{"id":73003,"date":"2021-09-28T19:47:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T23:47:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?migration=converted-node-474286"},"modified":"2023-10-11T10:18:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T14:18:43","slug":"nasa-researchers-gain-valuable-data-from-oscars-second-flight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-researchers-gain-valuable-data-from-oscars-second-flight\/","title":{"rendered":"NASA Researchers Gain Valuable Data from OSCAR\u2019s Second Flight"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1152\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?w=2048\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard rocket lands on the pad in West Texas on Aug. 26, 2021.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg 3840w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=2048,1152 2048w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?resize=2000,1125 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\" loading=\"eager\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard rocket, which carried payloads supported by NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities Program, lands on the pad in West Texas on Aug. 26, 2021. NASA\u2019s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), which tests technology to convert trash and human waste generated during spaceflight into useful gases, was a part of the 17th New Shepard mission.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">Blue Origin<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>By Jim Cawley<br>\nNASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\nData from a NASA payload investigating a new method for dealing with trash in space has researchers at NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/kennedy\/home\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Kennedy Space Center<\/a> in Florida excited following the Aug. 26 flight test on Blue Origin\u2019s 17th New Shepard mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/content\/oscar-orbital-syngascommodity-augmentation-reactor\" rel=\"noopener\">Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR)<\/a> team watched the launch from a neighboring hill, witnessing liftoff, booster landing, and payload touchdown. Though, as researchers, they became even more energized after landing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWorking at Kennedy, I\u2019m fortunate to see rocket launches on a regular basis,\u201d said OSCAR\u2019s Co-Principal Investigator Ray Pitts. \u201cBut there is something extra special about witnessing a launch with precious cargo that you helped bring to reality. Then, getting it back and seeing everything worked as designed, and being able to go through the new data is just as thrilling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR)\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=400,267 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=900,600 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_2_ray_pitts_0.jpg?resize=1200,800 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">Ray Pitts, co-principal investigator for the Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), performs ground testing at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on July 15, 2021.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA \/ Amber Jean Watson<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>OSCAR tests technology to convert trash and human waste generated during spaceflight into useful gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, water vapor, and methane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NASA\u2019s Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) helped develop the technology on the ground and further advance it with the suborbital tests. OSCAR started as an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/innovation_fund\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Early Career Initiative<\/a> project in 2018. It launched the first time on a Blue Origin flight in December 2019 and was selected for a second flight via the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/directorates\/spacetech\/flightopportunities\/index.html\" rel=\"noopener\">Flight Opportunities program<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe data we gathered from this flight, alongside lab tests, indicate we can make some real progress in maturing an appropriate space-ready, trash-to-gas system for future development,\u201d said Thermofluids Engineer Malay Shah.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Testing in microgravity is key to maturing the technology. On the Aug. 26 flight, OSCAR was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers\/armstrong\/features\/nasa-tech-testing-on-blue-origin-shepard.html\" rel=\"noopener\">one of several<\/a> NASA-sponsored and commercial experiments carried aboard a capsule launched by New Shepard. The maximum ascent velocity reached 2,232 mph during the 10-minute and 15-second mission, and payloads experienced about three minutes of microgravity during the flight before touching down at Blue Origin\u2019s landing pad, about two miles from the launch site.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"\" class=\"hds-media hds-module wp-block-image\"><div class=\"margin-left-auto margin-right-auto nasa-block-align-inline\"><div class=\"hds-media-wrapper margin-left-auto margin-right-auto\"><figure class=\"hds-media-inner hds-cover-wrapper hds-media-ratio-none \"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?w=1920\" class=\"attachment-2048x2048 size-2048x2048\" alt=\"An image of NASA\u2019s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor, or OSCAR, converting trash into gas in microgravity during a suborbital flight on Dec. 11, 2019.\" style=\"transform: scale(1); transform-origin: 50% 50%; object-position: 50% 50%; object-fit: cover;\" block_context=\"nasa-block\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=300,169 300w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=768,432 768w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=1024,576 1024w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=1536,864 1536w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=400,225 400w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=600,338 600w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=900,506 900w, https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/oscar_flight_reactor.jpg?resize=1200,675 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><\/a><\/figure><figcaption class=\"hds-caption padding-y-2\"><div class=\"hds-caption-text p-sm margin-0\">An image of NASA\u2019s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) converting trash into gas in microgravity during a suborbital flight on Dec. 11, 2019.<\/div><div class=\"hds-credits\">NASA<\/div><\/figcaption><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>The OSCAR team at Kennedy has been hard at work since then, analyzing the data collected during the flight and comparing it to tests they have run in the lab. They noted cooler reactor temperatures in microgravity and a slightly higher concentration of carbon monoxide production compared to test in gravity. The latter isn\u2019t necessarily a bad thing, Pitts noted, as a recovery system could use both the carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide to produce water and methane. Alternatively, astronauts could vent the gases from the spacecraft to reduce the mass and volume of waste onboard. The team is consolidating their findings and will share them with NASA and the broader scientific community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cTrash is treasure in space,\u201d said Dr. Annie Meier, senior technologist for trash management at Kennedy and chief of the Exploration Systems and Development office. \u201cThe mass \u2013 whether as a solid or gas \u2013 will be very useful when you are on a space mission. OSCAR is the path for that vision of reusing waste.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Finding a safe and efficient way to extract these useful resources \u2013 such as water, oxygen, and fuel \u2013 from waste will be important especially for long-duration space exploration under NASA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/artemisprogram\" rel=\"noopener\">Artemis<\/a> missions, which will land the first woman and first person of color on the Moon. NASA will collaborate with commercial and international partners to establish the first long-term presence on the Moon and take the next giant leap: sending the first astronauts to Mars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have demonstrated you can design on the ground for trash-to-gas operation in microgravity,\u201d Meier said. \u201cThe goal for OSCAR is to provide a pathway toward sustainable human space exploration.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Jim Cawley NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center Data from a NASA payload investigating a new method for dealing with trash in space has researchers at NASA\u2019s Kennedy Space Center in Florida excited following the Aug. 26 flight test on Blue Origin\u2019s 17th New Shepard mission. The Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR) team watched the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":74757,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nasa_hds_core_meta_l10n":"en-US","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_editor":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_article_contacts":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_topic":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_linked_locations":[],"nasa_hds_core_meta_article_related_articles":[],"hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_id":"","hds_migrate_meta_pr_release_type":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_x":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_location_y":"","nasa_hds_core_meta_gallery_images":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[2855,3333,2862,13004,2879],"news-tags":[],"internal-terms":[],"coauthors":[8386],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"NASA Researchers Gain Valuable Data from OSCAR\u2019s Second Flight","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-researchers-gain-valuable-data-from-oscars-second-flight\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-researchers-gain-valuable-data-from-oscars-second-flight\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg"},"articleSection":"NASA Centers & Facilities","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Jim Cawley"}],"creator":["Jim Cawley"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"NASA","logo":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/themes\/nasa\/assets\/images\/nasa-logo.svg"},"keywords":["NASA Directorates","Space Technology Mission Directorate","Armstrong Flight Research Center","Flight Opportunities Program","Kennedy Space Center","Research and Technology at Kennedy Space Center"],"dateCreated":"2021-09-28T23:47:00Z","datePublished":"2021-09-28T23:47:00Z","dateModified":"2023-10-11T14:18:43Z"},"rendered":"<meta name=\"parsely-title\" content=\"NASA Researchers Gain Valuable Data from OSCAR\u2019s Second Flight\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-link\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/centers-and-facilities\/armstrong\/nasa-researchers-gain-valuable-data-from-oscars-second-flight\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-type\" content=\"post\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-image-url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg?w=150&h=150&crop=1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-pub-date\" content=\"2021-09-28T23:47:00Z\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-section\" content=\"NASA Centers & Facilities\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-tags\" content=\"NASA Directorates,Space Technology Mission Directorate,Armstrong Flight Research Center,Flight Opportunities Program,Kennedy Space Center,Research and Technology at Kennedy Space Center\" \/>\n<meta name=\"parsely-author\" content=\"Jim Cawley\" \/>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/nasa.gov\/p.js"},"read_time":3,"time_ago":"3 years","featured_image":{"id":74757,"file":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/oscar_use_this_1_0.jpg","title":"oscar_use_this_1_0","alt":"Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard rocket lands on the pad in West Texas on Aug. 26, 2021.","caption":"Blue Origin\u2019s New Shepard rocket, which carried payloads supported by NASA\u2019s Flight Opportunities Program, lands on the pad in West Texas on Aug. 26, 2021. NASA\u2019s Orbital Syngas Commodity Augmentation Reactor (OSCAR), which tests technology to convert trash and human waste generated during spaceflight into useful gases, was a part of the 17th New Shepard mission."},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73003"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=73003"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73003\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":199756,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73003\/revisions\/199756"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/74757"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=73003"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=73003"},{"taxonomy":"news-tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-tags?post=73003"},{"taxonomy":"internal-terms","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/internal-terms?post=73003"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=73003"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}