The development of a conformal nanotube process is enabling for many applications in solar physics and space astrophysics (e.g., direct detection and imaging of exoplanets). Coronagraphs are key heliophysics instruments because they image coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are the most energetic phenomena on the Sun. CMEs have wide-ranging impact on the heliosphere, from interplanetary spacecraft to Earthorbiting satellites, communications, and astronaut safety; in short, they are major drivers of space weather. In a typical space-based coronagraph, an external occulter blocks light from the disk of the Sun so that the corona (about a million times dimmer) can be imaged. The occulter must suppress both diffracted light and stray light.

Flight Proving a Heliophysics Soft X-Ray Imager

TBMG-22394

07/01/2015

The interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magneto - sphere results in “space weather.” To determine the true nature of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction, scientists require global measurements of processes occurring at the bow shock, in the magnetosheath, and at the magnetopause. Such observations can only be obtained from imaging this interaction globally. This will produce a paradigm shift similar to how satellite imaging revolutionized terrestrial weather forecasting.

Autonomous Guidance Algorithm to Auto-Pilot Spacecraft in the Vicinity of Primitive Celestial Bodies

TBMG-22409

07/01/2015

The dynamics in the vicinity of small bodies are highly nonlinear. Trajectory design in small-body environments requires accurate gravity and solar radiation pressure models to guarantee the satisfaction of spacecraft operational constraints such as thruster silent times, state, and control constraints. The G-PROX guidance algorithm generates fuel-optimal trajectories in the vicinity of asteroids and small bodies. The non-convexity in the control constraints is handled with the lossless convexification technique, which is a convex relaxation of the control constraints. G-PROX uses sequential convex programming and solves a convergent sequence of convex optimization problems generated via sequential linearization of both the dynamics and control bounds, synergistically combined with lossless convexification. The sequence of convex optimization problems converges to a locally optimal solution of the original nonlinear non-convex problem.

High-Energy Instrumentation for Small Satellite Platforms

TBMG-2199205/01/2015

Given the increased availability of small satellite opportunities either through CubeSats or the Air Force’s University Nanosat program, and the limited availability of larger platforms, it is challenging to develop new instrumentation that not only fits within the envelope of small satellites, but also addresses the diverse science applications available in low Earth orbit (LEO). While small-platform instrumentation is limited in sensitivity, the ability to populate LEO with a fleet of instruments opens new science objectives not available with larger standalone payloads. Furthermore, coordinated observations of a variety of radiation species that either enter LEO from the Sun or heliosphere directly, or that reside within the radiation belts themselves, are necessary to fully reach closure on complex processes that govern particle acceleration and transport.

Neutron Spectrometer for Inner Radiation Belt Studies

TBMG-2199105/01/2015

The Earth’s magnetosphere offers a wealth of information on particle dynamics, acceleration, and trapping. Fast neutrons, produced in the Earth’s atmosphere by the impact of galactic cosmic rays (GCRs) and solar energetic particles (SEPs), are an important but poorly measured component of the radiation environment in the inner magnetosphere. Cosmic ray albedo neutron decay (CRAND), whereby atmospheric neutrons beta-decay into protons and electrons, is a significant source of energetic protons in the inner radiation belt. Current models of the inner proton belt rely heavily on Monte Carlo simulations for the CRAND component, validated primarily by a handful of single-point balloon measurements from the 1970s.

Space Weather Database of Notifications, Knowledge, Information — DONKI

TBMG-22025

05/01/2015

SW DONKI is a comprehensive Web application for space weather forecasters, scientists, and the general space weather community. It serves as an archive for space weather activities including solar flares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs), solar energetic particles, and geomagnetic storms. An innovative feature of the system is the ability to generate, modify, and store complex linkages between space weather events — creating a comprehensive network of relationships between activities, and identifying potential cause-and-effect paradigms for each space weather event. SW DONKI also provides public access to all human-generated event analysis and notifications produced by the Space Weather Research Center (SWRC) forecasting team at CCMC (Community Coordinated Modeling Center).

Fast and Efficient Detection of Shading of the Objects

2015-01-037104/14/2015

The human thermal comfort, which has been a subject of extensive research, is a principal objective of the automotive climate control system. Applying the results of research studies to the practical problems require quantitative information of the thermal environment in the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The exposure to solar radiation is known to alter the thermal environment in the passenger compartment. A photovoltaic-cell based sensor is commonly used in the automotive climate control system to measure the solar radiation exposure of the passenger compartment of a vehicle. The erroneous information from a sensor however can cause thermal discomfort to the occupants. The erroneous measurement can be due to physical or environmental parameters. Shading of a solar sensor due to the opaque vehicle body elements is one such environmental parameter that is known to give incorrect measurement. The fundamental geometric principles of the intersection of a line segment and a plane can

Kakade, Rupesh Sonu, Mer, Prashant

Diagnostics-in-a-Suitcase Rapidly Detects Ebola

TBMG-21353

01/12/2015

Scientists in field laboratories who diagnose and deal with Ebola infections often work under challenging conditions. Researchers at the German Primate Center have developed Diagnostics-in-a-Suitcase, which contains all reagents and equipment to detect the Ebola virus within 15 minutes at point-of-need. Moreover, the mobile suitcase laboratory will be operated by an integrated solar panel and a power pack.

Light-Emitting Properties of Quantum Dots Can Help Harvest Sunlight

TBMG-2018208/01/2014

A house window that doubles as a solar panel could be on the horizon, thanks to recent quantum-dot work by Los Alamos National Laboratory researchers in collaboration with scientists from University of Milano-Bicocca (UNIMIB), Italy. Their project demonstrates that the superior light-emitting properties of quantum dots can be applied in solar energy by helping more efficiently harvest sunlight.

Intensity-Calibrated Hydrogen Flame Spectrum

TBMG-2032208/01/2014

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) uses large quantities of liquid hydrogen and has expended significant effort in the development, testing, installation, and maintenance of hydrogen fire detectors based on ultraviolet, near-infrared, mid-infrared, and/or far-infrared flame emission bands. Yet, prior to this work, there was no intensity-calibrated broadband hydrogen-air flame spectrum in the literature, making it difficult to compare the merits of different radiation-based hydrogen fire detectors.

The OCO-2 Level 2 Retrieval Algorithm

TBMG-2033008/01/2014

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO) strives for trace gas observations with unprecedented accuracy and precision. This requires a retrieval algorithm with many major improvements over existing retrieval software in the representation of the transfer of solar radiation through the atmosphere and instrument, such as full multiple-scattering calculation for each iteration step and correction for effects of polarization. In addition, the software allows retrieval of space-based and ground-based observations, so that potential algorithmic biases can be minimized for validation experiments. Furthermore, due to the flexible architecture of the software, spectra of existing similar instruments can be analyzed, which facilitates early testing using real space-based observations.

Quasi-Terminator Orbits for Mapping Small Primitive Bodies

TBMG-2343702/01/2014

A common objective for primitive body missions (i.e., those to asteroids, comets, and small planetary moons) is to map the target body surface as completely as possible. Ideally, this map is constructed from a large collection of images containing multiple views of every point on the surface in a variety of lighting conditions and from a variety of viewpoints. For most missions to near- Earth objects (NEOs), the inherent instability of the orbital environment due to solar radiation pressure (SRP) necessitates a mapping trajectory strategy that requires deterministic maneuvers every few days for several weeks to achieve the desired imaging geometries. The recently discovered quasi-terminator orbits (QTOs) offer an alternative approach that can achieve the imaging geometries needed for mapping without any deterministic maneuvers. By eliminating the need for frequent maneuvering, QTOs can significantly reduce the complexity and intensity of global mapping operations for robotic or manned

Pre-Launch Processing Enables Advanced Climate Warnings

TBMG-19106

02/01/2014

NASA has awarded Astrotech Corp. and its Astrotech Space Operations (ASO) subsidiary a contract to provide facilities and pre-launch processing services for the Deep Space Climate Observatory (DSCOVR) mission, set to launch later this year.

Array Design Considerations for the Solar Probe Plus

TBMG-18899

01/01/2014

The NASA Solar Probe Plus (SPP) mission will fly into the Sun’s corona, reaching as close as 9.86 solar radii from the center of the Sun. Power generation for the spacecraft will be provided by two solar array wings, which are being designed and built by JHU-APL and Emcore. SPP will get closer to the Sun than any previous mission, meaning that the solar arrays will need to operate reliably under unusually high irradiances and temperatures, a situation that introduces interesting challenges for the array design.