3 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/microsoftteams-image-4.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/figure>\nThe Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander for the company\u2019s first Commercial Lunar Payload Services delivery is positioned before being encapsulated inside its launch fairing. The Nova-C lander will launch from NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket no earlier than mid-February.<\/div>\nCredit: Intuitive Machines<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIt\u2019s easy to measure fuel in tanks on Earth, where gravity pulls the liquid to the bottom. But in space, the game changes. Quantifying fuel that\u2019s floating around inside a spacecraft\u2019s tank isn\u2019t so simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the very small amount of gravity, fluid doesn\u2019t settle to the bottom of propellant tanks but rather clings to the walls and could be anywhere inside,\u201d said Lauren Ameen, deputy manager for the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project Office at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. \u201cThat makes it really challenging to understand how much propellant you have within your tank, which is really important to maximize your mission duration and plan how much you need to launch with.\u201d<\/p>\n
A space-age fuel gauge technology meant to solve this problem will be demonstrated on an upcoming journey to the Moon. Developed at NASA Glenn under the agency\u2019s Technology Demonstration Missions program, the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge (RFMG) payload is set to launch as a part of the Intuitive Machines IM-1 delivery to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative<\/a>. With CLPS, NASA is working with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon\u2019s surface and orbit.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\nDr. Greg Zimmerli, principal investigator for the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge (RFMG) project at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, explains how RFMG technology will help pave the way for future space missions.<\/em><\/p>\nCredit: NASA\/Denise Eletich<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/p>\nRFMG technology uses radio waves and antennae in a tank to measure exactly how much propellant is available. While smaller-scale experiments have been conducted on the International Space Station and during parabolic flights<\/a>, this will be the first long-duration RFMG testing on a standalone spacecraft, the Nova-C lunar lander. The data engineers receive throughout its journey could validate simulations done on the ground and mark the next step in developing this technology.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s definitely a critical point,\u201d Ameen said. \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re getting this type of data for RFMG.\u201d<\/p>\n
RFMG could be crucial during future long-duration missions that will rely on spacecraft fueled by cryogenic propellants<\/a>, like liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, or liquid methane. These propellants are highly efficient but are tricky to store as they can evaporate quickly, even at low temperatures. Being able to accurately measure spacecraft fuel levels will help scientists maximize resources as NASA moves toward its goal of returning humans to the Moon through Artemis<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\nExplore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
<\/figure>It\u2019s easy to measure fuel in tanks on Earth, where gravity pulls the liquid to the bottom. But in space, the game changes. Quantifying fuel that\u2019s floating around inside a spacecraft\u2019s tank isn\u2019t so simple.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the very small amount of gravity, fluid doesn\u2019t settle to the bottom of propellant tanks but rather clings to the walls and could be anywhere inside,\u201d said Lauren Ameen, deputy manager for the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project Office at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. \u201cThat makes it really challenging to understand how much propellant you have within your tank, which is really important to maximize your mission duration and plan how much you need to launch with.\u201d<\/p>\n
A space-age fuel gauge technology meant to solve this problem will be demonstrated on an upcoming journey to the Moon. Developed at NASA Glenn under the agency\u2019s Technology Demonstration Missions program, the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge (RFMG) payload is set to launch as a part of the Intuitive Machines IM-1 delivery to the lunar surface through the Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) initiative<\/a>. With CLPS, NASA is working with American companies to deliver scientific, exploration, and technology payloads to the Moon\u2019s surface and orbit.<\/p>\n Dr. Greg Zimmerli, principal investigator for the Radio Frequency Mass Gauge (RFMG) project at NASA\u2019s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, explains how RFMG technology will help pave the way for future space missions.<\/em><\/p>\n Credit: NASA\/Denise Eletich<\/strong> <\/p>\n<\/p>\n RFMG technology uses radio waves and antennae in a tank to measure exactly how much propellant is available. While smaller-scale experiments have been conducted on the International Space Station and during parabolic flights<\/a>, this will be the first long-duration RFMG testing on a standalone spacecraft, the Nova-C lunar lander. The data engineers receive throughout its journey could validate simulations done on the ground and mark the next step in developing this technology.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s definitely a critical point,\u201d Ameen said. \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re getting this type of data for RFMG.\u201d<\/p>\n RFMG could be crucial during future long-duration missions that will rely on spacecraft fueled by cryogenic propellants<\/a>, like liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen, or liquid methane. These propellants are highly efficient but are tricky to store as they can evaporate quickly, even at low temperatures. Being able to accurately measure spacecraft fuel levels will help scientists maximize resources as NASA moves toward its goal of returning humans to the Moon through Artemis<\/a>.<\/p>\nExplore More<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div>\n
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