New Technology Update: Nasa

NASA Marks Major Milestones for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just got a little closer to launch with the completion of cryogenic testing on its science cameras and spectrographs and the installation of the final flight mirrors.<br />
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       After over a year of planning, nearly four months of final cryo (cold) testing and monitoring, the testing on the science instruments module of the observatory was completed. They were removed from a giant thermal vacuum chamber at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland called the Space Environment Simulator, or SES, that duplicates the vacuum and extreme temperatures of space. The SES is a 40-foot-tall, 27-foot-diameter cylindrical chamber that eliminates almost all of the air with vacuum pumps and uses liquid nitrogen and even colder gaseous helium to drop the temperature.<br /><br />       "We needed to test these instruments against the cold because one of the more difficult things on this project is that we are operating at very cold temperatures," said Begoña Vila, NASA's Cryogenic Test Lead for the ISIM at NASA Goddard. The <a href="http://jwst.nasa.gov/isim.html">ISIM, or Integrated Science Instrument Module</a> is one of three major elements that comprise the James Webb Space Telescope Observatory flight system. "We needed to make sure everything moves and behaves the way we expect them to in space. Everything has to be very precisely aligned for the cameras to take their measurements at those cold temperatures which they are optimized for."<br /><br />       The testing is critical because at these instrument’s final destination in space, one million miles away from Earth, it will operate at incredibly cold temperatures of minus 387 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 degrees Kelvin. This is 260 degrees Fahrenheit colder than any place on the Earth’s surface has ever been.<br /><br />       "This is the culmination of a lot of hard work by a lot of people who have been working for many, many years," said Jamie Dunn, NASA's Integrated Science Instrument Module Manager for the Webb telescope at Goddard. "This final test was phenomenal, everything is working spectacularly well.<br /><br />       The science instrument modules tested consist of the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI), jointly developed by a nationally funded European Consortium under the auspices of the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; a near infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec), jointly developed by Airbus for ESA and the U.S.; the Fine Guidance Sensor/ Near-InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph, provided by the the Canadian Space Agency and developed by COM DEV International, Cambridge, Ontario, Canada; and Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), built by a team at the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Center.<br /><br />       On March 6, 2016, shortly after the successful instrument testing, the last mirrors in Webb’s optical path were installed into the telescope. Now the telescope is officially optically complete.  <br /><br />       "Optical completeness means that all of the telescope mirrors have been installed," said Lee Feinberg, the Webb telescope Optical Telescope Element Manager, at Goddard. "We can now say ‘we have a telescope’—it’s a huge milestone many years in the making."<br /><br />       Once launched into space, this telescope will capture faint light from the very first objects that illuminated the universe after the Big Bang. To make observations of galaxies and stars from that far away, the telescope has a unique set of mirrors: a 25 square meter (~269 square feet) primary mirror consisting of 18 hexagonal concave segments, a secondary rounded, convex mirror, a tertiary concave mirror, and a moveable turning flat mirror called the fine steering mirror.<br /><br />       The Webb telescope’s primary mirror segments and secondary mirror are made of beryllium, which was selected for its stiffness, light weight and stability at cryogenic temperatures. Bare beryllium is not very reflective of near-infrared light, so each mirror is coated with about 0.12 ounces of gold to enable it to efficiently reflect infrared light (which is what the Webb telescope's cameras see).<br /><br />       The anchor of the optical system is the last (third) set of mirrors—the tertiary mirror and the fine steering mirror. These two mirrors are located inside the Aft Optics Subsystem (AOS), which is a phone booth-sized beryllium structure surrounded in black covering.  It is located right in the center of the primary mirror, and about half of it sticks up above the primary mirror.<br /><br />       After incoming light hits the expansive primary mirror, it is directed onto the small circular secondary mirror, which reflects it back in the direction of the primary mirror and into the AOS. [Animation: <a href="https://youtu.be/y9Z2GbFJWmo">https://youtu.be/y9Z2GbFJWmo</a> ] Inside the back end of the AOS is the tertiary mirror, where light bounces forward to the fine steering mirror at the ‘front’ of the AOS, which then reflects it out the back of the AOS to a focus behind the primary mirror for the scientific instruments. <br /><br />       "The completion of these major milestones represent huge achievements for NASA and our industry, European, Canadian, and academic partners.  ISIM and the telescope only reached these milestones because of the passion, dedication, and imagination of an outstanding group of individuals. The next major step is assembling the instrument module and the telescope together to complete the entire ‘cold’ section of the Webb observatory," said Bill Ochs, Webb telescope Project Manager at Goddard.<br /><br />       The mirrors were built by Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corporation, in Boulder, Colorado. Ball is the principal subcontractor to Northrop Grumman for the optical technology and optical system design. The installation of the mirrors onto the telescope structure is performed by Harris Corporation, a subcontractor to Northrop Grumman. Harris Corporation leads integration and testing for the telescope.<br /><br />       The most powerful space telescope ever built, the Webb telescope will provide images of the first galaxies ever formed and study planets around distant stars. It is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.<br /><br />       For more information about what's coming up for the Webb until launch, visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-coming-together-over-next-two-years">http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasas-james-webb-space-telescope-coming-together-over-next-two-years</a><br /><br />
       For more information about the Webb telescope, please visit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/webb">www.nasa.gov/webb</a> or jwst.nasa.gov.<br />
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Laura Betz<br />NASA's <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/goddard">Goddard Space Flight Center</a><br /><b> </b><br />
<b>       This post was originally published at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/nasa-marks-major-milestones-for-the-james-webb-space-telescope">NASA.gov</a></b>

NASA Marks Major Milestones for the James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope just got a little closer to launch with the completion of cryogenic testing on its science came...

NASA Seeks Satellite Maker for Series of CubeSat Technology Missions

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       NASA plans to award a contract for a six-unit (6U) CubeSat, with options for up to four additional CubeSats of the same basic design. The Pathfinder technology demonstration missions, enabled by this procurement, are expected to demonstrate several new propulsion systems, advanced control systems for precision pointing, and communications systems that will greatly increase data transmission for future missions.<br /><br />
       “NASA wants to promote the development of the commercial small spacecraft industry,” said Andrew Petro, program executive for SSTP at NASA Headquarters in Washington.  “We are seeking a spacecraft bus that will meet our needs while avoiding over-specification so that the vendor can propose a spacecraft that might also meet the needs of a broader market.”<br /><br />
       A 6U CubeSat measures 4 inches by 8 inches by 12 inches and has a mass of approximately 25 pounds. This Pathfinder CubeSat bus is required to provide at least 45 watts of power and allocate at least one-third of its volume for the technology payload. The proposed satellite is expected to be based on mature subsystems and require little, or preferably no new development, allowing for low cost, rapid delivery, and reasonably low technical risk.<br /><br />
       NASA’s Ames Research Center in California’s Silicon Valley will lead the project in collaboration with NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.  NASA expects the spacecraft and technology vendors to be partners in the mission operations. <br /><br />
       “The team is excited to solicit proposals for a basic small satellite bus design that will be adaptable for use on a series of low-cost missions for NASA, and possibly for other customers,” said John Marmie, project manager at Ames. “The satellites will be used to demonstrate and characterize novel small satellite payloads in low-Earth orbit.”<br /><br />
       This procurement is a departure from the approach in which NASA and others typically develop a new satellite platform for each technology demonstration or science mission. The procurement of multiple Pathfinder CubeSats will potentially enable a rapid cadence of technology demonstrations to advance the capabilities for CubeSats and other small spacecraft to support a wide variety of science, exploration and commercial space missions.<br /><br />
       “This is a new opportunity for the private sector to participate with NASA in demonstrating some of the technologies recently selected in our Tipping Point solicitation as well as some technologies coming out of the Small Business Innovation Research program" said Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator for the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington. <br /><br />
       Ames issued the request for proposals and manages SSTP within NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate. Proposals are due by March 30, 2016 and an award is anticipated by June 2016. The request for proposals can be found online at: <a href="https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/ARC/OPDC20220/NNA16574335R/listing.html">https://www.fbo.gov/spg/NASA/ARC/OPDC20220/NNA16574335R/listing.html</a><br /><b> </b><br />
<b>       For more information about the Small Spacecraft Technology Program, visit:</b><br />
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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/smallsats">http://www.nasa.gov/smallsats</a>  </div>
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Kimberly Williams<br /><a href="mailto:kimberly.k.williams@nasa.gov">kimberly.k.williams@nasa.gov</a><br />Ames Research Center<br />650-604-2457<br /><b> </b><br />
<b>       This post was originally published at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/nasa-seeks-satellite-maker-for-series-of-cubesat-technology-missions">NASA.gov</a></b><br />

NASA Seeks Satellite Maker for Series of CubeSat Technology Missions

In a unique invitation to develop a new satellite platform, NASA’s Small Spacecraft Technology Program (SSTP) is requesting proposals...

Launch of Supersonic Vehicle Test

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       Reporters are invited to a media day Monday, June 1, at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii, to learn about NASA's second flight test of its Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD).</div>
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       NASA's LDSD project is designed to investigate and test breakthrough technologies for landing future robotic and human Mars missions, and safely returning large payloads to Earth. The test, performed over the Pacific Ocean, will simulate the supersonic entry and descent speeds at which the spacecraft would be traveling through the Martian atmosphere.</div>
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       The media day will begin with a mission overview briefing at 8 a.m. HST. Briefing participants will include:</div>
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⦁    U.S. Navy Capt. Bruce Hay, commanding officer, PMRF<br />
⦁    Steve Jurczyk, associate administrator of the Space Technology Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington<br />
⦁    Mark Adler, LDSD project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California<br />
⦁    Ian Clark, LDSD principal investigator at JPL<br />
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       The briefing will be broadcast live at:</div>
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       To participate by phone, media must contact Kim Newton at 256-544-0371, 256-653-5173 or <a href="mailto:kimberly.d.newton@nasa.gov">kimberly.d.newton@nasa.gov</a>. Briefing participants also will answer questions submitted to the Ustream chat box or via Twitter using the #askNASA hashtag. After the briefing, media at PMRF will be taken on a tour of the launch area and Range Operations Center, as well as a driving tour of the facility.</div>
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       The test launch window is from June 2-12, and extends each day from approximately 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.</div>
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       Media are invited to watch the launch live at PMRF and, once the vehicle is no longer in unaided view, continue watching the test on monitors in the LDSD media center. Reporters must arrive no later than 5:45 a.m. each launch-attempt day for escort onto the base.</div>
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       At launch time, a giant balloon will carry the test vehicle to an altitude of 120,000 feet (37,000 meters). After released from the balloon, a booster rocket will lift the disk-shaped vehicle to 180,000 feet (55,000 meters), during which it will accelerate to supersonic speeds.</div>
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       Traveling at about three times the speed of sound, the vehicle’s inner-tube-shaped decelerator, called a supersonic inflatable aerodynamic decelerator, will inflate and slow the vehicle. Then, at Mach 2.35, its parachute will inflate and gently carry the vehicle to the ocean's surface.</div>
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       NASA's LDSD test vehicle carries several onboard cameras. Selected portions of the test, including the rocket-powered ascent, will be broadcast live on Ustream and NASA TV.</div>
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       The decision to attempt launch of the LDSD test will be made the day before each launch opportunity. NASA will issue updates on Twitter at @NASA and @NASA_Technology. Updates and other information on the mission can also be found at:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/ldsd" target="_blank">http://www.nasa.gov/ldsd</a> </b></div>
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       Media who would like to attend media day or launch day activities at PMRF must register in advance by contacting Elena Mejia at 818-354-5011 or <a href="mailto:elena.mejia@jpl.nasa.gov">elena.mejia@jpl.nasa.gov</a>.</div>
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       Foreign media must register by Thursday, May 14. U.S. media must register by Thursday, May 21. Media who are unsure whether they will attend are encouraged to register by the deadlines, even if they later cancel. NASA will provide detailed instructions to registrants.</div>
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       The first LDSD flight test in June 2014 verified the sound design of the vehicle design and test approach, and provided the project team an early look at how two deceleration technologies would function when traveling at supersonic speeds. During this first test, the SIAD operated successfully but the parachute did not inflate. One of the main goals this time around is to test the redesigned parachute.</div>
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       NASA's LDSD program is part of the agency's Space Technology Mission Directorate, which innovates, develops, tests and flies hardware for NASA's future missions. For more information about NASA's investment in space technology, visit:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech" target="_blank">http://www.nasa.gov/spacetech</a></b> </div>
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Josh Buck<br />
Headquarters, Washington<br />
202-358-1130<br />
<a href="mailto:jbuck@nasa.gov">jbuck@nasa.gov</a></div>
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Kim Newton<br />
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.<br />
256-544-0371<br />
<a href="mailto:kimberly.d.newton@nasa.gov">kimberly.d.newton@nasa.gov</a></div>
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D.C. Agle<br />
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.<br />
818-393-9011<br />
<a href="mailto:david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov">david.c.agle@jpl.nasa.gov</a></div>
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Stefan Alford<br />
Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii<br />
808-335-4740<br />
<a href="mailto:stefan.alford@navy.mil">stefan.alford@navy.mil</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> <b>      This post was originally published at </b></span><b><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-to-preview-day-launch-of-supersonic-vehicle-test"><span style="font-size: small;">NASA.gov</span></a></span></b></div>
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Launch of Supersonic Vehicle Test

Reporters are invited to a media day Monday, June 1, at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai...

The Ten-Engine Electric Plane Prototype