Extreme Environments Technologies for Space Exploration

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Extreme Environments Technologies for Space
Exploration
Elizabeth Kolawa, M. Mojarradi Jet Propulsion
Laboratory
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Introduction

• Future NASA missions outlined in Decadal Survey
  of Solar System Exploration all involve operation
  in extreme environments of temperature, pressure,
  and radiation
• Current state of the art technologies in thermal
  control, sensors, electronics, and mechanisms are
  not adequate for the spacecraft equipment to
  survive and operate in these environments

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Why Extreme Environments?
Solar System Exploration Missions Recommended in
Decadal Survey
Challenge All missions recommended by Decadal
Survey have to survive in combination of extreme
temperatures, pressure, and radiation
environments.
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Temperature, Pressure, and Radiation in Reference
Missions
Pressure vs. Temperature
Radiation vs. Temperature
Pressure ( bars)
Radiation( MRad)
1000
10
Europa Surface and Subsurface
Jupiter Probes
100

10
1.0
Venus Surface Exploration
Titan In-Situ
Earth
1.0
0.1
0.1
Jupiter Probes
Europa Surface and Subsurface
Venus Surface Exploration
Titan In-Situ
0.01
CNSR
Earth
CNSR
250
- 250
250
- 250
500
500
0
0
Temperature ( C)
Temperature ( C)
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Technology Needs for Future Reference Missions

• Technology Development Needed for Reference
  Missions Survivability in Extreme Environments
• Advanced Thermal Control and Pressure Vessel
  Technology
• High Temperature Materials, Electronics,
  Packaging, Sensors, Actuators, Energy Storage,
  and corrosion protection materials and coatings
• Low Temperature Sensors, Actuators, and Interface
  Electronics
• Radiation Hard Electronics and Sensors

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Approach
Option 1 Use conventional spacecraft components
and provide survivability through total thermal
control and/or radiation shielding But Not
practical to implement this option due to mission
architectures, science requirements, and
mass/volume/power constraints
Option 2 Develop spacecraft components all able
to survive in extreme environments But The
development of avionics, telecom and advanced
instruments which can all operate at extreme high
temperatures will cost billions of dollars

• Option 3 Practical solution is a hybrid system
• of Option 1 and Option 2
• For extreme temperatures/pressures environments
  Combination of thermal/pressure control for
  avionics, telecom, advanced instruments etc. and
  high/low temperature components for in-situ
  science and sample acquisition
• For extreme radiation environments Combination
  of rad hard components and radiation shielding

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Venus Exploration - Hybrid Solution

• Components needing development to survive and
  operate in 460 C/90 bar Venus environment
• Sample acquisition (drilling from bedrock, 10-20
  cm)
• Actuators
• Actuator Electronics and Packaging (Drivers)
• Cabling and Connectors
• Sample Handling and Transfer Mechanism
• Permanent Magnets
• Sensors
• Temperature, Pressure, Position etc.
• Fiber-optic bundles
• Sensors Interface Electronics and Packaging (low
  noise preamplifiers)
• Energy Storage
• Batteries

Minimize number of interconnections to avoid
potential thermal and pressure leaks
460 C
Sample Acquisition
Major flight system components (avionics,
telecom, power distribution, advanced science
instruments etc. ) are kept in controlled,
conventional thermal-pressure environment that
standard components can be used. Sample
acquisition system, in-situ sensors, and basic
driving and sensor interface electronics are
located outside and exposed to extreme harsh
environment (460 C/90 bar).
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Jupiter/Neptune Multi-Probes - Thermal Control
Only Solution
Some science sensors and instruments can be
exposed to extreme environments (- 140 C to 380
C, 100-2000 bar).
The inside temperature of the thermal control
enclosure is kept below 50 C for several hours by
using thermal energy storage and thermal
insulation.
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Titan In-Situ and CNSR Missions - Hybrid Solution
Avionics, Telecom, PMAD and Instruments in
Thermally Controlled Environment 0 C
Components needing development to survive and
operate in Titan/Comets low temperature (- 180 to
- 140 C) environment Sample Acquisition,
Handling and Transfer Mechanism Motors,
Magnets Actuators and driver electronics Drilling/
coring tools Sensors Variety of science
sensors Fiber-optic bundles Sensors interface
electronics (low noise preamplifiers)
- 180 C
In-Situ Sensors and Actuators
The waste heat from RPS is used to keep the
thermal enclosure inside temperature above above
0 C. The external probes, sample acquisition
system, actuators, and sensors have to survive
the extreme cold of -180 C (in some cases RPS
waste heat can be used for local thermal control)
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Europa Surface Exploration - Hybrid Solution
Avionics, Telecom, PMAD and Instruments in
Thermally Controlled/Partially Radiation Shielded
Environment 0 C

• Components needing development to survive and
  operate in low temperature/high radiation (- 160
  C/5Mrad) Europa surface environment
• Sample acquisition (drilling in the ice, 0.5 m )
• Actuators
• Actuator Electronics and Packaging (Drivers)
• Coring/Drilling Tools
• Sample Handling and Transfer Mechanism
• Permanent Magnets
• Sensors
• Science sensors etc.
• Fiber-optic bundles
• Sensors Interface Electronics
• APS camera
• Energy Storage
• LT Batteries

Avionics System (X2000) developed for Europa
Orbiter can be used but thermal control and
radiation shielding of avionics components will
be needed
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2009 Mars Science Laboratory

• CRUISE/APPROACH
• Type-II transfer
• 12 month flight time
• 5-6 course corrections
• Optical nav for approach

• ENTRY/DESCENT/
• LANDING
• Lander performs
• direct entry
• Altimetry performed in
• terminal descent

• SURFACE MISSION
• 400 kg rover
• 500 lifetime
• (-120C- 20C)
• 10 km mobility
• 50 kg science payload
• Radioisotope Power
• Source

• LAUNCH
• Oct. 27, 2009
• CCAS SLC-41
• Delta IV/ATLAS V w/
• 5-m fairing

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Mars Exploration - Hybrid Solution
Centralized Architecture
Distributed Architecture
In Mars environment
Electronics operating in extreme environment of
Mars (-120C- 20C ) will enable distributed
architecture greatly simplifying future rovers
design, fabrication, assembly, and test
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Summary of Reference Mission Technology Needs
Challenge All reference missions have to
survive and operate in extreme temperature,
pressure, and radiation environments.
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Workshop on Extreme Environments Technologies
Jupiter Probes
Venus

• The Workshop on Extreme Environments Technologies
  for Space Exploration
• was held on May 14-16, 2003 in Pasadena.
• The objectives of the workshop were
• the assessment of the state of the art of
  technologies for operation in the environments of
  extreme high/low temperatures, pressures, and
  radiation levels that far exceed the limits of
  operation and survival of commercial, military,
  or space-rated systems.
• to help NASA plan the technology development
  project in Extreme Environments Systems
  Technology.

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• The proceedings of the workshop are available
  athttp//extenv.jpl.nasa.gov
• During the electronics related sessions the
  feasibility of different semiconductor
  technologies, ranging from conventional silicon
  CMOS and SiGe based solutions for low
  temperatures to SiC and miniaturized vacuum tubes
  for extremely high temperatures, were presented
• Thermal control sessions provided information on
  new, improved techniques and materials, for both
  passive and active cooling.
• The state-of-the- art in power and storage
  technology was reviewed by presentations from
  industry. Promising solutions exist for high
  temperature batteries while development of
  materials for low temperature batteries is still
  in the early research phase
• The practical solutions used in well logging and
  oil drilling industry for high temperature/high
  pressure survivability can be a good learning
  source and a starting point for developing
  solutions for NASAs missions

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• Panel discussions
• The first panel was focused on low temperature
  operations needed for Mars, Comets, and Titan
  missions. The reduction or elimination of
  thermal control can enable better mission
  architectures for Mars rovers and Titan balloon
  missions
• The second panel session on Venus and Jupiter
  probes described the science benefits brought to
  the missions by systems able to survive at
  extreme high temperatures for extended periods of
  time.

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Venus Dynamics Explorer

• Objective Obtain Measurements to explain the
  general circulation of the Venus atmosphere
• The cloud-level atmosphere (70 km) rotates about
  60 times faster than the planets slowly-rotating
  surface (4 days vs 242 day period)
• The mechanisms responsible for this superrotation
  have evaded theoretical explanation for gt30 years

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Venus Dynamics Explorer

• Approach Long-lived balloons and Orbiter
• Network of 12 to 24 long-lived balloons
• Deployed between the surface and cloud tops at
  3-4 latitudes (equatorial, mid, high)
• Time resolved measurements over 1 week
• Discriminates eddies from mean flow
• VLBI tracking, p, T, solar/thermal radiation
• Orbiter
• Required for communications/ tracking
• UV and Near IR imaging spectrometers for tracking
  the upper, middle, and lower clouds S- and/or
  X-band radio science package to retrieve density
  profile at 34 km and 100 km

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Balloon Deployment Approach
Zonal Wind (m/s)
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Balloon Requirements

• Super-pressure balloons
• Near constant altitude operations
• Deployment altitudes
• lt 5, 15, 30, 60 km
• Lifetime 1 week
• Tracking Requirements (from orbit)
• Velocity 1m/sec
• Position
• /- 5km horizontal
• ltlt1km vertical
• Instruments
• S/L-band Transponder
• Pressure sensor (altitude)
• Temperature sensors
• Relative wind speed
• Cloud particle sensors
• Solar/Thermal radiation sensors

• Technologies
• High-temperature electronics
• High temperature batteries
• Balloon materials
• Deployment architectures

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High Temperature Limits of Conventional
Components
Technological Limits for Components
Extreme high temperature/high pressure
environments are unique to NASA missions
500
Temperature (C)
NASA Needs
Jupiter Probes
400
Hard solders melt at 400 C
TFE Teflon degenerates at 370 C Silicon
electronics cant operate above 350 C
Limit of commercial and military applications is
currently about 350 C
Geothermal
Magnets and actuators operational limit is
300-350 C
300
Geothermal
Automotive
200
Gas
Soft solders melt at about 180 C Connector
problems start at 150 C
Oil Wells
Water boils _at_ 1 atm at 100 C
100
Terrestrial Applications
Military
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High Temperature Components Status

• Si devices temperature limit is about 350 C
• SiC electronics is limited to discrete devices,
  very few integrated circuits demonstrated

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Maturity and Maximum Operation Temperature of
Device Technologies
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HTMOS Standard Electronic Products
Available Now from Honeywell! Family Of
SOI CMOS Integrated Circuits For Creating Data
Acquisition Instrumentation Subsystems -
Op Amps - Voltage References - Voltage
Regulators - Micro Controller - SRAM And ROM
- Digital Logic Arrays 2 Million Device Hours
Worth Of Life Test Data Demonstrate Reliable
Operation At 225C
Silicon On Insulator (SOI CMOS)
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SiC-based electronics

• Consists of an equal number of silicon and carbon
  atoms, arranged in a hexagonal lattice
• One of the hardest materials known
• Extremely high thermal and chemical stability
• Breakdown field 10x higher than silicon
• Forms a high quality native oxide SiO2
• Figure-of-merit for high-frequency power devices
  is 400x higher than silicon

Materials issues currently limit the operation
temperature to 350 C
Cree/Purdue 1 kB SiC BJT NVRAMwith NMOS Control
Logic (1995)
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Solid-State Vacuum Device (SSVD) Technology
Conventional vacuum tube
Solid state technology

d
L
SSVD technology allows conventional vacuum tubes
and millimeter-wave power modules (MMPMs) to have
IC form factors, to be low-cost, and to utilize
microelectronic design, process, and
manufacturing technologies.
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Solid-State Vacuum Devices

• SSVDs can be made in many different sizes and
  shapes to suit the application.
• SSVDs can operate in ambients up to 700 to 800 oC
  and extended up to over 1000 oC (depending on
  packaging).
• SSVDs are compact and lightweight.
• Device parameters (e.g., gain, gm, output
  resistance, etc.) are design parameters that can
  be chosen to match the application.
• SSVDs enjoy harsh environments.
• SSVDs are inherently radiation tolerant and
  should be very suited to space exploration
  applications.
• SSVDs should be well suited to address long haul
  (e.g., satellite to Earth) communciations.
• Can be utilized for thermal to energy converters.

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High Temperature Packaging

• No plastic encapsulated microcircuits can be used
  above 180C.
• No gold-aluminum wirebonds can be used above
  180C
• Al-Al and Al-Ni systems can be used to 300C, but
  beware of fatigue in wires less than 125 mm in
  diameter.
• Au-Au and Au-Pt systems can be used above 300C.
• Flip chip approaches cannot require underfill or
  low temperature solders and must be used with low
  current densities.
• Commercial metal alloy component attach can be
  used to 200C.
• High lead die attach can be used to 250C, but
  with fatigue issues.
• Gold-eutectic die attach can be used to 250C
  300C.
• Silver-glass die attach can be used above 250C
  for applications that do not require high
  backside electrical conductivity.
• Above 300C requires high temperature brazes or
  monometallic solutions
• Transient liquid phase bonding has been
  investigated but processing times are much too
  slow.

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High Temperature Packaging

• Ceramic substrates are fine as long as the
  thermal conductivity and CTE are considered in
  design.
• Thin film metallization on ceramic becomes a
  concern above 250C
• Thick film metallization on ceramic good to 500C
• DBC alumina is good but concerns about cracking
  in thermal cycling.
• Organic PWB are only good below 250-300C.
• High temperature solder only good to 250C.
• Conductive adhesives limited as well.
• Wirewound resistors good to 200C 300C
• Thick film resistors good to 500C
• Low value capacitors (NP0 Ceramic) good to 500C
• High value capacitors are the problem - need good
  vendor relations

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• Electronics Summary
• There is no one superior dominant high
  temperature electronics technology that will meet
  the demands for all applications -- diversity is
  good and should be welcomed.
• In general, choose the most mature technology,
  all other things considered equal.
• Use hybrid approach combining two or more
  technologies e.g., SOI for analog, logic and
  data processing and SiC for power discrete
  devices
• GaAs for analog, logic and data processing and
  GaN for power discrete devices and
• SOI for analog, logic and data processing and
  SSVD for power discrete devices and data
  transmission
• Seriously consider innovative hybrid approaches
  coupled with heat removal and or redistribution.

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Power Battery systems

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High Temperature Batteries
44 Li(Si)/FeS2(450 to 550 deg. C.)
Advantages High rate (well over 1 A/ cm2 at
500oC.) Li/Si eutectic melts at 592oC no
other phases to 100 Si Mature technology
(Reliable. Replaces Ca/ CaCrO4. Used in
vehicles.) Limitations Anode polarizes
below 4500C. Salt melts at 426oC. Cathode
polarizes above 5500C. Only alkali salts are
stable (no AlCl4- or Ca allowed) Thermal
management (heat idle cells cool during use)

Ronald A. Guidotti, Proceedings of the 35th IECEC
(2000) pp1276-86
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High Temperature Batteries
Na/ S(220 to 360 deg. C.)
Advantages Inexpensive materials (can be
used in large facilities) High efficiency
Rechargeable Mature technology (since 1984
in power plants, vehicles) Limitations
Sensitive to overcharge/ discharge Corrosion
of materials Thermal management (heat idle
cells cool during use) Fragile stationary
use best (liq. Na/ solid Al2O3/ liq. S)

P.C. Symons, presentation to IEEE PES Seattle,
7/19/2000
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Downhole Applications - Oil Drilling System
Measurement While Drilling (MWD) system operates
remotely and autonomously in a hostile environment

• Measures Physical Parameters
• Processes Data
• Telemeters Data
• Records Data
• Makes Decisions

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Baker Hughes Divisions and Their Application Needs
Downhole Applications - Oil Drilling System
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Thermal Control Technology Status
Challenge Present State of the Art thermal
technologies are not good enough to protect
electronics and mechanisms in extreme temperature
and pressure environment expected in decadal
missions
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Thermal Control Technology Needs for Decadal
Missions
All reference missions need advanced thermal
control to survive and operate in extreme
temperature and pressure.
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Thermal Control Technology Status
State of the Art
Required

• 50 kg/m3 for 100 atm environment
• 0.1 W/mK at 400 C and 70 atm and bulk density of
  less than 50 kg/m3

• 100 kg/m3 for 100 atm
• e.g., Titanium tanks
• 1 W/mK at 500 C and 1 atm and 200 kg/m3 bulk
  density, e.g,. Perlite , Xenon fiber-glass

Pressure Vessel
Thermal Insulation (High Temperature)
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Thermal Control Technology Status
State of the Art
Required

• Thermal storage energy density of 300 to 1000
  kJ/kg
• 0.05 W/m K at 400 C and 70 atm and bulk density
  of less than 50 kg/m3

• 125 kJ/kg PCM thermal storage package
• 0.1 W/m K at 100 C and 1 atm and 50 kg/m3 bulk
  density in

PCM thermal storage
Thermal Insulation
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Thermal Control Technology Status
State of the Art
Required

• Over 1 W/K for on and 0.01 W/K for off mode
• 0.05 W/mK at 400 C and 70 atm and bulk density
  of less than 50 kg/m3

• 0.5 W/K in on mode and 0.015 W/K in off
  with 150 gm unit
• 0.1 W/mK at 100 C and 1 bulk density in

Thermal Switches
Heat pipes
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Thermal Control Technology Status

• 20 kg and 10 W to remove 150 Watts of heat
• Mechanical louvers, 5 kg/sq m and emittance
  change of 0.5

• Less than 10 kg and 5 w to transfer 300 W of
  heat
• Operate at 50 to 150 C
• Thin film technology less than 1kg/sq m and
  emittance change of 0.8

Required
State of the Art
Pumped loops
Smart surface coatings

• Stirling cooler driven by Stirling engine run by
  radioisotope heat.
• 100 W heat at 25 C removed using 2000 W heat
  source

• Thermoelectric cooler using electric power.
  Less than 10 W heat at 25 C removed using 2000 W
  heat source

Active Refrigeration
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Summary

• Extreme environments are unique to NASA missions
  and all of the future Solar System Exploration
  missions involve operations in extreme
  environments - very high and very low
  temperatures, high pressures, high radiation,
  corrosive atmospheres and dust.
• Current state of the art technologies are not
  capable of enabling these missions to operate
  successfully in the extreme environment. NASA
  can not depend on others in the development of
  these critical technologies
• Advances in thermal control, electronics, sensor
  and other technologies are needed to enable these
  future missions