Description: With the Titan Saturn System Mission, NASA is proposing to send a Montgolfiere balloon to probe the atmosphere of Titan. To better plan this mission and create a robust optimized balloon design, NASA requires the ability to more accurately evaluate the convective heat transfer characteristics of the balloon operating in Titan's atmosphere. Based on limitations of previous efforts, NASA has requested proposals for a testbed to support CFD validation. Leveraging the results of the Phase I effort, Near Space Corporation (NSC), proposes to develop and operate two full scale Testbeds (~9 m diameter) in order to help validate CFD models for the TSSM Titan Montgolfiere balloon. The Testbeds will incorporate new envelope design innovations and state-of-the-art data acquisition methods to enable data intensive tethered and free-flight tests. Utilizing its unique balloon facility located in a large blimp hangar, NSC will conduct iterative tethered hangar tests of the full scale Testbeds (which is not possible in existing cryogenic test chambers). These flights will enable better IR imaging and flow characterization measurements. The acquired data will provide critical input to incrementally improve and validate the CFD models. The outdoor drop/inflation test and a free flight test will retire technology risks associated with the future Titan mission in addition to generating the validation data necessary to improve the existing CFD models. NSC proposes to develop and operate a mature TMTT system during Phase II, generate pertinent data that will be used to improve the CFD models, and leverage the effort to create valuable technology with both NASA and non-NASA commercial applications.

Benefits: Technologies developed during this SBIR effort could be used for several NASA applications, including planetary exploration missions, inflatable space habitats, and scientific terrestrial balloons. The primary target market for the Titan Montgolfiere Terrestrial Testbed is the Titan Saturn System Mission (TSSM), including preparatory research projects, as well as the actual mission. NASA JPL's efforts to develop a Montgolfiere balloon for Mars could benefit from computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models validated with data generated by a similar Terrestrial Testbed. The capabilities developed during this SBIR could also be used to embed sensors directly into inflatable space habitats and use IR imaging to monitor performance. Another potential application would be to embed temperature sensors into scientific terrestrial balloons and use IR imaging in order to better understand the performance, and help optimize innovative balloon concepts and designs. NSC intends to provide services based on the technical capability developed during this effort. In all, these technologies will enable a variety of promising products and services relevant to NASA and its mission.

Several non-NASA applications could be targeted with the technologies developed during this effort, including the monitoring of commercial inflatable space stations and lighter-than-air vehicles. At least one private commercial space technology company seeks to place inflatable space stations in low earth orbit in the next decade, and could benefit from the technologies developed through this SBIR. These technologies could also be used to monitor the performance and integrity of airship and aerostat hulls, which are increasingly used by the US Military for low-cost situational awareness in combat zones. To ensure that this new technology is used for commercial applications, NSC will leverage the technical capabilities developed during this effort to provide accessible services to non-NASA customers.