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At least 955 records · Page 53

Recent NASA Wind Tunnel Free-Flight Testing of a Multirotor Unmanned Aircraft System Vehicle

Wind tunnel free-flight tests of a small quadrotor vehicle were completed in the NASA Langley 12-Foot Low Speed Tunnel and 20-Foot Vertical Spin Tunnel. The primary objective of these tests was to acquire flight data in forward and descending flight for the purpose of assessing the fidelity of an all-attitude flight dynamics simulation previously developed from static and dynamic wind tunnel data. A secondary objective was to demonstrate and mature free-flight test methods specific to the emerging class of small unmanned aircraft and urban air mobility vehicles. Experimental flight data correlated well with simulation predictions which included steady trim conditions consistent with straight and level flight and quasi-steady conditions associated with descent velocities prone to vortex ring state development. The test method was shown to be well suited to these classes of vehicles and several unique infrastructure requirements, including tether systems and data acquisition requirements were identified. In addition, unique operational test techniques and safety procedures were developed to accommodate the testing. Results of these tests will be used to support air traffic management studies and research into safety assurance concepts that enable the integration of these classes of vehicles into the National Airspace System.

John V Foster↗

Scalable Asset Discovery, Vulnerability Scanning, and Penetration Testing for Remote Sites and Wireless Spectrums Utilizing an Embedded Linux Plug - PwniPlug and the Raspberry Pi B+ as a Sample Pen Test

All devices attached to the NASA KSC network are subject to security vulnerability scanning and/or penetration testing. In today's changing environment, vulnerable and/or unprotected systems can easily be overlooked. Systems that are not properly managed can become a potential threat to the operational integrity of our systems and networks. This includes all NASA (internal and external) information systems within NASA KSC Internet Protocol (IP) address space, and NASA KSC facilities. The Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) recommends that all NASA Centers and information systems be subject to penetration testing on a regular interval in accordance with the guidelines identified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (ITS-HBK-2810.04-02A) Protecting information and equipment at NASA is an area of increasing concern. In addition to the CPU's on the network; Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems are especially vulnerable because these systems have lacked standards, use embedded controllers with little computational power and informal software, are connected to physical processes, have few operators, and are increasingly also being connected to corporate networks. The scope of work is comprised of several individual components which together build upon previous work by Drew Branch, NASA KSC Intern. The Pwn Plug is the selected COTS (Commercial-Off-The-Shelf) device chosen to test simplification of mandatory IT Security tasks. The device will be utilized to provide services to NASA KSC and enable an assessment of infrastructure soundness and regulatory compliance in an efficient, economical, and business responsive manner. The Pwn Plug is designed as a pen testing appliance which provides a hardware platform that can support commercial penetration testing efforts at significantly reduced costs. The expected outcomes are: 1) External Penetration Testing, 2) Social Engineering, 3) Procedural Documentation, 4) Recommended Remediation Action Plan, 5) System Retest & Remediation Attestation and 6) Final Reports, out briefing and Presentation. Due to physical and material constraints beyond intern and mentor control, the project was redefined as a working pen-test scenario. Limitations of lab availability and tools dictated an academic exercise. This report was developed within the scenario guidelines suggested by the project mentor. The guidelines were to be creative in developing a Pen Test program for a client.

Penetration Testing↗

Refurbishment and Automation of the Thermal/Vacuum Facilities at the Goddard Space Flight Center

The thermal/vacuum facilities located at the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) have supported both manned and unmanned space flight since the 1960s. Of the 11 facilities, currently 10 of the systems are scheduled for refurbishment and/or replacement as part of a 5-year implementation. Expected return on investment includes the reduction in test schedules, improvements in the safety of facility operations, reduction in the complexity of a test and the reduction in personnel support required for a test. Additionally, GSFC will become a global resource renowned for expertise in thermal engineering, mechanical engineering and for the automation of thermal/vacuum facilities and thermal/vacuum tests. Automation of the thermal/vacuum facilities includes the utilization of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and the use of Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems. These components allow the computer control and automation of mechanical components such as valves and pumps. In some cases, the chamber and chamber shroud require complete replacement while others require only mechanical component retrofit or replacement. The project of refurbishment and automation began in 1996 and has resulted in the computer control of one Facility (Facility #225) and the integration of electronically controlled devices and PLCs within several other facilities. Facility 225 has been successfully controlled by PLC and SCADA for over one year. Insignificant anomalies have occurred and were resolved with minimal impact to testing and operations. The amount of work remaining to be performed will occur over the next four to five years. Fiscal year 1998 includes the complete refurbishment of one facility, computer control of the thermal systems in two facilities, implementation of SCADA and PLC systems to support multiple facilities and the implementation of a Database server to allow efficient test management and data analysis.

Donohue, John T.↗

Development of an automated control center for the EUVE mission

The Automated Project Operations Control Center (APOCC) was developed to enable automated data acquisition, ground system management and spacecraft health and safety monitoring. The control center will be used for the Extreme Ultraviolet Explorer (EUVE) project to reduce operations staffing from three to one shift per day, while maintaining the science return and performing routine health and safety monitoring activities. The staff reduction is expected to yield a cost reduction of 250,000 dollars per year in comparison with a fully staffed, 24 hour/day operation. The APOCC infrastructure was designed to be reusable and extensible. Configurable data items are stored in data bases and spacecraft-specific information is stored in a health and safety monitoring knowledge base.

Penafiel, Catherine↗

Development of an OPO-Based Lidar System and Differential Absorption Measurements of Methane

An optical parametric oscillator (OPO) ground-based lidar system in the wavelength region of 1.45 - 4 pm for the remote measurement of methane will be described. The laser transmitter consists of an injection-seeded ND:YAG laser which pumps an OPO. The OPO output is tunable from 1.45 - 4 pm, with a bandwidth less than 500 MHz, and a pulse energy of 1 to 3 mJ at 3.29 microns. The receiver is cart-mounted and consists of a 14" telescope with 1.57 and 3.29 micron detector channels. A fast oscilloscope is used for data acquisition. The system performance will be tested through measurements of sources of atmospheric methane.

Lee, Sang W.↗

An OPO-Based Lidar System for Differential Absorption Measurements of Methane in the 3 micron region

A ground-based lidar system in the wavelength region of 1.45-4 microns for the remote measurement of methane is described. The laser transmitter consists of an injection-seeded Nd:YAG laser which pumps an OPO (optical parametric oscillator). The OPO output is tunable from 1.45-4 microns, with a bandwidth less than 500 MHz, and a pulse energy of 1 to 3 mJ at 3.29 microns. The receiver is cart-mounted and consists of a 14" telescope with 1.57 and 3.29 micron detector channels. A fast oscilloscope is used for data acquisition. The system performance will be tested through measurements of sources of atmospheric methane.

Lee, S. W.↗

Space biology initiative program definition review. Trade study 1: Automation costs versus crew utilization

A significant emphasis upon automation within the Space Biology Initiative hardware appears justified in order to conserve crew labor and crew training effort. Two generic forms of automation were identified: automation of data and information handling and decision making, and the automation of material handling, transfer, and processing. The use of automatic data acquisition, expert systems, robots, and machine vision will increase the volume of experiments and quality of results. The automation described may also influence efforts to miniaturize and modularize the large array of SBI hardware identified to date. The cost and benefit model developed appears to be a useful guideline for SBI equipment specifiers and designers. Additional refinements would enhance the validity of the model. Two NASA automation pilot programs, 'The Principal Investigator in a Box' and 'Rack Mounted Robots' were investigated and found to be quite appropriate for adaptation to the SBI program. There are other in-house NASA efforts that provide technology that may be appropriate for the SBI program. Important data is believed to exist in advanced medical labs throughout the U.S., Japan, and Europe. The information and data processing in medical analysis equipment is highly automated and future trends reveal continued progress in this area. However, automation of material handling and processing has progressed in a limited manner because the medical labs are not affected by the power and space constraints that Space Station medical equipment is faced with. Therefore, NASA's major emphasis in automation will require a lead effort in the automation of material handling to achieve optimal crew utilization.

Jackson, L. Neal↗

A combined boundary-profile and automated data-reduction and analysis system

A portable boundary-layer meteorological data-acquisition and analysis system is described which employs a small tethered balloon and a programmable calculator. The system is capable of measuring pressure, wet- and dry-bulb temperature, wind speed, and temperature fluctuations as a function of height and time. Other quantities, which can be calculated in terms of these, can also be made available in real time. All quantities, measured and calculated, can be printed, plotted, and stored on magnetic tape in the field during the data-acquisition phase of an experiment.

Deloach, R.↗

High Temperature Mechanical Characterization of Ceramic Matrix Composites

A high temperature mechanical characterization laboratory has been assembled at NASA Lewis Research Center. One contribution of this work is to test ceramic matrix composite specimens in tension in environmental extremes. Two high temperature tensile testing systems were assembled. The systems were assembled based on the performance and experience of other laboratories and meeting projected service conditions for the materials in question. The systems use frames with an electric actuator and a center screw. A PC based data acquisition and analysis system is used to collect and analyze the data. Mechanical extensometers are used to measure specimen strain. Thermocouples, placed near the specimen, are used to measure the specimen gage section temperature. The system for testing in air has a resistance element furnace with molybdenum disilicide elements and pneumatic grips with water cooling attached to hydraulic alignment devices. The system for testing in an inert gas has a graphite resistance element furnace in a chamber with rigidly mounted, water cooled, hydraulically actuated grips. Unidirectional SiC fiber reinforced reaction bonded Si3N4 and triaxially woven, two dimensional, SiC fiber reinforced enhanced SiC composites were tested in unidirectional tension. Theories for predicting the Young's modulus, modulus near the ultimate strength, first matrix cracking stress, and ultimate strength were applied and evaluated for suitability in predicting the mechanical behavior of SiC/RBSN and enhanced SiC/SiC composites. The SiC/RBSN composite exhibited pseudo tough behavior (increased area under the stress/strain curve) from 22 C to 1500 C. The rule of mixtures provides a good estimate of the Young's modulus of the SiC/RBSN composite using the constituent properties from room temperature to 1440 C for short term static tensile tests in air or nitrogen. The rule of mixtures significantly overestimates the secondary modulus near the ultimate strength. The ACK theory provides the best approximation of the first matrix cracking stress when residual stresses are ignored. The theory of Cao and Thouless, based on Weibull statistics, gave the best prediction for the composite ultimate strength. The enhanced SiC/SiC composite exhibited nonlinear stress/strain behavior from 24 C to 1370 C in air with increased ultimate strain when compared to monolithic SiC. The theory of Yang and Chou with the assumption of a frictional fiber/matrix interface provided the best estimate of the Young's modulus. The theory of Cao and Thouless gave the best estimate for the ultimate strength.

Gyekenyesi, John Z.↗

Dynamic Environment of the Ranger Spacecraft I Through IX (Final Report)

The dynamic environment of the Ranger spacecraft (I through IX)during the launch portion of flight is defined in this Report. Flight data from each of nine spacecraft launches have been reviewed and are included. The environments receiving emphasis herein include liftoff acoustics, liftoff and transonic vibration, and the transient vibrations of the various pyrotechnic and staging events in the launch sequence. The systems for data acquisition and analysis are briefly described. In addition, post-flight comparison of flight data and ground test specification levels is made, and the dynamic test program is briefly discussed.

SHOCK↗

Electronics Systems SRT

Guidance and control systems, communication, data acquisition, instrumentation, and electronics techniques for space application

Source record↗