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NASA NTRS1989

Structural stereo matching of Laplacian-of-Gaussian contour segments for 3D perception

The stereo correspondence problem is solved using Laplacian-of-Gaussian zero-crossing contours as a source of primitives for structural stereopsis, as opposed to traditional point-based algorithms. Up to 74 percent matching of candidate zero crossing points are being achieved on 240 x 246 images at small scales and large ranges of disparity, without coarse-to-fine tracking and without precise knowledge of the epipolar geometry. This approach should prove particularly useful in recovering the epipolar geometry automatically for stereo pairs for which it is unavailable a priori. Such situations occur in the extraction of terrain models from stereo aerial photographs.

Boyer, K. L.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Rapid in situ hybridization technique using 16S rRNA segments for detecting and differentiating the closely related gram-positive organisms Bacillus polymyxa and Bacillus macerans

A rapid, sensitive, inexpensive in situ hybridization technique, using 30-mer 16S rRNA probes, can specifically differentiate two closely related Bacillus spp., B. polymyxa and B. macerans. The 16S rRNA probes were labeled with a rhodamine derivative (Texas Red), and quantitative fluorescence measurements were made on individual bacterial cells. The microscopic fields analyzed were selected by phase-contrast microscopy, and the fluorescence imaging analyses were performed on 16 to 67 individual cells. The labeled 16S rRNA probe, POL, whose sequence was a 100% match with B. polymyxa 16S rRNA but only a 60% match with B. macerans 16S rRNA, gave quantitative fluorescence ratio measurements that were 34.8-fold higher for B. polymyxa cells than for B. macerans cells. Conversely, the labeled probe, MAC, which matched B. polymyxa 16S rRNA in 86.6% of its positions and B. macerans 16S rRNA in 100% of its positions, gave quantitative fluorescence measurements that were 59.3-fold higher in B. macerans cells than in B. polymyxa cells. Control probes, whose 16S rRNA sequence segment (P-M) was present in both B. polymyxa and B. macerans as well as a panprokaryotic probe (16S), having a 100% match with all known bacteria, hybridized equally well with both organisms. These latter hybridizations generated very high fluorescence signals, but their comparative fluorescence ratios (the differences between two organisms) were low. The control paneukaryotic probe (28S), which had less than 30% identity for both B. macerans and B. polymyxa, did not hybridize with either organism.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2005

Ocular examination for trauma; clinical ultrasound aboard the International Space Station

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound imaging is a successful modality in a broad variety of diagnostic applications including trauma. Ultrasound has been shown to be accurate when performed by non-radiologist physicians; recent reports have suggested that non-physicians can perform limited ultrasound examinations. A multipurpose ultrasound system is installed on the International Space Station (ISS) as a component of the Human Research Facility (HRF). This report documents the first ocular ultrasound examination conducted in space, which demonstrated the capability to assess physiologic alterations or pathology including trauma during long-duration space flight. METHODS: An ISS crewmember with minimal sonography training was remotely guided by an imaging expert from Mission Control Center (MCC) through a comprehensive ultrasound examination of the eye. A multipurpose ultrasound imager was used in conjunction with a space-to-ground video downlink and two-way audio. Reference cards with topological reference points, hardware controls, and target images were used to facilitate the examination. Multiple views of the eye structures were obtained through a closed eyelid. Pupillary response to light was demonstrated by modifying the light exposure of the contralateral eye. RESULTS: A crewmember on the ISS was able to complete a comprehensive ocular examination using B- and M-mode ultrasonography with remote guidance from an expert in the MCC. Multiple anteroposterior, oblique, and coronal views of the eye clearly demonstrated the anatomic structures of both segments of the globe. The iris and pupil were readily visualized with probe manipulation. Pupillary diameter was assessed in real time in B- and M-mode displays. The anatomic detail and fidelity of ultrasound video were excellent and could be used to answer a variety of clinical and space physiologic questions. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, high-quality ultrasound examination of the eye was performed with a multipurpose imager aboard the ISS by a non-expert operator using remote guidance. Ocular ultrasound images were of diagnostic quality despite the 2-second communication latency and the unconventional setting of a weightless spacecraft environment. The remote guidance techniques developed to facilitate this successful NASA research experiment will support wider applications of ultrasound for remote medicine on Earth including the assessment of pupillary reactions in patients with severe craniofacial trauma and swelling.

Clinical Trial↗

NASA NTRS1990

Eruptive patterns and structure of Isla Fernandina, Galapagos Islands, from SPOT-1 HRV and large format camera images

SPOT-1 HRV, and large format-camera images were used to investigate the distribution and structure of erupted materials on Isla Fernandina, Galapagos Islands. Maps of lava flows, fissures, cones and topography derived from these data allow the first study of the entire subaerial segment of this geographically remote and ecologically sensitive volcano. No significant departure from a uniform distribution of erupted lava with azimuth can be detected. Short (less than 4 km) lava flows commonly have their source in the summit region and longer (greater than 8 km) lava flows originate from vents at lower elevations. Catastrophic landslides are proposed as a possible explanation for the asymmetry of the coastline with respect to the caldera.

Munro, Duncan C.↗

NASA NTRS2004

Hardware Photos: Image Showing JWST Engineering Demonstration Mirror, Mounted Ready for Machining at AXYS and Image Showing HIP Can Containing Light Mirrors 1 and 2 Ready for Mirror Fabrication

The images in this viewgraph presentation have the following captions: 1) EDU mirror after being sawed in half; 2) EDU Delivered to Axsys; 3) Be EDU Blank Received and Machining Started; 4) Loaded HIP can for flight PM segments 1 and 2; 5) Flight Blanks 1 and 2 Loaded into HIP Can at Brush-Wellman; 6) EDU in Machining at Axsys.

OKeefe, Sean↗

NASA NTRS2010

Oscillation of Angiogenesis with Vascular Dropout in Diabetic Retinopathy by VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN)

PURPOSE. Vascular dropout and angiogenesis are hallmarks of the progression of diabetic retinopathy (DR). However, current evaluation of DR relies on grading of secondary vascular effects, such as microaneurysms and hemorrhages, by clinical examination instead of by evaluation of actual vascular changes. The purpose of this study was to map and quantify vascular changes during progression of DR by VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN). METHODS. In this prospective cross-sectional study, 15 eyes with DR were evaluated with fluorescein angiography (FA) and color fundus photography, and were graded using modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study criteria. FA images were separated by semiautomatic image processing into arterial and venous trees. Vessel length density (L(sub v)), number density (N(sub v)), and diameter (D(sub v)) were analyzed in a masked fashion with VESGEN software. Each vascular tree was automatically segmented into branching generations (G(sub 1)...G(sub 8) or G(sub 9)) by vessel diameter and branching. Vascular remodeling status (VRS) for N(sub v) and L(sub v) was graded 1 to 4 for increasing severity of vascular change. RESULTS. By N(sub v) and L(sub v), VRS correlated significantly with the independent clinical diagnosis of mild to proliferative DR (13/15 eyes). N(sub v) and L(sub v) of smaller vessels (G(sub >=6) increased from VRS1 to VRS2 by 2.4 X and 1.6 X, decreased from VRS2 to VRS3 by 0.4 X and 0.6X, and increased from VRS3 to VRS4 by 1.7 X and 1.5 X (P < 0.01). Throughout DR progression, the density of larger vessels (G(sub 1-5)) remained essentially unchanged, and D(sub v1-5) increased slightly. CONCLUSIONS. Vessel density oscillated with the progression of DR. Alternating phases of angiogenesis/neovascularization and vascular dropout were dominated first by remodeling of arteries and subsequently by veins.

Parsons-Wingerter, Patricia↗

NASA NTRS2021

Boundary Layer Instabilities Over a Cone-Cylinder-Flare Model at Mach 6

Computations are performed to investigate the boundary-layer instabilities over a sharp cone-cylinder-flare model at zero degrees angle of attack. The model geometry and the flow conditions are selected to match the experiments conducted in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University. The geometry consists of a nominally sharp 5-degree half-angle cone, followed by a cylindrical segment and then a 10-degree flare. An axisymmetric separation bubble is generated as a result of the laminar shock/boundary-layer interaction in the cylinder-flare region. The comparison of the laminar flow solution and the schlieren images shows a remarkable agreement between the respective locations of both the boundarylayer edge and the reattachment shock. The predicted heat flux distribution is also in agreement with the measured values downstream of the reattachment location. The analysis of convective and global instabilities is performed for flare half angles equal to 8, 10, and 12 degrees and nosetip radii equal to 0.1, 1, and 5 mm. The linear amplification of first and second Mack mode instabilities that begin to amplify in the cone region are computed with a combination of the parabolized stability equations (PSE) and the harmonic linearized Navier-Stokes equations (HLNSE). The predicted frequency spectra of the surface pressure fluctuations associated with both planar and oblique instability waves are compared with the measured spectra at the various locations of the PCB and Kulite sensors. The comparison shows that the computational analysis captures the distinct lobes within the disturbance amplification spectra measured in the experiments, but some differences in amplification characteristics are noted at low frequencies. Overall, the oblique disturbances are found to be more amplified than the planar disturbances. To our knowledge, this represents the first successful comparison between convective instability analysis and measured surface pressure fluctuations for a hypersonic configuration with a separation bubble. Finally, the global instability analysis shows that the laminar flow becomes supercritical for flare half angles larger than 8 degrees. The unstable global mode for the experimental configuration of a 10 degrees flare and a sharp nosetip cone corresponds to a stationary three-dimensional disturbance that is concentrated in the recirculation region and achieves its maximum growth rate for an azimuthal wavenumber of 5.

Boundary layer transition↗

NASA NTRS2022

Boundary Layer Instabilities Over a Cone-Cylinder-Flare Model at Mach 6

Hydrodynamic instability↗

NASA NTRS2019

The Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR): Decadal Mission Concept Study Update

In preparation for the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA commissioned the study of four large mission concepts: the Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR), the Habitable Exoplanet Imager (HabEx), the far-infrared surveyor Origins Space Telescope (OST), and the X-ray surveyor Lynx. The LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) has identified a broad range of science objectives for LUVOIR that include the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the exchange of matter between galaxies, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System objects. The LUVOIR Study Office, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), is developing two mission concepts to achieve the science objectives. LUVOIR-A is a 15-meter segmented-aperture observatory that would be launched in an 8.4-m extended fairing on the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2 configuration. LUVOIR-B is an 8-meter unobscured segmented aperture telescope that fits in a smaller, conventional 5-meter fairing, but still requires the lift capacity of the SLS Block 1B Cargo vehicle. Both concepts include a suite of serviceable instruments: the Extreme Coronagraph for Living Planetary Systems (ECLIPS), an optical/near-infrared coronagraph capable of delivering 10 (sup minus10) contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 lambda divided by D; the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low- and medium-resolution UV (100-400 nanometer) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-NIR imager. LUVOIR-A also has a fourth instrument, Pollux, a high-resolution UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). This paper provides an overview of the LUVIOR science objectives, design drivers, and mission concepts.

Decadal Study↗

NASA NTRS1987

Remote measurement of in-plane diffusivity components in plates

A method of determining thermal diffusivity in thin plates is presented. The method, using infrared images of evolving thermal patterns previously injected with a laser, is noncontacting, one-sided, and remote. It does not require independent estimates of either the emissivity of the sample or the sample thickness. With a line-segment pattern for thermal input, it yields the inplane components of the diffusivity tensor in anisotropic materials and also the rate of heat loss to the environment of the plate. Two methods of data analysis are presented, one corresponding to a heating line of general cross section and the other considering a Gaussian cross section, thereby saving considerable computer time. Both methods produce a statistical evaluation of measurement quality as well as estimates of diffusivity and loss rate. Results are shown for plates of metals and graphite-epoxy composite materials. Principal components and orientation for the diffusivity tensor are obtained in the anisotropic graphite-epoxy sample.

Welch, Christopher S.↗

NASA NTRS1984

STS-41D Post Flight Press Conference with Highlights

The crew, Commander Henry W. Hartsfield, Jr., Pilot Michael L. Coats, Mission Specialists Judith A. Resnik, Steven A. Hawley, and Richard M. Mullane, and Payload Specialist Charles D. Walker are seen participating a panel discussion. Live footage of the Press Conference begins with a brief introduction of all the crew, followed by highlights of the flight, a selection of slides and still pictures, and ends with a question and answer segment. The highlights consist of the astronauts walk out to the Astro-Van, panoramic views of the Discovery on the launch pad, main engine start, ignition of the solid rocket boosters, liftoff, and separation of the boosters. Images of the opening of the sun shield and the deployment of the three communication satellites (Satellite Business System (SBS-D), SYNCOM IV-2, and TELSTAR) are also seen. The crew is seen working on experiments, dumping the wastewater, eating supper, and sleeping. Concluding the live footage are slides, and stills of various areas around the world, including the Libyan Desert, Angola, Namibia, and Australia. The Press Conference ends with questions from Houston, NASA Headquarter, Kennedy Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2002

Development of Biocompatibility Procedures for Assessment of Plant Growth in Ground Test Hardware for the EMCS

The European Modular Cultivation System (EMCS) is an European Space Agency-developed facility designed to support plant research in microgravity on the IS NASA is responsible for providing US specific hardware to use within the EMCS. In preparation for flight, research will be developed and tested at Ames Research Center in the EMCS ground test hardware, the Experiment Reference Module (ERM) In order to determine the acceptability of the ERM for such purposes, biocompatibility tests will be performed to determine that the hardware functions as intended and successfully supports the' growth of plants. In this report, we describe the development of procedures and the collection of baseline data against which to compare ERM function, e.g. biocompatibility testing. A simple and robust system was developed to grow whole Arabidopsis thaliana plants within the confined volumes characteristic of spaceflight hardware. Our system for growing plants eliminated the necessity of a water/nutrient delivery system and allowed for quantifiable assessment of individual plants, as well as entire population dynamics. To insure uniform germination, seeds were started in small straw segments and transplanted into modified scintillation vials. Seedlings were selected prior to transplantation to decrease genetic variability. Plants were grown for a total of 24 days in standard laboratory plant growth chambers under controlled conditions. Sequential digital still images were taken on a daily basis. Analysis of these images allowed for the quantification of even minute environmental effect, on growth dynamics whole plants. The data collected provide reliable growth curves against which to compare plants grown in the ERM.

Bowman, R. N.↗

NASA NTRS2000

Highly ordered vertical structure of Synechococcus populations within the one-millimeter-thick photic zone of a hot spring cyanobacterial mat

A variety of contemporary techniques were used to investigate the vertical distribution of thermophilic unicellular cyanobacteria, Synechococcus spp., and their activity within the upper 1-mm-thick photic zone of the mat community found in an alkaline siliceous hot spring in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Detailed measurements were made over a diel cycle at a 61 degrees C site. Net oxygenic photosynthesis measured with oxygen microelectrodes was highest within the uppermost 100- to 200-microm-thick layer until midmorning, but as the day progressed, the peak of net activity shifted to deeper layers, stabilizing at a depth of 300 microm from midday throughout the afternoon. Examination of vertical thin sections by bright-field and autofluorescence microscopy revealed the existence of different populations of Synechococcus which form discrete bands at different vertical positions. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene segments from horizontal cryosections obtained at 100-microm-thick vertical intervals also suggested vertical stratification of cyanobacterial, green sulfur bacterium-like, and green nonsulfur bacterium-like populations. There was no evidence of diel migration. However, image analysis of vertical thin sections revealed the presence of a narrow band of rod-shaped Synechococcus cells in which the cells assumed an upright position. These upright cells, located 400 to 800 microm below the surface, were observed only in mat samples obtained around noon. In mat samples obtained at other time points, the cells were randomly oriented throughout the mat. These combined observations reveal the existence of a highly ordered structure within the very thin photic zone of this hot spring microbial mat, consisting of morphologically similar Synechococcus populations that are likely to be differentially adapted, some co-occurring with green sulfur bacterium-like populations, and all overlying green nonsulfur bacterium-like populations.

Non-NASA Center↗

NASA NTRS2005

Surface Ruptures and Building Damage of the 2003 Bam, Iran, Earthquake Mapped by Satellite Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometric Correlation

We use the interferometric correlation from Envisat synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images to map the details of the surface ruptures related to the 26 December 2003 earthquake that devastated Bam, Iran. The main strike-slip fault rupture south of the city of Bam has a series of four segments with left steps shown by a narrow line of low correlation in the coseismic interferogram. This also has a clear expression in the field because of the net extension across the fault. Just south of the city limits, the surface strain becomes distributed over a width of about 500 m, probably because of a thicker layer of soft sedimentary material.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)↗

NASA NTRS2011

Foil X-Ray Mirrors for Astronomical Observations: Still an Evolving Technology

Foil X-ray mirrors, introduced by the Goddard X-ray Group in the late 1970s, were envisioned as an interim and complementary approach toward increased sensitivity for small inexpensive astronomical instruments. The extreme light weight nature of these mirrors dovetailed beautifully with Japan's small payload missions, leading to several collaborative, earth orbiting observatories, designed primarily for spectroscopy, of which SUZAKU is still in earth orbit. ASTRO-H is the latest joint instrument with Japan, presently in the implementation phase. At Goddard, some 30 years after we introduced them, we are involved with four separate flight instruments utilizing foil X-ray mirrors, a good indication that this technology is here to stay. Nevertheless, an improved spatial resolution will be the most welcomed development by all. The task of preparing upwards of 1000 reflectors, then assembling them into a single mirror with arcmin resolution remains a formidable one. Many, performance limiting approximations become necessary when converting commercial aluminum sheets into 8 quadrant segments, each with approximately 200 nested conical, approximately 4Angstrom surface reflectors, which are then assembled into a single mirror. In this paper we will describe the mirror we are presently involved with, slated for the Goddard high resolution imaging X-ray spectrometer (SXS) onboard ASTRO-H. Improved spatial resolution will be an important enhancement to the science objectives from this instrument. We are accordingly pursuing and will briefly describe in this paper several design and reflector assembly modifications, aimed toward that goal.

Serlemitsos, Peter J.↗

NASA NTRS2019

The Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR): Decadal Mission Concept Study Update

In preparation for the 2020 Decadal Survey in Astronomy and Astrophysics, NASA commissioned the study of four large mission concepts: the Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR), the Habitable Exoplanet Imager (HabEx), the far-infrared surveyor Origins Space Telescope (OST), and the X-ray surveyor Lynx. The LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) has identified a broad range of science objectives for LUVOIR that include the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the exchange of matter between galaxies, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System objects. The LUVOIR Study Office, located at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), is developing two mission concepts to achieve the science objectives. LUVOIR-A is a 15-meter segmented-aperture observatory that would be launched in an 8.4-meter extended fairing on the Space Launch System (SLS) Block 2 configuration. LUVOIR-B is an 8-meter unobscured segmented aperture telescope that fits in a smaller, conventional 5-meter fairing, but still requires the lift capacity of the SLS Block 1B Cargo vehicle. Both concepts include a suite of serviceable instruments: the Extreme Coronagraph for Living Planetary Systems (ECLIPS), an optical/near-infrared coronagraph capable of delivering 10 (sup minus 10) contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 lambda divided by D; the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low- and medium-resolution UV (100-400 nanometer) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-NIR imager. LUVOIR-A also has a fourth instrument, Pollux, a high-resolution UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales (CNES). This paper provides an overview of the LUVIOR science objectives, design drivers, and mission concepts.

Decadal Study↗

NASA NTRS1992

Progress on ten-meter optical receiver telescope

A ten-meter hexagonally segmented Cassegrain optical telescope is being considered at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for use as a research and development facility for optical communications technology. The goal of the study is to demonstrate technology which can eventually be used to develop a network of such telescopes to continuously track and communicate with the spacecraft. Hence, the technology has to be economical enough to allow replication for a ground or space based network. As we need to collect signal photons only, the telescope cost can be substantially reduced by accepting lower image quality. An important design consideration for the telescope is its ability to look very close to the sun. The telescope for optical communications must function during the daytime. Indeed, for some planetary missions it may be necessary that the system be capable of looking within a few degrees of the sun. To enable this, a unique sunshade consisting of hexagonal tubes in precise alignment with the mirror segments has been proposed which will also serve as the support for the secondary. Recent progress on the design and analysis of such an optical reception station is discussed here.

Shaik, Kamran↗

NASA NTRS2017

The Large UV/Optical/Infrared Surveyor (LUVOIR): Decadal Mission Concept Design Update

In preparation for the 2020 Astrophysics Decadal Survey, NASA has commissioned the study of four large mission concepts, including the Large Ultraviolet / Optical / Infrared (LUVOIR) Surveyor. The LUVOIR Science and Technology Definition Team (STDT) has identified a broad range of science objectives including the direct imaging and spectral characterization of habitable exoplanets around sun-like stars, the study of galaxy formation and evolution, the epoch of reionization, star and planet formation, and the remote sensing of Solar System bodies. NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is providing the design and engineering support to develop executable and feasible mission concepts that are capable of the identified science objectives. We present an update on the first of two architectures being studied: a 15-meter-diameter segmented-aperture telescope with a suite of serviceable instruments operating over a range of wavelengths between 100 nm to 2.5 microns. Four instruments are being developed for this architecture: an optical / near-infrared coronagraph capable of 10(exp -10) contrast at inner working angles as small as 2 lambda/D; the LUVOIR UV Multi-object Spectrograph (LUMOS), which will provide low- and medium-resolution UV (100 – 400 nm) multi-object imaging spectroscopy in addition to far-UV imaging; the High Definition Imager (HDI), a high-resolution wide-field-of-view NUV-Optical-IR imager; and a UV spectro-polarimeter being contributed by Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales (CNES). A fifth instrument, a multi-resolution optical-NIR spectrograph, is planned as part of a second architecture to be studied in late 2017.

Decadal Study; Astrophysics; LUVOIR↗