National Aeronautics and Space Administration Extreme Environments Technologies for Future Space Science Missions www.nasa.gov September 19, 2007 JPL D–32832 Extreme Environment Technologies for Future Space Science Missions NASA–Jet Propulsion Laboratory Elizabeth Kolawa, Lead Author Tibor Balint Ram Manvi Gaj Birur Mohammad Mojarradi Gary Bolotin Alina Moussessian Eric Brandon Jagdish Patel Linda Del Castillo Michael Pauken Henry Garrett Craig Peterson Jeffery Hall Rao Surampudi Michael Johnson Harald Schone Jack Jones Jay Whitacre Insoo Jun NASA–Ames Research Center Ed Martinez Raj Venkapathy Bernard Laub NASA–Glenn Research Center Phil Neudeck Original Issue: September 19, 2007 Note: this page is left blank intentionally 1 Foreword In 2003, the NRC Decadal Survey for Solar System Exploration recommended that “NASA commit to significant new investments in advanced technology so that future high–priority flight missions can succeed.” The NRC report identified the need for a number of technolo­ gies for tolerating extreme planetary environments that would be needed to implement the program of high–priority missions, identified by the Decadal Survey team. The purpose of this report, which is the culmination of a series of studies that were set in motion by the Decadal Survey, is to assess the state of the relevant technologies and to formulate roadmaps to enable the Solar System Exploration Program. This assessment was initiated and originally sponsored jointly with NASA’s Aerospace Re­ search Directorate. When Code R, which was the Office of Aerospace Technology, responsi­ ble for the Aerospace Technology Enterprize, was incorporated into the Exploration Systems Missions Directorate (ESMD) shortly after the initiation of the study, the Planetary Sci­ ence Division continued with the task. Information gathered in this study played a key role in formulating the Capability Roadmaps developed for NASA in the fall of 2004, and the technology plans included in the Planetary Science Division’s 2006 Solar System Explo­ ration Roadmap. The Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Plan published in May 2007 identifies technologies for extreme environments as a high–priority systems technology needed to enable exploration of the outer solar system and Venus. There has been progress, but also significant setbacks, in addressing these technology needs. One serious setback was the dissolution of the Aerospace Technology program, which had planned to initiate a program of technologies for extreme environments. When its funding was folded into the Exploration Systems Missions Directorate, this plan was abandoned. However, some work funded by ESMD on components for operation at cold temperatures is also relevant to the needs of the Planetary Science mission set. SMD is also sponsoring tech­ nology development for high–temperature electronics, high–temperature motors, advanced pressure vessels, and thermal control systems as part of NASA’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program for Robotic Exploration of the solar system. At this time, however, there is no program within SMD that directly supports development of the needed technologies by NASA centers, universities, and industries not qualifying for the SBIR program. This report should play an important role in documenting the need for new technology investments and in supporting the formulation of a coherent program to address extreme environment technology needs. James A. Cutts Chief Technologist, Solar System Exploration Programs Directorate and Manager, NASA Planetary Program Support Task The information contained within this document is pre-decisional and for discussion purposes only 2 Acknowledgments This work was conducted as part of the Planetary Program Support task that JPL carries out for NASA’s Planetary Science Division. The support of Dr James Green and Mr Dave Lavery in carrying out this work is gratefully acknowledged. This research was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Tech­ nology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement by the United States Government or the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology. Other Reports in This Series Power Technology • Advanced Radioisotope Power Systems Report, Report No. JPL D-20757 6/01, March 2001 • Solar Cell and Array Technology for Future Space Missions, Report No. JPL D–24454, Rev.A., December 2003 • Energy Storage Technology for Future Space Science Missions, Report No. JPL D­ 30268, Rev.A., November 2004 Planetary Protection Technology • Planetary Protection and Contamination Control Technologies for Future Space Sci­ ence Missions, Report No. JPL D-31974, June 2005 In Preparation • Guidance, Navigation, and Control Systems for Future Space Science Missions The information contained within this document is pre-decisional and for discussion purposes only CONTENTS i Contents Foreword 1 Acknowledgments 2 Other Reports in This Series 2 Executive Summary 1 1 Study Overview 18 1.1 Introduction.................................... 18 1.2 DefinitionofExtremeEnvironments ...................... 20 1.2.1 CouplingofExtremeEnvironments................... 20 1.2.2 ExtremeEnvironmentsandMissionStage............... 22 1.2.3 ExploitingExtremeEnvironments ................... 22 2 State–of–Practice of Extreme Environments Exploration 24 2.1 DeepSpace:HypervelocityImpacts....................... 24 2.1.1 Stardust,CONTOUR,andDeepImpact................ 24 2.1.2 Cassini .................................. 29 2.2 HighTemperaturesandPressures........................ 31 2.2.1 Venus:SovietRKAmissions ...................... 31 2.2.2 Venus:UnitedStatesNASAMissions ................. 48 2.2.3 Venus:LessonsLearned ......................... 57 2.2.4 Jupiter Atmosphere: Galileo Probe . ................ 57 2.3 ColdTemperatures................................ 61 2.3.1 Titan:Cassini–HuygensProbe ..................... 61 2.3.2 TheMoon................................. 69 2.3.3 Mars.................................... 74 2.4 HighRadiation .................................. 79 2.4.1 Galileo . ................................. 81 3 Mission Impact of Extreme Environment Technologies 88 3.1 NASAplanningactivities ............................ 88 3.2 OverviewofScienceMissionsDirectorateMissions .............. 88 3.2.1 MarsExplorationProgram ....................... 89 3.2.2 ExplorationoftheSolarSystem .................... 90 3.3 MissionImpactofTechnologyDevelopmentforEEs ............. 93 3.3.1 MissionSet ................................ 93 3.3.2 HighTemperatureandHighPressure ................. 97 3.3.3 LowTemperatures ............................ 102 3.3.4 LowTemperaturesandHighRadiation ................ 107 3.3.5 ThermalCycling ............................. 111 The information contained within this document is pre-decisional and for discussion purposes only ii CONTENTS 4 Emerging Capabilities in Technologies for EEs 114 4.1 SystemsArchitecturesforMissionstoExtremeEnvironments........ 114 4.1.1 EnvironmentalIsolation......................... 114 4.1.2 EnvironmentalTolerance ........................ 114 4.1.3 HybridSystems.............................. 115 4.2 ProtectionSystems................................ 116 4.2.1 HypervelocityEntry ........................... 116 4.2.2 HypervelocityImpactProtection .................... 128 4.2.3 RadiationShielding ........................... 133 4.2.4 PressureandThermalControlTechnologies.............. 140 4.3 ComponentHardening.............................. 160 4.3.1 High–TemperatureElectronics ..................... 160 4.3.2 Low–TemperatureElectronics...................... 169 4.3.3 RadiationTolerantElectronics ..................... 177 4.3.4 High–TemperatureEnergyStorage................... 191 4.3.5 Low–TemperatureEnergyStorageDevices............... 205 4.4 Robotics...................................... 215 4.4.1 High–TemperatureMechanisms..................... 215 4.4.2 Low–TemperatureMechanisms ..................... 218 4.4.3 High–Temperature Aerial Mobility . ................ 219 4.4.4 Low–Temperature Aerial Mobility ... ................ 223 5Roadmaps 229 5.1 RoadmapsforProtectionSystems ....................... 230 5.1.1 HypervelocityEntry ........................... 230 5.1.2 HypervelocityParticleImpacts ..................... 231 5.1.3 RadiationShielding ........................... 234 5.1.4 PressureVesselandThermalControlTechnologies .......... 236 5.2 RoadmapsforComponentHardening...................... 238 5.2.1 High–TemperatureElectronics ..................... 238 5.2.2 Low–TemperatureElectronics...................... 240 5.2.3 High–TemperatureEnergyStorage................... 243 5.2.4 Low–TemperatureEnergyStorage ................... 245 5.3 RoadmapsforRobotics ............................. 248 5.3.1 High–TemperatureMechanisms..................... 249 5.3.2 Low–TemperatureMechanisms ..................... 250 5.3.3 High–Temperature Mobility ....................... 251 5.3.4 Low–Temperature Aerial Mobility ... ................ 253 6 Resources and Background Information 255 Acronyms and Abbreviations 257 The information contained within this document is pre-decisional and for discussion purposes only CONTENTS iii References 261 The information contained within this document is pre-decisional and for discussion purposes only iv LIST OF FIGURES List of Figures 2.1 StardustWhippleshield.............................