Satellite formation flight and realignment maneuver demonstration aboard the International Space Station

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

The Synchronized Position Hold Engage and Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES), developed by the MIT Space Systems Laboratory, enable the maturation of control, estimation, and autonomy algorithms for distributed satellite systems, including the relative control of spacecraft required for satellite formation flight. Three free-flyer microsatellites are currently on board the International Space Station (ISS). By operating under crew supervision and by using replenishable consumables, SPHERES creates a risk-tolerant environment where new high-risk yet high-payoff algorithms can be demonstrated in a microgravity environment. Through multiple test sessions aboard the ISS, the SPHERES team has incrementally demonstrated the ability to perform formation flight maneuvers with two and three satellite formations. The test sessions aboard the Space Station include evaluation of coordinated maneuvers which will be applicable to interferometric spacecraft formation missions. The satellites are deployed as a formation and required to rotate around a common center about a given axis, mimicking an interferometer. Various trajectories are then implemented to point the synthetic aperture in a different orientation by changing the common axis of revolution. Observation-time optimizing synchronization strategies and fuel balancing/fuel optimizing trajectories are discussed, compared and evaluated according to resulting mission duration and potential scientific output.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.737459

Rapid culture-independent microbial analysis aboard the International Space Station (ISS)

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

A new culture-independent system for microbial monitoring, called the Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development Portable Test System (LOCAD-PTS), was operated aboard the International Space Station (ISS). LOCAD-PTS was launched to the ISS aboard Space Shuttle STS-116 on December 9, 2006, and has since been used by ISS crews to monitor endotoxin on cabin surfaces. Quantitative analysis was performed within 15 minutes, and sample return to Earth was not required. Endotoxin (a marker of Gram-negative bacteria) was distributed throughout the ISS, despite previous indications that mostbacteria on ISS surfaces were Gram-positive [corrected].Endotoxin was detected at 24 out of 42 surface areas tested and at every surface site where colony-forming units (cfu) were observed, even at levels of 4-120 bacterial cfu per 100 cm(2), which is below NASA in-flight requirements (<10,000 bacterial cfu per 100 cm(2)). Absent to low levels of endotoxin (<0.24 to 1.0 EU per 100 cm(2); defined in endotoxin units, or EU) were found on 31 surface areas, including on most panels in Node 1 and the US Lab. High to moderate levels (1.01 to 14.7 EU per 100 cm(2)) were found on 11 surface areas, including at exercise, hygiene, sleeping, and dining facilities. Endotoxin was absent from airlock surfaces, except the Extravehicular Hatch Handle (>3.78 EU per 100 cm(2)). Based upon data collected from the ISS so far, new culture-independent requirements (defined in EU) are suggested, which are verifiable in flight with LOCAD-PTS yet high enough to avoid false alarms. The suggested requirements are intended to supplement current ISS requirements (defined in cfu) and would serve a dual purpose of safeguarding crew health (internal spacecraft surfaces <20 EU per 100 cm(2)) and monitoring forward contamination during Constellation missions (surfaces periodically exposed to the external environment, including the airlock and space suits, <0.24 EU per 100 cm(2)).

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19845447

Forward Osmosis Cargo Transfer Bag

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

All human space missions, regardless of destination, require significant logistical mass and volume. The amount required is a function of the mission duration. Reducing this logistical mass and volume by reusing items that would otherwise become trash can reduce launch weight and consequently mission costs. This paper describes a logistics reduction technology based on repurposing International Space Station (ISS) Crew Transfer Bags (CTB). CTBs are fabric cargo containers, which conform to specific dimensional and material requirements for space flight. This paper describes the development of a Forward Osmosis Cargo Transfer Bag (FO-CTB) that can be reused on orbit to provide radiation sheading and water recycling capacity. The design, construction and testing of a prototype FO-CTB at the Desert Research and Technology Studies (D-Rats) Habitat Demonstration Unit (HDU) in 2011 is described. In addition, a summary of the results of a flight experiment performed to evaluate the effect of microgravity on the forward osmosis (FO) membrane bags used in the FO-CTB is also discussed. Future plans for the continued development of the FO-CTB are also discussed.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2012-3599

The Effects of Microgravity on Extrusion Based Additive Manufacturing

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Made In Space, Inc. participated in four weeks of microgravity testing with NASA’s Flight Opportunities Program during the Fall of 2011 and Summer of 2013. The company tested the effects of microgravity on custom built and commercially available extrusion additive manufacturing machines, more commonly known as 3D printers. The testing took place on board a modified Boeing 727 aircraft flown by the Zero-G corporation, in conjunction with NASA’s Reduced Gravity Office and Flight Opportunities Program. The company has utilized the knowledge gained through this campaign on the project that will deliver the first 3D printer to the International Space Station (ISS). 3D printing in space is an enabling technology that is crucial to the exploration for space beyond the low Earth orbit environment. In order for 3D printing to finally be realized as a permanent fixture is space exploration, the behavior must be fully understaff in microgravity. Various 3D printers were flown and tested, as well as multiple individual sub-components. With some modification to the key systems, Made in Space was able to demonstrate that additive manufacturing with extrusion-based machines functions similarly in microgravity as it does on the ground, allowing for a full proof of concept. The microgravity flight enabled the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of the technology to be elevated to a TRL-6.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2013-5439

Reentry Breakup Recorder: Concept, Testing, Moving Forward

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Decommissioned satellites and spent rocket states routinely reenter the atmosphere from low-Earth and low-perigee orbits. Though seldom recovered, debris of significant size and mass survive to gourd impact. Reentry survivability models are intended to predict these hazards in advance of launch and reentry, but models have tended to under-predict the survivability, relative to observable data and recovered debris. In order to improve and validate models, a growing need developed for more information on the environment and response of unprotected reentering bodies. The Aerospace Corporation conceived a new device that would collect ate during the reentry and breakup of a satellite or launch stage, would protect the data through the severe heating and loading phases, would break away as the host vehicle disintegrated and would transmit the recorded data before ground impact, eliminating any need for hardware retrieval. The Reentry Breakup Recorder (REBR) was successfully flight tested in 2011 during reentry for the Japanese HTV2 supply vehicle form the International Space Station. An overview is provided in the motivation of REBR, its design the data from the HTV2 flight test, the future evolution of REBR, and the technology transition approach.

Related URLs:
http://dx.doi.org/10.2514/6.2012-5271

 Electronic Repair Concepts for Long-Duration Spaceflight

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Constraints on the mass and volume that can be allocated for electronics spares and repair equipment on long-duration space missions mean that NASA must look at repair strategies beyond the traditional approach, which has been to replace faulty subsystems in a modular form, termed Orbital Replacement Units or Line Replacement Units. Other possible strategies include component and board-level replacement, modular designs that allow reprogramming of less-critical systems to take the place of more critical failed systems, and a blended approach which uses elements of each of these approaches, along with a limited number of Line Replacement Units. This paper presents some of the constraints and considerations that affect the decision on how to approach electronics repair for long duration space missions, and discusses the benefits and limitations of each of the previously mentioned strategies.

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Benchmark studies of the effectiveness of structural and internal materials as radiation shielding for the international space station

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Accelerator-based measurements and model calculations have been used to study the heavy-ion radiation transport properties of materials in use on the International Space Station (ISS). Samples of the ISS aluminum outer hull were augmented with various configurations of internal wall material and polyethylene. The materials were bombarded with high-energy iron ions characteristic of a significant part of the galactic cosmic-ray (GCR) heavy-ion spectrum. Transmitted primary ions and charged fragments produced in nuclear collisions in the materials were measured near the beam axis, and a model was used to extrapolate from the data to lower beam energies and to a lighter ion. For the materials and ions studied, at incident particle energies from 1037 MeV/nucleon down to at least 600 MeV/nucleon, nuclear fragmentation reduces the average dose and dose equivalent per incident ion. At energies below 400 MeV/nucleon, the calculation predicts that as material is added, increased ionization energy loss produces increases in some dosimetric quantities. These limited results suggest that the addition of modest amounts of polyethylene or similar material to the interior of the ISS will reduce the dose to ISS crews from space radiation; however, the radiation transport properties of ISS materials should be evaluated with a realistic space radiation field.

Related URLs:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12600241

Evaluation results of the htv atmospheric reentry trajectory

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

The H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) “KOUNOTORI” is an unmanned cargo transport and waste disposal vehicle for the International Space Station (ISS) developed by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). The first operational flight (HTV-2) was launched by the H-IIB launch vehicle on January 22, 2011, and the rendezvous operation was successfully completed on January 27, 2011. and its atmospheric reentry will be planned to conduct in late March, 2011. Hopefully, the safe reentry operation will have completed by confirming de-orbit trajectory as planned, which will result in a performing an accurate splashdown within the restricted ocean area by the end of March. Meanwhile, JAXA has started conceptual study of the HTV with a return vehicle, called HTV-R. The HTV-R can accommodate a new reentry vehicle, called HRV. It has two main purposes. First is an establishment of safe and confident return technology to the Earth for Japanese future manned space activities. Second is an implementation of return capability for utilization specimen and on-orbit replaceable units from the ISS. As well as being desired the HTV-2 and subsequent mission success to be achieved, it is necessary to accumulate their technical data and to give feedback to design study and development of the HTV-R. This paper shows evaluation results and findings relating to the HTV-1 and HTV-2 atmospheric reentry trajectory, and also introduces concept study results of the HTV-R and the HRV regarding their reentry trajectories.

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SPHERES flight operations testing and execution

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

Synchronized Position Hold Engage Reorient Experimental Satellites (SPHERES) is a formation flight testing facility consisting of three satellites operating inside the International Space Station (ISS). The goal is to use the long term microgravity environment of the ISS to mature formation flight and docking algorithms. The operations processes of SPHERES have also matured over the course of the first seven test sessions. This paper describes the evolution of the SPHERES program operations processes from conception to implementation to refinement through flight experience. Modifications to the operations processes were based on experience and feedback from Marshall Space Flight Center Payload Operations Center, USAF Space Test Program office at Johnson Space Center, and the crew of Expedition 13 (first to operate SPHERES on station). Important lessons learned were on aspects such as test session frequency, determination of session success, and contingency operations. This paper describes the tests sessions; then it details the lessons learned, the change in processes, and the impact on the outcome of later test sessions. SPHERES had very successful initial test sessions which allowed for modification and tailoring of the operations processes to streamline the code delivery and to tailor responses based on flight experiences.

Related URLs:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0094576509001726

Sniffing out cancer using the JPL electronic nose: A pilot study of a novel approach to detection and differentiation of brain cancer

by on 9 June 2015in Technology Development & Demonstration No comment

A proof-of-concept study was done to determine whether an electronic nose developed for air quality monitoring at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) could be used to distinguish between the odors of organ and tumor tissues, with an eye to using such a device as one of several modes in multi-modal imaging and tumor differentiation during surgery. Hypothesis We hypothesized that the JPL electronic nose (ENose) would be able to distinguish between the odors of various organ and tumor tissues. Materials and methods The odor signatures, or array response, of two organs, chicken heart and chicken liver, and cultured glioblastoma and melanoma tumor cell lines were recorded using the JPL Electronic Nose. The overall array responses were compared to determine whether they were sufficiently different to allow the organs and cell lines to be identified by their array responses. Results The ENose was able to distinguish between the two types of organ tissue and between the two types of tumor cell lines. The variation in array response for the organ tissues was 19% and between the two types of cultured cell lines was 22%. Conclusion This study shows that it is possible to use an electronic nose to distinguish between two types of tumor cells and between two types of organ tissue. As we conducted the experiment with a sensor array built for air quality monitoring rather than for medical purposes, it may be possible to select an array that is optimized to distinguish between different types of cells and organ tissues. Further focused studies are needed to investigate the odor signatures of different cells as well as cellular proliferation, growth, differentiation and infiltration.

Related URLs:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S105381190900370X