Recent Findings in Active Structural Control
Over the past decade, tremendous advancements have been made in the development of structural control paradigms and in the necessary supporting technologies. The fundamental paradigm that...
Inflation Instability of Cylindrical Membranes
A new procedure which investigates inflation instability of cylindrical nonlinear membranes is developed. The general characteristics of inflation instability are described. An efficient...
Nonlinear Eigensolver for Exact Vibration Analysis
Vibration analysis of structural systems is concerned with accurately predicting the free vibration modes and frequencies of the vibrating system. This analysis process involves two general...
An Expert System for Impeller Mechanical Design and Analysis
Impeller is the most critical component of centrifugal compressors. The mechanical efficiency and durability of the impeller determines the performance of the compressors. The shapes and...
Pattern Formation and Time-Dependence in Flowing Sand
The authors present results for a number of experiments on flowing granular materials and a novel cellular automata model for the flow of these materials when the grains are long and thin....
Human Exploration of Mars: The Role of a Mars Outpost Laboratory
The scientific exploration of Mars will require a systematic series of reconaissance missions (robotic and human) and detailed exploration at specific sites. The detailed exploration will...
Lunar Oasis
The Lunar Oasis emphasizes development toward self-sufficiency in order to reduce dependence on the Earth for resupply and to enable expansion utilizing indigenous resources. The Oasis...
A Horizontal Inflatable Habitat for SEI
The inflatable habitat described in this paper is a horizontally-oriented cylindrical pneumatic structure. It is part of NASA's ongoing effort to study inflatables as alternative habitats...
Cables and Cranes for a Flexible Lunar Transportation System
This paper will discuss the results of preliminary research on a cable-based transportation system for the moon. The paper will address the principles of cableway design and will present...
The Application of Open System Architecture to Planetary Surface Systems
This paper investigates the issues that future planet surface activities must confront, defines the basic concepts that provide the basis for establishing an Open System Architecture,...
Lunar Resource Base
A lunar base that exploits local resources to enhance the productivity of a total SEI scenario is discussed. The goals were to emphasize lunar science and to land men on Mars in 2016 using...
Chemical Analysis in Space Exploration: A Lunar-based Chemical Analysis Laboratory (LBCAL)
Many questions need to be answered before humans can be supported for extended periods in space - an environment inimical to terrestrial life. While some questions of a physiological nature...
A Modified Sulfate Process to Lunar Oxygen
A modified sulfate process which produces oxygen from iron oxide-bearing minerals in lunar soil is under development. Reaction rates of ilmenite in varying strength sulfuric acid have...
Power Sources for Lunar Bases
Working and living on the Moon requires artificial power sources both to operate equipment and to maintain life. This paper briefly surveys the power sources designed or proposed to support...
Design Concepts for a Lunar Electric Power System
This paper discusses the results of ongoing research and the evaluation of various concepts for transmission, distribution and utilization of electric power for a lunar liquid oxygen plant....
On-Orbit Assembly of Large Space Structures: A Mars Aerobrake Mock-up Study
As design requirements for space structures become larger in dimension, the issues of shipping and assembling these structures in space become more critical. One example of such a structure...
Ropeway Material Handling Systems for Lunar Mining Sites
The establishment of permanent lunar sites will be a requirement for future space explorations during early missions into space as well as long term. During all stages it will be necessary...
Principles of Control for Robotic Excavation
Excavation can be considered one of the most unstructured problems in the construction environment. On one hand, many technologies have been developed in the past to build shelters using...
On-Orbit Robotics Assembly and Operations of a Nuclear Mars Transfer System
This paper presents an operations concept and associated scenarios for assembly in Earth orbit of a manned Mars vehicle. The assembly of a Rockwell-Spar reference spacecraft configuration...
Robotic On-Orbit Fueling of SEI Vehicles
Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) missions may involve the assembly and then fueling of vehicles in locations other than on the surface of the Earth. For example, fueling of the Mars...
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