Nanotechnology & Space Exploration

1. Nanotechnology&Space Exploration Minoo N. Dastoor NASA/NSF

2. How Nanotechnology Impacts Properties of Materials Nanotechnology enables discrete control of desired materials properties: • Mechanical • Dictated by particle size (Griffith criteria), morphology and strength of interfaces (chemistry and roughness) • Thermal • Emissivity influenced by particle size and enhanced surface area/roughness • Thermal conductivity controlled by particle size (phonon coupling and quantum effects) and nano-scale voids • Electrical • Nano structure and defects influence conductivity and bandgap energy (conductivity, current density, thermoelectric effects) • High aspect ratios enhance field emission and percolation threshold • Optical • Transparency and color dominated by size effects • Photonic bandcap controlled by size (/10) and nanostructure

3. Nanotechnology • Working at the atomic, molecular and supramolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1 – 100 nm range, in order to understand, create and use materials, devices and systems with fundamentally new properties and functions because of their small structure • NNI definition encourages new contributions that were not possible before. • novel phenomena, properties and functions at nanoscale,which are nonscalable outside of the nm domain • the ability to measure / control / manipulate matter at the nanoscalein order to change those properties and functions • integration along length scales, and fields of application

4. NNI Goals www.nano.gov • Maintain a world-class research and development program aimed at realizing the full potential of nanotechnology • Facilitate transfer of new technologies into products for economic growth, jobs, and other public benefit • Develop educational resources, a skilled workforce, and the supporting infrastructure and tools to advance nanotechnology • Support responsible development of nanotechnology

5. Source: October 2004 Lux Research Report: “Sizing Nanotechnology’s Value Chain” Global Forecast

6. CMU Industrial Prototyping and Nanotechnology Commercialization F O U R G E N E R A T I O N S 1st:Passive nanostructures(1st generation products)Example: coatings, nanoparticles, nanostructured metals, polymers, ceramics ~ 2000 2nd: Active nanostructuresExample: 3D transistors, amplifiers, targeted drugs, actuators, adaptive structures New R&D Challenges 3rd: Systems of nanosystems ~ 2005 Example: guided assembling; 3D networking and new hierarchical architectures, robotics, evolutionary CMU ~2010 4th:Molecular nanosystemsExample: molecular devices ‘by design’, atomic design, emerging functions ~ 2015-2020 AIChE Journal, 2004, Vol. 50 (5), M. Roco

7. Mission Statement ExplorationSystems AeronauticsResearch ExplorationSystems AeronauticsResearch NASA • To pioneer in: • Space Exploration • Scientific Discovery • Aeronautics Research SpaceOperations Science SpaceOperations Science

8. Future Challenges Many of NASA’s challenges are not achievable by extensions of current technology Size per Mass Strength per Mass • Ultra-large apertures • Solar sails • Gossamer spacecraft • Air/launch/space vehicles • Human habitats in space • Self-sensing systems Diameters > 25-50 m are not achievable by extension of current materials technologies Factors of 10 - 100 are not achievable by current materials options Capability per Mass & Power Intelligence per Mass & Power • Microspacecraft • Quantum-limited sensors • Biochem lab-on-a-chip • Medical autonomy • AI partners in space • Evolvable space systems Conventional device technologies cannot be pushed much farther Current information processing technologies are approaching their limit, and cannot support truly autonomous space systems

9. Overarching Constraints • Performance in Extreme Environments(Radiation, Temperature, Zero Gravity, Vacuum) • Frugal Power Availability • High Degree of Autonomy and Reliability • Human “Agents” and “Amplifiers”

10. Impact of Nanotechnology on NASA Missions • New and Powerful computing technologies • Onboard computing systems for future autonomous intelligent vehicles; powerful, compact, low power consumption, radiation hard • High performance computing (Tera- and Peta-flops) • processing satellite data • integrated space vehicle design tools • climate modeling • Smart, compact devices and sensors • Ultimate sensitivity to analytes • Discrimination against varying and unknown backgrounds • Ultrasmall probes for harsh environments • Advanced miniaturization of all systems • Microspacecraft/Micro-Nanorovers • “Thinking” Spacecraft with nanoelectronics/nanosensors • Size reduction through multifunctional, smart nanomaterials

11. Ten Most Significant Benefits • Reduce vehicle structural weight by a factor of 3 • Application Tailored Multi-functional Materials • Thermal Protection and Management • Reliable Reconfigurable Radiation/Fault Tolerant Nano-electronics • On-board Life Support Systems • On-Board Human Health Management • 30% lighter EVA Suit • Micro-craft (< 1 kg) with functionality of current 100 kg spacecraft for science and inspection • Ultra-Sensitive and Selective Sensing • Modeling Fabrication Processes for Nano-to-Micro Interfaces

12. 1 A 1 nm 10 nm micron mm yards Multi-Scale Simulation Hierarchy • An essential ingredient in the future of nanotechnology is the design of new nanoscale devices and test of their performance beforeexperimental prototyping and manufacturing • This requires that we base simulations of nanoscale systems on First Principles • This requires a multiscale strategy in which the information from quantum mechanics is captured in coarser levels to define the essential parameters Electrons => Atoms => Segments => Grids Time Engineering Design Unit Process Design years Finite Element Analysis Process Simulation hours minutes seconds Mesoscale Dynamics microsec nanosec Molecular Dynamics picosec Quantum Mechanics Nanotechnology femtosec W. A. Goddard: Caltech

13. Context • “Nanotechnology” is broad term encompassing the manipulation and control of matter on the scale of 1 nm to 100 nm to achieve desired properties and behavior • The significance of nano-scale technology is in the unique and exceptional properties that are present at that scale • Nano-scale technology is pervasive and affects essentially all areas of technology important to NASA • New skills, talents, and research and development methodology are required to fully benefit from the capabilities arising from technology at the nano-scale • It is strategically important for NASA to exploit and benefit from rapidly emerging discoveries at the nano-scale

14. +470 ºC TID ~7 krad 0.1-0.3 krad 50 ºC LEO: 1-3 yrs (500-1500 cycles) 0 ºC TID Lifetime: ~1 hr (on surface) 10-15 krad Venus Earth Orbiter GEO: 10-15 yrs (3500-5500 cycles) TID ~7 Mrad +25 ºC –125 ºC Lifetime: min/hrs (on surface) 5 krad/yr –145 ºC Mars Rover Europa Lifetime: 90 days Planetary Environments

15. Microcraft & Constellations • Goals • Reduce mass of microcraft by factor of ~100 in 10 years and ~1000 in 20 years, while maintaining full functional capability at no increase in cost/kg • Fly "Constellations" of 100s-1000s microcraft and enable them to managed by a few (maybe only one) human operators Hard Problems • Systems-level design and integration of nanotechnology into single microcraft and constellations for ≥ 10X performance over SOA: power, propulsion, communications, computing, sensing, thermal control, guidance/navigation, etc. • Assuring durability and endurance, especially in harsh environments • Increase on-board computational performance by ~100X for self-directed, intelligent operations • Value to Space Systems • Much greater capability at much lower cost • Distributed robust monitoring and inspection for safer operations • Simultaneous dense sampling of phenomena for exploration and accurate modeling of Earth, planetary, and space environments • State of the Art • Commercial satellites (e.g. Orbcom) @ 40Kg • Sojourner Mars Rover @ 11.5 kg • "Picosats" (some MEMS) 0.27 to 1 Kg flown on expendable and STS vehicles • Variety of lab prototype vehicles at 10-100 g, all with sensing, computation, communications, and actuation

16. Nano-sensors and Instrumentations • Goals • Enable missions with nano-sensors: • Remote sensing • Viewing there • Vehicle health and performance • Getting there • Geochemical and astrobiological research • Being there • Manned space flight • Living there Hard Problems • Band-gap engineered materials • Control Atomic layers of substrates • Template pattern controls • Dark current reductions • Readout electronics • Assembly of large arrays • Modeling, simulation and testing • Upward integration into macro-systems • Value to Space Systems • 10X to 100X smaller, lower power & cost • Tailorable for very high quantum efficiency • Tailorable for space durability in harsh environments • Improved capabilities at comparable or reduced cost • Mission enabling technology • State of the Art (all ground based) • Designer bio/chemical sensors • Characteristic Properties of Molecules • Functionalized structures (CNTs, etc.) • Assembly of nano-structures • Template development • Electro-static control • Nano-fluidics/separation tools

17. Nanomaterials • Goals • Reliable, consistent, on-demand production of durable nanomaterials to support Space Missions: • Control of morphology and structure over all length scales (nm to m’s) • Scalability to practical quantities • Ability to produce materials with resources on other planets • Long-term (years) durability in severe environments • Hard Problems • Ability to reliably and consistently control functional material synthesis and assembly from nano to macro scales • Understand and counteract effects of long term exposure in complex/extreme environments on materials durability and properties • Understand/model/predict nanoscale phenomena • Value to Aeronautic and Space Systems • 5-fold increase in specific strength and stiffness over conventional composites • Integral power generation, storage and self-actuation with a total aerial weight of 0.8Kg/m2 & 1.0 kw/kg power generation • Material with near zero H2 permeability • Electrode materials for reversible fuel cells • Life Support: catalysts /absorptive materials for efficient, low volume environmental revitalization • 50% lighter TPS and radiation shielding • 10X higher thermal conductors (EVA suits, habitats, etc) • State of the Art • Self assembly & biomimetic processes enable micron scale structure control – need control over 100’s of meters • Single wall carbon nanotubes (CNTs) production at 100 gram/day – need precise control of length and chirality • CNT doped polymers and fibers have been produced with high strength and electrical conductivity – need to scale to >100m • Polymer cross-linked aerogels produced with 300X the strength of conventional aerogels – need to scale to >10m2

18. Nanorobotics • Goals • Millimeter and sub-millimeter size robots • 3D nanoassembly and nanomanufacturing • Self-reconfigurable miniature robots • Controlling biosystems • Hybrid (biotic/abiotic) robots • Cooperative networks of micro-robots • Atomic and molecular scale manufacturing • Design and simulation tools for nano-robots • Hard Problems • Mobility: Surface climbing, walking, hopping, flying, swimming; Smart nanomaterials for adhesion, multi-functionality, … • Power: Harvesting; Novel miniature power systems (e.g. chemical energy); Wireless • Actuation: CNT, polymer, electrostatic, thermal, SMA, and piezo actuators • Complexity: New programming methods for controlling massive numbers of robots • Value to Space Systems • In-space (CEV, space station, Hubble telescope, & satellites) and planetary inspection, maintenance, and repair • Searching for life on planets (retrieving and analyzing samples) • Astronaut health monitoring • Assembly and construction • Manufacturing on-demand • Microcraft • State of the Art • Miniature Micro/Nano-Robots: Centimeter scale autonomous robots; Chemically powered bio-motor actuation; Endoscopic micro-capsules; MEMS solar cells powered micro-robots; Reconfigurable mini-robots • Micro/Nano-Manipulation: Scanning Probe Microscope based nanomanipulation; 3D micro-assembly; Optical tweezers and dielectrophoretic bio-manipulation; Virtual Reality human-machine user interfaces

19. Mission Needs/Opportunity Timeline for Nanotechnology 2005 2015 2025 2035 1st Generation: Power Generation/Storage Life Support Astronaut Health Mgt Thermal Mgt. High Strength, Lt. Wt./Multifunctional Structures Radiation Protection, Advanced TPS Humans to Mars Humans to the Moon 2nd Generation Power Generation/Storage Life Support Astronaut Health Mgt Thermal Mgt. High Strength/Multifunctional Structures Lightweight Fuel Tanks, Radiators (Nuclear Prop.) Mars robotic missions (every 2 years) 10 X lighter Robotic Systems Greatly miniaturized robotic systems:1 kg-sats/robots with the capability of today’s 100 kg systems (Mars and other planetary bodies: in orbit, atmospheres. surfaces, sub-surfaces) Robotic Missions to Extreme Environments After Mars (Outer Solar System, Venus …) Deep Space Constellations (X-Ray Telescope, Earth’s Magnetosphere,..) Sun-Earth Observing Constellations Extremely large, lightweight, highly stable optical and RF apertures and metering structures (~10-100 m) 10m class Vis/IR/Submm aperture 50m class Vis/IR/Submm aperture Large, lightweight highly stable optical and RF apertures and metering structures (~10m) Large Scale Interferometry (Planetary Finding) Very Long Baseline Interferometry (Planetary Imaging) Thermal control; lightweight, low power radiation hard/tolerant electronics and avionics; advanced active/detection; lightweight high efficiency power systems; high strength-to-weight structures and thermal protection systems High Altitude Long Endurance Aircraft Lt. Weight High Strength Structures Low Power Avionics Lightweight, High Efficiency Electrical Power Systems (Regenerative Fuel Cells) 1st Generation Zero Emissions Aircraft “Planetary Aircraft” (e.g. Mars)

20. Towards Convergence ClimateHistory Sample Selection Ancient Water Validate Paleo-Life DISCOVERY Resources Extant Life? ROBOTICSROBOTICS ROBOTICSHUMANSROBOTICS & HUMANS EXPLORATION Deep Drilling Field Studies Return Sample Sample Selection Site Selection Exploring Mars Reconnaissance