Award Data

Transit Agency Information required for managing Service centers on resources and assets that need to be available to operate the transit service as designed. An opportunity exists to design an Integrated Framework providing Service delivery and Maintenance Management Information to quantify the reliability and availability of the assets. This framework will incorporate modeling of the asset inven ...

Current NASA programs, such as Adaptable, Deployable Entry and Placement Technology (ADEPT) and Woven Thermal Protection Systems (WTPS) are looking to fill a gap in ablative TPS for future missions to Venus and Saturn, human missions beyond Lunar, and Mars Sample Return Missions. Both of these programs rely on the use of 3D woven carbon fiber preforms. Therefore, there is a need to be able to pr ...

Based on the recent success of the Mars Exploration Program and the Mars Science Laboratory mission, NASA has a desire to expand on the technology developed under each effort in order to increase future mission capabilities, namely an increase in payload capacity for entry to Mars, Venus and other Outer-Planets. Such a goal requires an innovative solution to the vehicle's entry, decent and la ...

Discovery of frozen volatiles at the lunar poles is transformative to space exploration. In-situ resources will provide fuel to support far-reaching exploration and enable commercial endeavors. While satellite data supports presence of polar ice, driving and drilling must confirm presence, determine composition, and measure distribution. Ice exists primarily in the dark and cold of polar craters. ...

The objective is to produce high efficiency DC/DC power modules in a small low profile package that can tolerate extreme environment conditions. The primary effort of the Phase II program is to address the need for very high performance power electronics that meet a combination of high radiation tolerance, high thermal tolerance and extremely low EMI susceptibility/radiation. The power modules in ...

Passive thermal control of cryogenic systems using foam insulations can help achieve Zero Boil-Off (ZBO). There is as much thermal energy transferred to Cryo tanks during the ascent phase as there is during 6 days of orbital operations using MLIs.Spray on Foam Insulation (SOFI) still suffers from drawbacks both at chemistry and interfacial (bonding) levels. Currently, strong lightweight polymeric ...

NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) is developing fission power system technology for future space transportation and surface power applications. The early systems are envisioned in the 10 to 100kWe range and have an anticipated design life of 8 to 15 years with no maintenance. A non-nuclear system ground test in thermal-vacuum is planned by NASA GRC to validate technologies required to transfer re ...

The program will leverage recent advances in striction materials and coupled striction devices as to enable highly isolated (analog) voltage and current flow sensors very suitable for harsh space environment power monitoring. Exhibiting negligible electromagnetic disturbance coupling and electromagnetic emission, these non-photonic striction based power flow monitoring introduces decided advantag ...

NASA Glenn is examining small fission reactors for future space transportation and surface power applications. The reactors would have an 8 to 15 year design life and should be available for a 2020 launch to support future NASA science missions. Both 1 kWe thermoelectric and 3 kWe Stirling systems have been examined. Heat pipes are being examined to transfer the thermal energy from the reactor ...

Flight-testing is a crucial component in NASA's mission to research and develop new aeronautical concepts because it allows for verification of simulated and wind-tunnel experiments and exposes previously unforeseen design problems. Video is an invaluable tool for flight-testing, allowing the collection of a wealth of information such as craft position, speed, health, as well as tracking diff ...