NASA Institute For Advanced Concepts Research Articles

How Nanotechnology Can Revolutionize Meteorological Observing with Lagrangian Drifters

The idea of using Lagrangian drifters for atmospheric sampling has been prevalent for more than 50 years. Substantial reductions in platform mass, size, and cost can now be realized by leveraging current and expected advances in micro- and ultimately nanotechnology. Such advancements have inspired a new observing system called Global Environmental Micro Sensors (GEMS). The initial GEMS concept envisioned developing and deploying large numbers of devices as small as 50–100 μim in one or more dimensions. The GEMS concept was evaluated during a multiyear study from 2002 to 2005 for the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts. The current GEMS prototype features a 1-m, super-pressure balloon filled with helium to make it neutrally buoyant at different levels in the atmosphere. Once deployed, the probe measures temperature, pressure, relative humidity, velocity, and position information using microsensors as it drifts passively with the wind. Field experiments with GEMS prototypes were conducted in 2007 for a project called GEMS Test Operations in the Natural Environment (GEMSTONE). The success of the single-probe free flight test lasting more than 7 h fell short of the project goal but demonstrated system functionality and robustness. Follow-up efforts will address issues identified during the GEMSTONE project to feature multiprobe flight tests where probes travel hundreds of kilometers for several days. Significant reductions in mass and size of GEMS can be achieved through miniaturization/integration of probe components as well as advances in material sciences and bio-inspired designs.

Directed aerial robot explorers for planetary exploration

Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) is developing a revolutionary system architecture for exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces from atmospheric altitudes. The work is supported by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC). The innovative system architecture relies upon the use of Directed Aerial Robot Explorers (DAREs), which essentially are long-duration-flight autonomous balloons with trajectory control capabilities that can deploy swarms of miniature probes over multiple target areas. The balloons will serve a dual purpose as independent explorers and as microprobe delivery systems for targeted observations. Trajectory control capabilities will offer unprecedented opportunities in high-resolution, targeted observations of both atmospheric and surface phenomena. Multifunctional microprobes will be deployed from the balloons once over the target areas, and perform a multitude of functions, such as atmospheric profiling or surface exploration, relaying data back to the balloons or an orbiter. This architecture will enable low-cost, low-energy, long-term global exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. We report here results of the preliminary analysis of the trajectory control capabilities and potential applications for DARE platforms at Venus, Mars, Titan and Jupiter.

Directed aerial robot explorers for planetary exploration

Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) is developing a revolutionary system architecture for exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces from atmospheric altitudes. The work is supported by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC). The innovative system architecture relies upon the use of Directed Aerial Robot Explorers (DAREs), which essentially are long-duration-flight autonomous balloons with trajectory control capabilities that can deploy swarms of miniature probes over multiple target areas. The balloons will serve a dual purpose as independent explorers and as microprobe delivery systems for targeted observations. Trajectory control capabilities will offer unprecedented opportunities in high-resolution, targeted observations of both atmospheric and surface phenomena. Multifunctional microprobes will be deployed from the balloons once over the target areas, and perform a multitude of functions, such as atmospheric profiling or surface exploration, relaying data back to the balloons or an orbiter. This architecture will enable low-cost, low-energy, long-term global exploration of planetary atmospheres and surfaces. We report here results of the preliminary analysis of the trajectory control capabilities and potential applications for DARE platforms at Venus, Mars, Titan and Jupiter.

Trajectory simulation for single balloons and networks

An understanding of the characteristics of trajectories of constant-altitude stratospheric platforms is important for scientific balloon flights because science observation sequences, safety planning, overflight negotiations, launch site selection, and recovery operations are affected by trajectory. Supported by NASA, Global Aerospace Corporation (GAC) has developed a Trajectory Simulation and Prediction System (TSPS) for NASA's Ultra Long Duration Balloon (ULDB) Project. We identified desirable launch dates based on historical trajectory dispersion. None of the launch sites that were studied exhibits significantly less dispersion than the other launch sites. However, latitude dispersion grows with flight duration, and trajectory dispersion growth is significant from 30- to 100-day flights. We also discuss work supported by the NASA Institute for Advanced Concepts (NIAC) where trajectory simulation techniques are applied to constellations of hundreds of balloons. We evaluate the prospects of managing the geometry of such constellations by using trajectory control systems.