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All sources NASA NTRS DOE OSTI

NASA NTRS1986

Controls, health assessment, and conditional monitoring for large, reusable, liquid rocket engines

Past and future progress in the performance of control systems for large, liquid rocket engines typified such as current state-of-the-art, the Shuttle Main Engine (SSME), is discussed. Details of the first decade of efforts, which culminates in the F-1 and J-2 Saturn engines control systems, are traced, noting problem modes and improvements which were implemented to realize the SSME. Future control system designs, to accommodate the requirements of operation of engines for a heavy lift launch vehicle, an orbital transfer vehicle and the aerospace plane, are summarized. Generic design upgrades needed include an expanded range of fault detection, maintenance as-needed instead of as-scheduled, reduced human involvement in engine operations, and increased control of internal engine states. Current NASA technology development programs aimed at meeting the future control system requirements are described.

Cikanek, H. A., III↗

NASA NTRS2016

Requirements for Designing Life Support System Architectures for Crewed Exploration Missions Beyond Low-Earth Orbit

NASA's technology development roadmaps provide guidance to focus technological development on areas that enable crewed exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Specifically, the technology area roadmap on human health, life support and habitation systems describes the need for life support system (LSS) technologies that can improve reliability and in-situ maintainability within a minimally-sized package while enabling a high degree of mission autonomy. To address the needs outlined by the guiding technology area roadmap, NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program has commissioned the Life Support Systems (LSS) Project to lead technology development in the areas of water recovery and management, atmosphere revitalization, and environmental monitoring. A notional exploration LSS architecture derived from the International Space has been developed and serves as the developmental basis for these efforts. Functional requirements and key performance parameters that guide the exploration LSS technology development efforts are presented and discussed. Areas where LSS flight operations aboard the ISS afford lessons learned that are relevant to exploration missions are highlighted.

Howard, David↗

NASA NTRS2016

Guiding Requirements for Designing Life Support System Architectures for Crewed Exploration Missions Beyond Low-Earth Orbit

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) technology development roadmaps provide guidance to focus technological development in areas that enable crewed exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit. Specifically, the technology area roadmap on human health, life support and habitation systems describes the need for life support system (LSS) technologies that can improve reliability and in-flight maintainability within a minimally-sized package while enabling a high degree of mission autonomy. To address the needs outlined by the guiding technology area roadmap, NASA's Advanced Exploration Systems (AES) Program has commissioned the Life Support Systems (LSS) Project to lead technology development in the areas of water recovery and management, atmosphere revitalization, and environmental monitoring. A notional exploration LSS architecture derived from the International Space has been developed and serves as the developmental basis for these efforts. Functional requirements and key performance parameters that guide the exploration LSS technology development efforts are presented and discussed. Areas where LSS flight operations aboard the ISS afford lessons learned that are relevant to exploration missions are highlighted.

Perry, Jay L.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Launch Vehicle and Spacecraft Transmitter Electromagnetic Compatibility

The Launch Services Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is the primary gate for acquiring commercial vehicles to provide a cost effective ride to space for NASA spacecraft. With the lunar Gateway, more human tended elements are planned for launch. One challenge facing the space industry is the proliferation of communication and science transmitters at frequencies beyond the qualification of space avionics and instruments. Studies have ensued to examine the intricacies of performing radiated susceptibility testing and analysis above 18 GHz. Changes in the launch vehicle communications interface to the range have also lead to new launch vehicle antenna systems and more reliance on GPS and telemetry systems. Finally, research initiated at KSC in the area of predicted electric field distributions in launch vehicle payload fairings have spawned Small Business Technology Transfer initiatives for industry to investigate statistical algorithm and computational improvements in large payload fairing modeling of transmitters at frequencies in the GHz range. These topics, along with electromagnetic compatibility testing for launch vehicles will be discussed.

Electromagnetic Testing Cavity Statistics↗

NASA NTRS2022

Neurosymbolic Hybrid Approach to Driver Collision Warning

There are two main algorithmic approaches to autonomous driving systems: (1) An end-to-end system in which a single deep neural network learns to map sensory input directly into appropriate warning and driving responses. (2) A mediated hybrid recognition system in which a system is created by combining independent modules that detect each semantic feature. While some researchers believe that deep learning can solve any problem, others believe that a more engineered and symbolic approach is needed to cope with complex environments with less data. Deep learning alone has achieved state-of-the-art results in many areas, from complex gameplay to predicting protein structures. In particular, in image classification and recognition, deep learning models have achieved accuracies as high as humans. But sometimes it can be very difficult to debug if the deep learning model doesn't work. Deep learning models can be vulnerable and are very sensitive to changes in data distribution. Generalization can be problematic. It's usually hard to prove why it works or doesn't. Deep learning models can also be vulnerable to adversarial attacks. Here, we combine deep learning-based object recognition and tracking with an adaptive neurosymbolic network agent, called the Non-Axiomatic Reasoning System (NARS), that can adapt to its environment by building concepts based on perceptual sequences. We achieved an improved intersection-over-union (IOU) object recognition performance of 0.65 in the adaptive retraining model compared to IOU 0.31 in the COCO data pre-trained model. We improved the object detection limits using RADAR sensors in a simulated environment, and demonstrated the weaving car detection capability by combining deep learning-based object detection and tracking with a neurosymbolic model.

Wang, Pei↗

DOE OSTI2020

Parallel high-frequency magnetic sensing with an array of flux transformers and multi-channel optically pumped magnetometer for hand MRI application

Here, we investigate an approach for parallel high-frequency magnetic sensing based on a multi-channel radio frequency (RF) optically pumped magnetometer (OPM) coupled to multiple flux transformers (FTs) with a focus on hand magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) application at ultra-low field (ULF). Multiple RF OPM sensing channels are realized by using a single large-area alkali-metal vapor cell and two laser beams for pumping and probing, shared for all the channels. This design leads to significant cost reduction when multi-channel sensing is desirable, as in the case of ULF MRI. The FT, composed of two connected coils, serves as a transmitter of a target magnetic field to the OPM, while decoupling the OPM from untargeted magnetic fields in the sensing area that can limit the OPM performance. For hand MRI application, theoretical and numerical analysis is performed to determine an optimal geometry for the FT array that could improve signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and sufficiently reduce crosstalk between FTs. We estimate that the optimized multi-channel FT-OPM sensor can achieve a magnetic field sensitivity of the order of 1 fT / Hz 1 / 2 above 100 kHz, which would be sufficient for 1 mm resolution MRI. In general, the multi-channel capability enables simultaneous magnetic measurements, thus reducing the sensing time and improving the SNR, and we anticipate many applications of the multi-channel FT-OPM sensor beyond the targeted here hand MRI: anatomical parallel ULF MRI of the human brain and other parts of the body, airport security screening, magnetic material imaging, and many others.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

NASA NTRS1984

Avionics/crew station integration

The U.S. Navy has been encouraging advanced development concepts aimed at increasing the aircraft instrumentation performance for multi-platform applications of 1990's weapons systems. The three areas covered by the Navy's research and development effort are: System Integration, Technology, and Human Factors. The System Integration objectives are to produce a system architecture easily adaptable to many platforms. Technology objectives are to determine the state of the art for displays, electronics, and controls. The Human Factors objectives are to determine the proper human-machine interfaces so that the ultimate crew station will be capable of providing the pilot with the proper display and controls performance to satisfy the diverse requirements of a fighter, attack, ASW, fixed-wing, rotary-wing, and V/STOL platforms in both a one-man crew or two-man crew matrix. All data/control interface among units of this crew station and other platform subsystems will be via digital data buses and video multiplex buses. No individual discrete signal, data, or control lines will be needed. This paper discusses the six interfaces necessary to ensure the optimum development of this crew station, the predicted platform mission improvements, and the requisite life-cycle cost considerations. This concept will serve as a basis for planning the integration of the necessary hardware and software features in current and future weapons systems.

Mulley, W. G.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Optimized Algorithms for Prediction within Robotic Tele-Operative Interfaces

Robonaut, the humanoid robot developed at the Dexterous Robotics Laboratory at NASA Johnson Space Center serves as a testbed for human-robot collaboration research and development efforts. One of the primary efforts investigates how adjustable autonomy can provide for a safe and more effective completion of manipulation-based tasks. A predictive algorithm developed in previous work was deployed as part of a software interface that can be used for long-distance tele-operation. In this paper we provide the details of this algorithm, how to improve upon the methods via optimization, and also present viable alternatives to the original algorithmic approach. We show that all of the algorithms presented can be optimized to meet the specifications of the metrics shown as being useful for measuring the performance of the predictive methods. Judicious feature selection also plays a significant role in the conclusions drawn.

Martin, Rodney A.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Biomimetics and the Development of Humanlike Robots as the Ultimate Challenge

Evolution led to effective solutions to nature's challenges and they were improved over millions of years. Humans have always made efforts to use nature as a model for innovation and problems solving. These efforts became more intensive in recent years where systematic studies of nature are being made towards better understanding and applying more sophisticated capabilities. Making humanlike robots, including the appearance, functions and intelligence, poses the ultimate challenges to biomimetics. For many years, making such robots was considered science fiction, but as a result of significant advances in biologically inspired technologies, such robots are increasingly becoming an engineering reality. There are already humanlike robots that walk, talk, interpret speech, make eye-contact and facial expressions, as well as perform many other humanlike functions. In this paper, the state-of-the-art of humanlike robots, potential applications and issues of concern will be reviewed.

humanlike↗

NASA NTRS2013

Space Radiation Analysis for the Mark III Spacesuit

NASA has continued the development of space systems by applying and integrating improved technologies that include safety issues, lightweight materials, and electronics. One such area is extravehicular (EVA) spacesuit development with the most recent Mark III spacesuit. In this paper the Mark III spacesuit is discussed in detail that includes the various components that comprise the spacesuit, materials and their chemical composition that make up the spacesuit, and a discussion of the 3-D CAD model of the Mark III spacesuit. In addition, the male (CAM) and female (CAF) computerized anatomical models are also discussed in detail. We combined the spacesuit and the human models, that is, we developed a method of incorporating the human models in the Mark III spacesuit and performed a ray-tracing technique to determine the space radiation shielding distributions for all of the critical body organs. These body organ shielding distributions include the BFO (Blood-Forming Organs), skin, eye, lungs, stomach, and colon, to name a few, for both the male and female. Using models of the trapped (Van Allen) proton and electron environments, radiation exposures were computed for a typical low earth orbit (LEO) EVA mission scenario including the geostationary (GEO) high electron environment. A radiation exposure assessment of these mission scenarios is made to determine whether or not the crew radiation exposure limits are satisfied, and if not, the additional shielding material that would be required to satisfy the crew limits.

Atwell, Bill↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

ExMC Digital Engineering

Future missions beyond Artemis II will become increasingly complex as multiple vehicles (e.g., Gateway, Human Landing System (HLS), and Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program (EHP)), each having their own Program requirements and other associated documentation, which will need to be integrated into a single mission. Currently, the Human Health and Performance Directorate (HHPD)Program Support Teams mostly use documents to manage, perform, and archive their analyses. Identifying an opportunity for efficiency, ExMC demonstrated the ability to utilize MagicDraw, a Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) tool, as a requirements database with traceability, dependencies, and relationships in one place. Rather than existing in documents, emails, and historical knowledge, ExMC pursued a Digital Engineering (DE) effort in coordination with HHPD by combining MBSE tools with other digital platforms to manage and develop user-defined databases and interfaces. This DE approach is aimed to simplify processes and reduce risk through the unification of requirements into a centralized digital network, improving collaboration, decision-making, and transparency compared to isolated documents and knowledge. However, manipulating data views and content in MagicDraw requires a steep learning curve not needed by all users and even the user-friendly web view comes with downsides due to the static views. To provide a more dynamic user interface, ExMC investigated the use of Microsoft Power Platform which does not require as steep of a learning curve to become proficient. This introduces analytics to the DE infrastructure, offering customizable and dynamic data dashboards. ExMC continues developing these dashboards and tailoring the DE infrastructure in alignment with HHPD workforce needs.

M Krihak↗

DOE OSTI2022

Development and performance of a HemeLB GPU code for human-scale blood flow simulation

In recent years, it has become increasingly common for high performance computers (HPC) to possess some level of heterogeneous architecture - typically in the form of GPU accelerators. In some machines these are isolated within a dedicated partition, whilst in others they are integral to all compute nodes - often with multiple GPUs per node - and provide the majority of a machine's compute performance. In light of this trend, it is becoming essential that codes deployed on HPC are updated to execute on accelerator hardware. Here, in this paper, we introduce a GPU implementation of the 3D blood flow simulation code HemeLB that has been developed using CUDA C++. We demonstrate how taking advantage of NVIDIA GPU hardware can achieve significant performance improvements compared to the equivalent CPU only code on which it has been built whilst retaining the excellent strong scaling characteristics that have been repeatedly demonstrated by the CPU version. With HPC positioned on the brink of the exascale era, we use HemeLB as a motivation to provide a discussion on some of the challenges that many users will face when deploying their own applications on upcoming exascale machines.

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗

NASA NTRS1997

Research Initiatives and Preliminary Results In Automation Design In Airspace Management in Free Flight

The NASA and the FAA have entered into a joint venture to explore, define, design and implement a new airspace management operating concept. The fundamental premise of that concept is that technologies and procedures need to be developed for flight deck and ground operations to improve the efficiency, the predictability, the flexibility and the safety of airspace management and operations. To that end NASA Ames has undertaken an initial development and exploration of "key concepts" in the free flight airspace management technology development. Human Factors issues in automation aiding design, coupled aiding systems between air and ground, communication protocols in distributed decision making, and analytic techniques for definition of concepts of airspace density and operator cognitive load have been undertaken. This paper reports the progress of these efforts, which are not intended to definitively solve the many evolving issues of design for future ATM systems, but to provide preliminary results to chart the parameters of performance and the topology of the analytic effort required. The preliminary research in provision of cockpit display of traffic information, dynamic density definition, distributed decision making, situation awareness models and human performance models is discussed as they focus on the theme of "design requirements".

Corker, Kevin↗

NASA NTRS2014

Behavioral Health and Performance at NASA JSC: Recent Successes and Future Plan for BHP Research and Operations

The Behavioral Health and Performance discipline at NASA Johnson Space Center is organized into two distinct Divisions (Biomedical Research and Environmental Science Division and Space and Clinical Operations Division) but is integrated and interrelated in its day‐to‐day work. Ongoing operations supporting NASA's spaceflight goals benefit from the research portfolios that address risks to mission success. Similarly, these research portfolios are informed by operations to ensure investigations stay relevant given the dynamic environment of spaceflight. There are many success stories that can be presented where initial work begun as a BHP Research project, and funded through the Human Research Program, was fully implemented in operations or addressed an operational need. Examples include improving effectiveness of the debriefings used within Mission Control by the Mission Operations Directorate and countermeasures for fatigue management. There is also ongoing collaboration with research and operations for developing selection methods for future generation astronauts, and to enhance and inform the current family support function. The objective of this panel is to provide examples of recent success stories, describe areas where close collaboration is benefitting ongoing research and operations, and summarize how this will come together as NASA plans for the one year ISS mission - a unique opportunity for both BHP operations and research to learn more about preparing and supporting crewmembers for extended missions in space. The proposed panel will be comprised of six presentations, each describing a unique aspect of research or operations and the benefits to current and future spaceflight.

Leveton, L. B.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Large Vehicle Lunar Landing Surface Interaction and In-Situ Resource Based Risk Mitigation

Landing Pad↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Large Vehicle Lunar Landing Surface Interaction and In-Situ Resource Based Risk Mitigation: Landing & Launch Pads

A key capability required for the exploration of planetary bodies is the ability to land on the surface. Previous work performed by NASA and other institutions has primarily focused on landing small spacecraft on planetary surfaces and the associated small-to-medium thrusters required for the soft landing. In the case of human exploration—particularly the establishment of long duration exploration and habitation outposts—the ability to land large landers, such as the SpaceX Starship, is necessary. These larger landing systems require the use of more powerful engines, with higher engine exhaust temperatures and higher landing loads. Understanding the excavation of material by the engines, as well as the potential for the landing legs to sink into the subsurface, is key in ensuring reliable and safe landings. A further improvement in landing reliability can be achieved by constructing landing / launch pads, especially with in-situ resources. Some material excavation by the plume is inevitable, leaving at least a portion of the surface scoured and uneven under the lander and ejecting regolith particles and rocks at very high velocities. One possible solution would be to robotically build landing / launch pads (ideally autonomously) at the destination using in-situ materials. In this case, the first one or few landers will need to land on unimproved surfaces at higher risk; however, they would bring the required equipment to build the landing pads with mostly local resources, thus increasing the reliability of safe landing for subsequent larger landers. A number of methods to build in-situ landing and launch pads have already been developed. These methods include no or some addition of required binder additives to the local regolith material, different processing approaches and result in varying landing pad strengths. A sub-scale rocket engine plume, was used to simulate some of the conditions of a landing on the Moon to assess the effectiveness of various materials for an in-situ built landing pad, The GO2/GCH4 rocket engine fired on 1m2 area coupons of representative pad materials. The results will allow continued development towards materials that satisfy the landing pad properties required for the effective risk reduction and increased reliability for landing people and equipment on the lunar surface. This work contained two parts: (1) computer modeling of a large rocket engine plume interacting with regolith on the Moon, using the Granular Gas Flow Solver (GGFS) provided by CFD Research Corporation as well as other computational fluid dynamics codes (CFD) such as Loci/CHEM. (2) Developing landing/launch pad materials that could be used for in-situ construction on the lunar surface in the future, to mitigate the calculated effects of a large vehicle rocket engine landing and launching on the Moon. The resulting computed values of plume impingement surface temperature, stagnation pressure, gas velocity, shear stress and heat flux were then matched as closely as possible in the Earth’s atmosphere in a sub-scale rocket engine GO2/CH4 test which was provided by Masten Space Systems in Mojave, California. The rocket engine was mounted on a test stand with vertical translation capabilities so that the landing operations of a lander could be simulated (Figure 1).The pad materials test coupons were placed at the surface of a large bin containing simulated lunar basalt regolith and subjected to a test firing as shown in Figure 2. The results of this testing will be presented with related findings, analysis and discussion.

Plume Surface Interaction↗

NASA NTRS2020

Landsat 9: Empowering Open Science and Applications Through Continuity

The history of Earth observation from space is well reflected through the Landsat program. With data collection beginning with Landsat-1 in 1972, the program has evolved technical capabilities while maintaining continuity of land observations. In so doing, Landsat has provided a critical reference for assessing long-term changes to Earth's land environment due to both natural and human forcing. Poised for launch in mid-2021, the joint NASA-USGS Landsat 9 mission will continue this important data record. In many respects Landsat 9 is a clone of Landsat-8. The Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) is largely identical to Landsat 8 OLI, providing calibrated imagery covering the solar reflected wavelengths. The Thermal Infrared Sensor-2 (TIRS-2) improves upon Landsat 8 TIRS, addressing known issues including stray light incursion and a malfunction of the instrument scene select mirror. In addition, Landsat 9 adds redundancy to TIRS-2, thus upgrading the instrument to a 5-year design life commensurate with other elements of the mission. Initial performance testing of OLI-2 and TIRS-2 indicate that the instruments are of excellent quality and expected to match or improve on Landsat 8 data quality. Landsat-9 will maintain the current data acquisition rate of up to 740 scenes per day, with these scenes available from the Landsat archive at no cost to users. In this communication, we provide background and rationale for the Landsat 9 mission, describe the instrument payloads and ground system, and discuss data products available from the Landsat 9 mission through USGS.

Jeffrey G. Masek↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Large Vehicle Lunar Landing Surface Interaction and In-Situ Resource Based Risk Mitigation: Landing & Launch Pads

A key capability required for the exploration of planetary bodies is the ability to land on the surface. Previous work performed by NASA and other institutions has primarily focused on landing small spacecraft on planetary surfaces and the associated small-to-medium thrusters required for the soft landing. In the case of human exploration—particularly the establishment of long duration exploration and habitation outposts—the ability to land large landers, such as the SpaceX Starship, is necessary. These larger landing systems require the use of more powerful engines, with higher engine exhaust temperatures and higher landing loads. Understanding the excavation of material by the engines, as well as the potential for the landing legs to sink into the subsurface, is key in ensuring reliable and safe landings. A further improvement in landing reliability can be achieved by constructing landing / launch pads, especially with in-situ resources. Some material excavation by the plume is inevitable, leaving at least a portion of the surface scoured and uneven under the lander and ejecting regolith particles and rocks at very high velocities. One possible solution would be to robotically build landing / launch pads (ideally autonomously) at the destination using in-situ materials. In this case, the first one or few landers will need to land on unimproved surfaces at higher risk; however, they would bring the required equipment to build the landing pads with mostly local resources, thus increasing the reliability of safe landing for subsequent larger landers. A number of methods to build in-situ landing and launch pads have already been developed. These methods include no, or some, addition of required binder additives to the local regolith material, different processing approaches and result in varying landing pad strengths. A sub-scale rocket engine plume, was used to simulate some of the conditions of a landing on the Moon to assess the effectiveness of various materials for an in-situ built landing pad, The GO2/GCH4rocket engine fired on a 1m2area coupons of representative pad materials. The results will allow continued development towards materials that satisfy the landing pad properties required for the effective risk reduction and increased reliability for landing people and equipment on the lunar surface. This work contained two parts: (1) computer modeling of a large rocket engine plume interacting with regolith on the Moon, using the Granular Gas Flow Solver (GGFS) provided by CFD Research Corporation as well as other computational fluid dynamics codes (CFD) such as Loci/CHEM. (2) Developing landing/launch pad materials that could be used for in-situ construction on the lunar surface in the future, to mitigate the calculated effects of a large vehicle rocket engine landing and launching on the Moon.

Lunar↗