Review of NASA's Aerospace Technology Enterprise An Assessment of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology Program (2003) / Chapter Skim
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5. Report of the Panel on Enabling Concepts and Technologies
5. Report of the Panel on Enabling Concepts and Technologies
Pages 53-98
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From page 53... ...
Projects are located and managed at four NASA centers: Glenn Research Center, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) , Langley Research Center, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
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From page 54... ...
The cofunding of projects is emphasized in this phase. REVIEW PROCESS The Panel on Enabling Concepts and Technologies was constituted in early June 2002 as one of three panels supporting the Committee for the Review of NASA's Pioneering Revolutionary Technology (PRT)
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From page 55... ...
ECT panel members then met in Washington, D.C., for a final panel meeting to report on site visits, teleconferences, and other information-gathering activities. Subgroups held meetings to come to consensus on final observations, findings, and recommendations, and the complete panel addressed similar topics from a global standpoint.
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Recommendation: Value should be attached to excellent quality research that will have (or could have) a substantial impact on NASA missions, independent of whether it is perceived to be revolutionary or not.
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. · Hall, ion, and pulsed plasma thrusters in electric propulsion, advanced photovoltaics technology, and advanced energy storage work, all within the Energetics element, The radio frequency/terahertz (RF/THz)
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From page 58... ...
Finding: The panel judged approximately 20 percent of the ECT program to be world-class. Specific areas of world-class quality within the ECT program include the radio frequency/terahertz thrust, the focal plane thrust, the microshutter arrays, and the microthermopile arrays in Advanced Measurement and Detection; electric propulsion, advanced photovoltaics technology, and advanced energy storage in Energetics; modulated sideband technology and formation flying in Distributed and MicroSpacecraft; and gossamer structure characterization in Resilient Materials and Structures.
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From page 59... ...
The ECT panel does note, however, that it is sometimes difficult to publish articles on technology under patent and undergoing the licensing process. Recommendation: ECT managers should implement a set of criteria, used either in a critical assessment or in an external peer review, for assessing the quality of in-house or external research.
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From page 60... ...
Aerospace Technology Enterpnse; Code C, Commercialization Enterpnse; Code X, Advanced Technology Enterpnse; Code S Space Science Enterpnse.
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. Energetics project Radioisotope powered devices High-specific-impulse electric propulsion (<2,500 s)
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The panel observed that the management of the NRA was problematic. The NRA s had been transferred from the Space Science Enterprise to the Aerospace Technology Enterprise when the Enabling Concepts and Technologies (ECT)
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The first set of rotating topics will include advanced measurement and detection technology, large-aperture technology, and low-power microelectronics technology (NASA, 2003a)
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Element managers should be responsible for ensuring that NRA contracts further the NASA mission, but NASA centers should not be allowed to compete for NRA funds. ADVANCED SYSTEMS CONCEPTS PROJECT The Advanced Systems Concepts project of the ECT program consists of three elements: the Technology Assessment Analysis (TAA)
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From page 65... ...
The diversity of projects in the Code R program and within the PRT program specifically makes it a challenge to create common metrics for comparison of technologies. NASA's Space Science Enterprise (Code S)
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Structure Thermal o% 17% ADACS 27% Avionics, C&DH 22% Propulsion 11% Power 17% FIGURE 5-4 Distribution of NASA ECT microspacecraft technology projects. Communications 6%
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TAA is led and integrated by NASA Langley Research Center and owing to its early emphasis on space and earth science, also involves JPL and Goddard Space Flight Center. It hopes to leverage the existing Code R Technology Inventory database as well as the mission design efforts of Goddard and JPL.
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From page 68... ...
Conducted in 2001, the IISTP activity involved a NASA-wide team of more than 100 engineers and scientists assessing and prioritizing in-space propulsion technologies. In a 6-month period, the IISTP effort evaluated primary propulsion systems for transportation between various in-space destinations for nine potential missions selected from the NASA mission set that included the Earth Science Enterprise, Space Science Enterprise, and Space Flight Enterprise missions.
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From page 69... ...
Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts Element The RASC element, formed in 2001, is largely operated at NASA Langley Research Center, where 60 percent of the $8 million annual funds in FY2002 were spent. Funds ranging in magnitude from $375,000 to $700,000 were distributed to several of NASA' s other centers, including Glenn, Goddard, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
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From page 70... ...
search directions. For example, NIAC-funded research that should have been relevant to the mission of the Energetics project, such as antimatter propulsion, spinning tethers, high-acceleration laser sails, magnetic sails, electron-spiral toroid propulsion, and space elevators, was not considered by Energetics management.
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From page 71... ...
The Energetics project is home to three world-class research areas: photovoltaics, energy storage, and electric propulsion. Each of these areas combines cuttingedge basic research, advanced engineering, systemlevel analysis, and on-site testing and evaluation capability to produce the highest-quality and most wellrounded research and development programs.
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From page 72... ...
The NASA Energetics project does very well on toplevel systems analysis. The coloration of power generation, energy storage, and a primary energy user (electric propulsion)
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The electric propulsion research emphasized by onboard propulsion optimizes, or is competitive with, all of the mission concepts ana1yzed by the IISTP study. For low-power missions farther from the sun, the Energetics project has a strong program in Stirling engines that is projected to decrease RPS plutonium fuel mass by a factor of as much as 4.
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From page 74... ...
Methodology Three product lines within the Energetics project have basic research, engineering, test and evaluation, and systems analysis together in one group (photonics, energy storage, and electric propulsion)
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This includes maintaining both the facilities and the expertise. Advanced Energy Systems Element The Advanced Energy Systems element comprises seven product lines: Advanced Photovoltaics Technology; Advanced Chemical Storage Technology; Power Management and Distribution; Flywheel Energy Storage Technology; Radioisotope Power System Technology; Power System Environmental Durability, Reliability, and Survivability; and Power System Thermal Control Technology.
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From page 76... ...
The researchers have demonstrated innovation in lithium-ion electrolytes and chalcogenide-based fast lithium-ion conducting glass. The NASA Aerospace Flight Battery Systems task currently funded under the Energetics project is an essential and excellent-quality national facility and capability.
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From page 77... ...
NASA needs to make a strong case for continued funding in light of the considerable effort and absence of significant results. The intent of the panel is not to conclude that the PIT and MPD thruster are poor choices for high-power electric propulsion but rather to question whether the Energetics project fully used its analysis capability before initiating the PIT and MPD thruster research.
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From page 78... ...
regulations enforced at NASA Glenn by local and state government prohibit the testing of all competitive and modern propellants. In spite of these local limitations, the Energetics project plans continue research using bipropellant combinations that can only be tested in select locations (such as the White Sands Test Facility)
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From page 79... ...
Overall the panel found the On-Board Propulsion tasks to be of the highest quality. Deficiencies in the chemical propulsion and micropropulsion product lines must be balanced against the fact that over 90 percent of the resources are invested in electric propulsion.
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Research into uncooled thermopile arrays began in what is now called the ECT program in FY1995 and lasted until FY2000. The technology was then transitioned into the Space Science Enterprise through the PIDDP, where focal planes for a waveguide spectrometer based on linear array technology were funded from FY1999 until FY2003.
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From page 81... ...
While there are a few areas that the panel recommends for nearterm transition (such as All-Aluminum Lightweight Optics and Structures, Uncooled Thermopile Broadband Detector Arrays, and laser tasks) , the majority of the tasks should remain within the PRT umbrella.
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From page 82... ...
The research teams that made presentations to the panel were of a high caliber and appropriate for the activities. Facilities at both Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
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From page 83... ...
Genera/ Observations In the view of the ECT panel, distributed space systems and microspacecraft offer the potential for new ways of business that could revolutionize NASA missions. For example, system studies carried out under the Terrestrial Planet Finder program (Beichman et al., 1999)
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From page 84... ...
research tasks have been organized and structured to address the key challenges of a variety of emerging future NASA missions. A survey of the planned missions using distributed space systems, their programmatic milestones, and their technology needs was performed by the D&MS manager (Leitner, 2002~.
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From page 85... ...
Most notable is the Integrated Micropropulsion task, which targets some niche requirements for microspacecraft. One measure of the relevance of these tasks to the NASA missions is the degree of cofunding from NASA missions and other areas of NASA.
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From page 86... ...
For example, the formation flying control research tasks have support from professors at four universities known for controls research. The microgyro development effort has partners from Boeing who have a great deal of experience in satellite navigation and the challenges of integrating new technology in satellites, and it leverages an NRA with Nanopower, Inc., to develop an advanced electronic interface for the microgyro.
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From page 87... ...
. The RMS element objectives are clearly defined, and they are connected to the NASA mission and the PRT goal of developing revolutionary technologies and technology solutions to enable fundamentally new aerospace systems capabilities and missions (Hanks, 2002~.
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From page 88... ...
Research Plans The RMS element objectives are clearly defined and are connected to the NASA mission and the PRT goal of developing "revolutionary technologies and technology solutions to enable fundamentally new aerospace systems capabilities and missions" (Moore, 2002~. The development of space-durable materials, multifunctional and adaptive structures, and large deployable and inflatable structures to reduce spacecraft mass and launch volume and to improve spacecraft performance and reliability in extreme environments are the main objectives of the resilient materials and structures element.
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One weak point in the RMS element was the lack of system-level assessments of the research. It seemed that most of the work was directed at membrane structures, but the design goals or performance breakpoints were not quantified.
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From page 90... ...
As stated previously, several of the capabilities and facilities used in this program are unique. Recommendation: NASA Langley Research Center should maintain its unique ability to test large space structures in its high bay and large vacuum chambers, which are national resources.
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The concept of technical working groups used by the element's management should be considered for other areas of the PRT program. Research Portfolio The SEE research portfolio currently consists of nine tasks that are performed at various institutions by respected scientists in the space science community.
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Methodo/ogy and Scientific Hypotheses The fact that the tasks are competitively selected from the space science community based on NASA priorities determined by the NASA/AFRL Technical and Program Steering Group assures that the right resources and personnel are being applied to the most relevant challenges. The SEE project is highly collaborative, with research being performed at the various USAF research laboratories and activities relevant to NASA priorities being funded and incorporated into the appropriate space environment databases.
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From page 93... ...
Dave Hoffman, NASA Glenn Research Center, and John Dunning, NASA Glenn Research Center, "Glenn Research Center (GRC) Response to the NRC Comments on Chemical Propulsion Tasks in the Spacecraft Propulsion Element of the Energetics Project," material provided to the ECT panel on April 7, 2003.
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From page 94... ...
The AMD program is now funding the next generation of uncooled two-dimensional thermopile detector arrays beginning a new cycle of technology maturation and graduation. Briefings Tim Krabach, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, "Advanced Spacecraft Systems: Advanced Measurement and Detection," presentation to the ECT panel on June 11, 2002(a)
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From page 95... ...
DDP FY' 999-FY2003 Focal planes for waveguide spectrometer based on linear array technology ECT Technology Task FY1995-FY2000: Uncooled thermopile broadband linear detector arrays FY2001-FY2005: Next generation of uncooled 2D thermopile detector arrays FIGURE 5-A-2 Graduation path for uncoated thermopile broadband detector arrays. SOURCE: Adapted in part from Krabach (2002b)
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From page 96... ...
System for Life Detection Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Miniaturized Quadrupole Mass ASTID: Measurement of Isotopic Composition Technology development initiated and Spectrometer task of Iron Oxides as a Biosignature on Mars enabled by Code R Development of Carbon Nanotubes task Tunable Laser Diodes Development task ASTID: Detection of Nanoscale Activity (DNA) with Carbon Nanotubes Used as Mechanical Transducers MIDDP: Tunable Laser Spectrometers for Mars Scout Mission Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Technology development initiated and enabled by Code R
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From page 97... ...
Code U Competitive Call Code R Work Code U Task Status Nanotube Based Nanoklystron BSRP: Remotely Coupled DC Power for Proposed technology development Technology task Driving Nanotubes initiated and enabled by Code R Antimony Based Lasers task AEMC: Tunable Diode Lasers for Trace Proposed technology development Gas Monitoring initiated and enabled by Code R Microfluidic Technology Development task AEMC: Microfluidic Lab-on-a-Chip Ion Analysis for Water Quality Monitoring Proposed technology development initiated and enabled by Code R Sensors for Electronic Nose task AEMC: Ground Testing of the Second Proposed technology development (NRA with NIST) Generation Electronic Nose for Air Quality initiated and enabled by Code R Monitoring in Crew Habitat Code Y Competitive Call Code R Work Code Y Task Status MEMS Transmit/Receive Module for ACT: Ultra-High Efficiency L-Band Proposed technology development Thin-Film Membrane Antennas task Transmit/Receive Modules for Large-Aperture initiated and enabled by Code R Scanning Antennas ACT: T/R Membranes for Large-Aperture Scanning Antennas Solar Blind Detectors ACT: Development of Large Format Visible- Proposed technology development NIR Blind Gallium Nitride UV Imager for initiated and enabled by Code R Atmospheric Earth Science Applications NOTE: See Appendix F for the spelled out form of the acronyms in this table.
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From page 98... ...
In a 6-month period, the IISTP effort evaluated primary propulsion systems for transportation between various in-space destinations for nine potential missions selected from the NASA mission set that inclucled the Earth Science Enterprise, Space Science Enterprise, and Space Flight Enterprise missions. Seventeen propulsion architectures were evaluated and priorities assigned to the technologies according to their ability to meet mission requirements, sche(lule, cost, and other selection criteria.
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