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At least 1,063 records · Page 59
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

A design for a ground-based data management system

An initial design for a ground-based data management system which includes intelligent data abstraction and cataloging is described. The large quantity of data on some current and future NASA missions leads to significant problems in providing scientists with quick access to relevant data. Human screening of data for potential relevance to a particular study is time-consuming and costly. Intelligent databases can provide automatic screening when given relevent scientific parameters and constraints. The data management system would provide, at a minimum, information of availability of the range of data, the type available, specific time periods covered together with data quality information, and related sources of data. The system would inform the user about the primary types of screening, analysis, and methods of presentation available to the user. The system would then aid the user with performing the desired tasks, in such a way that the user need only specify the scientific parameters and objectives, and not worry about specific details for running a particular program. The design contains modules for data abstraction, catalog plan abstraction, a user-friendly interface, and expert systems for data handling, data evaluation, and application analysis. The emphasis is on developing general facilities for data representation, description, analysis, and presentation that will be easily used by scientists directly, thus bypassing the knowledge acquisition bottleneck. Expert system technology is used for many different aspects of the data management system, including the direct user interface, the interface to the data analysis routines, and the analysis of instrument status.

Lambird, Barbara A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Automating the parallel processing of fluid and structural dynamics calculations

The NASA Lewis Research Center is actively involved in the development of expert system technology to assist users in applying parallel processing to computational fluid and structural dynamic analysis. The goal of this effort is to eliminate the necessity for the physical scientist to become a computer scientist in order to effectively use the computer as a research tool. Programming and operating software utilities have previously been developed to solve systems of ordinary nonlinear differential equations on parallel scalar processors. Current efforts are aimed at extending these capabilties to systems of partial differential equations, that describe the complex behavior of fluids and structures within aerospace propulsion systems. This paper presents some important considerations in the redesign, in particular, the need for algorithms and software utilities that can automatically identify data flow patterns in the application program and partition and allocate calculations to the parallel processors. A library-oriented multiprocessing concept for integrating the hardware and software functions is described.

Arpasi, Dale J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

The possible contamination of Jupiter

The Galileo probe, though at present its future is uncertain, would, if not sterilized, represent a good chance of contaminating Jupiter. Most scientists opposed to sterilizing the probe argue that to order the probe sterilized would be the death of the project, since sterilization would entail a reconstruction of the probe, and there are not enough funds to accomplish this. These scientists, however, are ignoring a relatively simple and inexpensive alternative to the traditional heat sterilization method. The main threat of contamination comes from Galileo's exterior surfaces: the shell of the probe and its parachute. The probe innermost components would not represent a threat since the probe is sealed. In light of the fact that only the exterior of Galileo would have to be sterilized, heat would not have to be used as a method of sterilization. Instead, various gas mixtures could be sprayed entirely over the probe and its parachute, gases which would kill any and all bacteria. This idea is more thoroughly examined.

Garcia, Joe↗
NASA NTRS1989

[NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 1, part 1:] Technical communications in aeronautics: Results of an exploratory study

A study was undertaken that explored several aspects of technical communications in aeronautics. The study, which utilized survey research in the form of a self-administered questionnaire, was sent to 2,000 randomly selected members of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Six hundred and six usable questionnaires (30.3 percent) were received by the established cut off date. The study had five objectives. The first was to solicit the opinions of aeronautical engineers and scientists regarding the importance of technical communications to their profession; second, to determine their use and production of technical communications; third, to seek their views on the content of an undergraduate course in technical communications; fourth, to determine their use of libraries/technical information centers; and finally, to determine the use and importance of computer and information technology to them. The findings add considerable information to the knowledge of technical communications practices among aeronautical engineers and scientists and reinforce some of the conventional wisdom about technical communications and question other widely-held notions.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Visualizing large data sets in the earth sciences

The authors describe the capabilities of McIDAS, an interactive visualization system that is vastly increasing the ability of earth scientists to manage and analyze data from remote sensing instruments and numerical simulation models. McIDAS provides animated three-dimensionsal images and highly interactive displays. The software can manage, analyze, and visualize large data sets that span many physical variables (such as temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed), as well as time and three spatial dimensions. The McIDAS system manages data from at least 100 different sources. The data management tools consist of data structures for storing different data types in files, libraries of routines for accessing these data structures, system commands for performing housekeeping functions on the data files, and reformatting programs for converting external data to the system's data structures. The McIDAS tools for three-dimensional visualization of meteorological data run on an IBM mainframe and can load up to 128-frame animation sequences into the workstations. A highly interactive version of the system can provide an interactive window into data sets containing tens of millions of points produced by numerical models and remote sensing instruments. The visualizations are being used for teaching as well as by scientists.

Hibbard, William↗
NASA NTRS1989

Global stratospheric change: Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research

The workshop on Requirements for a Very-High-Altitude Aircraft for Atmospheric Research, sponsored by NASA Ames Research Center, was held July 15 to 16, 1989, at Truckee, CA. The workshop had two purposes: to assess the scientific justification for a new aircraft that will support stratospheric research beyond the altitudes accessible to the NASA ER-2; and to determine the aircraft characteristics (e.g., ceiling altitude, payload accommodations, range, flight duration, operational capabilities) required to perform the stratospheric research referred to in the justification. To accomplish these purposes, the workshop brought together a cross-section of stratospheric scientists with several aircraft design and operations experts. The stratospheric scientists included theoreticians as well as experimenters with experience in remote and in situ measurements from satellites, rockets, balloons, aircraft, and the ground. Discussions of required aircraft characteristics focused on the needs of stratospheric research. It was recognized that an aircraft optimal for stratospheric science would also be useful for other applications, including remote measurements of Earth's surface. A brief description of these other applications was given at the workshop.

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NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 1: Overview and summary

NASA's Space Station Freedom Program (SSFP) planning efforts have identified a need for a payload training simulator system to serve as both a training facility and as a demonstrator to validate operational concepts. The envisioned Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Payload Training Complex (PTC) required to meet this need will train the space station payload scientists, station scientists, and ground controllers to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be onboard the Space Station Freedom. The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex at MSFC. The purpose of this SCS study is to investigate issues related to the SCS, alternative requirements, simulator approaches, and state-of-the-art technologies to develop candidate concepts and designs. This study was performed August 1988 to October 1989. Thus, the results are based on the SSFP August 1989 baseline, i.e., pre-Langley configuration/budget review (C/BR) baseline. Some terms, e.g., combined trainer, are being redefined. An overview of the study activities and a summary of study results are given here.

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NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 4: Conceptual design report

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex (PTC) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The PTC will train the space station payload scientists, station scientists, and ground controllers to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be onboard the Space Station Freedom. In the first step of this task, a methodology was developed to ensure that all relevant design dimensions were addressed, and that all feasible designs could be considered. The development effort yielded the following method for generating and comparing designs in task 4: (1) Extract SCS system requirements (functions) from the system specification; (2) Develop design evaluation criteria; (3) Identify system architectural dimensions relevant to SCS system designs; (4) Develop conceptual designs based on the system requirements and architectural dimensions identified in step 1 and step 3 above; (5) Evaluate the designs with respect to the design evaluation criteria developed in step 2 above. The results of the method detailed in the above 5 steps are discussed. The results of the task 4 work provide the set of designs which two or three candidate designs are to be selected by MSFC as input to task 5-refine SCS conceptual designs. The designs selected for refinement will be developed to a lower level of detail, and further analyses will be done to begin to determine the size and speed of the components required to implement these designs.

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NASA NTRS1989

Space station Simulation Computer System (SCS) study for NASA/MSFC. Volume 5: Study analysis report

The Simulation Computer System (SCS) is the computer hardware, software, and workstations that will support the Payload Training Complex (PTC) at the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). The PTC will train the space station payload scientists, station scientists, and ground controllers to operate the wide variety of experiments that will be on-board the Freedom Space Station. The further analysis performed on the SCS study as part of task 2-Perform Studies and Parametric Analysis-of the SCS study contract is summarized. These analyses were performed to resolve open issues remaining after the completion of task 1, and the publishing of the SCS study issues report. The results of these studies provide inputs into SCS task 3-Develop and present SCS requirements, and SCS task 4-develop SCS conceptual designs. The purpose of these studies is to resolve the issues into usable requirements given the best available information at the time of the study. A list of all the SCS study issues is given.

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NASA NTRS1990

Microgravity Science and Application Program tasks, 1989 revision

The active research tasks, as of the fiscal year 1989, of the Microgravity Science and Applications Program, NASA Office of Space Science and Applications, involving several NASA Centers and other organizations are compiled. The purpose is to provide an overview of the program scope for managers and scientists in industry, university, and government communities. The scientists in industry, university, and government communities. An introductory description of the program, the strategy and overall goal, identification of the organizational structures and people involved, and a description of each task are included. Also provided is a list of recent publications. The tasks are grouped into several major categories: electronic materials, solidification of metals, alloys, and composites; fluids, interfaces, and transport; biotechnology; glasses and ceramics; combustion science; physical and chemistry experiments (PACE); and experimental technology, facilities, and instrumentation.

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NASA NTRS1990

A guide to the National Space Science Data Center

This is the second edition of a document that was published to acquaint space and Earth research scientists with an overview of the services offered by the NSSDC. As previously stated, the NSSDC was established by NASA to be the long term archive for data from its space missions. However, the NSSDC has evolved into an organization that provides a multitude of services for scientists throughout the world. Brief articles are presented which discuss these services. At the end of each article is the name, address, and telephone number of the person to contact for additional information. Online Information and Data Systems, Electronic Access, Offline Data Archive, Value Added Services, Mass Storage Activities, and Computer Science Research are all detailed.

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NASA NTRS1990

Scientific data visualization software - Trends and directions

Scientific data visualization has finally come of age as an important and accepted discipline. While scientists have been using computer graphics to visualize experimental data and computational results for at least 30 years, recent improvements in cost/performance of graphics workstations, more readily available software, and a new-found identity based on the report "Visualization in Scientific Computing" (McCormick, DeFanti, and Brown, 1987) have solidified the discipline. The thesis here is that scientists are forced to work too hard to create these visualizations, but that the evolving set of visualization tools can greatly reduce the requisite effort. The architecture of a new class of software can lead to a more widespread availability of interactive visualization tools, which can make the process of creating a visualization as simple as doing interactive chart and graph layout.

Foley, James D.↗
NASA NTRS1990

LifeSat - A satellite for space biological research

The LifeSat Program addresses the need for continuing access by biological scientists to space experimentation by accommodating a wide range of experiments involving animals and plants for durations up to 60 days in an unmanned satellite. The program will encourage interdisciplinary and international cooperation at both the agency and scientist levels, and will provide a recoverable, reusable facility for low-cost missions addressing key scientific issues that can only be answered by space experimentation. It will provide opportunities for research in gravitational biology and on the effects of cosmic radiation on life systems. The scientific aspects of LifeSat are addressed here.

Halstead, Thora W.↗
NASA NTRS1990

A future perspective on technological obsolescenceat NASA, Langley Research Center

The present research effort was the first phase of a study to forecast whether technological obsolescence will be a problem for the engineers, scientists, and technicians at NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC). There were four goals of the research: to review the literature on technological obsolescence; to determine through interviews of division chiefs and branch heads Langley's perspective on future technological obsolescence; to begin making contacts with outside industries to find out how they view the possibility of technological obsolescence; and to make preliminary recommendations for dealing with the problem. A complete description of the findings of this research can be reviewed in a technical report in preparation. The following are a small subset of the key findings of the study: NASA's centers and divisions vary in their missions and because of this, in their capability to control obsolescence; research-oriented organizations within NASA are believed by respondents to keep up to date more than the project-oriented organizations; asked what are the signs of a professional's technological obsolescence, respondents had a variety of responses; top performing scientists were viewed as continuous learners, keeping up to date by a variety of means; when asked what incentives were available to aerospace technologists for keeping up to data, respondents specified a number of ideas; respondents identified many obstacles to professionals' keeping up to date in the future; and most respondents expressed some concern for the future of the professionals at NASA vis a vis the issue of professional obsolescence.

Mcintyre, Robert M.↗
NASA NTRS1991

NASA/DOD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project. Report 7:Summary report to phase 2 respondents including frequency distributions

Phase 2 of the four phase NASA/DoD Aerospace Knowledge Diffusion Research Project was undertaken to study the transfer of scientific and technical information (STI) from government to the aerospace industry and the role of librarians and technical information specialists in the transfer process. Data was collected through a self-administered mailback questionnaire. Libraries identified as holding substantial aerospace or aeronautical technical report collections were selected to receive the questionnaires. Within each library, the person responsible for the technical report was requested to answer the questionnaire. Questionnaires were returned from approx. 68 pct. of the libraries. The respondents indicated that scientists and engineer are not aware of the services available from libraries/technical information centers and that scientists and engineers also under-utilized their services. The respondents also indicated they should be more involved in the process.

Pinelli, Thomas E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Status report on the land processes aircraft science management operations working group

Since its inception three years ago, the Land Processes Aircraft Science Management Operations Working Group (MOWG) provided recommendations on the optimal use of the Agency's aircraft in support of the Land Processes Science Program. Recommendations covered topics such as aircraft and sensor usage, development of long-range plans, Multisensor Airborne Campaigns (MAC), program balance, aircraft sensor databases, new technology and sensor development, and increased University scientist participation in the program. Impacts of these recommendations improved the efficiency of various procedures including the flight request process, tracking of flight hours, and aircraft usage. The group also created a bibliography focused on publications produced by Land Processes scientists from the use of the aircraft program, surveyed NASA funded PI's on their participation in the aircraft program, and developed a planning template for multi-sensor airborne campaigns. Benefits from these activities are summarized.

Lawless, James G.↗
NASA NTRS1991

An assessment of NASA master directory/catalog interoperability for interdisciplinary study of the global water cycle

The most important issue facing science is understanding global change; the causes, the processes involved and their consequences. The key to success in this massive Earth science research effort will depend on efficient identification and access to the most data available across the atmospheric, oceanographic, and land sciences. Current mechanisms used by earth scientists for accessing these data fall far short of meeting this need. Scientists must as a result frequently rely on a priori knowledge and informal person to person networks to find relevant data. The Master Directory/Catalog Interoperability Program (MC/CI) undertaken by NASA is an important step in overcoming these problems. The stated goal of the MD project is to enable researchers to efficiently identify, locate, and obtain access to space and Earth science data.

Peuquet, Donna J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

A successful intervention program for high ability minority students

Among professional occupations in the United States, non-Asian minorities are least represented in science and engineering fields. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that over the next decade, civilian employment of scientists and engineers has the potential to grow by 40 percent. Furthermore, projections for the year 2000 indicate that 100,000 fewer B.S. and B.A. degrees will be awarded than were awarded in 1984. The latter projection takes into consideration the overall declining proportion of all 18 year old college students. Within this shrinking pool of 18 year old potential college students will be an increasing proportion of Blacks and Hispanics. In order to change the educational patterns for minority youth, an intense look at the factors that affect the science and mathematics performance of minorities. Furthermore, the work of programs that are successful at producing minority scientists and engineers must be examined and documented with the intent of replicating these programs. The fundamental concern at this time appears to be the quality of precollege experience because research has shown that lack of precollege preparation is the single most important cause of underrepresentation of minorities in science and engineering careers. For many years, intervention programs have attempted to improve the quality of the minority precollege experience by latter year intervention in grades eleven and twelve. Later efforts, such as this one, have concentrated on earlier years. The effectiveness of intervention programs is widely accepted but not rigorously documented. The mechanisms these programs have developed need to be identified and their potential for broader use evaluated. The ultimate goal of such studies would be to provide the different educational communities with a set of proven cost-effective state of the art mechanisms designed to increase participation and success of minority students in science and mathematics-related courses. One such intervention program is the Saturday Academy program for high ability minority students in the Washington, D.C. area. A description of the Saturday Academy is provided with the intent of making it available to personnel who are considering the development of similar projects. The effect of participation in the program on high school graduate rates, college enrollment, and choice of quantitative major is examined.

Coleman, Winson R.↗