1.   Non-Ionizing Energy Loss Tool for Space Applications *

Organization:  NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Principal Investigator:  Michael Xapsos
Status: Scheduled Completion - April 2005
* Co-funded with SET

Objective:  Provide a computer program for calculating NIEL in elemental and compound semiconductors for electrons, protons and heavy ions having energies relevant to space applications; and calculate NIEL spectra equivalent to linear energy transfer (LET) spectra for space environments of concern, e.g. galactic cosmic rays and solar particle events.

2.   Improved Solar Particle Risk Assessment Tool

Organization:  NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Principal Investigator:  Michael Xapsos
Status: Scheduled Completion - April 2005

Objective:  Develop an improved solar particle risk assessment computer program for
spacecraft design. The corresponding environmental results will be coupled to a
state-of-the-art transport code to allow analysis of the effect of spacecraft shielding on
incident solar particle radiation.

MATERIALS AND PROCESSES

1.   Improved Thermal Control Coating Development 

Organization:  AZ Technology, Inc.
Principal Investigator:  Donald R. Wilkes
Status: Scheduled Completion - July, 2004

Objective:  Develop a small, compact optical properties measurement sensor system that can be configured for a wide range of uses for space experiments and ground-based tests.

METEOROIDS AND ORBITAL DEBRIS

1.   Determination of Meteoroid Masses, Densities and Ballistic Coefficients Using
Decelerations Obtained From Multi-Frequency Radar and Optical Data

Organization:  NASA Marshall Space Flight Center
Principal Investigator:  Robert M. Suggs
Status: Scheduled Completion - May, 2004

Objective:  Directly estimating the densities of ablating meteoroids from measurements of their decelerations using ALTAIR radar. This will produce a density distribution(s) associated with the sporadic meteor background rather than the crude three values used in current environment models.

2.   Origin of the Projectile Residues in the Largest LDEF Craters

Organization:  NASA Johnson Space Center
Principal Investigator:  Friedrich Hörz
Status:  Cancelled

Objective:  Additional compositional analysis of projectiles in the largest craters from LDEF experiment S0001, "The Meteoroid and Space Debris Impact Experiment". The opportunity to systematically characterize approximately 100 space-produced craters >1 mm from a single substrate material will not be duplicated in the near future.

This activity has been discontinued due to not being able to meet the original objectives set forth in the proposal. After analyzing 32 craters greater than 1 mm, the PI deemed it not possible to obtain the desired population statistics of man-made versus natural impactors with the craters.

The SEE Program would like to thank the PI for their effort and delivery of
what was accomplished during the first year.

NEUTRAL EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION

1.   Material Additions to the Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledgebase

Organization:  Bob Wood Aerospace Consulting Services, Inc.
Principal Investigator:  Bobby E. Wood
Status:  Scheduled Completion - January, 2005

Objective:  Provide additional quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM) data to the Satellite Contamination and Materials Outgassing Knowledgebase. There is now the opportunity to essentially double the amount of E1559 information. This would bring the number of materials characterized to approximately 500.

IONOSPHERE AND THERMOSPHERE

1.   Geospace Environment Variability and Implications for Spacecraft Design & Operations

Organization:  Air Force Research Lab - Hanscom LOGICON

Objective:  To improve scientific knowledge of the thermosphere and ionosphere environment conditions and variations over the solar cycle by:

• Developing a comprehensive thermospheric database of neutral density variability necessary of validating new EUV proxies
• Improve current EUV proxies and upgrade neutral thermospheric response in semi-emperical models
• Evaluate data fusion techniques to increase the specification capability of thermospheric models
• Develop a high-latitude scintillation specification and forecast product

SPACECRAFT CHARGING - SEE

1.   Electric Propulsion Interactions Code (EPIC): Integrated Guidelines and Tools for the Assessment of Electric Propulsion Impact on Spacecraft

Organization:  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC)
Principal Investigator:  Dr. Myron Mandell
Status:  Scheduled Completion - January, 2004

Objective:  To enhance and combine existing plasma simulations codes into an integrated package, EPIC, to provide system designers with a tool for assessing EP spacecraft interactions.

2.   Measurement of Charge Storage Decay Time and Resistivity of Spacecraft Insulators  
Organization:  Utah State University
Principal Investigator:  Dr. J.R. Dennison
Status: Scheduled Completion - July, 2004

Objective:  Investigate the methods for measurement of charge storage and the magnitude of the effect in typical space applications through a combination of straightforward measurements and reference to existing theory on conduction in insulators. Specifically: (i) perfect methods and test protocols to study and quantify the effect, (ii) perform ground-based measurements of the effect in a limited number of controlled studies on near-term, ground-based measurements of the effect in a limited number of controlled studies on near-term missions and (iii) extend existing preliminary work to develop improved techniques so that a wider array of materials and their parameters can be efficiently tested in multiple-sample testing procedures.

Summary of NRA-8-31 SET Proposals Awarded


MICROELECTRONICS

1.   Analysis of CRRES Pulse Height Analyzer (PHA) Data for Low-Linear Energy
Transfer (LET) Events

Organization:  Clemson University
Principal Investigator:  Peter McNulty

Objective:  Will analyze the intensity of low-LET events in the belts and during solar flare
events. Analysis will pay particular attention to relevance to the effects to be expected in
photometric sensors flying on satellites.

2.   Solar Variability, the Near-Earth Radiation Environment, and Transient Effects on Microelectronics 

Organization:  NAVSEA Crane
Principal Investigator:  Thomas Turflinger

Objective:  The Enhanced Low Dose Rate Sensitivity (ELDRS) effect in bipolar linear
integrated circuits flown in space will be studied. Will extract and analyze space data on
the ELDRS effect from the Microelectronic and Photonics Testbed (MPTB)
experiment.

DETECTOR TECHNOLOGIES

1.   Displacement Damage Effects in Solar Cells-Mining Damage Data from the
Microelectronic and Photonics Testbed (MPTB) Space Experiment

Organization:  Naval Research Laboratory
Principal Investigator:  Robert Walters

Objective:  Develop an improved space solar cell radiation response analysis capability and to produce a computer modeling tool which implements the analysis. Will use the SAVANT code to model solar cell life for the MPTB mission and use existing MPTB mission data to validate the model.

2.   Modeling Charge Collection in Detector Arrays

Organization:  PR&T
Principal Investigator:  James Pickel

Objective:  Develop and validate a detector array charge collection model that can be used as an engineering tool to aid in the design of optical sensor missions for operation in the space radiation environment.

MATERIALS DEGRADATION AND SHIELDING PROPERTIES

1.   Study of Total Ionizing Dose Effects of High-Z Material Spot Shields on Field
Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) Using Flight Data from Microelectronics and
Photonics Testbed (MPTB) Experiment

Organization:  The Aerospace Corporation
Principal Investigator:  Susan Crain

Objective:  To analyze the effectiveness of spot shielding of FPGAs on the MPTB
experiment. It has been observed that spot shielded arrays show more total ionizing
dose degradation. Will analyze this behavior using concurrent radiation environment
measurements, radiation environment models and transport codes.

SPACECRAFT CHARGING - SET

1.   Characterization of Magnetospheric Spacecraft Charging Environments Using the LANL Magnetospheric Plasma Analyzer Data Set

Organization:  SAIC
Principal Investigator:  Victoria Davis

Objective: Develop an improved model of the environmental causes of spacecraft charging and thereby increase the ability of spacecraft designers and researches to predict this charging.

2.   Electrostatic Return of Contaminants

Organization:  ROR Enterprises
Principal Investigator:  Dr. R. O. Rantanen

Objective:  Develop a model, ElectroStatic Return Flux (ESRF) for calculating return flux of ionized contaminants to spacecraft surfaces. The tool will have the ability to address spheres, plates, and cylinders used in all ambient environments.

3.   Mining CRRES IDM Pulse Data and CRRES Environment Data to Improve Spacecraft Charging/Discharging Models and Guidelines

Organization:  Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Principal Investigator:  Robb Frederickson

Objective:  Will utilize flight data to correlate bulk charging and discharging with the high-energy electron flux/energy spectra, develop theoretical determinations of the internal electric fields during such events, and use the NUMIT code to calculate electric fields in the samples as a function of sample resistivity.
 

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