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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1992

NASA Pocket Statistics

NASA administrative and organizational information is presented along with summaries of space flight activity including the NASA Major Launch Record, and NASA procurement, financial and manpower data. The Major Launch Record includes all launches of Scout class and larger vehicles. Vehicle and spacecraft development flights are also included. Shuttle missions are counted as one launch and one payload, where free flying payloads are not involved. Satellites deployed from the cargo bay of the Shuttle and placed in a separate orbit or trajectory are counted as an additional payload.

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NASA NTRS1992

Requirements for soldered electrical connections

This publication is applicable to NASA programs involving solder connections for flight hardware, mission essential support equipment, and elements thereof. This publication sets forth hand and wave soldering requirements for reliable electrical connections. The prime consideration is the physical integrity of solder connections. Special requirements may exist which are not in conformance with the requirements of this publication. Design documentation contains the detail for these requirements, and they take precedence over conflicting portions of this publication when they are approved in writing by the procuring NASA installation.

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NASA NTRS1990

Streamlined acquisition handbook

NASA has always placed great emphasis on the acquisition process, recognizing it as among its most important activities. This handbook is intended to facilitate the application of streamlined acquisition procedures. The development of these procedures reflects the efforts of an action group composed of NASA Headquarters and center acquisition professionals. It is the intent to accomplish the real change in the acquisition process as a result of this effort. An important part of streamlining the acquisition process is a commitment by the people involved in the process to accomplishing acquisition activities quickly and with high quality. Too often we continue to accomplish work in 'the same old way' without considering available alternatives which would require no changes to regulations, approvals from Headquarters, or waivers of required practice. Similarly, we must be sensitive to schedule opportunities throughout the acquisition cycle, not just once the purchase request arrives at the procurement office. Techniques that have been identified as ways of reducing acquisition lead time while maintaining high quality in our acquisition process are presented.

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NASA NTRS1992

Requirements for a network storage service

Sandia National Laboratories provides a high performance classified computer network as a core capability in support of its mission of nuclear weapons design and engineering, physical sciences research, and energy research and development. The network, locally known as the Internal Secure Network (ISN), was designed in 1989 and comprises multiple distributed local area networks (LAN's) residing in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Livermore, California. The TCP/IP protocol suite is used for inner-node communications. Scientific workstations and mid-range computers, running UNIX-based operating systems, compose most LAN's. One LAN, operated by the Sandia Corporate Computing Directorate, is a general purpose resource providing a supercomputer and a file server to the entire ISN. The current file server on the supercomputer LAN is an implementation of the Common File System (CFS) developed by Los Alamos National Laboratory. Subsequent to the design of the ISN, Sandia reviewed its mass storage requirements and chose to enter into a competitive procurement to replace the existing file server with one more adaptable to a UNIX/TCP/IP environment. The requirements study for the network was the starting point for the requirements study for the new file server. The file server is called the Network Storage Services (NSS) and is requirements are described in this paper. The next section gives an application or functional description of the NSS. The final section adds performance, capacity, and access constraints to the requirements.

Kelly, Suzanne M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Reusable Reentry Satellite (RRS) system design study: System cost estimates document

The Reusable Reentry Satellite (RRS) program was initiated to provide life science investigators relatively inexpensive, frequent access to space for extended periods of time with eventual satellite recovery on earth. The RRS will provide an on-orbit laboratory for research on biological and material processes, be launched from a number of expendable launch vehicles, and operate in Low-Altitude Earth Orbit (LEO) as a free-flying unmanned laboratory. SAIC's design will provide independent atmospheric reentry and soft landing in the continental U.S., orbit for a maximum of 60 days, and will sustain three flights per year for 10 years. The Reusable Reentry Vehicle (RRV) will be 3-axis stabilized with artificial gravity up to 1.5g's, be rugged and easily maintainable, and have a modular design to accommodate a satellite bus and separate modular payloads (e.g., rodent module, general biological module, ESA microgravity botany facility, general botany module). The purpose of this System Cost Estimate Document is to provide a Life Cycle Cost Estimate (LCCE) for a NASA RRS Program using SAIC's RRS design. The estimate includes development, procurement, and 10 years of operations and support (O&S) costs for NASA's RRS program. The estimate does not include costs for other agencies which may track or interface with the RRS program (e.g., Air Force tracking agencies or individual RRS experimenters involved with special payload modules (PM's)). The life cycle cost estimate extends over the 10 year operation and support period FY99-2008.

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NASA NTRS1991

Requirements for a network storage service

Sandia National Laboratories provides a high performance classified computer network as a core capability in support of its mission of nuclear weapons design and engineering, physical sciences research, and energy research and development. The network, locally known as the Internal Secure Network (ISN), comprises multiple distributed local area networks (LAN's) residing in New Mexico and California. The TCP/IP protocol suite is used for inter-node communications. Scientific workstations and mid-range computers, running UNIX-based operating systems, compose most LAN's. One LAN, operated by the Sandia Corporate Computing Computing Directorate, is a general purpose resource providing a supercomputer and a file server to the entire ISN. The current file server on the supercomputer LAN is an implementation of the Common File Server (CFS). Subsequent to the design of the ISN, Sandia reviewed its mass storage requirements and chose to enter into a competitive procurement to replace the existing file server with one more adaptable to a UNIX/TCP/IP environment. The requirements study for the network was the starting point for the requirements study for the new file server. The file server is called the Network Storage Service (NSS) and its requirements are described. An application or functional description of the NSS is given. The final section adds performance, capacity, and access constraints to the requirements.

Kelly, Suzanne M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Industry survey of space system cost benefits from New Ways Of Doing Business

The cost of designing, building and operating space system hardware has always been expensive. Small quantities of specialty parts escalate engineering design, production and operations cost. Funding cutbacks and shrinking revenues dictate aggressive cost saving programs. NASA's highest priority is providing economical transportation to and from space. Over the past three decades NASA has seen technological advances that provide grater efficiencies in designing, building, and operating of space system hardware. As future programs such as NLS, LUTE and SEI begin, these greater efficiencies and cost savings should be reflected in the cost models. There are several New Ways Of Doing Business (NWODB) which, when fully implemented will reduce space system costs. These philosophies and/or culture changes are integrated in five areas: (1) More Extensive Pre-Phase C/D & E, (2) Multi Year Funding Stability, (3) Improved Quality, Management and Procurement Processes, (4) Advanced Design Methods, and (5) Advanced Production Methods. Following is an overview of NWODB and the Cost Quantification Analysis results using an industry survey, one of the four quantification techniques used in the study. The NWODB Cost Quantification Analysis is a study performed at Marshall Space Flight Center by the Engineering Cost Group, Applied Research Incorporated and Pittsburg State University. This study took place over a period of four months in mid 1992. The purpose of the study was to identify potential NWODB which could lead to improved cost effectiveness within NASA and to quantify potential cost benefits that might accrue if these NWODB were implemented.

Rosmait, Russell L.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Training evaluation final report

In the area of management training, 'evaluation' refers both to the specific evaluation instrument used to determine whether a training effort was considered effective, and to the procedures followed to evaluate specific training requests. This report recommends to evaluate new training requests in the same way new procurement or new projects are evaluated. This includes examining training requests from the perspective of KSC goals and objectives, and determining expected ROI of proposed training program (does training result in improved productivity, through savings of time, improved outputs, and/or personnel reduction?). To determine whether a specific training course is effective, a statement of what constitutes 'good performance' is required. The user (NOT the Training Branch) must define what is 'required level of performance'. This 'model' will be the basis for the design and development of an objective, performance-based, training evaluation instrument.

Sepulveda, Jose A.↗
NASA NTRS1992

A logistics and potential hazard study of propellant systems for a Saturn 5 derived heavy lift (three-stage core) launch vehicle

The Bush Administration has directed NASA to prepare for a return to the Moon and on to Mars - the Space Exploration Initiative. To meet this directive, powerful rocket boosters will be required in order to lift payloads that may reach the half-million pound range into low earth orbit. In this report an analysis is presented on logistics and potential hazards of the propellant systems envisioned for future Saturn 5 derived heavy lift launch vehicles. In discussing propellant logistics, particular attention has been given to possible problems associated with procurement, transportation, and storage of RP-1, HL2, and LOX, the heavy lift launch vehicle propellants. Current LOX producing facilities will need to be expanded and propellant storage and some support facilities will require relocation if current Launch Pads 39A and/or 39B are to be used for future heavy noise-abatement measures. Included in the report is a discussion of suggested additional studies, primarily economic and environmental, which should be undertaken in support of the goals of the Space Exploration Initiative.

Whitney, E. Dow↗
NASA NTRS1993

Battery Review Board

The topics covered are presented in viewgraph form: NASA Battery Review Board Charter; membership, board chronology; background; statement of problem; summary of problems with 50 AH standard Ni-Cd; activities for near term programs utilizing conventional Ni-Cd; present projects scheduled to use NASA standard Ni-Cd; other near-term NASA programs requiring secondary batteries; recommended direction for future programs; future cell/battery procurement strategy; and the NASA Battery Program.

Vaughn, Chester↗
NASA NTRS1991

An overview of autonomous rendezvous and docking system technology development

The Centaur upper stage was selected for an airborne avionics modernization program. The parts used in the existing avionics units were obsolete. Continued use of existing hardware would require substantial redesign, yet would result in the use of outdated hardware. Out of date processes, with very expensive and labor intensive technologies, were being used for manufacturing. The Atlas/Centaur avionics were to be procured at a fairly high rate that demanded the use of modern components. The new avionics also reduce size, weight, power, and parts count with a dramatic improvement in reliability. Finally, the cost leverage derived from upgrading the avionics as opposed to any other subsystem for the existing Atlas/Centaur was a very large consideration in the upgrade decision. The upgrade program is a multiyear effort that began in 1989. It includes telemetry, guidance and navigation, control electronics, thrust vector control, and redundancy levels.

Nelson, Kurt D.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space Biology Initiative. Trade Studies, volume 1

The six studies which are addressed are entitled: Design Modularity and Commonality; Modification of Existing Hardware (COTS) vs. New Hardware Build Cost Analysis; Automation Cost vs. Crew Utilization; Hardware Miniaturization versus Cost; Space Station Freedom/Spacelab Modules Compatibility vs. Cost; and Prototype Utilization in the Development of Space Hardware. The product of these six studies was intended to provide a knowledge base and methodology that enables equipment produced for the Space Biology Initiative program to meet specific design and functional requirements in the most efficient and cost effective form consistent with overall mission integration parameters. Each study promulgates rules of thumb, formulas, and matrices that serves has a handbook for the use and guidance of designers and engineers in design, development, and procurement of Space Biology Initiative (SBI) hardware and software.

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NASA NTRS1989

Space Biology Initiative. Trade Studies, volume 2

The six studies which are the subjects of this report are entitled: Design Modularity and Commonality; Modification of Existing Hardware (COTS) vs. New Hardware Build Cost Analysis; Automation Cost vs. Crew Utilization; Hardware Miniaturization versus Cost; Space Station Freedom/Spacelab Modules Compatibility vs. Cost; and Prototype Utilization in the Development of Space Hardware. The product of these six studies was intended to provide a knowledge base and methodology that enables equipment produced for the Space Biology Initiative program to meet specific design and functional requirements in the most efficient and cost effective form consistent with overall mission integration parameters. Each study promulgates rules of thumb, formulas, and matrices that serves as a handbook for the use and guidance of designers and engineers in design, development, and procurement of Space Biology Initiative (SBI) hardware and software.

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NASA NTRS1991

Lunar rovers and local positioning system

Telerobotic rovers equipped with adequate actuators and sensors are clearly necessary for extraterrestrial construction. They will be employed as substitutes for humans, to perform jobs like surveying, sensing, signaling, manipulating, and the handling of small materials. Important design criteria for these rovers include versatility and robustness. They must be easily programmed and reprogrammed to perform a wide variety of different functions, and they must be robust so that construction work will not be jeopardized by parts failures. The key qualities and functions necessary for these rovers to achieve the required versatility and robustness are modularity, redundancy, and coordination. Three robotic rovers are being built by CSC as a test bed to implement the concepts of modularity and coordination. The specific goal of the design and construction of these robots is to demonstrate the software modularity and multirobot control algorithms required for the physical manipulation of constructible elements. Each rover consists of a transporter platform, bus manager, simple manipulator, and positioning receivers. These robots will be controlled from a central control console via a radio-frequency local area network (LAN). To date, one prototype transporter platform frame was built with batteries, motors, a prototype single-motor controller, and two prototype internal LAN boards. Software modules were developed in C language for monitor functions, i/o, and parallel port usage in each computer board. Also completed are the fabrication of half of the required number of computer boards, the procurement of 19.2 Kbaud RF modems for inter-robot communications, and the simulation of processing requirements for positioning receivers. In addition to the robotic platform, the fabrication of a local positioning system based on infrared signals is nearly completed. This positioning system will make the rovers into a moving reference system capable of performing site surveys. In addition, a four degree mechanical manipulator especially suited for coordinated teleoperation was conceptually designed and is currently being analyzed. This manipulator will be integrated into the rovers as their end effector. Twenty internal LAN cards fabricated by a commercial firm are being used, a prototype manipulator and a range finder for a positioning system were built, a prototype two-motor controller was designed, and one of the robots is performing its first telerobotic motion. In addition, the robots' internal LAN's were coordinated and tested, hardware design upgrades based on fabrication and fit experience were completed, and the positioning system is running. The rover system is able to perform simple tasks such as sensing and signaling; coordination systems which allow construction tasks to begin were established, and soon coordinated teams of robots in the laboratory will be able to manipulate common objects.

Avery, James↗
NASA NTRS1993

Interim report on Landsat national archive activities

The Department of the Interior (DOI) has the responsibility to preserve and to distribute most Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data that have been acquired by the five Landsat satellites operational since July 1972. Data that are still covered by exclusive marketing rights, which were granted by the U.S. Government to the commercial Landsat operator, cannot be distributed by the DOI. As the designated national archive for Landsat data, the U.S. Geological Survey's EROS Data Center (EDC) has initiated two new programs to protect and make available any of the 625,000 MSS scenes currently archived and the 200,000 TM scenes to be archived at EDC by 1995. A specially configured system has begun converting Landsat MSS data from obsolete high density tapes (HDT's) to more dense digital cassette tapes. After transcription, continuous satellite swaths are (1) divided into standard scenes defined by a world reference system, (2) geographically located by latitude and longitude, and (3) assessed for overall quality. Digital browse images are created by subsampling the full-resolution swaths. Conversion of the TM HDT's will begin in the fourth quarter of 1992 and will be conducted concurrently with MSS conversion. Although the TM archive is three times larger than the entire MSS archive, conversion of data from both sensor systems and consolidation of the entire Landsat archive at EDC will be completed by the end of 1994. Some MSS HDT's have deteriorated, primarily as a result of hydrolysis of the pigment binder. Based on a small sample of the 11 terabytes of post-1978 MSS data and the 41 terabytes of TM data to be converted, it appears that to date, less than 2 percent of the data have been lost. The data loss occurs within small portions of some scenes; few scenes are lost entirely. Approximately 10,000 pre-1979 MSS HDT's have deteriorated to such an extent, as a result of hydrolysis, that the data cannot be recovered without special treatment of the tapes. An independent consulting division of a major tape manufacturer has analyzed affected tapes and is confident that restorative procedures can be applied to the HDT's to permit one pass to reproduce the data on another recording media. A system to distribute minimally processed Landsat data will be procured in 1992 and will be operational by mid-1994. Any TM or MSS data in the national archive that are not restricted by exclusive marketing rights will be reproduced directly from the archive media onto user specified computer-compatible media. TM data will be produced either at a raw level (radiometrically and geometrically uncorrected) or at an intermediate level (radiometrically corrected and geometrically indexed). MSS data will be produced to an intermediate level or to a fully corrected level (radiometrically corrected and geometrically transformed to an Oblique Mercator projection). The system will be capable of providing ordered scenes within 48 hours of receipt of order.

Boyd, John E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

How to compete for NASA contracts

Various studies and NASA experience have found that business concerns can provide a vital and significant impetus to technological innovation, not only in the fields of space and aeronautics, but also in national technological growth. NASA personnel are determined to foster the development of small business capabilities in technical areas that will support future projects and establish a small business base for the development and production of flight hardware for future missions. The solicitation process for Federal contracts has grown quite complex over the years. Where possible, we continue to try to simplify and streamline procedures for obtaining and performing these contracts. This booklet is designed to help understand NASA solicitations, find the information needed in deciding whether to respond, and improve chances for success. The first section of this booklet will answer general questions concerning the various types of NASA solicitations. Your specific questions on how to prepare bids will be answered in the second section, which is followed by a third section on the unique features of construction contracting. A fourth section describes how to submit technical and cost proposals for the negotiated procurement process. Some tips or suggestions, called DO's and DONT's, are placed at the end of the second, third, and fourth sections. Then, in the fifth section, ways to seek business as a subcontractor are identified.

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NASA NTRS1992

Impact of the Space Program on the U.S. economy - National and state analyses

The private-sector economic and employment impacts of the U.S. Space Program on the whole nation and on each state were investigated, considering 80 industries and 475 occupations. It is shown that the FY 1987 NASA procurement expenditures of $8.6 billion resulted in 209,000 jobs, $17.8 billion in total industry sales, $2.9 billion in corporate profits, and $5.6 billion in Federal, state, and local government tax revenues. Although the industry and job impacts are concentrated in states that are the largest direct recipients of NASA program funds (California, Texas, and Florida), every state in the nation benefits from the Space Program and the indirect economic benefits for many states are very high. Details are presented of the total sales and jobs created in each state.

Bezdek, Roger H.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The Effects of Use of Civil Airworthiness Criteria on U.S. Air Force Acquisition, Test and Evaluation Practices

In response to the initiatives to streamline, not to mention comply with the Public Law for Non-Developmental Item Preference, the Department of Defense (DOD) has increased its use of commercial products. The Air Force has, over the past 15 years, been adapting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certified aircraft to perform many of its airlift and training missions. Counting the T-1A Jayhawk Trainer (Beechjet 400), in excess of 500 total aircraft, covering 15 different types, will have been procured since 1978. Needless to say, significant reform of the "classical" DOD and Air Force way of doing business has been necessary. Major strides have been made by the Transport Directorate of the Aircraft Program Office in the area of test and evaluation, with integrated qualification and operational testing (QT &E/QOT &E) and airworthiness certification testing by the FAA. As well, significant changes in contracting practices and the use of commercial (vice military) specifications for qualification criteria have been realized. This paper will relate some of these significant strides in "commercializing" and streamlining the DOD acquisition and test and evaluation processes. Additionally, it will review both regulatory changes made and recommended. It concludes with a compilation of lessons learned and recommendations for further streamlining of the DOD processes.

Flight Testing↗