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Briefs: Software
Monitoring and Acquisition Realtime System (MARS)
MARS is a graphical user interface (GUI) written in MATLAB and Java, allowing the user to configure and control the Scalable Parallel Architecture for Real-Time Acquisition and Analysis (SPARTAA) data acquisition system. SPARTAA not only acquires data, but also allows for complex algorithms to be...
Briefs: Information Technology
Onboard Algorithms for Data Prioritization and Summarization of Aerial Imagery
Many current and future NASA missions are capable of collecting enormous amounts of data, of which only a small portion can be transmitted to Earth. Communications are limited due to distance, visibility constraints, and competing mission downlinks. Long missions and...
Briefs: Software
Remote Data Access with IDL
A tool based on IDL (Interactive Data Language) and DAP (Data Access Protocol) has been developed for user-friendly remote data access. A difficulty for many NASA re searchers using IDL is that often the data to analyze are located remotely and are too large to transfer for local analysis. Researchers have developed a...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Data Compression Algorithm Architecture for Large Depth-of- Field Particle Image Velocimeters
A large depth-of-field particle image velocimeter (PIV) is designed to characterize dynamic dust environments on planetary surfaces. This instrument detects lofted dust particles, and senses the number of particles per unit volume, measuring their sizes,...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Planar, semiconductor heat arrays have been previously proposed and developed; however, this design makes use of a novel, microscale black silicon wick structure that provides...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Analog Signal Correlating Using an Analog-Based Signal Conditioning Front End
This innovation is capable of correlating two analog signals by using an analog- based signal conditioning front end to hard-limit the analog signals through adaptive thresholding into a binary bit stream, then performing the correlation using a Hamming “similarity”...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Robust Multivariable Optimization and Performance Simulation for ASIC Design
Application-specific-integrated-circuit (ASIC) design for space applications involves multiple challenges of maximizing performance, minimizing power, and ensuring reliable operation in extreme environments. This is a complex multidimensional optimization problem, which...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
The use of mirror assemblies is commonplace in the aerospace industry, as most satellites and spacecraft contain optics. The fabrication of these mirrors is extremely complex due to the...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A fluid pump has been developed for mechanically pumped fluid loops for spacecraft thermal control. Lynntech’s technology utilizes a proprietary electrochemically driven pumping mechanism. Conventional...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Next-generation heat-pipe radiator technologies are being developed at the NASA Glenn Research Center to provide advancements in heat-rejection systems for space power and...
Briefs: Materials
Non-Toxic, Non-Flammable, –80 ºC Phase Change Materials
The objective of this effort was to develop a non-toxic, non-flammable, –80 °C phase change material (PCM) to be used in NASA’s ICEPAC capsules for biological sample preservation in flight to and from Earth orbit. A temperature of about –68 °C or lower is a critical temperature for...
Briefs: Information Technology
Measurements of Ultra-Stable Oscillator (USO) Allan Deviations in Space
Researchers have used data from the GRAIL mission to the Moon to make the first in-flight verification of ultra-stable oscillators (USOs) with Allan deviation below 10–13 for 1-to-100-second averaging times. USOs are flown in space to provide stable timing and/or navigation...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Rover Low Gain Antenna Qualification for Deep Space Thermal Environments
A method to qualify the Rover Low Gain Antenna (RLGA) for use during the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission has been devised. The RLGA antenna must survive all ground operations, plus the nominal 670 Martian sol mission that includes the summer and winter seasons of the...
Briefs: Software
Gaseous Nitrogen Orifice Mass Flow Calculator
The Gaseous Nitrogen (GN2) Orifice Mass Flow Calculator was used to determine Space Shuttle Orbiter Water Spray Boiler (WSB) GN2 high-pressure tank source depletion rates for various leak scenarios, and the ability of the GN2 consumables to support cooling of Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) lubrication...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
There are no existing ultra-sterile lab-on- a-chip systems that can accept solid samples and perform complete chemical analyses without human intervention. The proposed...
Briefs: Information Technology
Validation of Proposed Metrics for Two-Body Abrasion Scratch Test Analysis Standards
Abrasion of mechanical components and fabrics by soil on Earth is typically minimized by the effects of atmosphere and water. Potentially abrasive particles lose sharp and pointed geometrical features through erosion. In environments where such erosion does not...
Briefs: Information Technology
Measuring and Estimating Normalized Contrast in Infrared Flash Thermography
Infrared flash thermography (IRFT) is used to detect void-like flaws in a test object. The IRFT technique involves heating up the part surface using a flash of flash lamps. The post-flash evolution of the part surface temperature is sensed by an IR camera in terms of pixel...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Spectrally and Radiometrically Stable, Wideband, Onboard Calibration Source
The Onboard Calibration (OBC) source incorporates a medical/scientific-grade halogen source with a precisely designed fiber coupling system, and a fiber-based intensity-monitoring feedback loop that results in radiometric and spectral stabilities to within
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
The NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) uses commercial waveguide windows on the output waveguide of Ka-band (32 GHz) low-noise amplifiers. Mechanical failure of these windows resulted in an...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Technology has been developed for a class of self-contained, long-duration power sources called beta batteries, which harvest the energy contained in the...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Magnetic Shield for Adiabatic Demagnetization Refrigerators (ADR)
A new method was developed for creating a less expensive shield for ADRs using 1018 carbon steel. This shield has been designed to have similar performance to the expensive vanadium permen dur shields, but the cost is 30 to 50% less. Also, these shields can be stocked in a variety of...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
There are several experimental setups involving rotating machinery that require some form of synchronization. The adaptive phase delay generator (APDG) — the Bencic-1000 — is a flexible instrument that allows...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
CMOS-Compatible SOI MESFETS for Radiation-Hardened DC-to-DC Converters
A radiation-tolerant transistor switch has been developed that can operate between –196 and +150 °C for DC-to-DC power conversion applications. A prototype buck regulator component was demonstrated to be performing well after a total ionizing dose of 300 krad(Si). The...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Silicon Heat Pipe Array
Improved methods of heat dissipation are required for modern, high-powerdensity electronic systems. As increased functionality is progressively compacted into decreasing volumes, this need will be exacerbated. High-performance chip power is predicted to increase monotonically and rapidly with time. Systems utilizing these...
Briefs: Materials
High-Temperature, Lightweight, Self- Healing Ceramic Composites for Aircraft Engine Applications
The use of reliable, high-temperature, lightweight materials in the manufacture of aircraft engines is expected to result in lower fossil and biofuel consumption, thereby leading to cost savings and lower carbon emissions due to air travel. Although...
Briefs: Materials
Treatment to Control Adhesion of Silicone-Based Elastomers
Seals are used to facilitate the joining of two items, usually temporarily. At some point in the future, it is expected that the items will need to be separated. This innovation enables control of the adhesive properties of silicone-based elastomers. The innovation may also be effective on...
Briefs: Materials
High-Temperature Adhesives for Thermally Stable Aero-Assist Technologies
Aero-assist technologies are used to control the velocity of exploration vehicles (EVs) when entering Earth or other planetary atmospheres. Since entry of EVs in planetary atmospheres results in significant heating, thermally stable aero-assist technologies are required to...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A new gripper mechanism can be used as an end effector for a long arm that reaches out from a nearby spacecraft for a touch-and-go type of mission. The gripper would stabilize the...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
It would be desirable to acquire rock and/or ice samples that extend below the surface of the parent rock or ice in extraterrestrial environments such as the Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids. Such samples...
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