Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “Data processing and standardization”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 235 records · Page 13

Predicting Crew Time Allocations for Lunar Orbital Missions Based on Historical ISS Operational Activities

As the National Aeronautics and Space Administration continues to define candidate architectures for the planned lunar “Gateway”, it will be necessary to have a detailed understanding of how the crew will inhabit, operate, and maintain the spacecraft. The nature of the Gateway vehicle systems configuration and operations will have a direct impact on the scope of work activities required of the crew. Crew work schedules are sensitive to variations in spacecraft architecture, visiting vehicle activities, and logistics operations – particularly within short duration missions as initially planned for the lunar Gateway. These system and operational configurations must be taken into account when planning for crew time availability to conduct science activities on Gateway missions. This paper presents a methodology that is used to predict crew time distributions for lunar Gateway missions, as applied in NASA’s Exploration Crew Time Model (ECTM). The process utilized for evaluating crew time distributions is based on the categorization of all crew activities into a standardized ontology. Historical ISS daily crew timeline data from July 20, 2011 (post STS retirement) to present day was captured via the Operational Planning Timeline Integration System (OPTimIS) database and characterized according to the standardized ontology. This process enabled correlation and statistical analysis of the ISS data according to common mission parameters such as crew size, ECLSS system design, vehicle traffic operations, and logistics delivery operations. The results of the statistical analysis are a set of crew time distributions for each activity category. These distributions are then utilized within the ECTM to examine crew time allocations based on mission parameter inputs, which serve to characterize the Gateway mission configurations. Results for predicted crew time allocations for representative short duration Gateway missions are presented. These results can be used to evaluate crew schedule availability for science and utilization activities. Variations in expected mission architectures and mission operations are accounted for to correct crew time predictions. The analysis is being leveraged to plan utilization capability objectives that are achievable on the Gateway missions, as well as inform the viability of various mission architecture options.

Stromgren, Chel↗

Navigation and Meteorological Data from Multiple Sensors on Airborne Platform (NAVMET-AIR) Value-Added Product Report

The Navigation and Meteorological Data from Multiple Sensors on Airborne Platform (NAVMET-AIR) value-added product encompasses the aafnaviwg data set in the ARM Data Center (ADC), known as the IWG file, named for the Inter-Agency Working Group for Airborne Data and Telemetry Systems (IWGADTS). Its purpose is to produce a suite of tools to promote standardization of instrument interface, data format, and data processing. This data set’s contents are navigational and meteorological state variables at 1 Hz. It also contains higher-order data flags created by ARM Aerial Facility (AAF) scientists to aid analysis such as periods when the aircraft is flying level, operating in maneuvers, or flying through cloud. Due to the nature of research flights, the payload of the aircraft consists of many duplicate and overlapping instruments to ensure, in case of instrument failure, there is a backup to record the data. Measurements from multiple instruments are consolidated into a single file. Each variable of this data set is carefully chosen from the onboard instrumentation and quality checked by AAF scientists to create this wholistic and most accurate data set for airborne research. This document is intended to be a hub towards the individual “read me” files produced for each campaign. For reference about what instrument was used for calculations on specific days, the read me files are located in the ARM IOP archive at the addresses listed, or access the IOP (intensive operational period) database at https://www.archive.arm.gov/.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

An Infrared Database of n/k Optical Constants for Calculating Aerosol Spectra for the PICARD Program

The objective of the PICARD Program is to develop fieldable sensing platforms for the rapid chemical identification of aerosol particles in plumes. Standoff detection involves interrogating the aerosol cloud from a distance using optical methods and probing the signal returned from direct backscattering from the aerosol particles or transmitted through the plume after reflection from a retroreflector or surface of opportunity (SOO). The identification of chemical species, however, in aerosols is complicated by their complex compositions and morphologies, chemical interferants, and non-uniform particle sizes. To advance standoff detection of aerosols, modelling the infrared transmittance, reflectance and scattering spectra of aerosolized liquid and solid chemical compounds is required, and then testing that model experimentally via laboratory and field experiments. To perform accurate modeling, the infrared optical constants (n/k), i.e., the complex refractive index, of the compounds of interest are required. Thus, PNNL was tasked to provide the optical constants for a set of analytes relevant to the PICARD program. This report describes the experimental techniques used to derive the optical constants of both liquid and solid compounds using established “gold-standard” protocols, how the experimental data are processed to produce the wavenumber dependent optical constant vectors, and how the data are used in the aerosol absorption spectra modeling.

complex refractive index↗

The DECADE cosmic shear project I: A new weak lensing shape catalog of 107 million galaxies

We present the Dark Energy Camera All Data Everywhere (DECADE) weak lensing dataset: a catalog of 107 million galaxies observed by the Dark Energy Camera (DECam) in the northern Galactic cap. This catalog was assembled from public DECam data including survey and standard observing programs. These data were consistently processed with the Dark Energy Survey Data Management pipeline as part of the DECADE campaign and serve as the basis of the DECam Local Volume Exploration survey (DELVE) Early Data Release 3 (EDR3). We apply the Metacalibration measurement algorithm to generate and calibrate galaxy shapes. After cuts, the resulting cosmology-ready galaxy shape catalog covers a region of $5,\!412 \,\,{\rm deg}^2$ with an effective number density of $4.59\,\, {\rm arcmin}^{-2}$. The coadd images used to derive this data have a median limiting magnitude of $r = 23.6$, $i = 23.2$, and $z = 22.6$, estimated at ${\rm S/N} = 10$ in a 2 arcsecond aperture. We present a suite of detailed studies to characterize the catalog, measure any residual systematic biases, and verify that the catalog is suitable for cosmology analyses. In parallel, we build an image simulation pipeline to characterize the remaining multiplicative shear bias in this catalog, which we measure to be $m = (-2.454 \pm 0.124) \times10^{-2}$ for the full sample. Despite the significantly inhomogeneous nature of the data set, due to it being an amalgamation of various observing programs, we find the resulting catalog has sufficient quality to yield competitive cosmological constraints.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

BICEP/Keck. XVII. Line-of-sight Distortion Analysis: Estimates of Gravitational Lensing, Anisotropic Cosmic Birefringence, Patchy Reionization, and Systematic Errors

We present estimates of line-of-sight distortion fields derived from the 95 and 150 GHz data taken by BICEP2, BICEP3, and the Keck Array up to the 2018 observing season, leading to cosmological constraints and a study of instrumental and astrophysical systematics. Cosmological constraints are derived from three of the distortion fields concerning gravitational lensing from large-scale structure, polarization rotation from magnetic fields or an axion-like field, and the screening effect of patchy reionization. We measure an amplitude of the lensing power spectrum ${A}_{L}^{\phi \phi }=0.95\pm 0.20$. We constrain polarization rotation, expressed as the coupling constant of a Chern–Simons electromagnetic term g aγ ≤ 2.6 × 10 -2 /H I , where H I is the inflationary Hubble parameter, and an amplitude of primordial magnetic fields smoothed over 1 Mpc B 1Mpc ≤ 6.6 nG at 95 GHz. We constrain the rms of optical depth fluctuations in a simple "crinkly surface" model of patchy reionization, finding A τ < 0.19 (2σ) for the coherence scale of L c = 100. We show that all of the distortion fields of the 95 and 150 GHz polarization maps are consistent with simulations including lensed ΛCDM, dust, and noise, with no evidence for instrumental systematics. In some cases, the EB and TB quadratic estimators presented here are more sensitive than our previous map-based null tests at identifying and rejecting spurious B-modes that might arise from instrumental effects. Finally, we verify that the standard deprojection filtering in the BICEP/Keck data processing is effective at removing temperature to polarization leakage.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Payload/orbiter signal processing and data handling system evaluation presentation

It is recommended that standard digital and along interfaces be adopted. These include: (1) define interfaces compatible with NASA/DOD/industry-accepted design standards; (2) investigate costs of modifying orbiter sybsystem interfaces, (3) investigate cost of designing attached payload interface unit for NASA and commercial payloads and (4) investigate costs of designing interface circuits that can be incorporated into each payload design.

Source record↗

Thematic Mapper image quality: Preliminary results

Based on images analyzed so far, the band to band registration accuracy of the thematic mapper is very good. For bands within the same focal plane, the mean misregistrations are well within the specification, 0.2 pixels. For bands between the cooled and uncooled focal planes, there is a consistent mean misregistration of 0.5 pixels along-scan and 0.2-0.3 pixels across-scan. It exceeds the permitted 0.3 pixels for registration of bands between focal planes. If the mean misregistrations were removed by the data processing software, an analysis of the standard deviation of the misregistration indicates all band combinations would meet the registration specifications except for those including the thermal band. Analysis of the periodic noise in one image indicates a noise component in band 1 with a spatial frequency equivalent to 3.2 pixels in the along-scan direction.

Wrigley, R. C.↗

Thematic mapper image quality - Preliminary results

Based on images analyzed so far, the band to band registration accuracy of the thematic mapper is very good. For bands within the same focal plane, the mean misregistrations are well within the specification, 0.2 pixels. For bands between the cooled and uncooled focal planes, there is a consistent mean misregistration of 0.5 pixels along-scan and 0.2-0.3 pixels across-scan. It exceeds the permitted 0.3 pixels for registration of bands between focal planes. If the mean misregistrations were removed by the data processing software, an analysis of the standard deviation of the misregistration indicates all band combinations would meet the registration specifications except for those including the thermal band. Analysis of the periodic noise in one image indicates a noise component in band 1 with a spatial frequency equivalent to 3.2 pixels in the along-scan direction.

Wrigley, R. C.↗

A study of GPS measurement errors due to noise and multipath interference for CGADS

This report describes a study performed by the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR) on GPS measurement errors in the Codeless GPS Attitude Determination System (CGADS) due to noise and multipath interference. Preliminary simulation models fo the CGADS receiver and orbital multipath are described. The standard FFT algorithms for processing the codeless data is described and two alternative algorithms - an auto-regressive/least squares (AR-LS) method, and a combined adaptive notch filter/least squares (ANF-ALS) method, are also presented. Effects of system noise, quantization, baseband frequency selection, and Doppler rates on the accuracy of phase estimates with each of the processing methods are shown. Typical electrical phase errors for the AR-LS method are 0.2 degrees, compared to 0.3 and 0.5 degrees for the FFT and ANF-ALS algorithms, respectively. Doppler rate was found to have the largest effect on the performance.

Axelrad, Penina↗

DC-8 Scanning Lidar Characterization of Aircraft Contrails and Cirrus Clouds

An angular-scanning large-aperture (36 cm) backscatter lidar was developed and deployed on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft as part of the SUCCESS (Subsonic Aircraft: Contrail and Cloud Effects Special Study) program. The lidar viewing direction could be scanned continuously during aircraft flight from vertically upward to forward to vertically downward, or the viewing could be at fixed angles. Real-time pictorial displays generated from the lidar signatures were broadcast on the DC-8 video network and used to locate clouds and contrails above, ahead of, and below the DC-8 to depict their spatial structure and to help select DC-8 altitudes for achieving optimum sampling by onboard in situ sensors. Several lidar receiver systems and real-time data displays were evaluated to help extend in situ data into vertical dimensions and to help establish possible lidar configurations and applications on future missions. Digital lidar signatures were recorded on 8 mm Exabyte tape and generated real-time displays were recorded on 8mm video tape. The digital records were transcribed in a common format to compact disks to facilitate data analysis and delivery to SUCCESS participants. Data selected from the real-time display video recordings were processed for publication-quality displays incorporating several standard lidar data corrections. Data examples are presented that illustrate: (1) correlation with particulate, gas, and radiometric measurements made by onboard sensors, (2) discrimination and identification between contrails observed by onboard sensors, (3) high-altitude (13 km) scattering layer that exhibits greatly enhanced vertical backscatter relative to off-vertical backscatter, and (4) mapping of vertical distributions of individual precipitating ice crystals and their capture by cloud layers. An angular scan plotting program was developed that accounts for DC-8 pitch and velocity.

Uthe, Edward E.↗

International GPS Service for Geodynamics

This 1995 annual report of the IGS International GPS (Global Positioning System) Service for Geodynamics - describes the second operational year of the service. It provides the many IGS contributing agencies and the rapidly growing user community with essential information on current organizational and technical matters promoting the IGS standards and products (including organizational framework, data processing strategies, and statistics showing the remarkable expansion of the GPS monitoring network, the improvement of IGS performance, and product quality). It also introduces important practical concepts for network densification by integration of regional stations and the combination of station coordinate solutions. There are groups of articles describing general aspects of the IGS, the Associate Analysis Centers (AACs), Data Centers, and IGS stations.

Zumberge, J. F.↗

BOREAS AFM-5 Level-2 Upper Air Network Standard Pressure Level Data

The BOREAS AFM-5 team collected and processed data from the numerous radiosonde flights during the project. The goals of the AFM-05 team were to provide large-scale definition of the atmosphere by supplementing the existing AES aerological network, both temporally and spatially. This data set includes basic upper-air parameters interpolated at 0.5 kiloPascal increments of atmospheric pressure from data collected from the network of upper-air stations during the 1993, 1994, and 1996 field campaigns over the entire study region. The data are contained in tabular ASCII files. The data files are available on a CD-ROM (see document number 20010000884) or from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

Barr, Alan↗

Detection of biogenic CO production above vascular cell cultures using a near-room-temperature QC-DFB laser

We report the first application of pulsed, near-room-temperature quantum cascade laser technology to the continuous detection of biogenic CO production rates above viable cultures of vascular smooth muscle cells. A computer-controlled sequence of measurements over a 9-h period was obtained, resulting in a minimum detectable CO production of 20 ppb in a 1-m optical path above a standard cell-culture flask. Data-processing procedures for real-time monitoring of both biogenic and ambient atmospheric CO concentrations are described.

NASA Discipline Life Sciences Technologies↗

Searching for Pulsations from CEN X-4

The goal of this proposal is to detect or place sensitive upper limits on pulsations from the quiescent neutron-star X-ray binary Cen X-4. The observations were obtained on 1 March 2003. Unfortunately, due to problems with the standard pipeline processing of this observation, the data were not delivered until more than one year later, on 21 April 2004. No pulsations have yet been found in the data set. However, new optical spectra have been obtained which will lead to better constraints on the orbital period of Cen X-4 and which may enable detection of pulsations.

Kaaret, Philip↗

Auto-Generated Semantic Processing Services

Auto-Generated Semantic Processing (AGSP) Services is a suite of software tools for automated generation of other computer programs, denoted cross-platform semantic adapters, that support interoperability of computer-based communication systems that utilize a variety of both new and legacy communication software running in a variety of operating- system/computer-hardware combinations. AGSP has numerous potential uses in military, space-exploration, and other government applications as well as in commercial telecommunications. The cross-platform semantic adapters take advantage of common features of computer- based communication systems to enforce semantics, messaging protocols, and standards of processing of streams of binary data to ensure integrity of data and consistency of meaning among interoperating systems. The auto-generation aspect of AGSP Services reduces development time and effort by emphasizing specification and minimizing implementation: In effect, the design, building, and debugging of software for effecting conversions among complex communication protocols, custom device mappings, and unique data-manipulation algorithms is replaced with metadata specifications that map to an abstract platform-independent communications model. AGSP Services is modular and has been shown to be easily integrable into new and legacy NASA flight and ground communication systems.

Davis, Rodney↗

A Kinematic Calibration Process for Flight Robotic Arms

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) robotic arm is ten times more massive than any Mars robotic arm before it, yet with similar accuracy and repeatability positioning requirements. In order to assess and validate these requirements, a higher-fidelity model and calibration processes were needed. Kinematic calibration of robotic arms is a common and necessary process to ensure good positioning performance. Most methodologies assume a rigid arm, high-accuracy data collection, and some kind of optimization of kinematic parameters. A new detailed kinematic and deflection model of the MSL robotic arm was formulated in the design phase and used to update the initial positioning and orientation accuracy and repeatability requirements. This model included a higher-fidelity link stiffness matrix representation, as well as a link level thermal expansion model. In addition, it included an actuator backlash model. Analytical results highlighted the sensitivity of the arm accuracy to its joint initialization methodology. Because of this, a new technique for initializing the arm joint encoders through hardstop calibration was developed. This involved selecting arm configurations to use in Earth-based hardstop calibration that had corresponding configurations on Mars with the same joint torque to ensure repeatability in the different gravity environment. The process used to collect calibration data for the arm included the use of multiple weight stand-in turrets with enough metrology targets to reconstruct the full six-degree-of-freedom location of the rover and tool frames. The follow-on data processing of the metrology data utilized a standard differential formulation and linear parameter optimization technique.

Collins, Curtis L.↗

LANDSAT non-US standard catalog, 1 May 1977 - 31 May 1977

Information regarding the availability of LANDSAT imagery processed and input to the data files by the NASA Data Processing Facility is published on a monthly basis. The U.S. Standard Catalog includes imagery covering the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. the Non-U.S. Standard Catalog identifies all the remaining coverage. Sections 1 and 2 describe the contents and format for the catalogs and associated microfilm. Section 3 provides a cross-reference defining the beginning and ending dates for LANDSAT cycles. Sections 4 and 5 cover LANDSAT-1 and LANDSAT-2 coverage, respectively.

Source record↗

NASA's Earth Observing Data and Information System

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) has been a central component of NASA Earth observation program for over 10 years. It is one of the largest civilian science information system in the US, performing ingest, archive and distribution of over 3 terabytes of data per day much of which is from NASA s flagship missions Terra, Aqua and Aura. The system supports a variety of science disciplines including polar processes, land cover change, radiation budget, and most especially global climate change. The EOSDIS data centers, collocated with centers of science discipline expertise, archive and distribute standard data products produced by science investigator-led processing systems. Key to the success of EOSDIS is the concept of core versus community requirements. EOSDIS supports a core set of services to meet specific NASA needs and relies on community-developed services to meet specific user needs. EOSDIS offers a metadata registry, ECHO (Earth Observing System Clearinghouse), through which the scientific community can easily discover and exchange NASA s Earth science data and services. Users can search, manage, and access the contents of ECHO s registries (data and services) through user-developed and community-tailored interfaces or clients. The ECHO framework has become the primary access point for cross-Data Center search-and-order of EOSDIS and other Earth Science data holdings archived at the EOSDIS data centers. ECHO s Warehouse Inventory Search Tool (WIST) is the primary web-based client for discovering and ordering cross-discipline data from the EOSDIS data centers. The architecture of the EOSDIS provides a platform for the publication, discovery, understanding and access to NASA s Earth Observation resources and allows for easy integration of new datasets. The EOSDIS also has developed several methods for incorporating socioeconomic data into its data collection. Over the years, we have developed several methods for determining needs of the user community including use of the American Customer Satisfaction Index and a broad metrics program.

Mitchell, Andrew E.↗