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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of NASA’s Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) Work

NASA’s Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) project introduced a new Air Traffic Management (ATM) architecture that utilizes industry’s ability to supply industry-developed, third-party services that work complementarily with the FAA-provided Air Traffic Service (ATS) to exchange relevant air vehicle information among the UAS operations and between the UTM and the conventional ATM system. The UTM architecture was used to successfully demonstrate the feasibility of safe, efficient, and scalable small UAS operations in low altitudes below 400 feet above ground level. Following the success and adoption of UTM architecture, the foundational UTM requirements and core properties were generalized to become Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) requirements to support operations of new entrants beyond small UAS, such as operations in high altitudes over 60,000 feet, designated as upper Class E in the United States National Airspace System (NAS). In this paper, the generalization of UTM to xTM and NASA’s approach for developing an xTM system for upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM) are discussed. The paper also discusses the planned research to examine the potential xTM-Air Traffic Control (ATC) interactions across multiple xTM systems and identify common coordination procedures, ATC roles/responsibilities, and data exchange requirements. This work is one of the steps for improving interoperability between the xTM systems and ATS, which is critical for safe and efficient sharing of the airspace among the new entrants served by the xTM systems and conventional ATS-serviced operations.

air traffic management↗

NASA NTRS2022

Un-numbered Operational Areas, PRL 229, Railroad Tie Disposal Area Pond Confirmatory Sampling Work Plan

This Confirmatory Sampling Work Plan presents the approach to be used to determine if the pond in the Un-numbered Operational Areas (Potential Release Location 229) has contamination associated with the adjacent railroad tie disposal area. The Work Plan describes sampling and analytical requirements and the approach that will be used for the screening level ecological assessment.

railroad tie↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

m:N Working Group

The principles and reasons for employing Human Autonomy Teaming is discussed. Application of these techniques to multi-vehicle control is described. In several operational environments from small drone delivery to air taxi to autonomous cargo, many companies will need technologies that will allow for the operation of an unmanned aircraft (UAS or eVTOL) by a small crew of individuals that are located in a remote network operations center. That is, Multiple operators supervising an increasing Number of vehicles (M:N). This will require a new control/supervisory paradigm where the supervisors team with automation to achieve their joint tasks; Human Autonomy Teaming (HAT). This task will follow the HAT philosophy and tenants (e.g., trust, bi-directional communication, pilot directed interfaces). It will also develop and employ specific HAT tools (e.g., playbook, working agreements, predictive timeline displays, transparent interfaces to build trust). This presentation discusses the background and progress of the m:N working group.

multi-vehicle control↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Status Update for the FLASHFlux Working Group

The FLASHFLux (FF) working group of CERES continues to process Terra and Aqua data to produce a FF SSF product in 3-4 days and a FF TISA product in 5-7 days. This talk describes the working group focus and progress made since the last CERES Science team meeting. The most frequent usage of the FF daily solar flux estimates is in technologies related to solar power production and system maintenance.

CERES↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Activities of the NASA Urban Air Mobility Noise Working Group (UNWG)

The NASA-led Urban Air Mobility Noise Working Group was established in 2018 following an exploratory meeting of stakeholders from traditional and emerging aviation sectors across industry, government agencies, academia, and community groups. Its mission is to create and support a diverse community of acoustics experts to identify, discuss, and address noise issues associated with UAM vehicles and their operations. The UNWG is comprised of four subgroups including Tools and Technologies, Ground and Flight Testing, Human Response and Metrics, and Regulation and Policy. In 2020, NASA published the white paper entitled “Urban Air Mobility Noise: Current Practice, Gaps, and Recommendations,” that presents a set of high-level goals and makes recommendations to address gaps in the current practice. This presentation is about recent activities of each of the subgroups to address those recommendations, including work towards establishment of an aeroacoustic test database for model validation, development of a set of measurement guidelines to quantify vehicle acoustic emission, a remotely administered human response study for quantifying annoyance to UAM operations, and status on noise standard, regulation, policy, and community engagement developments.

Urban air mobility↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA): Formation of an International Working Group

There is a natural partitioning of scientific interest amongst three specialties of aerosol research: modeling, in situ measurements, and remote sensing. The community sees enhanced measurement capabilities when these groups interact, and this strengthens the overall scientific impact on climate and air quality. The Models, In situ, and Remote sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) working group connects members of the different aerosol communities through collaborative projects. What is MIRA? MIRA is forum that fosters international collaborations amongst the aerosol specialties. MIRA is also a collection of interdisciplinary projects with clear goals that are pursued by small working groups. Finally, MIRA projects are generally characterized by requests for additional scientific data (both observational and modeled). Why? The purpose of MIRA is to contextualize both observations and model results through the encouragement of holistic projects and collaborations. How does MIRA differ from other projects? MIRA focuses on interdisciplinarity to improve measurements and their utility, so MIRA complements the activities of other groups. For example, ensemble model runs of AeroCom could be used in a MIRA project with greater robustness than a similar effort that uses single-model analyses. We first present a description of MIRA and how your project can become a part of the MIRA community. This is followed by brief descriptions of some of the current MIRA projects, which include the Mapping of Aerosol lidar ratios for CALIPSO (MAC), the Tables of Aerosol Optics (TAO), and the Harmonization of aerosol Assimilation Models and Retrievals (HAMR). Finally, we discuss the immediate science goals and organization of MIRA.

Gregory Schuster↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Realizing a Spacesuit Compatible Augmented Reality System to Meet the Work Needs of Future Human Spaceflight Exploration

In this paper, we identify the broad range of challenges associated with creating an augmented reality for future spaceflight missions. The challenges were framed within a sociotechnical framework to explore how an imagined augmented reality system might one day help crew cope with future exploration mission demands. Key challenges include an augmented reality system cannot simply be designed to help a single suited astronaut and must enable the broader mission team. There exists a host of optical, compute, and control technical challenges that must be simultaneously addressed while the work domain itself is in development. There exist limited methods to help cope with the envisioned world problem; however, we emphasize a few strategies to articulate work design assumptions and host this detail in a transparent fashion. Finally, we note the broader organizational constraints that shape the creation of such novel technology for spaceflight. By addressing these broad range of challenges directly, early in the design and development process, key trade-offs can be considered and fundamental concerns within the community can be addressed to yield desired mission outcomes.

Matthew J. Miller↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Leveraging Medical Operations in the Work of HRP Exploration Medical Capability

Aerospace Medicine focuses on humans in the space and aviation environments. Particularly, through medical system design, advancing technologies for clinical care in remote and extreme environments, and studying the complex physiological changes that occur when humans are placed in these extreme environments, it seeks to prepare humans for the next step of exploration. For reasons of organization and funding, there has historically been a division between NASA’s medical operations team, responsible for clinical care and near-term operations, and the research team, responsible for longer-term exploration mission work. Clinicians typically work for one group or the other. Recently, however, a new “blended clinician” position was created that functions as a bridge between medical operations and research, bringing insight and expertise to both teams.

E.R. Stratton↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Connecting Federal Agencies to Satellite Earth Observations: NASA’s Satellite Needs Working Group Assessment Process

The Satellite Needs Working Group (SNWG), part of the U.S. Group on Earth Observations (USGEO), surveys agencies across the U.S. Government to identify the satellite Earth observations each agency needs to fulfill its high-priority objectives and responsibilities. Around 20 civilian agencies participate in the SNWG survey every two years. After receiving the surveys, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducts an in-depth evaluation of each agency's needs in collaboration with fellow satellite Earth data providers, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). This assessment process, which takes place over an eight-month period, is divided into distinct phases. NASA first assembles an assessment team with the necessary subject matter expertise to evaluate each submitted need. An in-depth interview with each submitting agency then follows, featuring discussion of current and upcoming satellite missions as well as potential new activities that NASA, NOAA, and/or USGS could undertake to meet the agency's needs. The assessment teams then further evaluate these potential activities or solutions to identify how many agencies would benefit and estimate how much their level of satisfaction would increase. Solutions expected to have broad-reaching and significant agency benefits are proposed by NASA for funding. SNWG agencies receive an assessment report for each submitted need, in which the tri-agency assessment teams provide a detailed evaluation of the agency need, information on relevant satellite missions, and links to specific datasets or training resources. The SNWG Management Office at NASA’s Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT) contributes to NASA’s SNWG assessment in a variety of capacities, including statistical analysis of the survey responses to identify trends and similar needs across multiple agencies. The Management Office also provides analytics for the new proposed solutions, demonstrating and quantifying their potential value. For activities that receive funding, the Management Office manages the implementation process and works to maximize the benefit to SNWG agencies via a Stakeholder Engagement Program.

Katrina Virts↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

RTCA Special Committee 228 Working Group (DAA) 1

The Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RTCA) is an American organization comprised of government, industry, and academic stakeholders in aviation for the purpose of providing technical guidance to regulatory authorities. In late 2022, RTCA Special Committee 228 (Minimum Performance Standards for Unmanned Aircraft Systems) decided to form a working group to study a burgeoning multi-vehicle, supervisory control paradigm colloquially known as "m:N" (vocalized as "em-to-en"). Within the m:N control paradigm, multiple aircraft (N) are collaboratively managed by a body of operators/pilots (m). This presentation describes the scope of the m:N working group and its goal of producing an Operational Service and Environment Definition (OSED) for m:N operations.

RTCA↗

NASA NTRS2023

In Situ Chemical Reduction Interim Measures Work Plan Hot Spot 3 Mobile Launcher Platform Rehabilitation Sites / Vehicle Assembly Building Area (SWMU 056) Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This document presents the design details of an In Situ Chemical Reduction (ISCR) Interim Measures Work Plan for Hot Spot 3 within Mobile Launcher Platform Rehabilitation Sites/Vehicle Assembly Building Area, Solid Waste Management Unit (SWMU) 056 (SWMU 056), located at the John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida. The interim measures (IM) treatment zone encompasses an area identified as the High Concentration Plume (HCP), which is defined as the area with chlorinated volatile organic compound (CVOC) groundwater concentrations greater than their respective Natural Attenuation Default Concentration (NADC). The objective of the IM is to remove CVOC mass within the treatment area to levels that facilitate a transition to natural attenuation monitoring. The IM design consists of the selected ISCR amendment, Provect-IR, which is a mixture of solid reagents in a single product that promotes enhanced reductive dechlorination and ISCR. ProvectIR includes natural antimethanogenic compounds; multiple hydrophilic, nutrient-rich organic carbon sources; zero valent iron; chemical oxygen scavengers; and vitamin and mineral sources. The proposed treatment area for this IM encompasses less than 1 acre and includes three vertical treatment intervals to reach the NADC plumes that vary per CVOC and depth: 4 to 10 feet below land surface (bls), 10 to 18 feet bls, and 42 to 52 feet bls. The amendment will be distributed through 16 injection points (IP01 through IP16) using dosing rates ranging from 0.4% to 0.6% of soil mass within the treatment interval and a 15% or 20% slurry strength. Dosage rates and slurry strength are based on groundwater geochemistry, soil characteristics, and contaminant concentrations. To aid in the evaluation of the ISCR IM performance, six performance monitoring wells will be installed following injections and sampled semiannually. CVOC parameters will be sampled until concentrations reduce to below their NADC. Underground Injection Control parameters will be sampled until concentrations decrease to background levels or to levels that meet respective groundwater standards. Sampling frequency will be evaluated annually and modified as needed. The path forward for the ISCR IM implementation includes preparing the IM Implementation Work Plan, ISCR injections, monitoring well installation, performance monitoring, and reporting.

Randall K. Sillan↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Recent Development Work with Self-Aligned Focusing Schlieren

A novel compact focusing schlieren instrument has recently been developed that eliminates the need for a separate source and cutoff grid. The technique works by projecting an image of a grid onto a retroreflective surface and then reimaging the projection back onto the original grid. By manipulating the polarization state of the light passing through the instrument, a single Rochon polarizing prism can be used to adjust the schlieren sensitivity by translating it along the instrument’s optical axis, which changes the in-plane offset between the reimaged projection and the original grid. This arrangement makes the instrument inherently self-aligned. Relative to conventional focusing schlieren instruments, which require alignment of a separate source grid and cutoff grid to achieve sensitivity, the setup time required in order to obtain high quality focusing schlieren images is significantly reduced. Further, the self-aligned nature of this instrument makes it insensitive to vibrations and allows for on-the-fly adjustments to field-of-view. In this paper we discuss recent work that has been performed to expand the capabilities of this self-aligned focusing schlieren instrument including: schlieren visualization at extreme angles for optically-restricted test facilities, 3D schlieren visualization using a light field camera, acquisition of high quality focusing schlieren images from facilities with low quality windows, and obtaining focusing schlieren images in full-scale ground test facilities.

Brett Bathel↗

NASA NTRS2023

m:N Working Group Spring Meeting Summary

On May 9th and 11th, 2023, the NASA-led MultiVehicle (m:N) Working Group and its subgroups [small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Large UAS, High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (HAPS), and Urban Air Mobility (UAM)] met in Denver, CO at XPONENTIAL 2023, co-hosted by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) and Messe Düsseldorf North America (MDNA), for an in-person meeting. The subgroups meet multiple times throughout the year, virtually. Twice a year, however, participants from all the subgroups come together to brief each other on progress, challenges, and path forward ideas for incorporating UAS into the airspace. The m:N working group is co-chaired by Jay Shively (Adaptive Aerospace) and Andy Thurling (Thurling Aero Consulting) and is comprised of members from government, industry, and academia in an effort to identify and reduce barriers to m:N operations. This effort also includes identifying requirements, use cases, and metrics to support organizations and groups, including the FAA and RTCA’s SC-228 Detect and Avoid.

multi-vehicle↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Models, in Situ, and Remote Sensing of Aerosols (MIRA) International Working Group

There is a natural partitioning of scientific interest amongst three focus areas of aerosol research: modeling, in situ measurements, and remote sensing observations. The community benefits when these groups interact, with overall benefits towards advancing our understanding of climate, weather, and air quality. To this end, MIRA seeks to foster international collaborations across disciplines and regional boundaries and offers a complementary association with established international working groups. Within the present framework, MIRA has identified four initial focus areas, with opportunities to add more by the working group. One effort advances knowledge of the aerosol lidar ratio for different aerosol compositions and locations to improve backscatter lidar retrievals from satellites and ground-based instruments. Another effort seeks to improve aerosol optical parameters used by climate and radiative transfer models. A third effort focuses on harmonizing aerosol assimilation models with satellite measurement retrievals, and a fourth interest seeks to develop retrievals of aerosol Particulate Matter from remote sensing measurements. The presentation will provide an overview of MIRA and ways for the community to engage.

aerosols↗

NASA NTRS2022

m:N Working Group

On November 29th and 30th, 2022, the m:N UAS working group and its subgroups [small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Large UAS, High Altitude Platform Systems (HAPS), and Urban Air Mobility (UAM)] met at the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA for an in person meeting. The option to dial in remotely and use Conference.IO to engage with questions was offered as well. The subgroups meet multiple times throughout the year, virtually. Twice a year however, participants from all the subgroups come together to brief each other on progress, challenges, and path forward ideas for incorporating UAS into the airspace. The m:N UAS working group is run by Jay Shively (Adaptive Aerospace) and Andy Thurling (Thurling Aero Consulting) and is comprised of members from government, industry, and academia in an effort to identify and reduce barriers to m:N operations. This effort also includes identifying requirements, use cases, and metrics to support organizations and groups including the FAA and RTCA’s SC-228 Detect and Avoid. Each subgroup is run by a government/industry team.

multi-vehicle↗

NASA NTRS2023

South Repeater Building (Swmu 121) Pilot Study Work Plan, Kennedy Space Center, Florida

This document is a Pilot Study Work Plan for a groundwater remediation system at the South Repeater Building (N6-1118) located at the John F. Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida. Aqueous fire-fighting foam was applied near the building in the late 1990s during a wildfire. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are components of the foam. Sampling completed at and near the South Repeater Building identified PFAS in groundwater, surface water and soil. KSC is planning to design and install a groundwater remediation system to address the potential for off-Center migration of PFAS compounds in groundwater. This Pilot Study Work Plan outlines subsurface hydrogeologic data that will be collected to use in the construction of a groundwater flow model that will guide the design of a full-scale remediation system. This document was prepared by AECOM Technical Services, Inc., for NASA under Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity Contract 80KSC019D0010, Task Order 80KSC019F0096.

PFAS↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

A Technical Overview of the Mission Engagement Onboarding Process Managed by the Mission Engagement Working Group (MEWG)

NASA's intricate network, encompassing the Near Space Network (NSN) and Deep Space Network (DSN), plays a pivotal role in supporting an array of space missions. These range from those in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and Geosynchronous Orbit (GEO), to the more distant Cislunar and Deep Space endeavors. To manage the vast communications needs, we utilize multiple ground stations globally, coupled with the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). The Mission Engagement Working Group (MEWG), within the Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) division, stands as the primary gateway for all Space Communications and Network (SCaN) communication and navigation requests. This includes not only NASA's internal missions but also extends to other governmental agencies and commercial sector endeavors. How does the MEWG Process Work? - Initial Contact : Clients initiate their interaction with the NSN by submitting their service requirements through a dedicated online portal. - Preliminary Assessment by MEWG: Upon submission, MEWG embarks on a primary screening of the request. This involves evaluating the client's identity and the foundational concept of their mission. - Detailed Analysis by the NSN Team: Parallelly, the NSN team conducts a comprehensive review of the service request. This often necessitates additional clarification from the requester, ensuring that the final assessment is both thorough and accurate. - Coordination & Streamlining: MEWG's overarching objective is to effectively log, classify, orchestrate, and guarantee that pertinent actions are delegated based on initial client interactions. Acting as the central hub for these primary contacts, MEWG ensures that each request is sufficiently detailed for an in-depth evaluation. - Feedback & Remediation: If a request is deemed unsuitable or lacking, MEWG doesn't merely reject it. Instead, the team discerns the reasons for the inadequacy and suggests potential rectification strategies. This approach ensures that feedback delivered to clients is precise, prompt, constructive, and actionable. Conclusion: This plenary presentation will detail the efforts of the MEWG resulting in a greatly streamlined and refined onboarding process for space communication Direct-To-Earth (DTE) and Space Relay (SR) support requests. By centralizing the preliminary interactions and assessments, we've reduced the complexity for clients, ensuring they engage with a singular, efficient, and responsive point of contact. This initiative, we believe, fortifies NASA's commitment to fostering effective and synergistic collaborations with its partners.

Devin L Bitner↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Additive Manufacturing and Working Fluid Characterization of Ceramic Heat Pipes

In this work, additively manufactured (AM) aluminum nitride (AlN) ceramic heat pipes were developed to improve spacecraft heat rejection capabilities beyond the current state-of-the-art metal systems. A low sintering temperature aluminum nitride slurry is developed for digital light processing printing (DLP) and the optimal debinding curves are examined. Printed AlN parts are characterized via SEM and optical profilometry. AlN 3D-printed parts are also tested for compatibility with aluminum bromide, aluminum chloride, and iodine, among other proposed working fluids at 350-600 K in an inert atmosphere, with reactivity measured via SEM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).

Thermal Management↗