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By Space Force
U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. John DeGoes discusses transformative leadership and how it is rooted in purposeful communication, adaptability, and a commitment to the Air Force core values.
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By Space Force
Personnel at the Air Force Accessions Center demonstrated their ability to adapt quickly to evolving accession requirements, resulting in dozens of highly qualified cadets being notified of a pilot career field selection.
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By NASA
The NESC Mechanical Systems TDT provides broad support across NASA’s mission directorates. We are a diverse group representing a variety of sub-disciplines including bearings, gears, metrology, lubrication and tribology, mechanism design, analysis and testing, fastening systems, valve engineering, actuator engineering, pyrotechnics, mechatronics, and motor controls. In addition to providing technical support, the
TDT owns and maintains NASA-STD-5017, “Design and Development Requirements for Space Mechanisms.”
Mentoring the Next Generation
The NESC Mechanical Systems TDT actively participates in the Structures, Loads & Dynamics, Materials, and Mechanical Systems (SLAMS) Early Career Forum that mentors early-career engineers. The TDT sent three members to this year’s forum at WSTF, where early-career engineers networked with peers and NESC mentors, gave presentations on tasks they worked on at their home centers, and attended splinter sessions where they collaborated with mentors.
New NASA Valve Standard to Reduce Risk and Improve Design and Reliability
Valve issues have been encountered across NASA’s programs and continue to compromise mission performance and increase risk, in many cases because the valve hardware was not qualified in the environment as specified in NASA-STD-5017. To help address these issues, the Mechanical Systems TDT is developing a NASA standard for valves. The TDT assembled a team of subject matter experts from across the Agency representing several disciplines including mechanisms, propulsion, environmental control and life support systems, spacesuits, active thermal control systems, and materials and processes. The team has started their effort by reviewing lessons learned and best practices for valve design and hope to have a draft standard ready by the end of 2025.
Bearing Life Testing for Reaction Wheel Assemblies
The Mechanical Systems TDT just concluded a multiyear bearing life test on 40 motors, each containing a pair of all steel bearings of two different conformities or a pair of hybrid bearings containing silicon nitride balls. The testing confirmed that hybrid bearings outperformed their steel counterparts, and bearings with higher conformity (54%) outperformed bearings with lower conformity (52%). The team is disassembling and inspecting the bearings, and initial results have been surprising. The TDT was able to “recover” some of the bearings that failed during the life test and get them running as well as they did when testing began. Some bearings survived over five billion revolutions and appeared like new when they were disassembled and inspected. These results will be published once analysis is complete.
X-57 Design Assessment
The Mechanical Systems TDT was asked by the Aeronautics Mission Directorate to assess the design of the electric cruise motors installed on X-57. The team responded quickly to meet the Project’s schedule, making an onsite visit and attending numerous technical interchange meetings. After careful review of the design, the TDT identified areas for higher-level consideration and risk assessment and attended follow-on reviews to provide additional comments and advice.
CLARREO Pathfinder Inner Radial Bearing Anomaly
The Climate Absolute Radiance and Refractivity Observatory (CLARREO) Pathfinder was designed to take highly accurate measurements of reflected solar radiation to better-understand Earth’s climate. During payload functional testing, engineers detected a noise as the HySICS pointing system was rotated from its normal storage orientation. Mechanical Systems TDT members reviewed the design and inspection reports after disassembly of the inner bearing unit, noticing contact marks on the bore of the inner ring and the shaft that confirmed that the inner ring of the bearing was moving on the shaft with respect to the outer ring. Lubricant applied to this interface resolved the noise problem and allowed the project to maintain schedule without any additional costs.
JPL Wheel Drive Actuator Extended Life Test Independent Review Team
A consequence of changes to its mission on Mars will require the Perseverance Rover to travel farther than originally planned. Designed to drive 20 km, the rover will now need to drive ~91 km to rendezvous and support Mars sample tube transfer to the Sample Retrieval Lander. The wheel drive actuators with integral brakes had only been life tested to 40 km, so a review was scheduled to discuss an extended life test. The OCE Science Mission Directorate Chief Engineer assembled an independent review team (IRT) that included NESC Mechanical Systems TDT members. This IRT issued findings and guidance that questioned details of the JPL assumptions and plan. Several important recommendations were made that improved the life test plan and led to the identification of brake software issues that were reducing brake life. The life test has achieved 40 km of its 137 km goal and is ongoing. In addition, software updates were sent to the rover to improve brake life.
Orion Crew Module Hydrazine Valve
When an Orion crew module hydrazine valve failed to close, the production team asked the Mechanical Systems TDT for help. A TDT member attended two meetings and then visited the valve manufacturer, where it was determined this valve was a scaled-down version of the 12-inch SLS prevalve that was the subject of a previous NESC assessment and shared similar issues. The Orion Program requested NESC materials and mechanical systems support. The Mechanical Systems TDT member then worked closely with a Lockheed Martin (LM) Fellow for Mechanisms to review all the valve vendor’s detailed drawings and assembly procedures and document any issues. A follow-on meeting was held to brief both the LM and NASA Technical Fellows for Propulsion that a redesign and requalification was recommended. These recommendations have now been elevated to the LM Vice President for Mission Success and the LM Chief Engineer for Orion.
NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover selfie taken in July 2024.
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By NASA
Ken Freeman (center) receives the ATCA Award for ATM-X Digital Information Platform (DIP) from Rachel Jackson, Chair ATCA Board of Directors (left) and Carey Fagan, President and CEO ATCA (right).NASA Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) Award to the NASA ATM-X Digital Information Platform (DIP) Team
In November 2024, the Digital Information Platform (DIP) team received the prestigious Industry Award from the Air Traffic Control Association (ATCA) at the annual ATCA Connect Conference in Washington, DC. The award recognized the team’s efforts in supporting NASA’s Sustainable Flight National Partnership (SFNP), which aims for net-zero carbon emissions from aviation by 2050. The DIP sub-project focuses on increasing access to digital aviation information to enable efficient and sustainable airspace operations. DIP team has been conducting live operational demonstrations in North Texas Metroplex environment since 2022 with commercial airlines on the Collaborative Digital Departure Reroute (CDDR) tool that applies machine learning to make predictions on runway availability, departure times, and arrival times. DIP has signed Space Act Agreements with five major US airlines to carryout operational evaluation of CDDR in complex metroplex environments and is now deploying the CDDR capability to Houston. CDDR machine learning algorithm intelligently provides re-routing options to the operators by using real time weather and operational data reducing delays, fuel burn and carbon emissions. DIP is part of the Air Traffic Management – eXploration (ATM-X) project, which is focused on transforming the air traffic management system to accommodate new air vehicles. More information on the ATCA award is at: https://www.atca.org/detail-pages/news/2024/11/15/atca-presents-annual-awards-at-atca-connect-recognizing-exceptional-efforts-made-to-the-worldwide-air-traffic-control-and-airspace-system.
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By NASA
NASA has selected multiple companies to expand the agency’s Near Space Network’s commercial direct-to-Earth capabilities services, which is a mission-critical communication capability that allows spacecraft to transmit data directly to ground stations on Earth.
The work will be awarded under new Near Space Network services contracts that are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. Project timelines span from February 2025 to September 2029, with an additional five-year option period that could extend a contract through Sept. 30, 2034. The cumulative maximum value of all Near Space Network Services contracts is $4.82 billion.
Some companies received multiple task orders for subcategories identified in their contracts. Awards are as follows:
Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategory 1.2 GEO to Cislunar Direct to Earth (DTE) Services and Subcategory 1.3 xCislunar DTE Services to support NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, providing additional capacity to alleviate demand on the Deep Space Network and to meet the mission requirements for unique, highly elliptical orbits. The company also previously received a task order award for Subcategory 2.2 GEO to Cislunar Relay Services. Kongsberg Satellite Services of Tromsø, Norway, will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategory 1.1 Earth Proximity DTE and Subcategory 1.2 to support science missions in low Earth orbit and NASA’s Lunar Exploration Ground Segment, providing additional capacity to alleviate demand on the Deep Space Network. SSC Space U.S. Inc. of Horsham, Pennsylvania, will receive two task order awards on its contract for Subcategories 1.1 and 1.3 to support science missions in low Earth orbit and to meet the mission requirements for unique, highly elliptical orbits. Viasat, Inc. of Duluth, Georgia, will be awarded a task order on its contract for Subcategory 1.1 to support science missions in low Earth orbit. The Near Space Network’s direct-to-Earth capability supports many of NASA’s missions ranging from climate studies on Earth to research on celestial objects. It also will play a role in NASA’s Artemis campaign, which calls for long-term exploration of the Moon.
NASA’s goal is to provide users with communication and navigation services that are secure, reliable, and affordable, so that all NASA users receive the services required by their mission within their latency, accuracy, and availability requirements.
These awards demonstrate NASA’s ongoing commitment to fostering strong partnerships with the commercial space sector, which plays an essential role in delivering the communications infrastructure critical to the agency’s science and exploration missions.
As part of the agency’s SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program, teams at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, will carry out the work of the Near Space Network. The Near Space Network provides missions out to 1.2 million miles (2 million kilometers) with communications and navigation services, enabling spacecraft to exchange critical data with mission operators on Earth. Using space relays in geosynchronous orbit and a global system of government and commercial direct-to-Earth antennas on Earth, the network brings down terabytes of data each day.
Learn more about NASA’s Near Space Network:
https://www.nasa.gov/near-space-network
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Joshua Finch
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1100
joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov
Jeremy Eggers
Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland
757-824-2958
jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov
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