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NASA NTRS2004

NASA Workshop on Technology for Human Robotic Exploration and Development of Space

Continued constrained budgets and growing interests in the industrialization and development of space requires NASA to seize every opportunity for assuring the maximum return on space infrastructure investments. This workshop provided an excellent forum for reviewing, evaluating, and updating pertinent strategic planning, identifying advanced concepts and high-risk/high-leverage research and technology requirements, developing strategies and roadmaps, and establishing approaches, methodologies, modeling, and tools for facilitating the commercial development of space and supporting diverse exploration and scientific missions. Also, the workshop addressed important topic areas including revolutionary space systems requiring investments in innovative advanced technologies; achieving transformational space operations through the insertion of new technologies; revolutionary science in space through advanced systems and new technologies enabling experiments to go anytime to any location; and, innovative and ambitious concepts and approaches essential for promoting advancements in space transportation. Details concerning the workshop process, structure, and results are contained in the ensuing report.

Mankins, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Superalloy Lattice Block Structures

Initial investigations of investment cast superalloy lattice block suggest that this technology will yield a low cost approach to utilize the high temperature strength and environmental resistance of superalloys in lightweight, damage tolerant structural configurations. Work to date has demonstrated that relatively large superalloy lattice block panels can be successfully investment cast from both IN-718 and Mar-M247. These castings exhibited mechanical properties consistent with the strength of the same superalloys measured from more conventional castings. The lattice block structure also accommodates significant deformation without failure, and is defect tolerant in fatigue. The potential of lattice block structures opens new opportunities for the use of superalloys in future generations of aircraft applications that demand strength and environmental resistance at elevated temperatures along with low weight.

Nathal, M. V.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Culturability as an indicator of succession in microbial communities

Successional theory predicts that opportunistic species with high investment of energy in reproduction and wide niche width will be replaced by equilibrium species with relatively higher investment of energy in maintenance and narrower niche width as communities develop. Since the ability to rapidly grow into a detectable colony on nonselective agar medium could be considered as characteristic of opportunistic types of bacteria, the percentage of culturable cells may be an indicator of successional state in microbial communities. The ratios of culturable cells (colony forming units on R2A agar) to total cells (acridine orange direct microscopic counts) and culturable cells to active cells (reduction of 5-cyano-2,3-ditolyl tetrazolium chloride) were measured over time in two types of laboratory microcosms (the rhizosphere of hydroponically grown wheat and aerobic, continuously stirred tank reactors containing plant biomass) to determine the effectiveness of culturabilty as an index of successional state. The culturable cell:total cell ratio in the rhizosphere decreased from approximately 0.25 to less than 0.05 during the first 30-50 days of plant growth, and from 0.65 to 0.14 during the first 7 days of operation of the bioreactor. The culturable cell:active cell ratio followed similar trends, but the values were consistently greater than the culturable cell:total cell ratio, and even exceeded I in early samples. Follow-up studies used a cultivation-independent method, terminal restriction fragment length polymorphisms (TRFLP) from whole community DNA, to assess community structure. The number of TRFLP peaks increased with time, while the number of culturable types did not, indicating that the general decrease in culturability is associated with a shift in community structure. The ratio of respired to assimilated C-14-labeled amino acids increased with the age of rhizosphere communities, supporting the hypothesis that a shift in resource allocation from growth to maintenance occurs with time. Results from this work indicate that the percentage of culturable cells may be a useful method for assessing the successional state of microbial communities.

NASA Center KSC↗
NASA NTRS2004

Transformational Systems Concepts and Technologies for Our Future in Space

NASA is constantly searching for new ideas and approaches yielding opportunities for assuring maximum returns on space infrastructure investments. Perhaps the idea of transformational innovation in developing space systems is long overdue. However, the concept of utilizing modular space system designs combined with stepping-stone development processes has merit and promises to return several times the original investment since each new space system or component is not treated as a unique and/or discrete design and development challenge. New space systems can be planned and designed so that each builds on the technology of previous systems and provides capabilities to support future advanced systems. Subsystems can be designed to use common modular components and achieve economies of scale, production, and operation. Standards, interoperability, and "plug and play" capabilities, when implemented vigorously and consistently, will result in systems that can be upgraded effectively with new technologies. This workshop explored many building-block approaches via way of example across a broad spectrum of technology discipline areas for potentially transforming space systems and inspiring future innovation. Details describing the workshop structure, process, and results are contained in this Conference Publication.

Howell, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Space Exploration Technologies Developed through Existing and New Research Partnerships Initiatives

The Space Partnership Development Program of NASA has been highly successful in leveraging commercial research investments to the strategic mission and applied research goals of the Agency through industry academic partnerships. This program is currently undergoing an outward-looking transformation towards Agency wide research and discovery goals that leverage partnership contributions to the strategic research needed to demonstrate enabling space exploration technologies encompassing both robotic spacecraft missions and human space flight. New Space Partnership Initiatives with incremental goals and milestones will allow a continuing series of accomplishments to be achieved throughout the duration of each initiative, permit the "lessons learned" and capabilities acquired from previous implementation steps to be incorporated into subsequent phases of the initiatives, and allow adjustments to be made to the implementation of the initiatives as new opportunities or challenges arise. An Agency technological risk reduction roadmap for any required technologies not currently available will identify the initiative focus areas for the development, demonstration and utilization of space resources supporting the production of power, air, and water, structures and shielding materials. This paper examines the successes to date, lessons learned, and programmatic outlook of enabling sustainable exploration and discovery through governmental, industrial, academic, and international partnerships. Previous government and industry technology development programs have demonstrated that a focused research program that appropriately shares the developmental risk can rapidly mature low Technology Readiness Level (TRL) technologies to the demonstration level. This cost effective and timely, reduced time to discovery, partnership approach to the development of needed technological capabilities addresses the dual use requirements by the investing partners. In addition, these partnerships help to ensure the attainment of complimenting human and robotic exploration goals for NASA while providing additional capabilities for sustainable scientific research benefiting life and security on Earth.

Nall, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2004

Demonstrating Robotic Autonomy in NASA's Intelligent Systems Project

This paper will provide an overview of NASA's investments in autonomy during the past five years within the Intelligent Systems Project, with particular attention paid to investments that have resulted in mission infusion of autonomy technology, in particular, into the recent Mars Exploration Rover (MER) mission. The content of the paper will be divided into two primary topic areas: a technical overview of the component technologies developed under the program, and a programmatic overview of the history and organization of the NASA IS project itself, with a focus on describing the program elements related to autonomy and intelligent robotics. The paper will also provide an overview of the September 2004 autonomy demonstrations, including a discussion of objectives, organization, and preliminary results (to the extent they are available before the submission deadline).

Morris, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2000

Satellite Broadcast of Graphical Weather Data Flight Tested

NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field's aviation Weather Information Communications (WINCOMM) and NASA Langley Research Center's Aviation Weather Information (AWIN) programs collaborated in a flight test and evaluation of a worldwide weather data-link capability using satellites. This successful flight testing moves NASA closer to its goal of developing advanced communications and information technologies to enable high-quality and timely dissemination of aviation weather information to all relevant users on the aviation information network. Recognized as a major contributing factor in aviation accidents and incidents, weather contributes directly or indirectly to nearly 80 percent of fatal general aviation (small private aircraft) accidents. In 1997, the Aeronautics Safety Investment Strategy Team s weather team produced a prioritized list of investment areas under weather accident prevention. Weather data dissemination is the most critical and highest ranked priority on the list. NASA's Aviation Safety Program founded the Aviation Weather Information initiative to focus efforts on significantly reducing the number of weather-related aviation fatalities. Access to accurate and timely weather data could contribute to a major reduction of weather-related incidents and accidents. However, a cost-effective solution has eluded most general aviation pilots because of the high cost of onboard weather radar equipment. Rockwell Collins, through a contract with NASA and in cooperation with WorldSpace Corporation, successfully completed ground and flight testing of a receiver and antenna in Johannesburg, South Africa. This NASA/Rockwell Collins project is an evaluation of worldwide weather data-link capability using transmissions from the Satellite Digital Audio Radio Services (S DARS) AfriStar satellite. Owned and operated by WorldSpace, AfriStar is a geostationary satellite that broadcasts commercial digital audio services to stationary and mobile platforms. S DARS satellites are the most powerful communications satellites produced to date, allowing users to receive signals using simple, low-cost patch antennas instead of more expensive, beam-steered antenna arrays. Engineers connected an inexpensive, commercially available radio receiver to a laptop computer and an antenna designed and built by Rockwell Collins, enabling them to receive WorldSpace signals from the AfriStar satellite during flight tests. WorldSpace broadcast their composite color graphical weather data files, which were multiplexed with normal audio streams, to the flat patch antenna mounted on a single-engine aircraft. The aircraft was equipped with a modified commercial S-DARS receiver, a Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) receiver, and a laptop computer with color display. Continuous data reception occurred during normal aircraft maneuvers performed throughout takeoff, cruise, and landing operations. In addition, engineers monitored receiver power levels during steep turns and banks. In most instances, the receiver was able to maintain acceptable power levels during all phases of flight and to obtain weather data with little or with the successful completion of ground and flight testing of a receiver and antenna in Johannesburg, South Africa, the team has started to prepare for experiments using highspeed aircraft in areas of the world with limited access to timely weather data. NASA plans to provide a more advanced antenna design and consultation support. This successful test of real-time aviation-related weather data is a positive step toward solving communications-specific issues associated with the dissemination of weather data directly to the cockpit.

Mallasch, Paul G.↗
NASA NTRS2005

D-Side: A Facility and Workforce Planning Group Multi-criteria Decision Support System for Johnson Space Center

"To understand and protect our home planet, to explore the universe and search for life, and to inspire the next generation of explorers" is NASA's mission. The Systems Management Office at Johnson Space Center (JSC) is searching for methods to effectively manage the Center's resources to meet NASA's mission. D-Side is a group multi-criteria decision support system (GMDSS) developed to support facility decisions at JSC. D-Side uses a series of sequential and structured processes to plot facilities in a three-dimensional (3-D) graph on the basis of each facility alignment with NASA's mission and goals, the extent to which other facilities are dependent on the facility, and the dollar value of capital investments that have been postponed at the facility relative to the facility replacement value. A similarity factor rank orders facilities based on their Euclidean distance from Ideal and Nadir points. These similarity factors are then used to allocate capital improvement resources across facilities. We also present a parallel model that can be used to support decisions concerning allocation of human resources investments across workforce units. Finally, we present results from a pilot study where 12 experienced facility managers from NASA used D-Side and the organization's current approach to rank order and allocate funds for capital improvement across 20 facilities. Users evaluated D-Side favorably in terms of ease of use, the quality of the decision-making process, decision quality, and overall value-added. Their evaluations of D-Side were significantly more favorable than their evaluations of the current approach. Keywords: NASA, Multi-Criteria Decision Making, Decision Support System, AHP, Euclidean Distance, 3-D Modeling, Facility Planning, Workforce Planning.

Tavana, Madjid↗
NASA NTRS2006

Marshall Space Flight Center Propulsion Systems Department (PSD) KM Initiative

NASA Marshall Space Flight Center s Propulsion Systems Department (PSD) is four months into a fifteen month Knowledge Management (KM) initiative to support enhanced engineering decision making and analyses, faster resolution of anomalies (near-term) and effective, efficient knowledge infused engineering processes, reduced knowledge attrition, and reduced anomaly occurrences (long-term). The near-term objective of this initiative is developing a KM Pilot project, within the context of a 3-5 year KM strategy, to introduce and evaluate the use of KM within PSD. An internal NASA/MSFC PSD KM team was established early in project formulation to maintain a practitioner, user-centric focus throughout the conceptual development, planning and deployment of KM technologies and capabilities with in the PSD. The PSD internal team is supported by the University of Alabama's Aging Infrastructure Systems Center Of Excellence (AISCE), Intergraph Corporation, and The Knowledge Institute. The principle product of the initial four month effort has been strategic planning of PSD KM implementation by first determining the "as is" state of KM capabilities and developing, planning and documenting the roadmap to achieve the desired "to be" state. Activities undertaken to support the planning phase have included data gathering; cultural surveys, group work-sessions, interviews, documentation review, and independent research. Assessments and analyses have been performed including industry benchmarking, related local and Agency initiatives, specific tools and techniques used and strategies for leveraging existing resources, people and technology to achieve common KM goals. Key findings captured in the PSD KM Strategic Plan include the system vision, purpose, stakeholders, prioritized strategic objectives mapped to the top ten practitioner needs and analysis of current resource usage. Opportunities identified from research, analyses, cultural/KM surveys and practitioner interviews include: executive and senior management sponsorship, KM awareness, promotion and training, cultural change management, process improvement, leveraging existing resources and new innovative technologies to align with other NASA KM initiatives (convergence: the big picture). To enable results based incremental implementation and future growth of the KM initiative, key performance measures have been identified including stakeholder value, system utility, learning and growth (knowledge capture, sharing, reduced anomaly recurrence), cultural change, process improvement and return-on-investment. The next steps for the initial implementation spiral (focused on SSME Turbomachinery) have been identified, largely based on the organization and compilation of summary level engineering process models, data capture matrices, functional models and conceptual-level systems architecture. Key elements include detailed KM requirements definition, KM technology architecture assessment, evaluation and selection, deployable KM Pilot design, development, implementation and evaluation, and justifying full implementation (estimated Return-on-Investment). Features identified for the notional system architecture include the knowledge presentation layer (and its components), knowledge network layer (and its components), knowledge storage layer (and its components), User Interface and capabilities. This paper provides a snapshot of the progress to date, the near term planning for deploying the KM pilot project and a forward look at results based growth of KM capabilities with-in the MSFC PSD.

Caraccioli, Paul↗
NASA NTRS2006

Verification, Validation, and Accreditation Challenges of Distributed Simulation for Space Exploration Technology

Throughout its rich history, NASA has invested heavily in sophisticated simulation capabilities. These capabilities reside in NASA facilities across the country - and with partners around the world. NASA s Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) has the opportunity to leverage these considerable investments to resolve technical questions relating to its missions. The distributed nature of the assets, both in terms of geography and organization, present challenges to their combined and coordinated use, but precedents of geographically distributed real-time simulations exist. This paper will show how technological advances in simulation can be employed to address the issues associated with netting NASA simulation assets.

Thomas, Danny↗
NASA NTRS2006

Telecommunications IT and navigation for future Mars exploration missions 2006 IEEE Aerospace Conference

There are three primary drivers behind current investments in telecommunications information technology and navigation. One is finding ways to maximize the volume of science data returned from missions since i nstrument data generation often exceeds communication bandwidth. Another is to provide the necessary technology to enable networked spacecraft around Mars. The third driver is to enable more precise landing so in-situ vehicles can be placed in the more scientifically interesting regions. This paper describes the current NASA investments in these areas funded through the NASA Mars Technology Base Program NRA.

data compression↗
NASA NTRS2006

In-Space Propulsion Solar Electric Propulsion Program Overview of 2006

The primary source of electric propulsion development throughout NASA is implemented by the In-Space Propulsion Technology Project at the NASA MSFC under the management of the Science Mission Directorate. The Solar Electric Propulsion technology area's objective is to develop near and mid-term SEP technology to enhance or enable mission capture while minimizing risk and cost to the end user. Major activities include developing NASA s Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT), implementing a Standard Architecture, and developing a long life High Voltage Hall Accelerator (HiVHAC). Lower level investments include advanced feed system development, advanced cathode testing and xenon recovery testing. Progress on current investments and future plans are discussed.

Baggett, Randy M.↗
NASA NTRS2006

NASA Langley Systems Analysis & Concepts Directorate Technology Assessment/Portfolio Analysis

Systems analysis develops and documents candidate mission and architectures, associated system concepts, enabling capabilities and investment strategies to achieve NASA s strategic objectives. The technology assessment process connects the mission and architectures to the investment strategies. In order to successfully implement a technology assessment, there is a need to collect, manipulate, analyze, document, and disseminate technology-related information. Information must be collected and organized on the wide variety of potentially applicable technologies, including: previous research results, key technical parameters and characteristics, technology readiness levels, relationships to other technologies, costs, and potential barriers and risks. This information must be manipulated to facilitate planning and documentation. An assessment is included of the programmatic and technical risks associated with each technology task as well as potential risk mitigation plans. Risks are assessed and tracked in terms of likelihood of the risk occurring and consequences of the risk if it does occur. The risk assessments take into account cost, schedule, and technical risk dimensions. Assessment data must be simplified for presentation to decision makers. The Systems Analysis and Concepts Directorate (SACD) at NASA Langley Research Center has a wealth of experience in performing Technology Assessment and Portfolio Analysis as this has been a business line since 1978.

Cavanaugh, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2006

Technology Transition a Model for Infusion and Commercialization

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration has as part of its charter the mission of transferring technologies developed for the space program into the private sector for the purpose of affording back to the American people the economical and improved quality of life benefits associated with the technologies developed. In recent years considerable effort has been made to use this program for not only transitioning technologies out of the NASA Mission Directorate Programs, but also to transfer technologies into the Mission Directorate Programs and leverage the impact of government and private sector innovation. The objective of this paper is to outline an approach and the creation of a model that brings together industry, government, and commercialization strategies. When these elements are integrated, the probability of successful technology development, technology infusion into the Mission Programs, and commercialization into the private sector is increased. This model primarily addresses technology readiness levels between TRL 3 and TRL 6. This is typically a gap area known as the valley of death. This gap area is too low for commercial entities to invest heavily and not developed enough for major programs to actively pursue. This model has shown promise for increasing the probably of TRL advancement to an acceptable level for NASA programs and/or commercial entities to afford large investments toward either commercialization or infusion.

McMillan, Vernotto C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Spitzer Pre Launch Mission Operations System - The Road to Launch

Spitzer Space Telescope was launched on 25 August 2003 into an Earth-trailing solar orbit to acquire infrared observations from space. Development of the Mission Operations System (MOS) portion prior to launch was very different from planetary missions from the stand point that the MOS teams and Ground Data System had to be ready to support all aspects of the mission at launch (i.e., no cruise period for finalizing the implementation). For Spitzer, all mission-critical events post launch happen in hours or days rather than months or years, as is traditional with deep space missions. At the end of 2000 the Project was dealt a major blow when the Mission Operations System (MOS) had an unsuccessful Critical Design Review (CDR). The project made major changes at the beginning of 2001 in an effort to get the MOS (and Project) back on track. The result for the Spitzer Space Telescope was a successful launch of the observatory followed by an extremely successful In Orbit Checkout (IOC) and operations phase. This paper describes how the project was able to recover the MOS to a successful Delta (CDR) by mid 2001, and what changes in philosophies, experiences, and lessons learned followed. It describes how projects must invest early or else invest heavily later in the development phase to achieve a successful operations phase.

observatory↗
NASA NTRS2007

Space and Terrestrial Power System Integration Optimization Code BRMAPS for Gas Turbine Space Power Plants With Nuclear Reactor Heat Sources

In view of the difficult times the US and global economies are experiencing today, funds for the development of advanced fission reactors nuclear power systems for space propulsion and planetary surface applications are currently not available. However, according to the Energy Policy Act of 2005 the U.S. needs to invest in developing fission reactor technology for ground based terrestrial power plants. Such plants would make a significant contribution toward drastic reduction of worldwide greenhouse gas emissions and associated global warming. To accomplish this goal the Next Generation Nuclear Plant Project (NGNP) has been established by DOE under the Generation IV Nuclear Systems Initiative. Idaho National Laboratory (INL) was designated as the lead in the development of VHTR (Very High Temperature Reactor) and HTGR (High Temperature Gas Reactor) technology to be integrated with MMW (multi-megawatt) helium gas turbine driven electric power AC generators. However, the advantages of transmitting power in high voltage DC form over large distances are also explored in the seminar lecture series. As an attractive alternate heat source the Liquid Fluoride Reactor (LFR), pioneered at ORNL (Oak Ridge National Laboratory) in the mid 1960's, would offer much higher energy yields than current nuclear plants by using an inherently safe energy conversion scheme based on the Thorium --> U233 fuel cycle and a fission process with a negative temperature coefficient of reactivity. The power plants are to be sized to meet electric power demand during peak periods and also for providing thermal energy for hydrogen (H2) production during "off peak" periods. This approach will both supply electric power by using environmentally clean nuclear heat which does not generate green house gases, and also provide a clean fuel H2 for the future, when, due to increased global demand and the decline in discovering new deposits, our supply of liquid fossil fuels will have been used up. This is expected within the next 30 to 50 years, as predicted by the Hubbert model and confirmed by other global energy consumption prognoses. Having invested national resources into the development of NGNP, the technology and experience accumulated during the project needs to be documented clearly and in sufficient detail for young engineers coming on-board at both DOE and NASA to acquire it. Hands on training on reactor operation, test rigs of turbomachinery, and heat exchanger components, as well as computational tools will be needed. Senior scientist/engineers involved with the development of NGNP should also be encouraged to participate as lecturers, instructors, or adjunct professors at local universities having engineering (mechanical, electrical, nuclear/chemical, and/or materials) as one of their fields of study.

Juhasz, Albert J.↗
NASA NTRS2007

On Representative Spaceflight Instrument and Associated Instrument Sensor Web Framework

Sensor Web-based adaptation and sharing of space flight mission resources, including those of the Space-Ground and Control-User communication segment, could greatly benefit from utilization of heritage Internet Protocols and devices applied for Spaceflight (SpaceIP). This had been successfully demonstrated by a few recent spaceflight experiments. However, while terrestrial applications of Internet protocols are well developed and understood (mostly due to billions of dollars in investments by the military and industry), the spaceflight application of Internet protocols is still in its infancy. Progress in the developments of SpaceIP-enabled instrument components will largely determine the SpaceIP utilization of those investments and acceptance in years to come. Likewise SpaceIP, the development of commercial real-time and instrument colocated computational resources, data compression and storage, can be enabled on-board a spacecraft and, in turn, support a powerful application to Sensor Web-based design of a spaceflight instrument. Sensor Web-enabled reconfiguration and adaptation of structures for hardware resources and information systems will commence application of Field Programmable Arrays (FPGA) and other aerospace programmable logic devices for what this technology was intended. These are a few obvious potential benefits of Sensor Web technologies for spaceflight applications. However, they are still waiting to be explored. This is because there is a need for a new approach to spaceflight instrumentation in order to make these mature sensor web technologies applicable for spaceflight. In this paper we present an approach in developing related and enabling spaceflight instrument-level technologies based on the new concept of a representative spaceflight Instrument Sensor Web (ISW).

Kizhner, Semion↗
NASA NTRS2006

Cassini Engineering Operations at Saturn

These presentation viewgraphs shows the engineering operations that have contributed to the unprecedented scientific success of the Cassini and Huygens missions, and how engineering operations are planned and implemented in concert with the required sequence of science observations. Frequent Orbit Trim Maneuvers (OTM) keep Cassini on the correct trajectory to complete the planned Saturn Tour. Considerable effort has been invested in detailed planning of the complete set of science observations associated with this Tour, so a robust OTM strategy is necessary to protect this investment by ensuring the spacecraft keeps to the planned trajectory.

systems engineering↗