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At least 1,009 records · Page 56
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2017

Exposing the Strategies that Can Reduce the Obstacles: Improving the Science User Experience

It is now well established that pursuing generic solutions to what seem are common problems in Earth science data access and use can often lead to disappointing results for both system developers and the intended users. This presentation focuses on real-world experience of managing a large and complex data system, NASAs Earth Science Data and Information Science System (EOSDIS), whose mission is to serve both broad user communities and those in smaller niche applications of Earth science data and services. In the talk, we focus on our experiences with known data user obstacles characterizing EOSDIS approaches, including various technological techniques, for engaging and bolstering, where possible, user experiences with EOSDIS. For improving how existing and prospective users discover and access NASA data from EOSDIS we introduce our cross-archive tool: Earthdata Search. This new search and order tool further empowers users to quickly access data sets using clever and intuitive features. The Worldview data visualization tool is also discussed highlighting how many users are now performing extensive data exploration without necessarily downloading data. Also, we explore our EOSDIS data discovery and access webinars, data recipes and short tutorials, targeted technical and data publications, user profiles and social media as additional tools and methods used for improving our outreach and communications to a diverse user community. These efforts have paid substantial dividends for our user communities by allowing us to target discipline specific community needs. The desired take-away from this presentation will be an improved understanding of how EOSDIS has approached, and in several instances achieved, removing or lowering the barriers to data access and use. As we look ahead to more complex Earth science missions, EOSDIS will continue to focus on our user communities, both broad and specialized, so that our overall data system can continue to serve the needs of science and applications users.

communications↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Prospects for Future Human Space Flight Missions to Near-Earth Asteroids

The forthcoming Near-Earth Object (NEO) Surveyor space telescope is a foundational asset designed to complete NASA’s congressionally-mandated goal of cataloging ≥90% of NEOs ≥140 meters in size as soon as practical, and discover Earth impactors far in advance. NEO Surveyor is also critical to near-Earth asteroid (NEA) exploration because it will find suitable low-Δv NEAs for robotic and human missions, often on Earth-like orbits with long synodic periods. Such NEAs have usually not been detected until imminent Earth launch opportunities because they were not observable until close to Earth. Discovering them far enough in advance to deploy missions requires a deep-space infrared survey telescope such as NEO Surveyor. In addition to posing hazards and being scientifically important, NEAs contain resources, such as water (OH), that could be utilized off-Earth. They also offer unique opportunities for the most ambitious human voyages ever undertaken. The Apollo program forever changed humanity’s perspective by showing us Earthrise from our Moon through human eyes. Crewed missions to NEAs will forever change our perspective again by showing us Earth as a distant point of light in the heavens as seen from an asteroid by astronauts. Planetary defense endeavors to understand asteroid and comet impact risks and develop mitigation capabilities. NEA exploration is synergistic in multiple ways. NEO Surveyor will discover and help characterize Earth impactors and accessible NEAs. Heavy-lift launch is highly enabling for both human NEA missions and planetary defense. Reconnaissance missions for planetary defense can also characterize NEAs prior to crewed missions. In situ resource utilization (ISRU) systems may be applicable to deflecting or destroying hazardous NEAs. NEA characterization data critically inform planetary defense efforts and indicate NEA types suitable for human exploration or ISRU. In 2010, NASA performed the Near-Earth Object (NEO) Human Space Flight (HSF) Accessible Targets Study (NHATS), creating an automated online system monitoring mission accessibility of NEAs 2 . NHATS database NEAs meet criteria that require less total mission Δv and/or round-trip mission duration than the Martian surface or even Mars orbit. There are currently 4,658 NHATS NEAs, and many rival or exceed lunar orbit/surface accessibility. Thus, NHATS NEAs could be explored by humans prior to attempting a Mars mission. Human missions to NEAs would test human-rated spacecraft systems with less cost and risk than Mars missions. Thus, human missions to NEAs are compelling in their own right while also providing prudent preparation for more demanding Mars missions. Lunar missions can offer similar opportunities, but they differ from NEA missions in important ways. Lunar missions pose less demanding psychological challenges to crew and ground staff. Earth light-time delay for communications is significantly longer during NEA missions. NEA missions are available that require more propulsion system consumables than lunar missions but less than Mars missions. In this paper, we summarize NEA accessibility for human missions, discuss motivations for such missions, survey knowledge about NEAs that informs future human missions, present exemplar mission opportunities to the currently known NHATS NEAs, and describe future work towards enabling human NEA missions.

Near-Earth asteroids↗
NASA NTRS2023

Designing Learning Experiences With A Low-Cost Robotic Arm

Robots have gained immense popularity in Hollywood and growth globally in both industrial manufacturing and non-manufacturing environments and applications such as healthcare, service sector, and space exploration. To date, there are several examples of simple and low-cost educational robotic platforms and commercially available platforms (e.g., Lego Mindstorms, VEX Robotics) for incorporation into existing curriculum. However, most low-cost examples require access to rapid-prototyping tools, such as 3D printers to manufacture the structure of the robot, while commercially available platforms are relatively expensive (> $1,000). Although the low-cost, open-source examples provide increased access, these examples require design and manufacturing tasks that would be considered outside the learning objectives of an upper-level robotics course and are better suited for other introductory courses. Thus, we asked, how can a robotic platform be incorporated into existing robotics curriculum to enhance students' learning experiences? To explore this research question, we introduce a low-cost (<$200), untethered, and transportable robotic platform that is easy to assemble using off-the-shelf components. This kit can be powered from a laptop computer and does not rely on access to rapid-prototyping tools such as 3D printers or laser cutters, making this a more accessible option in undergraduate engineering courses. Specifically, we aimed to investigate the design of experiential learning experiences for the mathematical modeling of the forward and inverse kinematics of a serial robotic arm that complements existing robotics curriculum. The experiential learning experience focuses on traditional written answer, simulation in MATLAB, and finally implementation on a robotic platform. Few studies examined this accessible option when evaluating experiential learning experiences that complement existing robotics curricula. To assess the impact of this robotic arm kit in an undergraduate course, we implemented an educational intervention that allowed us insight into student perceptions, takeaways on the course and activities involving the robotic arm, and the impact of the course on their career outlook when comparing activities that involved use of the robotic arm and those that did not. Details on the design, development and implementation of the learning activities is provided. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected and analyzed. The results presented in this paper discuss students finding the learning activities on the robotic arms more helpful than those without, and that students found high value in the hands-on experiences and real-world scenarios offered by the activities using the robotic arm. Challenges to implementation of the robotic arms are discussed, including students’ prior knowledge of using robotic arms.

Eric J. Markvicka↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Biomass Harmonization and SAR Analysis with the Multi-mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP)

The Multi‐mission Algorithm and Analysis Platform (MAAP) is a collaborative effort between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to support above ground biomass (AGB) research in an open science framework. MAAP brings together relevant data, algorithms, and computing capabilities in a common cloud environment to address the challenges of sharing and processing data from field, airborne and satellite measurements. MAAP was publicly released in October 2021, providing computing capabilities co-located with the data, a collaborative coding and analysis environment, and a set of interoperable tools and algorithms developed to support the estimation and visualization of data. MAAP has allowed scientists from both North America and Europe to collaborate on the generation and analysis/visualization of data derived from multiple, discipline-adjacent missions in an open, collaborative environment that has reached beyond traditional scientific investigation. MAAP has been used to support multiple scientific activities. To date, existing LiDAR data from multiple platforms has been calibrated with field measurements and combined for more comprehensive and accurate estimates of above ground biomass AGB; these LiDAR platforms include airborne (e.g. LVIS), the International Space Station (NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), and satellites (e.g. ICESat-2). The current challenge is to effectively and seamlessly combine the aforementioned LiDAR-based data with new data sources such as P-band RADAR from ESA’s upcoming BIOMASS mission, existing ESA Sentinel-1 C-band SAR, and the 30 PB/yr of high cadence global coverage L-band SAR data from the upcoming NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission. Recent analysis using MAAP merged ICESat-2 and optical data (Harmonized Landsat Sentinel) produced the most comprehensively precise estimate of boreal-wide AGB to date. Another effort using MAAP is the production and open distribution of global comparisons of AGB map estimates, including from ICESat-2 and GEDI, to bolster stakeholder uptake for policy applications. These map estimates will feed into the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) database, likely aiding the next Global Carbon Stocktake of the UNFCCC. Furthermore, the biomass retrieval intercomparison exercise BRIX-2 could benefit from the MAAP providing standardized test cases (based on airborne campaign and spaceborne data) allowing the community to develop and apply retrieval algorithms based on these test cases, while forthcoming SAR data training curricula could also use the MAAP as a teaching and learning platform. The MAAP is meeting the challenges inherent in international, open science collaboration and large scale computing with a platform that is entirely open source and cloud native, using open standards for data access, manipulation, protocols, and formats. The MAAP data system consists of a dedicated data store whose data is indexed in an online catalog conforming to established metadata, application programmatic interfaces (APIs), and service interface standards, using an implementation of the open sourced NASA Common Metadata Repository. Federation of user identities allows users from either NASA or ESA to access and consume services from the other using a unified metadata catalog for the data utilized across the ESA and NASA MAAP platforms. Similarly, we are exploring how to increase interoperability to achieve a common approach to packaging, orchestrating and executing algorithms, with interoperable access to data for subsetting, fast browse, and cloud-optimized access, all using interoperable standards such as those from the Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC). Designed for interoperability, ESA and NASA utilize a common architecture for the software platform. It provides a cloud-based algorithm development environment (ADE) that enables scientists to develop algorithms collaboratively with access to the MAAP data catalog as well as other data archives. MAAP provides an Eclipse Che-based ADE supporting both Python and R languages, popular in this biomass community. Algorithms developed and containerized within the ADE can be deployed to run to thousands of computational nodes in the MAAP’s data processing system (DPS), dramatically speeding up processing and giving scientists a rapid, iterative turnaround of results. NASA’s implementation of the DPS is based on the Hybrid Science Data System (HySDS) framework, used by NASA flight projects to produce Earth science standard products.

cloud computing↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Increasing Discovery and Usability of Earth Science Satellite Data with My NASA Data

For 20 years, the My NASA Data project at NASA Langley Research Center has developed innovative approaches to increase the use of NASA’s satellite data by learners. My NASA Data offers a variety of authentic Earth Science datasets and a data visualization tool, eliminating the need for educators and/or learners to obtain specialized knowledge of GIS data formats and software to access and use authentic Earth Science data. While there is no shortage of available data, as federal government agencies such as NASA house petabytes of freely accessible Earth Science datasets, much of the data are only available for download and visualization in specialized formats and software, limiting their accessibility to educators and learners, especially those in primary and secondary school. Using the Google Earth Engine platform, the My NASA Data team has recently reinvented their data visualization tool, called the Earth System Data Explorer (ESDE). The ESDE gives users the capability to explore over 60 Earth Science satellite datasets in a multitude of formats such as maps, graphs, and data table Its new and improved user interface design was developed based on the preferences of educators, whom the My NASA Data project has over 20 years’ experience working with. Earth Science and GIS Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) structured the data in a professional and scientific manner. During Fiscal Year 2023, the My NASA Data website received over 1 million digital engagements, with over one-third being visitors to the data visualization tool. These metrics highlight the interest in a visualization tool that is simple and free to use with reliable and trusted datasets. The ESDE empowers users to readily relate and analyze NASA Earth Science data within their area of interest. The team used a user-centered design (UCD) framework to receive and incorporate feedback into the application’s design. Core requested features include the ability to create time series graphs, comparative analysis of maps, and download the data as CSV file. Responses indicate that advances in data visualization tools such as the ESDE make authentic Earth Science data more accessible. This presentation will cover how the My NASA Data project develops tools to enhance data discovery and accessibility, as well as how SME and user suggestions are incorporated.

Desiray Wilson↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Use of Assistive Technology to Augment API Capabilities

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) allow for access to data and capabilities of computer applications by developers or users with experience in computer programming. Recent development with both Thermal Desktop and ESATAN-TMS have provided APIs to allow users to develop their own capabilities that interface with the Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) or manipulate the thermal model data. However, these APIs are only as good as the breadth of features in the native code accessible through the API. If a particular code’s feature is not accessible through the API, then users have very limited options besides waiting for updates to the API that expose the necessary functionality, particularly if model data access or user action, such as a button click, is required. However, Assistive Technology features that allow for users with a disability to more fully experience a software’s capabilities may be creatively utilized to gain further access to data and capabilities not yet exposed by the API. This paper describes the process to augment the features of the OpenTD API via assistive technology and describes how to identify the application instance, navigate GUI elements, updates values on forms, and execute actions such as selecting a listbox item or clicking a button. It concludes with identifying some of the pitfalls to avoid and describes methods to best implement this approach.

Application Programming Interface↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Use of Assistive Technology to Augment API Capabilities

Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) allow for access to data and capabilities of computer applications by developers or users with experience in computer programming. Recent development with both Thermal Desktop and ESATAN-TMS have provided APIs to allow users to develop their own capabilities that interface with the Graphical User Interfaces (GUI) or manipulate the thermal model data. However, these APIs are only as good as the breadth of features in the native code accessible through the API; if a particular code’s feature is not accessible through the API, then users have very limited options besides waiting for updates to the API that expose the necessary functionality, particularly if model data access or user action, such as a button click, is required. However, Assistive Technology features that allow for differently-abled users to more fully experience a software’s capabilities may be creatively utilized to gain further access to data and capabilities not yet exposed by the API. This paper describes the process to augment the features of the OpenTD API via assistive technology and describes how to identify the application instance, navigate GUI elements, updates values on forms, and execute actions such as selecting a listbox item or clicking a button. It concludes with identifying some of the pitfalls to avoid and describes methods to best implement this approach.

Application Programming Interface↗
NASA NTRS2019

MERRA-2 Data and Analytic Services at NASA GES DISC for Climate Extremes Study

NASA's climate reanalysis datasets from the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) contains numerous long-term atmosphere, land, and ocean data products from 1980-present. MERRA-2 datasets, such as precipitation, soil moisture, and temperature, have been used widely to study extreme events. The native archived MERRA-2 data files are day-file (hourly time interval) and month-file, containing up to 125 parameters in one file. Due to the large number of data files and volumes, it is challenging for users, especially the applications research community, to handle the original hourly data files for long time periods to analyze extreme events. In this presentation, we review MERRA-2 data for studies of extreme conditions, and demonstrate analytic services at the NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). One of the current operational services, 'subsetter', allows users to download only specific data of interest, i.e. data selected by parameter, region, and time period. New services are under development that will provide more 'on-the-fly' statistical calculations when downloading data; improve efficiency when accessing long time-series data. We will provide additional "How-to" resources that include step-by-step instructions on data access and usage. We have tested restructuring of day-files in an optimized data cube, which has significantly improved system performance for accessing long time-series. Overall performance is associated with cube size and structure, data compression method, and how the data are accessed. The optimized data cube structure will enable better online analytic services for statistical analysis and extreme events mining. To demonstrate the service, we use an extreme drought associated with the anomalous 2016 monsoon over southern Asia. This prototype time-series service may be augmented in the cloud infrastructure in the future.

data access↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Bringing Research to New Heights: How CASEI Integrates Data Curation, Discovery, and Education in Earth and Atmospheric Science

A challenging aspect of any project is finding all the relevant data and information needed to address the research objective. Searching for data and its contextual metadata can become overwhelming for both undergraduate and graduate students, potentially hindering their work and affecting the scientific discoveries that could be made in the long run. To ease this, the NASA Airborne Data Management Group (ADMG), part of the Interagency Implementation and Advanced Concepts Team (IMPACT), has developed the new Catalog of Archived Suborbital Earth science Investigations (CASEI). CASEI includes a web portal that users, be they professionals or students, can use to search, browse, discover, and locate relevant observations associated with NASA’s airborne and field campaigns. Users are able to query data in a variety of ways (via keywords, locations, timeframe, etc) from one online portal, minimizing the amount of time needed to search. CASEI also allows access to key contextual metadata and data from a wide array of Earth and Atmospheric Science topics such as aerosols and boundary layer processes, as well as ice and glacial properties or processes. Users are able to access the data via DOI links to data set landing pages. This presentation will demonstrate how CASEI can be used for classwork and student research. Teachers can provide CASEI to their students as a tool for their studies, or use it to find data themselves while constructing their curriculums. Additionally, users can leverage CASEI to learn about NASA’s Earth and Atmospheric Science research efforts and to find data relevant for assignments or other research projects. The metadata in CASEI has been carefully curated, and highlights important information about the campaigns and their data. Students can explore and learn about the scientific objectives of the campaigns, as well as descriptions of the campaign’s best research days. Having access to contextual metadata in an easy to understand way can help plant the seeds of new ideas in students at any point in their academic journey. From class projects to theses/dissertations and other research, CASEI is a valuable emerging tool for data discovery, giving access to all users and guiding researchers to NASA’s unique airborne data to answer the burning Earth Science questions of our time.

education↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Web-based Visualization and Analytics of Petascale Data: Equity as a Tide that Lifts All Boats

Scientists generate petabytes of data daily to help uncover environmental trends or behaviors that are hard to predict. For example, understanding climate simulations based on the long-term average of temperature, precipitation, and other environmental variables is essential to predicting and establishing root causes of future undesirable scenarios and assessing possible mitigation strategies. While supercomputer centers provide a powerful infrastructure for generating petabytes of simulation output, accessing and analyzing these datasets interactively remains challenging on multiple fronts. This paper presents an approach to managing, visualizing, and analyzing petabytes of data within a browser on equipment ranging from the top NASA supercomputer to commodity hardware like a laptop. Our novel data fabric abstraction layer allows user-friendly querying of scientific information while hid-ing the complexities of dealing with file systems or cloud services.We also optimize network utilization while streaming from petas-cale repositories through state-of-the-art progressive compression algorithms. Based on this abstraction, we provide customizable dashboards that can be accessed from any device with any inter-net connection, enabling interactive visual analysis of vast amounts of data to a wide range of users - from top scientists with access to leadership-class computing environments to undergraduate students of disadvantaged backgrounds from minority-serving institutions. We focus on NASA’s use of petascale climate datasets as an example of particular societal impact and, therefore, a case where achieving equity in science participation is critical. We validate our approach by improving the ability of climate scientists to visually explore their data via two fully interactive dashboards. We further validate our approach by deploying the dashboards and simplified training materials in the classroom at a minority-serving institution.These dashboards, released in simplified form to the general public, contribute significantly to a broader push to democratize the access and use of climate data.

Data visualization↗
NASA NTRS1974

Battery testing device

A battery testing device is described for testing the cells of a multiple-cell battery, the battery having a cover plate with access holes to provide access to the connecting straps between cells. A panel of probe assembly receiving holes is located to correspond to the location of the access holes when the panel is positioned on top of the battery. A probe assembly is positioned within each probe assembly receiving hole, with a spring biased electrically conductive plunger to make electrical contact with the connecting strap through the corresponding access hole when the panel is pushed towards the top of the battery.

Boshers, W. A.↗
NASA NTRS1975

Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System /TDRSS/ telecommunication services

The TDRSS and tracking services define the telecommunication performance of the TDRSS between the RF interface with user spacecraft and the data interface with NASCOM at the ground terminal. Attention is given to system constraints, forward link services, multiple-access signal design parameters, S-band single access signal design parameters, multiple-access return link services, and single-access return link services.

Deerkoski, L. F.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Multilayer self-structured bubble memories

Research work on multilayer self-structured bubble memories is at an early stage. The coupling of bubbles to stripes is investigated theoretically and experimentally and shown to be adequate for propagation. Propagation of stripes is demonstrated both by current access and field access techniques. These propagation techniques are of prime interest because they can eliminate most photographic features from the storage area. Multilayer films offer great promise for higher-capacity higher-density memories in which most of the photolithography has been eliminated and the minimum feature size of much of the remaining has been increased. Furthermore, stripe propagation can be carried out with current access, providing a significant reduction in packaging cost and power consumption over field access devices.

Kamin, M.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Science and Applications Space Platform (SASP) End-to-End Data System Study

The capability of present technology and the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) to accommodate Science and Applications Space Platforms (SASP) payload user's requirements, maximum service to the user through optimization of the SASP Onboard Command and Data Management System, and the ability and availability of new technology to accommodate the evolution of SASP payloads were assessed. Key technology items identified to accommodate payloads on a SASP were onboard storage devices, multiplexers, and onboard data processors. The primary driver is the limited access to TDRSS for single access channels due to sharing with all the low Earth orbit spacecraft plus shuttle. Advantages of onboard data processing include long term storage of processed data until TRDSS is accessible, thus reducing the loss of data, eliminating large data processing tasks at the ground stations, and providing a more timely access to the data.

Crawford, P. R.↗
NASA NTRS1981

AVE-SESAME program for the REEDA System

The REEDA system software was modified and improved to process the AVE-SESAME severe storm data. A random access file system for the AVE storm data was designed, tested, and implemented. The AVE/SESAME software was modified to incorporate the random access file input and to interface with new graphics hardware/software now available on the REEDA system. Software was developed to graphically display the AVE/SESAME data in the convention normally used by severe storm researchers. Software was converted to AVE/SESAME software systems and interfaced with existing graphics hardware/software available on the REEDA System. Software documentation was provided for existing AVE/SESAME programs underlining functional flow charts and interacting questions. All AVE/SESAME data sets in random access format was processed to allow developed software to access the entire AVE/SESAME data base. The existing software was modified to allow for processing of different AVE/SESAME data set types including satellite surface and radar data.

Hickey, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Spatially Characterizing Effective Timber Supply

The structure of a computer-oriented cartographic model for assessing roundwood supply for generation of base load electricity is discussed. The model provides an analytical procedure for coupling spatial information of harvesting economics and owner willingness to sell stumpages. Supply is characterized in terms of standing timber; of accessibility considering various harvesting and hauling factors; and of availability as affected by ownership and residential patterns. Factors governing accessibility to timber include effective harvesting distance to haulic roads as modified by barriers and slopes. Haul distance is expressed in units that take into account the relative ease of travel along various road types to a central processing facility. Areas of accessible timber are grouped into spatial units, termed 'timbersheds', of common access to particular haul road segments that belong to unique 'transport zones'. Timber availability considerations include size of ownership parcels, housing density and excluded areas. The analysis techniques are demonstrated for a cartographic data base in western Massachusetts.

Berry, J. K.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Materials properties data base computerization

Material property data plays a key role in the design of jet engine components. Consistency, accuracy and efficient use of material property data is of prime importance to the engineering community. The system conception, development, implementation, and future plans for computer software that captures the Material Properties Handbook into a scientific data base are described. The engineering community is given access to raw data and property curves, display of multiple curves for material evaluation and selection, direct access by design analysis computer programs, display of the material specification, and a historical repository for the material evolution. The impact of this activity includes significant productivity gains and cost reductions; all users have access to the same information nd provides consistent, rapid response to the needs of the engineering community. Future plans include incorporating the materials properties data base into a network environment to access information from other data bases and download information to engineering work stations.

Baur, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Data Bus Adapts to Changing Traffic Level

Access becomes timed when collisions threaten. Two-mode scheme used to grant terminals access to data bus. Causes bus to alternate between random accessibility and controlled accessibility to optimize performance and adapt to changing data-traffic conditions. Bus is part of 100-Mb/s optical-fiber packet data system.

Lew, Eugene↗