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At least 397 records · Page 22

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NASA NTRS2008

A Versatile Lifting Device for Lunar Surface Payload Handling, Inspection and Regolith Transport Operations

Devices for lifting and transporting payloads and material are critical for efficient Earth-based construction operations. Devices with similar functionality will be needed to support lunar-outpost construction, servicing, inspection, regolith excavation, grading and payload placement. Past studies have proposed that only a few carefully selected devices are required for a lunar outpost. One particular set of operations involves lifting and manipulating payloads in the 100 kg to 3,000 kg range, which are too large or massive to be handled by unassisted astronauts. This paper will review historical devices used for payload handling in space and on earth to derive a set of desirable features for a device that can be used on planetary surfaces. Next, an innovative concept for a lifting device is introduced, which includes many of the desirable features. The versatility of the device is discussed, including its application to lander unloading, servicing, inspection, regolith excavation and site preparation. Approximate rules, which can be used to size the device for specific payload mass and reach requirements, are provided. Finally, details of a test-bed implementation of the innovative concept, which will be used to validate the structural design and develop operational procedures, is provided.

Doggett, William R.↗

NASA NTRS2015

Earth Science Data Fusion with Event Building Approach

Objectives of the NASA Information And Data System (NAIADS) project are to develop a prototype of a conceptually new middleware framework to modernize and significantly improve efficiency of the Earth Science data fusion, big data processing and analytics. The key components of the NAIADS include: Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) multi-lingual framework, multi-sensor coincident data Predictor, fast into-memory data Staging, multi-sensor data-Event Builder, complete data-Event streaming (a work flow with minimized IO), on-line data processing control and analytics services. The NAIADS project is leveraging CLARA framework, developed in Jefferson Lab, and integrated with the ZeroMQ messaging library. The science services are prototyped and incorporated into the system. Merging the SCIAMACHY Level-1 observations and MODIS/Terra Level-2 (Clouds and Aerosols) data products, and ECMWF re- analysis will be used for NAIADS demonstration and performance tests in compute Cloud and Cluster environments.

Lukashin, C.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Have Heat Waves Become More Intense and Frequent in North America in the Past 40 Years?

Extreme events, especially heat waves, have seemingly become more frequent and intense in the past decades worldwide, likely associated with global warming. This study uses the extreme detection indices product derived from the NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications version 2 (MERRA-2) data to address whether heat waves have become more intense and frequent in North America in the past 40 years. We also examine in-depth the recent heat wave in June 2023 in Canada and the associated drought and wildfire events and compare them with previous years. We use additional data products in this study for cross-validation, including surface temperature from Phase 2 of the North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS 2.0) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) version 7, with a shorter data latency, only a few days. In addition, we will demonstrate how to efficiently conduct long-term time-series data analysis, which involves a large volume of data, using data services developed at NASA GES DISC, such as Giovanni, datarod, and Thematic Real-time Environmental Distributed Data Services (THREDDS) Data Server (TDS). These services can be used to visualize and explore extreme events, and to download only the data that is of interest.

Xiaohua Pan↗

NASA NTRS2025

Beamed Energy and Communications Optical Node (BEACON) Demonstrator

Due to long shadow periods (2 weeks or greater) on the south pole, concepts to raise solar arrays to a sufficient height at specific locations have shown the capability to provide power to surface users for much longer periods. Such a tower can also provide a 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) service for users up to 10 km away, dependent on terrain. An option to deliver power, albeit with low efficiency, using a laser beam coupled with the tower height could provide mobile and fixed users power during darkness, reducing their battery requirements. A demonstration of these technologies in the lunar environment is crucial to support future Artemis campaigns as well as potential emerging lunar infrastructures. A demonstrator design of a 15 m deployed boomon the south pole has been shown to enable both the gathering of kilowatts of power and the provision of 3GPP relay and backhaul given an appropriate lunar location. Using a laser to send power to a photovoltaic receiver has been proposed to transmit electrical power on the moon, particularly for applications such as powering a rover in near-polar permanently shadowed regions (PSR) where solar power is not available. In this work, the Compass team performed a conceptual engineering design study of a near-term laser surface-to-surface power beaming and relay station using a tower to simultaneously carry the power source (Vertical Solar Array Technologies (VSAT)[1]), the 3GPP relay antenna, and the laser telescope.

Deployable solar array tower laser beamed power 3G↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Beamed Energy and Communications Optical Node (BEACON) Demonstrator

Lunar Relay↗

NASA NTRS1990

A memory efficient user interface for CLIPS micro-computer applications

The goal of the Integrated Southern Pine Beetle Expert System (ISPBEX) is to provide expert level knowledge concerning treatment advice that is convenient and easy to use for Forest Service personnel. ISPBEX was developed in CLIPS and delivered on an IBM PC AT class micro-computer, operating with an MS/DOS operating system. This restricted the size of the run time system to 640K. In order to provide a robust expert system, with on-line explanation, help, and alternative actions menus, as well as features that allow the user to back up or execute 'what if' scenarios, a memory efficient menuing system was developed to interface with the CLIPS programs. By robust, we mean an expert system that (1) is user friendly, (2) provides reasonable solutions for a wide variety of domain specific problems, (3) explains why some solutions were suggested but others were not, and (4) provides technical information relating to the problem solution. Several advantages were gained by using this type of user interface (UI). First, by storing the menus on the hard disk (instead of main memory) during program execution, a more robust system could be implemented. Second, since the menus were built rapidly, development time was reduced. Third, the user may try a new scenario by backing up to any of the input screens and revising segments of the original input without having to retype all the information. And fourth, asserting facts from the menus provided for a dynamic and flexible fact base. This UI technology has been applied successfully in expert systems applications in forest management, agriculture, and manufacturing. This paper discusses the architecture of the UI system, human factors considerations, and the menu syntax design.

Sterle, Mark E.↗

NASA NTRS2012

The NASA Heliophysics Active Final Archive at the Space Physics Data Facility

The 2009 NASA Heliophysics Science Data Management Policy re-defined and extended the responsibilities of the Space Physics Data Facility (SPDF) project. Building on SPDF's established capabilities, the new policy assigned the role of active "Final Archive" for non-solar NASA Heliophysics data to SPDF. The policy also recognized and formalized the responsibilities of SPDF as a source for critical infrastructure services such as VSPO to the overall Heliophysics Data Environment (HpDE) and as a Center of Excellence for existing SPDF science-enabling services and software including CDAWeb, SSCWeb/4D Orbit Viewer, OMNIweb and CDF. We will focus this talk to the principles, strategies and planned SPDF architecture to effectively and efficiently perform these roles, with special emphasis on how SPDF will ensure the long-term preservation and ongoing online community access to all the data entrusted to SPDF. We will layout our archival philosophy and what we are advocating in our work with NASA missions both current and future, with potential providers of NASA and NASA-relevant archival data, and to make the data and metadata held by SPDF accessible to other systems and services within the overall HpOE. We will also briefly review our current services, their metrics and our current plans and priorities for their evolution.

McGuire, Robert E.↗

NASA NTRS1985

Evaluate interference in digital channels

Any future mobile satellite service (MSS) which is to provide simultaneous mobile communications for a large number of users will have to make very efficient use of the spectrum. As the spectrum available for an MSS is limited, the system's channels should be packed as closely together as possible, with minimum-width guard bands. In addition the employment of frequency reuse schemes is an important factor. Difficulties regarding these solutions are related to the introduction of interference in the link. A balance must be achieved between the competing aims of spectrum conservation and low interference. While the interference phenomenon in narrowband FM voice channels is reasonably well understood, very little effort, however, has been devoted to the problem in digital radios. Attention is given to work, which illuminates the effects of cochannel and adjacent channel interference on digital FM (FSK) radios.

Davarian, F.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Architectural development of an advanced EVA Electronic System

An advanced electronic system for future EVA missions (including zero gravity, the lunar surface, and the surface of Mars) is under research and development within the Advanced Life Support Division at NASA Ames Research Center. As a first step in the development, an optimum system architecture has been derived from an analysis of the projected requirements for these missions. The open, modular architecture centers around a distributed multiprocessing concept where the major subsystems independently process their own I/O functions and communicate over a common bus. Supervision and coordination of the subsystems is handled by an embedded real-time operating system kernel employing multitasking software techniques. A discussion of how the architecture most efficiently meets the electronic system functional requirements, maximizes flexibility for future development and mission applications, and enhances the reliability and serviceability of the system in these remote, hostile environments is included.

Lavelle, Joseph↗

NASA NTRS2017

Preliminary Results from a Model-Driven Architecture Methodology for Development of an Event-Driven Space Communications Service Concept

NASA's next generation space communications network will involve dynamic and autonomous services analogous to services provided by current terrestrial wireless networks. This architecture concept, known as the Space Mobile Network (SMN), is enabled by several technologies now in development. A pillar of the SMN architecture is the establishment and utilization of a continuous bidirectional control plane space link channel and a new User Initiated Service (UIS) protocol to enable more dynamic and autonomous mission operations concepts, reduced user space communications planning burden, and more efficient and effective provider network resource utilization. This paper provides preliminary results from the application of model driven architecture methodology to develop UIS. Such an approach is necessary to ensure systematic investigation of several open questions concerning the efficiency, robustness, interoperability, scalability and security of the control plane space link and UIS protocol.

Roberts, Christopher J.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Airport Information Sharing Concept Architecture

The National Airspace System (NAS) Air Traffic management, control and operation depends on a timely and efficient distribution of real time information generated by stakeholders and published from a variety of sources. The Federal Aviation Administration System Wide Information Management (SWIM) is a service oriented architecture design to provide stakeholders with timely NAS information. However, there are other sources of useful information generated by stakeholders that can be included in the management of NAS operations. Airport facilities are host to most stakeholders operating in the NAS (airspace user, airport authority, ground handling, controller tower) and thus large information is generated and consumed at these facilities. The NASA Glenn Research center has been investigating an information exchange architecture framework that would enable the timely, efficient and secure gathering and distribution information generated at airport facilities. This presentation describes the framework architecture concept for the efficient information exchange of airport information.

Airports↗

NASA NTRS2007

NASA Tech Briefs, October 2007

Topics covered include; Wirelessly Interrogated Position or Displacement Sensors; Ka-Band Radar Terminal Descent Sensor; Metal/Metal Oxide Differential Electrode pH Sensors; Improved Sensing Coils for SQUIDs; Inductive Linear-Position Sensor/Limit-Sensor Units; Hilbert-Curve Fractal Antenna With Radiation- Pattern Diversity; Single-Camera Panoramic-Imaging Systems; Interface Electronic Circuitry for an Electronic Tongue; Inexpensive Clock for Displaying Planetary or Sidereal Time; Efficient Switching Arrangement for (N + 1)/N Redundancy; Lightweight Reflectarray Antenna for 7.115 and 32 GHz; Opto-Electronic Oscillator Using Suppressed Phase Modulation; Alternative Controller for a Fiber-Optic Switch; Strong, Lightweight, Porous Materials; Nanowicks; Lightweight Thermal Protection System for Atmospheric Entry; Rapid and Quiet Drill; Hydrogen Peroxide Concentrator; MMIC Amplifiers for 90 to 130 GHz; Robot Would Climb Steep Terrain; Measuring Dynamic Transfer Functions of Cavitating Pumps; Advanced Resistive Exercise Device; Rapid Engineering of Three-Dimensional, Multicellular Tissues With Polymeric Scaffolds; Resonant Tunneling Spin Pump; Enhancing Spin Filters by Use of Bulk Inversion Asymmetry; Optical Magnetometer Incorporating Photonic Crystals; WGM-Resonator/Tapered-Waveguide White-Light Sensor Optics; Raman-Suppressing Coupling for Optical Parametric Oscillator; CO2-Reduction Primary Cell for Use on Venus; Cold Atom Source Containing Multiple Magneto- Optical Traps; POD Model Reconstruction for Gray-Box Fault Detection; System for Estimating Horizontal Velocity During Descent; Software Framework for Peer Data-Management Services; Autogen Version 2.0; Tracking-Data-Conversion Tool; NASA Enterprise Visual Analysis; Advanced Reference Counting Pointers for Better Performance; C Namelist Facility; and Efficient Mosaicking of Spitzer Space Telescope Images.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1974

LST and instrument considerations

In order that the LST meet its scientific objectives and also be a National Astronomical Space Facility during the 1980's and 1990's, broad requirements have been levied by the scientific community. These scientific requirements can be directly translated into design requirements and specifications for the scientific instruments. The instrument ensemble design must be consistent with a 15-year operational lifetime. Downtime for major repair/refurbishment or instrument updating must be minimized. The overall efficiency and performance of the instruments should be maximized. Modularization of instruments and instrument subsystems, some degree of on-orbit servicing (both repair and replacement), on-axis location, minimizing the number of reflections within instruments, minimizing polarization effects, and simultaneous operation of the F/24 camera with other instruments, are just a few of the design guidelines and specifications which can and will be met in order that these broader scientific requirements be satisfied.-

Levin, G. M.↗

NASA NTRS1980

A digitally implemented communications experiment utilizing the communications technology satellite, Hermes

Developments which will reduce the costs associated with the distribution of satellite services are considered with emphasis on digital communication link implementation. A digitally implemented communications experiment (DICE) which demonstrates the flexibility and efficiency of digital transmission of television video and audio, telephone voice, and high-bit-rate data is described. The utilization of the DICE system in a full duplex teleconferencing mode is addressed. Demonstration teleconferencing results obtained during the conduct of two sessions of the 7th AIAA Communication Satellite Systems Conference are discussed. Finally, the results of link characterization tests conducted to determine (1) relationships between the Hermes channel 1 EIRP and DICE model performance and (2) channel spacing criteria for acceptable multichannel operation, are presented.

Jackson, H. D.↗

NASA NTRS1989

The power and efficiency of advanced software and parallel processing

Real-time simulation of flexible and articulating systems is difficult because of the computational burden of the time varying calculations. The mobile servicing system of the NASA Space Station Freedom will handle heavy payloads by local arm manipulations and by translating along the spline of the Station, it is crucial to have real-time simulation available. To enable such a simulation to be of high fidelity and to be able to be hosted on a modest computer, special care must be made in formulating the structural dynamics. Frontal solution algorithms save considerable time in performing these calculations. In addition, it is necessary to take advantage of parallel processing be compatible to take full advantage of both. An approach is offered which will result in high fidelity, real-time simulation for flexible, articulating systems such as the space Station remote servicing system.

Singh, Ramen P.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Information Switching Processor (ISP) contention analysis and control

Future satellite communications, as a viable means of communications and an alternative to terrestrial networks, demand flexibility and low end-user cost. On-board switching/processing satellites potentially provide these features, allowing flexible interconnection among multiple spot beams, direct to the user communications services using very small aperture terminals (VSAT's), independent uplink and downlink access/transmission system designs optimized to user's traffic requirements, efficient TDM downlink transmission, and better link performance. A flexible switching system on the satellite in conjunction with low-cost user terminals will likely benefit future satellite network users.

Shyy, D.↗

NASA NTRS1995

A Ka-band helical antenna

A number of Ka-band satellite systems have been proposed to provide wide band personal communications services to terminals employing small antennas. Work has been performed looking at the use of helical antenna elements to provide an efficient low-cost antenna at these frequencies. Although helices are not planar, at Ka-band they are less than 2.5 cm in height and thus are suitable for these applications. This paper describes the design and development of a broadband helical antenna element. The work performed on: feed configurations, matching techniques, ground plane structures, broadbanding, and the effects of dielectric loading are discussed. Experimental measurements performed during the development of the helical antenna element are presented.

deLeseleuc, Michel↗

NASA NTRS2011

Summary Report for National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA) and Centro Para Prevencao da Poluicao (C3P) 2011 International Workshop on Environment and Alternative Energy

The C3P &. NASA International Workshop on Environment and Alternative Energy was held on November 15-18, 2011 at the European Space Agency (ESA)'s Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC) in Noordwijk, The Netherlands. The theme of the workshop was "Global Collaboration in Environmental and Alternative Energy Strategies". The workshop was held at ESTEC's conference center. More than 110 individuals from eleven countries attended the workshop. For the first time since the inception of NASA-C3P workshops, a full day was dedicated to a student session. Fifteen students from around the globe gave oral presentations along with poster displays relating to the latest technologies in environmental and alternative energy strategies. Judges from NASA, C3P and ESA awarded plaques to the top three students. In addition to the students, thirty eight U.S. and international subject matter experts presented on the following general environmental-related topics: (1) Hazardous materials management and substitution in support of space operations (2) Emerging renewable and alternative energy technologies (3) Sustainable development and redevelopment (4) Remediation technologies and strategies The workshop also included a panel discussion on the topic of the challenges of operating installations across borders. Throughout the workshop, attendees heard about the scope of environmental and energy challenges that industry and governments face. They heard about technologies for increasing energy efficiency and increasing use of renewable energy. They learned about ways companies and government agencies are using materials, processes, goods and services in a manner more respectful with the environment and in compliance with health and safety rules. The concept of partnerships and their inherent benefits was evidenced throughout the workshop. Partnering is a key aspect of sustainability because sustainable development is complicated. Through formal presentations and side discussions, attendees commented on the need for continued exploration of joint projects of mutual interest.

Greene, Brian↗