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Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
Space Mirror Alignment System
An optical alignment mirror mechanism (AMM) has been developed with angular positioning accuracy of ±0.2 arcsec. This requires the mirror’s linear positioning actuators to have positioning resolutions of ±112 nm to enable the mirror to meet the angular tip/tilt accuracy requirement. Demonstrated capabilities are...
Briefs: Mechanical & Fluid Systems
A unit thermionic power cell (TPC) concept has been developed that converts natural heat found in high-temperature environments (460 to 700 ºC) into electrical power...
Briefs: Medical
Radiation Protection Using Single-Wall Carbon Nanotube Derivatives
This invention is a means of radiation protection, or cellular oxidative stress mitigation, via a sequence of quenching radical species using nano-engineered scaffolds, specifically single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) and their derivatives. The material can be used as a means of...
Briefs: Medical
PMA-PhyloChip DNA Microarray To Elucidate Viable Microbial Community Structure
Since the Viking missions in the mid- 1970s, traditional culture-based methods have been used for microbial enumeration by various NASA programs. Viable microbes are of particular concern for spacecraft cleanliness, for forward contamination of extraterrestrial bodies...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
This innovation addresses challenges in lidar imaging, particularly with the detection scheme and the shapes of the detected signals. Ideally, the echoed pulse widths should be extremely narrow to resolve fine detail...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Distributed Capacitive Sensor for Sample Mass Measurement
Previous robotic sample return missions lacked in situ sample verification/quantity measurement instruments. Therefore, the outcome of the mission remained unclear until spacecraft return. In situ sample verification systems such as this Distributed Capacitive (DisC) sensor would enable an...
Briefs: Information Technology
Framework for Integrating Science Data Processing Algorithms Into Process Control Systems
A software framework called PCS Task Wrapper is responsible for standardizing the setup, process initiation, execution, and file management tasks surrounding the execution of science data algorithms, which are referred to by NASA as Product Generation...
Briefs: Information Technology
Base Flow Model Validation
A method was developed of obtaining propulsive base flow data in both hot and cold jet environments, at Mach numbers and altitude of relevance to NASA launcher designs. The base flow data was used to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) turbulence model assessments of base flow predictive capabilities in order to...
Briefs: Information Technology
Time Synchronization and Distribution Mechanisms for Space Networks
This work discusses research on the problems of synchronizing and distributing time information between spacecraft based on the Network Time Protocol (NTP), where NTP is a standard time synchronization protocol widely used in the terrestrial network. The Proximity-1 Space Link...
Briefs: Information Technology
Minimum Landing Error Powered- Descent Guidance for Planetary Missions
An algorithm improves the accuracy with which a lander can be delivered to the surface of Mars. The main idea behind this innovation is the use of a “lossless convexification,” which converts an otherwise non-convex constraint related to thruster throttling to a convex...
Briefs: Information Technology
Local Estimators for Spacecraft Formation Flying
A formation estimation architecture for formation flying builds upon the local information exchange among multiple local estimators. Spacecraft formation flying involves the coordination of states among multiple spacecraft through relative sensing, inter-spacecraft communication, and control. Most...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Reflective Occultation Mask for Evaluation of Occulter Designs for Planet Finding
Advanced formation flying occulter designs utilize a large occulter mask flying in formation with an imaging telescope to block and null starlight to allow imaging of faint planets in exosolar systems. A paper describes the utilization of subscale reflective...
Briefs: Materials
Molecular Adsorber Coating
A document discusses a zeolite-based sprayable molecular adsorber coating that has been developed to alleviate the size and weight issues of current ceramic puck-based technology, while providing a configuration that more projects can use to protect against degradation from outgassed materials within a spacecraft,...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
Software-Defined Radio for Space-to-Space Communications
A paper describes the Space-to-Space Communications System (SSCS) Software-Defined Radio (SDR) research project to determine the most appropriate method for creating flexible and reconfigurable radios to implement wireless communications channels for space vehicles so that fewer radios are...
Briefs: Physical Sciences
The results are described of the Rake Airflow Gage Experiment (RAGE), which was designed and fabricated to support the flight test of a new supersonic inlet design using...
Briefs: Software
Telemetry and Science Data Software System
The Telemetry and Science Data Software System (TSDSS) was designed to validate the operational health of a spacecraft, ease test verification, assist in debugging system anomalies, and provide trending data and advanced science analysis. In doing so, the system parses, processes, and organizes raw data...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Experiment in Onboard Synthetic Aperture Radar Data Processing
Single event upsets (SEUs) are a threat to any computing system running on hardware that has not been physically radiation hardened. In addition to mandating the use of performance- limited, hardened heritage equipment, prior techniques for dealing with the SEU problem often involved...
Briefs: Information Technology
CropEx Web-Based Agricultural Monitoring and Decision Support
CropEx is a Web-based agricultural Decision Support System (DSS) that monitors changes in crop health over time. It is designed to be used by a wide range of both public and private organizations, including individual producers and regional government offices with a vested interest in...
Briefs: Information Technology
High-Performance Data Analysis Tools for Sun-Earth Connection Missions
The data analysis tool of choice for many Sun-Earth Connection missions is the Interactive Data Language (IDL) by ITT VIS. The increasing amount of data produced by these missions and the increasing complexity of image processing algorithms requires access to higher computing...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Microfabrication of a High-Throughput Nanochannel Delivery/Filtration System
A microfabrication process is proposed to produce a nanopore membrane for continuous passive drug release to maintain constant drug concentrations in the patient’s blood throughout the delivery period. Based on silicon microfabrication technology, the dimensions of the...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Monolithic Flexure Pre-Stressed Ultrasonic Horns
High-power ultrasonic actuators are generally assembled with a horn, backing, stress bolt, piezoelectric rings, and electrodes. The manufacturing process is complex, expensive, difficult, and time-consuming. The internal stress bolt needs to be insulated and presents a potential internal discharge...
Briefs: Manufacturing & Prototyping
Improved Design and Fabrication of Hydrated-Salt Pills
A high-performance design, and fabrication and growth processes to implement the design, have been devised for encapsulating a hydrated salt in a container that both protects the salt and provides thermal conductance between the salt and the environment surrounding the container. The unitary...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Wheel-based sensors for detection of ice on roads and approximate measurement of the thickness of the ice are under development. These sensors could be used to alert drivers to hazardous local icing...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Broadband Via-Less Microwave Crossover Using Microstrip- CPW Transitions
The front-to-back interface between microstrip and CPW (coplanar waveguide) typically requires complex fabrication or has high radiation loss. The microwave crossover typically requires a complex fabrication step. The prior art in microstrip-CPW transition requires a physical...
Briefs: Electronics & Computers
Cryogenic Quenching Process for Electronic Part Screening
The use of electronic parts at cryogenic temperatures (
Briefs: Software
G-DYN Multibody Dynamics Engine
G-DYN is a multi-body dynamic simulation software engine that automatically assembles and integrates equations of motion for arbitrarily connected multibody dynamic systems.
Briefs: Software
Multibody Simulation Software Testbed for Small-Body Exploration and Sampling
G-TAG is a software tool for the multibody simulation of a spacecraft with a robotic arm and a sampling mechanism, which performs a touch-and-go (TAG) maneuver for sampling from the surface of a small celestial body. G-TAG utilizes G- DYN, a multi-body simulation engine...
Briefs: Software
Propulsive Reaction Control System Model
This software models a propulsive reaction control system (RCS) for guidance, navigation, and control simulation purposes. The model includes the drive electronics, the electromechanical valve dynamics, the combustion dynamics, and thrust. This innovation follows the Mars Science Laboratory entry reaction...
Briefs: Power
Licklider Transmission Protocol Implementation
This software is an implementation of the Licklider Transmission Protocol (LTP), a communications protocol intended to support the Bundle Protocol in Delay-Tolerant Network (DTN) operations. LTP is designed to provide retransmission- based reliability over links characterized by extremely long message...
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