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By NASA
NASA’s Human Landing System (HLS) will transport the next astronauts that land on the Moon, including the first woman and first person of color, beginning with Artemis III. For safety and mission success, the landers and other equipment in development for NASA’s Artemis campaign must work reliably in the harshest of environments.
The Hub for Innovative Thermal Technology Maturation and Prototyping (HI-TTeMP) lab at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, provides engineers with thermal analysis of materials that may be a prototype or in an early developmental stage using a vacuum chamber, back left, and a conduction chamber, right. NASA/Ken Hall Engineers at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, are currently testing how well prototype insulation for SpaceX’s Starship HLS will insulate interior environments, including propellant storage tanks and the crew cabin. Starship HLS will land astronauts on the lunar surface during Artemis III and Artemis IV.
Marshall’s Hub for Innovative Thermal Technology Maturation and Prototyping (HI-TTeMP) laboratory provides the resources and tools for an early, quick-check evaluation of insulation materials destined for Artemis deep space missions.
“Marshall’s HI-TTeMP lab gives us a key testing capability to help determine how well the current materials being designed for vehicles like SpaceX’s orbital propellant storage depot and Starship HLS, will insulate the liquid oxygen and methane propellants,” said HLS chief engineer Rene Ortega. “By using this lab and the expertise provided by the thermal engineers at Marshall, we are gaining valuable feedback earlier in the design and development process that will provide additional information before qualifying hardware for deep space missions.”
A peek inside the conductive test chamber at NASA Marshall’s HI-TTeMP lab where thermal engineers design, set up, execute, and analyze materials destined for deep space to better understand how they will perform in the cold near-vacuum of space. NASA/Ken Hall On the Moon, spaceflight hardware like Starship HLS will face extreme temperatures. On the Moon’s south pole during lunar night, temperatures can plummet to -370 degrees Fahrenheit (-223 degrees Celsius). Elsewhere in deep space temperatures can range from roughly 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius) in direct sunlight to just above absolute zero in the shadows.
There are two primary means of managing thermal conditions: active and passive. Passive thermal controls include materials such as insulation, white paint, thermal blankets, and reflective metals. Engineers can also design operational controls, such as pointing thermally sensitive areas of a spacecraft away from direct sunlight, to help manage extreme thermal conditions. Active thermal control measures that could be used include radiators or cryogenic coolers.
Engineers use two vacuum test chambers in the lab to simulate the heat transfer effects of the deep space environment and to evaluate the thermal properties of the materials. One chamber is used to understand radiant heat, which directly warms an object in its path, such as when heat from the Sun shines on it. The other test chamber evaluates conduction by isolating and measuring its heat transfer paths.
NASA engineers working in the HI-TTeMP lab not only design, set up, and run tests, they also provide insight and expertise in thermal engineering to assist NASA’s industry partners, such as SpaceX and other organizations, in validating concepts and models, or suggesting changes to designs. The lab is able to rapidly test and evaluate design updates or iterations.
NASA’s HLS Program, managed by NASA Marshall, is charged with safely landing astronauts on the Moon as part of Artemis. NASA has awarded contracts to SpaceX for landing services for Artemis III and IV and to Blue Origin for Artemis V. Both landing services providers plan to transfer super-cold propellant in space to send landers to the Moon with full tanks.
With Artemis, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before, learn how to live and work away from home, and prepare for future human exploration of Mars. NASA’s SLS (Space Launch System) rocket, exploration ground systems, and Orion spacecraft, along with the HLS, next-generation spacesuits, Gateway lunar space station, and future rovers are NASA’s foundation for deep space exploration.
For more on HLS, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/humans-in-space/human-landing-system
News Media Contact
Corinne Beckinger
Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.
256.544.0034
corinne.m.beckinger@nasa.gov
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By NASA
Credit: NASA NASA has selected Sierra Lobo, Inc. of Fremont, Ohio, to provide for test operations, test support, and technical system maintenance activities at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
The NASA Stennis Test Operations Contract is fixed-price, level-of-effort contract that has a value of approximately $47 million. The performance period begins July 1, 2025, and extends three years, with a one-year base period and two one-year option periods.
The contract will provide test operations support for customers in the NASA Stennis test complex. It also will cover the operation and technical systems maintenance of the high-pressure industrial water, high-pressure gas, and cryogenic propellant storage support areas, as well as providing welding, fabrication, machining, and component processing capabilities.
NASA Stennis is the nation’s largest propulsion test site, with infrastructure to support projects ranging from component and subscale testing to large engine hot fires. Researchers from NASA, other government agencies, and private industry utilize NASA Stennis test facilities for technology and propulsion research and developmental projects.
For information about NASA and other agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
-end-
Tiernan Doyle
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
tiernan.doyle@nasa.gov
C. Lacy Thompson
Stennis Space Center, Bay St. Louis, Mississippi
228-363-5499
calvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Nov 21, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Stennis Space Center NASA Centers & Facilities Stennis Test Facility and Support Infrastructure View the full article
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By NASA
2 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
ESI24 Nam Quadchart
SungWoo Nam
University of California, Irvine
Lunar dust may seem unimposing, but it presents a significant challenge for space missions. Its abrasive and jagged particles can damage equipment, clog devices, and even pose health risks to astronauts. This project addresses such issues by developing advanced coatings composed of crumpled nano-balls made from atomically thin 2D materials such as MoS₂, graphene, and MXenes. By crumpling these nanosheets—much like crumpling a piece of paper—we create compression and aggregation resistant particles that can be dispersed in sprayable solutions. As a thin film coating, these crumpled nano-balls form corrugated structures that passively reduce dust adhesion and surface wear. The deformable crumpled nano-ball (DCN) coating works by minimizing the contact area between lunar dust and surfaces, thanks to its unique nano-engineered design. The 2D materials exhibit exceptional durability, withstanding extreme thermal and vacuum environments, as well as resisting radiation damage. Additionally, the flexoelectric and electrostatically dissipative properties of MoS₂, graphene, and MXenes allow the coating to neutralize and dissipate electrical charges, making them highly responsive to the charged lunar dust environment. The project will be executed in three phases, each designed to bring the technology closer to real-world space applications. First, we will synthesize the crumpled nano-balls and investigate their adhesion properties using advanced microscopy techniques. The second phase will focus on fundamental testing in simulated lunar environments, where the coating will be exposed to extreme temperatures, vacuum, radiation, and abrasion. Finally, the third phase will involve applying the coating to space-heritage materials and conducting comprehensive testing in a simulated lunar environment, targeting up to 90% dust clearance and verifying durability over repeated cycles of dust exposure. This research aligns with NASA’s goals for safer, more sustainable lunar missions by reducing maintenance requirements and extending equipment lifespan. Moreover, the potential applications extend beyond space exploration, with the technology offering promising advances in terrestrial industries such as aerospace and electronics by providing ultra-durable, wear-resistant surfaces. Ultimately, the project contributes to advancing materials science and paving the way for NASA’s long-term vision of sustainable space exploration.
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By NASA
Credit: NASA For the 14th consecutive year, NASA received an unmodified, or “clean,” opinion from an external auditor on its fiscal year 2024 financial statements.
The rating is the best possible audit opinion, certifying that NASA’s financial statements conform with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles for federal agencies and accurately present the agency’s financial position. The audit opinion reaffirms the agency’s commitment to transparency in the use of American taxpayers’ dollars.
“For the 14th year in a row, NASA has delivered a reliable, accurate, and transparent report of our fiscal operations as we explore the unknown in air and space,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “I thank NASA’s Chief Financial Officer Margaret Schaus for her leadership, and I am proud that NASA continues to uphold the public’s trust in our goals, our missions, and our financial reporting practices. Such trust is critical to our agency’s success.”
The 2024 Agency Financial Report provides key financial and performance information and demonstrates the agency’s commitment to transparency in the use of American taxpayers’ dollars. In addition, the 2024 report presents progress during the past year, and spotlights the array of NASA missions, objectives, and workforce advanced with these financial resources.
“I am proud NASA has achieved its 14th consecutive clean bill of health on its financial statements,” said NASA Chief Financial Officer Margaret Schaus. “I want to recognize the outstanding commitment of our NASA team to ensuring sound stewardship and transparency over the resources entrusted to our agency.”
In fiscal year 2024, NASA continued preparation for Artemis II, a mission to send four astronauts around the Moon as part of the Artemis campaign. The agency also publicly unveiled the X-59 quiet supersonic aircraft, which will change the way we travel, paving the way for a new generation of commercial aircraft that can travel faster than the speed of sound. Among other highlights, NASA built upon our longstanding efforts to study our Earth as a system, advancing our work on the NASA-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) satellite. This joint mission between the agency and ISRO is the first radar of its kind in space to systematically map the Earth.
For more information on NASA’s budget, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov/budget
-end-
Meira Bernstein / Roxana Bardan
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
meira.b.bernstein@nasa.gov / roxana.bardan@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Nov 15, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
NASA Headquarters Budget & Annual Reports Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO) View the full article
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Note: The following article is part of a series highlighting propulsion testing at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. To access the entire series, please visit: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/propulsion-powering-space-dreams/.
NASA engineers conduct a test of the liquid oxygen/liquid methane Morpheus lander engine HD4B on the E-3 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during the week of Sept. 9, 2013. The fourth-generation Project Morpheus engine was a prototype vertical takeoff and landing vehicle designed to advance innovative technologies into flight-proven systems that may be incorporated into future human exploration missions. NASA/Stennis The work of NASA has fueled commercial spaceflight for takeoff – and for many aerospace companies, the road to launch begins at NASA’s Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
Already the nation’s largest propulsion test site and a leader in working with aerospace companies to support their testing needs, NASA Stennis aims to continue growing its commercial market even further.
“The aerospace industry is expanding rapidly, and we are here to support it,” said NASA Stennis Director John Bailey. “NASA Stennis has proven for more than two decades that we have the versatile infrastructure and reliable propulsion test experts to meet testing needs and accelerate space goals for a whole range of customers.”
The central hub for meeting those needs at the south Mississippi center is the E Test Complex. It features four stands with 12 test cells capable of supporting a range of component and engine test activities. NASA operates the E-1 Test Stand with four cell positions and the E-3 Test Stand with two cells. Relativity Space, based in Long Beach, California, leases the E-2 and E-4 stands to support some of its test operations.
Operators conduct a hot fire for Relativity Space’s Aeon R thrust chamber assembly on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in 2024. NASA/Stennis Virgin Orbit, a satellite-launch company, conducts a Thrust Chamber Assembly test on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center in 2021. The company partnered with NASA Stennis to conduct hot fire tests totaling a cumulative 974.391 seconds.NASA/Stennis Launcher’s 3D-printed Engine-2 rocket engine completes a 5-second hot fire of its thrust chamber assembly on Aug. 20, 2021, at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. The company was just one of several conducting test projects on site in 2021. Launcher, Virgin Orbit, Relativity Space, and L3Harris (formerly known as Aerojet Rocketdyne) made significant strides toward their space-project goals while utilizing NASA Stennis infrastructure.Launcher/John Kraus Photography An image from November 2021 shows a subscale center body diffuser hot fire on the E-3 Test Stand during an ongoing advanced diffuser test series at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. NASA/Stennis A team of engineers from NASA, Orbital Sciences Corporation and L3Harris (formerly known as Aerojet Rocketdyne) conduct an engine acceptance test on the E-1 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center on Jan. 18, 2013. The successful test of AJ26 Engine E12 continued support of Orbital Sciences Corporation as the company prepared to provide commercial cargo missions to the International Space Station. NASA/Stennis Developed during the 1990s and early 2000s, the E Test Complex can deliver various propellants and gases at high and low pressures and flow rates not available elsewhere. The versatility of the complex infrastructure and test team allows it to support projects for commercial aerospace companies, large and small. NASA Stennis also provides welding, machining, calibration, precision cleaning, and other support services required to conduct testing.
“NASA Stennis delivers exceptional results in a timely manner with our capabilities and services,” said Duane Armstrong, manager of the NASA Stennis Strategic Business Development Office. “Our commercial partnerships and agreements have proven to be true win-win arrangements. NASA Stennis is where customers have access to unique NASA test support infrastructure and expertise, making it the go-to place for commercial propulsion testing.”
Companies come to the south Mississippi site with various needs. Some test for a short time and collect essential data. Others stay for an extended period. The stage of development and the particular test article, whether a component or full engine, determine where testing takes place within the E Complex.
NASA Stennis also offers a variety of test agreements. Companies may lease a stand or area and perform its own test campaign. They also may team with NASA Stennis engineers and operators to form a blended test team. And in some cases, companies will turn over the entirety of test work to the NASA Stennis team. Current companies conducting work at NASA Stennis include: Blue Origin; Boeing; Evolution Space; Launcher, a Vast company; Relativity Space; and Rolls-Royce. They join a growing list who conducted earlier test projects in the complex, including SpaceX, Stratolaunch, Virgin Orbit, and Orbital Sciences Corporation.
In addition, three companies – Relativity Space, Rocket Lab, and Evolution Space – are establishing production and/or test operations onsite.
“We may work with a customer brand new to the field, so we help them figure out how to build their engine,” said Chris Barnett-Woods, E-1 electrical lead and instrumentation engineer. “Another customer may know exactly what they want, and we support them to make it happen. We focus on customer need. Given our expertise, we know how testing needs to be conducted or can figure it out quickly together, which can help our customer save money toward a successful outcome.”
NASA engineers conduct a test of a methane-fueled 2K thruster on the E-3 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center during a four-day span in May 2015. NASA/Stennis NASA records a historic week Nov. 5-9, 2012, conducting 27 tests on three different rocket engines/components across three stands in the E Test Complex at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Inset images show the types of tests conducted on the E-1 Test Stand (right), the E-2 Test Stand (left) and the E-3 Test Stand (center). The E-1 image is from an October 2012 test and is provided courtesy of Blue Origin. Other images are from tests conducted the week of Nov. 5, 2012. NASA/Stennis Operators at the E-2 Test Stand at NASA’s Stennis Space Center conduct a test of the oxygen preburner component developed by SpaceX for its Raptor rocket engine on June 9, 2015. NASA/Stennis Operators conduct a hot fire on the E-3 Test Stand during ongoing advanced diffuser test series in October 2015 at NASA’s Stennis Space Center. Subscale testing was conducted at NASA Stennis to validate innovative new diffuser designs to help test rocket engines at simulated high altitudes, helping to ensure the engines will fire and operate on deep space missions as needed. NASA/Stennis NASA’s Stennis Space Center and L3Harris (formerly known as Aerojet Rocketdyne) complete a successful round of AR1 preburner tests on Cell 2 of the E-1 Test Stand during the last week of June 2016. The tests successfully verified key preburner injector design parameters for the company’s AR1 engine being designed to end use of Russian engines for national security space launches. NASA/Stennis Capabilities to benefit NASA and the aerospace industry have grown since the center entered its first commercial partnership in the late 1990s. The test team also has grown in understanding the commercial approach, and the center has committed itself to adapting and streamlining its business processes.
“Time-to-market is key for commercial companies,” said Joe Schuyler, director of the NASA Stennis Engineering and Test Directorate. “They want to test as efficiently and economically as possible. Our goal is to meet them where they are and deliver what they need. And that is exactly what we focus our efforts on.”
As stated in the site’s latest strategic plan, the goal is to operate as “a multi-user propulsion testing enterprise that accelerates the development of aerospace systems and services by government and industry.” To that end, the site is innovating its operations, modernizing its services, and demonstrating it is the best choice for propulsion testing.
“NASA Stennis is open for business as the preferred propulsion provider for aerospace companies,” Bailey said. “Companies across the board are realizing they can achieve their desired results at NASA Stennis.”
For information about NASA’s Stennis Space Center, visit:
Stennis Space Center – NASA
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Last Updated Nov 13, 2024 EditorNASA Stennis CommunicationsContactC. Lacy Thompsoncalvin.l.thompson@nasa.gov / (228) 688-3333LocationStennis Space Center Related Terms
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