\tThe Space Technology Research Grants Program will accelerate the development of "push" technologies to support the future space science and exploration needs of NASA, other government agencies and the commercial space sector. Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":69,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36658,"title":"Space Technology Research Grants","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"STRG"},"description":"One of the biggest problems facing spaceflight today is the accumulation of orbital debris because it threatens the successful operation and lifespan of existing satellites. The predominant cause of orbital debris is the jettisoning of launch vehicle upper stages after their usefulness is over once a rocket reaches orbit altitude. While their orbit slowly decays, these obsolete upper stages then share an orbit with valuable satellites presenting a danger to those satellites by either hitting them or hitting other rocket bodies and breaking into smaller pieces which can be just as dangerous but become much harder to track. These collisions potentially add an exponentially growing number of debris in orbit. One way to reduce the number of rocket bodies in orbit is to have a drag device connected to the upper stage of the launch vehicle that deploys once it is jettisoned from the payload. The intent of this device is to increase atmospheric drag and thus accelerate deorbit. By reducing the time debris is in orbit we will reduce the amount of debris thereby reducing the threat to satellites. When designing this device, it is important to minimize the packaged mass and volume of the final design to minimize the impact on the launch vehicle payload capacity. This project requires background research to accumulate data on upper stage sizes and masses, final orbits, and the current time it takes them to deorbit. An orbital mechanics review would be required to determine the effectiveness of the drag device compared to size. This research will help to develop initial requirements to start the design phase of the device. The design depends greatly on the materials and the dynamics of the device. It requires a flexible membrane to allow packaging, and foldable booms to stiffen the membrane once it is deployed. These will most likely be made from composite materials. The dynamics will be determined through computer models and simulations, followed by the building of various prototypes to test the deployment and folding configurations. Testing the deployment will occur in three phases. The first is by offloading the gravity within the lab to facilitate quick design iterations based on test results. The second is testing the deployment in a reduced gravity aircraft for higher fidelity testing. Finally, it will be tested in space on either a cubesat or launch vehicle upper stage. The results of each round of testing will allow the design and models to be improved. The research required for this device applies to the technology area 12.3 Mechanical Systems because of the subsection 12.3.1 Deployables, Docking and Interfaces. This lower level element emphasizes the importance of being able to overcome the constraints of launch vehicle fairing size. The area of deployable space structures is still a fairly new research topic with a lot of room for development and study. This project will definitely help to increase the body of knowledge on the dynamics, design techniques, and testing techniques. The necessity for a reliable restraint/release mechanism will benefit development research, as well, as this is a very important aspect of any deployment system. The flexible sail material will require development and research into how flexible membranes stow and respond to the environment of space. Finally, it is possible that the goal of this project will necessitate a fairly large deployable, which would increase research data for large lightweight stiff deployables.
","benefits":"This project will definitely help to increase the body of knowledge on the dynamics, design techniques, and testing techniques of deployable space structures.
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Innovative efforts with high risk and high payoff will be encouraged. The program is composed of two competitively awarded components.
","parentProgram":{"ableToSelect":false,"isActive":true,"description":"Catalyst is a portfolio of early stage programs that specialize in different innovation constituencies and mechanisms to push the state of the art in aerospace technology development","programId":92327,"responsibleMd":{"canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":""},"title":"Catalyst","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"Catalyst"},"parentProgramId":92327,"programId":69,"responsibleMd":{"organizationId":4875,"organizationName":"Space Technology Mission Directorate","acronym":"STMD","organizationType":"NASA_Mission_Directorate","canUserEdit":false,"locationEdit":false,"organizationRolePretty":"","organizationTypePretty":"NASA Mission Directorate"},"responsibleMdOffice":4875,"stockImageFileId":36658,"title":"Space Technology Research Grants","manageGaps":false,"acronymOrTitle":"STRG"},"description":"One of the biggest problems facing spaceflight today is the accumulation of orbital debris because it threatens the successful operation and lifespan of existing satellites. The predominant cause of orbital debris is the jettisoning of launch vehicle upper stages after their usefulness is over once a rocket reaches orbit altitude. While their orbit slowly decays, these obsolete upper stages then share an orbit with valuable satellites presenting a danger to those satellites by either hitting them or hitting other rocket bodies and breaking into smaller pieces which can be just as dangerous but become much harder to track. These collisions potentially add an exponentially growing number of debris in orbit. One way to reduce the number of rocket bodies in orbit is to have a drag device connected to the upper stage of the launch vehicle that deploys once it is jettisoned from the payload. The intent of this device is to increase atmospheric drag and thus accelerate deorbit. By reducing the time debris is in orbit we will reduce the amount of debris thereby reducing the threat to satellites. When designing this device, it is important to minimize the packaged mass and volume of the final design to minimize the impact on the launch vehicle payload capacity. This project requires background research to accumulate data on upper stage sizes and masses, final orbits, and the current time it takes them to deorbit. An orbital mechanics review would be required to determine the effectiveness of the drag device compared to size. This research will help to develop initial requirements to start the design phase of the device. The design depends greatly on the materials and the dynamics of the device. It requires a flexible membrane to allow packaging, and foldable booms to stiffen the membrane once it is deployed. These will most likely be made from composite materials. The dynamics will be determined through computer models and simulations, followed by the building of various prototypes to test the deployment and folding configurations. Testing the deployment will occur in three phases. The first is by offloading the gravity within the lab to facilitate quick design iterations based on test results. The second is testing the deployment in a reduced gravity aircraft for higher fidelity testing. Finally, it will be tested in space on either a cubesat or launch vehicle upper stage. The results of each round of testing will allow the design and models to be improved. The research required for this device applies to the technology area 12.3 Mechanical Systems because of the subsection 12.3.1 Deployables, Docking and Interfaces. This lower level element emphasizes the importance of being able to overcome the constraints of launch vehicle fairing size. The area of deployable space structures is still a fairly new research topic with a lot of room for development and study. This project will definitely help to increase the body of knowledge on the dynamics, design techniques, and testing techniques. The necessity for a reliable restraint/release mechanism will benefit development research, as well, as this is a very important aspect of any deployment system. The flexible sail material will require development and research into how flexible membranes stow and respond to the environment of space. Finally, it is possible that the goal of this project will necessitate a fairly large deployable, which would increase research data for large lightweight stiff deployables.
","benefits":"This project will definitely help to increase the body of knowledge on the dynamics, design techniques, and testing techniques of deployable space structures.
","releaseStatus":"Released","status":"Completed","destinationType":["Earth"],"trlBegin":2,"trlCurrent":3,"trlEnd":3,"favorited":false,"detailedFunding":false,"programContacts":[{"contactId":183514,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Hung","lastName":"Nguyen","fullName":"Hung D Nguyen","fullNameInverted":"Nguyen, Hung D","middleInitial":"D","email":"hung.d.nguyen@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Manager","programContactId":162,"programId":69,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Manager","projectContactRolePretty":""},{"contactId":321177,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Matthew","lastName":"Deans","fullName":"Matthew C Deans","fullNameInverted":"Deans, Matthew C","middleInitial":"C","email":"matthew.c.deans-1@nasa.gov","receiveEmail":"Subscribed_User","programContactRole":"Program_Director","programContactId":267,"programId":69,"programContactRolePretty":"Program Director","projectContactRolePretty":""}],"endDateString":"Oct 2017","startDateString":"Aug 2013"},"technologyOutcomeDate":"2017-10-15","technologyOutcomePath":"Closed_Out","details":"Orbital debris is a growing problem in low Earth orbit; it has crossed a threshold of critical density where the number of debris objects will grow exponentially unless mitigated. Recent announcements of commercial small satellite constellations indicate interest in deploying hundreds to thousands of micro-satellites into Low-Earth Orbit at altitudes ranging from 1,000- 1,200 km, in order to provide global internet service. These constellations create a great need for a standard system for deorbit to help mitigate the orbital debris problem. This research focuses on designing and developing an aerodynamically stable drag sail to ensure a satellite deorbits within 25 years. The design is targeted to deorbit 100-150 kg satellites from altitudes ranging 1,100-1,200 km. This goal is advanced through three primary contributions to the state of the art, as summarized below. Contribution 1: Design of an aerodynamically stable, passive, deployable drag device for small satellite deorbit This investigation describes the design of a device that can be utilized to passively deorbit small satellites. A key requirement for this design is to adhere to a standard secondary payload interface, in order to take advantage of the existing mechanical and electrical interfaces and minimize the impact to the satellite. An innovative feature of the deorbit device system is an aerostable design to ensure the maximum drag attitude is maintained during the deorbit trajectory without active attitude control. The design of the drag device is scalable such that a range of satellite sizes may meet the 25-year deorbit guideline for circular orbit altitudes up to 1200 km. Contribution 2: Development and laboratory testing of a 1:10 scale prototype of the drag device to demonstrate functionality One goal of this system is to easily be scaled to different sizes to accommodate different satellite masses and different orbit altitudes. This investigation will describe the detailed design of a 1/10 scale version of the system as well as the conceptual design of the system sized to deorbit the baseline satellite configuration. Three component prototypes will be built and tested to verify the subsystems of the passively stable pyramid sail. The boom deployer mechanism will be built to ensure that friction is reduced and blossoming controlled. A test will be conducted to evaluate the procedure for the deployment of the sail quadrants. This will also provide data on how to mount the sail and the forces required to deploy the sail. There will be testing on how to package the sails, and booms in the chosen secondary payload volume. Contribution 3: Characterization of SHEARLESS Booms SHEARLESS booms are comprised of two tapes springs that are constrained together inside a polymer sleeve. It has been shown that in bending, there is some friction between the tape springs that couples them together, and a small interaction between them in torsion. The amount of the effect is not known. This research investigates the mechanical properties of the SHEARLESS booms for both the 45 mm tall full scale version and the 20 mm small scale version by conducting bending and torsion testing. The results will be compared to a finite element model in order to simulate the coupling between the tape springs with spring elements. It is important to test both sizes to compare how the properties change when the boom size is changed.","infoText":"Closed out","infoTextExtra":"Project closed out","isIndirect":false,"infusionPretty":"","isBiDirectional":false,"technologyOutcomeDateString":"Oct 2017","technologyOutcomeDateFullString":"October 2017","technologyOutcomePartnerPretty":"","technologyOutcomePathPretty":"Closed Out","technologyOutcomeRationalePretty":""}],"libraryItems":[{"files":[],"libraryItemId":363756,"title":"Project Website","libraryItemType":"Link","url":"https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/home/index.html","projectId":91439,"internalOnly":false,"publishedDateString":"","entryDateString":"01/22/25 01:10 AM","libraryItemTypePretty":"Link","modifiedDateString":"10/25/24 02:23 PM"}],"states":[{"abbreviation":"GA","country":{"abbreviation":"US","countryId":236,"name":"United States"},"countryId":236,"name":"Georgia","stateTerritoryId":2,"isTerritory":false}],"endDateString":"Oct 2017","startDateString":"Aug 2013"}}