sonic boom measurements were made under, and lateral to, the vehicle ground track and cover the Mach-altitude range of about 1.3 to 23 and 54,000 feet to 243,000 feet, respectively. Vehicle operational data, flight profiles and weather data were also gathered during the flights. This STS boom database is contained in 26 documents, some are formal and referenceable but most internal documents. Another 38 documents, also non-referenceable, contain predicted sonic boom footprints for reentry-descent flights on which no measurements were made. The purpose of this report is to provide an overview of the STS sonic boom database and summarize the main findings.

Maglieri, Domenic J.↗

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

A Remote Vehicle Operations Center’s Role in Collecting Human Factors Data

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is supporting research to develop a prototype remote vehicle operations center at Langley Research Center to explore current and future advanced air mobility operations using small unmanned aerial systems vehicles as surrogates for future, larger-scale passenger carrying vehicles. Data collected within the Remote Operations for Autonomous Missions (ROAM) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Operations Center will be used to explore different roles and responsibilities of remote operators managing multiple autonomous vehicles, with the goal of exploring human-autonomy teaming concepts that enable m:N operations (i.e., m operators managing N vehicles). ROAM has developed into a world-class research, development, and technology (RD&T) environment that can support both the collection of human factors data and the command and control of remote vehicles in beyond visual line of sight conditions. Presented in this paper is an overview of ROAM, with a focus on the design components that support human factors data collection and a review of initial usability results of the facility.

Human factors↗

On-orbit assembly/servicing task definition study

The OEXP vehicles being envisioned to carry out the Presidential space goals of a lunar outpost and human exploration of Mars will require on-orbit assembly, refurbishment, checkout, and launch. The On-orbit Assembly/Servicing Task Definition Study applies the space vehicle processing experience and procedures archives resident at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) to determine the task flows, and resources/facilities necessary to process the OEXP vehicles at Space Station Freedom (SSF). This data base is examined to find the closest analogies to OEXP vehicle components and assembly/refurbishment tasks. Transition tables are generated to provide traceability from KSC hardware processing experience to analogous on-orbit processing of the OEXP vehicles. Iterations in which the task flows are broken down into realistic extravehicular activity (EVA) primitive subtasks and times, and to apply automation and robotic technology to reduce crew risks and minimize EVA time, will enhance the value and accuracy of the predicted flows. These processing scenarios and the resulting resource/facility requirements are used to determine impacts of SSF, resulting in change requests to SSF requirements for provision of 'hooks and scars' to evolve the assembly complete Space Station into a transportation node. Study results to date include assembly analysis of the Martin Marietta Phobos Gateway Vehicle, refurbishment analysis of the Martin Marietta Lunar Evolution Piloted and Cargo Vehicles, and assembly analysis of the Boeing Mars Evolution Vehicle. The results of this study will be accumulated into the vehicle processing operations data base for subsequent modeling, life cycle cost, vehicle growth, and SSF impact analysis.

Vargo, Rick↗

Vehicle processing operations database

The Vehicle Processing Operations Data base (VPOD) has been designed and constructed to enable the collection and preliminary analysis of data relative to the processing of planetary exploration vehicles in low Earth orbit. VPOD has the capability to hierarchically store the events, assemblies, and equipment data needed for performing vehicle processing analysis, to whatever level of detail available. This permits some analysis to be performed even during the very early phases of vehicle and mission design. As more data about the events, assemblies, or equipment become available, the analysis can then be refined using the increased level of detail. VPOD output is based on a mission defined by selecting from the VPOD Events data base the events that are required to perform the desired tasks. The outputs available include total crew time, crew skill requirements, equipment needed, assemblies worked per event, to any available level of detail. The VPOD design is structured to interface with an operations simulation capability which is currently in the requirements definition phase. The simulator will use information from the VPOD to perform operations analysis for missions being conducted in low Earth orbit. VPOD information, along with information from the science missions operations data base and a Space Station configuration data base, will be used by the simulator to provide a capability to study total system operations and resources requirements.

Ganoe, George G.↗

Non-Toxic Orbital Maneuvering System Engine Development

Recent results using the Aestus engine operated with LOx/ethanol propellant are presented. An experimental program at Rocketdyne Propulsion and Power is underway to adapt this engine for the Boeing Reusable Space Systems Division non-toxic Orbital Maneuvering System/Reaction control System (OMS/RCS) system. Daimler-Chrysler Aerospace designed the Aestus as an nitrogen tetroxide/monomethyl hydrazine (NTO/MMH) upper-stage engine for the Ariane 5. The non-toxic OMS/RCS system's preliminary design requires a LOx/ethanol (O2/C2H5OH) engine that operates with a mixture ratio of 1.8, a specific impulse of 323 seconds, and fits within the original OMS design envelope. This paper describes current efforts to meet these requirements including, investigating engine performance using LOx/ethanol, developing the en-ine system sizing package, and meeting the vehicle operation parameters. Data from hot-fire testing are also presented and discussed.

Green, Christopher↗

Orbital operation study. Volume 3: Basic vehicle summaries

The vehicle related data developed during the orbital operations study are described. The interfacing activity findings have been realigned into the four basic vehicle systems as follows: (1) earth orbital shuttle (EOS), (2) research and applications module (RAM), (3) space based, ground based, manned and unmanned tugs, and (4) modular space station (MSS).

Anderson, N. R.↗

Analyses of Kennedy Space Center Tropospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler Data for Space Launch System Program Certification

This paper documents the methodology and results of analyses used to certify the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) Tropospheric Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (TDRWP) as input to launch commit evaluations for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Launch System Program (SLSP). These analyses, and the requirements that they address, were designed by the Marshall Space Flight Center Natural Environments Branch (MSFC NE) to certify that the TDRWP provides data of sufficient accuracy and resolution for SLSP, and that the instrument provides enough reliability to support Day-of- Launch Initialization Loads Update (DOLILU) operations. On day-of-launch (DOL), space launch vehicle operators have used data from wind profilers to reverse a previous GO call in prelaunch loads and trajectory assessments due to the profiler’s capability to quickly identify changes in the wind profile within a rapidly changing wind environment. Certification of the TDRWP would allow SLSP to use DOL wind data generated by the TDRWP to design the vehicle trajectory and to verify trajectory and load constraints during the countdown for launch commit decision.

Barbre, Robert E., Jr.↗

Results of the Updated NASA Kennedy Space Center 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler Operational Acceptance Test

We present here the methodology and results of the Operational Acceptance Test (OAT) performed on the new Kennedy Space Center (KSC) 50-MHz Doppler Radar Wind Profiler (DRWP). On day-of-launch (DOL), space launch vehicle operators have used data from the DRWP to invalidate winds in prelaunch loads and trajectory assessments due to the DRWP's capability to quickly identify changes in the wind profile within a rapidly-changing wind environment. The previous DRWP has been replaced with a completely new system, which needs to undergo certification testing before being accepted for use in range operations. The new DRWP replaces the previous three-beam system made of coaxial cables and a copper wire ground plane with a four-beam system that uses Yagi antennae with enhanced beam steering capability. In addition, the new system contains updated user interface software while maintaining the same general capability as the previous system. The new DRWP continues to use the Median Filter First Guess (MFFG) algorithm to generate a wind profile from Doppler spectra at each range gate. DeTect (2015) contains further details on the upgrade. The OAT is a short-term test designed so that end users can utilize the new DRWP in a similar manner to the previous DRWP during mission operations at the Eastern Range in the midst of a long-term certification process. This paper describes the Marshall Space Flight Center Natural Environments Branch's (MSFC NE's) analyses to verify the quality and accuracy of the DRWP's meteorological data output as compared to the previous DRWP. Ultimately, each launch vehicle program has the responsibility to certify the system for their own use.

Barbre', Robert E., Jr.↗