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At least 109 records · Page 6

Experimental Design for Pre-Clinical Animal Model Study in Microgravity

The Rodent Research program at NASAs Ames Research Center (ARC) has pioneered a new research capability on the International Space Station in less than four years and has progressed toward translating research to the ISS utilizing commercial rockets, collaborating with academia and science industry, and training crew for research purposes on-orbit. Animal models are the foundation of pre-clinical research to understand human diseases and evaluate new therapeutics. Advancement in alleviating ground diseases such as muscle atrophy and osteoporosis can come from the study of similar conditions that are known to occur as a result of exposure to the spaceflight environment. During the completion of the flight phase of two missions, our practices, hardware and operations evolved from tested to developed standards, which successfully translated the studies from ground to space. Results from these studies contribute to the science community via both the primary investigation and banked samples that are shared in publicly available data repository such as GeneLab. Every completed mission sets a foundation to build and design greater complexity into future research and answer questions about common human diseases on ground and in space. Here, we present methods developed for the translation of a rodent experiment to the ISS including a description of hardware and kits available for investigators and a discussion of operational constraints.

Rodent Research↗

Exploration Medical Capability - Technology Watch

The objectives of the Technology Watch process are to identify emerging, high-impact technologies that augment current ExMC development efforts, and to work with academia, industry, and other government agencies to accelerate the development of medical care and research capabilities for the mitigation of potential health issues that could occur during space exploration missions. The establishment of collaborations with these entities is beneficial to technology development, assessment and/or insertion. Such collaborations also further NASA s goal to provide a safe and healthy environment for human exploration. The Tech Watch project addresses requirements and capabilities identified by knowledge and technology gaps that are derived from a discrete set of medical conditions that are most likely to occur on exploration missions. These gaps are addressed through technology readiness level assessments, market surveys, collaborations and distributed innovation opportunities. Ultimately, these gaps need to be closed with respect to exploration missions, and may be achieved through technology development projects. Information management is a key aspect to this process where Tech Watch related meetings, research articles, collaborations and partnerships are tracked by the HRP s Exploration Medical Capabilities (ExMC) Element. In 2011, ExMC will be introducing the Tech Watch external website and evidence wiki that will provide access to ExMC technology and knowledge gaps, technology needs and requirements documents.

Krihak, Michael↗

V/STOL aircraft simulation - Requirements and capabilities at Ames Research Center

Ground-based flight simulation contributes greatly to the development of new aircraft and flight management systems and will be especially important in improving the performance, safety, and environmental characteristics of future civil and military V/STOL aircraft. This paper describes existing simulation facilities at Ames Research Center and discusses their capabilities and limitations for V/STOL aircraft investigations. Simulation requirements for NASA research and support of DOD programs are also discussed, including technology development for advanced rotorcraft and civil and military V/STOL aircraft. Current efforts and future plans are described for the upgrading of Ames simulation facilities to meet those requirements. Recent advances in equipment technology and operational methodology are shown to provide significantly improved simulation fidelity through better motion and visual cues and faster system response to pilot inputs.

Wilcox, D. E.↗

Development, Application, and Transition of Aerosol and Trace Gas Products Derived from Next-Generation Satellite Observations to Operations

NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center has a history of successfully transitioning unique observations and research capabilities to the operational weather community to improve short-term forecasts. SPoRTstrives to bridge the gap between research and operations by maintaining interactive partnerships with end users to develop products that match specific forecast challenges, provide training, and assess the products in the operational environment. This presentation focuses on recent product development, application, and transition of aerosol and trace gas products to operations for specific forecasting applications. Recent activities relating to the SPoRT ozone products, aerosol optical depth composite product, sulfur dioxide, and aerosol index products are discussed.

remote sensing↗

Physics Basis, Optimization, and Control for Integrated 3D Edge Long-pulse Tokamak Scenarios

The aim of this project with international collaborations (PI: J.-K. Park of Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory) is to develop a unified physics basis and predictive capability for the control of edge-localized modes (ELMs) with optimized non-axisymmetric (3D) fields, by leveraging the unique research capabilities of international KSTAR tokamak in Korea. At the University of California, Irvine, we use a fusion simulation code GTC to study the effects of the 3D magnetic fields (including both magnetic islands and stochastic magnetic field lines) on microturbulence. We focus on the effects of 3D equilibrium on turbulent and neoclassical transport that leads to ELM suppression. During the project period, the UCI team of this collaboration has made significant progress in understanding turbulent transport in 3D geometry including both tokamaks with RMP and stellarators. Four UCI postdoctoral researchers, Drs. Javier Nicolau, Gyungjin Choi, Pengfei Liu, and Xishuo Wei were partially supported by this project and collaborating with the entire project team. We have published 4 journal papers and gave several invited talks. This project advance physics understand of 3D effects on microturbulence, specially effects of magnetic islands. It will contribute to the DOE SciDAC ISEP project in the area of GTC development for general 3D geometry capability, rigorous verification and validation, and readiness for the emerging exascale computing. Through collaborations with computational scientists, the project helps to advance high performance computing in the area of GPU acceleration, linear solver, and data management.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

NASA Applied Sciences Program

NASA's strategic Goals: a) Develop a balanced overall program of science, exploration, and aeronautics consistent with the redirection of human spaceflight program to focus on exploration. b) Study Earth from space to advance scientific understanding and meet societal needs. NASA's partnership efforts in global modeling and data assimilation over the next decade will shorten the distance from observations to answers for important, leading-edge science questions. NASA's Applied Sciences program will continue the Agency's efforts in benchmarking the assimilation of NASA research results into policy and management decision-support tools that are vital for the Nation's environment, economy, safety, and security. NASA also is working with NOAH and inter-agency forums to transition mature research capabilities to operational systems, primarily the polar and geostationary operational environmental satellites, and to utilize fully those assets for research purposes.

Estes, Sue M.↗

Maryland Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) Educational Outreach Program for Solar Eclipse Study

Space Weather UnderGround (SWUG) is an educational outreach program that provides hands-on experiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) to high school and undergraduate students. It has three ultimate goals: 1. Educating the future STEM workforce. 2. Building a cost-effective, research-capable ground 3. magnetometer array across the United States. Collecting geomagnetic field data at high spatial resolution for heliophysics research. SWUG students build, test, and deploy the Simple Aurora Monitor (SAM)-III kit, purchased by Reeve Engineers. The SAM-III kit is a fluxgate magnetometer that measures geomagnetic field changes at a resolution of 1 nT/sec. Dr. Charles Smith initiated the SWUG program at the University of New Hampshire, and it has since expanded to Alaska and Maryland. This presentation introduces the Maryland SWUG activities. The MD-SWUG program was started in the Fall of 2022 with the goal of deploying magnetometers to the solar eclipse sites in 2023 and 2024. Two student-built magnetometers were deployed to the Southwest Research Institute and the Los Alamos National Laboratory for the 2023 annular solar eclipse, with plans to deploy at least four magnetometers to the 2024 total solar eclipse sites, including the University of Texas at Dallas. During a solar eclipse, reduced solar irradiance weakens ionospheric currents and reduces geomagnetic fields by up to 30 nT at the eclipse sites. A recent study suggested that solar eclipses impact geomagnetic fields not only along the eclipse path but also at their magnetic conjugate locations. The SWUG program will help us understand this electrodynamic coupling between the conjugate locations during a solar eclipse by providing better data coverage along the solar eclipse path.

Hyunju Connor↗

Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling: Development of a National Capability

Water is one of our most important natural resources and is essential to our national economy and security. Multiple federal government agencies have mission elements that address national needs related to water. Each water-related agency champions a unique science and/or operational mission focused on advancing a portion of the nation’s ability to meet our water-related challenges. These diverse mission needs have engendered a rich and extensive base of water-related data and modeling capabilities. While useful for their intended purposes, these capabilities are not well integrated to address complex regional problems and overarching national problems. These major investments by a number of federal agencies, however, lay the foundation for an integrated hydro-terrestrial modeling and data infrastructure that will enhance knowledge, understanding, prediction, and management of the nation’s diverse water challenges. Creating a more seamless national hydro-terrestrial modeling and data capacity presents an enormous opportunity to advance operational as well as research capabilities leading to more effective water management. Advances are necessary not only in operational tools for forecasting but also in research to identify and resolve knowledge and data gaps that lead to unacceptable uncertainties in forecast outcomes. As such, close coordination across scientific, operational, and resource management communities is required. To this end, an interagency workshop on “Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling: Development of a National Capacity” was held at the National Science Foundation (NSF) headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia in September 2019, led jointly by the NSF, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and with broader interagency support provided through an interagency steering committee. This workshop provided a venue to bring together representatives of water-related agencies and their scientific partners (including university researchers) to initiate and refine a vision for a national Integrated Hydro-Terrestrial Modeling (IHTM) and data infrastructure and advance ideas towards its development. The workshop was designed to address three critical foci to advance the development of a national IHTM capacity: “Priority Water Challenges” around which to motivate and initiate development; Technical and methodological obstacles related to data and modeling; Organizational, structural, and cultural barriers that heretofore have impeded integration of capabilities across the federal and research landscapes. The following “Priority Water Challenge” domain areas represent targets for initiating development of the IHTM and were identified and selected in alignment with priorities of the administration’s Water Sub-Cabinet: (1) Nutrient loading, hypoxia, and harmful algal blooms; (2) Water availability in the western United States; and (3) Extreme weather-related water hazards. These water challenges span agency mission boundaries and encompass a broad range of geographies, complex system dynamics and feedbacks, and critical processes spanning hydrological, climatic, and biophysical systems as well as land-use/land-cover, agricultural, built infrastructure, societal, economic, and decisional environments. These three Priority Water Challenges cannot be fully addressed without leveraging complementary and synergistic capabilities across multiple agencies.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗

Operational and Mission Highlights A Monthly Summary of Top Achievements

In September 2020, the Laboratory’s Chemical Microscopy Facility tripled in size, expanding to 1,000 square feet. Located at TA-46, Building158, this facility houses a unique Laboratory resource. Operated by the Physical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy (C-PCS) group, this facility was established to renew the Laboratory’s rich history in radiobiology. The facility combines biological research capabilities with isotope production, as well as radioanalytical and chemical infrastructure. This facility provides space for Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) research, with alpha-emitting and other radionuclides of interest associated with biological systems. Equipped with a Class ll/A2 biological safety cabinet, a radiological fume hood and a host of other analytical equipment, this facility serves an effective resource to evaluate the efficacy of targeted alpha therapeutics, as well as the deleterious effects of radiological materials on living organisms. The facility receives funding through LDRD- 20180005DR, “Establishing a Radiotherapeutic Capability to Counter Biothreats,” and the BES Heavy Element Chemistry Program at the Laboratory.

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEA↗

First Materials Science Research Facility Rack Capabilities and Design Features

The first Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR-1) is the primary facility for U.S. sponsored materials science research on the International Space Station. MSRR-1 is contained in an International Standard Payload Rack (ISPR) equipped with the Active Rack Isolation System (ARIS) for the best possible microgravity environment. MSRR-1 will accommodate dual Experiment Modules and provide simultaneous on-orbit processing operations capability. The first Experiment Module for the MSRR-1, the Materials Science Laboratory (MSL), is an international cooperative activity between NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) and the European Space Agency's (ESA) European Space Research and Technology Center (ESTEC). The MSL Experiment Module will accommodate several on-orbit exchangeable experiment-specific Module Inserts which provide distinct thermal processing capabilities. Module Inserts currently planned for the MSL are a Quench Module Insert, Low Gradient Furnace, and a Solidification with Quench Furnace. The second Experiment Module for the MSRR-1 configuration is a commercial device supplied by MSFC's Space Products Development (SPD) Group. Transparent furnace assemblies include capabilities for vapor transport processes and annealing of glass fiber preforms. This Experiment Module is replaceable on-orbit. This paper will describe facility capabilities, schedule to flight and research opportunities.

Cobb, S.↗

Research On The CH-47B Helicopter

Report describes equipment added to, and research capabilities of CH-47B helicopter. Programmable symbol generator provides display formats for variety of missions - those of vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft and helicopters. Powerful general-purpose flight computer in operation. Computer programmable in high-level languages and supports research more efficiently. Flight-control software developed to improve capability of helicopter to perform simulations in flight.

Hilbert, Kathryn B.↗

Oakland University Cybersecurity Center (Final Scientific/Technical Report)

This report summarizes the outcomes of Award DE-CR0000023, “Oakland University Cybersecurity Center,” a 31-month project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER). The project addressed cybersecurity risks facing small and medium-sized manufacturers (SMMs) transitioning to Industry 4.0. The project integrated customer discovery, applied research, and cybersecurity training development. A total of 51 cybersecurity assessments identified significant gaps in baseline practices, incident response, and workforce capability. Research efforts produced a scalable mitigation framework tailored to SMM environments, and workforce analysis identified persistent talent gaps. Eight cybersecurity training modules were developed and deployed via Oakland University’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) platform. All objectives were completed, with 98.93% federal budget utilization and cost share exceeding requirements. The project establishes a scalable model for strengthening cybersecurity resilience and workforce capacity across U.S. manufacturing supply chains.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

Vascular Patterning Analysis by VESGEN 2D/3D with Bioinformatics: Updates for Rodent Tissues

Fractally branching vascular systems are a complex physiological requirement shared by humans with all higher terrestrial life forms, including other vertebrates, insects, and higher land plants. Vascular trees, networks, and tree-network composites are therefore mapped and quantified by the VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software according to weighted physiological vascular rules that include vessel connectivity, tapering and bifurcational branching. According to fluid dynamics, successful vascular transport depends upon a complex distributed system of highly regulated laminar flow. VESGEN has elucidated changes in vascular patterning resulting from inflammatory, developmental and other signaling pathways within numerous tissues of major model organisms important for Space Biology, especially for rodents. Important early stage regenerative opportunities have been identified by VESGEN vascular analysis for visual impairments in the human retina, and is currently being used for research into astronaut visual and ocular disorders associated with long duration missions. The VESGEN 2D software is a mature, automated, widely published capability for which beta testing and public release by NASA is planned for the upcoming year. Early-stage capabilities for VESGEN 3D analysis are under development for the rodent retina and intestine as prototype tissues. A prototype VESGEN 2D Bioinformatics software capability has also been developed to associate phenotypic changes in molecular expression with vascular structure and function. By new VESGEN bioinformatic innovations, expression patterns of the genetic, transcriptional, protein and other markers for regulatory molecules such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and their receptors, often indicators of tissue oxygenation status, are co-localized with alterations in vascular pattern. Biomarkers are therefore mapped and quantified as information dimensions directly correlated with the spatial dimensions of a vascular pattern. Further important technology innovations by NASA include substantial image segmentation advances for more automated binary extraction of the grayscale vascular patterns, together with informative associated image quality assessments. Vascular mapping and quantification capabilities for the rodent retina and intestine are illustrated for VESGEN 2D, along with technology status reports on VESGEN 3D and Bioinformatic capabilities. Research partially supported by Ames Center Innovation Awards.

Parsons-Wingerter, P.↗

New Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) Flight Testbed for Hypersonic Systems

The Phoenix Air-Launched Small Missile (ALSM) flight testbed was conceived and is proposed to help address the lack of quick-turnaround and cost-effective hypersonic flight research capabilities. The Phoenix ALSM testbed results from utilization of the United States Navy Phoenix AIM-54 (Hughes Aircraft Company, now Raytheon Company, Waltham, Massachusetts) long-range, guided air-to-air missile and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Dryden Flight Research Center (Edwards, California) F-15B (McDonnell Douglas, now the Boeing Company, Chicago, Illinois) testbed airplane. The retirement of the Phoenix AIM-54 missiles from fleet operation has presented an opportunity for converting this flight asset into a new flight testbed. This cost-effective new platform will fill the gap in the test and evaluation of hypersonic systems for flight Mach numbers ranging from 3 to 5. Preliminary studies indicate that the Phoenix missile is a highly capable platform; when launched from a high-performance airplane, the guided Phoenix missile can boost research payloads to low hypersonic Mach numbers, enabling flight research in the supersonic-to-hypersonic transitional flight envelope. Experience gained from developing and operating the Phoenix ALSM testbed will assist the development and operation of future higher-performance ALSM flight testbeds as well as responsive microsatellite-small-payload air-launched space boosters.

Bui, Trong T.↗

Oklahoma NASA EPSCoR

The mission of Oklahoma EPSCoR is to make Oklahoma researchers more successful in competing for research funding. Specific goals, objectives, and strategies were developed for each federal EPSCoR program, based on federal and state needs. A theme of stimulating collaboration among campuses and building on common research strengths is a strong component of the Oklahoma EPSCoR strategic plan. It extends also to our relationships with the federal agencies, and wherever possible, Oklahoma EPSCoR projects are developed collaboratively with federal research laboratories and program offices. Overall, Oklahoma EPSCoR seeks to capitalize on unique research capabilities and opportunities. The NASA EPSCoR Program in Oklahoma was developed through this grant as a joint effort between Oklahoma EPSCoR and the NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium (OSGC). The major goal of the Oklahoma NASA EPSCoR Plan established in 1996 is to develop an academic research enterprise directed towards a long-term, self-sustaining, nationally competitive capability in areas of mutual self-interest to NASA and Oklahoma. Our final technical summary pie chart demonstrates the strong successes we have achieved during this period as a result of the award.

Snowden, Victoria Duca↗

Combustion Research Aboard the ISS Utilizing the Combustion Integrated Rack and Microgravity Science Glovebox

The Physical Sciences Research Program of NASA sponsors a broad suite of peer-reviewed research investigating fundamental combustion phenomena and applied combustion research topics. This research is performed through both ground-based and on-orbit research capabilities. The International Space Station (ISS) and two facilities, the Combustion Integrated Rack and the Microgravity Science Glovebox, are key elements in the execution of microgravity combustion flight research planned for the foreseeable future. This paper reviews the Microgravity Combustion Science research planned for the International Space Station implemented from 2003 through 2012. Examples of selected research topics, expected outcomes, and potential benefits will be provided. This paper also summarizes a multi-user hardware development approach, recapping the progress made in preparing these research hardware systems. Within the description of this approach, an operational strategy is presented that illustrates how utilization of constrained ISS resources may be maximized dynamically to increase science through design decisions made during hardware development.

Sutliff, Thomas J.↗

Transition to Operations Plans for GPM Datasets

Founded in 2002 at the National Space Science Technology Center at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL. Focused on transitioning unique NASA and NOAA observations and research capabilities to the operational weather community to improve short-term weather forecasts on a regional and local scale. NASA directed funding; NOAA funding from Proving Grounds (PG). Demonstrate capabilities experimental products to weather applications and societal benefit to prepare forecasters for the use of data from next generation of operational satellites. Objective of this poster is to highlight SPoRT's research to operations (R2O) paradigm and provide examples of work done by the team with legacy instruments relevant to GPM in order to promote collaborations with groups developing GPM products.

Zavodsky, Bradley↗

Research with the space shuttle

The space-research capabilities of the Space Shuttle System are assessed in a review of its systems and instrumentation, visualizing the beginning of a new era for science in space with the start of shuttle operations expected in 1979. The Shuttle parameters are listed and the Large Space Telescope and the Plasma Physics and Environmental Perturbation Laboratory of the Shuttle are described. The Shuttle-based research in astronomy, atmospheric and space physics, high-energy astrophysics, and relativity is discussed. The versatile capabilities of the Shuttle as a plasma laboratory, a source of perturbation, and observing platform, and a particle precipitator are noted.

Naugle, J. E.↗