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At least 955 records · Page 53
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Requirements for a tool to aid in the development of expert systems for space station applications

The Space Station Program is currently in the early stages of design. The extended life of the program and the wide range of planned capabilities present NASA with a major challenge to make effective use of all available resources. Expert systems may represent one of the most important techniques NASA can use to improve performance and functionality of the Space Station. The recent growth in expert system applications has been spurred by the availability of commercial expert system development tools. These state-of-the-art tools provide multiple representation techniques, sophisticated user interfaces, and powerful development tools; allowing programmers to develop expert systems without requiring years of training in knowledge engineering. The requirements are described for a software tool to aid in the development and delivery of expert systems intended for use in the Space Station Program. The intent is to define a tool that would be useful for a very broad range of expert system applications.

Culbert, Chris↗
NASA NTRS1988

Utilization of artificial intelligence techniques for the Space Station power system

Due to the complexity of the Space Station Electrical Power System (EPS) as currently envisioned, artificial intelligence/expert system techniques are being investigated to automate operations, maintenance, and diagnostic functions. A study was conducted to investigate this technology as it applies to failure detection, isolation, and reconfiguration (FDIR) and health monitoring of power system components and of the total system. Control system utilization of expert systems for load scheduling and shedding operations was also researched. A discussion of the utilization of artificial intelligence/expert systems for Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the Space Station effort is presented along with future plans at Rocketdyne for the utilization of this technology for enhanced Space Station power capability.

Evatt, Thomas C.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Coordinated study of Solar-Terrestrial Observatory (STO) payloads on space station

Since the publication of the final report of the science study group in October 1984 on the Solar Terrestrial Observatory (STO), its science goals and objectives have been clearly defined and a conceptual design and analysis was carried out by MSFC/NASA. Plans for the possible placing of the STO aboard the Space Station were made. A series of meetings for the STO science study group were held to review the instruments to be placed on the initial STO at Space Station IOC, and the placement of these instruments on the manned space station, polar platform, and the co-orbiting platform. A summary of these initial STO instruments is presented in Section 2. A brief description of the initial plan for the placement of STO instruments is included in Section 3. Finally, in Section 4, the scenario for the operation of the STO is discussed. These results were obtained from the report of the Solar Terrestrial Observatory mini-workshop held at MSFC on 6 June 1985.

Wu, S. T.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space station proximity operations windows: Human factors design guidelines

Proximity operations refers to all activities outside the Space Station which take place within a 1-km radius. Since there will be a large number of different operations involving manned and unmanned vehicles, single- and multiperson crews, automated and manually controlled flight, a wide variety of cargo, and construction/repair activities, accurate and continuous human monitoring of these operations from a specially designed control station on Space Station will be required. Total situational awareness will be required. This paper presents numerous human factors design guidelines and related background information for control windows which will support proximity operations. Separate sections deal with natural and artificial illumination geometry; all basic rendezvous vector approaches; window field-of-view requirements; window size; shape and placement criteria; window optical characteristics as they relate to human perception; maintenance and protection issues; and a comprehensive review of windows installed on U.S. and U.S.S.R. manned vehicles.

Haines, Richard F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Disturbance and vibration isolation in space stations by means of mechanical decoupling

A decoupling approach to disturbance and vibration isolation in large space stations composed of modules interconnected by flexible members is proposed. A simplified mathematical model for the motion of the space station core and a laboratory module with both torsional vibration and translational motion decouplers is used in this study. The dynamic behavior of the model in the presence of decoupler friction is analyzed. Estimates for the maximum excursions of the laboratory module induced by various types of external disturbance are derived. The paper concludes with a simulation study involving the hard-docking of a space shuttle with a space station.

Wang, P. K. C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

United States Space Station technical and programmatic interfaces

This paper describes the design of the U.S. Space Station and explains the control factors used for internal and external interfaces among the various government and contractor participants. It discusses the documentation of the U.S. Space Station Program including the Program Approval Document (PAD), the Program Plans (PPs), the Program Requirements Document (PRD), the Program Definition and Requirements Document (PDRD), the Level III project plans, and the Level III project design requirements documents. It discusses the relationship of Space Station documentation to the international Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and the Joint PP, PRD, and PDRD, the interrelationship of the Architectural Control Documents (ACDs), the Baseline Control Document (BCD), and the Interface Requirement Documents (IRDs) and Interface Control Documents (ICDs). Also included are the controlling functions of the various NASA and contractor participants and the international partners.

Carlisle, Richard F.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space Station accommodation of attached payloads

The Attached Payload Accommodation Equipment (APAE), which provides the structure to attach payloads to the Space Station truss assembly, to access Space Station resources, and to orient payloads relative to specified targets, is described. The main subelements of the APAE include a station interface adapter, payload interface adapter, subsystem support module, contamination monitoring system, payload pointing system, and attitude determination system. These components can be combined to provide accommodations for small single payloads, small multiple payloads, large self-supported payloads, carrier-mounted payloads, and articulated payloads. The discussion also covers the power, thermal, and data/communications subsystems and operations.

Browning, Ronald K.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evolutionary Space Station infrastructure

This paper discusses the approach to Space Station evolution planning and the preliminary analysis of options for the evolution of the infrastructure. The approach emphasizes the analysis of evolution paths, driven by specific user requirements, and evolution modes, i.e., the infrastructure required to support the evolution paths. The objective is to determine the near-term actions that must be taken to protect the future options. These include the identification of evolution 'hooks and scars' on the baseline Space Station and the establishment of an evolution advanced development program. The near term emphasis of the evolution planning is on methods of increasing the efficiency and productivity of the Space Station and on requirements to support new initiatives currently being studied by NASA.

Diaz, Alphonso V.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Biotechnology opportunities on Space Station

Biotechnology applications which could be implemented on the Space Station are examined. The advances possible in biotechnology due to the favorable microgravity environment are discussed. The objectives of the Space Station Life Sciences Program are: (1) the study of human diseases, (2) biopolymer processing, and (3) the development of cryoprocessing and cryopreservation methods. The use of the microgravity environment for crystal growth, cell culturing, and the separation of biological materials is considered. The proposed Space Station research could provide benefits to the fields of medicine, pharmaceuticals, genetics, agriculture, and industrial waste management.

Deming, Jess↗
NASA NTRS1987

Assessment of external contamination for Space Station scientific payloads

This paper presents the analysis of the nature, the source, and the effect of contamination encountered by payloads external to the Space Station spacecraft. The contaminant modeling study determined the key contaminant sources for the Space Station payloads, together with the location, the duration, the major constituents of the contaminant, and the possibility of contaminant control. The next phase of the contamination modeling study investigates the compatibility of external Space Station payloads while on the transverse boom and the dual keel option. Other predictions include depositions on payload surfaces facing along +X, +Y, and +Z directions. An additional analysis will utilize the above data to predict the spectral brightness of the contaminants along payload lines-of-sight, making it possible for payload users to determine the impact of the contaminant background relative to the natural background.

Primeaux, Gary R.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Advanced protein crystal growth flight hardware for the Space Station

The operational environment of the Space Station will differ considerably from the previous short term missions such as the Spacelabs. Limited crew availability combined with the near continuous operation of Space Station facilities will require a high degree of facility automation. This paper will discuss current efforts to develop automated flight hardware for advanced protein crystal growth on the Space Station. Particular areas discussed will be the automated monitoring of key growth parameters for vapor diffusion growth and proposed mechanisms for control of these parameters. A history of protein crystal growth efforts will be presented in addition to the rationale and need for improved protein crystals for X-ray diffraction. The facility will be capable of simultaneously processing several hundred protein samples at various temperatures, pH's, concentrations etc., and provide allowances for real time variance of growth parameters.

Herrmann, Frederick T.↗
NASA NTRS1988

An operations concept for the Space Station based Astrometric Telescope Facility

The Astrometric Telescope Facility (AFT) will be an orbiting observatory which has been proposed to be attached to the NASA Space Station. The primary scientific objectives of the ATF will be to search for extrasolar planetary systems and to study their characteristics. In addition, the ATF will be able to perform other general astrometric observations of stars within the Milky Way Galaxy. Astrometric Telescope Facility operations from the Space Station will be simple and straightforward compared to other orbiting free-flying telescopes. The astrometric approach to planetary detection, which uses repeated measurements of the same set of target stars over many years, is compatible with simple, repetitive operations of the facility. The support provided by the Space Station and anomaly tolerance features of the ATF design also contribute to the simplicity of the operations concept.

Jackson, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Intelligent systems and robotics for an evolutionary Space Station

The Space Station will be a multipurpose space facility to acquire and exploit unique knowledge with a planned lifetime of greater than 20 years. It will include laboratories for science and manufacturing, provide a platform for earth and interplanetary observations, conduct satellite servicing, and serve as a transportation node for potential manned geosynchronous, lunar, and Mars missions. Environmental safety considerations and limited manpower resources require the extensive use of intelligent systems and flexible robotics on the Space Station. Design accommodations must be planned in advance to allow incorporation of these advancing technologies on the evolutionary Space Station.

Erickson, Jon D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Service offerings and interfaces for the ACTS network of earth stations

The NASA Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) will use a network of about 20 earth stations to operate as a Mode 1 network. This network will support two ACTS program objectives: to verify the technical performance of ACTS Mode 1 operation in GEO and to demonstrate the types and quality of services that can be provided by an ACTS Mode 1 communications system. The terrestrial interface design is a critical element in assuring that these network earth stations will meet the objectives. In this paper, the applicable terrestrial interface design requirements, the resulting interface specifications, and the associated terrestrial input/output hardware are discussed. A functional block diagram of a network earth station is shown.

Coney, T. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Need, utilization, and configuration of a large, multi-G centrifuge on the Space Station

A large, multi-g centrifuge is required on the Space Station (1) to provide valid 1-g controls for the study of zero-g effects on animals and plants and to study readaptation to 1 g; (2) to store animals at 1 g prior to short-term zero-g experimentation; (3) to permit g-level threshold studies of gravity effects. These requirements can be met by a 13-ft-diam., center-mounted centrifuge, on which up to 48 modular habitats with animals (squirrel monkey, rat, mouse) and plants are attached. The advantages of locating this centrifuge with the vivarium, a common environmental control and life support system, a general-purpose work station and storage of food, water, and supplies in an attached short module, are elaborated. Servicing and operation of the centrifuge, as well as minimizing its impact on other Space Station functions are also considered.

Bonting, Sjoerd L.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Telemetry formats for the Space Station RF links

This paper discusses the formats that have been proposed for the manned Space Station space/ground RF link. In addition to discussing the specific RF formats, the paper seeks to discuss the requirements that have caused the proposed format to exist in its current form. The paper begins by briefly discussing the historical basis for telemetry formats within NASA, and then discusses the unique requirements that the Space Station imposes, compared to traditional space probes. The paper next treats the overall requirements that must be satisfied by the Space Station communications system. Finally the paper discusses the details of the RF format and its proposed operational usage.

Marker, Walter↗
NASA NTRS1987

Space Station evolution

The Space Station that will be launched and made operational in the early 1990s should be viewed as a beginning, a facility that will evolve with the passing of time to better meet the needs and requirements of a diverse set of users. Evolution takes several forms, ranging from simple growth through addition of infrastructure elements to upgrading of system capability through inclusion of advanced technologies. Much of the early considerations of Space Station evolution focused on physical growth. However, a series of recent workshops have revealed that the more likely mode of Space Station evolution will not be through growth but rather through a process known as 'branching'.

Black, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Panel on Space Station utilization benefits

An account is given of recent changes in the NASA Space Station, under the guidance of updated user community payload requirements. The user communities are those of astronomy, the life sciences, earth observation, and international applications. Attention is given to the resolutions that will be achievable by astronomical instruments aboard the Space Station, the testing of prototype earth observation instruments aboard the Station's manned module, and the microgravity research efforts planned in conjunction with ESA.

Rubenstein, Sy Z.↗