The NASA COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) Program was a
very successful ... more The NASA COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) Program was a
very successful program that developed and demonstrated cost-effective
development and acquisition of commercial cargo transportation services to the International Space Station (ISS). The COTS acquisition strategy utilized a newer
model than normally accepted in traditional procurement practices. This new model used Space Act Agreements where NASA entered into partnerships with industry to
jointly share cost, development and operational risks to demonstrate new capabilities for mutual benefit. This model proved to be very beneficial to both NASA and its industry partners as NASA saved significantly in development and operational costs while industry partners successfully expanded their market share of the global launch transportation business.The authors, who contributed to
the development of the COTS model, would like to extend this model to lunar commercial services program that will push development of technologies and capabilities that will serve a Mars architecture and lead to an economical and sustainable pathway to transporting humans to Mars. Over the past few decades,
several architectures for the Moon and Mars have been proposed and studied but ultimately halted or not even started due to the projected costs significantly exceeding NASA’s budgets. Therefore a new strategy is needed that will fit within NASA’s projected budgets and takes advantage of the US commercial industry along with its creative and entrepreneurial attributes. The authors propose a new
COTS-like program to enter into partnerships with industry to demonstrate
cost-effective, cis-lunar commercial services, such as lunar transportation, lunar ISRU operations, and cis-lunar propellant depots that can enable an economical and
sustainable Mars architecture. Similar to the original COTS program, the goals of the proposed program, being notionally referred to as Lunar Commercial Orbital Transfer
Services (LCOTS) program will be to:1) reduce development and operational costs
by sharing costs with industry; 2) create new markets in cis-lunar space to fu
rther reduce operational costs; and 3) enable NASA to develop an affordable and economical exploration Mars architecture. The paper will describe a plan for a proposed LCOTS program, its potential impact to an eventual Mars architecture
and its many benefits to NASA, commercial space industry and the US economy.
The Energy Citations Database (ECD) provides access to historical and current research (1948 to t... more The Energy Citations Database (ECD) provides access to historical and current research (1948 to the present) from the Department of Energy (DOE) and predecessor agencies.
High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's technical challenges involving entry, descent... more High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's technical challenges involving entry, descent and landing (EDL). During the entry and descent phase, frictional interaction with the planetary atmosphere causes a heat build-up to occur on the spacecraft, which will rapidly destroy it if a heat shield is not used. However, the heat shield incurs a mass penalty because it must be launched from Earth with the spacecraft, thus consuming a lot of precious propellant. This NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) phase I project investigated an approach to provide heat shield protection to spacecraft after launch and prior to each EDL thus potentially realizing significant launch mass savings. Heat shields fabricated in situ can provide a thermal-protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. By fabricating the heat shield with space resources from materials available on moons and asteroids, it is possible to avoid launching the heat-shield mass from Earth. Regolith has extremely good insulating properties and the silicates it contains can be used in the fabrication and molding of thermal-protection materials. In this paper, we will report on the findings of the NIAC phase I study, (Hogue et.al. 2012 ASCE Earth & Space 2012) (Hogue et. al. 2012, NIAC final report).
Exotic optical fibers and glasses are the platform material for photonics applications, primarily... more Exotic optical fibers and glasses are the platform material for photonics applications, primarily due to their superior signal transmission (speed, low attenuation), with extending bandwidth deep into the infrared, exceeding that of silica fibers. Gravitational effects (convection sedimentation) have a direct impact on the phase diagram of these materials and influence melting properties, crystallization temperatures, and viscosity of the elemental mix during the manufacturing process. Such factors constitute limits to the yield, transmission quality, and strength and value of these fibers; they also constrain the range of applications. Manufacturing in a gravity-free environment such as the Earth's Orbit also helps with other aspects of the fabrication process (i.e., improved form factor of the manufacturing unit, sustainability). In this article, revolutionary developments in the field of photonics over the past decade merge with the paradigm shift in the privatization of government-owned capabilities supporting a more diverse infrastructure (parabolic, suborbital, orbital), reduced price, and increased frequency to access space and the microgravity environment. With the increased dependence on data (demand, bandwidth, efficiency), space and the microgravity environment provide opportunities for optimized performance of these exotic optical fibers and glasses underlying the development of enabling technologies to meet future data demand. Existing terrestrial markets (Internet, telecommunications, market transactions) and emerging space markets (onorbit satellite servicing, space manufacturing, space resources, space communications, etc.) seem to converge, and this innovative material processing opportunity of exotic optical fibers and glasses might just be that ''killer app'': technologically competitive, economically viable, and with the ability to close the business case.
Aerogels a.k.a "Solid Smoke" are gels with the liquid phase replaced by gas, leaving be... more Aerogels a.k.a "Solid Smoke" are gels with the liquid phase replaced by gas, leaving behind a highly porous material with a nanoscale framework. Due to the porous, nanoscale structure, aerogels have the lowest known density and conductivity of solids. Aerogels have the potential for being a breakthrough material because of their extremely light weight and unique properties. In this paper, we address overcoming their most profound weaknesses: mechanical fragility and very high surface activity, which leads to a lowered sintering temperature. A matrix of ceramic aerogel composite materials was produced to investigate their properties and functionality. Mechanical property measurements and Scanning Electron Micrographs are used to identify trends and structure of these ceramic composite materials. Thermal cycling was used to identify the sintering points of the materials.
Recent advances in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology provide considerable opportunity for... more Recent advances in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology provide considerable opportunity for application to future aircraft thermal protection system (TPS), providing materials with higher temperature capability, lower weight, and higher strength and stiffness than traditional materials. The Thermal Protection Material Branch at NASA Ames Research Center has been making significant progress in the development, characterization, and entry simulation (arc-jet) testing of new CMC's. This protection gives a general overview of the Ames Thermal Protection Materials Branch research activities, followed by more detailed descriptions of recent advances in very-high temperature Zr and Hf based ceramics, high temperature, high strength SiC matrix composites, and some activities in polymer precursors and ceramic coating processing. The presentation closes with a brief comparison of maximum heat flux capabilities of advanced TPS materials.
ABSTRACT Since the space shuttle began flying in 1981, NASA has made a number of attempts to adva... more ABSTRACT Since the space shuttle began flying in 1981, NASA has made a number of attempts to advance the state of the art in space transportation. In spite of billions of dollars invested, and several concerted attempts, no replacement for the shuttle is expected before 2010. Furthermore, the cost of access to space has dropped very slowly over the last two decades. On the other hand, the same two decades have seen dramatic progress in the computer industry. Computational speeds have increased by about a factor of 1000 and available memory, disk space, and network bandwidth has seen similar increases. At the same time, the cost of computing has dropped by about a factor of 10000. Is the space transportation problem simply harder? Or is there something to be learned from the computer industry? In looking for the answers, this paper reviews the early history of NASA's experience with supercomputers and NASA's visionary course change in supercomputer procurement strategy.
Résumé/Abstract Silicone impregnated reusable ceramic ablators are highly porous fibrous ceramic ... more Résumé/Abstract Silicone impregnated reusable ceramic ablators are highly porous fibrous ceramic substrates that are partially impregnated with silicone. The ablators are used as heat shields for planetary entry. The compressive responses of virgin and charred ablators ...
Abstract The formalism developed by Milstein and Hill to compute the elastic properties of cubic ... more Abstract The formalism developed by Milstein and Hill to compute the elastic properties of cubic crystal under pressure is used to show that C 44 = 1 3(2C 11 −C 12 ) for models of f.c.c. crystals which allow for complications of atomic binding, but in which nearest neighbor interactions determine the values of the elastic moduli. This relation is in better agreement with experimental data for metals and inert gas solids than the Cauchy relation C44 = C12. Also, pseudopotential computations of the elastic moduli of Cu and Ag provide theoretical support for the efficacy of the model under high (as well as atmospheric) pressure.
Microgravity is evolutionarily novel and enables new understanding of living systems that can be ... more Microgravity is evolutionarily novel and enables new understanding of living systems that can be used for medicine and biotech. Commercial biosciences and pharmaceutical companies have flown experiments in space since the 1980s. Response to gravity is complex. All levels of biological organization, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, are affected by gravity/microgravity, often in novel and useful ways, sometimes in ways that allow medical problems on Earth to be better studied.
The NASA COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) Program was a
very successful ... more The NASA COTS (Commercial Orbital Transportation Services) Program was a
very successful program that developed and demonstrated cost-effective
development and acquisition of commercial cargo transportation services to the International Space Station (ISS). The COTS acquisition strategy utilized a newer
model than normally accepted in traditional procurement practices. This new model used Space Act Agreements where NASA entered into partnerships with industry to
jointly share cost, development and operational risks to demonstrate new capabilities for mutual benefit. This model proved to be very beneficial to both NASA and its industry partners as NASA saved significantly in development and operational costs while industry partners successfully expanded their market share of the global launch transportation business.The authors, who contributed to
the development of the COTS model, would like to extend this model to lunar commercial services program that will push development of technologies and capabilities that will serve a Mars architecture and lead to an economical and sustainable pathway to transporting humans to Mars. Over the past few decades,
several architectures for the Moon and Mars have been proposed and studied but ultimately halted or not even started due to the projected costs significantly exceeding NASA’s budgets. Therefore a new strategy is needed that will fit within NASA’s projected budgets and takes advantage of the US commercial industry along with its creative and entrepreneurial attributes. The authors propose a new
COTS-like program to enter into partnerships with industry to demonstrate
cost-effective, cis-lunar commercial services, such as lunar transportation, lunar ISRU operations, and cis-lunar propellant depots that can enable an economical and
sustainable Mars architecture. Similar to the original COTS program, the goals of the proposed program, being notionally referred to as Lunar Commercial Orbital Transfer
Services (LCOTS) program will be to:1) reduce development and operational costs
by sharing costs with industry; 2) create new markets in cis-lunar space to fu
rther reduce operational costs; and 3) enable NASA to develop an affordable and economical exploration Mars architecture. The paper will describe a plan for a proposed LCOTS program, its potential impact to an eventual Mars architecture
and its many benefits to NASA, commercial space industry and the US economy.
The Energy Citations Database (ECD) provides access to historical and current research (1948 to t... more The Energy Citations Database (ECD) provides access to historical and current research (1948 to the present) from the Department of Energy (DOE) and predecessor agencies.
High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's technical challenges involving entry, descent... more High-mass planetary surface access is one of NASA's technical challenges involving entry, descent and landing (EDL). During the entry and descent phase, frictional interaction with the planetary atmosphere causes a heat build-up to occur on the spacecraft, which will rapidly destroy it if a heat shield is not used. However, the heat shield incurs a mass penalty because it must be launched from Earth with the spacecraft, thus consuming a lot of precious propellant. This NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) phase I project investigated an approach to provide heat shield protection to spacecraft after launch and prior to each EDL thus potentially realizing significant launch mass savings. Heat shields fabricated in situ can provide a thermal-protection system for spacecraft that routinely enter a planetary atmosphere. By fabricating the heat shield with space resources from materials available on moons and asteroids, it is possible to avoid launching the heat-shield mass from Earth. Regolith has extremely good insulating properties and the silicates it contains can be used in the fabrication and molding of thermal-protection materials. In this paper, we will report on the findings of the NIAC phase I study, (Hogue et.al. 2012 ASCE Earth & Space 2012) (Hogue et. al. 2012, NIAC final report).
Exotic optical fibers and glasses are the platform material for photonics applications, primarily... more Exotic optical fibers and glasses are the platform material for photonics applications, primarily due to their superior signal transmission (speed, low attenuation), with extending bandwidth deep into the infrared, exceeding that of silica fibers. Gravitational effects (convection sedimentation) have a direct impact on the phase diagram of these materials and influence melting properties, crystallization temperatures, and viscosity of the elemental mix during the manufacturing process. Such factors constitute limits to the yield, transmission quality, and strength and value of these fibers; they also constrain the range of applications. Manufacturing in a gravity-free environment such as the Earth's Orbit also helps with other aspects of the fabrication process (i.e., improved form factor of the manufacturing unit, sustainability). In this article, revolutionary developments in the field of photonics over the past decade merge with the paradigm shift in the privatization of government-owned capabilities supporting a more diverse infrastructure (parabolic, suborbital, orbital), reduced price, and increased frequency to access space and the microgravity environment. With the increased dependence on data (demand, bandwidth, efficiency), space and the microgravity environment provide opportunities for optimized performance of these exotic optical fibers and glasses underlying the development of enabling technologies to meet future data demand. Existing terrestrial markets (Internet, telecommunications, market transactions) and emerging space markets (onorbit satellite servicing, space manufacturing, space resources, space communications, etc.) seem to converge, and this innovative material processing opportunity of exotic optical fibers and glasses might just be that ''killer app'': technologically competitive, economically viable, and with the ability to close the business case.
Aerogels a.k.a "Solid Smoke" are gels with the liquid phase replaced by gas, leaving be... more Aerogels a.k.a "Solid Smoke" are gels with the liquid phase replaced by gas, leaving behind a highly porous material with a nanoscale framework. Due to the porous, nanoscale structure, aerogels have the lowest known density and conductivity of solids. Aerogels have the potential for being a breakthrough material because of their extremely light weight and unique properties. In this paper, we address overcoming their most profound weaknesses: mechanical fragility and very high surface activity, which leads to a lowered sintering temperature. A matrix of ceramic aerogel composite materials was produced to investigate their properties and functionality. Mechanical property measurements and Scanning Electron Micrographs are used to identify trends and structure of these ceramic composite materials. Thermal cycling was used to identify the sintering points of the materials.
Recent advances in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology provide considerable opportunity for... more Recent advances in ceramic matrix composite (CMC) technology provide considerable opportunity for application to future aircraft thermal protection system (TPS), providing materials with higher temperature capability, lower weight, and higher strength and stiffness than traditional materials. The Thermal Protection Material Branch at NASA Ames Research Center has been making significant progress in the development, characterization, and entry simulation (arc-jet) testing of new CMC's. This protection gives a general overview of the Ames Thermal Protection Materials Branch research activities, followed by more detailed descriptions of recent advances in very-high temperature Zr and Hf based ceramics, high temperature, high strength SiC matrix composites, and some activities in polymer precursors and ceramic coating processing. The presentation closes with a brief comparison of maximum heat flux capabilities of advanced TPS materials.
ABSTRACT Since the space shuttle began flying in 1981, NASA has made a number of attempts to adva... more ABSTRACT Since the space shuttle began flying in 1981, NASA has made a number of attempts to advance the state of the art in space transportation. In spite of billions of dollars invested, and several concerted attempts, no replacement for the shuttle is expected before 2010. Furthermore, the cost of access to space has dropped very slowly over the last two decades. On the other hand, the same two decades have seen dramatic progress in the computer industry. Computational speeds have increased by about a factor of 1000 and available memory, disk space, and network bandwidth has seen similar increases. At the same time, the cost of computing has dropped by about a factor of 10000. Is the space transportation problem simply harder? Or is there something to be learned from the computer industry? In looking for the answers, this paper reviews the early history of NASA's experience with supercomputers and NASA's visionary course change in supercomputer procurement strategy.
Résumé/Abstract Silicone impregnated reusable ceramic ablators are highly porous fibrous ceramic ... more Résumé/Abstract Silicone impregnated reusable ceramic ablators are highly porous fibrous ceramic substrates that are partially impregnated with silicone. The ablators are used as heat shields for planetary entry. The compressive responses of virgin and charred ablators ...
Abstract The formalism developed by Milstein and Hill to compute the elastic properties of cubic ... more Abstract The formalism developed by Milstein and Hill to compute the elastic properties of cubic crystal under pressure is used to show that C 44 = 1 3(2C 11 −C 12 ) for models of f.c.c. crystals which allow for complications of atomic binding, but in which nearest neighbor interactions determine the values of the elastic moduli. This relation is in better agreement with experimental data for metals and inert gas solids than the Cauchy relation C44 = C12. Also, pseudopotential computations of the elastic moduli of Cu and Ag provide theoretical support for the efficacy of the model under high (as well as atmospheric) pressure.
Microgravity is evolutionarily novel and enables new understanding of living systems that can be ... more Microgravity is evolutionarily novel and enables new understanding of living systems that can be used for medicine and biotech. Commercial biosciences and pharmaceutical companies have flown experiments in space since the 1980s. Response to gravity is complex. All levels of biological organization, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, are affected by gravity/microgravity, often in novel and useful ways, sometimes in ways that allow medical problems on Earth to be better studied.
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Papers by Daniel Rasky
very successful program that developed and demonstrated cost-effective
development and acquisition of commercial cargo transportation services to the International Space Station (ISS). The COTS acquisition strategy utilized a newer
model than normally accepted in traditional procurement practices. This new model used Space Act Agreements where NASA entered into partnerships with industry to
jointly share cost, development and operational risks to demonstrate new capabilities for mutual benefit. This model proved to be very beneficial to both NASA and its industry partners as NASA saved significantly in development and operational costs while industry partners successfully expanded their market share of the global launch transportation business.The authors, who contributed to
the development of the COTS model, would like to extend this model to lunar commercial services program that will push development of technologies and capabilities that will serve a Mars architecture and lead to an economical and sustainable pathway to transporting humans to Mars. Over the past few decades,
several architectures for the Moon and Mars have been proposed and studied but ultimately halted or not even started due to the projected costs significantly exceeding NASA’s budgets. Therefore a new strategy is needed that will fit within NASA’s projected budgets and takes advantage of the US commercial industry along with its creative and entrepreneurial attributes. The authors propose a new
COTS-like program to enter into partnerships with industry to demonstrate
cost-effective, cis-lunar commercial services, such as lunar transportation, lunar ISRU operations, and cis-lunar propellant depots that can enable an economical and
sustainable Mars architecture. Similar to the original COTS program, the goals of the proposed program, being notionally referred to as Lunar Commercial Orbital Transfer
Services (LCOTS) program will be to:1) reduce development and operational costs
by sharing costs with industry; 2) create new markets in cis-lunar space to fu
rther reduce operational costs; and 3) enable NASA to develop an affordable and economical exploration Mars architecture. The paper will describe a plan for a proposed LCOTS program, its potential impact to an eventual Mars architecture
and its many benefits to NASA, commercial space industry and the US economy.
very successful program that developed and demonstrated cost-effective
development and acquisition of commercial cargo transportation services to the International Space Station (ISS). The COTS acquisition strategy utilized a newer
model than normally accepted in traditional procurement practices. This new model used Space Act Agreements where NASA entered into partnerships with industry to
jointly share cost, development and operational risks to demonstrate new capabilities for mutual benefit. This model proved to be very beneficial to both NASA and its industry partners as NASA saved significantly in development and operational costs while industry partners successfully expanded their market share of the global launch transportation business.The authors, who contributed to
the development of the COTS model, would like to extend this model to lunar commercial services program that will push development of technologies and capabilities that will serve a Mars architecture and lead to an economical and sustainable pathway to transporting humans to Mars. Over the past few decades,
several architectures for the Moon and Mars have been proposed and studied but ultimately halted or not even started due to the projected costs significantly exceeding NASA’s budgets. Therefore a new strategy is needed that will fit within NASA’s projected budgets and takes advantage of the US commercial industry along with its creative and entrepreneurial attributes. The authors propose a new
COTS-like program to enter into partnerships with industry to demonstrate
cost-effective, cis-lunar commercial services, such as lunar transportation, lunar ISRU operations, and cis-lunar propellant depots that can enable an economical and
sustainable Mars architecture. Similar to the original COTS program, the goals of the proposed program, being notionally referred to as Lunar Commercial Orbital Transfer
Services (LCOTS) program will be to:1) reduce development and operational costs
by sharing costs with industry; 2) create new markets in cis-lunar space to fu
rther reduce operational costs; and 3) enable NASA to develop an affordable and economical exploration Mars architecture. The paper will describe a plan for a proposed LCOTS program, its potential impact to an eventual Mars architecture
and its many benefits to NASA, commercial space industry and the US economy.