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The major health hazards of spaceflight include higher levels of damaging radiation, altered gravity, extended periods of isolation and confinement, a closed and potentially hostile living environment, and the stress associated with being a long distance from Earth. As we increase the duration of lunar stays with foreseeable communication latencies and disruptions, there will be a progressive need for crew to maintain their own health and independently respond to critical medical events. The Exploration Medical Capability element of the NASA Human Research Program is developing a set of Medical System requirements for lunar transit and surface operations. These requirements specify the capabilities, processes and procedures of a habitat Medical System needed for a range of conditions known to occur during spaceflight. Requirement text is written so as not to constrain innovative design solutions necessary for a resilient system. The requirement set includes attributes and functions the Medical System imposes on eight additional habitat systems. A key property of the Medical System is the provision of medical knowledge that will be stored, updated, analyzed, and secured within a Habitat Data System. A Task Performance Support System will aid in medical data acquisition and interpretation, crew training, medical condition prevention, diagnosis and treatment, provide interactive procedures, and track medical inventory. A Wellness System will focus on the provision of countermeasures to prevent, mitigate or treat adverse physical and behavioral health effects while the Medical System recommends adjustments to these countermeasures to maintain crew health. An Environmental Monitoring System will share out-of-bounds readings of air and water quality, acoustics, and radiation exposure levels with the Medical System to help identify issues before they affect crew health and performance. A Communications System will provide secured and private consultations between crew and the ground medical team and their loved ones on Earth. The Medical System also imposes requirements on a Research & Testbed System, fostering advanced medical science such as human research. A Waste Management System provides biohazard waste containment and waste disposal options (recycle and reuse). An Extravehicular Activity System supports crew health during lunar surface activities. And finally, a Maintenance Support System ensures that medical equipment is performing as expected. These requirements are being specifically developed for lunar surface operations but could help to identify Medical System requirements for any space habitat (e.g., I-Hab, commercial endeavors, etc.).
The X-wing circulation controlled rotor system model was tested for hover performance. During these performance tests, noise data from 12 microphones was recorded on magnetic tape for subsequent data reduction. The rotor system was operated at 4 tip speeds ranging from 529 to 650 ft./sec. (404 to 497 rpm), collective angles of attack fro 0 deg to 8.5 deg (maximum), and blade pressure ratios from 1.0 (no blowing) to a maximum of 2.1. The 12 microphones included 11 in the far field, and one in the transmission area. Following completion of the rotor and subsystem noise measurements, sound field calibration measurements were made of both the rotor 'bowl' and the loudspeaker system used in the 'bowl' calibration measurements. The location of 10 far field microphones was measured by a surveyor. Additionally, detailed tape logs were prepared for the six reels of tape used for the program.
A new instrumentation system has been developed to measure the internal environment of solid rocket test motors during motor ignition. The system leverages conventional, analog gages with custom designed, electronics modules to provide safe, accurate, high speed data acquisition capability. To date, the instrumentation system has been demonstrated in a laboratory environment and on subscale static fire test motors ranging in size from 5-inches to 24-inches in diameter. Ultimately, this system is intended to be installed on a full-scale Reusable Solid Rocket Motor. This paper explains the need for the data, the components and capabilities of the system, and the test results.
The magnetic tape recorder has played an essential role in the capture and storage of instrumentation data for more than thirty years. During this time, data recording technology has steadily progressed to meet user demands for more channels, wider bandwidths, and longer recording durations. When acquisition and processing moved from analog to digital techniques, so recorder design followed suit. Milestones marking the evolution of the data recorder through these various stages - multi-track analog, high density longitudinal digital, and more recently rotary digital - have often represented important breakthroughs in the handling of ever-greater quantities of data. Throughout this period there has been a very clear line of demarcation between data storage methods in the 'instrumentation world' on the one hand and the 'computer peripheral world' on the other. This is despite the fact that instrumentation data, whether analog or digital at the point of acquisition, is now likely to be processed on a digital computer at some stage. Regardless of whether the processing device is a small personal computer, a workstation, or the largest supercomputer, system integrators have traditionally been faced with the same basic problem - how to interface what is essentially a manually controlled, continuously running device (the tape recorder) into the fast start/stop computer environment without resorting to an excessive amount of complex custom interfacing and performance compromise. The increasing availability of affordable high power processing equipment throughout the scientific world is forcing recorder manufacturers to make their latest and perhaps most important breakthrough - the computer-friendly data recorder. The operating characteristics of such recorders are discussed and the resultant impact on both data acquisition and data analysis elements of system configuration are considered.
Space tracking and data acquisition network of deep space network, noting manned space flight network and Unified S band system
Topics covered include: iGlobe Interactive Visualization and Analysis of Spatial Data; Broad-Bandwidth FPGA-Based Digital Polyphase Spectrometer; Small Aircraft Data Distribution System; Earth Science Datacasting v2.0; Algorithm for Compressing Time-Series Data; Onboard Science and Applications Algorithm for Hyperspectral Data Reduction; Sampling Technique for Robust Odorant Detection Based on MIT RealNose Data; Security Data Warehouse Application; Integrated Laser Characterization, Data Acquisition, and Command and Control Test System; Radiation-Hard SpaceWire/Gigabit Ethernet-Compatible Transponder; Hardware Implementation of Lossless Adaptive Compression of Data From a Hyperspectral Imager; High-Voltage, Low-Power BNC Feedthrough Terminator; SpaceCube Mini; Dichroic Filter for Separating W-Band and Ka-Band; Active Mirror Predictive and Requirement Verification Software (AMP-ReVS); Navigation/Prop Software Suite; Personal Computer Transport Analysis Program; Pressure Ratio to Thermal Environments; Probabilistic Fatigue Damage Program (FATIG); ASCENT Program; JPL Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) Portal; Data::Downloader; Fault Tolerance Middleware for a Multi-Core System; DspaceOgreTerrain 3D Terrain Visualization Tool; Trick Simulation Environment 07; Geometric Reasoning for Automated Planning; Water Detection Based on Color Variation; Single-Layer, All-Metal Patch Antenna Element with Wide Bandwidth; Scanning Laser Infrared Molecular Spectrometer (SLIMS); Next-Generation Microshutter Arrays for Large-Format Imaging and Spectroscopy; Detection of Carbon Monoxide Using Polymer-Composite Films with a Porphyrin-Functionalized Polypyrrole; Enhanced-Adhesion Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes on Titanium Substrates for Stray Light Control; Three-Dimensional Porous Particles Composed of Curved, Two-Dimensional, Nano-Sized Layers for Li-Ion Batteries 23 Ultra-Lightweight; and Ultra-Lightweight Nanocomposite Foams and Sandwich Structures for Space Structure Applications.
Computer programming, system development and analysis efforts during this contract were carried out in support of the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) at NASA/Langley. Support in the major areas of data acquisition and monitoring, data reduction and system development are described along with a brief explanation of the HALOE project. Documented listings of major software are located in the appendix.
Experimental evolution (EE) exposes microbial communities to ecological stressors, simulating dynamics up to near-extinction events. Combined with comparative sequencing and other molecular tools, such data can inform the genetic and other biological mechanisms underlying extremophile adaptation, and other observed effects. Automating this type of experiment using biofluidics can mitigate many traditional obstacles, including delays in assay results and environment adjustment and the need for many replicates. A first-generation device for automating EE procedures, the Automated Adaptive Directed Evolution Chamber (AADEC), was developed at NASA Ames. UV-C radiation was the stressor, an LED-photodiode array measured optical density, magnetic agitation and peristaltic pump systems ensured nutrient availability, and Arduino microcontrollers provided control. Escherichia coli in LB kanamycin media was used for testing and performance verification. A manual laboratory procedure with timed exposure to UV-C was performed to typify tolerance acquisition. Approximately a 106 factor increase in survival ratio was recorded over multiple iterations. Currently, a second-generation device is being developed integrating more real-time sensors: redox potential (ORP), indicating available/consumed metabolic energy; dissolved oxygen (DO), indicating aerobic/anaerobic growth; pH, indicating metabolic products; and electrical conductivity (EC), another indicator of metabolic products. The EC sensor system was constructed and calibrated in-house and matched commercial sensors in the required range. A Raspberry Pi computer automated the electrical system, allowing real-time data acquisition. The fluidics card was made of CNC-milled polycarbonate for biocompatibility. Each sensor parameter can also be used as a selection pressure alone or in combination with others to create extreme microbial environments. As a proof of concept, this work demonstrated sensor operation in one pair of growth-sensor chambers. It can be expanded to a multi-chamber system to enable inter-culture comparisons and multi-population studies. The prior Arduino system will be ported to the RPi system. Future stressors to be added include thermal, reactive oxygen species, and varying nutrient availability.
We describe recent work on automation and support of science experiments on the Space Shuttle. PI-in-a-Box, the first interactive expert system for scientific support, was flown onboard STS-58 in October 1993. It was designed to help astronauts perform better science in space by providing expert-level advice in real-time. The system provides help with 'technician' tasks such as data acquisition, data quality monitoring, and diagnostic, troubleshooting and repair. The system also performs 'expert' reasoning on the scientific model and experiment steps scheduling. It can make scheduling recommendations based on hardware status, time available, and agreement between predictions and flight data. The system was successfully deployed and used throughout the mission. Most of the 'technician' skills of the system were used with success. The scientific model study performed correctly, but we believe the results were not exploited by the astronauts because of Spacelab operational pressures. Also, portions of the system were designed around rigid schedule constraints that were essentially relaxed during the mission. This version was tailored to a specific vestibular experiment known as the 'rotating dome'. We are currently expanding our effort in various scientific (other life and microgravity sciences experiments) and technological directions (integrated telescience, astronaut science advisor, and autonomous control).
We describe recent work on automation and support of science experiments on the Space Shuttle. PI-in-a-Box, the first interactive expert system for scientific support, was flown onboard STS-58 in October 1993. It was designed to help astronauts perform better science in space by providing expert-level advice in real-time. The system provides help with "technician" tasks such as data acquisition, data quality monitoring, and diagnostic, troubleshooting and repair. The system also performs "expert" reasoning on the scientific model and experiment steps scheduling. It can make scheduling recommendations based on hardware status, time available, and agreement between predictions and flight data. The system was successfully deployed and used throughout the mission. Most of the "technician" skills of the system were used with success. The scientific model study performed correctly, but we believe the results were not exploited by the astronauts because of Spacelab operational pressures. Also, portions of the system were designed around rigid schedule constraints that were essentially relaxed during the mission. This version was tailored to a specific vestibular experiment known as the "rotating dome". We are currently expanding our effort in various scientific (other life and microgravity sciences experiments) and technological directions (integrated telescience, astronaut science advisor, and autonomous control).
An information management system is proposed for use in the space shuttle sortie, the modular space station, the tracking data relay satellite and associated ground support systems. Several different information management functions, including data acquisition, transfer, storage, processing, control and display are integrated in the system.
A central aspect of most space missions is the acquisition from space of unique, mission-specific data and the subsequent return of these data to Earth.
Sensor and associated microcomputer-based data acquisition unit can measure up to 1,024 unknown pressures at data rates as high as 10 kHz with maximum system inaccuracies of + or - 0.25 percent of full scale. System can be calibrated in place, making it easy to calibrate between runs for high cost or short run time wind tunnel testing.
System 8400 is an advanced system for measurement of gas and liquid pressure, along with a variety of other parameters, including voltage, frequency and digital inputs. System 8400 offers exceptionally high speed data acquisition through parallel processing, and its modular design allows expansion from a relatively inexpensive entry level system by the addition of modular Input Units that can be installed or removed in minutes. Douglas Juanarena was on the team of engineers that developed a new technology known as ESP (electronically scanned pressure). The Langley ESP measurement system was based on miniature integrated circuit pressure-sensing transducers that communicated pressure information to a minicomputer. In 1977, Juanarena formed PSI to exploit the NASA technology. In 1978 he left Langley, obtained a NASA license for the technology, introduced the first commercial product, the 780B pressure measurement system. PSI developed a pressure scanner for automation of industrial processes. Now in its second design generation, the DPT-6400 is capable of making 2,000 measurements a second and has 64 channels by addition of slave units. New system 8400 represents PSI's bid to further exploit the $600 million U.S. industrial pressure measurement market. It is geared to provide a turnkey solution to physical measurement.
The Deep Space Network provides tracking and communication services for a number of U.S. and international low-Earth-orbiting (LEO) and near-Earth missions. This service is supplied by the 26-m subnet (located at each of the DSN complexes), the 9-m and the 34-m Antenna Research System antennas at Goldstone, and the 11-m antennas (following the orbital VLBI mission). An increasing number of LEO missions are planned for DSN support, which will result in increasingly complex ground resource allocation and mission support trades. To support TDA decision making on mission support and cost-effective ground system evolution for this 26-m subnet, LEO4CAST has been developed. LEO4CAST is a tool that uses statistical approaches to provide useful information for long-term ground system capacity planning and near-term resource allocation (prior to detailed time-of-day scheduling). LEO4CAST is currently beta-test software and is being exercised by both the Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) and the JPL Systems Division.
A standardized acquisition methodology assists operators to accurately replicate high resolution B-mode ultrasound images obtained over several spaced-apart examinations utilizing a split-screen display in which the arterial ultrasound image from an earlier examination is displayed on one side of the screen while a real-time "live" ultrasound image from a current examination is displayed next to the earlier image on the opposite side of the screen. By viewing both images, whether simultaneously or alternately, while manually adjusting the ultrasound transducer, an operator is able to bring into view the real-time image that best matches a selected image from the earlier ultrasound examination. Utilizing this methodology, dynamic material properties of arterial structures, such as IMT and diameter, are measured in a standard region over successive image frames. Each frame of the sequence has its echo edge boundaries automatically determined by using the immediately prior frame's true echo edge coordinates as initial boundary conditions. Computerized echo edge recognition and tracking over multiple successive image frames enhances measurement of arterial diameter and IMT and allows for improved vascular dimension measurements, including vascular stiffness and IMT determinations.
Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) has been used to investigate hypersonic flows associated with capsule reentry vehicles. These flows included reaction control system (RCS) jets, shear layer flow, and simulated forebody heatshield ablation. Pitch, roll, and yaw RCS jets were studied. PLIF obtained planar slices in these flowfields. These slices could be viewed individually or they could be combined using computer visualization techniques to reconstruct the three dimensional shape of the flow. The tests described herein were conducted in the 31-Inch Mach 10 Air Tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center. Improvements to many facets of the imaging system increased the efficiency and quality of both data acquisition, in addition to increasing the overall robustness of the system.