NASA Tech Briefs’ Physical Sciences Web page spans the fields of earth science, chemistry, and physics, focusing on advances in sensing, test, and measurement. Tech Briefs report on innovations in microscopy, spectroscopy, photonics and more. Many of the Tech Briefs below are correlated to a Technical Support Package (TSP) or White Paper that can be downloaded free of charge.
Jun 2013
Cloud Absorption Radiometer Autonomous Navigation System — CANS
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The system captures navigational data in real time while keeping the sensor centered on a fixed target.
CAR (cloud absorption radiometer) acquires spatial reference data from host aircraft navigation systems. This poses various problems during CAR data reduction, including navigation data format, accuracy of position data, accuracy of ...Read More >>
Hyperspectral Imager-Tracker
The Hyperspectral Imager-Tracker
(HIT) is a technique for visualization
and tracking of low-contrast, fast-moving
objects. The HIT architecture is based
on an innovative and only recently developed
concept in imaging optics. This
innovative architecture will give the
Light Prescriptions Innovators (LPI)
HIT the possibility of simultaneously collecting
the spectral band ...
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Simple Laser Communications Terminal for Downlink From Earth Orbit at Rates Exceeding 10 Gb/s
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Implementation of this technology will surpass the spectrum-allocation and bandwidth limitations of current RF systems.
A compact, low-cost laser communications transceiver was prototyped for downlinking data at 10 Gb/s from Earth-orbiting spacecraft. The design can be implemented using flight-grade parts. With emphasis on simplicity, compactness, and light weight ...Read More >>
Planetary Data Systems (PDS) Imaging Node Atlas II
The Planetary Image Atlas (PIA) is a
Rich Internet Application (RIA) that
serves planetary imaging data to the science
community and the general public.
PIA also utilizes the USGS Unified Planetary
Coordinate system (UPC) and the
on-Mars map server.
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Environmental Qualification of a Single- Crystal Silicon Mirror for Spaceflight Use
This innovation is the environmental
qualification of a single-crystal silicon mirror
for spaceflight use. The single-crystal silicon
mirror technology is a previous innovation,
but until now, a mirror of this type
has not been qualified for spaceflight use.
The qualification steps included mounting,
gravity change measurements, vibration
testing, vibration-induced change ...
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Multi-Pass Quadrupole Mass Analyzer
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The technology will enhance the resolving power of small QMA instruments and simplify the electronics package for ground and space instruments.
Analysis of the composition of planetary atmospheres is one of the most important and fundamental measurements in planetary robotic exploration. Quadrupole mass analyzers (QMAs) are the primary ...Read More >>
Lunar Sulfur Capture System
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The process substantially reduces the need for Earthsupplied consumables.
The Lunar Sulfur Capture System (LSCS) protects in situ resource utilization (ISRU) hardware from corrosion, and reduces contaminant levels in water condensed for electrolysis. The LSCS uses a lunar soil sorbent to trap over 98 percent of sulfur gases and ...Read More >>
Qualification of UHF Antenna for Extreme Martian Thermal Environments
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This innovation can be used in aerospace and deep space applications.
The purpose of this development was to validate the use of the external Rover Ultra High Frequency (RUHF) antenna for space under extreme thermal environments to be encountered during the surface operations of the Mars Science Laboratory (...Read More >>
Planar Superconducting Millimeter-Wave/Terahertz Channelizing Filter
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The design enables multiple-octave operation with no spurious harmonic response.
This innovation is a compact, superconducting, channelizing bandpass filter on a single-crystal (0.45 μm thick) silicon substrate, which operates from 300 to 600 GHz. This device consists of four channels with center frequencies of 310, 380, 460, and 550 GHz, with approximately 50-GHz bandwidth per ...Read More >>
Automatic Calibration of an Airborne Imaging System to an Inertial Navigation Unit
This software automatically calibrates a
camera or an imaging array to an inertial
navigation system (INS) that is rigidly
mounted to the array or imager. In effect, it
recovers the coordinate frame transformation
between the reference frame of the imager
and the reference frame of the INS.
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Support Routines for In Situ Image Processing
This software consists of a set of application
programs that support
ground-based image processing for in
situ missions. These programs represent
a collection of utility routines that
perform miscellaneous functions in the
context of the ground data system.
Each one fulfills some specific need as
determined via operational experience.
The ...
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May 2013
Using a Blender to Assess the Microbial Density of Encapsulated OrganismsReliability of CCGA 1152 and CCGA 1272 Interconnect Packages for Extreme Thermal Environments
New Class of Flow Batteries for Terrestrial and Aerospace Energy Storage Applications
ESD Test Apparatus for Soldering Irons
Pneumatic Proboscis Heat-Flow Probe
FPGA-Based X-Ray Detection and Measurement for an X-Ray Polarimeter
Method to Measure Total Noise Temperature of a Wireless Receiver During Operation
Apr 2013
Fully Integrated, Miniature, High-Frequency Flow Probe Utilizing MEMS Leadless SOI TechnologyLVGEMS Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry on Satellites
Surface Inspection Tool for Optical Detection of Surface Defects
Per-Pixel, Dual-Counter Scheme for Optical Communications
Spacecraft Crew Cabin Condensation Control
Mar 2013
Data Compression Algorithm Architecture for Large Depth-of- Field Particle Image VelocimetersFeb 2013
Rover Low Gain Antenna Qualification for Deep Space Thermal Environments>> Trending this Month
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