2011 Exploration Space Grant Faculty Fellowship

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Introduction

NASA’s Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEO) is accepting applications for summer 2012 faculty fellowships.  The purpose of these fellowship opportunities is to prepare faculty members to enable their students to complete senior design projects with potential contribution to NASA Exploration objectives.  The faculty will work for a continuous period of six (6) to twelve (12) weeks at a NASA field center on a selected Exploration project and incorporate the Exploration project into an existing senior design course or capstone course at their university in the 2012/2013 academic year.  During the designated weeks at a NASA field center, each faculty fellow will work side-by-side with a NASA technical expert.  The faculty will gain extensive knowledge on the Exploration-related project including the associated requirements, interfaces and issues affecting the design and potential solution(s).  The faculty will develop course materials for use at their university during the 2012/2013 academic year in support of the completion of senior design project(s) using a systems engineering approach.

The Exploration project must be selected from the approved list.

Up to five (5) faculty fellows will be selected.

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Pertinent Dates

Application Deadline:           January 9, 2012, 5:00 p.m. EST

 Selection Notification:          February 2012

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Eligibility Requirements

All applicants must be U.S. citizens and currently employed faculty that teach an engineering senior design course at an affiliated university of The National Space Grant College and Fellowship Program. The university must submit proof of U.S. citizenship and verification of the rank of the faculty. A signed letter from the university confirming the agreement to allow the faculty to incorporate the Exploration project into an existing senior design course or capstone course in the 2012/2013 academic year is also required. 

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Stipends, Reimbursements & Allowances

Stipends

Please note: Applicants should be aware that stipend payments from other federal funding sources including research grants and contracts may not be accepted during the tenure of a summer faculty appointment.

Summer faculty participants receive a weekly stipend which is based on the status of the participant’s application.  The levels for the 2012 faculty are as follows:

• Pursuing a doctoral degree: $1,037

• Assistant Professor: $1,300

• Associate Professor: $1,500

• Professor: $1,700 

Travel Reimbursement

A suitable relocation reimbursement for personal travel to the NASA field center will be determined for each awardee. Details will be provided at the time of the award.

Daily Expense Allowance

A daily expense allowance of $50 per workday is provided to participants who have obtained a temporary residence while working at a NASA field center. In order to receive this allowance, the temporary residence must be located greater than a fifty-mile distance (one way by the most direct route) from the participant’s permanent address.

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Background & Purpose

The Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEO) is dedicated to creating new capabilities, supporting technologies and foundational research that enables sustained and affordable human and robotic exploration.

NASA delivers a comprehensive Agency education portfolio, implemented by the Office of Education, the mission directorates, and the NASA field centers.  Throughout the portfolio, NASA contributes to our Nation’s efforts in achieving excellence in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.  Three outcomes serve to align all Agency education activities.  This announcement maps to Outcome 1: Contributing to the development of the STEM workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s strategic goals.

The purpose of the Explorationi Space Grant Project is to train and develop the highly skilled scientific, engineering, and technical workforce of the future needed to implement the U.S. Space Exploration Policy.

The following are areas critical to the future of space exploration. All senior design projects are linked to one of the four areas:

• Spacecraft- Guidance, navigation and control; thermal; electrical; structures; software; avionics; displays; high speed re-entry; modeling; power systems; interoperability/commonality; advanced spacecraft materials; crew/vehicle health monitoring; life support.

• Propulsion- Propulsion methods that will utilize materials found on the moon or Mars, “green” propellants, on-orbit propellant storage, motors, testing, fuels, manufacturing, soft landing, throttle-able propellants, high performance, and descent.

• Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems- Precision landing hardware, software, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), navigation systems, extended surface operations, robotics, (specifically environmental scouting prior to human arrival, outpost maintenance with and without humans present, and assist astronaut with geologic exploration) environmental analysis, radiation protection, spacesuits, life support, power systems.

• Ground Operations- Pre-launch, launch, mission operations, command and control software systems, communications, landing and recovery.

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Responsibilities of the Selected Fellows

Through this project, the faculty fellows will gain extensive knowledge on the selected Exploration project, including the associated requirements, interfaces and issues affecting the design and potential solution(s), and be better prepared to enable students to complete an associated senior design project(s) during the 2012/2013 academic year at their institution.  The awarded faculty’s responsibilities will be as follows:

1. Summer 2012

   • The faculty will work a continuous period of six (6) to twelve (12) weeks at the respective NASA facility associated with their selected project working side-by-side with a NASA expert. During these weeks the faculty will develop materials in support of the senior design project(s) surrounding the identified NASA Exploration project.  

   • Share and review all senior design project materials amongst themselves.

   • Develop a single consolidated interim report compiling their findings.

2. Academic Year 2012/2013:

   • The faculty will be required to incorporate the Exploration project into an existing senior design or capstone course at their institution. The faculty will collect evaluation data to assess the effectiveness of the addition of the Exploration project into the existing course. The faculty will serve as the students’ main point of contact for the associated Exploration senior design project(s) and coordinate necessary requirements, design reviews, and final presentations with NASA.

   • At the end of this implementation year, the faculty will provide NASA a white paper. The purpose of the white paper will be to share knowledge and lessons learned with other faculty. The paper will document the success of the implementation and any additional findings that may help others implement a similar Exploration Senior Design Project or further the designs produced by their students.

Deliverables

  Weekly Reporting during summer 2012 due by COB Friday of each week:

• Written status of project materials

• Teleconference status of project

A consolidated Interim Report is due on or before July 29, 2012.  The report shall contain at a minimum:

• Purpose of Exploration Faculty Fellowship

• Overview of Exploration projects selected and senior design projects

• Significance of Exploration projects to NASA’s mission and Exploration objectives

• Overview of knowledge gained during summer experience

•  A plan outlining how each faculty will incorporate their selected Exploration project and developed materials into a specific existing senior design or capstone course at their respective university

•  Lessons learned throughout the summer experience

• Suggestions for changes/improvements for future faculty fellowships

Senior Design Project Materials due at the end of the summer fellowship:

• Notes detailing the project and background information

• Related research articles (.pdf)

• Related websites

The faculty will coordinate a minimum of three teleconferences between Senior Design Course students and the NASA technical expert to include:

• Requirements Review with NASA technical expert

• Design Review(s) with NASA technical expert

• Presentation of Final Project Results to NASA technical expert

Final White Paper due electronically to NASA by May 13, 2013 to include:

• Overview documenting implementation experience providing details to help others implement a similar Exploration senior design project(s)

• Assessment Plan results

• Final Senior Design Project(s) Results

•  Information to help others further develop Senior Design Project(s) Results (if applicable)

• Additional findings

• Lessons learned

Travel

Work with the NASA Technical Expert for designated weeks at the respective NASA facility.

Schedule

Summer fellowship:  Work for a continuous period of six (6) to twelve (12) weeks at a NASA field Center on a selected Exploration project from May 2, 2012 to July 29, 2012

Submit consolidated interim report to NASA: July 29, 2012

Implement Senior Design Project: 2012/2013 Academic Year

Submit white paper to NASA: May 13, 2013

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Application Submission

Applications must be received no later than: January 9, 2012, 5 p.m. EST.  Late applications will not be considered.

To submit an application visit https://secure.spacegrant.org/apps/?pk=esmdf1

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Approved List of Exploration Projects  

› Ames Research Center (ARC)
› Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)
› Johnson Space Center (JSC)
› Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
› Langley Research Center (LaRC)
› Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Ames Research Center (ARC)

None at this time.

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC)

Design of an Autonomous Collision Avoidance System for Spacecrafts/Satellites Using Millimeter Phased Array Wave Radar System

GSFC1-11-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

There are 22,000 objects in LEO and GEO orbits that are big enough for officials on the ground to track and countless more smaller ones that could do damage to human-carrying spaceships and valuable satellites. Because of the ever-increasing number of orbital debris, the possibility of a satellite collision with space debris or another satellite is becoming more and more likely. This is evident for the recent collision between Iridium telecommunications satellite (Iridium 33) and a dysfunctional Russian communications satellite. Currently potential satellite collision with other satellites or orbital debris is avoided in two steps. First, with help of ground based laser and RF tracking systems, the orbits of satellites and orbital debris are determined. Then using the Analytical Collision Prediction Algorithm or similar software future orbital paths of all objects are estimated to determine which pair of objects may collide. If the probability of collision is higher than an allowed given number, orbital maneuvering is advised. The future orbit predictions using the current methods are very course and raise many false alarms. These false alarms if enacted upon cost significantly to the satellite operators and hence must be avoided or minimized. Recently NASA is planning to develop technology (which will be prohibitively costly) for cleaning the space junks. The present project will study a feasiblity study of use of phased array radar mounted on a spacecraft to track the objects in its vicinity and guide the spacecraft through the space debris without a collision.

 

Johnson Space Center (JSC)

Robust, Easy-to-Use, Multifunctional and Multichannel Wireless ECG Device

JSC1-54-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

NASA, the military, and the developing world share similar requirements for medical hardware. The hardware must operate robustly in harsh environments, must be portable, must consume minimal power, and must be extremely easy to use. Traditional hospital medical equipment rarely meets all of these requirements. Participants in this project will take the lead in building an easy-to-use ambulatory multichannel and multifunctional ECG monitoring system with the following characteristics: low mass, low volume, low power, wireless multichannel ECG system suitable for continuous ECG monitoring during ambulation or rest. The device will simultaneously collect and transmit up to 8 independent ECG channels suitable for deriving a clinically acceptable 12-lead ECG. Specifically critical features will be:
1) Ease of Use, noting that any manual steps required to configure a Bluetooth, 802.11, or other wireless ECG device on a receiving computer or cell phone are undesirable.
2) Wireless Signal Quality/Fidelity/ Robustness
3) Minimization of mass/volume/power and maximization of range
4) Configurability of features in firmware/software, for example of different sampling rates, different filter characteristics (high pass/baseline wander, low pass/anti-aliasing, notch), different numbers of ECG channels transmitted/displayed, and different types of ECGs being performed (i.e., full 8+ channel/12-lead ECG versus 3+ channel/EASI-type 12-lead ECG versus lesser numbers of channels for rhythm-focused ambulatory ECG monitoring, etc.)

Wearable Smart Fabric Communication & Health Monitoring System Investigation

JSC1-55-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

NASA is pursuing developing the technology for future human missions beyond Earth orbit. Present spacecraft crew communication systems require hand held communication devices plug into spacecraft communications systems. This results in communication cables intrusively floating in the crew space as well as limiting the freedom to float around the crew cabin. In addition. monitoring of the crew health vitals will be important. As part of this research/investigation is to recommend types of health monitoring sensors and where in the garment they should be placed with the understanding that confort is an important criteria. It is desired that the crew communication & health devices be built into the crew-worn garments, thus freeing up the crewmembers hands and eliminating interfering floating cables. This project seeks a faculity person to investigate design concepts/prototypes for a Wearable Smart-fabric Crew-communication & Health Monitoring System (WSCHMS). It is desired that the WSCHMS be of a smart fabric design(sewed into garment) that provides full-duplex digital wireless voice & data communications. In addition, the prototype design goals are : should be power efficient (battery life of at least 2 hours in continuous mode of operation);contain simple controls for power on/off, volume control, and enable/disable voice communications; provide visual indicator of power status; operate with a minimum wireless range should be at least 20 ft; maximum weight of the WSCHMS ,including battery, should weigh no greater than 12 oz.; voice communications should operate with a background noise of 60 dB; and speaker peak volume output at least 80 dBSpl @ 1 ft. Provide 8 channels of health data. Both voice and data is transmitted wirelessly at a rate that allows reconstitution of the actual voice and data signals. The deliverables are: design concepts and future smart-fabric design projects that can be submitted to the Exploration design challenge.

Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

JSC4-21-SD, Spacecraft

The ability of solid oxide fuel cells to use pure methane as a fuel with little processing, along with their high temperature heat rejection, make them a very attractive option for spacecraft power generation, when integrated with an oxygen/methane propulsion system. Limitations of this technology include a propensity to crack and leak under temperature swings and to become clogged with elemental carbon ("coke") under the rapid load swings demanded in a spacecraft application. Project options include: (a) Collaboratively assist in the engineering design of a breadboard LCH4/LOX- fed solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC)power system. This would include balance of plant definition for reactant supply, heat rejection and control system definition, as well as test and evaluation of a ~ 1 kw stack with a catalytic partial oxidation(CPOX) reformer. (b) Establish a baseline analytical model of the system design needed for a LOX/LCH4-based spacecraft, including evaluation of hybrid systems for start, stop and transient load profiles. Evaluate the sensitivities of performance measures such as voltage performance, reactant utilization rate, specific energy, stack temperature/ramp rate and other key measures. (c) Pursue the high-fidelity analytical simulation of SOFC stacks for thermal management, reactant reformation and combined cycle power generation characterization. Includes a detailed assessment of temperature profile tendencies, reformer reactant qualities and integration of hybrid technologies(i.e. battery or micro-turbine).

Kenendy Space Center (KSC)

Regolith Excavation, Handling & Sub –Surface Access

KSC1-05-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

The feedstock required for O2 production on the moon is Lunar Regolith (soil). 100 metric tons (MT) of Lunar Regolith will be required each year for Oxygen Production of 1 MT. In addition up to 2,000 MT of regolith excavation will be required per year in the initial stages of Outpost construction. This project will investigate concepts for Lunar Regolith excavation and handling equipment and propose solutions in the form of completed designs and prototypes. These prototypes must use lightweight materials which can withstand extreme space environments and be tough enough to interact with the regolith. In addition, there is a high degree of interest in lunar volatiles as resources for a human presence. Sub-surface access and acquisition devices to capture and deliver these samples to a characterization instrument are necessary tools to determine if water ice and other volatiles are present on the moon. Regolith is a resource that can be used in many ways including but not limited to radiation shielding, habitation and structures, construction of landing pads, roads, berms, trenches, and materials feedstock for fabricating spare parts and solar power plants. In addition, regolith is a resource that may be beneficial on Mars and other Near Earth Objects.

Corrosion Resistant Flame Trench Refractory

KSC2-13-SD, Ground Operations

Design and materials expertise in developing component level system/testbed for testing refractory materials that must provide acceptable performance and maintain integrity during and after exposure to both launch event and local atmospheric conditions, without spalling, minimal cracking, and a low rate of reinforcement corrosion.  Expertise is also needed for developing materials modifications and/or treatments designed to enhance the exposure resistance of these refractory materials.

Orion to Ground Systems Mockups

KSC4-1-SD, Spacecraft

Help design, fabricate, and build mockups of the Orion spacecraft needed to prove out operations at the Kennedy Space Center. Mockups are a valuable tool to help reduce risks associated with design and processing a new spacecraft. Will work with both JSC and KSC designers to come up with innovative ways to simulate the Orion and Ground Systems designs that can be used to test procedures that will be used to get Orion ready for launch.

Langley Research Center (LaRC)

Lidar Systems for Sensing Trace Gases

LARC1-17-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Lidars for sensing water vapor, ice, and several atmospheric trace gases are being investigated. Students will develop computer models for evaluating the merits of several lidar techniques for optimum system development. There could be some test experiments, provided students have requisite training in using lasers that includes laser safety training and eye exams.

DIAL for Water Vapor Detection

LARC1-18-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Mid-IR Laser-Based Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL) for Water Vapor Detection-Students will be involved in developing the capability (modeling and simulation) of sensing water vapor on Mars and in other planetary atmospheres using lidars. (There could be some test experiments provided students have requisite training in using lasers that include laser safety training and eye exams).

Modeling and Simulation for ASCENDS

LARC1-25-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

Lidar performance modeling and simulation for ACTIVE SENSING OF CO2 EMISSIONS OVER NIGHTS, DAYS, AND SEASONS (ASCENDS) program. Tasks include direct detection lidar performance simulation, instrumentation modeling, investigation of modulation techniques to support CO2 and O2 lidars.

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Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

Long-Term Radiation Protection for Lunar Habitats

MSFC1-29-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

This project will investigate methods for designing a habitat that can have additional radiation protection added over time to permit longer and longer mission durations at a permanent outpost site on the lunar surface. Radiation protection options have included adding water to interior cavity walls, water bags on the exterior (perhaps frozen), compacted trash on the exterior, flattened logistics bags added like blankets over the exterior, bagged regolith or a loose regolith covering over the exterior, or combinations of all of these methods. The initial habitat will start with a 5g per cm^2 water wall around the sleeping compartment as a minimum protective shelter for the crew during solar proton events (SPE). The goal will be to eventually reach 20g per cm^2 of any material over the entire habitat for protection from both SPE and galactic cosmic rays (GCR). Publically available information on the design of International Space Station (ISS) modules and current published designs for lunar outpost modules should be used as a basis for the outpost concepts. Crew size will start at a minimum of 4 for 12 days and will increase to longer crew rotations for year-round occupancy supporting 8 crew during rotations. In analyzing each approach designers will be required to minimize crew extra-vehicular activity (EVA) time, minimize additional mass deliveries to the surface, utilization of residual resources from Lander propulsion and power systems, utilization of crew logistics waste products (logistics bags, plastic wrap, etc.) and utilization of local regolith and natural terrain features. In addition, designers will need to consider how to handle supporting utilities that are usually attached to the exterior of the modules (solar panels, radiators, communications equipment, etc.). The text "Human Spaceflight: Mission Analysis and Design" edited by Larson and Pranke should be used as a reference for logistics, Lander, and habitat design basics.

Application of Simulation Virtual Reality Tools for Robotic Manipulation Design

MSFC1-31-SD, Lunar and Planetary Surface Systems

The MSFC Human Factors Engineering team uses mockups and simulation for worksite design and task evaluation. The simulation capability includes immersive VR tools: head-mounted display, haptic interface, gloves, and motion tracking. There are several areas in which summer faculty research is needed: improvement of integration among and between the VR tools, and extension of capability of one or more of the tools. The end result of these activities will be to enable the use of the VR tools to operate a robotic manipulator in a simulated microgravity environment (i.e., a frictionless environment). The manipulator will be operated to accomplish one or more specific microgravity tasks: grapple of an uncooperative target, component removal-and-replacement, or drilling into another object under frictionless conditions. Experience with VR interfaces and/or human interfaces to manipulators will be helpful. Skills that will be useful but are not required include: human or robotic task analysis, worksite analysis, CAD model conversion, VR, and programming. Participants who may wish to improve skills in one of these areas will be given the opportunity to do so.

Extension of Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program’s (GFSSP) Fluid Property Database

MSFC3-20-SD, Propulsion

This effort focuses on the development of additional capabilities for GFSSP. GFSSP is a thermo-fluid code used to evaluate system performance by a finite volume based network analysis method. The program was developed primarily to analyze the complex internal flow of propulsion systems and is capable of solving many problems related to thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. GFSSP is integrated with thermodynamic programs that provide fluid properties for sub-cooled, superheated and saturation states. For fluids that are not included in the thermodynamic property program, look-up property tables can be provided. The purpose of the senior design project is to generate thermodynamic and thermo-physical property data base using REFPROP, a thermodynamic property program that is widely used in Industries.