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An Undergraduate Intern Program at PACES

The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) established the Pan American Center for Earth and Environmental Studies (PACES) in 1995 to conduct basic and applied research that contributes to NASA's Mission to Planet Earth. Specifically, PACES provides a repository of remote sensing and other information that supports investigations into an improved understanding of geological, ecological and environmental processes occurring in the southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Approximately 85% of UTEP's students come from El Paso County, a fast growing urban region representative of many large cities in the Southwest that have, or will soon have, a majority of their population composed of groups currently underrepresented in the scientific and technical workforce. UTEP's student population has an ethnic distribution (63% Hispanic, 32% Anglo, 3% African American, 1.5 % Asian American, and less than 1% Native American) that closely matches the demographics of the region it serves. Thus, UTEP has a mission to serve a multicultural population where minority students comprise the majority. Most Hispanic students at UTEP are primarily of Mexican origin. A large number are first or second-generation U.S. citizens. Characteristics that unite Hispanic students, in particular those of Mexican-origin, are a strong sense of family loyalty and a belief that all family members are responsible for contributing to the economic stability and well-being of the family. Most of their families are larger in number than the national average, and a variety of generations live together or share considerable resources. Thus, many young people feel an obligation and a desire to go to work at a young age and to continue working while in college, thereby assisting their parents and other family members. Older siblings understand that they have responsibilities to do household chores, to aid their younger siblings economically, and to assist elderly family members. This "work ethic" within the context of family responsisilities is often viewed as being as important as higher education aspirations by both parents and university students. As a consequence, much effort at UTEP has been placed in recent years upon creating opportunities for students to earn income while working on campus as undergraduate research assistants on research projects related to their majors. Work assignments of this sort serve to promote retention efforts, to introduce students with the possibility of graduate study and to develop students professionally. Also, the involvement of students in group-oriented research projects at UTEP which require frequent oral and written reports has been proven beneficial at promoting communication skills of students. Because an estimated 60% of UTEP's students are first-generation college students, many are often uncertain graduate education.

Starks, Scott A.↗

Spitzer Space Telescope Sequencing Operations Software, Strategies, and Lessons Learned

The Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) was launched in August, 2003, and renamed to the Spitzer Space Telescope in 2004. Two years of observing the universe in the wavelength range from 3 to 180 microns has yielded enormous scientific discoveries. Since this magnificent observatory has a limited lifetime, maximizing science viewing efficiency (ie, maximizing time spent executing activities directly related to science observations) was the key operational objective. The strategy employed for maximizing science viewing efficiency was to optimize spacecraft flexibility, adaptability, and use of observation time. The selected approach involved implementation of a multi-engine sequencing architecture coupled with nondeterministic spacecraft and science execution times. This approach, though effective, added much complexity to uplink operations and sequence development. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) manages Spitzer s operations. As part of the uplink process, Spitzer s Mission Sequence Team (MST) was tasked with processing observatory inputs from the Spitzer Science Center (SSC) into efficiently integrated, constraint-checked, and modeled review and command products which accommodated the complexity of non-deterministic spacecraft and science event executions without increasing operations costs. The MST developed processes, scripts, and participated in the adaptation of multi-mission core software to enable rapid processing of complex sequences. The MST was also tasked with developing a Downlink Keyword File (DKF) which could instruct Deep Space Network (DSN) stations on how and when to configure themselves to receive Spitzer science data. As MST and uplink operations developed, important lessons were learned that should be applied to future missions, especially those missions which employ command-intensive operations via a multi-engine sequence architecture.

missions operations↗

Noise Prediction Module for Offset Stream Nozzles

A Modern Design of Experiments (MDOE) analysis of data acquired for an offset stream technology was presented. The data acquisition and concept development were funded under a Supersonics NRA NNX07AC62A awarded to Dimitri Papamoschou at University of California, Irvine. The technology involved the introduction of airfoils in the fan stream of a bypass ratio (BPR) two nozzle system operated at transonic exhaust speeds. The vanes deflected the fan stream relative to the core stream and resulted in reduced sideline noise for polar angles in the peak jet noise direction. Noise prediction models were developed for a range of vane configurations. The models interface with an existing ANOPP module and can be used or future system level studies.

Henderson, Brenda S.↗

Internship Abstract - Aerosciences and Flight Mechanics Intern

Mars is a hard place to land on, but my internship with NASA's Aerosciences & Flight Mechanics branch has shown me the ways in which men and women will one day land safely. I work on Mars Aerocapture, an aeroassist maneuver that reduces the fuel necessary to "capture" into Martian orbit before a descent. The spacecraft flies through the Martian atmosphere to lose energy through heating before it exits back into space, this time at a slower velocity and in orbit around Mars. Spacecraft will need to maneuver through the Martian atmosphere to accurately hit their orbit, and they will need to survive the generated heat. Engineering teams need simulation data to continue their designs, and the guidance algorithm that ensures a proper orbit insertion needs to be refined - two jobs that fell to me at the summer's start. Engineers within my branch have developed two concept aerocapture vehicles, and I run simulations on their behavior during the maneuver. I also test and refine the guidance algorithm. I spent the first few weeks familiarizing myself with the simulation software, troubleshooting various guidance bugs and writing code. Everything runs smoothly now, and I recently sent my first set of trajectory data to a Thermal Protection System group so they can incorporate it into their heat-bearing material designs. I hope to generate plenty of data in the next few weeks for various engineering groups before my internship ends mid-August. My major accomplishment so far is improving the guidance algorithm. It is a relatively new algorithm that promises higher accuracy and fuel efficiency, but it hasn't undergone extensive testing yet. I've had the opportunity to work with the principal developer - a professor at Iowa State University - to find and fix several issues. I was also assigned the task of expanding the branch's aerodynamic heating simulation software. I am excited to do this because engineers in the future will use my work to generate meaningful data and make design decisions. My internship has taught me to how to teach myself. There are no tutors, study sessions or professor office hours. When I am given an assignment I am expected to figure out how to accomplish it, and I have grown in my problem solving abilities. My summer experience has reinforced my drive to work at NASA, and I can definitely see myself working full time on the aerocapture project, or something similar.

Rangel, John↗

Maximum entropy modeling to identify physical drivers of shallow snowpack heterogeneity using unpiloted aerial system (UAS) lidar

Understanding the spatial variability of the snowpack is valuable for hydrologists and ecologists seeking to predict hydrological processes in a cold region. Snow distribution is a function of interactions among static variables, such as terrain, vegetation, and soil properties, and dynamic meteorological variables, such as solar radiation, wind speed and direction, and soil moisture. However, identifying the dominant physical drivers responsible for spatial patterns of the snowpack, particularly for ephemeral, shallow snowpacks, has been challenging due to the lack of the high-resolution snowpack and physical variables with high vertical accuracy as well as inherent limitations in traditional approaches. This study uses an Unpiloted Aerial System (UAS) lidar-based snow depth and static variables (1-m spatial resolution) to analyze field-scale spatial structures of snow depth and apply the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to identify primary controls over open terrain and forests at the University of New Hampshire Thompson Farm Research Observatory, New Hampshire, United States. We found that, among nine topographic and soil variables, plant functional type and terrain roughness contribute up to 80% and 76% of relative importance in the MaxEnt framework to predict locations of deeper or shallower snowpacks, respectively, across a mixed temperate forested and field landscape. Soil variables, such as organic matter and saturated hydraulic conductivity, were also important controls (up to 70% and 81%) on snow depth spatial variations for both open and forested landscapes suggesting spatial variations in soil variables under snow can control thermal transfer among soil, snowpack, and surface-atmosphere. This work contributes to improving land surface and snow models by informing parameterization of the sub-grid scale snow depths, down-scaling remotely sensed snow products, and understanding field scale snow states.

Eunsang Cho↗

Southern California Health & Air Quality: Using Remote Sensing to Detect the Frequency and Drivers of Red Tide Blooms in California to Assist in the Management of Human and Marine Exposure to Algal Toxins

In 2020, the dinoflagellate species Lingulodinium polyedra was measured at unprecedented levels off the southern California coast, raising concern for local communities. At high levels, L. polyedra can cause marine life mortality, food-borne illness, and respiratory-related health risks in humans. In partnership with the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Southwest Fisheries Science Center, the California Department of Public Health, and the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography, this project utilized satellite imagery to visualize and analyze spatiotemporal trends of historical red tide events associated with L. polyedra. Using the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership’s (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), Aqua’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and Global Change Observation Mission – Climate (GCOM-C) Second Generation Global Imager (SGLI), the team assessed the validity of using multiple sensors in detecting chlorophyll-a as a proxy for dinoflagellate dominated-algal blooms. The results suggest that VIIRS imagery processed using the Color Index algorithm from Hu et al. (2013), amongst all other algorithms and Earth observations assessed, shows the most promise in identifying L. polyedra blooms. The end products included an ArcGIS Dashboard and Google Earth Engine tool that when combined, provided users with spatial and temporal trends, interactive interfaces to analyze the effectiveness of various sensors and algorithms, and an overall contribution to aid in the management of human health and the economy impacted by harmful algal blooms.

Harmful algal bloom↗

Enabling Affordable Communications for the Burgeoning Deep Space Cubesat Fleet

The low costs of development and launch, coupled with new propulsive technologies, have made CubeSats increasingly popular for use in science investigations beyond geosynchronous orbit. As this deep space CubeSat fleet grows in size, the challenge of trying to provide affordable communications for it grows commensurately. The mass, power, and volume constraints inherent to CubeSats limit the antenna size and transmit power that they can use to close the deep space link. As a consequence, CubeSats need to rely more heavily on ground antennas that are characterized by large aperture, low noise temperatures, and relatively high-power transmitters. Such antennas are not in great abundance, nor are they inexpensive to build. For this reason, NASA’s Deep Space Network has been advocating a three-pronged approach to meeting anticipated CubeSat demand: development of simultaneous, shared-beam multi-spacecraft communications capabilities, development of large-antenna cross-support arrangements with other agencies and universities, and development of less uplink-intensive navigation techniques. This paper focuses on the pursuit of simultaneous, shared-beam multi-spacecraft communications capabilities. While the Multiple Spacecraft per Antenna (MSPA) technique has existed for over a decade, it has generally been limited to supporting downlink for just two in-beam spacecraft at a time. This limitation has largely been a function of the number and cost of available receivers. A relatively new technique that potentially overcomes this limitation is Opportunistic MSPA (OMSPA). Instead of relying on additional receivers, OMSPA makes use of a digital recorder at each ground station that is capable of capturing the intermediate frequency (IF) signals from every spacecraft in the antenna beam within the frequency bands of interest. When CubeSat projects see one or more opportunities for their CubeSat(s) to intercept the traditionally scheduled antenna beam of a “host” spacecraft, they can arrange for the CubeSat(s) to transmit open loop during those opportunities. Via a secure Internet site, the CubeSat mission operators can then retrieve the time- and frequency-relevant portions of the digital recording for subsequent demodulation and decoding, or subscribe to a service that does it for them. This “opportunistic” use of a host spacecraft’s ground antenna beam potentially enables CubeSat projects to make use of large ground antennas for downlink without having to compete with bigger, better-funded missions for antenna time in the formal scheduling process. In so doing, it also potentially enables CubeSat projects to avoid the aperture fees associated with formally scheduled downlink time - fees that factor into the “bottom-line” of competitively-bid NASA missions and that actually get charged to non-NASA missions. Taking advantage of these potential OMSPA benefits, however, will require CubeSat projects to pursue mission designs that ensure at least periodic in-beam operations relative to a “host” spacecraft. In the case of a constellation of CubeSats with inter-spacecraft distances that do not extend outside of the beam-width of the desired ground antenna at the given range, one CubeSat can serve as the “host” and have a formally scheduled downlink while the rest of the CubeSats can downlink essentially for “free” via OMSPA. Deep space CubeSats, of course, will need uplink in addition to downlink. Beyond commanding, this need is driven by the use of two-way ranging and Doppler for navigation. While OMSPA may not directly facilitate uplink, it does have the potential to free up antennas for those spacecraft that periodically require formally scheduled links for commanding and two-way radio metrics. NASA is also exploring the physical feasibility of an in-beam, simultaneous multi-spacecraft uplink technique. As with OMSPA, if successful, it will require little new equipment, further enabling affordable deep space CubeSat communications.

Abraham, Douglas S.↗

Sugars as the optimal biosynthetic carbon substrate of aqueous life throughout the universe

Our previous analysis of the energetics of metabolism showed that both the biosynthesis of amino acids and lipids from sugars, and the fermentation of organic substrates, were energetically driven by electron transfer reactions resulting in carbon redox disproportionation (Weber, 1997). Redox disproportionation--the spontaneous (energetically favorable) direction of carbon group transformation in biosynthesis--is brought about and driven by the energetically downhill transfer of electron pairs from more oxidized carbon groups (with lower half-cell reduction potentials) to more reduced carbon groups (with higher half-cell reduction potentials). In this report, we compare the redox and kinetic properties of carbon groups in order to evaluate the relative biosynthetic capability of organic substrates, and to identify the optimal biosubstrate. This analysis revealed that sugars (monocarbonyl alditols) are the optimal biosynthetic substrate because they contain the maximum number of biosynthetically useful high energy electrons/carbon atom while still containing a single carbonyl group needed to kinetically facilitate their conversion to useful biosynthetic intermediates. This conclusion applies to aqueous life throughout the Universe because it is based on invariant aqueous carbon chemistry--primarily, the universal reduction potentials of carbon groups.

NASA Center ARC↗

Sugars as the Optimal Biosynthetic Carbon Substrate of Aqueous Life throughout the Universe

Our previous analysis of the energetics of metabolism showed that both the biosynthesis of amino acids and lipids from sugars, and the fermentation of organic substrates, were energetically driven by electron transfer reactions resulting in carbon redox disproportionation (Weber 1997). Redox disproportionation -- the spontaneous (energetically favorable) direction of carbon group transformation in biosynthesis -- is brought about and driven by the energetically downhill transfer of electron pairs from more oxidized carbon groups (with lower half-cell reduction potentials) to more reduced carbon groups (with higher half-cell reduction potentials). In this report, we compare the redox and kinetic properties of carbon groups in order to evaluate the relative biosynthetic capability of organic substrates, and to identify the optimal biosubstrate. This analysis revealed that sugars (monocarbonyl alditols) are the optimal biosynthetic substrate because they contain the maximum number of biosynthetically useful .high energy electrons/carbon atom , while still containing a single carbonyl group needed to kinetically facilitate their conversion to useful biosynthetic intermediates. This conclusion applies to aqueous life throughout the Universe because it is based on invariant aqueous carbon chemistry -- primarily, the universal reduction potentials of carbon groups.

Weber, Arthur L.↗

To Support Research Activities Under the NASA Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research

The Alabama NASA EPSCoR Program is a collaborative venture of The Alabama Space Grant Consortium, The Alabama EPSCoR, and faculty and staff at 10 Alabama colleges and universities as well as the Alabama School of Math and Science in Mobile. There are two Research Clusters which include infrastructure-building and outreach elements embedded in their research activities. Each of the two Research Clusters is in an area of clear and demonstrable relevance to NASA's mission, to components of other Alabama EPSCoR projects, and to the State of Alabama's economic development. This Final Report summarizes and reports upon those additional activities occurring after the first report was submitted in March 2000 (included here as Appendix C). Since the nature of the activities and the manner in which they relate to one another differ by cluster, these clusters function independently and are summarized in parallel in this report. They do share a common administration by the Alabama Space Grant Consortium (ASGC) and by this means, good ideas from each group were communicated to the other, as appropriate. During the past year these research teams, involving 15 scientists, 16 graduate students, 16 undergraduates, and 7 high school students involving 10 Alabama universities had 14 peer reviewed scientific journal articles published, 21 others reviewed for publication or published in proceedings, gave 7 formal presentations and numerous informal presentations to well over 3000 people, received 3 patents and were awarded 14 research proposals for more than $213K dollars in additional research related to these investigations. Each cluster's activities are described and an Appendix summarizes these achievements.

Gregory, John C.↗

Large-angle cosmic microwave background anisotropies in an open universe

If the universe is open, scales larger than the curvature scale may be probed by observation of large-angle fluctuations in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We consider primordial adiabatic perturbations and discuss power spectra that are power laws in volume, wavelength, and eigenvalue of the Laplace operator. Such spectra may have arisen if, for example, the universe underwent a period of `frustated' inflation. The resulting large-angle anisotropies of the CMB are computed. The amplitude generally increases as Omega is decreased but decreases as h is increased. Interestingly enough, for all three Ansaetze, anisotropies on angular scales larger than the curvature scale are suppressed relative to the anisotropies on scales smaller than the curvature scale, but cosmic variance makes discrimination between various models difficult. Models with 0.2 approximately less than Omega h approximately less than 0.3 appear compatible with CMB fluctuations detected by Cosmic Background Explorer Satellite (COBE) and the Tenerife experiment and with the amplitude and spectrum of fluctuations of galaxy counts in the APM, CfA, and 1.2 Jy IRAS surveys. COBE normalization for these models yields sigma(sub 8) approximately = 0.5 - 0.7. Models with smaller values of Omega h when normalized to COBE require bias factors in excess of 2 to be compatible with the observed galaxy counts on the 8/h Mpc scale. Requiring that the age of the universe exceed 10 Gyr implies that Omega approximately greater than 0.25, while requiring that from the last-scattering term in the Sachs-Wolfe formula, large-angle anisotropies come primarily from the decay of potential fluctuations at z approximately less than 1/Omega. Thus, if the universe is open, COBE has been detecting temperature fluctuations produced at moderate redshift rather than at z approximately 1300.

Kamionkowski, Marc↗

NASA's Hydrogen Outpost: The Rocket Systems Area at Plum Brook Station

"There was pretty much a general knowledge about hydrogen and its capabilities," recalled former researcher Robert Graham. "The question was, could you use it in a rocket engine? Do we have the technology to handle it? How will it cool? Will it produce so much heat release that we can't cool the engine? These were the questions that we had to address." The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Glenn Research Center, referred to historically as the Lewis Research Center, made a concerted effort to answer these and related questions in the 1950s and 1960s. The center played a critical role transforming hydrogen's theoretical potential into a flight-ready propellant. Since then NASA has utilized liquid hydrogen to send humans and robots to the Moon, propel dozens of spacecraft across the universe, orbit scores of satellite systems, and power 135 space shuttle flights. Rocket pioneers had recognized hydrogen's potential early on, but its extremely low boiling temperature and low density made it impracticable as a fuel. The Lewis laboratory first demonstrated that liquid hydrogen could be safely utilized in rocket and aircraft propulsion systems, then perfected techniques to store, pump, and cleanly burn the fuel, as well as use it to cool the engine. The Rocket Systems Area at Lewis's remote testing area, Plum Brook Station, played a little known, but important role in the center's hydrogen research efforts. This publication focuses on the activities at the Rocket Systems Area, but it also discusses hydrogen's role in NASA's space program and Lewis's overall hydrogen work. The Rocket Systems Area included nine physically modest test sites and three test stands dedicated to liquid-hydrogen-related research. In 1962 Cleveland Plain Dealer reporter Karl Abram claimed, "The rocket facility looks more like a petroleum refinery. Its test rigs sprout pipes, valves and tanks. During the night test runs, excess hydrogen is burned from special stacks in the best Oklahoma oil field tradition." Besides the Rocket Systems Area, Plum Brook Station also included a nuclear test reactor, a large vacuum tank, a hypersonic wind tunnel, and a full-scale upper-stage rocket stand. The Rocket Systems Area operated from 1961 until NASA shut down all of Plum Brook in 1974. The center reopened Plum Brook in the late 1980s and continues to use several test facilities. The Rocket Systems Area, however, was not restored. Today Plum Brook resembles a nature preserve more than an oil refinery. Lush fields and forests separate the large test facilities. Until recently, the abandoned Rocket Systems Area structures and equipment were visible amongst the greenery. These space-age ruins, particularly the three towers, stood as silent sentinels over the sparsely populated reservation. Few knew the story of these mysterious facilities when NASA removed them in the late 2000s.

Rocket Systems↗

Relational Information Management Data-Base System

DBMS with several features particularly useful to scientists and engineers. RIM5 interfaced with any application program written in language capable of Calling FORTRAN routines. Applications include data management for Space Shuttle Columbia tiles, aircraft flight tests, high-pressure piping, atmospheric chemistry, census, university registration, CAD/CAM Geometry, and civil-engineering dam construction.

Storaasli, O. O.↗

Local-scale stratigraphy of grooved terrain on Ganymede

The surface of the Jovian satellite, Ganymede, is divided into two main units, dark terrain cut by arcuate and subradial furrows, and light terrain consisting largely of areas with pervasive U-shaped grooves. The grooved terrain may be subdivided on the basis of pervasive morphology of groove domains into four terrain types: (1) elongate bands of parallel grooves (groove lanes); (2) polygonal domains of parallel grooves (grooved polygons); (3) polygonal domains of two orthogonal groove sets (reticulate terrain); and (4) polygons having two to several complexly cross-cutting groove sets (complex grooved terrain). Reticulate terrain is frequently dark and not extensively resurfaced, and grades to a more hummocky terrain type. The other three grooved terrain types have almost universally been resurfaced by light material during their emplacement. The sequence of events during grooved terrain emplacement has been investigated. An attempt is made to integrate observed geologic and tectonic patterns to better constrain the relative ages and styles of emplacement of grooved terrain types. A revised model of grooved terrain emplacement is proposed and is tested using detailed geologic mapping and measurement of crater density.

Murchie, Scott L.↗

Topological defects in extended inflation

The production of topological defects, especially cosmic strings, in extended inflation models was considered. In extended inflation, the Universe passes through a first-order phase transition via bubble percolation, which naturally allows defects to form at the end of inflation. The correlation length, which determines the number density of the defects, is related to the mean size of bubbles when they collide. This mechanism allows a natural combination of inflation and large scale structure via cosmic strings.

Copeland, Edmund J.↗

The RICIS concept

A cooperative program was initiated by JSC with the University of Houston - Clear Lake to support research in computing and information systems. The objective of this program is to provide continuing long-term research in support of the numerous mission and mission-related endeavors of NASA/JSC. The Research Institute for Computing and Information Systems (RICIS) concept is presented in form of viewgraphs. History of RICIS, its organization, and research status are discussed.

Macdonald, Robert B.↗

Adhesion and abrasion of surface materials in the Venusian aeolian environment

In laboratory simulations of the Venusian environment, rock and mineral 'target' surfaces struck by aeolian particles develop a thin layer of accretionary material derived from the particles' attrition debris. Accretion may be (in part) a manifestation of 'cold welding', a process well known in engineering, where bonding occurs between metals at a tribological interface. Accretion on geological materials was found to occur at all Venusian surface temperatures and for all types of materials tested. First-order variations in the amount deposited by particles are related to relative attrition susceptibilities. Second-order variations relate to properties of the particle-target interface. Variations in accretion volume are apparently independent of mineral chemistry and are only weakly dependent on crystallography. The results suggest that accretion should be a fairly universal phenomenon in areas of Venus subject to aeolian activity.

Marshall, John R.↗

Error Analysis of Wind Measurements for the University of Illinois Sodium Doppler Temperature System

Four-frequency lidar measurements of temperature and wind velocity require accurate frequency tuning to an absolute reference and long term frequency stability. We quantify frequency tuning errors for the Illinois sodium system, to measure absolute frequencies and a reference interferometer to measure relative frequencies. To determine laser tuning errors, we monitor the vapor cell and interferometer during lidar data acquisition and analyze the two signals for variations as functions of time. Both sodium cell and interferometer are the same as those used to frequency tune the laser. By quantifying the frequency variations of the laser during data acquisition, an error analysis of temperature and wind measurements can be calculated. These error bounds determine the confidence in the calculated temperatures and wind velocities.

Pfenninger, W. Matthew↗