New Investigations Program

The NC Space Grant New Investigations Program is designed to provide seed funding to faculty who are striving to conduct research that is directly aligned with NASA’s priorities. This program is primarily focused upon funding investigators who have yet to become established researchers or are attempting to branch out in new directions. By doing so, NC Space Grant contributes to building the intellectual capital and knowledge base of the state of North Carolina.

Using Sulfur Cement as a Lunar Soil Stabilizer PI: Dr. Taher Abu-Lebdeh, NC A&T State University

Long-duration surface missions to the Moon will require bases to accommodate habitats for the astronauts, and surface mobility equipment. Building and operation of a lunar base will inadvertently require the transportation of heavy elements between and around the core of the base camp. Roads will provide a strong surface for many heavy loads. However, stabilization of the subsurface is critical for the stability of the road. The proposed work focuses on the chemical stabilization of the lunar soil using modified sulfur-cement as stabilizer additive. Sulfur is relatively extractable by heating. It is a by-product material of oxygen and carbon extractions.

Defining the Roles of Dust Mineralogy and Biogenic Ligands in Marine Iron Mobilization PI: Dr. Owen Duckworth, NC State University

Understanding global climate change requires a detailed knowledge of interconnections between the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and other elements. Iron is one of the essential micronutrients needed by phytoplankton to carry out photosynthesis. The bioavailability of iron may limit phytoplankton productivity in large areas of the remote Ocean, and thus transport of dust, and the ability of plankton to acquire iron from it, may play key roles in regulating biological productivity, atmospheric CO2 concentration, and climate. We are working to resolve the uncertainties that limit our understanding of the effects of dust deposition on marine primary productivity.

A Discrete Numerical Investigation into Soil-Structure Interaction with Extraterrestrial Applications PI: Dr. Matthew Evans, NC State University

NASA has outlined an aggressive plan to explore the Moon and Mars over the next 15 years, including surface landings, robotic rovers, and a Moon-based laboratory. These activities involve placing engineered structures in contact with extraterrestrial soils. However, the engineering properties of these soils are not well-characterized. In a terrestrial setting, the engineering properties of soils are typically measured in-situ or through extensive laboratory testing prior to construction, but these options are neither economically nor technologically viable for extraterrestrial structures. The proposed work seeks to circumvent these difficulties through numerical simulation of soil-structure interaction based on simple particle parameters.

Investigating Risk and Reliability in Reconfigurable Aerospace Systems PI: Dr. Scott Ferguson, NC State University

Aerospace systems operate in extreme environments, demanding system performance that requires the incorporation of performance tradeoffs. Additional performance losses occur when components on spacecraft fail, or as system functionality begins to degrade. Reconfigurability has been shown as an approach capable of minimizing performance loss via physical configuration changes that occur after system deployment. In this work, the PI will study how, and in what instances, reconfigurability can be leveraged to mitigate the performance loss associated with component failure. Methods will be developed to quantify the risk of component failure, leading to a decision-making infrastructure for the selection of reconfigurable components.

The Use of the Bioluminescent Organisms Pyrocystis fusiformis and Transformed Escherichia coli MM294 to Study the Physical Microbiology of Shear Forces Under Simulated Microgravity and Hypergravity PI: Dr. Len Holmes, UNC - Pembroke

Longer space missions will necessitate applications of earth-based biotechnology to living and working in the reduced-gravity environment of space. Space biotechnology applications include (1) recycling of oxygen, water, wastes; (2) cell culture for the production of new drugs; (3) space-based environmental protection; (4) macromolecular crystal growth and (5) disease control. How gravity affects cellular ultrastructure, physiology and genetics is not fully understood. Light emissions from bioluminescent microorganisms subjected to simulated microgravity and centrifugation will be measured to investigate fluid dynamic effects on cell physiology. The research team includes the participation of a UNCP undergraduate research student.

Expanding UNC-Chapel Hill's Skynet Robotic Telescope Network to a Global Scale PI: Kevin Ivarsen, UNC - Chapel Hill

Computer-controlled remote robotic telescopes have advanced greatly over the past two decades. As a result, many universities, colleges, and dedicated amateur astronomers have recently been able to build high-quality observatories. However, the majority of available telescope time often goes unused due to lack of local demand, operational expertise, and software infrastructure. The University of North Carolina is building the Skynet Robotic Telescope Network, which links telescopes all around the world. Through Skynet, telescope owners share their unused telescope time with other groups, and in exchange they can observe with any other telescope on the network. With support from NC Space Grant, we will begin the large-scale expansion of Skynet to a number of new and existing telescopes in the U.S., South America, and Europe.

Tethered Ballast Mass System for Near Earth Object Threat Mitigation PI: Dr. Andre Mazzoleni, NC State University

Determination of the Aerosol Direct Radiative Forcing in the Southern Appalachian Mountains PI: Dr. Brett Taubman, Appalachian State University

Global surface temperatures are increasing, but there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the sensitivity of regional climate responses. One major source of uncertainty with respect to future climate scenarios is the impact aerosols have on the climate system. Most aerosols predominantly scatter solar radiation, creating a negative radiative forcing or net cooling effect comparable in magnitude to the warming caused by anthropogenic greenhouse gases. For the proposed work, we will apply ground-based in-situ measurements and remote sensing techniques to quantify the impacts that different aerosol sources have on the Southern Appalachian Mountain regional radiation budget.

Feasibility study of steam generation in a microgravity environment for microgravity steam turbine applications PI: Dr. Thomas Ward, NC State University

Boiling is an extremely difficult process in a microgravity environment because there is little displacement of the vapor which in turn hinders heat transfer. But in most microscale geometries, even here on Earth, most gravitational forces are negligible. This project studies the feasibility of transporting microfluidic type technology directly to a microgravity environment to develop a process for boiling that may be used to power a steam turbine.