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Extreme Environment Technologies for Space and Terrestrial ApplicationsOver the next decades, NASA's planned solar system exploration missions are targeting planets, moons and small bodies, where spacecraft would be expected to encounter diverse extreme environmental (EE) conditions throughout their mission phases. These EE conditions are often coupled. For instance, near the surface of Venus and in the deep atmospheres of giant planets, probes would experience high temperatures and pressures. In the Jovian system low temperatures are coupled with high radiation. Other environments include thermal cycling, and corrosion. Mission operations could also introduce extreme conditions, due to atmospheric entry heat flux and deceleration. Some of these EE conditions are not unique to space missions; they can be encountered by terrestrial assets from the fields of defense,oil and gas, aerospace, and automotive industries. In this paper we outline the findings of NASA's Extreme Environments Study Team, including discussions on state of the art and emerging capabilities related to environmental protection, tolerance and operations in EEs. We will also highlight cross cutting EE mitigation technologies, for example, between high g-load tolerant impactors for Europa and instrumented projectiles on Earth; high temperature electronics sensors on Jupiter deep probes and sensors inside jet engines; and pressure vessel technologies for Venus probes and sea bottom monitors. We will argue that synergistic development programs between these fields could be highly beneficial and cost effective for the various agencies and industries. Some of these environments, however, are specific to space and thus the related technology developments should be spear headed by NASA with collaboration from industry and academia.
Document ID
20100031714
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Balint, Tibor S.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Cutts, James A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kolawa, Elizabeth A.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Peterson, Craig E.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
August 25, 2013
Publication Date
February 12, 2008
Subject Category
Space Sciences (General)
Meeting Information
Meeting: SPIE Defense and Security
Location: Orlando, FL
Country: United States
Start Date: January 1, 2008
Sponsors: International Society for Optical Engineering
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
extreme environments
solar system exploration
technology

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