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At least 1,531 records · Page 85
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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

HelioSwarm: The Swarm is the Observatory

The HelioSwarm Mission will transform our understanding of space plasma turbulence by being the first-of-its-kind simultaneous, multiscale observatory comprising multiple spacecraft. HelioSwarm was competitively selected under the Heliophysics Explorers Program 2019 Medium-Class Explorer (MIDEX) Announcement of Opportunity. The central powered-ESPA Hub spacecraft is co-orbited by eight SmallSat Node spacecraft, together moving through a High Earth Orbit to obtain data in various solar wind regimes. The mission architecture is that of hub-and-spoke, with the larger hub serving as a communications relay between the Nodes and DSN. Mission operations, management, and technical oversight are provided by NASA Ames Research Center; the spacecraft are provided by Northrop Grumman and BCT. The instrument suite includes foreign-contributed instruments and U.S. ones, all under the oversight of University of New Hampshire (which is also the Principal Investigator’s home institution and Science Operations Center). The mission timeline from launch through conclusion of the one-year science mission is provided along with a summarized concept of operations, with particular emphasis on placing the Nodes in their proper relative orbit loops to form the geometry needed for science collection at apogee. A brief discussion of how a combination of legacy tools and custom-created swarm analysis tools are used to design the swarm and sort and visualize the collected science data and telemetry in context is provided. Finally, an exploration of the pathfinding nature of HelioSwarm and some implications for future large scientific swarms is offered.

Heliophysics↗
NASA NTRS2001

Hiding the Disk and Network Latency of Out-of-Core Visualization

This paper describes an algorithm that improves the performance of application-controlled demand paging for out-of-core visualization by hiding the latency of reading data from both local disks or disks on remote servers. The performance improvements come from better overlapping the computation with the page reading process, and by performing multiple page reads in parallel. The paper includes measurements that show that the new multithreaded paging algorithm decreases the time needed to compute visualizations by one third when using one processor and reading data from local disk. The time needed when using one processor and reading data from remote disk decreased by two thirds. Visualization runs using data from remote disk actually ran faster than ones using data from local disk because the remote runs were able to make use of the remote server's high performance disk array.

Ellsworth, David↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploring Anomalous PM 2.5 from Wildfires and Dust Storms using Data and Services at NASA GES DISC

The presence of fine particles in the atmosphere with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm, called particulate matter 2.5 (PM 2.5 ), poses a significant threat to human health as a criteria air pollutant. Fortunately, NASA's Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) provides easy access to several PM 2.5 concentration products. These datasets include the reanalysis of global hourly and monthly aerosol components including PM 2.5 data from the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, version 2 (MERRA-2), as well as 3-hourly real-time ensemble forecasts of PM 2.5 from the Hazardous Air Quality Ensemble System (HAQES). The HAQES products are developed by the George Mason University Air Quality Laboratory as part of NASA's Health Air Quality Applied Science Team (HAQAST). The GES DISC is actively collaborating with scientists in the HAQAST program to further expand air quality data collections. Two new datasets are currently being archived: one is the machine learning-based global hourly PM 2.5 derived from MERRA-2; the other is the localized data (NO 2 , O 3 , and PM 2.5 ) time series derived from NASA's GEOS Composition Forecasting (GEOS-CF) system. In this presentation, we will explore the spatial patterns and long-distance transport characteristics of elevated PM 2.5 during extreme pollution events, such as the June 2023 Canadian wildfires, which are still active at the time of writing; and severe spring dust storms in 2023 over Asia. To gain comprehensive insights, we will utilize various PM 2.5 data in conjunction with satellite-observed aerosol data from TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) on Sentinel-5P. The primary focus of this presentation will be to demonstrate effective use of data tools and services to visualize and explore extreme air pollution phenomena. Additionally, we will provide guidance on how users can download specific data of interest, facilitating further analysis and research in this critical area.

air quality↗
NASA NTRS1993

How diverse is the asteroid belt?

For approximately twenty years, many different asteroid taxonomies, which used many different observational data sets, have been developed to try to group asteroids into classes that contain members with similar spectral characteristics. However, to understand the structure of the asteroid belt, the resulting classes are only useful if they are grouping together asteroids with somewhat similar mineralogies and thermal histories. Until recently, these taxonomies have focused on spectral reflectance data from 0.3 to 1.1 microns and visual albedo. But in the last five years, observational data sets (e.g., 0.8 to 2.5 microns spectra, CCD spectra, 3 microns spectra, and radar albedos) for a small number of asteroids were compiled that can give a better mineralogical interpretation, but whose use in asteroid taxonomy was relatively limited. Analyses of these 'supplementary' data sets show that most asteroid classes contain members with different compositions and/or thermal histories. To understand the diversity of the asteroid belt, the number of objects with these observations must be expanded and used in the next generation of taxonomies.

Burbine, Thomas H.↗
NASA NTRS1993

RIAD visual imaging branch assessment

Every year the demand to visualize research efforts increases. The visualization provides the means to effectively analyze data and present the results. The technology support for visualization is constantly changing, improving, and being made available to users everywhere. As such, many researchers are entering into the practice of doing their own visualization in house - sometimes successfully, sometimes not. In an effort to keep pace with the visualization needs of researchers, the Visual Imaging Branch of the Research, Information, and Applications Division at NASA Langley Research Center has conducted an investigation into the current status of imaging technology and imaging production throughout the various research branches at the center. This investigation will allow the branch to evaluate its current resources and personnel in an effort to identify future directions for meeting the needs of the researchers at the center. The investigation team, which consisted of the ASEE fellow, the head of the video section, and the head of the photo section, developed an interview format that could be accomplished during a short interview period with researchers, and yet still provide adequate statistics about items such as in-house equipment and usage.

Beam, Sherilee F.↗
NASA NTRS1999

The Evolution of the DARWIN System

DARWIN is a web-based system for presenting the results of wind-tunnel testing and computational model analyses to aerospace designers. DARWIN captures the data, maintains the information, and manages derived knowledge (e.g. visualizations, etc.) of large quantities of aerospace data. In addition, it provides tools and an environment for distributed collaborative engineering. We are currently constructing the third version of the DARWIN software system. DARWN's development history has, in some sense, tracked the development of web applications. The 1995 DARWIN reflected the latest web technologies--CGI scripts, Java applets and a three-layer architecture--available at that time. The 1997 version of DARWIN expanded on this base, making extensive use of a plethora of web technologies, including Java/JavaScript and Dynamic HTML. While more powerful, this multiplicity has proven to be a maintenance and development headache. The year 2000 version of DARWIN will provide a more stable and uniform foundation environment, composed primarily of Java mechanisms. In this paper, we discuss this evolution, comparing the strengths and weaknesses of the various architectural approaches and describing the lessons learned about building complex web applications.

Walton, Joan D.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM)

Contents include the following: 1. Hurricane Isabel. TRMM composite images of Hurricane Isabel. TRMM application to monitoring potential floods. 2.TRMM Orbit and Instruments. TRMM Ground Track for 35" Orbit With Ground Truth Verification Sites. 3. TRMM Science Data Products at the GES DAAC. 4. TRMM Data Access and Services at GES DAAC. TRMM Online Visualization and Analysis System. Selected Recent TRMM Data Applications From Around the World.

Rui, Hualan↗
NASA NTRS2019

Electra: A Modular-Based Expansion of NASA's Supercomputing Capability

NASA has increasingly relied on high-performance computing (HPC) re- sources for computational modeling, simulation, and data analysis to meet the science and engineering goals of its missions in space exploration, aeronautics, and Earth and space science. The NASA Advanced Supercomputing (NAS) Division at Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, Calif., hosts NASA’s premier supercomputing resources, integral to achieving and enhancing the success of the agency’s missions. NAS provides a balanced environment, funded under the High-End Computing Capability (HECC) project, comprised of world-class supercomputers, including its flagship distributed-memory cluster, Pleiades; high-speed networking; and massive data storage facilities, along with multi-disciplinary support teams for user support, code porting and optimization, and large-scale data analysis and scientific visualization. However, as scientists have increased the fidelity of their simulations and engineers are conducting larger parameter-space studies, the requirements for supercomputing resources have been growing by leaps and bounds. With the facility housing the HECC systems reaching its power and cooling capacity, NAS undertook a prototype project to investigate an alternative approach for housing supercomputers. Modular supercomputing, or container-based computing, is an innovative concept for expanding NASA’s HPC capabilities. With modular supercomputing, additional containers—similar to portable storage pods—can be connected together as needed to accommodate the agency’s ever-increasing demand for computing resources. In addition, taking advantage of the local weather permits the use of cooling technologies that would additionally save energy and reduce annual water usage. The first stage of NASA’s Modular Supercomputing Facility (MSF) prototype, which resulted in a 1,000 square-foot module on a concrete pad with room for 16 compute racks, was completed in Fall 2016 and an SGI (now HPE) computer system, named Electra, was deployed there in early 2017. Cooling is performed via an evaporative system built into the module, and preliminary experience shows a Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) measurement of 1.03. Electra achieved over a petaflop on the LINPACK benchmark, sufficient to rank number 96 on the November 2016 TOP500 list [14]. The system consists of 1,152 InfiniBand-connected Intel Xeon Broadwell-based nodes. Its users access their files on a facility-wide file system shared by all HECC compute assets via Mellanox MetroX InfiniBand extenders, which connect the Electra fabric to Lustre routers in the primary facility over fiber-optic links about 900 feet long. The MSF prototype has exceeded expectations and is serving as a blueprint for future expansions. In the remainder of this chapter, we detail how modular data center technology can be used to expand an existing compute resource. We begin by describing NASA’s requirements for supercomputing and how resources were provided prior to the integration of the Electra module-based system.

Biswas, Rupak↗
NASA NTRS2020

ICESat-2 Tracking App for Public Engagement

Information regarding the predicted ground tracks of Earth observing satellites is typically difficult to find and understand for the general public. This paper will describe and demonstrate an iOS mobile application for tracking NASA’s ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2), making it easier for users to see exactly when the satellite will be passing over any location in the world. ICESat-2, launched in 2018, uses green lasers to track elevation changes in polar ice and indirectly measure trees, land, and water, providing a precise height map of our planet. Most satellite tracking mobile apps display information about where a specific satellite is at that given moment and when it will be passing over the user’s location in the near future. ICESat-2 the app differs by allowing users to search for data about the satellite’s future flybys relative to a specific search location and radius that they get to choose. The search results include points up to three months into the future. By supplying user-centric results, users are provided relevant data in an easy-to- access manner. Additionally, this data is very clear to visualize in-app through maps, pins, and ground track lines. This becomes an incredibly useful tool not only to plan an observation of the satellite as it passes, but also for knowing when elevation data for a specific area will be available. In addition, this flyby information helps students and citizen scientists take more valuable tree height measurements to better validate the elevation data collected by the satellite. To achieve this outreach product, three key components were developed. These include a Python script to simplify the raw ground track data, a Node.js server that actively takes requests, and the iOS app itself. From initial beta tests, it has been noted that providing users with a map for visual awareness of search radius and result coordinates gives them a more comprehensive understanding of the data. Overall, by cleaning the raw data and making it available in a much more accessible and easier to understand way, ICESat-2 the app has exceeded expectations in providing educational and exciting data for all.

Harbeck, Kaitlin↗
NASA NTRS2019

Comprehensive Assessment of Models and Events Using Library Tools (CAMEL) Framework: Time Series Comparisons

The Comprehensive Assessment of Models and Events using Library Tools (CAMEL) framework leverages existing Community Coordinated Modeling Center services: Run on Request post processing tools that generate model time series outputs and the new Community Coordinated Modeling Center Metadata Registry that describes simulation runs using Space Physics Archive Search and Extract metadata. The new CAMEL visualization tool compares the modeled time series with observational data and computes a suite of skill scores such as Prediction Efficiency, Root Mean Square Error, and Symmetric Signed Percentage Bias. Model data pairs used for skill calculations are obtained considering a user selected maximum difference between the time of observation and the nearest model output. The system renders available data for all locations and time periods selected using interactive visualizations that allow the user to zoom, pan, and pick data values along traces. Skill scores are reported for each selected event or aggregated over all events for all participating model runs. Separately, scores are reported for all locations (satellites or stations) and for each location individually. We are building on past experiences with model data comparisons of magnetosphere and ionosphere model outputs from GEM2008, GEMCEDAR Electrodynamics Thermosphere Ionosphere, and the SWPC Operational Space Weather Model challenges. The CAMEL visualization tool is demonstrated using three validation studies: (a) Wang Sheeley Arge heliosphere simulations compared against OMNI solar wind data, (b) ground magnetic perturbations from several magnetosphere and ionosphere electrodynamics models as observed by magnetometers, and (c) electron fluxes from several ring current simulations compared to Radiation Belt Storm Probes Helium Oxygen Proton Electron instrument measurements, integrated over different energy ranges.

Rastätter, Lutz↗
NASA NTRS1972

Interstellar extinction in the ultraviolet

Interstellar extinction curves over the region 3600-1100 A for 17 stars are presented. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers onboard the OAO-2 with spectral resolutions of 10 A and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region 1800-1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20.

Bless, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Ultraviolet photometry from the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory. II Interstellar extinction.

Evaluation of interstellar extinction curves over the region from 3600 to 1100 A for 17 stars. The observations were made by the two Wisconsin spectrometers on board the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2, with spectral resolutions of 10 and 20 A. The extinction curves generally show a pronounced maximum at 2175 plus or minus 25 A, a broad minimum in the region from 1800 to 1350 A, and finally a rapid rise to the far-ultraviolet. Large extinction variations from star to star are found, especially in the far-ultraviolet; however, with only two possible exceptions in this sample, the wavelength at the maximum of the extinction bump is essentially constant. These data are combined with visual and infrared observations to display the extinction behavior over a range in wavelength of about a factor of 20. The observations appear to require a multicomponent model of the interstellar dust.

Bless, R. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Break-up characteristics of Chena River Basin

The author has identified the following significant results. While visually analyzing ERTS-1 data for August and September, 1972, it was found that lakes as small as 200 feet in diameter were visible on the imagery. An examination of the imagery for the Minto Lakes area shows that the lakes take on their darkest appearance in MSS band 6. The Tanana River which flows through this area appears quite light in band 5, quite dark in band 7, and is almost undetectable for band 6. The significance of these data are that potential surface storage could be measured for watersheds that have substantial numbers of lakes. This potential storage would be available to both spring runoff and summer precipitation. Caution must be shown because certain clouds cast a shadow that is similar to the lake appearance. The difference of the imagery for a lake and a river of the same band is due to the sediment load for the river. The Tanana River had a heavy glacial sediment load. The area of snow cover during the fall accumulation can be mapped in detail.

Carlson, R. F.↗
NASA NTRS1974

An experimental investigation of leading-edge vortex augmentation by blowing

A wind tunnel test was conducted to determine the effects of over-the-wing blowing as a means of augmenting the leading-edge vortex flow of several pointed-tip, sharp-edged planforms. Arrow, delta, and diamond wings with leading-edge sweeps of 30 and 45 degrees were mounted on a body-of-revolution fuselage and tested in a low-speed wind tunnel at a Mach number of 0.2. Nozzle location data, pitch data, and flow-visualization pictures were obtained for a range of blowing rates. Results show pronounced increases in vortex lift due to the blowing.

Bradley, R. G.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Man-systems evaluation of moving base vehicle simulation motion cues

A motion cue investigation program is reported that deals with human factor aspects of high fidelity vehicle simulation. General data on non-visual motion thresholds and specific threshold values are established for use as washout parameters in vehicle simulation. A general purpose similator is used to test the contradictory cue hypothesis that acceleration sensitivity is reduced during a vehicle control task involving visual feedback. The simulator provides varying acceleration levels. The method of forced choice is based on the theory of signal detect ability.

Kirkpatrick, M.↗