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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Cognitive Networking With Regards to NASA's Space Communication and Navigation Program

This report describes cognitive networking (CN) and its application to NASA's Space Communication and Networking (SCaN) Program. This report clarifies the terminology and framework of CN and provides some examples of cognitive systems. It then provides a methodology for developing and deploying CN techniques and technologies. Finally, the report attempts to answer specific questions regarding how CN could benefit SCaN. It also describes SCaN's current and target networks and proposes places where cognition could be deployed.

machine learning↗
NASA NTRS2016

Spaceport Command and Control System Support Software Development

The Spaceport Command and Control System (SCCS) is a project developed and used by NASA at Kennedy Space Center in order to control and monitor the Space Launch System (SLS) at the time of its launch. One integral subteam under SCCS is the one assigned to the development of a data set building application to be used both on the launch pad and in the Launch Control Center (LCC) at the time of launch. This web application was developed in Ruby on Rails, a web framework using the Ruby object-oriented programming language, by a 15 - employee team (approx.). Because this application is such a huge undertaking with many facets and iterations, there were a few areas in which work could be more easily organized and expedited. As an intern working with this team, I was charged with the task of writing web applications that fulfilled this need, creating a virtual and highly customizable whiteboard in order to allow engineers to keep track of build iterations and their status. Additionally, I developed a knowledge capture web application wherein any engineer or contractor within SCCS could ask a question, answer an existing question, or leave a comment on any question or answer, similar to Stack Overflow.

Knowledge Transfer↗
NASA NTRS2016

The LOFT Mission Concept - A Status Update

The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) is a mission concept which was proposed to ESA as M3 and M4 candidate in the framework of the Cosmic Vision 2015-2025 program. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument and the uniquely large field of view of its wide field monitor, LOFT will be able to study the behaviour of matter in extreme conditions such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions close to black holes and neutron stars and the supra-nuclear densities in the interiors of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, is greater than 8m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1 degree collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g., GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the current technical and programmatic status of the mission.

Silicon detectors↗
NASA NTRS2023

Development of Solar Energetic Particle Prediction Portal (SEP3)

Robust prediction of Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events is among the key priorities of the space weather community. In the framework of NASA’s Early Stage Innovation Program, we develop the Solar Energetic Particle Prediction Portal (SEP3: https://sun.njit.edu/SEP3), which hosts web applications that allow the users to retrieve the database records. In particular, SEP3 lists the API examples to query each data source potentially important for the SEP prediction. The Portal has a search page for browsing the events from the most widely used catalogs (https://sun.njit.edu/SEP3/search.php) and a dedicated space to share the most recent achievements of the team. In addition, we have added a CDAW SEP catalog and a LASCO/SOHO CME catalog and introduced the possibility of displaying the properties of the connected events (parental solar flares and CMEs for SEPs) on the search page. The interactive widget has the capability to display GOES soft X-ray and proton flux time series from different satellites with the GOES flare records on top of them. The data portal has been used to evaluate the forecasts of the solar proton events based on the statistical properties of the GOES soft X-ray and proton fluxes and investigate machine-learning approaches to the SEP prediction.

SMD↗
NASA NTRS2004

GPM Mission, its Scientific Agenda, and its Ground Validation Program

The GPM mission is currently planned for start in the late 2010 time frame. From the perspective of NASA s Earth Science Enterprise (ESE) and within the framework of ESE's global water and energy cycle (GWEC) research program, its main scientific goal is to help answer pressing scientific problems concerning how global and regional water cycle processes and precipitation fluctuations and trends influence the variability intrinsic to climate, weather, and hydrology. These problems cut across a hierarchy of space-time scales and include improving understanding of climate-water cycle interactions, developing better techniques for incorporating satellite precipitation measurements into weather and climate predictions, and demonstrating that more accurate, more complete, and better sampled observations of precipitation and other water budget variables used as inputs can improve the ability of prognostic hydrometeorological models in the prediction of hazardous flood-producing storms, seasonal flood/draught conditions, and fresh water resource stores. The GPM mission will expand the scope of precipitation measurement through the use of a constellation of some 9 satellites, one of which will be an advanced TRMM-like core satellite carrying a dual-frequency Ku-Ka band precipitation radar (DPR) and an advanced, multifrequency passive microwave radiometer with vertical-horizontal polarization discrimination (GMI). The other constellation members will include a combination of new dedicated satellites and co-existing operational/research satellites carrying similar (but not identical) passive microwave radiometers. The goal of the constellation is to achieve 3-hour sampling at any spot on the globe -- continuously. The constellation s orbit architecture will consist of a mix of sun-synchronous and non-sun-synchronous satellites with the core satellite providing measurements of calibration-quality rainrates, plus cloud-precipitation microphysical processes, to be used in conjunction with more basic rain retrievals from the other constellation satellites to ensure bias-free constellation coverage.

Smith Eric A.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Analysis of the Ability of United States and Russian Trace Contaminant Control Systems to Meet U.S. 180-Day and Russian 360-Day Spacecraft Maximum Allowable Concentrations

As the Space Station Freedom program transitioned to become the International Space Station (ISS), uncertainty existed concerning the performance capabilities for U.S.- and Russian-provided trace contaminant control (TCC) equipment. In preparation for the first dialogue between NASA and Russian Space Agency personnel in Moscow, Russia, in late April 1994, an engineering analysis was conducted to serve as a basis for discussing TCC equipment engineering assumptions as well as relevant assumptions on equipment offgassing and cabin air quality standards. The analysis presented was conducted as part of the efforts to integrate Russia into the ISS program via the early ISS Multilateral Medical Operations Panel's Air Quality Subgroup deliberations. This analysis, served as a basis for technical deliberations that established a framework for TCC system design and operations among the ISS program's international partners that has been instrumental in successfully managing the ISS common cabin environment.

Perry, J. L.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Session on High Speed Civil Transport Design Capability Using MDO and High Performance Computing

Since the inception of CAS in 1992, NASA Langley has been conducting research into applying multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) and high performance computing toward reducing aircraft design cycle time. The focus of this research has been the development of a series of computational frameworks and associated applications that increased in capability, complexity, and performance over time. The culmination of this effort is an automated high-fidelity analysis capability for a high speed civil transport (HSCT) vehicle installed on a network of heterogeneous computers with a computational framework built using Common Object Request Broker Architecture (CORBA) and Java. The main focus of the research in the early years was the development of the Framework for Interdisciplinary Design Optimization (FIDO) and associated HSCT applications. While the FIDO effort was eventually halted, work continued on HSCT applications of ever increasing complexity. The current application, HSCT4.0, employs high fidelity CFD and FEM analysis codes. For each analysis cycle, the vehicle geometry and computational grids are updated using new values for design variables. Processes for aeroelastic trim, loads convergence, displacement transfer, stress and buckling, and performance have been developed. In all, a total of 70 processes are integrated in the analysis framework. Many of the key processes include automatic differentiation capabilities to provide sensitivity information that can be used in optimization. A software engineering process was developed to manage this large project. Defining the interactions among 70 processes turned out to be an enormous, but essential, task. A formal requirements document was prepared that defined data flow among processes and subprocesses. A design document was then developed that translated the requirements into actual software design. A validation program was defined and implemented to ensure that codes integrated into the framework produced the same results as their standalone counterparts. Finally, a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) configuration management system was used to organize the software development. A computational environment, CJOPT, based on the Common Object Request Broker Architecture, CORBA, and the Java programming language has been developed as a framework for multidisciplinary analysis and Optimization. The environment exploits the parallelisms inherent in the application and distributes the constituent disciplines on machines best suited to their needs. In CJOpt, a discipline code is "wrapped" as an object. An interface to the object identifies the functionality (services) provided by the discipline, defined in Interface Definition Language (IDL) and implemented using Java. The results of using the HSCT4.0 capability are described. A summary of lessons learned is also presented. The use of some of the processes, codes, and techniques by industry are highlighted. The application of the methodology developed in this research to other aircraft are described. Finally, we show how the experience gained is being applied to entirely new vehicles, such as the Reusable Space Transportation System. Additional information is contained in the original.

Rehder, Joe↗
NASA NTRS2014

Catalyst for Expanding Human Spaceflight

History supplies us with many models of how and how not to commercialize an industry. This presentation draws parallels between industries with government roots, like the railroad, air transport, communications and the internet, and NASAs Commercial Crew Program. In these examples, government served as a catalyst for what became a booming industry. The building block approach the Commercial Crew Program is taking is very simple -- establish a need, laying the groundwork, enabling industry and legal framework.

Industry catalyst↗
NASA NTRS2023

Framework for Extensible, Asynchronous Task Scheduling (FEATS) in Fortran

Most parallel scientific programs contain compiler directives (pragmas) such as those from OpenMP, explicit calls to runtime library procedures such as those implementing the Message Passing Interface (MPI), or compiler-specific language extensions such as those provided by CUDA. By contrast, the recent Fortran standards empower developers to express parallel algorithms without directly referencing lower-level parallel programming models. Fortran’s parallel features place the language within the Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) class of programming models. When writing programs that exploit data-parallelism, application developers often find it straightforward to develop custom parallel algorithms. Problems involving complex, heterogeneous, staged calculations, however, pose much greater challenges. Such applications require careful coordination of tasks in a manner that respects dependencies prescribed by a directed acyclic graph. When rolling one’s own solution proves difficult, extending a customizable framework becomes attractive. The paper presents the design, implementation, and use of the Framework for Extensible Asynchronous Task Scheduling (FEATS), which we believe to be the first task-scheduling tool written in modern Fortran. We describe the benefits and compromises associated with choosing Fortran as the implementation language, and we propose ways in which future Fortran standards can best support the use case in this paper.

Modern Fortran↗
NASA NTRS1999

Engineering Overview of a Multidisciplinary HSCT Design Framework Using Medium-Fidelity Analysis Codes

An objective of the HPCC Program at NASA Langley has been to promote the use of advanced computing techniques to more rapidly solve the problem of multidisciplinary optimization of a supersonic transport configuration. As a result, a software system has been designed and is being implemented to integrate a set of existing discipline analysis codes, some of them CPU-intensive, into a distributed computational framework for the design of a High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) configuration. The proposed paper will describe the engineering aspects of integrating these analysis codes and additional interface codes into an automated design system. The objective of the design problem is to optimize the aircraft weight for given mission conditions, range, and payload requirements, subject to aerodynamic, structural, and performance constraints. The design variables include both thicknesses of structural elements and geometric parameters that define the external aircraft shape. An optimization model has been adopted that uses the multidisciplinary analysis results and the derivatives of the solution with respect to the design variables to formulate a linearized model that provides input to the CONMIN optimization code, which outputs new values for the design variables. The analysis process begins by deriving the updated geometries and grids from the baseline geometries and grids using the new values for the design variables. This free-form deformation approach provides internal FEM (finite element method) grids that are consistent with aerodynamic surface grids. The next step involves using the derived FEM and section properties in a weights process to calculate detailed weights and the center of gravity location for specified flight conditions. The weights process computes the as-built weight, weight distribution, and weight sensitivities for given aircraft configurations at various mass cases. Currently, two mass cases are considered: cruise and gross take-off weight (GTOW). Weights information is obtained from correlations of data from three sources: 1) as-built initial structural and non-structural weights from an existing database, 2) theoretical FEM structural weights and sensitivities from Genesis, and 3) empirical as-built weight increments, non-structural weights, and weight sensitivities from FLOPS. For the aeroelastic analysis, a variable-fidelity aerodynamic analysis has been adopted. This approach uses infrequent CPU-intensive non-linear CFD to calculate a non-linear correction relative to a linear aero calculation for the same aerodynamic surface at an angle of attack that results in the same configuration lift. For efficiency, this nonlinear correction is applied after each subsequent linear aero solution during the iterations between the aerodynamic and structural analyses. Convergence is achieved when the vehicle shape being used for the aerodynamic calculations is consistent with the structural deformations caused by the aerodynamic loads. To make the structural analyses more efficient, a linearized structural deformation model has been adopted, in which a single stiffness matrix can be used to solve for the deformations under all the load conditions. Using the converged aerodynamic loads, a final set of structural analyses are performed to determine the stress distributions and the buckling conditions for constraint calculation. Performance constraints are obtained by running FLOPS using drag polars that are computed using results from non-linear corrections to the linear aero code plus several codes to provide drag increments due to skin friction, wave drag, and other miscellaneous drag contributions. The status of the integration effort will be presented in the proposed paper, and results will be provided that illustrate the degree of accuracy in the linearizations that have been employed.

Weston, R. P.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Extravehicular Activity Framework for Exploration - 2019

The Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Framework for Exploration describes NASA's EVASystem Goals in the broader context of ongoing human spaceflight efforts. The purpose of thisdocument is to drive integration, coordination and communication of the EVA community'sexploration development plans as crafted to meet long-term EVA needs. Inclusive in the EVAcommunity are NASA partners in academia and industry. The 2019 EVA Framework outlinesthe office's current method to answer the following questions: What product does NASA useto compare, contrast and integrate across the elements of the EVA community's perceivedgaps, risks, and unfunded work, particularly for future systems intended for use beyond LowEarth Orbit (LEO)? What product does NASA use to proactively coordinate support acrossthe EVA community's wide spectrum of exploration development work? Where can one go toobtain awareness of ongoing efforts, particularly during consideration of new-start activitiesand proposals? These questions lead to the need for a product that speaks to the distributednature of the EVA System across human spaceflight programs, concept studies and flightvehicle architectural elements. This framework can be used and evaluated by the EVAcommunity to assess the full spectrum of needs and answer the question of "what are wemissing" or "are we doing things that just do not make sense". In the end is the EVAcommunity effectively pursuing the future needs of EVA? If answers to those questions revealthe need for change or re-prioritization then actions can be taken through existing projectcontrol processes as well as revision to this document and supporting project plans.

Alpert, Brian K.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Information Power Grid: Distributed High-Performance Computing and Large-Scale Data Management for Science and Engineering

We use the term "Grid" to refer to distributed, high performance computing and data handling infrastructure that incorporates geographically and organizationally dispersed, heterogeneous resources that are persistent and supported. This infrastructure includes: (1) Tools for constructing collaborative, application oriented Problem Solving Environments / Frameworks (the primary user interfaces for Grids); (2) Programming environments, tools, and services providing various approaches for building applications that use aggregated computing and storage resources, and federated data sources; (3) Comprehensive and consistent set of location independent tools and services for accessing and managing dynamic collections of widely distributed resources: heterogeneous computing systems, storage systems, real-time data sources and instruments, human collaborators, and communications systems; (4) Operational infrastructure including management tools for distributed systems and distributed resources, user services, accounting and auditing, strong and location independent user authentication and authorization, and overall system security services The vision for NASA's Information Power Grid - a computing and data Grid - is that it will provide significant new capabilities to scientists and engineers by facilitating routine construction of information based problem solving environments / frameworks. Such Grids will knit together widely distributed computing, data, instrument, and human resources into just-in-time systems that can address complex and large-scale computing and data analysis problems. Examples of these problems include: (1) Coupled, multidisciplinary simulations too large for single systems (e.g., multi-component NPSS turbomachine simulation); (2) Use of widely distributed, federated data archives (e.g., simultaneous access to metrological, topological, aircraft performance, and flight path scheduling databases supporting a National Air Space Simulation systems}; (3) Coupling large-scale computing and data systems to scientific and engineering instruments (e.g., realtime interaction with experiments through real-time data analysis and interpretation presented to the experimentalist in ways that allow direct interaction with the experiment (instead of just with instrument control); (5) Highly interactive, augmented reality and virtual reality remote collaborations (e.g., Ames / Boeing Remote Help Desk providing field maintenance use of coupled video and NDI to a remote, on-line airframe structures expert who uses this data to index into detailed design databases, and returns 3D internal aircraft geometry to the field); (5) Single computational problems too large for any single system (e.g. the rotocraft reference calculation). Grids also have the potential to provide pools of resources that could be called on in extraordinary / rapid response situations (such as disaster response) because they can provide common interfaces and access mechanisms, standardized management, and uniform user authentication and authorization, for large collections of distributed resources (whether or not they normally function in concert). IPG development and deployment is addressing requirements obtained by analyzing a number of different application areas, in particular from the NASA Aero-Space Technology Enterprise. This analysis has focussed primarily on two types of users: the scientist / design engineer whose primary interest is problem solving (e.g. determining wing aerodynamic characteristics in many different operating environments), and whose primary interface to IPG will be through various sorts of problem solving frameworks. The second type of user is the tool designer: the computational scientists who convert physics and mathematics into code that can simulate the physical world. These are the two primary users of IPG, and they have rather different requirements. The results of the analysis of the needs of these two types of users provides a broad set of requirements that gives rise to a general set of required capabilities. The IPG project is intended to address all of these requirements. In some cases the required computing technology exists, and in some cases it must be researched and developed. The project is using available technology to provide a prototype set of capabilities in a persistent distributed computing testbed. Beyond this, there are required capabilities that are not immediately available, and whose development spans the range from near-term engineering development (one to two years) to much longer term R&D (three to six years). Additional information is contained in the original.

Johnston, William E.↗
NASA NTRS1985

Opportunities for policy historians: The evolution of the US civilian space program

The evolution of U.S. civilian space policy and the institutional framework through which that policy was implemented are discussed. Space policy principles the governed decision making between 1957 and 1962 are identified. The government/industry relations regarding space related research and development are discussed.

Logsdon, J.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Novel Observing Strategies for NASA Future Earth Science Missions

NASA's Advanced Information Systems Technology (AIST) Program is one of several Technology programs managed by the Earth Science Technology Office (ESTO) in the Earth Science Division (ESD). The AIST Program focuses on advanced information systems and novel computer science technologies that will be needed by NASA Earth Science in the next 5 to 10 years. The three main thrusts of the AIST Program deal with Novel Observing Strategies (NOS), Analytic Collaborative Frameworks (ACF) and Earth System Digital Twins (ESDT). This presentation summarizes the NOS thrust, its objectives and its benefits to NASA's Earth Science; it presents the projects funded by AIST under that thrust and its application to future AIST developments such as ESDT. It also includes one slide about the SCaN (Space Communications and Navigation) Program and its capabilities as they relate to NOS.

Jacqueline Le Moigne↗
NASA NTRS2012

Simulation Framework to Estimate the Performance of CO2 and O2 Sensing from Space and Airborne Platforms for the ASCENDS Mission Requirements Analysis

The Active Sensing of CO2 Emissions over Nights Days and Seasons (ASCENDS) mission recommended by the NRC Decadal Survey has a desired accuracy of 0.3% in carbon dioxide mixing ratio (XCO2) retrievals requiring careful selection and optimization of the instrument parameters. NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is investigating 1.57 micron carbon dioxide as well as the 1.26-1.27 micron oxygen bands for our proposed ASCENDS mission requirements investigation. Simulation studies are underway for these bands to select optimum instrument parameters. The simulations are based on a multi-wavelength lidar modeling framework being developed at NASA LaRC to predict the performance of CO2 and O2 sensing from space and airborne platforms. The modeling framework consists of a lidar simulation module and a line-by-line calculation component with interchangeable lineshape routines to test the performance of alternative lineshape models in the simulations. As an option the line-by-line radiative transfer model (LBLRTM) program may also be used for line-by-line calculations. The modeling framework is being used to perform error analysis, establish optimum measurement wavelengths as well as to identify the best lineshape models to be used in CO2 and O2 retrievals. Several additional programs for HITRAN database management and related simulations are planned to be included in the framework. The description of the modeling framework with selected results of the simulation studies for CO2 and O2 sensing is presented in this paper.

Plitau, Denis↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Open-source Techniques for Automated Landslide Inventory Generation for Rapid Response

Manual mapping is the most used method for generating landslide inventories. For rapid response scenario this method becomes tedious and time consuming. The Landslide team at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has been developing open-source landslide mapping systems for rapid generation of landslide inventories. We have developed a Python-based landslide mapping framework known as the Semi-Automatic Landslide Detection (SALaD) system that uses Object-based Image Analysis and machine learning. For production of event-based inventories, SALaD was modified to include a change detection module (SALaD-CD). Utilizing high-resolution imagery form from Planet and Maxar, we have generated multiple rapid response landslide inventories that have been used by emergency responders on the ground, the NASA Disasters program, and academia. Currently, we are exploiting deep learning frameworks for landslide mapping. We are interested to learn about efficient way to harmonize multi-sensor data for creating a long-term record of landslides, training strategies and ongoing deep learning-based efforts for natural hazard characterization within NASA and UMD.

Pukar Amatya↗