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At least 577 records · Page 32

Evolution of the Next Exploration Toilet Through Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Testing

Human waste collection in space is a unique and necessary function that all crewmembers must perform. The variability in how each crewmember uses the toilet to urinate and defecate introduces complexities and challenges with regards to overall hardware design. Because of this variability, it is important to consider crew inputs in all aspects of a toilet design especially with regards to crew interfaces that could impact overall waste collection. Access to crew feedback is essential to the design process and should be considered early and often through the various design phases. In 2020, NASA started a project for the Human Landing System (HLS) program to develop a Government Furnished Equipment (GFE) toilet option. The project is known as the Lavatory On-Orbit (LOO). During the early development of the LOO, the project team conducted several crew evaluations to collect and summarize valuable crew feedback on system design, function, and overall usability to influence the next design iteration. Because every person could use the system differently in space, it was extremely important to collect and analyze the data in a very methodical manner to appropriately influence the design based on the evaluation results. Establishing a standard process ensures consistent data collection from one evaluation to another, helps to maintain privacy for each test subject’s inputs and removes any potential bias from test subject to test subject. To date, the team has completed four rounds of crew evaluations with multiple crewmembers on prototypes for the different LOO subsystems. This paper will summarize the methodology used to conduct the evaluations as well as how data was collected and analyzed. The paper will also provide details on each of the evaluations and how the design was updated based on the results.

toilet↗

Connecting Ground Validation and Algorithms

The Ground Validation (GV) component of the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) mission involved several field campaigns, involving aircraft, ground radars, and other instrument networks designed to measure various aspects of precipitation. In many cases, these instruments are still in operation at ongoing data collection sites at Wallops Flight Facility, VA and Marquette, MI. The data collected has been used for algorithm formulation and validation, but in many cases has been under-utilized. This presentation describes aspects of GPM algorithms that could benefit from GV data that has been collected and announces a workshop to be held for that purpose in March 2020.

Munchak, Stephen J.↗

Computer Interface For A Spectroreflectometer

FORTRAN program controls stepping motors and signal-processing electronics via S-100 computer bus. Group of spectroreflectometers modified to provide computer-controlled operation and data collection. Analog and digital signal-processing circuits enable use of computerized automatic data collection and analysis. Previously, spectroreflectometer data recorded on strip charts.

Hurd, William A.↗

Free-Flying Magnetometer Data System

The Free-Flying Magnetometer (FFM) is an autonomous "sensorcraft" developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the Enstrophy sounding rocket mission. This mission was a collaborative project between the University of New Hampshire, Cornell University and JPL. The science goal of the mission was the study of current filamentation phenomena in the northern auroral region through multipoint measurements of magnetic field. The technical objective of the mission was the proof of concept of the JPL FFM design and the demonstration of an in-situ multipoint measurement technique employing many free-flying spacecraft. Four FFMs were successfully deployed from a sounding rocket launched from Poker Flats, Alaska on February 11, 1999. These hockey-puck-sized (80 mm diameter, 38 mm. height, 250 gram mass) free flyers each carry a miniature 3-axis flux-gate magnetometer that output +/- 2 V signals corresponding to a +/- 60,000 nT measurement range for each axis. The FFM uses a synchronized four-channel Sigma(Delta) Analog-to-Digital Converter (ADC) having a dynamic range of +/- 2.5V and converting at a rate of 279 samples/second/channel. Three channels are used to digitize the magnetometer signals to 17-bit (1.144 nT/bit) resolution. The fourth ADC channel is multiplexed for system monitoring of four temperature sensors and two battery voltages. The FFM also contains two sun sensors, a laser diode which emits a fan-shaped beam, a miniature S-band transmitter for direct communication to the ground station antennas, an ultra-stable Temperature Compensated Crystal Oscillator (TCXO) clock, an integrated data subsystem implemented in a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA), a 4 Mbit Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) for data storage and Lithium Thionyl Chloride batteries for power. Communicating commands to the FFM prior to deployment is achieved with an infrared (IR) link. The FFM IR receiver responds to 9-bit pulse coded signals that are generated by an IR Light Emitting Diode (LED) in the payload for turning FFM power on or off and placing the FFM in a test mode or flight mode. The IR links are also used to synchronize (zero) the clocks onboard all the FFMs through a reset pulse originating from the payload GPS receiver that is issued when the FFMs are in flight mode. The FPGA based data subsystem manages continuous data collection from the four ADC channels and sun sensors, formatting and storing the data to SRAM, and controlling downlink transmission. The transmitter is powered only after a 2547 frame SRAM buffer has been filled (approx. 5 minutes of data). The data is Viterbi encoded and sent to the S-band transmitter via a First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffer who's output is clocked at 100 bits/second. After the 26-second transmission, the transmitter is turned off to reduce noise coupling to the sensitive magnetometer. The data subsystem control consists of a master state machine that performs data flow management and is interfaced through a prioritized interrupt scheme to state machines that service the ADC, sun sensors and transmitter FIFO. Continuous data collection prevents the missing of data during transmission and provides implicit time tagging of the data acquired by the ADC because of synchronization with the TCXO clock.

Blaes, B.↗

OSTA-1 - The Space Shuttle's first scientific payload

The capabilities of the first Space Shuttle scientific payload for remote sensing observations of the earth are evaluated, and the instruments used are from the Office of Space and Terrestrial Applications (OSTA-1). The payload gathered 10 million square kilometers of data over the earth's oceans, 6 million square kilometers of data over land masses, and global atmospheric data on carbon monoxide concentration. Shuttle imaging radar collected data over a 10,000 km sweep from Spain to Australia, a Shuttle multispectral infrared radiometer obtained 400,000 ten-channel spectra in clear weather conditions over four continents, and the Ocean Color Experiment detected water color for interpretation of major water constituents. The mission is considered to be a success based on the amount of data collected, and scientific and technical insight gained for the development of Shuttle flight instruments.

Moore, J. W.↗

The Field Guide to NASA’s Life Sciences Data Repositories

For over 30 years, NASA has invested in life sciences research both in space and on the ground. Data accessibility is an important tool for researchers, and NASA has committed to preserving this vital resource for ongoing use. The Life Sciences Data Archive’s multi-center collaboration between NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Ames Research Center, and Kennedy Space Center is geared toward preserving unique and high-value data from a wide variety of disciplines, data collection methods, and species within NASA’s Life Sciences Portal (NLSP). The data generated by the Human Research Program (HRP) require a systematic approach to data preservation that accounts for diverse data sources, formats, physical storage requirements, and security and privacy protections. This poster presentation will provide a guide to the repositories where the various types of human, non-human animal, plant, and microbial data NASA generates are archived and tips for navigating these data collections. Topics will include where different types of data, metadata, and biospecimens are archived or preserved, how the federated repositories work together as a data preservation ecosystem, and how researchers can access each repository’s collections.

Robert S Beaton↗

A Field Guide to NASA’s Life Sciences Data Repositories

For over 30 years, NASA has invested in life sciences research both in space and on the ground. Data accessibility is an important tool for researchers, and NASA has committed to preserving this vital resource for ongoing use. The Life Sciences Data Archive’s multi-center collaboration between NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Ames Research Center, and Kennedy Space Center is geared toward preserving unique and high-value data from a wide variety of disciplines, data collection methods, and species within NASA’s Life Sciences Portal (NLSP). The data generated by the Human Research Program (HRP) require a systematic approach to data preservation that accounts for diverse data sources, formats, physical storage requirements, and security and privacy protections. This poster presentation will provide a guide to the repositories where the various types of human, non-human animal, plant, and microbial data NASA generates are archived and tips for navigating these data collections. Topics will include where different types of data, metadata, and biospecimens are archived or preserved, how the federated repositories work together as a data preservation ecosystem, and how researchers can access each repository’s collections.

LSDA↗

High-speed data acquisition for the Princeton University Dynamic Model Track

Real time analysis of data can reduce the time involved in exploring dynamic systems. The failure of the data acquisition system at the Princeton Dynamic Model Track prompted its replacement with a real time data acquisition system. Data can be obtained from an experiment and analyzed during and immediately following a data run. The new system employs high speed analog to digital conversion and a small computer to collect data. Sampling rates of 1000 hertz over 44 channels (44,000 words/sec) are obtainable. The data can be accessed as it enters the computer's environment where it may be displayed or stored for later processing. The system was tested on a helicopter rotor steep descent experiment. The data collected compares with previous data from a similar experiment.

Demko, Michael G.↗

BOREAS Level-0 ER-2 Navigation Data

The BOREAS Staff Science effort covered those activities that were BOREAS community-level activities or required uniform data collection procedures across sites and time. These activities included the acquisition, processing, and archiving of aircraft navigation/attitude data to complement the digital image data. The level-0 ER-2 navigation data files contain aircraft attitude and position information acquired during the digital image and photographic data collection missions. Temporally, the data were acquired from April to September 1994. Data were recorded at intervals of 5 seconds. The data are stored in tabular ASCII files.

Strub, Richard↗

exVis and Wind Tunnel Experiment Data

exVis is a software tool created to support interactive display and analysis of data collected during wind tunnel experiments. It is a result of a continuing project to explore the use of information technology in improving the effectiveness of aeronautical design professionals. The data analysis goals are accomplished by allowing aerodynamicists to display and query data collected by new data acquisition systems and to create traditional wind tunnel plots from this data by interactively interrogating these images. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Uselton, Samuel P.↗

VEG-01: Veggie Hardware Verification Testing

The Veggie plant/vegetable production system is scheduled to fly on ISS at the end of2013. Since much of the technology associated with Veggie has not been previously tested in microgravity, a hardware validation flight was initiated. This test will allow data to be collected about Veggie hardware functionality on ISS, allow crew interactions to be vetted for future improvements, validate the ability of the hardware to grow and sustain plants, and collect data that will be helpful to future Veggie investigators as they develop their payloads. Additionally, food safety data on the lettuce plants grown will be collected to help support the development of a pathway for the crew to safely consume produce grown on orbit. Significant background research has been performed on the Veggie plant growth system, with early tests focusing on the development of the rooting pillow concept, and the selection of fertilizer, rooting medium and plant species. More recent testing has been conducted to integrate the pillow concept into the Veggie hardware and to ensure that adequate water is provided throughout the growth cycle. Seed sanitation protocols have been established for flight, and hardware sanitation between experiments has been studied. Methods for shipping and storage of rooting pillows and the development of crew procedures and crew training videos for plant activities on-orbit have been established. Science verification testing was conducted and lettuce plants were successfully grown in prototype Veggie hardware, microbial samples were taken, plant were harvested, frozen, stored and later analyzed for microbial growth, nutrients, and A TP levels. An additional verification test, prior to the final payload verification testing, is desired to demonstrate similar growth in the flight hardware and also to test a second set of pillows containing zinnia seeds. Issues with root mat water supply are being resolved, with final testing and flight scheduled for later in 2013.

Massa, Gioia↗

A plan for application system verification tests: The value of improved meteorological information, volume 1

The framework within which the Applications Systems Verification Tests (ASVTs) are performed and the economic consequences of improved meteorological information demonstrated is described. This framework considers the impact of improved information on decision processes, the data needs to demonstrate the economic impact of the improved information, the data availability, the methodology for determining and analyzing the collected data and demonstrating the economic impact of the improved information, and the possible methods of data collection. Three ASVTs are considered and program outlines and plans are developed for performing experiments to demonstrate the economic consequences of improved meteorological information. The ASVTs are concerned with the citrus crop in Florida, the cotton crop in Mississippi and a group of diverse crops in Oregon. The program outlines and plans include schedules, manpower estimates and funding requirements.

Source record↗

Commercial investigation results for the generic bioprocessing apparatus flown on United States Microgravity Laboratory-1

The Generic Bioprocessing Apparatus (BPA) payload was developed by BioServe to support the commercial flight development needs of our specialized consortia comprised of business, academic, and government entities. The consortia have commitments to explore commercial opportunities in bioprocessing, biomedical models, and closed agricultural systems. In addition, some members of BioServe have interests in the development and/or qualification of enabling flight hardware used in life sciences space flight testing. Some business and academic entities have interests in more than one of these consortia. To aid in payload development, flight, and analysis, each consortium member contributes resources ranging from proprietary expertise and materials, to hardware and cash. Professionals from business, academia, and government often interact with each other via graduate research assistants who do much of the 'hands-on' payload preparation and subsequent data analyses. The GBA supported research, testing, and development activities for each different BioServe consortium. It produced an environment in which professionals from diverse backgrounds came together with a single focus. And, it provided a truly novel learning environment for a youthful new cadre of space professionals committed to the exploration of commercial opportunities presented by space. Since the GBA supported a large number of different experiments, this paper briefly describes the payload characteristics and the essential operations of the payload. A summary of the experiments is presented. Finally, a few of the experiments are described in detail highlighting some novel effects of space flight on life science systems. Portions of the reported work have or will appear in appropriate archival journals as cited in the bibliography. In several instances, data collected from USML-1 have been supplemented with related data collected on more recent STS missions.

Stodieck, Louis S.↗

Ares I Aerodynamic Testing at the Boeing Polysonic Wind Tunnel

Throughout three full design analysis cycles, the Ares I project within the Constellation program has consistently relied on the Boeing Polysonic Wind Tunnel (PSWT) for aerodynamic testing of the subsonic, transonic and supersonic portions of the atmospheric flight envelope (Mach=0.5 to 4.5). Each design cycle required the development of aerodynamic databases for the 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) forces and moments, as well as distributed line-loads databases covering the full range of Mach number, total angle-of-attack, and aerodynamic roll angle. The high fidelity data collected in this facility has been consistent with the data collected in NASA Langley s Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel (UPWT) at the overlapping condition ofMach=1.6. Much insight into the aerodynamic behavior of the launch vehicle during all phases of flight was gained through wind tunnel testing. Important knowledge pertaining to slender launch vehicle aerodynamics in particular was accumulated. In conducting these wind tunnel tests and developing experimental aerodynamic databases, some challenges were encountered and are reported as lessons learned in this paper for the benefit of future crew launch vehicle aerodynamic developments.

Pinier, Jeremy T.↗

Improved "Smart" Robot Hand

Improved version of developmental "smart" robot hand equipped with bidirectional, wide-band optical-fiber link for transmission of digitized strain-gauge force- and torque-sensor signals from hand and for transmission of command signals to motor drive unit on hand. Collection of sensor data speeded hundredfold. Higher data-collection speed makes possible to perform advanced processing of sensor data in host processor.

Szakaly, Zoltan F.↗

BOREAS AES Campbell Scientific Surface Meteorological Data

Canadian AES personnel collected data related to surface and atmospheric meteorological conditions over the BOREAS region. This data set contains 15-minute meteorological data from 14 automated meteorology stations located across the BOREAS region. Included in this data are parameters of date, time, mean sea level pressure, station pressure, temperature, dew point, wind speed, resultant wind speed, resultant wind direction, peak wind, precipitation, maximum temperature in the last hour, minimum temperature in the last hour, pressure tendency, liquid precipitation in the last hour, relative humidity, precipitation from a weighing gauge, and snow depth. Temporally, the data cover the period of August 1993 to December 1996. The data are provided in tabular ASCII files, and are classified as AFM-Staff data.

Atkinson, G. Barrie↗

Impact of the Ionosphere on an L-band Space Based Radar

We have quantified the impact that the ionosphere would have on a L-band interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) mission using a combination of simulation, modeling, Global Positioning System (GPS) data collected during the last solar maximum, and existing spaceborne SAR data. We conclude that, except for high latitude scintillation related effects, the ionosphere will not significantly impact the performance of an L-band InSAR mission in an appropriate orbit. We evaluated the strength of the ionospheric irregularities using GPS scintillation data collected at Fairbanks, Alaska and modeled the impact of these irregularities on azimuth resolution, azimuth displacement, peak sidelobe ratio (PSLR), and integrated sidelobe ratio (ISLR). Although we predict that less than 5% of auroral zone data would show scintillation related artifacts, certain sites imaged near the equinoxes could be effected up to 25% of the time because the frequency of occurrence of scintillation is a strong function of season and local time of day. Our examination of ionospheric artifacts observed in InSAR data has revealed that the artifacts occur primarily in the polar cap data, not auroral zone data as was previously thought.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) ionospheres↗

A real-time algorithm for integrating differential satellite and inertial navigation information during helicopter approach

A real-time, high-rate precision navigation Kalman filter algorithm is developed and analyzed. This Navigation algorithm blends various navigation data collected during terminal area approach of an instrumented helicopter. Navigation data collected include helicopter position and velocity from a global position system in differential mode (DGPS) as well as helicopter velocity and attitude from an inertial navigation system (INS). The goal of the Navigation algorithm is to increase the DGPS accuracy while producing navigational data at the 64 Hertz INS update rate. It is important to note that while the data was post flight processed, the Navigation algorithm was designed for real-time analysis. The design of the Navigation algorithm resulted in a nine-state Kalman filter. The Kalman filter's state matrix contains position, velocity, and velocity bias components. The filter updates positional readings with DGPS position, INS velocity, and velocity bias information. In addition, the filter incorporates a sporadic data rejection scheme. This relatively simple model met and exceeded the ten meter absolute positional requirement. The Navigation algorithm results were compared with truth data derived from a laser tracker. The helicopter flight profile included terminal glideslope angles of 3, 6, and 9 degrees. Two flight segments extracted during each terminal approach were used to evaluate the Navigation algorithm. The first segment recorded small dynamic maneuver in the lateral plane while motion in the vertical plane was recorded by the second segment. The longitudinal, lateral, and vertical averaged positional accuracies for all three glideslope approaches are as follows (mean plus or minus two standard deviations in meters): longitudinal (-0.03 plus or minus 1.41), lateral (-1.29 plus or minus 2.36), and vertical (-0.76 plus or minus 2.05).

Hoang, TY↗