NASA Engineering and Safety Center

Mechanical Systems TDT Support Reaches Across NASA Programs – NASA

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Mechanical Systems TDT Support Reaches Across NASA Programs – 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, theTDT owns and maintains … Read more

NESC Assists in Heatshield Investigation – NASA

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NESC Assists in Heatshield Investigation – NASA

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. While the spacecraft made a safe return to Earth, postflight inspection of Orion’s thermal protection indicated that the … Read more

Collaboration Is Key to A Strong Materials Discipline – NASA

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Collaboration Is Key to A Strong Materials Discipline – NASA

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. Reaching the Agency’s Moon-to-Mars objectives will … Read more

Characterizing the Visual Experience of Astronauts at the Lunar South Pole – NASA

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Characterizing the Visual Experience of Astronauts at the Lunar South Pole – NASA

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 … Read more

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

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

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. EMs are textile devices typically manufactured out of nylon, Kevlar® and other materials, and control loads … Read more

6DOF Check Cases – NASA

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6DOF Check Cases – NASA

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. Recently, the NESC expanded upon that effort to add Lunar-based check-cases to support new lunar exploration initiatives. This … Read more

Helium Conservation by Diffusion Limited Purging of Liquid Hydrogen Tanks – NASA

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Helium Conservation by Diffusion Limited Purging of Liquid Hydrogen Tanks – NASA

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. This model helps explain dramatic helium savings seen in a recent Kennedy Space Center (KSC) purge, shows that undesired turbulent mixing … Read more

Considerations for Using Autonomous Flight Termination Softwarein Crewed Launch Vehicles – NASA

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Considerations for Using Autonomous Flight Termination Softwarein Crewed Launch Vehicles – NASA

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. This automation uses on-board real-time data and encoded logic to determine if the flight should be self-terminated. … Read more

2024 NESC Technical Update – NASA

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2024 NESC Technical Update – NASA

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. With support provided by members of our NASA community from across … Read more

Part Ojibwe, All NASA: Linda Spuler’s Role in Protecting Johnson Space Center  – NASA

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Part Ojibwe, All NASA: Linda Spuler’s Role in Protecting Johnson Space Center  – NASA

Linda Spuler, emergency manager at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston, believes that everyone has a story. “Our stories highlight what we have in common, but they also make us each unique,” she said.  Spuler has worked at Johnson for over 32 years, spending most of her career in Center Operations. Her story has involved … Read more