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NASA NTRS2022

New Rover Conops with High-Performance Onboard Computing: Give Up Raw Data to Reduce Ops Cost and Do More Science

A major portion of time during the tactical operation of Mars rovers is spent for selecting, prioritizing, and coordinating sciences and engineering activities such that they fit within resource constraints, including the downlink data volume, energy, and time. In particular, the downlink data volume constraint is getting particularly tighter in recent missions because modern instruments produce increasingly high data volume while the communication bandwidth is essentially bounded by the law of physics. Tactical operation would be substantially simplified, hence the operation cost could be reduced, if the data volume constraint is relaxed or even removed. In this abstract, we propose a new operation paradigm for achieving this goal. The key observation is that, both in science and engineering applications, the bit size of raw data is typically much greater than the volume of processed information that is needed for scientific or engineering analysis. For example, a full-resolution image from Mastcam-Z, the main science camera on Perseverance, is about 700 kB in volume and we downlinked 29,685 images up to Sol 243, totaling ~20 GB of data. But of course, scientists do not use every pixel of these images; what they really look for in the images are geological features, typically represented by specific geometric configurations or textures. An end product after processing hundreds of Mascam-Z images could be a single geological map summarizing the spatial distribution of the features. For another example, a 100-meter drive of Perseverance produces 7-12 MB of drive telemetry, which records every detail of the rover's motion at 8 Hz, including position, attitude, steering angles, encoder readings, motor currents and many other information. But what the ground engineers eventually pay attention to is the signs of anomaly, such as excessive motor currents or high slip; if a drive is nominal, the vast majority of this data is unused. What if, then, we process the raw data onboard and only downlink the processed data that is relevant to scientific or engineering analyses, such as a list of detected science features (with cropped images) or a list of potential signs of anomaly while driving? A major roadblock for such onboard, high-level information processing has been the onboard computational resource. RAD750, the main onboard computer of Perseverance, is obviously not sufficient for performing complex image or signal processing such as object detection, semantic segmentation, or anomaly detection. Interestingly, RAD750 is not the best processor that Perseverance has; Qualcomm's Snapdragon 801, a modern mobile processor, is on her Heli Base Station, a device for communicating with Mars Helicopter Ingenuity; also, Intel's Atom E3845 processors are on engineering cameras. In the reminder of this paper, we will introduce two particular uses cases of these high-performance co-processors (meaning auxiliary CPU, GPU, or other types of processors that are separate from the main processor that runs the main flight software) for lowering operation cost and accommodating more science activities for a given communication constraint.

Didier, A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Working Papers: Astronomy and Astrophysics Panel Reports

The papers of the panels appointed by the Astronomy and Astrophysics survey Committee are compiled. These papers were advisory to the survey committee and represent the opinions of the members of each panel in the context of their individual charges. The following subject areas are covered: radio astronomy, infrared astronomy, optical/IR from ground, UV-optical from space, interferometry, high energy from space, particle astrophysics, theory and laboratory astrophysics, solar astronomy, planetary astronomy, computing and data processing, policy opportunities, benefits to the nation from astronomy and astrophysics, status of the profession, and science opportunities.

Bahcall, John N.↗

NASA NTRS1998

S'COOL Takes Students to New Heights

Students Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) is a hands-on educational project which supports NASA's Clouds and the Earth s Radiant Energy System (CERES) satellite instrument; part of the Earth Science Enterprise studying our planet. S'COOL meets science, math, technology and geography Standards of Learning (SOLs) as students observe clouds and related weather conditions, compute data and locate vital information while obtaining ground truth observations for the CERES instrument. These observations can then be used to help validate the CERES measurements; particularly detection of clear sky from space. Participants to date have been in 20 states and 5 countries and have reported great interest and learning among their students. Many have used this project as a stepping stone to further learning in other areas of Earth Science; and to do more with the Internet in the classroom. Satellite images and clues to their interpretation are used on the website ( http://asd-www.larc.nasa.gov/SCOOL/) . Background information is also given on Earth's Radiation Budget and it s importance in understanding our climate. Students can retrieve both their observations and the corresponding satellite data and participate in the validation efforts. A number of suggestions for studies to be done with the data, and related lesson plans, are available. Teachers can tailor this project to the appropriate level and subject matter needed for their students. The recommended grade level is 4th through 12th grade. The project is now open to new participants. We particularly seek schools in more remote areas, to obtain wider geographic coverage for ground truth data; so the project has been designed to use, but not require, computer technology. AGU participants attending the S'COOL presentation will be given a handout describing the project. Material for introducing the project in the classroom will be demonstrated in a participatory style.

Green, Carolyn J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

An Interim Report on NASA's Draft Space Technology Roadmaps

NASA has developed a set of 14 draft roadmaps to guide the development of space technologies under the leadership of the NASA Office of the Chief Technologist (OCT). Each of these roadmaps focuses on a particular technology area (TA). The roadmaps are intended to foster the development of advanced technologies and concepts that address NASA's needs and contribute to other aerospace and national needs. OCT requested that the National Research Council conduct a study to review the draft roadmaps, gather and assess relevant community input, and make recommendations and suggest priorities to inform NASA's decisions as it finalizes its roadmaps. The statement of task states that "based on the results of the community input and its own deliberations, the steering committee will prepare a brief interim report that addresses high-level issues associated with the roadmaps, such as the advisability of modifying the number or technical focus of the draft NASA roadmaps." This interim report, which does not include formal recommendations, addresses that one element of the study charge. NASA requested this interim report so that it would have the opportunity to make an early start in modifying the draft roadmaps based on feedback from the panels and steering committee. The final report will address all other tasks in the statement of task. In particular, the final report will include a prioritization of technologies, will describe in detail the prioritization process and criteria, and will include specific recommendations on a variety of topics, including many of the topics mentioned in this interim report. In developing both this interim report and the final report to come, the steering committee draws on the work of six study panels organized by technical area, loosely following the organization of the 14 roadmaps, as follows: A Panel 1: Propulsion and Power TA01 Launch Propulsion Systems TA02 In-Space Propulsion Technologies TA03 Space Power and Energy Storage Systems TA13 Ground and Launch Systems Processing B Panel 2: Robotics, Communications, and Navigation TA04 Robotics, TeleRobotics, and Autonomous Systems TA05 Communication and Navigation Systems C Panel 3: Instruments and Computing TA08 Science Instruments, Observatories, and Sensor Systems TA11 Modeling, Simulation, Information Technology, and Data Processing D Panel 4: Human Health and Surface Exploration TA06 Human Health, Life Support, and Habitation Systems TA07 Human Exploration Destination Systems E Panel 5: Materials Panel TA10 Nanotechnology TA12 Materials, Structures, Mechanical Systems, and Manufacturing TA14 Thermal Management Systems F Panel 6: Entry, Descent, and Landing Panel TA09 Entry, Descent, and Landing Systems In addition to drawing on the expertise represented on the steering committee and panels, the committee obtained input from each of 14 public workshops held on each of the 14 roadmaps. At these 1-day workshops, invited speakers, guests, and members of the public engaged in discussions on the different technology areas and their value to NASA. Broad community input was also solicited from a public website, where more than 240 public comments were received on the draft roadmaps in response to application of criteria (such as benefit, risk and reasonableness, and alignment with NASA and national goals) that the steering committee established. This interim report reflects the results of deliberations by the steering committee in light of these public inputs as well as additional inputs from the six panels. The steering committee's final report will be completed early in 2012. That report will prioritize the technologies that span the entire scope of the 14 roadmaps and provide additional guidance on crosscutting themes and other relevant topics.

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NASA NTRS1999

S'COOL Provides Research Opportunities and Current Data for Today's Technological Classroom

NASA's Students' Cloud Observations On-Line (S'COOL) project, a hands-on educational project, was an innovative idea conceived by the scientists in the Radiation Sciences Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia, in 1996. It came about after a local teacher expressed the idea that she wanted her students to be involved in real-life science. S'COOL supports NASA's Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) instrument, which was launched on the Tropical Rainforest Measuring Mission (TRMM) in November, 1997, as part of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. With the S'COOL project students observe clouds and related weather conditions, compute data and note vital information while obtaining ground truth observations for the CERES instrument. The observations can then be used to help validate the CERES measurements, particularly detection of clear sky from space. In addition to meeting math, science and geography standards, students are engaged in using the computer to obtain, report and analyze current data, thus bringing modern technology into the realm of classroom, a paradigm that demands our attention.

Green, Carolyn J.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Hyperresolution Global Land Surface Modeling: Meeting a Grand Challenge for Monitoring Earth's Terrestrial Water

Monitoring Earth's terrestrial water conditions is critically important to many hydrological applications such as global food production; assessing water resources sustainability; and flood, drought, and climate change prediction. These needs have motivated the development of pilot monitoring and prediction systems for terrestrial hydrologic and vegetative states, but to date only at the rather coarse spatial resolutions (approx.10-100 km) over continental to global domains. Adequately addressing critical water cycle science questions and applications requires systems that are implemented globally at much higher resolutions, on the order of 1 km, resolutions referred to as hyperresolution in the context of global land surface models. This opinion paper sets forth the needs and benefits for a system that would monitor and predict the Earth's terrestrial water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles. We discuss six major challenges in developing a system: improved representation of surface-subsurface interactions due to fine-scale topography and vegetation; improved representation of land-atmospheric interactions and resulting spatial information on soil moisture and evapotranspiration; inclusion of water quality as part of the biogeochemical cycle; representation of human impacts from water management; utilizing massively parallel computer systems and recent computational advances in solving hyperresolution models that will have up to 10(exp 9) unknowns; and developing the required in situ and remote sensing global data sets. We deem the development of a global hyperresolution model for monitoring the terrestrial water, energy, and biogeochemical cycles a grand challenge to the community, and we call upon the international hydrologic community and the hydrological science support infrastructure to endorse the effort.

Wood, Eric F.↗

NASA NTRS1972

Electron deposition in water vapor, with atmospheric applications.

Examination of the consequences of electron impact on water vapor in terms of the microscopic details of excitation, dissociation, ionization, and combinations of these processes. Basic electron-impact cross-section data are assembled in many forms and are incorporated into semianalytic functions suitable for analysis with digital computers. Energy deposition in water vapor is discussed, and the energy loss function is presented, along with the 'electron volts per ion pair' and the efficiencies of energy loss in various processes. Several applications of electron and water-vapor interactions in the atmospheric sciences are considered, in particular, H2O comets, aurora and airglow, and lightning.

Olivero, J. J.↗

NASA NTRS1991

High-temperature properties of gases

Computational chemistry is being applied at NASA Ames Research Center to a variety of problems in chemistry, physics, and materials sciences. Supercomputers and modern computational chemistry techniques have provided a powerful new tool to help fill NASA's continuing need for information about the properties of gases and materials as well as their interaction. For example, radiative transition probabilities, spectroscopic constants, bond dissociation energies, transport properties, and chemical reaction rates for molecules can be determined computationally just as reliably as by experiment. Recent results on the radiative transition probabilities of the strongly radiating systems of air species, based on state-of-the-art computational chemistry calculations, are presented and compared with experimental data.

Cooper, David M.↗

NASA NTRS2018

Digital Technologies at NASA for Science and Engineering

While scientific and engineering advancements used to rely primarily on theoretical studies and physical experiments, today digital technology enabled by petaflops-scale supercomputers is an equal, if not a greater, contributor to such achievements. In addition, computational modeling and simulation serves as a predictive tool that is not otherwise available. As a result, the use of high performance computing is integral to NASA's work in all mission areas such as space exploration, aeronautics, and scientific discovery. But traditional supercomputing alone is not sufficient for all of the space agency's needs. The success of many NASA missions depends on solving complex computing challenges, some of which are NP-hard (decision theory) if using classical solution methods. Quantum computing promises an unprecedented ability to solve such intractable problems by harnessing quantum mechanical effects such as tunneling, superposition, and entanglement. Another disruptive digital technology is neuromorphic computing that uses brain-inspired lessons to generate new architectures that are much more energy efficient, and capable of massive parallel processing and learning in-situ. Finally, with large amounts of observational and computational data sets, the opportunities of big data and data analytics can be leveraged to enable deep learning and knowledge discovery - it's all a massive digital transformation. This talk will be an overview how NASA utilizes digital technologies for its science and engineering efforts.

Biswas, Rupak↗

NASA NTRS2011

Facilitating NASA Earth Science Data Processing Using Nebula Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing has been implemented in several commercial arenas. The NASA Nebula Cloud Computing platform is an Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) built in 2008 at NASA Ames Research Center and 2010 at GSFC. Nebula is an open source Cloud platform intended to: a) Make NASA realize significant cost savings through efficient resource utilization, reduced energy consumption, and reduced labor costs. b) Provide an easier way for NASA scientists and researchers to efficiently explore and share large and complex data sets. c) Allow customers to provision, manage, and decommission computing capabilities on an as-needed bases

Pham, Long↗

NASA NTRS2001

Dynamic Modeling and Testing of MSRR-1 for Use in Microgravity Environments Analysis

Delicate microgravity science is unlikely to succeed on the International Space Station if vibratory and transient disturbers corrupt the environment. An analytical approach to compute the on-orbit acceleration environment at science experiment locations within a standard payload rack resulting from these disturbers is presented. This approach has been grounded by correlation and comparison to test verified transfer functions. The method combines the results of finite element and statistical energy analysis using tested damping and modal characteristics to provide a reasonable approximation of the total root-mean-square (RMS) acceleration spectra at the interface to microgravity science experiment hardware.

Gattis, Christy↗

NASA NTRS2001

HZETRN: neutron and proton production in quasi-elastic scattering of GCR heavy-ions

The development of transport models for radiation shielding design and evaluation has provided a series of deterministic computer codes that describe galactic cosmic radiation (GCR), solar particle events, and experimental beams at particle accelerators. These codes continue to be modified to accommodate new theory and improvements to the particle interaction database (Cucinotta et al., 1994, NASA Technical Paper 3472, US Government Printing Office, Washington DC). The solution employed by the heavy-ion transport code HZETRN was derived with the assumption that nuclear fragments are emitted with the same velocity as the incident ion through velocity conserving nuclear interactions. This paper presents a version of the HZETRN transport code that provides a more realistic distribution of the energy of protons and neutrons emitted from GCR interactions in shields. This study shows that the expected GCR dose equivalent is lower than previously calculated for water shields that are less than 110 g cm-2 thick. Calculations of neutron energy spectra in low Earth orbit indicate substantial contributions from relativistic neutrons. c2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reseved.

NASA Center LaRC↗

NASA NTRS2015

Remote Sensing

Remote sensing is one of a suite of geospatial technologies that are having a growing impact in a wide variety of areas from commerce to science to public policy. The field of remote sensing evolved from the interpretation of aerial photographs to the analysis of satellite imagery, and from local area studies to global analyses, with advances in sensor system technologies and digital computing. Today remote sensor systems can provide data from energy emitted, reflected, and/or transmitted from all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum. Examples of applications of these data include population and demography studies, study of archaeological sites, energy studies using hydrological models, urban planning, environmental monitoring, environments, treaty enforcement, land use/land cover planning, weather forecasting, and agricultural production estimation, just to name a few. The material that follows provides a brief overview of the historical development of remote sensing, emphasizing the increasing complexity of platforms, systems, and tasks.

electromagnetic spectrum↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Newly Developing Community-Oriented Data System from NASA GES DISC

Data services are essential to facilitate data access and to aid efficiency of conducting research and application activities. With emerging technologies such as cloud computing and AI/ML (Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning) leading the pace of the data world, the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), home to the permanent archive for multidisciplinary Earth Observation (EO) geospatial data to study atmospheric composition, weather and climate variability, and water and energy cycles is no exception.Interfacing directly with users as part of data center work, we understand the challenges for the required time and effort to discover, visualize, and analyze large varieties and quantities of Earth Observation information for research, monitoring, and decision-making, largely due to the existing data and information systems aim to support experienced users, but has been proved difficult for non-earth scientists and new users that are unfamiliar with the variety of formats and structures in which data, metadata, and information are stored, as well as the required methods to use them. To address these challenges, I will update our latest activities with regard to water-and energy-related products and community-oriented and user-friendly services at the GES DISC, including our plans for the emerging technologies.

Jennifer Wei↗

NASA NTRS1989

Report from magnetospheric science

By the early 1990s, magnetospheric physics will have progressed primarily through observations made from Explorer-class spacecraft, sounding rockets, ground based facilities, and shuttle based experiments. The global geospace science (GGS) element of the International Solar Terrestrial Physics program, when combined with contributions to the ESA Cluster mission and ground based and computer modeling programs, will form the basis for a major U.S. initiative in magnetospheric physics. The scientific objectives of the GGS program involve the study of energy transport throughout geospace. The Cluster mission will investigate turbulence and boundary phenomena in geospace, particularly at high latitudes on the dayside and in the region of the neutral sheet at geocentric distances of about 20 earth radii on the night side of the earth. The current state of knowledge is reviewed and the goals of these missions are briefly discussed.

Burch, J. L.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Physics through the 1990s: Scientific interfaces and technological applications

The volume examines the scientific interfaces and technological applications of physics. Twelve areas are dealt with: biological physics-biophysics, the brain, and theoretical biology; the physics-chemistry interface-instrumentation, surfaces, neutron and synchrotron radiation, polymers, organic electronic materials; materials science; geophysics-tectonics, the atmosphere and oceans, planets, drilling and seismic exploration, and remote sensing; computational physics-complex systems and applications in basic research; mathematics-field theory and chaos; microelectronics-integrated circuits, miniaturization, future trends; optical information technologies-fiber optics and photonics; instrumentation; physics applications to energy needs and the environment; national security-devices, weapons, and arms control; medical physics-radiology, ultrasonics, MNR, and photonics. An executive summary and many chapters contain recommendations regarding funding, education, industry participation, small-group university research and large facility programs, government agency programs, and computer database needs.

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NASA NTRS2012

Practical Applications of Cosmic Ray Science: Spacecraft, Aircraft, Ground Based Computation and Control Systems and Human Health and Safety

In this paper we review the discovery of cosmic ray effects on the performance and reliability of microelectronic systems as well as on human health and safety, as well as the development of the engineering and health science tools used to evaluate and mitigate cosmic ray effects in earth surface, atmospheric flight, and space flight environments. Three twentieth century technological developments, 1) high altitude commercial and military aircraft; 2) manned and unmanned spacecraft; and 3) increasingly complex and sensitive solid state micro-electronics systems, have driven an ongoing evolution of basic cosmic ray science into a set of practical engineering tools (e.g. ground based test methods as well as high energy particle transport and reaction codes) needed to design, test, and verify the safety and reliability of modern complex electronic systems as well as effects on human health and safety. The effects of primary cosmic ray particles, and secondary particle showers produced by nuclear reactions with spacecraft materials, can determine the design and verification processes (as well as the total dollar cost) for manned and unmanned spacecraft avionics systems. Similar considerations apply to commercial and military aircraft operating at high latitudes and altitudes near the atmospheric Pfotzer maximum. Even ground based computational and controls systems can be negatively affected by secondary particle showers at the Earth's surface, especially if the net target area of the sensitive electronic system components is large. Accumulation of both primary cosmic ray and secondary cosmic ray induced particle shower radiation dose is an important health and safety consideration for commercial or military air crews operating at high altitude/latitude and is also one of the most important factors presently limiting manned space flight operations beyond low-Earth orbit (LEO).

Atwell, William↗

NASA NTRS1984

Integrated remote sensing of the earth from low earth orbit in the 1990's

Trends in the areas of science, data systems, instruments and space technologies and their related infrastructures that will be experienced in earth remote sensing activities from LEO in the 1990s are discussed. Interdisciplinary studies will examine the flow of energy through the earth system, encompassing surveys of atmospheric and ocean circulations, the hydrologic cycle, and biogeochemical cycles. Mainframe computer assimilation of large data inputs will be associated with distributed microcomputer processing and analyses. Single satellite antennas will scan several microwave frequencies simultaneously, e.g., taking data on vegetation, water, and ice. Broadening the range of simultaneous observations will require multiinstrumented free-flying platforms, placed in orbit, repaired and/or retrieved by the Shuttle. Future instrumentation will include visible/IR imagers and the multifrequency microwave sounders with capabilities mainly limited by the availability of sufficient data-handling facilities.

Butler, D. M.↗