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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2016

Constructing the 'Best' Reliability Data for the Job - Developing Generic Reliability Data from Alternative Sources Early in a Product's Development Phase

Reliability practitioners advocate getting reliability involved early in a product development process. However, when assigned to estimate or assess the (potential) reliability of a product or system early in the design and development phase, they are faced with lack of reasonable models or methods for useful reliability estimation. Developing specific data is costly and time consuming. Instead, analysts rely on available data to assess reliability. Finding data relevant to the specific use and environment for any project is difficult, if not impossible. Instead, analysts attempt to develop the "best" or composite analog data to support the assessments. Industries, consortia and vendors across many areas have spent decades collecting, analyzing and tabulating fielded item and component reliability performance in terms of observed failures and operational use. This data resource provides a huge compendium of information for potential use, but can also be compartmented by industry, difficult to find out about, access, or manipulate. One method used incorporates processes for reviewing these existing data sources and identifying the available information based on similar equipment, then using that generic data to derive an analog composite. Dissimilarities in equipment descriptions, environment of intended use, quality and even failure modes impact the "best" data incorporated in an analog composite. Once developed, this composite analog data provides a "better" representation of the reliability of the equipment or component. It can be used to support early risk or reliability trade studies, or analytical models to establish the predicted reliability data points. It also establishes a baseline prior that may updated based on test data or observed operational constraints and failures, i.e., using Bayesian techniques. This tutorial presents a descriptive compilation of historical data sources across numerous industries and disciplines, along with examples of contents and data characteristics. It then presents methods for combining failure information from different sources and mathematical use of this data in early reliability estimation and analyses.

Kleinhammer, Roger K.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Spinoff 1995

Recognizing the great potential of the technology bank, Congress charged NASA with stimulating the widest possible use of this valuable resource in the national interest. NASA's instrument of that purpose is the Technology Transfer Program, which seeks to broaden and accelerate the spinoff process. Its intent is to spur expanded national benefit, in terms of new products and new jobs, by facilitating the commercial application of the technology; it encourages greater use of the storehouse of knowledge by providing a channel linking the technology and those who might be able to put it to advantageous use. In July 1994, NASA implemented an Agenda for Change - a new way of doing business in partnership with the private sector. This Agenda marks the beginning of a new focus to further improve our contributions to America's economic security through the pursuit of aeronautics and space missions. This publication is an implement of the Technology Transfer Program intended to heighten awareness among potential users of the technology available for transfer and the economic and social benefits that might be realized by applications of NASA technology to US commercial interests. Spinoff 1995 is organized in three sections. Section 1 outlines NASA's mainline effort, the major programs that generate new technology and therefore replenish and expand the bank of technical knowledge available for application. Section 2, the focal point of this volume, contains a representative sampling of spinoff products and processes that resulted from applications of technology originally developed to meet NASA aerospace goals. Section 3, describes the various mechanisms NASA employs to stimulate technology transfer and lists, in an appendix, contact sources for further information about the Technology Transfer Program.

Haggerty, James J.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Use of Open Networks and Delay-Tolerant Protocol to Decrease WAN Latency of EOS near Real-Time Data

Since 1999, NASA's Earth Observing System Data Operations System (EDOS) project at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) has provided high-rate data capture, level zero processing, and product distribution services for a majority of NASA's EOS (Earth Observing System) high-rate missions, including Terra, Aqua, Aura, ICESat, EO-1, SMAP, and OCO-2. EDOS high-rate science and engineering (150-300 Mbps) data-driven capture systems are deployed at 7 worldwide ground stations which are connected via both private (closed) and public (open) wide area networks (WANs) to the centralized EDOS Level Zero Processing Facility (LZPF) located at GSFC, where the data is processed and Level 0 products are distributed to users worldwide. All data transferred over the open networks to GSFC traverse an IPSec tunnel, providing the same level of security as a VPN connection. EDOS produces both time-based and near real-time products (session-based). Near real-time data products are produced from a single ground station contact; time-based products are produced from multiple ground station contacts. EDOS is the primary supplier of EOS Level 0 data to the NASA near real-time user community known as the Land, Atmosphere Near real-time Capability for EOS (LANCE). For the past few years, EDOS has streamlined its systems to reduce WAN latency for near real-time data delivery, including implementing Quality of Service (QoS), expanding closed network bandwidth, adding open network connections with more bandwidth, and implementing a delay-tolerant protocol to mitigate long round-trip times to remote ground stations.

Delay-Tolerant Protocol↗
NASA NTRS1998

Nimbus/TOMS Science Data Operations Support

Projected goals include the following: (1) Participate in and provide analysis of laboratory and in-flight calibration of LTV sensors used for space observations of backscattered LTV radiation; (2) Provide support to the TOMS Science Operations Center, including generating instrument command lists and analysis of TOMS health and safety data; (3) Develop and maintain software and algorithms designed to capture and process raw spacecraft and instrument data, convert the instrument output into measured radiance and irradiances, and produce scientifically valid products; (4) Process the TOMS data into Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 data products; (5) Provide analysis of the science data products in support of NASA GSFC Code 916's research.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

Nimbus/TOMS Science Data Operations Support

1. Participate in and provide analysis of laboratory and in-flight calibration of UV sensors used for space observations of backscattered UV radiation. 2. Provide support to the TOMS Science Operations Center, including generating instrument command lists and analysis of TOMS health and safety data. 3. Develop and maintain software and algorithms designed to capture and process raw spacecraft and instrument data, convert the instrument output into measured radiance and irradiances, and produce scientifically valid products. 4. Process the TOMS data into Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 data products. 5. Provide analysis of the science data products in support of NASA GSFC Code 916's research.

Childs, Jeff↗
NASA NTRS1990

Impact of a process improvement program in a production software environment: Are we any better?

For the past 15 years, Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) has participated in a process improvement program as a member of the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL), which is sponsored by GSFC. The benefits CSC has derived from involvement in this program are analyzed. In the environment studied, it shows that improvements were indeed achieved, as evidenced by a decrease in error rates and costs over a period in which both the size and the complexity of the developed systems increased substantially. The principles and mechanics of the process improvement program, the lessons CSC has learned, and how CSC has capitalized on these lessons are also discussed.

Heller, Gerard H.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Light-Hydrocarbon Bearing Solids on Planetesimal 5145 Pholus

Object 5145 Pholus (=1992 AD) is a planetesimal in an orbit that crosses those of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (period 92.7 years). It is particularly notable because of its extreme red color, corroborated by several observing teams. A spectrum of Pholus obtained in 1992 shows a strong absorption band with a characteristic shape at 2.27 micrometers, plus a weaker band at 1.7 micrometers. A better spectrum of the 2.0-2.5 micrometer region in 1993 confirms the position and shape of the 2.27-micrometer band. The color and spectral bands are identified with the aliphatic-rich and high H/C organic solid called asphaltite, which in a terrestrial setting originates from thermal processing of products of biological activity. In Pholus, this material is attributed to formation from radiation processing of ices on grains in the interstellar medium. Laboratory spectra of asphaltite and related materials have been published by Moroz et al., while Cloutis showed similar bands in comparable materials and identified them as the overtone and combination bands of C-H stretching and bending modes in CH2 and CH3 groups. Asphaltites, kerites, and anthraxolites are solid non-graphite members of a sequence ranging from oil to graphite; diffuse reflectance spectra of suites of these intermediate materials show color characteristics similar to those of the low-albedo asteroids (C,P,D), although specific identifications have not been made because of the lack of distinct absorption bands in the spectra of most low-albedo solar system bodies. In the case of Pholus, however, the primary band is strong; its wavelength and its shape, plus the match of the extremely red color, leads us to the identification of aliphatic-rich, asphaltite-like organic solid. The C, P, and D-type asteroids vary in degree of "redness", but are all less red than Pholus. Pholus and the Ctype asteroids are the end members of a sequence that represents the radiation processing of hydrocarbons, with Pholus being the least processed. Solar irradiation processes and heating reduce the H/C and aliphatic content of hydrocarbons preserved from the interstellar medium, and in the end produce opaque solids of neutral reflectance, including the kerogens (similar to anthraxolites) found in profusion in the carbonaceous meteorites.

Cruikshank, Dale P.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Light-Hydrocarbon Bearing Solids on Planetesimal 5145 Pholus

Object 5145 Pholus (=1992 AD) is a planetesimal in an orbit that crosses those of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune (period 92.7 years). It is particularly notable because of its extreme red color, corroborated by several observing teams. A spectrum of Pholus obtained in 1992 shows a strong absorption band with a characteristic shape at 2.27 micron, plus a weaker band at 1.7 microns. A better spectrum of the 2.0-2.5 micron region in 1993 confirms the position and shape of the 2.27 micron band. The color and spectral bands are identified with the aliphatic-rich and high H/C organic solid called asphaltite, which in a terrestrial setting originates from thermal processing of products of biological activity. In Pholus, this material is attributed to formation from radiation processing of ices on grains in the interstellar medium. Laboratory spectra of asphaltite and related materials have been published by Moroz et al., while Cloutis showed similar bands in comparable materials and identified them as the overtone and combination bands of C-H stretching and bending modes in CH2 and CH3 groups. Asphaltites, kerites, and anthraxolites are solid non-graphite members of a sequence ranging from oil to graphite; diffuse reflectance spectra of suites of these intermediate materials show color characteristics similar to those of the low-albedo asteroids (C,P,D), although specific identifications have not been made because of the lack of distinct absorption bands in the spectra of most low-albedo solar system bodies. In the case of Pholus, however, the primary band is strong; its wavelength and its shape, plus the match of the extremely red color, leads us to the identification of aliphatic-rich, asphaltite-like organic solid. The C, P, and D-type asteroids vary in degree of 'redness', but are all less red than Pholus. Pholus and the C-type asteroids are the end members of a sequence that represents the radiation processing of hydrocarbons, with Pholus being the least processed. Solar irradiation processes and heating reduce the H/C and aliphatic content of hydrocarbons preserved from the interstellar medium, and in the end produce opaque solids of neutral reflectance, including the kerogens (similar to anthraxolites) found in profusion in the carbonaceous meteorites.

Cruikshank, Dale P.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Automating the uplink process for planetary missions

The dual challenges of increased capability along with lower costs are addressed with regard to flight operations. A program has been formulated to take advantage of advances in software and hardware in order to design, and prototype where indicated, a set of tools which can be applied to the building of a more productive uplink process for NASA missions that are envisaged for the the next decade. Techniques such as object-oriented programming, expert systems, natural-language parsing, interactive graphics, and parallel processing are employed in the quest for increased productivity. The paper is organized hierarchically with the level of 'goal', 'objectives' and 'tasks'. A brief review of the uplink process is included.

Mclaughlin, William I.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Reusable Solid Rocket Motor - Accomplishments, Lessons, and a Culture of Success

The Reusable Solid Rocket Motor represents the largest solid rocket motor ever flown and the only human rated solid motor. Each Reusable Solid Rocket Motor (RSRM) provides approximately 3-million lb of thrust to lift the integrated Space Shuttle vehicle from the launch pad. The motors burn out approximately 2 minutes later, separate from the vehicle and are recovered and refurbished. The size of the motor and the need for high reliability were challenges. Thrust shaping, via shaping of the propellant grain, was needed to limit structural loads during ascent. The motor design evolved through several block upgrades to increase performance and to increase safety and reliability. A major redesign occurred after STS-51L with the Redesigned Solid Rocket Motor. Significant improvements in the joint sealing systems were added. Design improvements continued throughout the Program via block changes with a number of innovations including development of low temperature o-ring materials and incorporation of a unique carbon fiber rope thermal barrier material. Recovery of the motors and post flight inspection improved understanding of hardware performance, and led to key design improvements. Because of the multidecade program duration material obsolescence was addressed, and requalification of materials and vendors was sometimes needed. Thermal protection systems and ablatives were used to protect the motor cases and nozzle structures. Significant understanding of design and manufacturing features of the ablatives was developed during the program resulting in optimization of design features and processing parameters. The project advanced technology in eliminating ozone-depleting materials in manufacturing processes and the development of an asbestos-free case insulation. Manufacturing processes for the large motor components were unique and safety in the manufacturing environment was a special concern. Transportation and handling approaches were also needed for the large hardware segments. The reusable solid rocket motor achieved significant reliability via process control, ground test programs, and postflight assessment. Process control is mandatory for a solid rocket motor as an acceptance test of the delivered product is not feasible. Process control included process failure modes and effects analysis, statistical process control, witness panels, and process product integrity audits. Material controls and inspections were maintained throughout the sub tier vendors. Material fingerprinting was employed to assess any drift in delivered material properties. The RSRM maintained both full scale and sub-scale test articles. These enabled continuous improvement of design and evaluation of process control and material behavior. Additionally RSRM reliability was achieved through attention to detail in post flight assessment to observe any shift in performance. The postflight analysis and inspections provided invaluable reliability data as it enables observation of actual flight performance, most of which would not be available if the motors were not recovered. These unique challenges, features of the reusable solid rocket motor, materials and manufacturing issues, and design improvements will be discussed in the paper.

Moore, Dennis R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space Transportation Avionics Technology Symposium. Volume 1: Executive summary

The focus of the symposium was to examine existing and planned avionics technology processes and products and to recommend necessary changes for strengthening priorities and program emphases. Innovative changes in avionics technology development and design processes, identified during the symposium, are needed to support the increasingly complex, multi-vehicle, integrated, autonomous space-based systems. Key technology advances make such a major initiative viable at this time: digital processing capabilities, integrated on-board test/checkout methods, easily reconfigurable laboratories, and software design and production techniques.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1990

Space Transportation Avionics Technology Symposium. Volume 2: Conference Proceedings

The focus of the symposium was to examine existing and planned avionics technology processes and products and to recommend necessary changes for strengthening priorities and program emphases. Innovative changes in avionics technology development and design processes are needed to support the increasingly complex, multi-vehicle, integrated, autonomous space-based systems. Key technology advances make such a major initiative viable at this time: digital processing capabilities, integrated on-board test/checkout methods, easily reconfigurable laboratories, and software design and production techniques.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1997

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 60: Culture and Workplace Communications: A Comparison of the Technical Communications Practices of Japanese and US Aerospace Engineers and Scientists

The advent of global markets elevates the role and importance of culture as a mitigating factor in the diffusion of knowledge and technology and in product and process innovation. This is especially true in the Large Commercial Aircraft (LCA) sector where the production and market aspects are becoming increasingly international. As firms expand beyond their national borders, using such methods as risk- sharing partnerships, joint ventures, outsourcing, and alliances, they have to contend with national and corporate cultures. Our focus is on Japan, a 'program participant' in the production of the Boeing Company's 777; the influence of Japanese culture on the diffusion of knowledge and technology in aerospace at the national and international levels; those cultural determinants-the propensity to work together, a willingness to subsume individual interests to a greater good, and an emphasis on consensual decisionmaking-that have a direct bearing on the ability of Japanese firms to form alliances and compete in international markets; and those cultural determinants thought to influence the information- seeking behaviors and workplace communication practices of Japanese aerospace engineers and scientists. In this paper, we report selective results from a survey of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that focused on workplace communications. Data are presented for the following topics: importance of and time spent communicating information, collaborative writing, need for an undergraduate course in technical communication, use of libraries, use and importance of electronic (computer) networks, and the use and importance of foreign and domestically produced technical reports.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Paper 64: Culture and Workplace Communications: A Comparison of the Technical Communications Practices of Japanese and US Aerospace Engineers and Scientists

The advent of global markets elevates the role and importance of culture as a mitigating factor in the diffusion of knowledge and technology and in product and process innovation. This is especially true in the large commercial aircraft (LCA) sector where the production and market aspects are becoming increasingly international. As firms expand beyond their national borders, using such methods as risk-sharing partnerships, joint ventures, outsourcing, and alliances, they have to contend with national and corporate cultures. Our focus is on Japan, a program participant in the production of the Boeing Company's 777. The aspects of Japanese culture and workplace communications will be examined: 1.) the influence of Japanese culture on the diffusion of knowledge and technology in aerospace at the national and international levels; 2.) those cultural determinants-the propensity to work together, a willingness to subsume individual interests to a greater good, and an emphasis on consensual decision making-that have a direct bearing on the ability of Japanese firms to form alliances and compete in international markets; 3.) and those cultural determinants thought to influence the information-seeking behaviors and workplace communication practices of Japanese aerospace engineers and scientists. In this article, we report selective results from a survey of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that focused on workplace communications. Data are presented for the following topics: importance of and time spent communicating information, collaborative writing, need for an undergraduate course in technical communication, use of libraries, use and importance of electronic (computer) networks, and the use and importance of foreign and domestically produced technical reports.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Culture and Workplace Communications: A Comparison of the Technical Communications Practices of Japanese and U.S. Aerospace Engineers and Scientists

The advent of global markets elevates the role and importance of culture as a mitigating factor in the diffusion of knowledge and technology and in product and process innovation. This is especially true in the large commercial aircraft (LCA) sector where the production and market aspects are becoming increasingly international. As firms expand beyond their national borders, using such methods as risk-sharing partnerships, joint ventures, outsourcing, and alliances, they have to contend with national and corporate cultures. Our focus is on Japan, a program participant in the production of the Boeing Company's 777. The aspects of Japanese culture and workplace communications will be examined: (1) the influence of Japanese culture on the diffusion of knowledge and technology in aerospace at the national and international levels; (2) those cultural determinants-the propensity to work together, a willingness to subsume individual interests to a greater good, and an emphasis on consensual decision making-that have a direct bearing on the ability of Japanese firms to form alliances and compete in international markets; (3) and those cultural determinants thought to influence the information-seeking behaviors and workplace communication practices of Japanese aerospace engineers and scientists. In this article, we report selective results from a survey of Japanese and U.S. aerospace engineers and scientists that focused on workplace communications. Data are presented for the following topics: importance of and time spent communicating information, collaborative writing, need for an undergraduate course in technical communication, use of libraries, use and importance of electronic (computer) networks, and the use and importance of foreign and domestically produced technical reports.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS2002

The Implementation of Payload Safety in an Operational Environment

The objective of this paper is to define the safety life-cycle process for a payload beginning with the output of the Payload Safety Review Panel and continuing through the life of the payload on-orbit. It focuses on the processes and products of the operations safety implementation through the increment preparations and real-time operations processes. In addition, the paper addresses the role of the Payload Operations and Integration Center and the interfaces to the International Partner Payload Control Centers.

Cissom, R. D.↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Whale of a Tale: Creating Spacecraft Telemetry Data Analysis Products for the Deep Impact Mission

This paper describes some of the challenges and lessons learned from the Deep Impact (DI) Mission Ground Data System's (GDS) telemetry data processing and product generation tool, nicknamed 'Whale.' One of the challenges of any mission is to analyze testbed and operational telemetry data. Methods to retrieve this data to date have required spacecraft subsystem members to become experts in the use of a myriad of query and plot tools. As budgets shrink, and the GDS teams grow smaller, more of the burden to understand these tools falls on the users. The user base also varies from novice to expert, and requiring them to become GDS tool experts in addition to spacecraft domain experts is an undue burden. The "Whale" approach is to process all of the data for a given spacecraft test, and provide each subsystem with plots and data products 'automagically.'.

Deep Impact↗
NASA NTRS1972

Aerospace technology as a source of new ideas.

It is shown that technological products and processes resulting from aeronautical and space research and development can be a significant source of new product or product improvement ideas. The problems associated with technology transfer are discussed. As an example, the commercialization of NASTRAN, NASA's structural analysis computer program, is discussed. Some other current application projects are also outlined.

Hamilton, J. T.↗