Briefs: Electronics & Computers
An Offload NIC for NASA, NLR, and Grid Computing
This work addresses distributed data management and access — dynamically configurable high-speed access to data distributed and shared over wide-area high-speed network environments. An offload engine NIC (network interface card) is proposed that scales at n×10- Gbps increments through 100-Gbps...
Briefs: Materials
Aerogel-Based Multilayer Insulation With Micrometeoroid Protection
Ultra-low-density, highly hydrophobic, fiber-reinforced aerogel material integrated with MLI (aluminized Mylar reflectors and B4A Dacron separators) offers a highly effective insulation package by providing unsurpassed thermal performance and significant robustness, delivering...
Briefs: Materials
Self-Healing Nanocomposites for Reusable Composite Cryotanks
Composite cryotanks, or composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs), offer advantages over currently used aluminum- lithium cryotanks, particularly with respect to weight savings. Future NASA missions are expected to use COPVs in spaceflight propellant tanks to store fuels,...
Briefs: Energy
Pt-Ni and Pt-Co Catalyst Synthesis Route for Fuel Cell Applications
Oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs) at the cathode are the rate-limiting step in fuel cell performance. The ORR is 100 times slower than the corresponding hydrogen oxidation at the anode. Speeding up the reaction at the cathode will improve fuel cell efficiency.
Briefs: Materials
Ceramic Adhesive and Methods for On-Orbit Repair of Re-Entry Vehicles
This adhesive is capable of repairing damaged leading edge components of re-entry vehicles while in space, and is novel with regard to its ability to be applied in the vacuum of space, and in a microgravity environment. Once applied, the adhesive provides thermal and oxidation...
Briefs: Materials
Manufacturing of Nanocomposite Carbon Fibers and Composite Cylinders
Pitch-based nanocomposite carbon fibers were prepared with various percentages of carbon nanofibers (CNFs), and the fibers were used for manufacturing composite structures. Experimental results show that these nanocomposite carbon fibers exhibit improved structural and...
Briefs: Materials
Multi-scale CNT-Based Reinforcing Polymer Matrix Composites for Lightweight Structures
Reinforcing critical areas in carbon polymer matrix composites (PMCs), also known as fiber reinforced composites (FRCs), is advantageous for structural durability. Since carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have extremely high tensile strength, they can be used as a...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Optimized Radiator Geometries for Hot Lunar Thermal Environments
The optimum radiator configuration in hot lunar thermal environments is one in which the radiator is parallel to the ground and has no view to the hot lunar surface. However, typical spacecraft configurations have limited real estate available for top-mounted radiators, resulting...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Future missions to Mars that would need a sophisticated lander, hopper, or rover could benefit from the REARM Arch i tecture. The mission concept REARM...
Briefs: Energy
Future sustainable energy generation technologies such as photovoltaic and wind farms require advanced energy storage systems on a massive scale to make...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Reliability of CCGA 1152 and CCGA 1272 Interconnect Packages for Extreme Thermal Environments
Ceramic column grid array (CCGA) packages have been increasing in use based on their advantages of high interconnect density, very good thermal and electrical performance, and compatibility with standard surface-mount packaging assembly processes. CCGA...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Using a Blender to Assess the Microbial Density of Encapsulated Organisms
There are specific NASA requirementsfor source-specific encapsulated microbial density for encapsulated organisms in non-metallic materials. Projects such as the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that use large volumes of non-metallic materials of planetary protection concern...
Briefs: Software
Sasquatch Footprint Tool
The Crew Exploration Vehicle Parachute Assembly System (CPAS) is the parachute system for NASA’s Orion spacecraft. The test program consists of numerous drop tests, wherein a test article rigged with parachutes is extracted or released from an aircraft. During such tests, range safety is paramount, as is the...
Briefs: Software
Galactic Cosmic Ray Event- Based Risk Model (GERM) Code
This software describes the transport and energy deposition of the passage of galactic cosmic rays in astronaut tissues during space travel, or heavy ion beams in patients in cancer therapy. Space radiation risk is a probability distribution, and time-dependent biological events must be...
Briefs: Software
Multi-User Space Link Extension (SLE) System
The Multi-User Space (MUS) Link Extension system, a software and data system, provides Space Link Extension (SLE) users with three space data transfer services in timely, complete, and offline modes as applicable according to standards defined by the Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems...
Briefs: Information Technology
Control Software for Piezo Stepping Actuators
A control system has been developed for the Space Interferometer Mission (SIM) piezo stepping actuator. Piezo stepping actuators are novel because they offer extreme dynamic range (centimeter stroke with nanometer resolution) with power, thermal, mass, and volume advantages over existing motorized...
Briefs: Information Technology
The reliability of a gas or steam turbine is strongly dependent on the structural design of its blades. In land-based power generation units, turbine blades are connected to the turbine disk by...
Briefs: Information Technology
Mixed Integer Programming and Heuristic Scheduling for Space Communication
Optimal planning and scheduling for a communication network was created where the nodes within the network are communicating at the highest possible rates while meeting the mission requirements and operational constraints. The planning and scheduling problem was...
Briefs: Information Technology
Video Altimeter and Obstruction Detector for an Aircraft
Video-based altimetric and obstructiondetection systems for aircraft have been partially developed. The hardware of a system of this type includes a downward-looking video camera, a video digitizer, a Global Positioning System receiver or other means of measuring the aircraft velocity...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Edmund Optics® (EO) (Barrington, NJ) is now offering Coherent® High Performance OBIS™ Laser Systems. The High Performance OBIS Laser Systems feature the same compact design used for all wavelength options,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
The ZM12 range of small industrial laser modules from Z-LASER (Freiburg, Germany) is designed for industrial manufacturing processes such as laser marking or machine vision applications where superior quality and...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Superior heat dissipation and maximum durability are just two of the advantages of BEA Lasers’ (Elk Grove Village, IL) new MIL Series turnkey laser system. Offered in either 650nm (red) or 532nm (green) laser light,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
FLIR Systems (Croissy-Beaubourg, France) has announced an updated 2013 edition of its popular Infrared Handbook for R&D Professionals. Although infrared radiation (IR) is not detectable by the human eye, an IR camera...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Optical Filter Source (OFS) (Austin, TX), teaming with Pellicori Optical Consulting (POC) (Santa Barbara, CA) has developed and demonstrated solar-blind UV filters for applications in the wavelength range covering the UV...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Kyocera Corporation (Kyoto, Japan) announced that its wholly owned subsidiary, Kyocera Crystal Device Corporation, in charge of development and manufacturing of crystal devices, has succeeded in...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Reynard Corporation (San Clemente, CA) recently introduced ColorLock™ color filter stacks. These filters utilize the transmission and blocking characteristics of two or more specialty designed filter glass types to...
Products: Photonics/Optics
Spectra-Physics® (Santa Clara, CA) has introduced the Quasar, a breakthrough hybrid fiber laser that delivers high UV power at high repetition rates with TimeShift™ technology for precise micromachining. Combining...
Products: Photonics/Optics
The new range of laser diode modules from the Optoelectronics Company (Henham, UK) combines a high performance Opnext (OCLARO) laser diode with quality, externally adjustable optics, a Panasonic a spher ical glass lens,...
Products: Photonics/Optics
SCHURTER (Santa Rosa, CA) presents its new 2300 A FMER SOL interference filter. In addition, the series is now offered without ground capacitors to safely prevent any leakage of current to ground. The...
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