12-12 December 2012

Technology Focus

Electronics/Computers

Software

Materials

Mechanics/Machinery

Manufacturing

Bio-Medical

Physical Sciences

Information Sciences

Books and Reports

INTRODUCTION Tech Briefs are short announcements of innovations originating from research and development activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They emphasize information con - sidered likely to be transferable across industrial, regional, or disciplinary lines and are issued to encourage commercial application.

Additional Information on NASA Tech Briefs and TSPs Additional information announced herein may be obtained from the NASA Technical Reports Server: http: // ntrs.nasa.gov .

Please reference the control numbers appearing at the end of each Tech Brief. Infor mation on NASA’s Innovative Partnerships Program (IPP), its documents, and se rvices is available on the World Wide Web at http: // www.ipp.nasa.gov .

Innovative Partnerships O ffices are located at NASA field centers to provide technology-transfer access to industrial users. Inquiries can be made by contacting NASA field centers listed below.

NASA Field Centers and Program Offices

Ames Research Center Johnson Space Center NASA Headquarters David Morse John E. James (650) 604-4724 (281) 483-3809 Daniel Lockney, [email protected] [email protected] Technology Transfer Program Executive (202) 358-2037 Dryden Flight Research Center Kennedy Space Center [email protected] Ron Young David R. Makufka (661) 276-3741 (321) 867-6227 Small Business Innovation Research [email protected] [email protected] (SBIR) & Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Programs Glenn Research Center Langley Research Center Rich Leshner, Program Executive Kimberly A. Dalgleish-Miller Michelle Ferebee (202) 358-4920 (216) 433-8047 (757) 864-5617 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Goddard Space Flight Center Marshall Space Flight Center Nona Cheeks Terry L. Taylor (301) 286-5810 (256) 544-5916 [email protected] [email protected]

Jet Propulsion Laboratory Stennis Space Center Indrani Graczyk Ramona Travis (818) 354-2241 (228) 688-3832 [email protected] [email protected]

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 1

12-12 December 2012

5 Technology Focus: 16 Radio Frequency Plasma Discharge Lamps for Use as Electronic Components Stable Calibration Light Sources 17 Membrane Shell Reflector Segment Antenna 5 Pattern Generator for Bench Test of Digital Boards 17 High-Speed Transport of Fluid Drops and Solid 5 670-GHz Down- and Up-Converting Particles via Surface Acoustic Waves HEMT-Based Mixers 18 Compact Autonomous Hemispheric Vision System 6 Lidar Electro-Optic Beam Switch with a Liquid 19 A Distributive, Non-Destructive, Real-Time Approach Crystal Variable Retarder to Snowpack Monitoring 6 Feedback Augmented Sub-Ranging (FASR) Quantizer 7 Real-Time Distributed Embedded Oscillator 21 Bio-Medical Operating Frequency Monitoring 21 Wideband Single-Crystal Transducer for Bone 9 Software Characterization 9 Software Modules for the Proximity-1 Space Link 23 Information Technology Interleaved Time Synchronization (PITS) Protocol 9 Description and User Instructions for the 23 Numerical Simulation of Rocket Exhaust Interaction Quaternion_to_orbit_v3 Software With Lunar Soil 9 AdapChem 23 Motion Imagery and Robotics Application (MIRA): Standards-Based Robotics 9 Mars Relay Lander and Orbiter Overflight Profile Estimation 24 Particle Filtering for Model-Based Anomaly Detection in Sensor Networks 10 Extended Testability Analysis Tool 10 Interactive 3D Mars Visualization 27 Books & Reports 10 Rapid Diagnostics of Onboard Sequences 27 Ka-band Digitally Beamformed Airborne Radar Using 11 MER Telemetry Processor SweepSAR Technique 11 pyam: Python implementation of YaM 27 Composite With In Situ Plenums 27 Multi-Beam Approach for Accelerating 13 Manufacturing & Prototyping Alignment and Calibration of HyspIRI-Like 13 Process for Patterning Indium for Bump Bonding Imaging Spectrometers 13 Archway for Radiation and Micrometeorite 27 JWST Lifting System Occurrence Resistance 27 Next-Generation Tumbleweed Rover 28 Pneumatic System for Concentration of 15 Physical Sciences Micrometer-Size Lunar Soil 15 4D Light Field Imaging System Using Programmable Aperture 15 Device and Container for Reheating and Sterilization

This document was prepared under the sponsorship of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Neither the United States Govern - ment nor any person acting on behalf of the United States Government assumes any liability resulting from the use of the informa tion contained in this document, or warrants that such use will be free from privately owned rights.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 3

Technology Focus: Electronic Components

Pattern Generator for Bench Test of Digital Boards Fresh data is streamed continuously for many tens of seconds with no gaps at 40 MHz. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

All efforts to develop electronic equip - to a software problem where it is more copies of the same ADP board. In com - ment reach a stage where they need a easily dealt with. bined ADP/formatter integration, the board test station for each board. The The first board to be tested was the IO card emulates the timing unit only. SMAP digital system consists of three ADC Digital Processor board (ADP). Using IO cards to emulate missing board types that interact with each other The ADP needed a complex Xilinx con - hardware for bench test is an older tech - using interfaces with critical timing. figuration data stream to operate, plus nology. The improvement here is the Each board needs to be tested individu - timing signals. The IO card is wired di - ability to stream out fresh data continu - ally before combining into the inte - rectly to the configuration and timing ously for many tens of seconds with no grated digital electronics system. Each inputs of the board through VME con - gaps at 40 MHz. This allows precise con - board needs critical timing signals from nectors. A slower pattern maker pro - trol over timing with time tag informa - the others to be able to operate. A bench gram combines the Xilinx configuration tion that varies over a wide range. This al - test system was developed to support test and desired timing into a large data file. lows a much better bench test than of each board. The test system produces This data file is clocked out at 40 MHz would have been possible in short pulses. all the outputs of the control and timing (32 bits of data) into 28 inputs of the By allowing more complete testing of unit, and is delivered much earlier than ADP to make it run. the individual boards when they are the timing unit. The formatter board needs data from ready rather than deferring test to inte - Timing signals are treated as data. A an ADP, plus timing information from gration, the delivery of the SMAP digital large file is generated containing the the control and timing unit. Data cap - system is accelerated. state of every timing signal at any in - tured from the ADP in its standalone This work was done by Andrew C. Berkun stant. This file is streamed out to an IO test is combined with timing informa - and Anhua J. Chu of Caltech for NASA’s Jet card, which is wired directly to the de - tion into a large file. The large file Propulsion Laboratory. Further information is vice-under-test (DUT) input pins. This streams out the IO card and is wired to contained in a TSP (see page 1) . provides a flexible test environment formatter inputs. Since the formatter The software used in this innovation is that can be adapted to any of the has more inputs than the IO card has available for commercial licensing. Please con - boards required to test in a standalone bits, several signals were cross-strapped tact Daniel Broderick of the California Insti - configuration. The problem of generat - (duplicated), making it appear to the tute of Technology at [email protected]. ing the critical timing signals is then formatter that it was receiving two ADP Refer to NPO-48231. transferred from a hardware problem boards when it was in fact receiving two

670-GHz Down- and Up-Converting HEMT-Based Mixers Applications include passive, active, or radar imaging. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

A large category of scientific investi - radar applications between spatial reso - forming the frequency conversion is gation takes advantage of the interac - lution (for a given antenna size) that fa - based on Schottky diode mixers for tions of signals in the frequency range vors higher frequencies, and atmos - both up and down conversion in this from 300 to 1,000 GHz and higher. This pheric losses that favor lower frequency range for room-temperature includes astronomy and atmospheric frequencies. A similar trade-off applies operation. Devices that can operate at science, where spectral observations in to communications link budgets: higher room temperature are generally re - this frequency range give information frequencies allow smaller antennas, but quired for terrestrial, military, and about molecular abundances, pressures, incur a higher loss. planetary applications that cannot tol - and temperatures of small-sized mole - All of these applications usually re - erate the mass, bulk, and power con - cules such as water. Additionally, there is quire converting the RF (radio fre - sumption of cryogenic cooling. a minimum in the atmospheric absorp - quency) signal at 670 GHz to a lower IF The technology has recently ad - tion at around 670 GHz that makes this (intermediate frequency) for process - vanced to the point that amplifiers in frequency useful for terrestrial imaging, ing. Further, transmitting for commu - the region up to nearly 1,000 GHz are radar, and possibly communications nication and radar generally requires feasible. Almost all of these have been purposes. This is because 670 GHz is a up-conversion from IF to the RF. The based on indium phosphide pseudo - good compromise for imaging and current state-of-the-art device for per - morphic high-electron mobility transis -

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 5 tors (pHEMTs), in the form of mono - This effectively samples the signal from drain FET pair acts like a sampler at lithic microwave integrated circuits the amplifier at the LO frequency, and twice the LO frequency. Simulations in- (MMICs). Since the processing of passes the beat note on to the output ter- dicate about 6 dB of improvement in the HEMT amplifiers is quite different from minal of the mixer. conversion gain, from –6 dB for the two- that of Schottky diodes, use of Schottky In the down-converting mixer, the FET design to around 0 dB for the three- mixers requires separate MMICs for the 670-GHz RF input is connected to the FET design. mixers and amplifiers. Fabrication of all gate of the grounded source stage, For the up-converting mixer, the cir - the down-/up-conversion circuitry on whose drain is directly connected to cuit is similar to the three-FET down- single MMICs, using all-HEMT circuits, the source or sources of the LO FETs converter, but with the IF input going would constitute a major advance in cir - (field-effect transistors). One version to the gate of the grounded source cuit simplicity. has only a single transistor in the stage, and the RF output taken from Three pHEMT-based subharmonic drain load, and relies on the non-lin - the drains of the LO transistors. The RF 670-GHz mixers were developed that are earity of the FET plus the output tun - and IF matching networks are also all subharmonically pumped at about ing circuitry to block the RF and LO modified to the correct frequency 300 GHz, which greatly simplifies the signals and passes only the IF to the ranges. Simulations indicate a conver - local oscillator (LO) source, compared output terminal. sion gain of about 3 dB. to a fundamentally pumped mixer re- The second down-converting mixer This work was done by Erich T. Schlecht, quiring a 600-GHz source. The mixers replaces the single LO FET with a pair Goutam Chattopadhyay, Robert H. Lin, and use an active topology. Fundamentally, having sources and drains connected to- Seth Sin of Caltech; and William Deal, they are configured as a single-stage, gether. The LO signal is fed to the two Bryan Rodriguez, Brian Bayuk, Kevin grounded-source amplifier with a drain gates through a network that gives a Leong, and Gerry Mei of Northrup Grum - load controlled by the LO. The drain 180° phase shift to one FET. Hence, the man for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. load is an additional transistor, or pair of two FETs are switched on for alternating Further information is contained in a TSP transistors, switched by the LO signal. half-cycles of the 300-GHz LO, and the (see page 1). NPO-48204

Lidar Electro-Optic Beam Switch with a Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas A document discusses a liquid crystal larized source, this can act to rotate the switching. It is low cost, tolerant of high variable retarder, an electro-optic ele - polarization by 90° in one state, but gen - laser power density, and needs only sim - ment that changes the polarization of an erate no rotation in the other state. If ple drive electronics, minimizing the re - optical beam in response to a low-volt - the beam is then incident on a polariza - quired system resources. age electronic signal. This device can be tion beam splitter, it will efficiently This work was done by James Baer of Ball fabricated so that the element creates, switch from one path to the other when Aerospace & Technologies Corp. for Johnson among other states, a half-wave of retar - the voltage is applied. The laser beam Space Center. Further information is con - dance that can be reduced to a very switching system has no moving parts, tained in a TSP (see page 1) . MSC-25113-1 small retardance. When aligned to a po - improving reliability over mechanical

Feedback Augmented Sub-Ranging (FASR) Quantizer This device increases the accuracy of a switched capacitor amplifier, reduces the power and area of an integrated circuit, and reduces manufacturing cost. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

This innovation is intended to reduce depend on charge redistribution. The cation of a sampled and held residue the size, power, and complexity of result is less sensitive to capacitor mis - signal is achieved by redistributing sam - pipeline analog-to-digital converters matches that cause gain errors, which pled charge onto a feedback capacitor (ADCs) that require high resolution are the main limitation of such ampli - around a high-gain transconductance and speed along with low power. Digitiz - fiers in pipeline ADCs. The residual er - amplifier. The residual charge that was ers are important components in any rors due to mismatch are reduced by at sampled during the acquisition or sam - application where analog signals (such least a factor of 16, which is equivalent pling phase is stored on two or more ca - as light, sound, temperature, etc.) need to at least 4 bits of improvement. The pacitors, often equal in value or inte - to be digitally processed. The innova - settling time is also faster because of a gral multiples of each other. During the tion implements amplification of a sam - higher feedback factor. hold or amplification phase, all of the pled residual voltage in a switched ca - In traditional switched capacitor charge is redistributed onto one capac - pacitor amplifier stage that does not residue amplifiers, closed-loop amplifi - itor in the feedback loop of the ampli -

6 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 fier to produce an amplified voltage. quirements) and/or complex calibra - (3) reduced requirement for calibra - The key error source is the non-ideal tion schemes, both of which increase tion. The accuracy of the new amplifier ratios of feedback and input capacitors the die size and power dissipation. is mainly limited by the sampling net - caused by manufacturing tolerances, The key features of this innovation works’ parasitic capacitances, which called “mismatches.” The mismatches are (1) the elimination of the need for should be minimized in relation to the cause non-ideal closed-loop gain, lead - charge redistribution to achieve an ac - sampling capacitors. ing to higher differential non-linearity. curate closed-loop gain of two, (2) a This work was done by Gerard Quilligan of Traditional solutions to the mismatch higher feedback factor in the amplifier Goddard Space Flight Center. Further informa - errors are to use larger capacitor values stage giving a higher closed-loop band - tion is contained in a TSP (see page 1) .GSC- (than dictated by thermal noise re - width compared to the prior art, and 16187-1

Real-Time Distributed Embedded Oscillator Operating Frequency Monitoring Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas A document discusses the utilization many operational links, can potentially buffering required and report a fast or of embedded clocks inside of operating determine faulty remote or local devices slow receive clock, respectively. network data links as an auxiliary clock in the presence of multiple faults. This work was done by Julie Pollock, Brett source to satisfy local oscillator monitor - Two methods of implementation are Oliver, and Christopher Brickner of Honey - ing requirements. Modem network in - described. In one method, a recovered well, Inc. for Johnson Space Center. For fur - terfaces, typically serial network links, clock can be directly used to monitor ther information, contact the JSC Innovation often contain embedded clocking infor - the local clock as a direct replacement of Partnerships Office at (281) 483-3809. mation of very tight precision to recover an external local oscillator. This scheme Title to this invention has been waived data from the link. This embedded is consistent with a general clock moni - under the provisions of the National Aeronau - clocking data can be utilized by the re - toring function whereby clock sources tics and Space Act {42 U.S.C. 2457(f)}, to ceiving device to monitor the local oscil - are clocking two counters and compared Honeywell, Inc. Inquiries concerning licenses lator for tolerance to required specifica - over a fixed interval of time. In another for its commercial development should be ad - tions, often important in high-integrity method, overflow/underflow conditions dressed to: fault-tolerant applications. can be used to detect clock relationships Aerospace – Defense & Space A device can utilize a received embed - for monitoring. These network inter - Honeywell ded clock to determine if the local or the faces often provide clock compensation P.O. Box 52199 remote device is out of tolerance by using circuitry to allow data to be transferred Phoenix, AZ 85072-2199 a single link. The local device can deter - from the received (network) clock do - Phone No.: (602) 822-3000 mine if it is failing, assuming a single fault main to the internal clock domain. This Refer to MSC-24765-1, volume and num - model, with two or more active links. Net - circuit could be modified to detect over - ber of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the work fabric components, containing flow/underflow conditions of the page number.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 7

Software

This software has been designed for tional “single-mechanism” approach. Software Modules for the simulation of the calibration maneuvers This work was done by Oluwayemisi O. Proximity-1 Space Link In - performed by the two spacecraft com - Oluwole and Hsi-Wu Wong of Aerodyne Re - terleaved Time Synchroniza - prising the GRAIL mission to the Moon, search Inc., and William Green of MIT for tion (PITS) Protocol but has potential use for other applica - Glenn Research Center. Further information is The Proximity-1 Space Link Inter - tions. In simulations of formation flights, contained in a TSP (see page 1) . leaved Time Synchronization (PITS) pro - one needs to coordinate the spacecraft Inquiries concerning rights for the commer - tocol provides time distribution and syn - orbits represented in an appropriate in - cial use of this invention should be addressed to chronization services for space systems. A ertial reference frame and the spacecraft NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative software prototype implementation of the attitudes. The latter are usually given as Partnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, Mail PITS algorithm has been developed that the time series of quaternions rotating Stop 4–8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, also provides the test harness to evaluate the body-fixed reference frame of a par - Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18786-1. the key functionalities of PITS with simu - ticular spacecraft to the inertial refer - lated data source and sink. ence frame. It is often desirable to simu - PITS integrates time synchronization late the same maneuver for different functionality into the link layer of the segments of the orbit. It is also useful to Mars Relay Lander and CCSDS Proximity-1 Space Link Protocol. study various maneuvers that could be Orbiter Overflight Profile The software prototype implements the performed at the same orbit segment. Estimation network packet format, data structures, These two lines of study are more time- This software allows science and mis - and transmit- and receive-timestamp and labor-efficient if the attitude and sion operations to view graphs of geo - function for a time server and a client. orbit data are generated independently, metric overflights of satellites and lan - The software also simulates the transmit- so that the part of the data that has not ders within the Mars (or other and receive-time stamp exchanges via been changed can be “recycled” in the planetary) networks. It improves on the UDP (User Datagram Protocol ) socket course of multiple simulations. MaROS Web interface within any mod - between a time server and a time client, This work was done by Dmitry V. ern Web browser, in that it adds new ca - and produces relative time offsets and Strekalov, Gerhard L. Kruizinga, Meegyeong pabilities to the MaROS suite. delay estimates. Paik, Dah-Ning Yuan, and Sami W. Asmar The profile for an overflight is an im - This work was done by Simon S. Woo, John of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labora - portant element for selecting commu - R. Veregge, Jay L. Gao, and Loren P. Clare of tory. Further information is contained in a nication/overflight opportunities be - Caltech; and David Mills of the University of TSP (see page 1) . tween the landers and orbiters within Delaware for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labora - This software is available for commercial li - the Mars network. Unfortunately, de - tory. For more information, contact censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of termining these estimates is very com - [email protected]. the California Institute of Technology at putationally expensive and difficult to This software is available for commercial li - [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47701. compute by hand. This software allows censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of the user to select different overflights the California Institute of Technology at (via the existing MaROS Web inter - [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47404. face) and specify the smoothness of the AdapChem estimation. AdapChem software enables high effi - Estimates for the geometric relation - ciency, low computational cost, and en - ship between a lander and an orbiter are Description and User In - hanced accuracy on computational fluid determined based upon the orbital con - structions for the Quater - dynamics (CFD) numerical simulations ditions of the orbiter at the moment the nion_to_orbit_v3 Software used for combustion studies. The soft - orbiter rises above the horizon from the For a given inertial frame of reference, ware dynamically allocates smaller, re - perspective of the lander. It utilizes 2- the software combines the spacecraft or - duced chemical models instead of the body orbital equations to propagate the bits with the spacecraft attitude quater - larger, full chemistry models to evolve trajectory through the duration of the nions, and rotates the body-fixed refer - the calculation while ensuring the same view period, and returns profiles that ence frame of a particular spacecraft to accuracy to be obtained for steady-state represent the range between the two ve - the inertial reference frame. The conver - CFD reacting flow simulations. hicles, and the elevation and azimuth sion assumes that the two spacecraft are The software enables detailed chemical angles of the orbiter as measured from aligned with respect to the mutual line of kinetic modeling in combustion CFD sim - the lander’s position. The algorithms as - sight, with a parameterized time tag. The ulations. AdapChem adapts the reaction sume a 2-body relationship with an ideal, software is implemented in Python and is mechanism used in the CFD to the local re - spherical planetary body, so therefore completely open source. It is very versa - action conditions. Instead of a single, com - can see errors less than 2% at polar land - tile, and may be applied under various prehensive reaction mechanism through - ing sites on Mars. These algorithms are circumstances and for other related pur - out the computation, a dynamic being implemented to provide rough es - poses. Based on the solid linear algebra distribution of smaller, reduced models is timates rapidly for the geometry of a analysis, it has an extra option for com - used to capture accurately the chemical ki - geometric view period where more com - pensating the linear pitch. netics at a fraction of the cost of the tradi - plete data is unavailable, such as for

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 9 planning purposes. sor Sensitivity Analysis Report shows the ence analyses to date into geologic con - While other software for this task exists, diagnostic impact due to loss of sensor in - text on a daily basis instead of weeks or each at the time of this reporting has formation, and (6) the Effect Mapping Re - months, as was the norm prior to this been contained within a much more port identifies failure modes that result in contribution. This allows the science complicated package. This tool allows sci - specified system-level effects. planners to judge the efficacy of their ence and mission operations to view the The ETA Tool provides iterative assess - previously executed science observa - estimates with a few clicks of the mouse. ment analyses for conducting sensor sensi - tions much more efficiently, and achieve This work was done by Michael N. Wallick, tivity studies, as well as a command-line op - greater science return as a result. Daniel A. Allard, Roy E. Gladden, and Corey tion that allows the user to specify the The Interactive 3D Mars surface view L. Peterson of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propul - component isolation level. The tool ac - is a Mars terrain browsing software inter - sion Laboratory. Further information is con - cesses system design information from the face that encompasses the entire region tained in a TSP (see page 1) . diagnostic model to generate detailed di - of exploration for a Mars surface explo - This software is available for commercial li - agnostic assessment reports, and com - ration mission. The view is interactive, censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of the mand-line processing enables potential allowing the user to pan in any direction California Institute of Technology at batch mode processing of TEAMS De - by clicking and dragging, or to zoom in [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47722. signer models. The tool also features user- or out by scrolling the mouse or touch - specified report options that include inter - pad. This set currently includes tools for nal source calls and access to system selecting a point of interest, and a ruler environmental variables – features that en - tool for displaying the distance between Extended Testability able automation of the previously labor-in - and positions of two points of interest. Analysis Tool tensive manipulation of input files. The The mapping information can be The Extended Testability Analysis software generates detailed, readable diag - harvested and shared through ubiqui - (ETA) Tool is a software application that nostic assessment reports that can be tous online mapping tools like Google supports fault management (FM) by per - viewed in an Internet browser or imported Mars, NASA WorldWind, and World - forming testability analyses on the fault into either Microsoft Word or Excel pro - wide Telescope. propagation model of a given system. grams. Procedural C code provides fast, This work was done by Mark W. Powell of Fault management includes the preven - consistent, and efficient processing of the Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. tion of faults through robust design mar - diagnostic model information. Further information is contained in a TSP gins and quality assurance methods, or the This work was done by Kevin Melcher of (see page 1) . mitigation of system failures. Fault man - Glenn Research Center, and William A. This software is available for commercial li - agement requires an understanding of the Maul and Christopher Fulton of QinetiQ censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of system design and operation, potential North America. Further information is con - the California Institute of Technology at failure mechanisms within the system, and tained in a TSP (see page 1) . [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47311. the propagation of those potential failures Inquiries concerning rights for the commer - through the system. cial use of this invention should be addressed to The purpose of the ETA Tool software NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative is to process the testability analysis results Partnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, Mail Rapid Diagnostics of from a commercial software program Stop 4–8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, Onboard Sequences called TEAMS Designer in order to pro - Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18795-1. Keeping track of sequences onboard vide a detailed set of diagnostic assess - a spacecraft is challenging. When re - ment reports. The ETA Tool is a com - viewing Event Verification Records mand-line process with several (EVRs) of sequence executions on the user-selectable report output options. Interactive 3D Mars Mars Exploration Rover (MER), opera - The ETA Tool also extends the COTS Visualization tors often found themselves wondering testability analysis and enables variation The Interactive 3D Mars Visualization which version of a named sequence the studies with sensor sensitivity impacts on system provides high-performance, im - EVR corresponded to. The lack of this system diagnostics and component isola - mersive visualization of satellite and sur - information drastically impacts the op - tion using a single testability output. The face vehicle imagery of Mars. The soft - erators’ diagnostic capabilities as well as ETA Tool can also provide extended ware can be used in mission operations their situational awareness with respect analyses from a single set of testability to provide the most accurate position in - to the commands the spacecraft has ex - output files. formation for the Mars rovers to date. ecuted, since the EVRs do not provide The following analysis reports are avail - When integrated into the mission data argument values or explanatory com - able to the user: (1) the Detectability Re - pipeline, this system allows mission plan - ments. Having this information immedi - port provides a breakdown of how each ners to view the location of the rover on ately available can be instrumental in di - tested failure mode was detected, (2) the Mars to 0.01-meter accuracy with respect agnosing critical events and can Test Utilization Report identifies all the to satellite imagery, with dynamic up - significantly enhance the overall safety failure modes that each test detects, (3) dates to incorporate the latest position of the spacecraft. the Failure Mode Isolation Report demon - information. Given this information so This software provides auditing capa - strates the system’s ability to discriminate early in the planning process, rover driv - bility that can eliminate that uncertainty between failure modes, (4) the Compo - ers are able to plan more accurate drive while diagnosing critical conditions. nent Isolation Report demonstrates the activities for the rover than ever before, Furthermore, the Restful interface pro - system’s ability to discriminate between increasing the execution of science ac - vides a simple way for sequencing tools failure modes relative to the components tivities significantly. Scientifically, this 3D to automatically retrieve binary com - containing the failure modes, (5) the Sen - mapping information puts all of the sci - piled sequence SCMFs (Space Com -

10 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 mand Message Files) on demand. It also opment challenges associated with soft - enables developers to change the un - MER Telemetry Processor ware reuse, managing multiple software derlying database, while maintaining MERTELEMPROC processes teleme - configurations, developing software the same interface to the existing appli - tered data in data product format and product lines, and multiple platform de - cations. The logging capabilities are generates Experiment Data Records velopment and build management. also beneficial to operators when they (EDRs) for many instruments (HAZ - pyam uses release-early, release-often de - are trying to recall how they solved a CAM, NAVCAM, PANCAM, microscopic velopment cycles to allow developers to similar problem many days ago: this imager, Mössbauer spectrometer, APXS, integrate their changes incrementally software enables automatic recovery of RAT, and EDLCAM) on the Mars Explo - into the system on a continual basis. It SCMF and RML (Robot Markup Lan - ration Rover (MER). If the data is com - facilitates the creation and merging of guage) sequence files directly from the pressed, then MERTELEMPROC de - branches to support the isolated devel - command EVRs, eliminating the need compresses the data with an opment of immature software to avoid for people to find and validate the cor - appropriate decompression algorithm. impacting the stability of the develop - responding sequences. There are two compression algorithms ment effort. It uses modules and pack - To address the lack of auditing capa - (ICER and LOCO) used in MER. This ages to organize and share software bility for sequences onboard a space - program fulfills a MER specific need to across multiple software products, and craft during earlier missions, extensive generate Level 1 products within a 60- uses the concepts of link and work mod - logging support was added on the Mars second time requirement. ules to reduce sandbox setup times even Science Laboratory (MSL) sequencing EDRs generated by this program are when the code-base is large. One side- server. This server is responsible for used by merinverter, marscahv, benefit is the enforcement of a strong generating all MSL binary SCMFs from marsrad, and marsjplstereo to generate module-level encapsulation of a mod - RML input sequences. The sequencing higher-level products for the mission ule’s functionality and interface. This in - server logs every SCMF it generates into operations. MERTELEPROC was the creases design transparency, system sta - a MySQL database, as well as the high- first GDS program to process the data bility, and software reuse. level RML file and dictionary name in - product. Metadata of the data product pyam is written in Python and is or - puts used to create the SCMF. The is in XML format. The software allows ganized as a set of utilities on top of the SCMF is then indexed by a hash value user-configurable input parameters, open source SVN software version con - that is automatically included in all per-product processing (not stream- trol package. All development software command EVRs by the onboard flight based processing), and fail-over is al - is organized into a collection of “mod - software. Second, both the binary SCMF lowed if the leading image header is ules.” pyam “packages” are defined as result and the RML input file can be re - corrupted. It is used within the MER au - sub-collections of the available modules. trieved simply by specifying the hash to tomated pipeline. Developers can set up private sandboxes a Restful web interface. This interface MERTELEMPROC is part of the for module/package development. All enables command line tools as well as OPGS (Operational Product Genera - module/package development takes large sophisticated programs to down - tion Subsystem) automated pipeline, place on private SVN branches. High- load the SCMF and RMLs on-demand which analyzes images returned by in level pyam commands support the from the database, enabling a vast array situ spacecraft and creates level 1 prod - setup, update, and release of modules of tools to be built on top of it. One ucts to assist in operations, science, and and packages. Released and pre-built such command line tool can retrieve outreach. versions of modules are available to de - and display RML files, or annotate a list This work was done by Hyun H. Lee of Cal - velopers. Developers can tailor the of EVRs by interleaving them with the tech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For source/link module mix for their sand - original sequence commands. more information, contact [email protected]. boxes so that new sandboxes (even large This software has been integrated with This software is available for commercial li - ones) can be built up easily and quickly the MSL sequencing pipeline where it censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of by pointing to pre-existing module re - will serve sequences useful in diagnos - the California Institute of Technology at leases. All inter-module interfaces are tics, debugging, and situational aware - [email protected]. Refer to NPO-47797. publicly exported via links. A minimal, ness throughout the mission. but uniform, convention is used for This work was done by Thomas W. Star - building modules. bird, John R. Morris, Khawaja S. Shams, This work was done by Steven Myint and and Mark W. Maimone of Caltech for NASA’s pyam: Python Abhinandan Jain of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Jet Propulsion Laboratory. For more informa - implementation of YaM Propulsion Laboratory. For more information, tion, contact [email protected]. pyam is a software development contact [email protected]. This software is available for commercial li - framework with tools for facilitating the This software is available for commercial li - censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of rapid development of software in a con - censing. Please contact Daniel Broderick of the California Institute of Technology at current software development environ - the California Institute of Technology at [email protected]. Refer to NPO-48080. ment. pyam provides solutions for devel - [email protected]. Refer to NPO-48447.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 11

Manufacturing & Prototyping

Process for Patterning Indium for Bump Bonding Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland An innovation was created for the Cos - delineated prior to the indium bump phy prior to adding the high-aspect- mology Large Angular Scale Surveyor process. Alternatively, processing the in - ratio structures. Typically, high-aspect- for integration of low-temperature de - dium bumps first is limited by compati - ratio structures require a thick resist tector chips with a silicon backshort and bility of the indium with subsequent pro - layer so this layer can easily cover the sil - a silicon photonic choke through flip- cessing. The present invention allows icon topography. For multiple levels of chip bonding. Indium bumps are typi - for locating bumps arbitrarily close to topography, the silicon can be easily cally patterned using liftoff processes, multiple-level high-aspect-ratio struc - conformally coated through standard which require thick resist. In some appli - tures, and for indium bumps to be processes. A blanket layer of indium is cations, it is necessary to locate the formed without liftoff resist. then deposited onto the full wafer; bumps close to high-aspect-ratio struc - The process uses the poor step cover - bump bonding only occurs at the high tures such as wafer through-holes. In age of indium deposited on a silicon points of the topography. those cases, liftoff processes are chal - wafer that has been previously etched to This work was done by Kevin Denis of God - lenging, and require complicated and delineate the location of the indium dard Space Flight Center. Further information time-consuming spray coating technol - bumps. The silicon pattern can be is contained in a TSP (see page 1) . GSC- ogy if the high-aspect-ratio structures are processed through standard lithogra - 16386-1

Archway for Radiation and Micrometeorite Occurrence Resistance This technology can be used where there is a need to rapidly deploy large, rugged structures including military, emergency services and disaster relief, and camping. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

The environmental conditions of the sufficient protection from both direct tional logistics capacity and increased Moon require mitigation if a long-term and secondary radiation from cosmic science return for all mission phases. human presence is to be achieved for rays and solar protons; this thickness is The development of non-pressurized extended periods of time. Radiation, sufficient to reduce radiation exposure primary structures that have synergy micrometeoroid impacts, high-velocity even during solar flares. NASA has pre - with the development of pressurized debris, and thermal cycling represent viously identified a need for innovations structures is also of interest. The use of threats to crew, equipment, and facili - that will support lunar habitats using indigenous or in situ materials is also a ties. For decades, local regolith has lightweight structures because the re - well-known and active area of research been suggested as a candidate material duction of structural mass translates di - that could drastically improve the prac - to use in the construction of protective rectly into additional up and down mass ticality of human exploration beyond barriers. A thickness of roughly 3 m is capability that would facilitate addi - low-Earth orbit.

C B

v iv D iii ii i A

Views of ARMOR Construction . The temporary inflatable (A) deploys (i). Then the jacket (B) is deployed (ii). Regolith (C) is then poured into the jacket and initially supported by the inflatable (iii). When the jacket is filled, the regolith inside the arch of the jacket is self-supporting, and the inflatable is no longer necessary (iv). Habitat modules and equipment (D) can be moved into the ARMOR (v). The jacket is shown in cutaway in steps (ii), (iii), and (iv) to illustrate regolith filling.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 13

The Archway for Radiation and Mi - golith processing is required. During the sorbed first by an external, high- crometeorite Occurrence Resistance regolith filling process, an inflatable strength blanket held over and slightly (ARMOR) concept is a new, multifunc - structure under the arch supports the away from the ARMOR jacket. The pro - tional structure that acts as radiation mass of the regolith, but once regolith jectile penetrates this outer blanket, but shielding and micrometeorite impact filling is complete the catenary arch becomes fragmented and loses energy shielding for long-duration lunar sur - formed by the regolith and the jacket be - in the process. The remnants of the pro - face protection of humans and equip - comes self-supporting and the inflatable jectile then impact the exterior of the ment. ARMOR uses a combination of can be deflated and removed. When jacket, and the jacket and regolith ab - native regolith and a deployed mem - complete, habitat modules and equip - sorb the remaining kinetic energy. Facil - brane “jacket” to yield a multifunctional ment can be moved into the protected ities placed inside the ARMOR will be structure. ARMOR is a robust and mod - cavity under the arch. ARMOR is a near- protected from direct sunlight, reduc - ular system that can be autonomously as - term system that would provide a reli - ing the extreme temperature variations. sembled on-site prior to the first human able and robust lightweight structure Infrared radiation from the facility will surface arrival. technology to support large lunar habi - be reflected by the interior of the The system provides protection by tats, drastically lower launch mass, and ARMOR back onto the facility, reducing holding a sufficiently thick (3 m) arch- improve efficient volume use, reducing heat loss. shaped shell of local regolith around a launch costs. This work was done by Dr. Louis R. Gier - central cavity. The regolith is held in ARMOR also protects from microme - sch of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab - shape by an arch-shaped jacket made of teorites. The kinetic energy of microm - oratory. Further information is contained in strong but deployable material. No re - eteorites and other debris will be ab - a TSP (see page 1) . NPO-47686

14 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 Physical Sciences

4D Light Field Imaging System Using Programmable Aperture This system would be useful for inspections and surgeries, as well as in any stereo imaging system using two cameras. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Complete depth information can be panel, similar to ones commonly used in be programmed for single-viewpoint im - extracted from analyzing all angles of the display industry] to achieve a mov - aging, multiple-viewpoint imaging, and light rays emanated from a source. ing aperture. However, LC panels can - coded aperture imaging. However, this angular information is not withstand harsh environments and The novelty lies in using a DMD in - lost in a typical 2D imaging system. In are not qualified for spaceflight. In this stead of a LC panel to move the aper - order to record this information, a stan - regard, different hardware is proposed tures for 4D light field imaging. The dard stereo imaging system uses two for the moving aperture. DMD uses reflecting mirrors, so any cameras to obtain information from A digital micromirror device (DMD) light transmission lost (which would be two view angles. Sometimes, more cam - will replace the liquid crystal. This will expected from the LC panel) will be eras are used to obtain information be qualified for harsh environments for minimal. Also, the MEMS-based DMD from more angles. However, a 4D light the 4D light field imaging. This will en - can withstand higher temperature and field imaging technique can achieve able an imager to record near-complete pressure fluctuation than a LC panel this multiple-camera effect through a stereo information. can. Robotics need near complete stereo single-lens camera. The approach to building a proof-of- images for their autonomous navigation, Two methods are available for this: concept is using existing, or slightly manipulation, and depth approxima - one using a microlens array, and the modified, off-the-shelf components. An tion. The imaging system can provide vi - other using a moving aperture. The SLR (single-lens reflex) lens system, sual feedback. moving-aperture method can obtain which typically has a large aperture for This work was done by Youngsam Bae of more complete stereo information. The fast imaging, will be modified. The lens Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. existing literature suggests a modified system will be arranged so that DMD can Further information is contained in a TSP liquid crystal panel [LC (liquid crystal) be integrated. The shape of aperture will (see page 1) . NPO-48604

(a) (b) (c) (d)

(a) Two demultiplexed light field images generated by the 4D Light Field Imaging System . The full 4D resolution is 4 ×4×3039 ×2014. (b) The estimated depth map of the top image of (a). (c, d) Post-exposure refocused images generated from the light field and the depth maps.

Device and Container for Reheating and Sterilization This device can be used for packaged products that require heating prior to use. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas Long-duration space missions require package equipped with electrodes was human waste for storage prior to jettison the development of improved foods and developed that will enable rapid reheat - during a long-duration mission. novel packages that do not represent a ing of contents via ohmic heating to Ohmic heating is a technology that significant disposal issue. In addition, it serving temperature during space vehi - has been investigated on and off for over would also be desirable if rapid heating cle transit. Further, the package is de - a century. Literature indicates that foods technologies could be used on Earth as signed with a resealing feature, which processed by ohmic heating are of supe - well, to improve food quality during a enables the package, once used, to con - rior quality to their conventionally sterilization process. For this purpose, a tain and sterilize waste, including processed counterparts. This is due to

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 15

the speed and uniformity of ohmic heat - when exposed to heating to steriliza - power supply at 10 kHz. This is critical in ing, which minimizes exposure of sensi - tion temperatures (greater than 121 a space application, since bubble forma - tive materials to high temperatures. In °C), it is necessary to prevent seal rup - tion at the electrodes can stop the heat - principle, the material may be heated ture by applying air pressure into the ing unless electrolysis can be suppressed. rapidly to sterilization conditions, enclosure. To enable cooling of the This work was done by Sudhir K. Sastry, cooled rapidly, and stored. package in the enclosure, a water inlet Brian F. Heskitt, Soojin Jun, Joseph E. Marcy, The ohmic heating device herein is in - and outlet are provided. The electrode and Ritesh Mahna of Ohio State University corporated within a package. While this tabs could be modified to form a for Johnson Space Center. For further informa - by itself is not novel, a reusable feature larger pair of electrodes, which will tion, contact the JSC Innovation Partnerships also was developed with the intent that also allow heating of water within the Office at (281) 483-3809. waste may be stored and re-sterilized enclosure if necessary. In accordance with Public Law 96-517, the within the packages. These would then Under normal reheating conditions, contractor has elected to retain title to this inven - serve a useful function after their use in temperatures will not need to go above tion. Inquiries concerning rights for its commer - food processing and storage. 100 °C, thus the air overpressure feature cial use should be addressed to: The enclosure should be designed to will be unnecessary. The plan is to pro - Office of Technology Licensing minimize mass (and for NASA’s pur - vide a user interface with a keypad that 1960 Kenny Road 2nd floor poses, Equivalent System Mass, or ESM), will enable users to dial in the heating Columbus, OH 43210-1063 while enabling the sterilization function. protocol depending on the product that Phone No.: (614) 292-1315 It should also be electrically insulating. is within the chamber. This feature Refer to MSC-23999-1, volume and number For this reason, Ultem ® high-strength, could be automated. of this NASA Tech Briefs issue, and the page machinable electrical in sula tor was used. The incidence of electrolysis will be number. Because the pouch would expand minimized using a solid-state IGBT

Radio Frequency Plasma Discharge Lamps for Use as Stable Calibration Light Sources Electrode-induced instabilities are eliminated and the lifetime is not limited by electrode erosion. Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Stable high radiance in visible and a low-noise source of DC electrical and surface profile. Due to the high elec - near-ultraviolet wavelengths is desirable power improves the stability of the lamp tric field gradients, these small changes in for radiometric calibration sources. In output. Finally, coupling the light into geometry result in non-negligible changes this work, newly available electrodeless an integrating sphere reduces the effect to the light output. radio-frequency (RF) driven plasma light of spatial fluctuations, and decreases Additionally, much of the sputtered sources were combined with research- noise at the output port of the sphere. electrode material is deposited as a thin grade, low-noise power supplies and cou - The RF-driven lamps have several ad - layer on the inner surface of the lamp. pled to an integrating sphere to produce vantages over traditional calibration This decreases light transmission through a uniform radiance source. The stock sources. Currently, accurate radiance the glass and ultimately limits the useful light sources consist of a 28 VDC power measurements can be made at infrared life of the lamp to no more than 1,000 supply, RF driver, and a resonant RF cav - and the red portion of the visible wave - hours, over the course of which the radi - ity. The RF cavity includes a small bulb lengths using tungsten filament-style FEL ant flux may decrease by a factor of two. with a fill gas that is ionized by the electric lamps. However, the blackbody output of Additionally, the xenon lamps generate field and emits light. This assembly is these lamps is limited to 3,000 K, and in - several undesirable sharp emission lines known as the emitter. The RF driver sup - tensity falls exponentially at shorter wave - with large intensity variation over a small plies a source of RF energy to the emitter. lengths at the blue end of the spectrum. spectral range. The electrode-induced in - In commercial form, embedded elec - For reproduction of the solar spectrum, stabilities are eliminated in the RF lamp, tronics within the RF driver perform a with an equivalent blackbody tempera - and the lifetime is not limited by elec - continual optimization routine to maxi - ture of 6000 K, the blue and ultraviolet trode erosion. The higher operating pres - mize energy transfer to the emitter. This wavelengths have typically been produced sure of the RF-driven bulbs produces a optimization routine continually varies using high-pressure xenon arc discharge smoother broadband spectrum. The RF the light output sinusoidally by approxi - lamps. These lamps achieve the high tem - lamps are also more efficient, and have mately 2% over a several-second period. perature necessary in a narrow filament of more conducive geometry for coupling Modifying to eliminate this optimization ionized gas between two electrodes. This their light into an integrating sphere. eliminates the sinusoidal variation but ion channel suffers from instabilities pro - This work was done by Brendan McAndrew allows the output to slowly drift over duced by buoyancy-induced turbulence of and John Cooper of Goddard Space Flight time. This drift can be minimized by al - the surrounding gas. There is also longer- Center; and Angelo Arecchi, Greg McKee, and lowing sufficient warm-up time to term drift associated with the sputtering Christopher Durell of Labsphere, Inc. Further achieve thermal equilibrium. It was also of electrode material through ion impact, information is contained in a TSP (see page found that supplying the RF driver with which changes both the electrode spacing 1) . GSC-16399-1

16 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 Membrane Shell Reflector Segment Antenna A tetrahedral truss provides rigidity and integrity for the reflector antenna. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

The mesh reflector is the only type of Shell Reflector Segment (MSRS) an - trusses that are employed by all current large, in-space deployable antenna that tenna was developed. state-of-the-art mesh reflectors. How - has successfully flown in space. However, A MSRS antenna is composed of a de - ever, it is extremely difficult to package state-of-the-art large deployable mesh an - ployable tetrahedral truss that supports a tetrahedral truss by using traditional tenna systems are RF-frequency-limited a set of MSRSs to form a high-definition, deployment mechanisms. The unique by both global shape accuracy and local smooth, and continuous surface. This characteristic of the SMP composite surface quality. The limitations of mesh high radio-frequency (RF) deployable makes it possible to package and de - reflectors stem from two factors. First, at reflector is implemented by leveraging ploy the whole reflector. The funda - higher frequencies, the porosity and sur - and integrating several recently devel - mental requirement on a high RF re - face roughness of the mesh results in loss oped material technologies: shape flector, high precision, will naturally be and scattering of the signal. Second, the memory polymer (SMP) composite ma - met by the intrinsic accuracy character - mesh material does not have any bending terial; high-precision MSRS casting istic of the tetrahedral configuration. stiffness and thus cannot be formed into process; near-zero coefficient of thermal The high-definition RF reflective sur - true parabolic (or other desired) shapes. expansion (CTE) membrane material; face is composed of a number of To advance the deployable reflector and poly-vinylidene fluoride (PVDF) MSRSs made of either near-zero CTE technology at high RF frequencies from electro-active membrane. This reflector Novastrat or PVDF membrane. The the current state-of-the-art, significant technology can potentially offer almost thickness and curvature of each MSRS improvements need to be made in three one order of magnitude higher preci - provide sufficient shell stiffness for it to major aspects: a high-stability and high- sion than current state-of-the-art reflec - be supported by the tetrahedral truss at precision deployable truss; a continu - tors, and can provide very complex re - three points. ously curved RF reflecting surface (the flector shapes. This work was done by Houfei Fang and function of the surface as well as its first The structural part of this MSRS an - Eastwood Im of Caltech, John Lin of ILC derivative are both continuous); and the tenna is a tetrahedral truss that pro - Dover LP, and Jim Moore of NeXolve Corpo - RF reflecting surface should be made of vides rigidity and integrity for the re - ration for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. a continuous material. To meet these flector. Tetrahedral trusses offer much Further information is contained in a TSP three requirements, the Membrane higher precision than tensioning cable (see page 1) . NPO-48317

High-Speed Transport of Fluid Drops and Solid Particles via Surface Acoustic Waves The innovation can act as a bladeless wiper for raindrops. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

A compact sampling tool mechanism that is made of LiNbO 3 crystal cut along the gap between the electrodes to elec - that can operate at various temperatures, the x-axis with rotation of 127.8º along tric field. This configuration of a surface and transport and sieve particle sizes of the y-axis. On this plate are printed pairs wave transmitter is called IDT. The IDT powdered cuttings and soil grains with of fingerlike electrodes in the form of a that was used consists of 20 pairs of fin - no moving parts, has been created using grating that are activated by subjecting gers with 0.4-mm spacing, a total length traveling surface acoustic waves (SAWs) that are emitted by an inter-digital trans - ducer (IDT). The generated waves are driven at about 10 MHz, and it causes powder to move towards the IDT at high speed with different speeds for different sizes of particles, which enables these particles to be sieved. This design is based on the use of SAWs and their propelling effect on powder particles and fluids along the path of the waves. Generally, SAWs are elastic waves propagating in a shallow layer of about one wavelength beneath the surface of a solid substrate. To gen - An automobile windshield with an Inter-Digital Transducer is shown as a replacement for movable erate SAWs, a piezoelectric plate is used wiper blades.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 17 of 12.5 mm. The surface wave is pro - innovation to separate large particles transporting action, a video camera was duced by the nature of piezoelectric ma - and fluids that are mixed. Fluids are re - used to record the movement. The terial to contract or expand when sub - moved at speed (7.5 to 15 cm/s), en - speed of particles was measured from jected to an electric field. abling this innovation of acting as a the video images. Driving the IDT to generate wave at bladeless wiper for raindrops. For the This work was done by Yoseph Bar-Cohen, high amplitudes provides an actuation windshield design, the electrodes could Xiaoqi Bao, Stewart Sherrit, Mircea Bade - mechanism where the surface particles be made transparent so that they do not scu, and Shyh-shiuh Lih of Caltech for move elliptically, pulling powder parti - disturb the driver or pilot. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Further cles on the surface toward the wave- Multiple IDTs can be synchronized information is contained in a TSP (see page source and pushing liquids in the oppo - to transport water or powder over 1) . NPO-46252 site direction. This behavior allows the larger distances. To demonstrate the

Compact Autonomous Hemispheric Vision System System has no moving parts and features expanded capabilities. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Solar System Exploration camera im - plementations to date have involved ei - ther single cameras with wide field-of- view (FOV) and consequently coarser spatial resolution, cameras on a movable mast, or single cameras necessitating ro - 2 3 tation of the host vehicle to afford visibil - ity outside a relatively narrow FOV. 7 These cameras require detailed com - manding from the ground or separate 1 4 onboard computers to operate properly, and are incapable of making decisions based on image content that control pointing and downlink strategy. For 6 5 color, a filter wheel having selectable po - sitions was often added, which added moving parts, size, mass, power, and re - duced reliability. A system was developed based on a general-purpose miniature visible-light camera using advanced CMOS (comple - mentary metal oxide semiconductor) imager technology. The baseline camera has a 92° FOV and six cameras are arranged in an angled-up carousel fash - ion, with FOV overlaps such that the sys - tem has a 360° FOV (azimuth). A sev - enth camera, also with a FOV of 92°, is Miniature Camera Common Electronics (1 of 7) installed normal to the plane of the Box (CEB) other 6 cameras giving the system a > 90° FOV in elevation and completing the hemispheric vision system. A central unit houses the common electronics box View of the Baseline 7-Camera Concept (360° horizontal FOV, >90° vertical FOV ) (CEB) controlling the system (power conversion, data processing, memory, spacecraft, balloon, etc.) for telemetry, data from all the cameras until the ob - and control software). commands, and power. This system has ject appears in one (or more) camera’s Stereo is achieved by adding a second no moving parts. FOV. The SW then reads these cam - system on a baseline, and color is The system’s onboard software (SW) era(s) and only returns to Ea rth the achieved by stacking two more systems supports autonomous operations such portion of the data that includes the ob - (for a total of three, each system as pattern recognition and tracking. ject of interest. equipped with its own filter.) Two con - For example, when the system is com - Each camera weighs 50 g, measures 2 nectors on the bottom of the CEB pro - manded to detect and track an object of cm in diameter, 4 cm in length, and con - vide a connection to a carrier (rover, interest, the SW continuously reads sumes less than 50 mW. The central elec -

18 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 tronics is a cylinder 14 cm in diameter algorithms to scan the entire FOV for a This work was done by Paula J. Pingree, and 4 cm thick. Variations with different set of features and then switch to a sec - Thomas J. Cunningham, Thomas A. Werne, and smaller form factors are possible. ond operating mode that performs pro - Michael L. Eastwood, Marc J. Walch, and By using the massively parallel archi - cessing targeted to only the imagers cap - Robert L. Staehle of Caltech for NASA’s Jet tecture inherent to field-programmable turing those features. This architecture Propulsion Laboratory. For more informa - gate arrays (FPGAs), per-imager process - would provide considerable bonus to sci - tion, contact [email protected]. NPO- ing may be performed concurrently by ence by improving the efficiency of long- 48172 separate computational units within the range survey with no additional mass FPGA. This architecture allows tracking and very small power cost.

A Distributive, Non-Destructive, Real-Time Approach to Snowpack Monitoring Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

This invention is designed to ascertain pack. This approach is labor-intensive, temporal resolution data, and due to po - the snow water equivalence (SWE) of destructive, and has poor temporal reso - tential low cost, can be deployed with snowpacks with better spatial and tem - lution. The second approach is to de - high spatial resolution. poral resolutions than present tech - ploy a large (e.g., 3×3 m) snowpillow, The invention consists of three pri - niques. The approach is ground-based, which requires significant infrastruc - mary components: a robust wireless as opposed to some techniques that are ture, is potentially hazardous [uses a network and computing platform de - air-based. In addition, the approach is ≈200-gallon ( ≈760-L) antifreeze-filled signed for harsh climates, new SWE compact, non-destructive, and can be bladder], and requires deployment in a sensing strategies, and algorithms for communicated with remotely, and thus large, flat area. High deployment costs smart sampling, data logging, and SWE can be deployed in areas not possible necessitate few installations, thus yield - computation. with current methods. ing poor spatial resolution of data. Both This work was done by Jeff Frolik and Presently there are two principal approaches have limited usefulness in Christian Skalka of the University of Vermont ground-based techniques for obtaining complex and/or avalanche-prone ter - for Goddard Space Flight Center. Further in - SWE measurements. The first is manual rains. This approach is compact, non-de - formation is contained in a TSP (see page 1) . snow core measurements of the snow - structive to the snowpack, provides high GSC-16352-1

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 19

Bio-Medical

Wideband Single-Crystal Transducer for Bone Characterization These transducers have uses in medical ultrasound imaging and room-temperature ultrasonic flow meters. John H. Glenn Research Center, Cleveland, Ohio

The microgravity conditions of space required frequency bands. The device The transducer is a unique combina - travel result in unique physiological de - achieves this capability through a tion of material, design, and fabrication mands on the human body. In particular, unique combination of a broadband technique. It is based on single-crystal the absence of the continual mechanical piezoelectric material; a design incorpo - lead magnesium niobate lead titanate stresses on the skeletal system that are rating multiple resonator sizes with dis - (PMN-PT) piezoelectric material. As present on Earth cause the bones to de - tinct, overlapping frequency spectra; compared to the commonly used piezo - calcify. Trabecular structure decreases in and a micromachining process for pro - ceramics, this piezocrystal has superior thickness and increases in spacing, re - ducing the multiple-resonator pattern piezoelectric and elastic properties, sulting in decreased bone strength and with common electrode surfaces be - which results in devices with superior increased risk of injury. Thus, monitor - tween the resonators. bandwidth, source level, and power re - ing bone health is a high priority for This device consists of a pattern of res - quirements. This design necessitates a long-term space travel. A single probe onator bars with common electrodes single resonant frequency. However, by covering all frequency bands of interest that is wrapped around a central man - operating in a transverse length-exten - would be ideal for such measurements, drel such that the radiating faces of the sional mode, with the electric field ap - and this would also minimize storage resonators are coplanar and can be si - plied orthogonally to the extensional di - space and eliminate the complexity of in - multaneously applied to the sample to rection, resonators of different sizes can tegrating multiple probes. be measured. The device operates as share common electrodes, resulting in a This invention is an ultrasound trans - both a source and receiver of acoustic multiply-resonant structure. With care - ducer for the structural characterization energy. It is operated by connection to fully sized resonators, and the superior of bone. Such characterization meas - an electronic system capable of both bandwidth of piezocrystal, the reso - ures features of reflected and transmit - providing an excitation signal to the nances can be made to overlap to form a ted ultrasound signals, and correlates transducer and amplifying the signal re - smooth, wide-bandwidth characteristic. these signals with bone structure met - ceived from the transducer. The excita - This work was done by Yu Liang and Kevin rics such as bone mineral density, tra - tion signal may be either a wide-band - Snook of TRS Technologies, Inc. for Glenn Re - becular spacing, and thickness, etc. The width signal to excite the transducer search Center. Further information is con - techniques used to determine these var - across its entire operational spectrum, tained in a TSP (see page 1) . ious metrics require measurements over or a narrow-bandwidth signal optimized Inquiries concerning rights for the commer - a broad range of ultrasound frequen - for a particular measurement technique. cial use of this invention should be addressed cies, and therefore, complete character - The transducer face is applied to the to NASA Glenn Research Center, Innovative ization requires the use of several nar - skin covering the bone to be character - Partnerships Office, Attn: Steven Fedor, Mail rowband transducers. ized, and may be operated in through- Stop 4–8, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, This is a single transducer capable of transmission mode using two transduc - Ohio 44135. Refer to LEW-18842-1. making these measurements in all the ers, or in pulse-echo mode.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 21

Information Technology

Numerical Simulation of Rocket Exhaust Interaction With Lunar Soil These simulations will help predict suitable landing sites on the Moon. John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This technology development origi - hesive lunar regolith material. These devised. In this phase, the physics mod - nated from the need to assess the debris tools were integrated into a unique simu - els were refined and fully integrated threat resulting from soil material ero - lation system that accounts for all rele - into a production-oriented simulation sion induced by landing spacecraft vant physics aspects: (1) Modeling of tool set. Three-dimensional simulations rocket plume impingement on extrater - spacecraft rocket plume impingement of Apollo Lunar Excursion Module restrial planetary surfaces. The impact flow under lunar vacuum environment (LEM) and Altair landers (including of soil debris was observed to be highly resulting in a mixed continuum and rar - full-scale lander geometry) established detrimental during NASA’s Apollo lunar efied flow; (2) Modeling of lunar soil the practical applicability of the UFS missions and will pose a threat for any characteristics to capture soil-specific ef - simulation approach and its advanced future landings on the Moon, Mars, and fects of particle size and shape composi - performance level for large-scale realis - other exploration targets. tion, soil layer cohesion and granular tic problems. The innovation developed under this flow physics; and (3) Accurate tracking The features and benefits of the devel - program provides a simulation tool that of soil-borne debris particles beginning oped simulation system enable the combines modeling of the diverse disci - with aerodynamically driven motion in - screening of landing risk scenarios plines of rocket plume impingement gas side the plume to purely ballistic motion through: identification of dust and debris dynamics, granular soil material libera - in lunar far field conditions. transport footprint to protect surround - tion, and soil debris particle kinetics into In the earlier project phase of this in - ing assets; prediction of level of erosion one unified simulation system. The Uni - novation, the capabilities of the UFS for and cratering as a function of rocket size fied Flow Solver (UFS) developed by mixed continuum and rarefied flow sit - and of local soil properties; input into the CFDRC enabled the efficient, seamless uations were validated and demon - design of landing pad solidification or simulation of mixed continuum and rar - strated for lunar lander rocket plume paving techniques; minimization of de - efied rocket plume flow utilizing a novel flow impingement under lunar vacuum bris environment through optimization direct numerical simulation technique of conditions. Applications and improve - of propulsion system layout and landing the Boltzmann gas dynamics equation. ments to the granular flow simulation approach flight path; and designing dust The characteristics of the soil granular tools contributed by the University of and debris impact mitigation measures material response and modeling of the Florida were tested against Earth envi - such as berms, deflectors, and fences. erosion and liberation processes were en - ronment experimental results. Require - This work was done by Peter Liever and Ab - abled through novel first principle-based ments for developing, validating, and hijit Tosh of CFD Research Corporation and granular mechanics models developed demonstrating this solution environ - Jennifer Curtis of the University of Florida for by the University of Florida specifically ment were clearly identified, and an ef - Kennedy Space Center. Further information is for the highly irregularly shaped and co - fective second phase execution plan was contained in a TSP (see page 1) . KSC-13605

Motion Imagery and Robotics Application (MIRA): Standards-Based Robotics MIRA initial results have demonstrated robotic camera control that is applicable to near-Earth or distant applications. Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston, Texas

The current Mission Control Center ble at a constrained risk level and with rea - Systems (CCSDS) international stan - (MCC) is dedicated to the execution of sonable cost, the robotic elements must dards-based telerobotic service capable human spaceflight missions. As the future adhere to standards that allow not only of running in an International Space of NASA and human space evolves, it is reuse of previous work, but keep the inter - Station (ISS) payload computer. The clear that robotic artifacts will ultimately faces stable and reusable. MIRA goal was to mature, integrate, and be integrated and immersed into the The MIRA project integrates several demonstrate the MIRA concept (see fig - human mission. In order to make the evo - telerobotic functions into a powerful ure), with Spacecraft Monitoring and lution and integration as technically capa - Consultative Committee for Space Data Control (SM&C), Asynchronous Mes -

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 23 MIRA, SM&C/AMS/DTN standards, MIRA - ISS DTN Network Pass-Through the robustness of DTN capability, and remote connectivity to ISS and ground DTN Node MIRA/SM&C/AMS/DTN MIRA/SM&C/AMS/DTN ISS/DTN Network 2099 (OTF Ethernet Ethernet assets (interoperability) will assure the LAN) DTN Node JSC/MCC will be the hub of human, 2099 (OTF human precursor, and robotic missions IP Network SM&C IP Network LAN) (OTF LAN) where the mission components can be Client (NISNLAN) Ground DTN SM&C seamlessly integrated with other loca - Node Network (ESTL) Provider tions without excessive reconfiguration

GUI Emulated GUI Emulated and integration costs that would ren - RS422/UDP/Ethernet RS422/UDP/Ethernet der the MCC non-competitive. The MIRA initial results have MIRA/SM&C/AMS/ Ethernet demonstrated robotic camera control that is applicable to near-Earth or dis - tant applications where the DTN pro - Location: Berlin Location:JSC vides the bridge across the time delay impacts. The MIRA, SM&C/AMS/ MIRA Architecture DTN standards-based status and con - trol system software and protocol saging Service (AMS), and the Delay Tol - ment. In later project phases, it will in - could be hardened, and expanded erant Network (DTN) standards into a clude ground control of robotic assets into the next-generation MCC proto - single integrated protocol system. over Earth-Moon-Mars time delays, and col supporting human, robotic, and The ultimate goal of the MIRA project remote sensing of planetary surfaces and human-robotic missions. As such, this is to develop an application stack for all surface navigation. simple robotic camera prototype is a robotics, even complex ones. It will be ca - This project seeks to develop a new significant first step in the integration pable of status and control of three differ - standard for robotics such that interop - of robotic and human missions into ent cameras on the Exposed Facility (the erability with crewed as well as non- true distant independent building porch) of the ISS JEM Module from crewed elements is provided, assuring blocks for future missions. MCC. Each successive phase will add in - cost effective collaboration between This work was done by Lindolfo Martinez, cremental capabilities such as the capabil - NASA and the international space com - Thomas Rich, Steven Lucord, Thomas Diegel - ity of handling Human Factors and Per - munity. The evolution of the proposed man, James Mireles, and Pete Gonzalez of formance (HFP), and automatic/ standard will be coordinated through Johnson Space Center. Further information is semiautomatic change detection from im - the CCSDS International Standards contained in a TSP (see page 1) . MSC- agery of spaceflight vehicles and equip - community. The confluence of the 25164-1

Particle Filtering for Model-Based Anomaly Detection in Sensor Networks Experiments on test stand sensor data show successful detection of a known anomaly in the test data. Stennis Space Center, Mississippi

A novel technique has been devel - models. Many supervised learning from the sensor networks. There are cor - oped for anomaly detection of rocket methods can efficiently learn opera - relations among the sensor readings, engine test stand (RETS) data. The ob - tional and fault models, given large not only at the same time, but also across jective was to develop a system that post- amounts of both nominal and fault time. However, these approaches have processes a csv file containing the sensor data. However, for domains such as not explicitly identified and exploited readings and activities (time-series) RETS data, the amount of anomalous such correlations. Given these limita - from a rocket engine test, and detects data that is actually available is rela - tions of model-free methods, there has any anomalies that might have occurred tively small, making most supervised been renewed interest in model-based during the test. The output consists of learning methods rather ineffective, methods, specifically graphical methods the names of the sensors that show and in general met with limited success that explicitly reason temporally. The anomalous behavior, and the start and in anomaly detection. Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) in a end time of each anomaly. The fundamental problem with exist - Linear Dynamic System approach as - In order to reduce the involvement ing approaches is that they assume that sumes that the multi-dimensional test of domain experts significantly, several the data are iid, i.e., independent and data is a mixture of multi-variate Gaus - data-driven approaches have been pro - identically distributed, which is violated sians, and fits a given number of Gauss - posed where models are automatically in typical RETS data. None of these tech - ian clusters with the help of the well- acquired from the data, thus bypassing niques naturally exploit the temporal in - known Expectation Maximization (EM) the cost and effort of building system formation inherent in time series data algorithm. The parameters thus learned

24 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 are used for calculating the joint distri - ing to detect anomalies in test runs. Ex - selection was developed, but it can also bution of the observations. However, periments on test stand sensor data show be used to visualize sensor correlations as this GMM assumption is essentially an successful detection of a known anomaly an aid to manual analysis. Sensors are de - approximation and signals the potential in the test data, while producing almost tected that are overactive (large variance) viability of non-parametric density esti - no false positives. or underactive (low variance) between mators. This is the key idea underlying A novel combination of particle filter - commands, which effectively give a high- the new approach. ing, machine learning, and voting tech - level map of the effect of commands on Since this approach was model-based, niques was developed to detect anomalies sensor groups. This may be used as an aid it was possible to automatically learn a in sensor network data. Although most of to visual/manual analysis. model of nominal behavior from tests the subsystems are tightly integrated into This work was done by Wanda Solano of that were marked nominal. Particle fil - the system, the following two subsystems Stennis Space Center, and Bikramjit Banerjee tering and machine learning were ap - can also be used as standalone for extra - and Landon Kraemer of The University of plied to capture the model of nominal neous tasks. A novel, efficient (but ap - Southern Mississippi. For more information, operations, and voting techniques were proximate) correlation clustering call the SSC Center Chief Technologist at 228- used in conjunction with particle filter - method that is currently used for sensor 688-1929. Refer to SSC-00379.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 25

Books & Reports

plenums may be used as heat pipes, loop Robert O. Green, Pantazis Mouroulis, Eric B. Ka-band Digitally Beam - heat pipes, or liquid cooling channels. Hochberg, Randall C. Hein, Linley A. Kroll, formed Airborne Radar The panel technology used in the TDP Sven Geier, and James B. Coles of Caltech, and Using SweepSAR Technique is a macro-composite comprised of alu - Riley Meehan of Tufts University for NASA’s Jet A paper describes a frequency-scaled minum-encapsulated annealed pyrolytic Propulsion Laboratory. Further information is SweepSAR demonstration that operates at graphite (APG). APG is highly aligned contained in a TSP (see page 1) . NPO-47809 Ka-Band (35.6 GHz), and closely approxi - crystalline graphite with an in-plane ther - mates the DESDynl mission antenna mal conductivity of 1,700 W/mK. APG geometry, scaled by 28. The concept relies has low shear strength and does not con - JWST Lifting System on the SweepSAR measurement tech - strain the encapsulating material. A document describes designing, build - nique. An array of digital receivers cap - The proposed concept has no thermal ing, testing, and certifying a customized tures waveforms from a multiplicity of ele - interfaces between the heat pipes and crane (Lifting Device — LD) with a strong ments. These are combined using digital the spreader plate, further improving back (cradle) to facilitate the installation beamforming in elevation and SAR pro - the overall conductance of the system. of long wall panels and short door panels cessing to produce imagery. The in situ plenums can also be used for for the GHe phase of the James Webb Ka-band (35.6 GHz) airborne SweepSAR liquid cooling applications. The process Space Telescope (JWST). using array-fed reflector and digital beam - can be used to fabricate structural pan - The LD controls are variable-frequency forming features eight simultaneous re - els by adding a second thin sheet. drive controls designed to be adjustable for ceive beams generated by a 40-cm offset-fed This work was done by Mark Montesano of k- very slow and very-short-distance move - reflector and eight-element active array Technology, a Division of Thermacore, for God - ments throughout the installation. The LD feed, and eight digital receiver channels dard Space Flight Center. Further information has a lift beam with an electric actuator at - with all raw data recorded and later used is contained in a TSP (see page 1) . GSC- tached at the end. The actuator attaches to for beamforming. Illumination of the swath 16043-1 a rectangular strong back (cradle) for lifting is accomplished using a slotted-waveguide the long wall panels and short door panels antenna radiating 250 W peak power. This from a lower angle into the vertical position experiment has been used to demonstrate Multi-Beam Approach for inside the chamber, and then rotating digital beamforming SweepSAR systems. Accelerating Alignment and around the chamber for installation onto This work was done by Gregory A. Sadowy, Calibration of HyspIRI-Like the existing ceiling and floor. Chung-Lun Chuang, Hirad Ghaemi, Brandon Imaging Spectrometers The LD rotates 360° (in very small incre - A. Heavey, Lung-Sheng S. Lin, and Momin A paper describes an optical stimulus ments) in both clockwise and counter - Quddus of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion that produces more consistent results, and clockwise directions. Eight lifting pads are Laboratory. Further information is contained can be automated for unattended, routine on the top ring with 2-in. ( ≈5-cm) eye holes in a TSP (see page 1) . NPO-48376 generation of data analysis products spaced evenly around the ring to allow for needed by the integration and testing the device to be suspended by three crane team assembling a high-fidelity imaging hoists from the top of the chamber. Composite With spectrometer system. One key attribute of The LD is operated by remote controls In Situ Plenums the system is an arrangement of pick-off that allow for a single, slow mode for A document describes a high-perform - mirrors that provides multiple input booming the load in and out, with slow ance thermal distribution panel (TDP) beams (five in this implementation) to si - and very slow modes for rotating the load. concept using high-conductivity (>800 multaneously provide stimulus light to sev - This work was done by William Tolleson of W/mK) macro composite skin with in situ eral field angles along the field of view of CSC Applied Technologies LLC for Johnson heat pipes. The processing technologies the sensor under test, allowing one data Space Center. Further information is contained proposed to build such a panel result in a set to contain all the information that pre - in a TSP (see page 1) . MSC-25176-1 one-piece, inseparable assembly with high viously required five data sets to be sepa - conductance in both the X and Y planes. rately collected. This stimulus can also be The TDP configuration can also be used to fed by quickly reconfigured sources that Next-Generation produce panels with high structural stiff - ultimately provide three data set types that Tumbleweed Rover ness. The one-piece construction of the would previously be collected separately A document describes a next-genera - TDP eliminates the thermal interface be - using three different setups: Spectral Re - tion tumbleweed rover that involves a tween the cooling plenums and the heat sponse Function (SRF), Cross-track Re - split balloon system that is made up of spreader base, and obviates the need for sponse Function (CRF), and Along- track two half-spherical air bladders with a bulky mounting flanges and thick heat Response Function (ARF), respectively. disc between them. This disc contains all spreaders used on baseline designs. The This method also lends itself to expan - the electronics and instruments. By de - conductivity of the TDP can be configured sion of the number of field points if less flating only the bottom balloon, the to exceed 800 W/mK with a mass density interpolation across the field of view is rover can sit, bringing the surface probe below 2.5 g/cm 3. This material can pro - desirable. An absolute minimum of into contact with the ground. The bot - vide efficient conductive heat transfer be - three is required at the beginning stages tom balloon has a channel passing tween the in situ heat plenums, permitting of imaging spectrometer alignment. through it, allowing the surface probe to the use of thinner panel thicknesses. The This work was done by Michael L. Eastwood, reach the surface through the balloon.

NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012 27 Once the sample has been gathered and trol station. This work builds upon the are introduced into the first unit, a flu - analyzed, the rover can re-inflate the project “Tumbleweed rover for planetary idized bed. The flow of introduced ni - lower air bladder and continue rolling. exploration,” described in the Technical trogen fluidizes the particulates and The rover will use a small set of instru - Support Package, as noted below. preferentially moves the finer grain sizes ments and electronics situated at the cen - This work was done by Jeffrey P. Nosanov on to the next unit, a flat plate impactor, ter of its inflatable spherical hull. The of Caltech for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labora - followed by a cyclone separator, followed current version is a large beach-ball-like tory. Further information is contained in a by a Nuclepore polycarbonate filter to construction, about 1.8 m in diameter TSP (see page 1) . NPO-47648 collect the dust. and weighing roughly 15 kg. The rover By varying the gas flow rate and the comprises two major parts, an outer sizes of various orifices in the system, spherical hull (split in half at the central Pneumatic System for Con - the size of the final and intermediate disc) and an inner, disc-shaped cylindri - centration of Micrometer- particles can be varied to provide the cal section. The balloons are attached to Size Lunar Soil desired products. The dust can be col - the bottom and top of the disc. Inside the A report describes a size-sorting lected from the filter. In addition, elec - disc, there are temperature and pressure method to separate and concentrate mi - tron microscope grids can be placed sensors to keep track of the inner and crometer-size dust from a broad size on the Nuclepore filter for direct sam - outer conditions of the rover. A system of range of particles without using sieves, pling followed by electron microscope pumps and valves is responsible for inde - fluids, or other processes that may mod - characterization of the dust without pendently inflating and deflating the bal - ify the composition or the surface prop - further handling. loons as necessary. There are also ac - erties of the dust. This work was done by David McKay and celerometers to record the movement, The system consists of four processing Bonnie Cooper of Johnson Space Center. Fur - together with a GPS receiver. The data units connected in series by tubing. Sam - ther information is contained in a TSP (see are then sent through a modem to a con - ples of dry particulates such as lunar soil page 1) . MSC-25264-1

28 NASA Tech Briefs, December 2012

National Aeronautics and Space Administration