How to Attend The NESC technical assessment meeting will be hosted at California Institute of Technology, Building BBB B-180. Virtual and in-person attendance are available. Registration is required for both.Virtual attendees will receive connection information one week before the NESC…

The portfolio of current NESC technical activities reaches across mission directorates and programs encompassing design, test, and flight phases. ISS PrK Independent Assessment The NESC is assessing the ongoing leak in the ISS Russian segment, PrK, the segment’s remaining life, and…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.…

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…

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. Achieving success in these programs requires NASA to…