NASA Engineering and Safety Center

NESC Assists in Heatshield Investigation

NASA’s uncrewed Artemis I mission launched from KSC on November 16, 2022. After a successful mission that included orbiting the Moon, the Orion spacecraft returned to Earth splashing down in the Pacific Ocean on December 11, 2022.

Posted December 26, 2024

General

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Collaboration Is Key to A Strong Materials Discipline

NASA has a strong need for advanced materials and processes (M&P) across the realms of robotic- and crewed-spaceflight, as well as aeronautics, particularly when one acknowledges that all craft must be made of something. To meet that need, the materials discipline relies on collaboration—both between centers and across disciplines.

Posted December 24, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Characterizing the Visual Experience of Astronauts at the Lunar South Pole

Humans are returning to the Moon—this time, to stay. Because our presence will be more permanent, NASA has selected a location that maximizes line-of-sight communication with Earth, solar visibility, and access to water ice: the Lunar South Pole (LSP). While the Sun is in the lunar sky more consistently at the poles, it never rises […]

Posted December 24, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

General

Statistical Analysis Using Random Forest Algorithm Provides Key Insights into Parachute Energy Modulator System

Download PDF: Statistical Analysis Using Random Forest Algorithm Provides Key Insights into Parachute Energy Modulator System Energy modulators (EM), also known as energy absorbers, are safety-critical components that are used to control shocks and impulses in a load path.

Posted December 19, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Contact Dynamics Predictions Utilizing theNESC Parameterless Contact Model

Download PDF: Contact Dynamics Predictions Utilizing theNESC Parameterless Contact Model Modeling the capture of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Orbiting Sample (OS) involves understanding complex dynamic behavior, which includes the OS making contact against the interior of the capture enclosure.

Posted December 19, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

2024 NESC Technical Update

Annual Report of NESC Technical Activities On behalf of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), I am pleased to provide you with the 2024 NESC Technical Update. This annual report summarizes the technical work, engineering advancements, and knowledge capture efforts we made in FY24.

Posted December 12, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Key Considerations When Developing Avionics for Safety-Critical Systems

This article is from the 2024 Technical Update. Multiple human spaceflight programs are underway at NASA including Orion, Space Launch System, Gateway, Human Landing System, and EVA and Lunar Surface Mobility programs.

Posted December 12, 2024

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

6DOF Check Cases

This article is from the 2024 Technical Update. In 2015, the NESC released benchmark Earth-based check-cases for well specified, rigid-body, six-degree-of-freedom (6DOF) aero/spacecraft models to promote consistent and accurate flight simulations across multiple Agency tools and facilities.

Posted December 12, 2024

General

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Helium Conservation by Diffusion Limited Purging of Liquid Hydrogen Tanks

This article is from the 2024 Technical Update. The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) has developed an analytical model that predicts diffusion between two gases during piston purging of liquid hydrogen (LH2) tanks.

Posted December 12, 2024

General

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Considerations for Using Autonomous Flight Termination Softwarein Crewed Launch Vehicles

This article is from the 2024 Technical Update Autonomous flight termination systems (AFTS) are being progressively employed onboard launch vehicles to replace ground personnel and infrastructure needed to terminate flight or destruct the vehicle should an anomaly occur.

Posted December 12, 2024