The Mechanical Components Branch at NASA Glenn Research Center hosted
a workshop to discuss the space mechanisms technology. The theme
for this workshop was "Working in the Cold", a focus on space mechanisms
that must operate at low temperatures. We defined "cold" as below
-60C (210K), such as would be encountered at night near the equator of
Mars. However, we are also concerned with much colder temperatures
(about 40K) that would be found in permanently dark craters of the Moon.
These low temperatures present challenges for mechanisms design. For
example, at extreme temperatures, conventional liquid lubricants (including
grease) may not be feasible, thus either solid lubricants must be used,
provision must be made to heat lubricants, or possibly some unconventional
lubricant may be considered. The goal is to identify the problems caused
by these conditions and to project what resources will be needed to support
future missions.
