Design study for lunar exploration hand tools Third quarterly report
Powered geologist tool and auxiliary geological sampling hand tools for use in lunar exploration
LUNAR EXPLORATION↗
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Results for “Tools”
Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.
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NASA Software Estimating Tool (N-SET)
The goals of this project are to: Develop an early lifecycle software cost estimation tool leveraging existing data and capabilities Collect additional software data from: a) Jet Propulsion Laboratory; b) Goddard Space Flight Center; and c) Marshall Space Flight Center. Analyze, normalize, evaluate, stratify, and validate data. Create a calibrated, validated, and documented tool initially using available data and subsequently using newly collected data.
cost estimating tools↗
Deep Impact Sequence Planning Using Multi-Mission Adaptable Planning Tools With Integrated Spacecraft Models
The Deep Impact mission was ambitious and challenging. JPL's well proven, easily adaptable multi-mission sequence planning tools combined with integrated spacecraft subsystem models enabled a small operations team to develop, validate, and execute extremely complex sequence-based activities within very short development times. This paper focuses on the core planning tool used in the mission, APGEN. It shows how the multi-mission design and adaptability of APGEN made it possible to model spacecraft subsystems as well as ground assets throughout the lifecycle of the Deep Impact project, starting with models of initial, high-level mission objectives, and culminating in detailed predictions of spacecraft behavior during mission-critical activities.
Deep Impact Mission↗
Controller Strategies for Automation Tool Use under Varying Levels of Trajectory Prediction Uncertainty
A human-in-the-loop simulation was conducted to examine the effects of varying levels of trajectory prediction uncertainty on air traffic controller workload and performance, as well as how strategies and the use of decision support tools change in response. This paper focuses on the strategies employed by two controllers from separate teams who worked in parallel but independently under identical conditions (airspace, arrival traffic, tools) with the goal of ensuring schedule conformance and safe separation for a dense arrival flow in en route airspace. Despite differences in strategy and methods, both controllers achieved high levels of schedule conformance and safe separation. Overall, results show that trajectory uncertainties introduced by wind and aircraft performance prediction errors do not affect the controllers' ability to manage traffic. Controller strategies were fairly robust to changes in error, though strategies were affected by the amount of delay to absorb (scheduled time of arrival minus estimated time of arrival). Using the results and observations, this paper proposes an ability to dynamically customize the display of information including delay time based on observed error to better accommodate different strategies and objectives.
Strategy↗
A Sounding-based Severe Weather Tool to Support Daily Operations at Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station
People and property at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) and Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS) are at risk when severe weather occurs. Strong winds, hail and tornadoes can injure individuals and cause costly damage to structures if not properly protected. NASA's Launch Services Program and Ground Systems Development and Operations Program and other KSC programs use the daily and weekly severe weather forecasts issued by the 45th Weather Squadron (45 WS) to determine if they need to limit an activity such as working on gantries, or protect property such as a vehicle on a pad. The 45 WS requested the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) develop a warm season (May-September) severe weather tool for use in the Meteorological Interactive Data Display System (MIDDS) based on the late morning, 1500 UTC (1100 local time), CCAFS (XMR) sounding. The 45 WS frequently makes decisions to issue a severe weather watch and other severe weather warning support products to NASA and the 45th Space Wing in the late morning, after the 1500 UTC sounding. The results of this work indicate that certain stability indices based on the late morning XMR soundings can depict differences between days with reported severe weather and days with no reported severe weather. The AMU determined a frequency of reported severe weather for the stability indices and implemented an operational tool in MIDDS.
Hail↗
Development, Testing, and Validation of a Model-Based Tool to Predict Operator Responses in Unexpected Workload Transitions
One human factors challenge is predicting operator performance in novel situations. Approaches such as drawing on relevant previous experience, and developing computational models to predict operator performance in complex situations, offer potential methods to address this challenge. A few concerns with modeling operator performance are that models need to realistic, and they need to be tested empirically and validated. In addition, many existing human performance modeling tools are complex and require that an analyst gain significant experience to be able to develop models for meaningful data collection. This paper describes an effort to address these challenges by developing an easy to use model-based tool, using models that were developed from a review of existing human performance literature and targeted experimental studies, and performing an empirical validation of key model predictions.
model-based workload transition tool↗
Exploring Synergistic Tools from NASA Satellite Data for Air Quality
Space-borne earth observation has been important to monitor the earth condition and played a critical role in validating other instruments or modeling's outputs. However, the data from satellite earth observation are usually very complex in terms of science contents, formats, and spatiotemporal granularities, making them difficult to use from many aspects. NASA Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC), one of the 12 official NASA data centers, archives and distributes rich collections of data from multiple satellite missions and model results. The GES DISC is also the official archive center for data from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA's Aura mission since 2004. Recently, the GES DISC has been evolving and improving its data management and services in order to promote NASA data to be easily discovered and accessed, as well as to facilitate interoperability. We'll show in this presentation how to explore and analyze NASA earth observation data for air quality through a suite of user-friendly tools - from Worldview to Giovanni, demonstrating in using this set of tools prepares us to serve the Sentinel 5P TROPOMI to the community.
air quality↗
Blind Validation Study of Parametric Cost Estimation Tool SEER-H for NASA Space Missions
One of the primary parametric cost modeling tools used by NASA and the aerospace industry to estimate the development and production cost of future spacecraft hardware is SEER-H by Galorath. To date, no independent validation of this tool for cost estimation of space missions has been reported in the literature. In the present validation study, cost estimators used SEER-H to estimate the cost of twelve different past NASA science missions. The estimators were prevented from knowing the actual cost of the missions in an effort to minimize cognitive biases. The point estimates of SEER-H had an average error of 23%, median error of -0.3%, and a standard deviation of 43%. Nine of the twelve mission's actual costs fell within the 80% confidence interval of SEER's probabilistic estimates. Several factors independent of SEER that may have affected the accuracy of the results have been identified and are discussed; these include: uncertainty in the technical data used for the estimates, the methods used to estimate uncertainty in spacecraft component mass and numbers of prototypes, and the experience of the estimators.
SEER-H↗
(abstract) SEQ_POINTER: Next Generation, Planetary Spacecraft Remote Sensing Science Observation Design Tool
Implementation of a multimission tool, SEQ_POINTER, under the auspices of the JPL Multimission Operations Systems Office (MOSO) is in progress. This version has been designed to address the limitations experienced on previous versions when being adopted to a new mission and spacecraft. The tool has been modularly designed with subroutine interface structures to support interchangeable celestial body and spacecraft definition models. The computational and graphics modules have also been designed to interface with data collected from previous spacecraft, or on-going observations, which describe the surface of each target body. These enhancements make SEQ_POINTER a candidate for low-cost mission usage, when a remote sensing science observation design capability is required.
remote↗
Improvements to the Flight Analysis and Simulation Tool (FAST) and Initial Development of the Genesis Flight Mechanics Simulation for Ascent, Aerocapture, Entry, Descent, and Landing (A2EDL) Trajectory Design
The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) was requested to provide significant enhancements to the Flight Analysis and Simulation Tool (FAST), a generic, variable-degree-of-freedom, multi-body ascent, aerocapture, entry, descent, and landing (A2EDL) flight simulation code and a key Agency analysis tool. This report details the upgrades to FAST that were completed, describes a change to the assessment’s scope that allowed its goals to be exceeded with a new and innovative approach, and discusses the results of the modified approach.
NASA Engineering and Safety Center; Flight Analysi↗
The Wizard Staff Mobile Tool for Human Exploration on the Lunar Surface
The Wizard Staff is a rechargeable, battery powered mobile tool with multiple uses for lunar surface exploration. It supports human activity as a surface survey tool, provides external illumination to enhance safety, delivers networking, communications, and navigation functions to remote sites, and assists crew rescue with an emergency beacon and rigid splint structure.
Wizard Staff↗
EVA Hand Tool Design Considerations, Development, and General Requirements Interpretation: A Junior Engineer’s Guide
This paper serves as a guide to developing hand tools for use by crewmembers during extravehicular activity (EVA) in outer space. It outlines the fundamentals of EVAs and related provisions, providing a starting point and perspective for engineers unfamiliar with designing equipment to be used during manned spaceflight. Common EVA hardware constraints, which are often unclear, are interpreted and traced back to a source or justification because, as in any design field, fully understanding the basis and intent of a design requirement is needed to properly satisfy it. Lastly, miscellaneous design considerations and lessons learned in tool development are discussed. The information found within is drawn from commonly cited NASA and EVA related documents as well as from professional experiences.
EVA↗
REopt Lite Web Tool: Capabilities and Features
REopt Lite transforms complex energy project decisions into actionable results for building owners, utilities, and industry. Based on decades of NREL decision-support expertise, the free, publicly available REopt Lite web tool guides investment in economic, resilient energy technologies. And open source and API access to the tool enables energy analysis at scale. This presentation provides an overview of how REopt Lite can help users optimize the economic and resilience benefits of distributed energy resources.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Incorporating Combined Heat and Power Modeling into the REopt Lite Web Tool
The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is working with project partners to extend the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) REopt Lite tool to include combined heat and power (CHP) modeling capabilities. REopt Lite currently provides technoeconomic optimization and resilience analysis for grid-connected solar photovoltaics, (PV), wind, and battery storage at a site. The tool analyzes hourly data across the project lifecycle and evaluates the trade-off between capital costs, operating costs, and savings to find the most cost-effective mix of technologies.
Combined Heat and Power, CHP, Modeling, Tool, Fact↗
Applying Energy Data Tools to Inform the Valuation of Commercial Buildings
This case study describes a suite of free tools from DOE and EPA ENERGY STAR® and how users have applied them to enhance the value of commercial office building data through various aspects of energy and building performance. The tools addressed are EPA’s ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager, DOE’s Building Energy Asset Score, and DOE’s Building Performance Database.
energy data, commercial, office, data tools, comme↗
NREL Tools and Partnership Opportunities for Rural Electric Cooperatives in the United States
Rural electric cooperatives provide power to more than 42 million Americans, many of whom reside in rural and persistent poverty counties. As these co-ops invest in modernizing their energy infrastructure, they play a crucial role in ensuring affordable electricity, enhancing system resilience, and supporting economic development in their communities. To aid in this transition, NREL offers a suite of tools and partnership opportunities designed to help co-ops address evolving resource, affordability, and reliability needs. This factsheet covers already published content on select NREL tools and their most relevant applications for co-op decision-making and investment planning. Additionally, it features case studies demonstrating how rural co-ops can collaborate with NREL to advance both energy and economic development goals.
29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
Synthetic Biology: Molecular Tools for Engineering Organisms
Synthetic biology is a biological engineering discipline based on abstracting living systems through the lens of physical engineering concepts. In particular, synthetic biology places an emphasis on the characterisation of simple parts that can be modularly assembled into configurations that give rise to complex, higher-order behaviours. Within the past two decades, this approach has enabled the development number of new molecular biology tools for modifying living systems in order to investigate fundamental processes or imbuing functions into cells that do not exist in nature. While specific synthetic biology applications span a huge range of seemingly unrelated disciplines (from biofuel producing microbes, to malaria-resistant mosquitoes, to living medical therapies), these distinct examples derive from reuse and rearrangement of relatively limited set of cell engineering technologies. The continuing development of these core molecular biology tools for controlling gene expression, protein activity and signalling networks can promote evermore ambitious biological engineering projects.
gene expression↗
Elastic Moduli: a Tool for Understanding Chemical Bonding and Thermal Transport in Thermoelectric Materials
Abstract The elastic behavior of a material can be a powerful tool to decipher thermal transport. In thermoelectrics, measuring the elastic moduli—directly tied to sound velocity—is critical to understand trends in lattice thermal conductivity, as well as study bond anharmonicity and phase transitions, given the sensitivity of elastic moduli to the chemical bonding. In this review, we introduce the basics of elasticity and explain the origin of high‐temperature lattice softening from a bonding perspective. We then review elasticity data throughout classes of thermoelectrics, and explore trends in sound velocity, anharmonicity, and thermal conductivity. We reveal how experimental sound velocities can improve the accuracy of common thermal conductivity models and present a critical discussion of Grüneisen parameter estimates from elastic moduli. Readers will be equipped with tools to leverage elasticity measurements or calculations to accurately interpret thermal transport trends.
Isotta, Eleonora↗