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NASA NTRS2004

Mapping and Monitoring Delmarva Fox Squirrel Habitat Using an Airborne LiDAR Profiler

Twenty five hundred thirty nine kilometers of airborne laser profiling and videography data were acquired over the state of Delaware during the summer of 2000. The laser ranging measurements and video from approximately one-half of that data set (1304 km) were analyzed to identify and locate forested sites that might potentially support populations of Delmarva fox squirrel (DFS, Sciurus niger cinereus). The DFS is an endangered species previously endemic to tall, dense, mature forests with open understories on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay. The airborne LiDAR employed in this study can measure forest canopy height and canopy closure, but cannot measure or infer understory canopy conditions. Hence the LiDAR must be viewed as a tool to map potential, not actual, habitat. Fifty-three potentially suitable DFS sites were identified in the 1304 km of flight transect data. Each of the 53 sites met the following criteria according to the LiDAR and video record: (1 ) at least 120m of contiguous forest; (2) an average canopy height greater than 20m; (3) an average canopy closure of >80%; and (4) no roofs, impervious surface (e.g., asphalt, concrete), and/or open water anywhere along the 120m length of the laser segment. Thirty-two of the 53 sites were visited on the ground and measurements taken for a DFS habitat suitability model. Seventy eight percent of the sites (25 of 32) were judged by the model to be suited to supporting a DFS population. Twenty-eight of the 32 sites visited in the field were in forest cover types (hardwood, mixed wood, conifer, wetlands) according to a land cover GIS map. Of these, 23 (82%) were suited to support DFS. The remaining 4 sites were located in nonforest cover types - agricultural or residential areas. Two of the four, or 50% were suited to the DFS. All of the LiDAR flight data, 2539 km, were analyzed to

Nelson, Ross↗
NASA NTRS2004

Lithium-Ion Small Cell Battery Shorting Study

AEA performed a hard short study on various cell configurations whilst monitoring voltage, current and temperature. Video recording was also done to verify the evidence for cell venting. The presentation summarizes the results of the study including video footage of typical samples. Need for the diode protection in manned applications is identified. The standard AEA approach of using fused connectors during AIT for unmanned applications is also described.

Pearson, Chris↗
NASA NTRS2005

New Directions in Space Operations Services in Support of Interplanetary Exploration

To gain access to the necessary operational processes and data in support of NASA's Lunar/Mars Exploration Initiative, new services, adequate levels of computing cycles and access to myriad forms of data must be provided to onboard spacecraft and ground based personnel/systems (earth, lunar and Martian) to enable interplanetary exploration by humans. These systems, cycles and access to vast amounts of development, test and operational data will be required to provide a new level of services not currently available to existing spacecraft, on board crews and other operational personnel. Although current voice, video and data systems in support of current space based operations has been adequate, new highly reliable and autonomous processes and services will be necessary for future space exploration activities. These services will range from the more mundane voice in LEO to voice in interplanetary travel which because of the high latencies will require new voice processes and standards. New services, like component failure predictions based on data mining of significant quantities of data, located at disparate locations, will be required. 3D or holographic representation of onboard components, systems or family members will greatly improve maintenance, operations and service restoration not to mention crew morale. Current operational systems and standards, like the Internet Protocol, will not able to provide the level of service required end to end from an end point on the Martian surface like a scientific instrument to a researcher at a university. Ground operations whether earth, lunar or Martian and in flight operations to the moon and especially to Mars will require significant autonomy that will require access to highly reliable processing capabilities, data storage based on network storage technologies. Significant processing cycles will be needed onboard but could be borrowed from other locations either ground based or onboard other spacecraft. Reliability will be a key factor with onboard and distributed backup processing an absolutely necessary requirement. Current cluster processing/Grid technologies may provide the basis for providing these services. An overview of existing services, future services that will be required and the technologies and standards required to be developed will be presented. The purpose of this paper will be to initiate a technological roadmap, albeit at a high level, of current voice, video, data and network technologies and standards (which show promise for adaptation or evolution) to what technologies and standards need to be redefined, adjusted or areas where new ones require development. The roadmap should begin the differentiation between non manned and manned processes/services where applicable. The paper will be based in part on the activities of the CCSDS Monitor and Control working group which is beginning the process of standardization of the these processes. Another element of the paper will be based on an analysis of current technologies supporting space flight processes and services at JSC, MSFC, GSFC and to a lesser extent at KSC. Work being accomplished in areas such as Grid computing, data mining and network storage at ARC, IBM and the University of Alabama at Huntsville will be researched and analyzed.

Bradford, Robert N.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Model-Trained Neural Networks and Electronic Holography Demonstrated to Detect Damage in Blades

Detect Damage in Blades Electronic holography can show damaged regions in fan blades at 30 frames/sec. The electronic holograms are transformed by finite-element-model-trained artificial neural networks to visualize the damage. The trained neural networks are linked with video and graphics to visualize the bending-induced strain distribution, which is very sensitive to damage. By contrast, it is very difficult to detect damage by viewing the raw, speckled, characteristic fringe patterns. For neural-network visualization of damage, 2 frames or 2 fields are used, rather than the 12 frames normally used to compute the displacement distribution from electronic holograms. At the NASA Lewis Research Center, finite element models are used to compute displacement and strain distributions for the vibration modes of undamaged and cracked blades. A model of electronic time-averaged holography is used to transform the displacement distributions into finite-element-resolution characteristic fringe patterns. Then, a feedforward neural network is trained with the fringe-pattern/strain-pattern pairs, and the neural network, electronic holography, and video are implemented on a workstation. Now that the neural networks have been tested successfully at 30 frames/sec on undamaged and cracked cantilevers, the electronic holography and neural-network processing are being adapted for onsite damage inspection of twisted fan blades and rotormounted blades. Our conclusion is that model-trained neural nets are effective when they are trained with good models whose application is well understood. This work supports the aeromechanical testing portion of the Advanced Subsonic Technology Project.

Decker, Arthur J.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Laser Range and Bearing Finder for Autonomous Missions

NASA has recently re-confirmed their interest in autonomous systems as an enabling technology for future missions. In order for autonomous missions to be possible, highly-capable relative sensor systems are needed to determine an object's distance, direction, and orientation. This is true whether the mission is autonomous in-space assembly, rendezvous and docking, or rover surface navigation. Advanced Optical Systems, Inc. has developed a wide-angle laser range and bearing finder (RBF) for autonomous space missions. The laser RBF has a number of features that make it well-suited for autonomous missions. It has an operating range of 10 m to 5 km, with a 5 deg field of view. Its wide field of view removes the need for scanning systems such as gimbals, eliminating moving parts and making the sensor simpler and space qualification easier. Its range accuracy is 1% or better. It is designed to operate either as a stand-alone sensor or in tandem with a sensor that returns range, bearing, and orientation at close ranges, such as NASA's Advanced Video Guidance Sensor. We have assembled the initial prototype and are currently testing it. We will discuss the laser RBF's design and specifications. Keywords: laser range and bearing finder, autonomous rendezvous and docking, space sensors, on-orbit sensors, advanced video guidance sensor

Granade, Stephen R.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Ocular examination for trauma; clinical ultrasound aboard the International Space Station

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound imaging is a successful modality in a broad variety of diagnostic applications including trauma. Ultrasound has been shown to be accurate when performed by non-radiologist physicians; recent reports have suggested that non-physicians can perform limited ultrasound examinations. A multipurpose ultrasound system is installed on the International Space Station (ISS) as a component of the Human Research Facility (HRF). This report documents the first ocular ultrasound examination conducted in space, which demonstrated the capability to assess physiologic alterations or pathology including trauma during long-duration space flight. METHODS: An ISS crewmember with minimal sonography training was remotely guided by an imaging expert from Mission Control Center (MCC) through a comprehensive ultrasound examination of the eye. A multipurpose ultrasound imager was used in conjunction with a space-to-ground video downlink and two-way audio. Reference cards with topological reference points, hardware controls, and target images were used to facilitate the examination. Multiple views of the eye structures were obtained through a closed eyelid. Pupillary response to light was demonstrated by modifying the light exposure of the contralateral eye. RESULTS: A crewmember on the ISS was able to complete a comprehensive ocular examination using B- and M-mode ultrasonography with remote guidance from an expert in the MCC. Multiple anteroposterior, oblique, and coronal views of the eye clearly demonstrated the anatomic structures of both segments of the globe. The iris and pupil were readily visualized with probe manipulation. Pupillary diameter was assessed in real time in B- and M-mode displays. The anatomic detail and fidelity of ultrasound video were excellent and could be used to answer a variety of clinical and space physiologic questions. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive, high-quality ultrasound examination of the eye was performed with a multipurpose imager aboard the ISS by a non-expert operator using remote guidance. Ocular ultrasound images were of diagnostic quality despite the 2-second communication latency and the unconventional setting of a weightless spacecraft environment. The remote guidance techniques developed to facilitate this successful NASA research experiment will support wider applications of ultrasound for remote medicine on Earth including the assessment of pupillary reactions in patients with severe craniofacial trauma and swelling.

Clinical Trial↗
NASA NTRS2004

Medical/Scientific Illustration And Production Of Otological Health Awareness Materials

Over the past year, I have worked for my mentor, Beth Cooper, on a large variety of projects. Beth is the Manager of the Acoustical Testing Laboratory, which tests the acoustical emissions of payloads destined for the International Space Station. She is also responsible for educating, and developing new methods of educating, people of all occupational and educational backgrounds in hearing conservation. Beth spends much of her time developing new materials and strategies with which to train people and teach other people to train people in hearing conservation and noise emissions control. I have been helping Beth develop and market these materials by way of graphic design and scientific illustration. Last summer, I spent much of my time creating educational illustrations that visually explained particular concepts in Beth's presentations. Sometimes these illustrations were small "comics" while, at other times, they were an instructional series of illustrations. Since then, Beth and her lab have been developing and updating some materials which will be distributed free to hearing conservation and noise control professionals and others in related fields. I have helped with these projects by designing their packaging. In each instance, it was my responsibility to develop an aesthetically appealing package that would also, through its imagery, describe or summarize the contents of the product. I did this for 3 CD's (Auditory Demonstrations 11, MACSUG, and JeopEARdy) and saw them through their actual production and distribution. In addition to working with Beth, I work with the Imaging Technology Center on various imaging projects. Some of my activities include photo retouching and manipulation for videos and print. This summer, I also had the opportunity to develop a screen saver that would show of some of the photography contained on the soon-to-be-released "Highlights of the GRC Image Archives, vol. 2". I was also able to utilize my medical training to help several of ITC s videographers identify the best histological examples of cancerous cells for incorporation in one of their videos. Over the last part of this summer and then throughout the school year, I will be working with Beth to develop a "pre-packaged" lecture series about the physics of acoustics in the context of hearing conservation. These lectures will be used to teach people of all backgrounds the fundamental concepts involved in acoustical physics so they might be better aware of their own and others auditory health in and out of the work place, and, in the case of payload developers, to design and build more quiet science experiments for the ISS. Even though it may not seem as such, this project is precisely what I am learning to do as a student of the Cleveland Institute of Art's Medical Illustration Department. From my perspective, this project is about taking technical information and translating it into terms that anyone, regardless of background, can understand.

Hawes, Nicholas E.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Flywheel Technology

Throughout the summer of 2004, I am working on a number of different projects. While located in the Space Power and Propulsion Test Engineering branch, my main area of study is flywheel technology. I have been exposed to flywheels, their components, and their uses in today's society. I have been able to experience numerous flywheels here in the flywheel lab at NASA Glenn. My first main project was to explore the attributes and physical characteristics of a flywheel. Our branch was constructing a flywheel demonstration to be presented at the public open house taking place in June. Our Flywheel Interactive Demo, or FIDO, represents a real life multi-flywheel system here at NASA. I was given the opportunity to learn about how these flywheels store energy and are able to position a satellite. With all of this new knowledge, I was able to create the posters that explained how our demonstration worked. I also composed a step-by-step process made up of four experiments that any visitor could follow and perform on FIDO. By stepping through these experiments, the individual learns how a flywheel works. They not only read the explanation of what is happening, but they are also able to see it happen. Creating these two posters not only taught me, but also helped teach the general public during the open house, how flywheel technology is a very important part of our future. Through my research, I have learned that flywheels are able to store massive amounts of energy. They can be described as an electro-mechanical battery that stores kinetic energy while rotating. The faster it rotates, the more energy it stores. Their lifetime is about triple that of an ordinary battery. Flywheels also have the ability to combine energy storage with attitude control all in a single system. Attitude control is the ability to position a satellite as required. FIDO helps us to understand the rotational force (torque) that is applied upon a turn-table or satellite during wheel acceleration/deceleration. My other main project that I have just begun is to create a flywheel presentation, brochure, and video all explaining the history, applications, early attempts, and working processes of modem flywheels. These items are all usefull tools for educating school children and even adults about flywheels. This task will require a large amount of research and skills in the use of multiple applications. My goal this summer is to learn the dynamics and uses of a flywheel in today s society, and then inform and encourage the public about flywheels. I am able to express my knowledge by creating some effective as well as attractive posters, presentations, brochures, videos, etc. that are able to explain how a flywheel works along with how our FIDO demonstration simulates a real flywheel. My goal is underway, and should be successfully reached with the help of my mentor, other coworkers, and fellow interns.

Ritchie, Lisa M.↗
NASA NTRS2005

STS-114 Flight Day 1 Highlights

Video coverage of NASA's Return to Flight begins with the pre-flight meal and suit-up of the STS-114 crew (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda), and its departure for the launch pad on the Astrovan. The astronauts board Space Shuttle Discovery and are seated. Arms on the launch pad's Fixed Service Structure pull away, and Discovery is shown from liftoff through booster separation. Video of the ascent from a new camera onboard the External Tank (ET) is included, which features views of the ET's bipod and the tank's separation from the orbiter, with Earth in the background. During a change of shift at Mission Control Center, staff members congratulate the Shuttle crew, and Commander Collins thanks them.

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NASA NTRS2005

STS-114 Flight Day 5 Highlights

Highlights of Day 5 of the STS-114 Return to Flight mission (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda) include video coverage of an extravehiclular activity (EVA) by Noguchi and Robinson. The other crew members of Discovery are seen on the flight deck and mid-deck helping the astronauts to suit-up. The objectives of the EVA are to test repair techniques on sample tiles in the shuttle's payload bay, to repair electrical equipment for a gyroscope on the International Space Station (ISS), and to install a replacement GPS antenna on the ISS. Noguchi and Robinson use a caulk gun and a putty knife to repair the sample tiles. The video contains several Earth views, including one of Baja California.

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NASA NTRS2005

STS-114 Flight Day 2 Highlights

Video coverage of NASA's Return to Flight continues with highlights from Day 2 of STS-114. After a wake-up song from Mission Control Center, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda) inspects the orbiter for damage using a camera on the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS). The SRMS, a robot arm, extends its length by grappling the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System, in order to image Discovery's wing leading edges and the underside of its nose. After the boom is stowed in the payload bay, the top and sides of the crew cabin are then imaged, including the Reaction Control System jets. The Shuttle's Ku-band antenna is then deployed. The video includes scenes of the payload bay contents, and crew members on the flight deck.

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NASA NTRS2005

STS-114 Flight Day 9 Highlights

The highlight of Day 9 is the third extravehicular activity (EVA) of the STS-114 mission (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda). Astronauts Noguchi and Robinson are seen preparing for the EVA in the closed payload bay of Space Shuttle Discovery; on the EVA they install on the International Space Station (ISS) a Materials on the International Space Station Experiments (MISSE) unit, an External Stowage Platform (ESP-2), and a wireless antenna. The astronauts are seen working on the ISS under different lighting conditions, and use a pistol-grip tool to remove ESP-2 from the shuttle payload bay. The Space Station Remote Manipulator System then carries Robinson to the underside of the Discovery orbiter, where he communicates with Mission Control during the delicate and unprecedented removal of gap fillers from between the shuttle's tiles. Before and the after the EVA the video includes views of a damaged thermal blanket beneath the shuttle cockpit window. Other views of the shuttle include pans along the underside and topside by the Orbiter Boom Sensor System. The video also includes a view from orbit of Kazakhstan.

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NASA NTRS2001

Sub-Nyquist Distortions in Sampled One- and Two-Dimensional Signals Studied

Hardware testing frequently involves the acquisition of waveform and instrumentation signals, which are often recorded on waveform recorders, oscillographs, and video recorders. Years ago, the waveforms were viewed as analog records, as drawn by a paper strip chart pen or electron beam on a cathode ray tube screen. One of the problems in the past was that the analog electronics may not have been able to accurately display the full amplitude of a signal if the real-time signals exceeded the frequency response bandwidth of the recording device. The advent of digital oscilloscopes, waveform recorders, and video frame-grabbers solved many of the frequency response problems, though not all. A restriction on digital waveform acquisition is well known by people in the instrumentation field. Put simply, the sampling frequency must be at least twice the frequency of any signal to be sampled, or vice versa; the signals must be filtered so that none of the signal frequencies are higher than one-half the sample rate (the Nyquist Limit). Then, per Shannon's Sampling Theorem (1949, ref. 1), any sampled signal can be reconstructed for viewing on a display device. If any signals exceed the Nyquist frequency limit, error signals called aliases occur in the output display.

Williams, Glenn L.↗
NASA NTRS2005

Design and Performance Evaluation of a UWB Communication and Tracking System for Mini-AERCam

NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) is developing a low-volume, low-mass, robotic free-flying camera known as Mini-AERCam (Autonomous Extra-vehicular Robotic Camera) to assist the International Space Station (ISS) operations. Mini-AERCam is designed to provide astronauts and ground control real-time video for camera views of ISS. The system will assist ISS crewmembers and ground personnel to monitor ongoing operations and perform visual inspections of exterior ISS components without requiring extravehicular activity (EAV). Mini-AERCam consists of a great number of subsystems. Many institutions and companies have been involved in the R&D for this project. A Mini-AERCam ground control system has been studied at Texas A&M University [3]. The path planning and control algorithms that direct the motions of Mini-AERCam have been developed through the joint effort of Carnegie Mellon University and the Texas Robotics and Automation Center [5]. NASA JSC has designed a layered control architecture that integrates all functions of Mini-AERCam [8]. The research described in this report is part of a larger effort focused on the communication and tracking subsystem that is designed to perform three major tasks: 1. To transmit commands from ISS to Mini-AERCam for control of robotic camera motions (downlink); 2. To transmit real-time video from Mini-AERCam to ISS for inspections (uplink); 3. To track the position of Mini-AERCam for precise motion control. The ISS propagation environment is unique due to the nature of the ISS structure and multiple RF interference sources [9]. The ISS is composed of various truss segments, solar panels, thermal radiator panels, and modules for laboratories and crew accommodations. A tracking system supplemental to GPS is desirable both to improve accuracy and to eliminate the structural blockage due to the close proximity of the ISS which could at times limit the number of GPS satellites accessible to the Mini-AERCam. Ideally, the tracking system will be a passive component of the communication system which will need to operate in a time-varying multipath environment created as the robot camera moves over the ISS structure. In addition, due to many interference sources located on the ISS, SSO, LEO satellites and ground-based transmitters, selecting a frequency for the ISS and Mini-AERCam link which will coexist with all interferers poses a major design challenge. To meet all of these challenges, ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology is being studied for use in the Mini-AERCam communication and tracking subsystem. The research described in this report is focused on design and evaluation of passive tracking system algorithms based on UWB radio transmissions from mini-AERCam.

Barton, Richard J.↗
NASA NTRS2005

STS-114: Discovery Day 9 Mission Status Briefing

Paul Hill, STS-114 Lead Shuttle Flight Director; Mark Ferring, Lead ISS Flight Director; Cindy Begley, STS-114 Lead EVA Officer were present. Paul reported on the general accomplishments of the mission for the day: the transfer to two stations are complete, transfers back from station into logistics module into the mid-deck are about 75 % complete and definitely in schedule to finish the next day, everything with the external video cam and the RGMC return are complete. He noted that all crews are doing great by all means. Paul also gave a detailed explanation with supporting video clips regarding concern for Eileen's side of window. Mark and Cindy both gave technical details on Mission Specialists Steven Robinson and Souichi Noguchi's extravehicular activities (EVA). News media focused most of their questions on extravehicular activities.

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NASA NTRS2005

STS-114: Discovery Tanking Operations for Launch

Jessica Rye from NASA Public Affairs is the narrator for the tanking operations for the launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. She presents a video of the arrival and processing of the new external tank at the Kennedy Space Center. The external tank is also shown entering the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). The external tank underwent new processing resulting from its redesign including inspection of the bipod heater and the external separation camera. The changes to the external tank include: 1) Electric heaters to protect from icing; and 2) Liquid Oxygen feed line bellows to carry fuel from the external tank to the Orbiter. Footage of the external tank processing facility at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, La. prior to its arrival at Kennedy Space Center is shown and a video of the three key modifications to the external tank including the bipod, flange and bellows are shown.

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NASA NTRS2005

STS-114: Discovery Mission Status Briefing

This STS-114 Discovery Mission Status Briefing begins with Eileen Collins, Commander of the STS-114 Discovery, and crewmembers in orbit talking with mission control after launch of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Collins gives tribute to the crewmembers of the Space Shuttle Columbia and their families. Phil Engelauf, STS-114 Mission Operations Representative presents his mission status briefing and John Shannon, Space Shuttle Flight Operations and Integration Manager talks about the processing of radar data taken of the Space Shuttle Discovery during ascent. A video presentation from the Solid Rocket Booster Camera is shown by John Shannon. The video includes: 1) Piece of orbiter tile and origins of debris; 2) Pictures of debris after SRB separation; 3) TYVEK covers; and 4) Bird impacts external tank nose cone. Questions from the news media about tile shearing, vehicle damage and debris from the external tank are answered.

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NASA NTRS2003

STS-114: Crew Training Clip from JSC

STS-114 Discovery crew is shown in various training exercises at Johnson Space Center. The crew consists of Eileen Collins, Commander; James Kelley, Pilot; Charles Camarda, Mission Specialist; Wendy Lawrence, Mission Specialist; Soichi Noguchi, Mission Specialist; Steve Robinson, Mission Specialist; and Andy Thomas, Mission Specialist. The exercises include: 1) EVA training in the VR lab; 2) Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) EVA Training; 3) Walk to Motion Base Simulator; 4) EVA Preparations in ISS Airlock; and 7) Emergency Egress from Crew Compartment Trainer (CCT). A crew photo session is also presented. Footage of The Space Shuttle Atlantis inside the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) after its demating from the Solid Rocket Booster and External Tank is shown. The video ends with techniques for inspecting and repairing Thermal Protection System tiles, a video of external tank production at the Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF) and redesign of the foam from the bipod ramp at Michoud Assembly Facility (MAF).

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