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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2006

What Happened, and Why: Toward an Understanding of Human Error Based on Automated Analyses of Incident Reports

The objective of the Aviation System Monitoring and Modeling project of NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program was to develop technologies to enable proactive management of safety risk, which entails identifying the precursor events and conditions that foreshadow most accidents. Information about what happened can be extracted from quantitative data sources, but the experiential account of the incident reporter is the best available source of information about why an incident happened. In Volume I, the concept of the Scenario was introduced as a pragmatic guide for identifying similarities of what happened based on the objective parameters that define the Context and the Outcome of a Scenario. In this Volume II, that study continues into the analyses of the free narratives to gain understanding as to why the incident occurred from the reporter s perspective. While this is just the first experiment, the results of our approach are encouraging and indicate that it will be possible to design an automated analysis process guided by the structure of the Scenario that can achieve the level of consistency and reliability of human analysis of narrative reports.

Ferryman, Thomas A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

In-Service Evaluation of the Turbulence Auto-PIREP System and Enhanced Turbulence Radar Technologies

From August 2003 to December 2006, In-Service Evaluations (ISE) of the Turbulence Auto-PIREP System (TAPS) and Enhanced Turbulence (E-Turb) Radar, technologies developed in NASA's Turbulence Prediction and Warning System (TPAWS) element of its Aviation Safety and Security Program (AvSSP), were conducted. NASA and AeroTech Research established an industry team comprising AeroTech, Delta Air Lines, Rockwell Collins, and ARINC to conduct the ISEs. The technologies were installed on Delta aircraft and their effectiveness was evaluated in day-to-day operations. This report documents the establishment and conduct of the ISEs and presents results and feedback from various users.

Prince, Jason B.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) Overview

This paper is an overview of the Tropospheric Airborne Meteorological Data Reporting (TAMDAR) project, giving some history on the project, various applications of the atmospheric data, and future ideas and plans. As part of NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program, the TAMDAR project developed a small low-cost sensor that collects useful meteorological data and makes them available in near real time to improve weather forecasts. This activity has been a joint effort with FAA, NOAA, universities, and industry. A tri-agency team collaborated by developing a concept of operations, determining the sensor specifications, and evaluating sensor performance as reported by Moosakhanian et. al. (2006). Under contract with Georgia Tech Research Institute, NASA worked with AirDat of Raleigh, NC to develop the sensor. The sensor is capable of measuring temperature, relative humidity, pressure, and icing. It can compute pressure altitude, indicated and true air speed, ice accretion rate, wind speed and direction, peak and average turbulence, and eddy dissipation rate. The overall development process, sensor capabilities, and performance based on ground and flight tests is reported by Daniels (2002), Daniels et. al. (2004) and by Tsoucalas et. al. (2006). An in-service evaluation of the sensor was performed called the Great Lakes Fleet Experiment (GLFE), first reported by Moninger et. al. (2004) and Mamrosh et. al. (2005). In this experiment, a Mesaba Airlines fleet was equipped to collect meteorological data over the Great Lakes region during normal revenue-producing flights.

Daniels, Taumi S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Model-Based Fault Tolerant Control

The Model Based Fault Tolerant Control (MBFTC) task was conducted under the NASA Aviation Safety and Security Program. The goal of MBFTC is to develop and demonstrate real-time strategies to diagnose and accommodate anomalous aircraft engine events such as sensor faults, actuator faults, or turbine gas-path component damage that can lead to in-flight shutdowns, aborted take offs, asymmetric thrust/loss of thrust control, or engine surge/stall events. A suite of model-based fault detection algorithms were developed and evaluated. Based on the performance and maturity of the developed algorithms two approaches were selected for further analysis: (i) multiple-hypothesis testing, and (ii) neural networks; both used residuals from an Extended Kalman Filter to detect the occurrence of the selected faults. A simple fusion algorithm was implemented to combine the results from each algorithm to obtain an overall estimate of the identified fault type and magnitude. The identification of the fault type and magnitude enabled the use of an online fault accommodation strategy to correct for the adverse impact of these faults on engine operability thereby enabling continued engine operation in the presence of these faults. The performance of the fault detection and accommodation algorithm was extensively tested in a simulation environment.

Kumar, Aditya↗
NASA NTRS2007

NASA Tech Briefs, March 2007

Topics include: Advanced Systems for Monitoring Underwater Sounds; Wireless Data-Acquisition System for Testing Rocket Engines; Processing Raw HST Data With Up-to-Date Calibration Data; Mobile Collection and Automated Interpretation of EEG Data; System for Secure Integration of Aviation Data; Servomotor and Controller Having Large Dynamic Range; Digital Multicasting of Multiple Audio Streams; Translator for Optimizing Fluid-Handling Components; AIRSAR Web-Based Data Processing; Pattern Matcher for Trees Constructed From Lists; Reducing a Knowledge-Base Search Space When Data Are Missing; Ground-Based Correction of Remote-Sensing Spectral Imagery; State-Chart Autocoder; Pointing History Engine for the Spitzer Space Telescope; Low-Friction, High-Stiffness Joint for Uniaxial Load Cell; Magnet-Based System for Docking of Miniature Spacecraft; Electromechanically Actuated Valve for Controlling Flow Rate; Plumbing Fixture for a Microfluidic Cartridge; Camera Mount for a Head-Up Display; Core-Cutoff Tool; Recirculation of Laser Power in an Atomic Fountain; Simplified Generation of High-Angular-Momentum Light Beams; Imaging Spectrometer on a Chip; Interferometric Quantum-Nondemolition Single-Photon Detectors; Ring-Down Spectroscopy for Characterizing a CW Raman Laser; Complex Type-II Interband Cascade MQW Photodetectors; Single-Point Access to Data Distributed on Many Processors; Estimating Dust and Water Ice Content of the Martian Atmosphere From THEMIS Data; Computing a Stability Spectrum by Use of the HHT; Theoretical Studies of Routes to Synthesis of Tetrahedral N4; Estimation Filter for Alignment of the Spitzer Space Telescope; Antenna for Measuring Electric Fields Within the Inner Heliosphere; Improved High-Voltage Gas Isolator for Ion Thruster; and Hybrid Mobile Communication Networks for Planetary Exploration.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2004

Secure, Mobile, Wireless Network Technology Designed, Developed, and Demonstrated

The inability to seamlessly disseminate data securely over a high-integrity, wireless broadband network has been identified as a primary technical barrier to providing an order-of-magnitude increase in aviation capacity and safety. Secure, autonomous communications to and from aircraft will enable advanced, automated, data-intensive air traffic management concepts, increase National Air Space (NAS) capacity, and potentially reduce the overall cost of air travel operations. For the first time ever, secure, mobile, network technology was designed, developed, and demonstrated with state-ofthe- art protocols and applications by a diverse, cooperative Government-industry team led by the NASA Glenn Research Center. This revolutionary technology solution will make fundamentally new airplane system capabilities possible by enabling secure, seamless network connections from platforms in motion (e.g., cars, ships, aircraft, and satellites) to existing terrestrial systems without the need for manual reconfiguration. Called Mobile Router, the new technology autonomously connects and configures networks as they traverse from one operating theater to another. The Mobile Router demonstration aboard the Neah Bay, a U.S. Coast Guard vessel stationed in Cleveland, Ohio, accomplished secure, seamless interoperability of mobile network systems across multiple domains without manual system reconfiguration. The Neah Bay was chosen because of its low cost and communications mission similarity to low-Earth-orbiting satellite platforms. This technology was successfully advanced from technology readiness level (TRL) 2 (concept and/or application formation) to TRL 6 (system model or prototype demonstration in a relevant environment). The secure, seamless interoperability offered by the Mobile Router and encryption device will enable several new, vehicle-specific and systemwide technologies to perform such things as remote, autonomous aircraft performance monitoring and early detection and mitigation of potential equipment malfunctions. As an additional benefit, team advancements were incorporated into open standards, ensuring technology transfer. Low-cost, commercial products incorporating the new technology are already available. Furthermore, these products are fully interoperable with legacy network technology equipment currently being used throughout the world.

Ivancic, William D.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Emergency Preparedness for Catastrophic Events at Small and Medium Sized Airports: Lacking or Not?

The implementation of security methods and processes in general has had a decisive impact on the aviation industry. However, efforts to effectively coordinate varied aspects of security protocols between agencies and general aviation components have not been adequately addressed. Whether or not overall security issues, especially with regard to planning for catastrophic terrorist events, have been neglected at the nation's smaller airports is the main topic of this paper. For perspective, the term general aviation is generally accepted to include all flying except for military and scheduled airline operations. Genera aviation makes up more than 1 percent of the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and supports almost 1.3 mission high-skilled jobs in professional services and manufacturing and hence is an important component of the aviation industry (AOPA, n.d.). In both conceptual and practical terms, this paper argues for the proactive management of security planning and repeated security awareness training from both an individual and an organizational perspective within the general aviation venue. The results of a research project incorporating survey data from general aviation and small commercial airport managers as well as Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees are reported. Survey findings suggest that miscommunication does take place on different organizational levels and that between TSA employees and airport management interaction can be contentious and cooperation diminished. The importance of organizational training for decreasing conflict and increasing security and preparedness is discussed as a primary implication.

Sweet, Kathleen M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Evaluation of a Potential for Enhancing the Decision Support System of the Interagency Modeling and Atmospheric Assessment Center with NASA Earth Science Research Results

NASA's objective for the Applied Sciences Program of the Science Mission Directorate is to expand and accelerate the realization of economic and societal benefits from Earth science, information, and technology. This objective is accomplished by using a systems approach to facilitate the incorporation of Earth observations and predictions into the decision-support tools used by partner organizations to provide essential services to society. The services include management of forest fires, coastal zones, agriculture, weather prediction, hazard mitigation, aviation safety, and homeland security. In this way, NASA's long-term research programs yield near-term, practical benefits to society. The Applied Sciences Program relies heavily on forging partnerships with other Federal agencies to accomplish its objectives. NASA chooses to partner with agencies that have existing connections with end-users, information infrastructure already in place, and decision support systems that can be enhanced by the Earth science information that NASA is uniquely poised to provide (NASA, 2004).

Blonski, Slawomir↗
NASA NTRS2021

Secure and Safe Assured Autonomy (S2A2)

Aviation’s future will likely see the integration of a wide variety of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) systems including Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) for cargo/delivery, personal air vehicles, and commercial Urban Air Mobility (UAM)vehicles. However, substantial challenges exist that could delay (and possibly prevent) these developments and thus research is needed in a variety of areas to leverage technologies in autonomy, Air Traffic Management (ATM), multi-redundant flight systems architectures, and advanced wireless connectivity like 5G to meet these challenges. The goal of this ULI project is to develop new technologies and innovative operational concepts which will ensure safe, secure and robust integration of autonomous vehicles into Advanced Air Mobility-tailored transportation infrastructure. All this must be done while maintaining inter-operability with current civil air transportation systems and associated safety standards. The project is organized into four Technical Challenges (TCs) areas designed to provide unique UAM solutions and a transition roadmap for industry and government to utilize research product output.

Koushik Datta↗
DOE OSTI2025

A structured framework for predicting sustainable aviation fuel properties using liquid-phase FTIR and machine learning

Sustainable aviation fuels have the potential to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance energy security. To help identify viable sustainable aviation fuels and accelerate research, machine learning models have been developed to predict relevant physicochemical properties. However, many models have limited applicability, leverage data from complex analytical techniques with confined spectral ranges, or use feature decomposition methods that offer limited interpretability. Using liquid-phase Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectra, this study presents a structured method for creating accurate and interpretable property prediction models for neat molecules, aviation fuels, and blends. Liquid FTIR spectra can be collected quickly and consistently, offering high reliability, sensitivity, and component specificity using less than 2 ml of sample. The method first decomposes FTIR spectra into fundamental building blocks using non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) to enable scientific analysis of FTIR spectra attributes and fuel properties. The NMF features are then used to create five ensemble models for predicting final boiling point, flash point, freezing point, density at 15°C, and kinematic viscosity at -20°C. All models were trained using experimental property data from neat molecules, aviation fuels, and blends. The models accurately predict key properties across a broad range of neat molecules and representative fuels and blends, while enabling interpretation of relationships between compositional elements, such as functional groups or chemical classes, and their resulting properties. This demonstrates strong potential to support sustainable aviation fuel research and development. The models and data are available on an interactive web tool.

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Sustainable aviation fuel from ethanol: Techno-economic analysis and life cycle analysis

Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) is crucial for improving energy security, enhancing domestic production, and reducing carbon emissions in the aviation sector. Among various SAF production technologies, the ethanol-to-jet (ETJ) pathway is a promising option due to its economic viability and technological maturity. This study integrates a techno-economic analysis (TEA) and a life cycle analysis (LCA) to evaluate emissions reduction strategies for SAF production via the ETJ pathway, considering use of ethanol derived from both corn grain and corn stover. Conventional corn grain-derived ETJ fuel reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 22 % compared to fossil jet fuel, with potential reductions of 26 %–96 % when incorporating renewable energy sources, with a 6 %–32 % increase in the minimum fuel selling price (MFSP). Corn stover-derived ETJ achieves a 77 % GHG reduction but with higher MFSPs compared to corn grain ETJ. Carbon capture and storage (CCS without considering the cost for piping and sequestration, only compression) reduces the emissions of corn grain-derived ETJ by up to 32 gCO 2 e/MJ and enables negative emissions for corn stover-derived ETJ, with MFSP increases ranging from 1 % to 22 %. While carbon capture and utilization (CCU) increase ethanol yield by 47 %, it raises MFSPs by 54 % due to high electricity demand. Sustainable farming practices provide only limited carbon intensity (CI) reductions individually but do offer cumulative benefits when combined. These findings highlight the trade-offs between cost and environmental impact, providing insights to optimize SAF production strategies and support aviation sector goals for emissions reduction.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
NASA NTRS2017

Cyber Safety and Security for Reduced Crew Operations (RCO)

NASA and the Aviation Industry is looking into reduced crew operations (RCO) that would cut today's required two-person flight crews down to a single pilot with support from ground-based crews. Shared responsibility across air and ground personnel will require highly reliable and secure data communication and supporting automation, which will be safety-critical for passenger and cargo aircraft. This paper looks at the different types and degrees of authority delegation given from the air to the ground and the ramifications of each, including the safety and security hazards introduced, the mitigation mechanisms for these hazards, and other demands on an RCO system architecture which would be highly invasive into (almost) all safety-critical avionics. The adjacent fields of unmanned aerial systems and autonomous ground vehicles are viewed to find problems that RCO may face and related aviation accident scenarios are described. The paper explores possible data communication architectures to meet stringent performance and information security (INFOSEC) requirements of RCO. Subsequently, potential challenges for RCO data communication authentication, encryption and non-repudiation are identified.

Communications↗
NASA NTRS2017

Cyber Safety and Security for Reduced Crew Operations (RCO)

NASA and the Aviation Industry is looking into reduced crew operations (RCO) that would cut today's required two-person flight crews down to a single pilot with support from ground-based crews. Shared responsibility across air and ground personnel will require highly reliable and secure data communication and supporting automation, which will be safety-critical for passenger and cargo aircraft. This paper looks at the different types and degrees of authority delegation given from the air to the ground and the ramifications of each, including the safety and security hazards introduced, the mitigation mechanisms for these hazards, and other demands on an RCO system architecture which would be highly invasive into (almost) all safety-critical avionics. The adjacent fields of unmanned aerial systems and autonomous ground vehicles are viewed to find problems that RCO may face and related aviation accident scenarios are described. The paper explores possible data communication architectures to meet stringent performance and information security (INFOSEC) requirements of RCO. Subsequently, potential challenges for RCO data communication authentication, encryption and non-repudiation are identified. The approach includes a comprehensive safety-hazard analysis of the RCO system to determine top level INFOSEC requirements for RCO and proposes an option for effective RCO implementation. This paper concludes with questioning the economic viability of RCO in light of the expense of overcoming the operational safety and security hazards it would introduce.

Aircraft Communication↗
NASA NTRS2024

Integrating Manned Aircraft and UAVs for the Prediction, Tracking, and Eradication of Desert Locust Swarms

Desert locusts (Schistocerca gregaria) present an acute threat to the agriculture of certain regions, capable of annihilating vast expanses of farmland and destabilizing food security. In this paper, an aviation-based framework concept is introduced that integrates both manned aircraft and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to preemptively forecast, localize, and eliminate locust swarms efficiently. The framework begins by leveraging predictive modeling methods to refine search areas and pinpoint high-value Points of Interest (POIs) where locust swarms are most likely to materialize. From there, the proposed two-step model uses optical, infrared, and hyperspectral sensors onboard manned aircraft to conduct long-range surveying of probable swarm locations. Upon detection of a swarm, UAVs equipped with sophisticated sensors, including pheromone detectors, thermal and optical imaging systems, are deployed directly from the aircraft to carry out targeted biopesticide applications. This approach, which capitalizes on the combined strengths of both vehicles, provides the rapid response and large-scale intervention necessary to control locust outbreaks. By targeting locust swarms during their most destructive phase, this paper aims to disrupt the locust life cycle and mitigate their severe agricultural impact, offering a scalable and sustainable solution for food security in afflicted regions.

locust monitoring systems↗
NASA NTRS2003

Transferring Knowledge from Observations and Models to Decision Makers: An Overview and Challenges

Over the last 25 years, a tremendous progress has been made in the Earth science space-based remote sensing observations, technologies and algorithms. Such advancements have improved the predictability by providing lead-time and accuracy of forecast in weather, climate, natural hazards, and natural resources. It has further reduced or bounded the overall uncertainties by partially improving our understanding of planet Earth as an integrated system that is governed by non-linear and chaotic behavior. Many countries such US, European Community, Japan, China and others have invested billions of dollars in developing and launching space-based assets in the low earth (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) orbits. However, the wealth of this scientific knowledge that has potential of extracting monumental socio-economic benefits from such large investments have been slow in reaching to public and decision makers. For instance, there are a number of areas such as energy forecasting, aviation safety, agricultural competitiveness, disaster management, security, air quality and public health can directly take advantage. Nevertheless, we all live in a global economy that depends on access to the best available Earth Science information for all inhabitants of this planet. This paper surveys and examines a number such applications in terms of their architecture, maturity and economic applicability as they apply to the societal needs. A detailed analysis is also presented of various challenges and issues that pertain to a number of areas such as: (1) difficulties in making a speedy transition of data and information from observations and models to relevant Decision Support Systems (DSS) or tools, (2) data and models inter-operability issues, (3) limitations of spatial, spectral and temporal resolution, (4) communication limitations as dictated by the availability of image processing and data compression techniques. Additionally, the most critical element amongst all is the organizational and management boundaries that must be resolved at local, state, national and international levels to implement and realize free flow of such vital information. This paper also makes attempts to address this topic and discuss possible approaches to deal with this quandary.

Habib, Shahid↗
NASA NTRS2007

An Airborne Communications Roadmap for the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service: Overview and Status

Following the events of September 11, 2001, the responsibilities, operations and numbers of the U.S. Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS) wer e greatly expanded. With this expansion, new critical research and te chnology needs were identified, including the need for air to ground telecommunications capabilities. To address this need, the FAMS has cr eated a working group to develop, deploy and enhance aviation communi cations with respect to security and law enforcement. This paper presents the working group's progress to date in generating a FAMS air-gro und communications roadmap identifying expected communications servic es, technology maturity, and technology gaps over a timeline. The paper includes a communications preliminary requirements summary and syst em performance characteristics needed to meet identified operational needs. The system engineering process utilized is presented beginning with the identification of users, their operational needs and relevant constraints. The operational needs are translated to desired airbor ne communications services. System technical performance requirements associated with the identified services are summarized. In addition, notional communications architectures addressing the requirements are presented. Finally, future plans to identify and assess potential ca ndidate systems and their associated technical architectures, gaps and barriers to implementation are discussed. The paper addresses the cu rrent, near term (within 5 years) and far term (10 years) timeframes for such an airborne communications system.

Martzaklis, Konstantinos S.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Challenges in Aeropropulsion

Aeropropulsion technologies must progress to satisfy increasingly stringent global environmental requirements with economically viable air transportation systems. In this paper, key propulsion technologies to meet future needs are identified and the associated challenges are briefly discussed. Also discussed are NASA's vision, NASA's changing role in meeting today's challenge of a shrinking research budget, and propulsion technology impacts on the environment and air transport economics. Critical aeropropulsion technology drivers are identified and their impact evaluated. The aviation industry is critical to the nation's economy, job creation, and national security. NASA's advanced aeropropulsion technology programs and their relation to the aviation industry are discussed.

Campbell, Donald C.↗