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At least 73 records · Page 4

CIM's bridge from CADD to CAM: Data management requirements for manufacturing engineering

Manufacturing engineering represents the crossroads of technical data management in a Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) environment. Process planning, numerical control programming and tool design are the key functions which translate information from as engineered to as assembled. In order to transition data from engineering to manufacturing, it is necessary to introduce a series of product interpretations which contain an interim introduction of technical parameters. The current automation of the product definition and the production process places manufacturing engineering in the center of CAD/CAM with the responsibility of communicating design data to the factory floor via a manufacturing model of the data. A close look at data management requirements for manufacturing engineering is necessary in order to establish the overall specifications for CADD output, CAM input, and CIM integration. The functions and issues associated with the orderly evolution of computer aided engineering and manufacturing are examined.

Ford, S. J.↗

CTAS data analysis program

The analysis program (AN) is specifically designed to produce graphic and tabular information to aid in the design and checkout of the Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS). To best reveal CTAS operation and possible problems, data are plotted in many different ways both in detail and summary form. AN has been designed to analyze both radar surveillance data and output data from CTAS. AN has been extensively used to debug and refine CTAS. It is also being used in the field to monitor and assess CTAS performance. AN is continuously refined to keep up with changing needs. The present version of AN grew out of analysis of Denver Center data. However, the AN software has been written to be adaptable to any other facility Center or TRACON. Presently, one can select Denver Stapleton, Denver International, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, and Dallas Love Field.

Neuman, Frank↗

Ultra-low thermal resistance and pressure drop copper and copper-tungsten diamond-shaped pin fin cold plates for liquid cooling of electronics

Modern and future data centers face increasing cooling challenges due to increasing chip thermal design power and die size, along with the need to reduce energy consumption used for cooling. High performance cooling solutions that maintain a low chip junction temperature are needed to ensure electronics reliability. This work develops an ultra-low thermal resistance and low pressure drop 75 mm × 75 mm cold plate, intended for next-generation electronics cooling. The cold plate features an array of diamond-shaped pin fins and integrated copper tungsten heat spreader, selected for its low coefficient of thermal expansion which reduces thermomechanical deformation and allows for closer integration of the cold plate with silicon dies. Starting with 300 candidate designs, three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics simulations predict the thermal-hydraulic performance of cold plate subsections. The highest performing geometries are evaluated with high fidelity simulations. Four cold plates are manufactured for experiments: three with diamond-shaped pin fins and one with straights fins for comparison purposes. The cold plates are fabricated from copper-tungsten (CuW), copper (Cu), or aluminum-silicon-magnesium alloy (AlSi10Mg). The diamond-shaped pin fins achieve a roughly 15 % lower thermal resistance compared to the conventional straight fin microchannel. The highest performing design achieves a chip-to-coolant (including thermal interface material) thermal resistance of 9.0 K/kW in CuW and 6.9 K/kW in Cu under a 1 kW heat load with an inlet-to-outlet pressure drop of 9.0 kPa and water as the working fluid. This work demonstrates ultra-low thermal resistance and pressure drop cold plates for large die, high heat load applications, and shows that CuW is an attractive cold plate material for improved reliability in next generation data center cooling.

Coefficient of thermal expansion↗

Mission Operations and Ground Systems 101

The purpose of this tutorial is to provide an introduction to various space mission types, link together the various mission systems engineering concepts which go into the design and development of a space mission with the ground system architecture. Attendees will learn about: Types of satellite missions and characteristics of them, Types of satellite orbits and why a particular mission is in a particular orbit, Characteristics of different satellite operators (commercial, DoD, civil), Mission drivers, Mission operations concepts and how various challenges have been addressed, Space mission data standards, How to deliver data, General ground system and Mission Operations Center design.

Theresa Beech↗

Predictions of entry heating for lower surface of shuttle orbiter

A broad base of thermocouple and phase change paint data was assembled and correlated to the nominal design 14414.1 and proposed STS-1 (first flight of the space transportation system) entry trajectories. Averaged data from phase change paint tests compared favorably with thermocouple data for predicting heating rates. Laminar and turbulent radiation equilibrium heating rates were computed on the lower surface of the Shuttle orbiter for both trajectories, and the lower surface center line results were compared both with aerodynamic heating design data and with flight values from the STS-1 and STS-2 trajectories. The peak laminar heating values from the aerodynamic heating design data book were generally 40 to 60 percent higher than the laminar estimates of this study, except at the 55 percent location of maximum span where the design data book values were less than 10 percent higher. Estimates of both laminar and turbulent heating rates compared favorably with flight data.

Edwards, C. L. W.↗

UH-60A Airloads Catalog

As a part of the NASA-Army UH-60A Airloads Program, instrumented rotor blades were designed and built for the UH-60A helicopter that included 241 pressure transducers on one blade and a suite of strain gauges and accelerometers on a second blade. These blades were then installed on a UH-60A at NASA Ames Research Center and a special purpose data acquisition system was designed and built to acquire the rotating system measurements. The aircraft was also instrumented with conventional aircraft state measurements as well as a suite of fuselage accelerometers. Test flights of the highly-instrumented UH-60A were flown from August 1993 to February 1994 and an extensive data base was acquired. A total of 31 research flights were made with the majority of the flights flown out of Moffett Field, California. The test data, in general, were acquired in isolated airspace over the San Joaquin Valley. An exception to this procedure is that nine flights were made in cooperation with NASA Langley Research Center, and for these tests the aircraft was flown out of the Modesto airport and the data were acquired at the Crows Landing Naval Auxiliary Air Field, also within the San Joaquin Valley. Over 900 different test conditions, or counters, were recorded, processed, and stored in an electronic data base as a part of this test program. The electronic data base, currently at NASA Ames Research Center, includes approximately 30 GBytes of data obtained from the test program. This Technical Memorandum summarizes the kinds of data that are in the data base to assist interested users. Each set of test conditions is presented in a table which contains a unique identifying number that is termed the counter number, the written description of the counter that is within the database, and the duration of the counter in seconds. Within each table the counters are listed in chronological order, and in some cases counters may be included within two or more tables if they meet different criteria.

UH-60A↗

From CMS to the U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center – Improved Tracking of Recent Changes in Co 2 and Ch 4 From NASA’s Quasi-Operational Modeling Systems

Reliable, low latency delivery of high quality global flux and concentration information is a growing but still unmet need to advance expanding measurement, monitoring, reporting, and verification efforts that underpin federal climate mitigation strategies. Here we present on progress toward developing space-based greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring systems that can provide comprehensive information trailing real time by a matter of weeks to a few months. Through support from its Carbon Monitoring System (CMS) program, NASA has developed the capability to assimilate XCO 2 retrievals from the Orbiting Carbon Observatory, 2 (OCO 2 ) into the Goddard Earth Observing System (GEOS) Constituent Data Assimilation System (CoDAS) to create gap-filled, three-dimensional (3D) estimates of CO 2 mixing ratio. When observations are unavailable, concentration fields are further informed by observationally-informed bottom-up flux packages that incorporate remotely sensed fire, nighttime lights, and vegetation observations combined with estimates of atmospheric growth rate based on surface in situ data. The 3D nature of these datasets supports evaluation with independent aircraft data to improve confidence in satellite data, development of new regional modeling approaches, and quantification of the climate impacts of GHGs. The system has recently been expanded to assimilate XCH 4 from ESA’s TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) instrument and is supported by companion efforts to improve delivery of estimates of bottom-up land and ocean fluxes. The quasi-operational GEOS-GHG system is contributing to the recently announced U.S. Greenhouse Gas Center (GHG Center) by delivering information on recent changes in CO 2 and CH 4 emissions and concentrations to support stakeholder and research communities. In this presentation, we provide an overview of the current system configured to support the GHG Center. We highlight examples of how this data contributes to broader NASA initiatives including the Earth Information Center, an innovative virtual and physical exhibit designed to show how NASA data helps the nation combat climate change. We conclude by discussing how innovations in CMS research can address remaining data gaps and modeling challenges to advance operational GHG monitoring in the future.

Lesley Ott↗

Supersonic Retro-Propulsion Experimental Design for Computational Fluid Dynamics Model Validation

The development of supersonic retro-propulsion, an enabling technology for heavy payload exploration missions to Mars, is the primary focus for the present paper. A new experimental model, intended to provide computational fluid dynamics model validation data, was recently designed for the Langley Research Center Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel Test Section 2. Pre-test computations were instrumental for sizing and refining the model, over the Mach number range of 2.4 to 4.6, such that tunnel blockage and internal flow separation issues would be minimized. A 5-in diameter 70-deg sphere-cone forebody, which accommodates up to four 4:1 area ratio nozzles, followed by a 10-in long cylindrical aftbody was developed for this study based on the computational results. The model was designed to allow for a large number of surface pressure measurements on the forebody and aftbody. Supplemental data included high-speed Schlieren video and internal pressures and temperatures. The run matrix was developed to allow for the quantification of various sources of experimental uncertainty, such as random errors due to run-to-run variations and bias errors due to flow field or model misalignments. Some preliminary results and observations from the test are presented, although detailed analyses of the data and uncertainties are still on going.

Berry, Scott A.↗

Aerodynamic performance of 0.4066-scale model of JT8D refan stage with S-duct inlet

A scale model of the JT8D refan stage was tested with a scale model of the S-duct inlet design for the refanned Boeing 727 center engine. Detailed survey data of pressures, temperatures, and flow angles were obtained over a range of flows at speeds from 70 to 97 percent of design speed. Two S-duct configurations were tested; one with a bellmouth inlet and the other with a flight lip inlet. The results indicated that the overall performance was essentially unaffected by the distortion generated by the S-duct inlet. The stall weight flow increased by less than 0.5 kg/sec (approximately 1.5% of design flow) with the S-duct inlet compared with that obtained with uniform flow. The detailed measurements indicated that the inlet guide vane (IGV) significantly reduced circumferential variations. For example, the flow angles ahead of the IGV were positive in the right half of the inlet and negative in the left half. Behind the IGV, the flow angles tended to be more uniform circumferentially.

Moore, R. D.↗

Calibration of a V-Cone for Low Mass Flows For Small Core Compressor Research

Advancements in core compressor technologies are necessary for next generation, high Overall Pressure Ratio (OPR) turbofan engines. High pressure compressors (HPCs) for future engines are being designed with exit corrected mass flow rates less than 2.25 kg/s (5 lbm/s). In order to accurately measure the performance of these advanced designs, high accuracy measurements are needed in test facilities. The W7 High Speed Multistage Axial Compressor Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center has been used to acquire data for advanced compressor designs. This facility utilizes an advanced differential pressure flow meter called a V-Cone. The facility has historically tested components with physical mass flow rates in the range of 27 to 45 kg/s (60 to 100 lbm/s). As such, when the V-Cone was calibrated prior to installation, the calibrations focused on higher mass flow rates, and uncertainties in that regime range from 0.5% to 0.85%. However, for low mass flow rates under 9 kg/s (20 lbm/s), expected in tests of advanced high OPR HPCs rear stages, the uncertainties of the V-Cone exceed 2.5%. To address this, using a method similar to that utilized by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an array of Critical Flow Venturi Nozzles (CFVs) was installed in the W7 test section and used to calibrate the V-Cone in 0.5 kg/s (1 lbm/s) increments up to 10.5 kg/s (23 lbm/s). This effort details the measurements and uncertainties associated with this calibration which resulted in a final uncertainty of the V-Cone measurements under 1%.

Measurement Uncertainty↗

High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications

The report "High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications" documents the work conducted at UTRC under the NRA Contract NNC08CB03C, with cost share 2/3 NASA, and 1/3 UTRC, that has been extended to 4.5 years. The purpose of this effort was to identify key technical barriers to advancing the state-of-the-art of small centrifugal compressor stages; to delineate the measurements required to provide insight into the flow physics of the technical barriers; to design, fabricate, install, and test a state-of-the-art research compressor that is representative of the rear stage of an axial-centrifugal aero-engine; and to acquire detailed aerodynamic performance and research quality data to clarify flow physics and to establish detailed data sets for future application. The design activity centered on meeting the goal set outlined in the NASA solicitation-the design target was to increase efficiency at higher work factor, while also reducing the maximum diameter of the stage. To fit within the existing Small Engine Components Test Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and to facilitate component re-use, certain key design parameters were fixed by UTRC, including impeller tip diameter, impeller rotational speed, and impeller inlet hub and shroud radii. This report describes the design effort of the High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage (HECC) and delineation of measurements, fabrication of the compressor, and the initial tests that were performed. A new High-Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage with a very challenging reduction in radius ratio was successfully designed, fabricated and installed at GRC. The testing was successful, with no mechanical problems and the running clearances were achieved without impeller rubs. Overall, measured pressure ratio of 4.68, work factor of 0.81, and at design exit corrected flow rate of 3 lbm/s met the target requirements. Polytropic efficiency of 85.5 percent and stall margin of 7.5 percent were measured at design flow rate and speed. The measured efficiency and stall margin were lower than pre-test CFD predictions by 2.4 percentage points (pt) and 4.5 pt, respectively. Initial impressions from the experimental data indicated that the loss in the efficiency and stall margin can be attributed to a design shortfall in the impeller. However, detailed investigation of experimental data and post-test CFD simulations of higher fidelity than pre-test CFD, and in particular the unsteady CFD simulations and the assessment with a wider range of turbulence models, have indicated that the loss in efficiency is most likely due to the impact of unfavorable unsteady impeller/diffuser interactions induced by diffuser vanes, an impeller/diffuser corrected flow-rate mismatch (and associated incidence levels), and, potentially, flow separation in the radial-to-axial bend. An experimental program with a vaneless diffuser is recommended to evaluate this observation. A subsequent redesign of the diffuser (and the radial-to-axial bend) is also recommended. The diffuser needs to be redesigned to eliminate the mismatching of the impeller and the diffuser, targeting a slightly higher flow capacity. Furthermore, diffuser vanes need to be adjusted to align the incidence angles, to optimize the splitter vane location (both radially and circumferentially), and to minimize the unsteady interactions with the impeller. The radial-to-axial bend needs to be redesigned to eliminate, or at least minimize, the flow separation at the inner wall, and its impact on the flow in the diffuser upstream. Lessons were also learned in terms of CFD methodology and the importance of unsteady CFD simulations for centrifugal compressors was highlighted. Inconsistencies in the implementation of a widely used two-equation turbulence model were identified and corrections are recommended. It was also observed that unsteady simulations for centrifugal compressors require significantly longer integration times than what is current practice in industry.

Gorazd Medic↗

High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications

The report "High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications" documents the work conducted at UTRC under the NRA Contract NNC08CB03C, with cost share 2/3 NASA, and 1/3 UTRC, that has been extended to 4.5 years. The purpose of this effort was to identify key technical barriers to advancing the state-of-the-art of small centrifugal compressor stages; to delineate the measurements required to provide insight into the flow physics of the technical barriers; to design, fabricate, install, and test a state-of-the-art research compressor that is representative of the rear stage of an axial-centrifugal aero-engine; and to acquire detailed aerodynamic performance and research quality data to clarify flow physics and to establish detailed data sets for future application. The design activity centered on meeting the goal set outlined in the NASA solicitation-the design target was to increase efficiency at higher work factor, while also reducing the maximum diameter of the stage. To fit within the existing Small Engine Components Test Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and to facilitate component re-use, certain key design parameters were fixed by UTRC, including impeller tip diameter, impeller rotational speed, and impeller inlet hub and shroud radii. This report describes the design effort of the High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage (HECC) and delineation of measurements, fabrication of the compressor, and the initial tests that were performed. A new High-Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage with a very challenging reduction in radius ratio was successfully designed, fabricated and installed at GRC. The testing was successful, with no mechanical problems and the running clearances were achieved without impeller rubs. Overall, measured pressure ratio of 4.68, work factor of 0.81, and at design exit corrected flow rate of 3 lbm/s met the target requirements. Polytropic efficiency of 85.5 percent and stall margin of 7.5 percent were measured at design flow rate and speed. The measured efficiency and stall margin were lower than pre-test CFD predictions by 2.4 percentage points (pt) and 4.5 pt, respectively. Initial impressions from the experimental data indicated that the loss in the efficiency and stall margin can be attributed to a design shortfall in the impeller. However, detailed investigation of experimental data and post-test CFD simulations of higher fidelity than pre-test CFD, and in particular the unsteady CFD simulations and the assessment with a wider range of turbulence models, have indicated that the loss in efficiency is most likely due to the impact of unfavorable unsteady impeller/diffuser interactions induced by diffuser vanes, an impeller/diffuser corrected flow-rate mismatch (and associated incidence levels), and, potentially, flow separation in the radial-to-axial bend. An experimental program with a vaneless diffuser is recommended to evaluate this observation. A subsequent redesign of the diffuser (and the radial-to-axial bend) is also recommended. The diffuser needs to be redesigned to eliminate the mismatching of the impeller and the diffuser, targeting a slightly higher flow capacity. Furthermore, diffuser vanes need to be adjusted to align the incidence angles, to optimize the splitter vane location (both radially and circumferentially), and to minimize the unsteady interactions with the impeller. The radial-to-axial bend needs to be redesigned to eliminate, or at least minimize, the flow separation at the inner wall, and its impact on the flow in the diffuser upstream. Lessons were also learned in terms of CFD methodology and the importance of unsteady CFD simulations for centrifugal compressors was highlighted. Inconsistencies in the implementation of a widely used two-equation turbulence model were identified and corrections are recommended. It was also observed that unsteady simulations for centrifugal compressors require significantly longer integration times than what is current practice in industry.

Gorazd Medic↗

High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications

The report "High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor for Rotorcraft Applications" documents the work conducted at UTRC under the NRA Contract NNC08CB03C, with cost share 2/3 NASA, and 1/3 UTRC, that has been extended to 4.5 years. The purpose of this effort was to identify key technical barriers to advancing the state-of-the-art of small centrifugal compressor stages; to delineate the measurements required to provide insight into the flow physics of the technical barriers; to design, fabricate, install, and test a state-of-the-art research compressor that is representative of the rear stage of an axial-centrifugal aero-engine; and to acquire detailed aerodynamic performance and research quality data to clarify flow physics and to establish detailed data sets for future application. The design activity centered on meeting the goal set outlined in the NASA solicitation-the design target was to increase efficiency at higher work factor, while also reducing the maximum diameter of the stage. To fit within the existing Small Engine Components Test Facility at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) and to facilitate component re-use, certain key design parameters were fixed by UTRC, including impeller tip diameter, impeller rotational speed, and impeller inlet hub and shroud radii. This report describes the design effort of the High Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage (HECC) and delineation of measurements, fabrication of the compressor, and the initial tests that were performed. A new High-Efficiency Centrifugal Compressor stage with a very challenging reduction in radius ratio was successfully designed, fabricated and installed at GRC. The testing was successful, with no mechanical problems and the running clearances were achieved without impeller rubs. Overall, measured pressure ratio of 4.68, work factor of 0.81, and at design exit corrected flow rate of 3 lbm/s met the target requirements. Polytropic efficiency of 85.5 percent and stall margin of 7.5 percent were measured at design flow rate and speed. The measured efficiency and stall margin were lower than pre-test CFD predictions by 2.4 percentage points (pt) and 4.5 pt, respectively. Initial impressions from the experimental data indicated that the loss in the efficiency and stall margin can be attributed to a design shortfall in the impeller. However, detailed investigation of experimental data and post-test CFD simulations of higher fidelity than pre-test CFD, and in particular the unsteady CFD simulations and the assessment with a wider range of turbulence models, have indicated that the loss in efficiency is most likely due to the impact of unfavorable unsteady impeller/diffuser interactions induced by diffuser vanes, an impeller/diffuser corrected flow-rate mismatch (and associated incidence levels), and, potentially, flow separation in the radial-to-axial bend. An experimental program with a vaneless diffuser is recommended to evaluate this observation. A subsequent redesign of the diffuser (and the radial-to-axial bend) is also recommended. The diffuser needs to be redesigned to eliminate the mismatching of the impeller and the diffuser, targeting a slightly higher flow capacity. Furthermore, diffuser vanes need to be adjusted to align the incidence angles, to optimize the splitter vane location (both radially and circumferentially), and to minimize the unsteady interactions with the impeller. The radial-to-axial bend needs to be redesigned to eliminate, or at least minimize, the flow separation at the inner wall, and its impact on the flow in the diffuser upstream. Lessons were also learned in terms of CFD methodology and the importance of unsteady CFD simulations for centrifugal compressors was highlighted. Inconsistencies in the implementation of a widely used two-equation turbulence model were identified and corrections are recommended. It was also observed that unsteady simulations for centrifugal compressors require significantly longer integration times than what is current practice in industry.

Centrifugal compressor↗

Applications of Meteorological Tower Data at Kennedy Space Center

Members of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) design and operation communities rely on meteorological information collected at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), located near Cape Canaveral, Florida, to correctly apply the ambient environment to various tasks. The Natural Environments Branch/EV44, located at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, is responsible for providing its NASA customers with meteorological data using various climatological data sources including balloons, surface stations, aircraft, hindcast models, and meteorological towers. Of the many resources available within the KSC region, meteorological towers are preferred for near-surface applications because they record data at regular, frequent intervals over an extensive period of record at a single location. This paper discusses the uses of data measured at several different meteorological towers for a common period of record and how the data can be applied to various engineering decisions for the new Constellation Program Ares and Orion space vehicles.

Altino, Karen M.↗

Space Station Freedom solar dynamic modules structural modelling and analysis

In support of the Space Station Freedom (SSF) Solar Dynamic Power Module effort, structural design studies were performed to investigate issues related to the design of the power module, its pointing capabilities, and the integration of the module into the SSF infrastructure. Of particular concern from a structural viewpoint are the dynamics of the power module, the impact of the power module on the Space Station dynamics and controls, and the required control effort for obtaining the specified Solar Dynamic Power Module pointing accuracy. Structural analyses were performed to determine the structural dynamics attributes of both the existing and the proposed structural dynamics module designs. The objectives of these analyses were to generate validated Solar Dynamic Power Module NASTRAN finite element models, combine Space Station and power module models into integrated system models, perform finite element modal analyses to assess the effect of the relocations of the power module center of mass, and provide modal data to controls designers for control systems design.

Lawrence, Charles↗

Challenges and strategies for probing the composite interface of PEM electrolyzers and fuel cells using operando AP-XPS

Left: cross-section schematic of a membrane electrode assembly, the working electrode changing state with applied potential. Center: the operando cell design that enables snapshot data acquisition during trajectory movement. Right: resulting spectra. Understanding the surface chemistry of electrocatalyst systems under operando conditions is central to revealing the electrocatalytic cell's working mechanisms. Determination of these catalytic processes on a molecular scale and the involved components is fundamental to streamlining material design for energy conversion and storage applications. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is an established technique used to study the chemical and electronic states of materials. While the surface sensitivity of XPS is typically high, use of tender X-ray energies and technical advancements have allowed for the direct probing of solid–vapor and solid–liquid interfaces. However, protocols and documentation of experimental considerations for operando XPS probing of working electrolyzers and fuel cells remain scarce. Herein, we report an approach for the study of working polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis cells using ambient pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS). This approach directly probes the composite electrode surface on the membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in 100% relative humidity to establish a meaningful liquid layer for electrocatalysis. We carry out a systematic investigation from the cell constituent components to a fully assembled working operando electrolytic system and establish a method for AP-XPS study of the complex composite MEA, providing recommendations for data acquisition and component analysis.

Hamlyn, Rebecca↗

STDN in the TDRSS and Shuttle Era

NASA presently maintains a worldwide system of ground tracking stations to provide communication support (tracking, telemetry and command) to all authorized user spacecraft missions. The set of ground stations supporting earth orbiting missions, and their supporting communication links (called NASCOM) to various NASA centers, is designated as the Spaceflight Tracking and Data Network (STDN). Major users of the STDN in the 1980's include LANDSAT-D, SEASAT-B and the Shuttle, all of which are capable of generating data at rates that cannot be handled by the present STDN ground stations. The expanded capabilities of the STDN in the 1980's to provide support to these missions and other users is addressed. The newest asset of the STDN, the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) is described, as are the remaining STDN ground stations (called the GSTDN). The Shuttle communications support is not only for the Shuttle itself, but also for the Spacelab, attached payloads (within the Shuttle bay), and detached payloads being either deployed or retrieved by Shuttle. The specific communications support being provided by STDN (both by TDRSS and by the GSTDN) to the Shuttle is also described.

Schwartz, J. J.↗

JPL's Space Flight Operations Center: Development project overview

The topics are covered in view graph form and include the following: (1) major elements of deep space flight programs; (2) development schedule; (3) primary design goals; (4) Space Flight Operations Center (SFOC) data systems architecture; (5) technical guidelines; (6) SFOC data system functional architecture; (7) typical SFOC node; (8) SFOC components; (9) SFOC software categories; (10) planned subsystem core diagram for Mars observer; (11) SFOC use of public domain/3rd party software; (12) SFOC hardware; (13) SFOC target six mission configuration; and (14) SFOC development status and plans.

Ebersole, M.↗