niac orientation mtg 2011-10-16 v7 - nasa€¦ · 16/10/2011 · day one: november 16, 2011 •...

www.nasa.gov/octwww.nasa.gov/oct

Contents

•  Welcome & Introductions –  What is NIAC? –  Program personnel –  Phase I research portfolio

•  Program Notes –  2012 schedule –  Publicity / Outreach

•  Meeting Overview

J.Falker / NASA 1 NIAC

J.Falker / NASA 2 NIAC – AIAA ETC

What is ?

NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts

A program to support early studies of

innovative, yet credible, visionary concepts that could one day

“change the possible” in aerospace.

2

NIAC Program Personnel

•  Program Executive: Jay Falker *

•  Senior Science Advisor: Ron Turner

•  Outreach Coordinator: Kathy Reilly

•  Senior Technology Analyst: Jason Derleth *

•  Financial Analyst: Peter Tschen *

•  Program Analyst: Patrick Connell

•  NIAC External Council Chair: Bob Cassanova

* NASA civil servant Matrixed support


NIAC 2011 Phase I Selections

EDU33%

NASA37%

OTHER30%

Organiza6onalDistribu6on

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CAMAVAFLTXPAALDCHIIAIDIL

MDNCNYOHWA

NumberofSelec6onsperState

17StatesRepresented

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JPL

KSC

LaRC

GSFC

JSC

MSFC

NumberofSelec6onsperNASACenter

6NASACentersRepresented


•  14 of 15 Technology Areas -  Most represented: Propulsion -  Not represented: Ground Systems

• All 13 Grand Challenges -  Most addressed: Efficient In-Space

Transportation

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

123456789101112131415

NumberofSelec6onsperTechnologyArea

TechnologyAreasAddressed

Primary

Secondary

0 1 2 3 4 5 6

12345678910111213

NumberofProposalsbyTechnologyArea

GrandChallengesAddressed

Primary

Secondary

NIAC J.Falker / NASA 5

A Comprehensive Portfolio

2012 Schedule

•  Phase I NRA release – early January, 2012 –  Starting earlier for a two-step proposal process

•  Step A will be 2-page white paper, due early Feb 2012 •  Eligible and promising proposals will be invited for Step B,

the full 8-page proposal

•  NIAC Spring Conference – March 27-29, 2012 –  Public showcase for your Phase I progress –  Venue to be announced soon

•  Phase II NRA release – early April, 2012 –  Proposals eligible if based on current Phase I studies, or

prior NIAC studies that have not completed Phase II •  Reminder: email status reports due by the 15th bimonthly

(Nov, Jan, Mar, …) J.Falker / NASA 6 NIAC

NIAC In The News Media Coverage In Over 150 Articles Since Awards Announcement (08/08/11)

SPACEPOLICYONLINE

IowaStateUniversityCollegeofEngineering


Publicity

•  Please be sure to credit NASA and NIAC in all articles or products associated with your NIAC studies –  Include the logos if possible (downloadable from our website)

•  Please notify Kathy Reilly of any publicity activities –  Just to be aware (never to interfere) –  We can help point others to your work

•  You may be contacted by someone offering an article or short radio spot about your NIAC study –  Leonard David (journalist for Space.com, Space News, AIAA

Aerospace America) and now under contract to OCT at NASA HQ, increasing awareness about STP projects

–  Tim Allen, Communications Director for the Innovation Now radio program, is interested in featuring NIAC studies

–  These opportunities are purely optional J.Falker / NASA 8 NIAC

Outreach / Openness


•  We encourage communication and sharing –  Between Fellows and with NASA, public, press, and other orgs –  SpaceTechConnect may help – a collaborative web-based

community for STP researchers (coming soon)

•  Your Spring presentation and Final Report will be public –  Posted in pdf format on the NIAC website –  Sensitive information can be protected (e.g., separate appendix)

Meeting Overview

Day One: November 16, 2011 •  9:00 Welcome/Introduction •  9:15 NIAC Overview •  9:45 NIAC Philosophy •  10:00 Q&A •  10:30 Break •  10:45 Keynote Address •  11:30 Lunch •  1:00 NIAC Fellows Award I •  1:30 Poster Session I •  3:00 NIAC Fellows Award II •  3:30 Poster Session II •  5:00 Day One Wrap-up •  5:15 Adjourn


Day Two: November 17, 2011 •  9:00 Keynote Address •  9:30 NIAC Fellows Award III •  10:00 Poster Session III •  11:30 Final Comments / Q&A •  12:00 Adjourn


NIACFellowsGroup1

The Potential for Ambient Plasma Wave Propulsion


JamesGillandOhioAerospaceIns4tute

TrulyrobustandaffordablespaceexploraVonwillrequirethatweusealltheavailableresourceswecanfindinspace.

Manyplanets,andtheSun,possessanambientenvironmentofmagneVcfieldsandplasmas.PlasmaswithmagneVcfieldscansupportavarietyofwaves,whichtransmitenergyandorpressure,likelightorsoundwaves.Manyofthesewavesareatradiofrequencies(kHztoMHz),andcanbegeneratedusingtheappropriateantenna.

Thisconceptsimplyusesanon‐boardpowersupplyandantennaonavehiclethatoperatesintheexisVngplasma.Thespacecra`beamsplasmawavesinonedirecVonwiththeantenna,togeneratemomentumthatcouldpropelthevehicleintheotherdirecVon,withoutusinganypropellantonthespaceship.Suchasystemcouldmaneuverintheplasmaenvironmentforaslongasitspowersupplylasts,withoutrefueling.OneparVcularwavetoconsideristheAlfvenwave,whichpropagatesinmagneVzedplasmasandhasbeenobservedoccurringnaturallyinspace.

Atmospheric Breathing Electric Thruster for Planetary Exploration


KurtHohmanBusekCo.Inc.

ThisstudywillinvesVgatethedevelopmentofanatmosphere‐breathingelectricpropulsionsolar‐poweredvehicletoexploreplanetssuchasMars.

Thevehiclewoulduseatmosphericgasforpropellant,eliminaVngtheneedtolaunchandcarrythepropellantfromearth.ThepropulsionthrusterwouldbeelectricwherethegasisionizedinaplasmaandacceleratedbyelectromagneVcfields.ThecombinaVonofhighefficiencyandhighspecificimpulseoftheelectricpropulsionthrusterandfreepropellantin‐situwillresultinanexciVngandenablingtechnology.

ThiscouldenableNASAtoperformmissionsofextendedlifeVmeandcapabiliVesbeyondthoseavailablebytypicalchemicalrockets.PhaseIwillformulatefeasibilityoftheconceptthroughmodeling,calculaVonsandpreliminarylaboratoryexperimentsandpushvalidityintoPhaseIIresearch.

Economical Radioisotope Power


StevenHoweUniversi4esSpaceResearchAssocia4on

AlmostallroboVcspaceexploraVonmissions,andallApollomissionstothemoon,haveusedRadioisotopeThermoelectricGenerators(RTGs)toprovideelectricalpower.TheseRTGsrelyontheconversionoftheheatproducedbytheradioacVvedecayofPu‐238toelectricity.Unfortunately,thesupplyofPu‐238isabouttorunout.

ThisstudywillinvesVgateaneconomicalproducVonmethodforPu‐238thatcouldallowNASAoraprivateventuretoproduceseveralkilogramsperyearwithouttheneedforlargegovernmentinvestment.

WewillevaluatetheproducVonrateinacommercialnuclearreactor,opVmizethetransitVmesofthetargetmaterialinthereactor,experimentallyvalidatethisproducVonprocessandassessitsefficiency,andesVmatecostsforproducVonfaciliVesandhandlingthewastestreamformtheprocess.

SPS-ALPHA: The First Practical Solar Power Satellite via Arbitrarily Large PHased Array


JohnMankinsArtemisInnova4onManagementSolu4ons

SPS‐ALPHA(SolarPowerSatelliteviaArbitrarilyLargePhasedArray)isanovel,bio‐mimeVcapproachtothechallengeofspacesolarpower.Itisafundamentallynewapproachtoenablethefirsttechnicallyfeasible,economicallyviable,andprogrammaVcallyexecutablesolarpowersatellite.

Ifsuccessful,thisprojectwillmakepossibletheconstrucVonofhugeplaformsfromtensofthousandsofsmallelementsthatcandeliverremotelyandaffordably10sto1000sofmegawagsusingwirelesspowertransmissiontomarketsonEarthandmissionsinspace.

Theprojectenliststhesupportofaworld‐classinternaVonalteamtodeterminetheconceptualfeasibilityoftheSPS‐ALPHAbymeansofintegratedsystemsanalyses,supportedbyselected"proof‐of‐concept"technologyexperiments.

Non-Radioisotope Power Systems For Sunless Solar System Exploration Missions


MichaelPaulPennsylvaniaStateUniversity

SeveraltargetsofinterestinsolarsystemexploraVonrequirenon‐solarpowersources,duetopermanentshadingextremedistancefromthesun.Thesemissionsaretypicallyconsideredwithradioisotopepowersources,butthescarcityofsuchfuelmayreducethemissionsthatNASAcanexecute.

ThisstudyexploresmissionarchitecturestotheMoon'ssouthernAitkenBasin,thesurfaceofSaturn’smoon,Titan,andthesurfaceofVenusthatdonotrelyonPlutoniumforpower,butinsteadarepoweredbyametal‐combusVonengine.

AdvancedmetalcombusVonsystemscouldgeneratepowerthroughturbinesandSterlingengineswithsignificantlyhigherenergydensitythanchemicalbageries.Usingthistopowerspacecra`insunlessregionscouldbeabreakthroughforexploraVonthroughDiscoveryandNewFronVersmissions,withoutrelyingonradioisotopepowersystems.

Metallic Hydrogen: A Game Changing Rocket Propellant


IsaacSilveraHarvardUniversity

Atomicmetallichydrogen,ifmetastableatambientpressureandtemperaturecouldbeusedasthemostpowerfulchemicalrocketfuel,astheatomsrecombinetoformmolecularhydrogen.

Thislight‐weighthigh‐energydensitymaterialwouldrevoluVonizerocketry,allowingsingle‐stagerocketstoenterorbitandchemicallyfueledrocketstoexploreoursolarsystem.Totransformsolidmolecularhydrogentometallichydrogenrequiresextremehighpressures,buthasnotyetbeenaccomplishedinthelaboratory.

TheproposednewapproachinjectselectronsintosolidhydrogentolowerthecriVcalpressurefortransformaVon.IfsuccessfulthemetastabilityproperVesofhydrogenwillbestudied.ThisapproachmayscaledownthepressuresneededtoproducethispotenVallyrevoluVonaryrocketpropellant.

Nuclear Propulsion Through Direct Conversion of Fusion Energy


JohnSloughMSNWLLC

ThefutureofmannedspaceexploraVonanddevelopmentofspacedependscriVcallyonthecreaVonofavastlymoreefficientpropulsionarchitectureforin‐spacetransportaVon.Nuclear‐poweredrocketscanprovidethelargeenergydensitygainrequired.

Asmallscale,lowcostpathtofusion‐basedpropulsionistobeinvesVgated.ItisaccomplishedbyemployingthepropellanttocompressandheatamagneVzedplasmatofusioncondiVons,andtherebychannelthefusionenergyreleasedintoheaVngonlythepropellant.PassageofthehotpropellantthroughamagneVcnozzlerapidlyconvertsthisthermalenergyintobothdirected(propulsive)energyandelectricalenergy.

Steering of Solar Sails Using Optical Lift Force


GroverSwartzlanderRochesterIns4tuteofTechnology

Althoughlightismassless,itcarriesmomentum.ThatmomentumcanbeimpartedtorefracVng,reflecVng,andabsorbingobjectsintheformof“radiaVonpressure”.OverVme,thesmallbutconstantsupplyofradiaVonpressuremayoutweighthelargebutbriefforceaffordedbyconvenVonalpropellants.

ThestudyteamfoundthattransparentrefracVveobjectsmaysegleintoaposiVonwheretheyfeelaforcethatisperpendiculartotheincominglightdirecVon,akintotheli`experiencedbyanairplanewing.ThisstudywillexplorethepotenValfor“opVcalli`”toenhancespacemissionsemployingsolarsails.

Space‐relatedapplicaVonsofafullymaneuverablesolarcra`arenumerous.Inthedistantfuture,onecanimagineinterplanetarymissionsandvisitstoexoplanetsbenefiongfromtheadvantagesoftheopVcalli`force.

Aneutronic Fusion Spacecraft Architecture


AlfonsoTardi4UniversityofHoustonatClearLake

Thisisanovel,fusion‐powered,spacepropulsionarchitecturethatcouldchangedrasVcallythepotenValforhumanandroboVcspaceexploraVon.Theproposeddesignisbasedonneutron‐freenuclearfusionastheprimaryenergysource.AninnovaVvebeamcondiVoning/nozzleconceptenablesusefulpropulsivethrustdirectlyfromthefusionproducts,whilesomefracVonoftheenergyisextractedviadirectconversionintoelectricityforuseinthereactorandspacecra`systems.

ThisstudyfocusesonprovidingtheframeworkrequiredtomakefusionpropulsionanappealingproposiVonforlong‐rangespacetravel(byintegraVngthepowergeneraVonandpropulsionsystems)ratherthanonthedevelopmentofaspecificfusionreactorconcept.However,thescopeofthisstudyisnotconstrainedbytheimmediateavailabilityoffusionenergysinceitalsoanalyzes“hybrid”schemeswithasolarorfissionprimaryenergysourcealongwithasub‐criVcalfusionreactorusedasaplasmaspacepropulsionsystem.

Proposal for a Concept Assessment of a Fission Fragment Rocket Engine (FFRE) Propelled Spacecraft


RobertWerkaNASAMarshallSpaceFlightCenter

Anewtechnology,theFissionFragmentRocketEngine(FFRE),requiressmallamountsofreadilyavailable,energydense,longlasVngfuel,significantthrustatspecificimpulseofamillionseconds,andincreasessafetybychargingthereactora`erarrivalinLEO.IfthisstudyshowstheFFREpotenVal,thereturncouldbeimmensethroughsavingsintravelVme,payloadfracVon,launchvehiclesupportandsafetyfordeepspaceexploraVon.

Nuclearfissionemitschargedfissionfragmentsthattravelatmorethan4%oflightspeed.Thesenormallyquicklycollidewithotheratomsinthecore.ButanFFREwithamagneVcallycontaineddustyplasmacorecouldemployelectricalcollimaVonofthechargedfragmentsintoanexhaustbeam.


NIACFellowsGroup2

Enabling All-Access Mobility for Planetary Exploration Vehicles via Transformative Reconfiguration


ScoNFergusonNorthCarolinaStateUniversity

Similartotheconceptseeninrecent‘Transformers’movies,thisworkexploreshowreconfigurabilitycanenablemobilityacrossdiverse,uncertainterrains.

Beyondsensingandcontrolschallenges,therehasbeenligleworkdoneexploringtheapplicaVonoftransformaVvereconfiguraVonsthatdeviatefromtradiVonalwheeled‐roverdesign.InvesVgaVonofreal‐Vmerepeatable,reversiblechangesinphysicalconfiguraVonwillyieldsoluVonscapableofsignificantchangestosystemform.

OutcomesfromthisworkwillincludeidenVfyingtechnologiesthatfacilitatereconfigurability,assessingtheirstrengthsandlimitaVons,anddevelopingproof‐of‐conceptprototypes.

Space Debris Elimination (SpaDE)


DanielGregoryRaytheonBBNTechnologies

TheamountofdebrisinlowEarthorbit(LEO)hasincreasedrapidlyoverthelasttwentyyears.Thismayrendermanyorbitsunusable.CurrentstrategiesemphasizedebrismiVgaVon,asthereisnopracVcalmethodfordebrisremoval.

TheSpaceDebrisEliminaVon(SpaDE)systemcouldremovedebrisfromorbitbyfiringfocusedpulsesofatmosphericgasesintothepathoftargeteddebris.ThesepulseswillincreasedragsufficientlytocausethedeorbitratetoexceedthedebrisgeneraVonrate.Thepulsesthemselveswillfallbackintotheatmosphere,leavingnoresidualtraceinorbittointerferewithLEOsatellites.Incontrasttootherproposedmethods,SpaDEisfailsafe,inthatitplacesnosolidmaterialinorbitwhereamalfuncVoncouldcreatenewdebris.

Spacecraft/Rover Hybrids for the Exploration of Small Solar System Bodies


MarcoPavoneNASAJetPropulsionLaboratory

TheobjecVveofthiseffortistodevelopamissionarchitecturethatallowsthesystemaVcandaffordableinsituexploraVonofsmallSolarSystembodies(suchasasteroids,comets,andMarVanmoons).

Theproposedarchitecturestemsfromaparadigm‐shi`ingapproachwherebysmallbodies'lowgravityisdirectlyexploitedinthedesignprocess,ratherthanbeingfacedasaconstraint.Atagenerallevel,amotherspacecra`deploysonthesurfaceofasmallbodyoneormoremobilityplaforms,eachsealedinoneenclosureandwithminimalinternalactuaVon(criVcallyenabledbythemicro‐gravityenvironment).

Eachmobilityplaformcanperformeither1)longexcursions(byhopping),or2)shorttraversestospecificlocaVons(throughasequenceofcontrolled"tumbles"),or3)high‐alVtude,aotude‐controlledballisVcflight(akintospacecra`flight).

Low Power Microrobotics Utilizing Biologically Inspired Energy Generation


GregoryScoNNavalResearchLaboratory

TheNavalResearchLabisdevelopinga1kilogrammicroroverthatuVlizesanovelpowersystemconcept–bacteria!CertainmicrobescanbeharvestedtoeffecVvelychangechemicalsugarsintoelectricitythroughafuelcell,whichcanprovideahigherpowerdensitythanatradiVonallithium‐ionbagery.Thisprocesswillbeusedtoslowlybuildupastorageofelectricity,whichwillprovideaburstofenergytothevehicle’snovelhoppingorrollingmobilitysystem.

ThisstudywillinvesVgatetheusabilityofamicrobialfuelcelltopowerasmallmicrorover,designlow‐powerelectronicsforeffecVvepowermanagementofthissystem,anddevelopanefficientlow‐powernon‐tradiVonallocomoVonsystemtopropelthelight‐weightvehicleforward.Smallmicroroverswiththispowersystemcouldonedaysupportlong‐duraVonresearchstudiesonplanetarysurfaceswithouttheneedforlargesolarpanelsorcomplexpowersystems.

Printable Spacecraft


KendraShortNASAJetPropulsionLaboratory

ImagineediVngadesignfileonyourlaptop,uploadingittoaspecialtyprinterandcollecVngyourspacecra`intheoutputtraylaterintheday.FlexibleprintedelectronicshaverevoluVonizedconsumerproductssuchascellularphonesandPDAs,allowinggreaterfuncVonalitywithdecreasingsizeandweight.

PerhapsthesamecanbedoneforNASAspacecra`.ThisstudywillexploretheconceptofdesigningandfabricaVngaspacecra`basedenVrelyonflexiblesubstrateprintedelectronics.Thestudywillconsidermissionrequirements,manufacturingcompaVbilityandadvancedtechnologyfrombothindustryandacademia.

In-Space Propulsion Engine Architecture based on Sublimation of Planetary Resources: from exploration robots to NEO mitigation


LaurentSibilleNASAKennedySpaceCenter

ThisstudywillinvesVgatetheabilitytoaccesslocalresourcesonplanetarybodiesandtransformthemintoformsofpowerthatwillexpandthecapabiliVesoffutureroboVcandhumanmissions.

Thesurfacematerialsfoundonasteroids,cometsandterrestrialmoonsandplanetsconsistmainlyofmineralscomposedofmetaloxides,buttheyalsocontainicesofsubstancessuchaswaterandcarbondioxidewhichcanbevaporizedintogasesatmoderatetemperaturesduetolowatmosphericpressurecondiVons.

ThisstudywillverifyassumpVonsabouttheproperVesofsolidvolaVleices,demonstrateproducinggaseousmaterialtoprovideusefulmechanicalpower,andinvesVgatenewengineeringconceptsforusingthegasificaVonoficeandmineralrocksfoundinsideasteroidsandcometsinordertodiverttheirpathawayfromapotenValcollisioncoursewithEarth.

Interplanetary CubeSats: Opening the Solar System to a Broad Community at Lower Cost


RobertStaehleNASAJetPropulsionLaboratory

Today,thehighcostofSolarSystemexploraVonmissionslimitsourpaceofimportantdiscoveries.InterplanetaryCubeSatsofferanopportunitytoconductfocusedscienceinvesVgaVonsaroundtheinnerSolarSystematacosttenVmeslowertypicalcurrentmissions.

ThisstudywillfocusdevelopmentofsixtechnologiesinunisonsoastoenabledramaVcallylower‐costexploraVonoftheSolarSystemandourEarth’smoredistantenvirons.Usingthepressureofsunlight,agravitaVonallydefinedInterplanetarySuperhighway,advancedelectronicsandinstrumentaVon,andlasercommunicaVons,mayextendtheturn‐of‐the‐millenniumCubeSatstandardfornanosatellitestodistancesfarbeyondEarth’smagneVccocoon.

Laser-Based Optical Trap for Remote Sampling of Interplanetary and Atmospheric Particulate Matter


PaulStysleyNASAGoddardSpaceFlightCenter

Phase1ofthisstudyintendstoleverageadvancesinlaseropVcaltrappingtechnologyinordertostudythefeasibilityofasystemthatcouldremotelycaptureaquanVtyofparVculatesoveraperiodofVme.

TheseparVculateswouldbedeliveredtoinstrumentsonaspacecra`orlanderforconVnualanalysis.Therefore,insteadofrecordingdatafromonepassofanorbiterorbeingatthemercyofasolidsampleinlet,scienVstscouldchoosetheirtargetsoverawiderrange,bringingsignificantlymorevaluetoplanetarymissions.

Technologies Enabling Exploration of Skylights, Lava Tubes and Caves


WilliamWhiNakerAstrobo4cTechnologyInc.

Missionstodatehaveorbitedandroved,butsub‐planetaryworldseludeexploraVon.ThisinvesVgaVonproposestodeveloptechnologyforventuringundergroundandconceivingmissionarchitecturesforroboVcexpediVonsthatexploreskylights,lavatubesandcaves.

TheinvesVgaVonwillidenVfyeffecVvedesignsformobilerobotarchitecturetoexploresub‐planetaryfeatures.BycreaVngandimplemenVngroboVctechnologytoexploreskylights,lavatubes,cavesandcanyons,thisinvesVgaVonwillpioneersub‐planetaryexploraVon.

Optimal Dispersion of Near-Earth Objects


BongWieIowaStateUniversity

ThepotenValforcatastrophicimpactfromanear‐Earthobject(NEO)isveryreal.VariousconceptsformiVgaVngthishavebeenproposed.Unfortunately,manywereimpracVcalandnottechnicallycredible.

ThisadvancedconceptfornuclearsubsurfaceexplosionmissionsblendsahypervelocitykineVc‐energyimpactorwithnuclearsubsurfaceexplosion.Itexploitsatwo‐bodyspacevehicleconsisVngofaforebody(leader)andana`body(follower).TheforebodyprovidesproperkineVcimpactcratercondiVonsforana`bodycarryingnuclearexplosivestomakeadeeperpenetraVonintoanasteroidbody.Suchacomplexarchitecturerequiresnon‐tradiVonal,mulVdisciplinaryresearcheffortsinseveralareas.

ThisstudywilldevelopaninnovaVve,advancedspacesystemarchitecturethatprovidestheplanetarydefensecapabiliVesneededtoenableafuturerealspacemissionmoreefficient,affordable,andreliable.


NIACFellowsGroup3

VariableVectorCountermeasureSuit(V2Suit)forSpaceHabita6onandExplora6on


KevinDudaTheCharlesStarkDraperLaboratory

TheVariableVectorCountermeasureSuit(V2Suit)isaspecializedspacesuitdesignedtokeepastronautshealthyduringlong‐duraVonspaceexploraVonmissionsandhelpstabilizethemwhiletheyworkinmicrogravity.

TheiniValV2SuitprototypewillintegrategyroscopesandaccelerometerstotracktheposiVonandorientaVonofbodysegmentsanduseflywheelstoprovidea“viscousresistance”duringmovementstoreplicatethesensaVonofgravityduringmovementsin0‐G.

ItwilliniVallyfillavoidinthespaceflighthealthandperformancecountermeasuresprogram,byenablingatrainingcurriculumandcountermeasuresforsensorimotoradaptaVon.ItalsohaspotenValhealthbenefitsingaitormovementstabilizaVonforelderlyorrehabilitaVngindividuals.

Regolith Derived Heat Shield for a Planetary Body Entry and Descent System with In-Situ Fabrication


MichaelHogueNASAKennedySpaceCenter

High‐massplanetarysurfaceaccessisoneofNASA’sGrandChallengesinvolvingentry,descentandlanding(EDL).Duringtheentryanddescentphase,fricVonalinteracVonwiththeplanetaryatmospherecausesaheatbuild‐uptooccuronthespacecra`whichwillrapidlydestroyitifaheatshieldisnotused.However,theheatshieldincursamasspenaltybecauseitmustbelaunchedfromEarthwiththespacecra`,thusconsumingalotofpreciouspropellant.

Thisprojectproposestofabricateentryheatshieldsfromtheregolithofmoonsandasteroids.Thisinsitu(onsite)heatshieldfabricaVoncansavetonsofmass(andmillionsofdollarsincost)thathastobetransportedfromEarth.InaddiVon,notconstrainingtheheatshieldtofitwithinalaunchshroudcouldenableacompletelynewapproachtoEDL.

Contour Crafting Simulation Plan for Lunar Settlement Infrastructure Build-Up


BehrokhKhoshnevisUniversityofSouthernCalifornia

ThisconceptusesauniquearchitectureweavinganautomatedbuildingtechnologycalledContourCra`ing(CC),withdesignsforassisVngrapidbuildupofaniniValoperaVonalcapabilitylunarbase.

Wewilldevelopadetailedplanforahigh‐fidelitysimulaVontoevaluatethemerits,limitaVons,andfeasibilityofadapVngandusingtheCCtechnologyforextraterrestrialapplicaVon.

Thisuniqueapproachintendstoincreaseastronautsafety,improvebuildupperformance,amelioratelunardustinterferenceandconcerns,andagemptstoreduceVme‐to‐commission,allinaneconomicmanner.

Entanglement-assisted Communication System for NASA's Deep-Space Missions: Feasibility Test and Conceptual Design


PaulKwiatUniversityofIllinoisatUrbana‐Champaign

WhentransferringinformaVonthroughthevastdistancesofspace,itisdifficulttogetmanyphotonsfromatransmigeronEarthtoadistantsatelliteorviceversa.Therefore,onewantstobeabletostoreandtransmitasmanybitsofinformaVonaspossibleoneachphoton.Thatisthegoalofthisproject.

Toachievethistheteamwillbelookingatwhatbenefitscanbeobtainedbyusingpairsofphotonsthatare“entangled”witheachother.EntanglementisthequintessenValquantummechanicalphenomenonthatdescribesthebizarrecorrelaVonsthatcanexistbetweentwoquantumsystemsthathaveinteractedwitheachotheratsomepointinthepast.ThismayenablefaithfultransmissionofmoreinformaVonperphotonthanconvenVonalmeans.

Thegoalistodemonstratethat,andinvesVgatetheperformanceandlimits.

High-Temperature Superconductors as Electromagnetic Deployment and Support Structures in Spacecraft


DavidMillerMassachuseNsIns4tuteofTechnology

Makingspacecra`lightercangreatlyreducelaunchcosts,leadingtomoreaffordablemissionsandthusmoreopportuniVesforon‐orbitresearch.Thisstudyexaminesanew,lighterkindofspacecra`structuralsupportsystem:electromagneVcforces,generatedbycurrentthroughhigh‐temperaturesuperconductors(HTSs),moveandunfoldpartsofthestructurefromitsstowedposiVonwithinthelaunchvehicle.

Thiswouldallowforthereplacementofheaviercomponents,likephysicalactuatorsandbeams,withcoilsthatrepelandagracteachother,orstartinafoldedposiVonandexpandduetotheirownmagneVcfieldwhencurrentisrunthroughthem.

ThisstudywilldesignseveraldifferentHTSstructuralsystemsthatperformthesamefuncVonsasphysicalsystems,thenconducttradespaceanalysestoidenVfyapplicaVonsforwhichHTSdesignsmaybepreferableandthuswarrantfurtherstudy.

Ultra-Light “Photonic Muscle” Space Structures


JoeRiNerUniversityofHawaii

Howtobuildaspacetelescopefor1%ofthecost:FabricaVonoflargespaceopVcsthatareaccuratelyshapedtobegerthana1000thofthewidthofahumanhairisanenormouschallenge.TradiVonalspacetelescopefabricaVonmethodsrequirerigidandthereforeheavymirrors,expensivespacecra`andmassiverocketlaunchvehicles.

Thebreakthroughtechnologyof“photonicmuscle”allowseverymoleculeofapolymersubstratetoalsoserveasalaserpowerednano‐actuator.Thesemoleculesareusedtocontroltheshapeofasuperthininexpensivelargecurvedmirror,reducingcostandmassbyafactorof100.

Dr.Riger’sconcepttelescopeOCCAMmirrorwillbelessdensethanafeather!

Ghost Imaging of Space Objects


DmitryStrekalovNASAJetPropulsionLaboratory

GhostimagingisanopVcalimagingtechniquethatuVlizesthecorrelaVonsbetweenopVcalfieldsintwochannels.Oneofthechannelscontainstheobject,butlacksanyspaValresoluVon.Intheother,empty,channel,aspace‐resolvingopVcaldetecVonisallowed.TheimageisreconstructedbycorrelaVngthesignalsfromtwochannels.

IntheoriginalimplementaVon,thechannelshadtobecoupledtoquantum‐correlated(entangled)opVcalfields.Lateritwasshownthatthisapproachcouldalsoworkwithordinarythermallight(e.g.,starlight),whichalsopossessescorrelaVonproperVes.HowevertheghostimaginggeometryremainspoorlycompaVblewiththeimagingofastronomicalobjects.

TheproposedimplementaVonpotenVallyenablestheghost‐imagingofdistantobjectsusingnaturallight.Thekeyissub‐modedetecVon,whichoccursnaturallywhentheobjectissmallerthanthetransversecoherencelength.ThisstudywillinvesVgatetherequirementsarisingforthistypeofghostimaging,andtheoreVcallyvalidatethenovelapproach.

Radiation Shielding Materials Containing Hydrogen, Boron, and Nitrogen: Systematic Computational and Experimental Study


SheilaThibeaultNASALangleyResearchCenter

TheobjecVvesandexpectedsignificanceoftheproposedresearcharetodevelopaspaceradiaVonshieldingmaterialsystemthathashighefficacyforshieldingradiaVonandthatalsohashighstrengthforloadbearingprimarystructures.Suchamaterialsystemdoesnotyetexist.

Thestudyteamhasrecentlysynthesizedlong,highlycrystallineboronnitridenanotubes(BNNT)usinganovelpressure/vaporcondensaVonmethod.BNNThaveextraordinarystrengthandhightemperaturestability,andaremadeupenVrelyoflowZ(atomicnumber)atoms‐boronandnitrogen.TheBNNTcantheoreVcallybeprocessedintostructuralBNNTandusedforloadbearingstructure.TheBNNTarenanotubes;theirmolecularstructureisagracVveforhydrogenaVon

Acomprehensiveliteraturesearch‐aswellasindependentthinking‐willbeperformedtodeterminewhatisthebestprocessingapproachforhydrogenaVngtheBNNT.

Meeting the Grand Challenge of Protecting Astronaut's Health: Electrostatic Active Space Radiation Shielding for Deep Space Missions


RamTripathiNASALangleyResearchCenter

ThisstudyseekstotestandvalidateradiaVonshieldingfromanelectrostaVcgossamerstructure.ThisapproachtriestorepelenoughposiVvechargeionssotheymissthespacecra`withoutagracVngthermalelectrons.

IniValresultsareverypromising:electrostaVcshieldingappearstobetotallyeffecVveforsolarparVcleevents(SPE),providedramaVcprotecVonagainstgalacVccosmicrays(GCR),andmaybeover70%moreeffecVvethanthebestcurrentstate‐of‐the‐art(hydrogenrich)materialshielding.

Thestudywillprovideguidelinesforenergyrequirements,dosereducVonanddeflecVonefficiencies,andeffecVveenhancementsofdualelectrostaVc‐passive(material)shieldingtechnologies,and'engineering‐feasible'architectures.

Radiation Protection and Architecture Utilizing High Temperature Superconducting Magnets


ShayneWestoverNASAJohnsonSpaceCenter

HumanspaceexploraVonexposesastronautstoparVcularlyhazardousenvironmentsuniquefromEarth‐basedhazards.AsubstanValriskforexploraVonbeyondtheconfinesoftheEarth’sgeomagneVcfieldisradiaVonexposurefromenergeVcsolarprotonsandGalacVcCosmicRadiaVon.

TheconceptofshieldingastronautswithmagneVc/electricfieldshasbeenstudiedforover40yearsandhasremainedanintractableengineeringproblem.SuperconducVngmagnettechnologyhasmadegreatstridesinthelastdecade.CouplingmaturingtechnologywithpotenValinnovaVvemagnetconfiguraVons,thisproposalaimstorevisittheconceptofacVvemagneVcshielding.ThefocusoftheproposedworkistoanalyzenewcoilconfiguraVonswithcurrenttechnologyandcompareshieldingperformanceanddesignmasswithalternatepassiveshieldingmethods.


PosterSessionGroup1

www.nasa.gov/oct

Propulsion&PowerGillandHohmanHoweMankinsPaulSilveraSloughSwartzlanderTardiVWerka

HumansinSpace&OnPlanetarySurfacesDudaHogueKhoshnevisThibeaultTripathiWestover

Robo6cs&SpaceProbesFergusonPavoneScogShortStaehleStysleyWhigaker

Imaging&Communica6onsKwiatMillerRigerStrekalov

SpaceDebrisRemoval&NEOMi6ga6onGregoryWieSibille

PosterSessionGroupI PosterSessionGroupII PosterSessionGroupIII

HuddelsonRoom LawwillRoom

PosterSessionAssignments

www.nasa.gov/oct

HuddelsonRoom

Doorway

Fixedtableincenterofroom

4footclearance

4footclearance

Wie

Mankins

Sibille TardiVWerkaGregoryStysley SilveraPaulWhigaker

Howe PavoneSwartzlanderFergusonStaehle Hohman Short Gilland

Scog

Slough

Windows


PosterSessionGroup2

www.nasa.gov/oct









www.nasa.gov/oct

HuddelsonRoom

Doorway


4footclearance

4footclearance

Wie

Mankins

Sibille TardiVWerkaGregoryStysley SilveraPaulWhigaker

Howe PavoneSwartzlanderFergusonStaehle Hohman Short Gilland

Scog

Slough

Windows


PosterSessionGroup3

www.nasa.gov/oct









www.nasa.gov/oct

LawwillRoom

Doorway

>5footclearance

TripathiWestoverThibeaultDuda KhoshnevisHogue

Riger StrekalovMiller Kwiat

Windows

Windo

ws



Ques6ons?

niac orientation mtg 2011-10-16 v7 - nasa€¦ · 16/10/2011 · day one: november 16, 2011 •...

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