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At least 343 records · Page 19

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NASA NTRS2001

Development of a Semi-Span Test Capability at the National Transonic Facility

A need for low-speed, high Reynolds number test capabilities has been identified for the design and development of advanced subsonic transport high-lift systems. In support of this need, multiple investigations have been conducted in the National Transonic Facility (NTF) at the NASA Langley Research Center to develop a semi-span testing capability that will provide the low-speed, flight Reynolds number data currently unattainable using conventional sting-mounted, full-span models. Although a semi-span testing capability will effectively double the Reynolds number capability over full-span models, it does come at the expense of contending with the issue of the interaction of the flow over the model with the windtunnel wall boundary layer. To address this issue the size and shape of the semi-span model mounting geometry have been investigated, and the results are presented herein. The cryogenic operating environment of the NTF produced another semi-span test technique issue in that varying thermal gradients have developed on the large semi-span balance. The suspected cause of these thermal gradients and methods to eliminate them are presented. Data are also presented that demonstrate the successful elimination of these varying thermal gradients during cryogenic operations.

Gatlin, G. M.↗

NASA NTRS2002

Improvements in Thermal Protection Sizing Capabilities for TCAT: Conceptual Design for Advanced Space Transportation Systems

The Thermal Calculation Analysis Tool (TCAT), originally developed for the Space Systems Design Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, is a conceptual design tool capable of integrating aeroheating analysis into conceptual reusable launch vehicle design. It provides Thermal Protection System (TPS) unit thicknesses and acreage percentages based on the geometry of the vehicle and a reference trajectory to be used in calculation of the total cost and weight of the vehicle design. TCAT has proven to be reasonably accurate at calculating the TPS unit weights for in-flight trajectories; however, it does not have the capability of sizing TPS materials above cryogenic fuel tanks for ground hold operations. During ground hold operations, the vehicle is held for a brief period (generally about two hours) during which heat transfer from the TPS materials to the cryogenic fuel occurs. If too much heat is extracted from the TPS material, the surface temperature may fall below the freezing point of water, thereby freezing any condensation that may be present at the surface of the TPS. Condensation or ice on the surface of the vehicle is potentially hazardous to the mission and can also damage the TPS. It is questionable whether or not the TPS thicknesses provided by the aeroheating analysis would be sufficiently thick to insulate the surface of the TPS from the heat transfer to the fuel. Therefore, a design tool has been developed that is capable of sizing TPS materials at these cryogenic fuel tank locations to augment TCAT's TPS sizing capabilities.

Olds, John R.↗

NASA NTRS2002

ISO 9000 and/or Systems Engineering Capability Maturity Model?

For businesses and organizations to remain competitive today they must have processes and systems in place that will allow them to first identify customer needs and then develop products/processes that will meet or exceed the customers needs and expectations. Customer needs, once identified, are normally stated as requirements. Designers can then develop products/processes that will meet these requirements. Several functions, such as quality management and systems engineering management are used to assist product development teams in the development process. Both functions exist in all organizations and both have a similar objective, which is to ensure that developed processes will meet customer requirements. Are efforts in these organizations being duplicated? Are both functions needed by organizations? What are the similarities and differences between the functions listed above? ISO 9000 is an international standard of goods and services. It sets broad requirements for the assurance of quality and for management's involvement. It requires organizations to document the processes and to follow these documented processes. ISO 9000 gives customers assurance that the suppliers have control of the process for product development. Systems engineering can broadly be defined as a discipline that seeks to ensure that all requirements for a system are satisfied throughout the life of the system by preserving their interrelationship. The key activities of systems engineering include requirements analysis, functional analysis/allocation, design synthesis and verification, and system analysis and control. The systems engineering process, when followed properly, will lead to higher quality products, lower cost products, and shorter development cycles. The System Engineering Capability Maturity Model (SE-CMM) will allow companies to measure their system engineering capability and continuously improve those capabilities. ISO 9000 and SE-CMM seem to have a similar objective, which is to document the organization's processes and certify to potential customers the capability of a supplier to control the processes that determine the quality of the product or services being produced. The remaining sections of this report examine the differences and similarities between ISO 9000 and SE-CMM and make recommendations for implementation.

Sampson E. Gholston↗

NASA NTRS2002

First Materials Science Research Facility Rack Capabilities and Design Features

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) is the primary facility for U.S. sponsored materials science research on the International Space Station. MSRR-1 is contained in an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for the best possible microgravity environment. MSRR-1 will accommodate dual Experiment Modules and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first Experiment Module for the MSRR-1, the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL), is an international cooperative activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC). The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts which provide distinct thermal processing capabilities. Module Inserts currently planned for the MSL are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, and a Solidification with Quench Furnace. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Development (SPD) Group. Transparent furnace assemblies include capabilities for vapor transport processes and annealing of glass fiber preforms. This Experiment Module is replaceable on-orbit. This paper will describe facility capabilities, schedule to flight and research opportunities.

Cobb, S.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Test Facilities Capability Handbook

The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is located in Southern Mississippi near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line. SSC is chartered as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center of Excellence for large space transportation propulsion system testing. This charter has led to many unique test facilities, capabilities and advanced technologies provided through the supporting infrastructure. SSC has conducted projects in support of such diverse activities as liquid, and hybrid rocket testing and development; material development; non-intrusive plume diagnostics; plume tracking; commercial remote sensing; test technology and more. On May 30, 1996 NASA designated SSC the lead Center for rocket propulsion testing, giving the Center total responsibility for conducting and/or managing all NASA rocket engine testing. Test services are now available not only for NASA but also for the DoD, other government agencies, academia, and industry. This handbook was developed to provide a summary of the capabilities that exist within SSC. It is intended as a primary resource document, which will provide the reader with the top-level capabilities and characteristics of the numerous test facilities, test support facilities, laboratories, and services. Due to the nature of continually evolving programs and test technologies, descriptions of the Center's current capabilities are provided. Periodic updates and revisions of this document will be made to maintain is completeness and accuracy.

Taliancich, Paula↗

NASA NTRS2004

Telescience Resource Kit Software Capabilities and Future Enhancements

The Telescience Resource Kit (TReK) is a suite of PC-based software applications that can be used to monitor and control a payload on board the International Space Station (ISS). This software provides a way for payload users to operate their payloads from their home sites. It can be used by an individual or a team of people. TReK provides both local ground support system services and an interface to utilize remote services provided by the Payload Operations Integration Center (POIC). by the POIC and to perform local data functions such as processing the data, storing it in local files, and forwarding it to other computer systems. TReK can also be used to build, send, and track payload commands. In addition to these features, work is in progress to add a new command management capability. This capability will provide a way to manage a multi- platform command environment that can include geographically distributed computers. This is intended to help those teams that need to manage a shared on-board resource such as a facility class payload. The environment can be configured such that one individual can manage all the command activities associated with that payload. This paper will provide a summary of existing TReK capabilities and a description of the new command management capability. For example, 7'ReK can be used to receive payload data distributed

Schneider, Michelle↗

NASA NTRS2004

Expanding Remote Science Operations Capabilities Onboard the International Space Station

EXPRESS Racks have been supporting payload science operations onboard the International Space Station (ISS) since April of 2001. EXPRESS is an acronym that stands for "EXpedite the PRocessing of Experiments to Space Station." This name reflects NASA's focus to simplify the process of manifesting experiments and maximizing scientific research capabilities by providing a robust, remotely operated payload support platform. The EXPRESS Rack System was developed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and built by The Boeing Company in Huntsville, Alabama. Eight EXPRESS racks were built and five are currently onboard the ISS supporting science operations. The design and development of the EXPRESS Rack System is a long story that has been documented in previous publications. This paper briefly describes the facilities used to develop and verify flight software, test operational capabilities. It then traces the advancements made in the operational capabilities of the EXPRESS Racks from the time they were launched on STS-100 through the present. The paper concludes with a description of potential enhancements that will make the EXPRESS racks one of the most advanced and capable remote science platforms ever developed.

Cruzen, Craig A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

National Research Council Dialogue to Assess Progesss on NASA's Human Exploration Systems and Mobility Capability Roadmap Development: General Background and Introduction

General Background and Introduction of Capability Roadmaps: Agency Objective. Strategic Planning Transformation. Advanced Planning Organizational Roles. Public Involvement in Strategic Planning. Strategic Roadmaps and Schedule. Capability Roadmaps and Schedule. Technology and Capability Readiness Levels. Relationships Between Roadmaps. Purpose of NRC Review. Capability Roadmap Development (Team Progress to Date).

Inman, Thomas↗

NASA NTRS2005

In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Capability Roadmap Progress Review

A progress review on In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) capability is presented. The topics include: 1) In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) Capability Roadmap: Level 1; 2) ISRU Emphasized Architecture Overview; 3) ISRU Capability Elements: Level 2 and below; and 4) ISRU Capability Roadmap Wrap-up.

Sanders, Gerald B.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Demonstration of Four Operating Capabilities to Enable a Small Aircraft Transportation System

The Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) project has been a five-year effort fostering research and development that could lead to the transformation of our country s air transportation system. It has become evident that our commercial air transportation system is reaching its peak in terms of capacity, with numerous delays in the system and the demand keeps steadily increasing. The SATS vision is to increase mobility in our nation s transportation system by expanding access to more than 3400 small community airports that are currently under-utilized. The SATS project has focused its efforts on four key operating capabilities that have addressed new emerging technologies and procedures to pave the way for a new way of air travel. The four key operating capabilities are: Higher Volume Operations at Non-Towered/Non-Radar Airports, En Route Procedures and Systems for Integrated Fleet Operations, Lower Landing Minimums at Minimally Equipped Landing Facilities, and Increased Single Pilot Performance. These four capabilities are key to enabling low-cost, on-demand, point-to-point transportation of goods and passengers utilizing small aircraft operating from small airports. The focus of this paper is to discuss the technical and operational feasibility of the four operating capabilities and demonstrate how they can enable a small aircraft transportation system.

Viken, Sally A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Enhancement of the Feature Extraction Capability in Global Damage Detection Using Wavelet Theory

The main objective of this study is to assess the specific capabilities of the defect energy parameter technique for global damage detection developed by Saleeb and coworkers. The feature extraction is the most important capability in any damage-detection technique. Features are any parameters extracted from the processed measurement data in order to enhance damage detection. The damage feature extraction capability was studied extensively by analyzing various simulation results. The practical significance in structural health monitoring is that the detection at early stages of small-size defects is always desirable. The amount of changes in the structure's response due to these small defects was determined to show the needed level of accuracy in the experimental methods. The arrangement of fine/extensive sensor network to measure required data for the detection is an "unlimited" ability, but there is a difficulty to place extensive number of sensors on a structure. Therefore, an investigation was conducted using the measurements of coarse sensor network. The white and the pink noises, which cover most of the frequency ranges that are typically encountered in the many measuring devices used (e.g., accelerometers, strain gauges, etc.) are added to the displacements to investigate the effect of noisy measurements in the detection technique. The noisy displacements and the noisy damage parameter values are used to study the signal feature reconstruction using wavelets. The enhancement of the feature extraction capability was successfully achieved by the wavelet theory.

Saleeb, Atef F.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Test Facilities Capability Handbook: Volume 1 - Stennis Space Center (SSC); Volume 2 - Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)

The John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) is located in Southern Mississippi near the Mississippi-Louisiana state line. SSC is chartered as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Center of Excellence for large space transportation propulsion system testing. This charter has led to many unique test facilities, capabilities and advanced technologies provided through the supporting infrastructure. SSC has conducted projects in support of such diverse activities as liquid, and hybrid rocket testing and development; material development; non-intrusive plume diagnostics; plume tracking; commercial remote sensing; test technology and more. On May 30, 1996 NASA designated SSC the lead center for rocket propulsion testing, giving the center total responsibility for conducting and/or managing all NASA rocket engine testing. Test services are now available not only for NASA but also for the Department of Defense, other government agencies, academia, and industry. This handbook was developed to provide a summary of the capabilities that exist within SSC. It is intended as a primary resource document, which will provide the reader with the top-level capabilities and characteristics of the numerous test facilities, test support facilities, laboratories, and services. Due to the nature of continually evolving programs and test technologies, descriptions of the Center's current capabilities are provided. Periodic updates and revisions of this document will be made to maintain its completeness and accuracy.

Hensarling, Paula L.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Remote Controlled Orbiter Capability

The Remote Control Orbiter (RCO) capability allows a Space Shuttle Orbiter to perform an unmanned re-entry and landing. This low-cost capability employs existing and newly added functions to perform key activities typically performed by flight crews and controllers during manned re-entries. During an RCO landing attempt, these functions are triggered by automation resident in the on-board computers or uplinked commands from flight controllers on the ground. In order to properly route certain commands to the appropriate hardware, an In-Flight Maintenance (IFM) cable was developed. Currently, the RCO capability is reserved for the scenario where a safe return of the crew from orbit may not be possible. The flight crew would remain in orbit and await a rescue mission. After the crew is rescued, the RCO capability would be used on the unmanned Orbiter in an attempt to salvage this national asset.

Garske, Michael↗

NASA NTRS2008

Improving Coastal Ocean Color Validation Capabilities through Application of Inherent Optical Properties (IOPs)

Understanding how the different components of seawater alter the path of incident sunlight through scattering and absorption is essential to using remotely sensed ocean color observations effectively. This is particularly apropos in coastal waters where the different optically significant components (phytoplankton, detrital material, inorganic minerals, etc.) vary widely in concentration, often independently from one another. Inherent Optical Properties (IOPs) form the link between these biogeochemical constituents and the Apparent Optical Properties (AOPs). understanding this interrelationship is at the heart of successfully carrying out inversions of satellite-measured radiance to biogeochemical properties. While sufficient covariation of seawater constituents in case I waters typically allows empirical algorithms connecting AOPs and biogeochemical parameters to behave well, these empirical algorithms normally do not hold for case I1 regimes (Carder et al. 2003). Validation in the context of ocean color remote sensing refers to in-situ measurements used to verify or characterize algorithm products or any assumption used as input to an algorithm. In this project, validation capabilities are considered those measurement capabilities, techniques, methods, models, etc. that allow effective validation. Enhancing current validation capabilities by incorporating state-of-the-art IOP measurements and optical models is the purpose of this work. Involved in this pursuit is improving core IOP measurement capabilities (spectral, angular, spatio-temporal resolutions), improving our understanding of the behavior of analytical AOP-IOP approximations in complex coastal waters, and improving the spatial and temporal resolution of biogeochemical data for validation by applying biogeochemical-IOP inversion models so that these parameters can be computed from real-time IOP sensors with high sampling rates. Research cruises supported by this project provides for collection and processing of seawater samples for biogeochemical (pigments, DOC and POC) and optical (CDOM and POM absorption coefficients) analyses to enhance our understanding of the linkages between in-water optical measurements (IOPs and AOPs) and biogeochemical constituents and to provide a more comprehensive suite of validation products.

Mannino, Antonio↗

NASA NTRS2005

How to Extend the Capabilities of Space Systems for Long Duration Space Exploration Systems

For sustainable Exploration Missions the need exists to assemble systems-of-systems in space, on the Moon or on other planetary surfaces. To fulfill this need new and innovative system architectures must be developed to be modularized and launched with the present lift capability of existing rocket technology. To enable long duration missions with minimal redundancy and mass, system software and hardware must be reconfigurable. This will enable increased functionality and multiple use of launched assets while providing the capability to quickly overcome components failures. Additional required capability includes the ability to dynamically demate and reassemble individual system elements during a mission in order to recover from failed hardware or to adapt to changes in mission requirements. To meet the Space Exploration goals of Interoperability and Reconfigurability, many challenges must be addressed to transform the traditional static avionics architectures into architectures with dynamic capabilities. The objective of this paper is to introduce concepts associated with reconfigurable computer systems; to review the various needs and challenges associated with reconfigurable avionics space systems; to provide an operational example that illustrates the application to both the Crew Exploration Vehicle and a collection of 'Habot-like' mobile surface elements; to summarize the approaches that address key challenges to the acceptance of a Flexible, Intelligent, Modular, Affordable and Reconfigurable avionics space system.

space assembly↗

NASA NTRS2009

Developing a Model-based Capability to Analyze Requirements for the Climate Observing System

Models are foundational for estimating states of the earth's climate system, both as tools to extrapolate information in time and space, and as observation 'operators' used to relate what is analyzed and predicted to what is observed. Expanding the simulation approach further, observing system simulation experiments (OSSEs) are designed to mimic the complete process of analyzing the climate state by replacing real observations with entirely simulated ones determined from a model-based depiction of nature. OSSEs provide a framework to 'fly' simulated satellite instruments through a synthetic atmosphere and investigate the trade-spaces of measurements for various satellite configurations and sampling strategies, and assess their measurement impact on modeling and forecasting capabilities. Such a tool is a crucial but as yet unfulfilled need for future mission selection and design. The components of a state-of-the-art OSSE system are being assembled at the Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO, Code 610.1) at NASA/GSFC, leveraging on the GMAO's existing modeling and data assimilation infrastructure for numerical weather prediction (NWP). The OSSE framework is based on the GMAO's Goddard Earth Observing System atmospheric general circulation model, version 5 (GEOS-5) and the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) observational analysis scheme, combined with the Goddard Chemistry, Aerosol, Radiation, and Transport (GOCART) model developed by the Atmospheric Chemistry and Dynamics Branch (Code 613.3). This system is an evolving, key component of Goddard's planned development of an Integrated Earth System Analysis (IESA) capability, which will bring together into a single, fully interactive system Goddard's modeling and assimilation efforts in atmosphere, ocean and chemistry and aerosols to provide a comprehensive analysis and prediction system for weather and climate In addition to providing a state-of-the-art capability for assimilating current observation types, GEOS-5, and the future IESA, provide the capability to identify the need for, and assess the potential impact of, future observing systems under consideration for improving weather and climate prediction.

Gelaro, Ronald↗

NASA NTRS2008

C3 Performance of the Ares-I Launch Vehicle and its Capabilities for Lunar and Interplanetary Science Missions

NASA s Ares-I launch vehicle will be built to deliver the Orion spacecraft to Low-Earth orbit, servicing the International Space Station with crew-transfer and helping humans begin longer voyages in conjunction with the larger Ares-V. While there are no planned missions for Ares-I beyond these, the vehicle itself offers an additional capability for robotic exploration. Here we present an analysis of the capability of the Ares-I rocket for robotic missions to a variety of destinations, including lunar and planetary exploration, should such missions become viable in the future. Preliminary payload capabilities using both single and dual launch architectures are presented. Masses delivered to the lunar surface are computed along with throw capabilities to various Earth departure energies (i.e. C3s). The use of commercially available solid rocket motors as additional payload stages were analyzed and will also be discussed.

Thomas, H. Dan↗

NASA NTRS2009

Capability Description for NASA's F/A-18 TN 853 as a Testbed for the Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control Project

The NASA F/A-18 tail number (TN) 853 full-scale Integrated Resilient Aircraft Control (IRAC) testbed has been designed with a full array of capabilities in support of the Aviation Safety Program. Highlights of the system's capabilities include: 1) a quad-redundant research flight control system for safely interfacing controls experiments to the aircraft's control surfaces; 2) a dual-redundant airborne research test system for hosting multi-disciplinary state-of-the-art adaptive control experiments; 3) a robust reversionary configuration for recovery from unusual attitudes and configurations; 4) significant research instrumentation, particularly in the area of static loads; 5) extensive facilities for experiment simulation, data logging, real-time monitoring and post-flight analysis capabilities; and 6) significant growth capability in terms of interfaces and processing power.

Hanson, Curt↗