Engineering Papers⌕ Search

SEARCH · Engineering Papers

Results for “data assembly”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 163 records · Page 9

Mass and Reliability Source (MaRS) Database

The Mass and Reliability Source (MaRS) Database consolidates components mass and reliability data for all Oribital Replacement Units (ORU) on the International Space Station (ISS) into a single database. It was created to help engineers develop a parametric model that relates hardware mass and reliability. MaRS supplies relevant failure data at the lowest possible component level while providing support for risk, reliability, and logistics analysis. Random-failure data is usually linked to the ORU assembly. MaRS uses this data to identify and display the lowest possible component failure level. As seen in Figure 1, the failure point is identified to the lowest level: Component 2.1. This is useful for efficient planning of spare supplies, supporting long duration crewed missions, allowing quicker trade studies, and streamlining diagnostic processes. MaRS is composed of information from various databases: MADS (operating hours), VMDB (indentured part lists), and ISS PART (failure data). This information is organized in Microsoft Excel and accessed through a program made in Microsoft Access (Figure 2). The focus of the Fall 2017 internship tour was to identify the components that were the root cause of failure from the given random-failure data, develop a taxonomy for the database, and attach material headings to the component list. Secondary objectives included verifying the integrity of the data in MaRS, eliminating any part discrepancies, and generating documentation for future reference. Due to the nature of the random-failure data, data mining had to be done manually without the assistance of an automated program to ensure positive identification.

Valdenegro, Wladimir↗

The software product assurance metrics study: JPL's software systems quality and productivity

The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA) Metrics Study, conducted as part of a larger JPL effort to improve software quality and productivity. Until recently, no comprehensive data had been assembled on how JPL manages and develops software-intensive systems. The first objective was to collect data on software development from as many projects and for as many years as possible. Results from five projects are discussed. These results reflect 15 years of JPL software development, representing over 100 data points (systems and subsystems), over a third of a billion dollars, over four million lines of code and 28,000 person months. Analysis of this data provides a benchmark for gauging the effectiveness of past, present and future software development work. In addition, the study is meant to encourage projects to record existing metrics data and to gather future data. The SPA long term goal is to integrate the collection of historical data and ongoing project data with future project estimations.

Bush, Marilyn W.↗

Data-Generating Program for ASKA Modeling

Carrier plate assemblies of NASA Space Shuttle thermal protection system provided for easy access to protected vital parts of Shuttle. Each assembly mounted on substructure with fasteners through holes in protective tiles. Automatic System of Kinematic Analysis (ASKA) finite-element program evaluates these assemblies. PLATEFORT computer program developed as data generator for ASKA modeling. PLATEFORT greatly reduces amount of time and data required for building ASKA model of these assemblies.

Karimi-Dechesh, A.↗

Apollo 14 Mission to Fra Mauro

The 1971 Apollo 14 Mission to Fra Mauro, a lunar highland area, is highlighted in this video. The mission's primary goal was the collection of lunar rocks and soil samples and lunar exploration. The soil and rock sampling was for the geochronological determination of the Moon's evolution and its comparison with that of Earth. A remote data collection station was assembled on the Moon and left for continuous data collection and surface monitoring experiments. The Apollo 14 astronauts were Alan B. Shepard, Edgar D. Mitchell, and Stuart A. Rossa. Astronauts Shepard and Mitchell landed on the Moon (February 5, 1971) and performed the sampling, the EVA, and deployment of the lunar experiments. There is film-footage of the lunar surface, of the command module's approach to both the Moon and the Earth, Moon and Earth spacecraft launching and landing, in-orbit command- and lunar-module docking, and of Mission Control.

Beasley, Brian D.↗

Use of Remote Sensing Data to Enhance NWS Storm Damage Toolkit

In the wake of a natural disaster such as a tornado, the National Weather Service (NWS) is required to provide a very detailed and timely storm damage assessment to local, state and federal homeland security officials. The Post ]Storm Data Acquisition (PSDA) procedure involves the acquisition and assembly of highly perishable data necessary for accurate post ]event analysis and potential integration into a geographic information system (GIS) available to its end users and associated decision makers. Information gained from the process also enables the NWS to increase its knowledge of extreme events, learn how to better use existing equipment, improve NWS warning programs, and provide accurate storm intensity and damage information to the news media and academia. To help collect and manage all of this information, forecasters in NWS Southern Region are currently developing a Storm Damage Assessment Toolkit (SDAT), which incorporates GIS ]capable phones and laptops into the PSDA process by tagging damage photography, location, and storm damage details with GPS coordinates for aggregation within the GIS database. However, this tool alone does not fully integrate radar and ground based storm damage reports nor does it help to identify undetected storm damage regions. In many cases, information on storm damage location (beginning and ending points, swath width, etc.) from ground surveys is incomplete or difficult to obtain. Geographic factors (terrain and limited roads in rural areas), manpower limitations, and other logistical constraints often prevent the gathering of a comprehensive picture of tornado or hail damage, and may allow damage regions to go undetected. Molthan et al. (2011) have shown that high resolution satellite data can provide additional valuable information on storm damage tracks to augment this database. This paper presents initial development to integrate satellitederived damage track information into the SDAT for near real ]time use by forecasters and decision makers.

Jedlove, Gary J.↗

Hybrid architecture active wavefront sensing and control system, and method

According to various embodiments, provided herein is an optical system and method that can be configured to perform image analysis. The optical system can comprise a telescope assembly and one or more hybrid instruments. The one or more hybrid instruments can be configured to receive image data from the telescope assembly and perform a fine guidance operation and a wavefront sensing operation, simultaneously, on the image data received from the telescope assembly.

Feinberg, Lee D.↗

Annual Sea Level Variability Induced by Changes in Sea Ice Extent and Accumulation on Ice Sheets: An Assessment Based on Remotely Sensed Data

Changes of mean annual net accumulation at the surface on the grounded ice sheets of East Antarctica, West Antarctica, and Greenland in response to variations in sea ice extent are estimated using grid-point values 100 km apart. The data bases are assembled principally by bilinear interpolation of remotely sensed brightness temperature (Nimbus-5 ESMR, Nimbus-7 SMMR), surface temperature (Nimbus-7 THIR), and surface elevation (ERS-1 radar altimeter). These data, complemented by field data where remotely sensed data are not available, are used in multivariate analyses in which mean annual accumulation (derived from firn emissivity) is the dependent variable; the independent variables are latitude, surface elevation, mean annual surface temperature, and mean annual distance to open ocean (as a source of energy and moisture). The last is the shortest distance measured between a grid point and the mean annual position of the 10% sea ice concentration boundary, and is used as an index of changes in sea ice extent as well as of mean concentration. Stepwise correlation analyses indicate that variations in sea ice extent of +/-50 km would lead to changes in accumulation inversely of +/-4% on East Antarctica, +/- 10% on West Antarctica, and +4% on Greenland. These results are compared with those obtained in a previous study using visually interpolated values from contoured compilations of field data; they substantiate the findings for the Antarctic ice sheets (+/-4% on East Antarctica, +/-9% in West Antarctica), and suggest a reduction by one half of the probable change of accumulation on Greenland (from +/-8%). The results also suggest a reduction of the combined contribution to sea level variability to +/- 0.19 mm/a (from +/- 0.22 mm/a).

Zwally, H. J.↗

Shuttle cryogenic supply system optimization study. Volume 5A-1: Users manual for math models

The Integrated Math Model for Cryogenic Systems is a flexible, broadly applicable systems parametric analysis tool. The program will effectively accommodate systems of considerable complexity involving large numbers of performance dependent variables such as are found in the individual and integrated cryogen systems. Basically, the program logic structure pursues an orderly progression path through any given system in much the same fashion as is employed for manual systems analysis. The system configuration schematic is converted to an alpha-numeric formatted configuration data table input starting with the cryogen consumer and identifying all components, such as lines, fittings, and valves, each in its proper order and ending with the cryogen supply source assembly. Then, for each of the constituent component assemblies, such as gas generators, turbo machinery, heat exchangers, and accumulators, the performance requirements are assembled in input data tabulations. Systems operating constraints and duty cycle definitions are further added as input data coded to the configuration operating sequence.

Source record↗

(abstract) Science-Project Interaction in the Low-Cost Mission

Large, complex, and highly optimized missions have performed most of the preliminary reconnaisance of the solar system. As a result we have now mapped significant fractions of its total surface (or surface-equivalent) area. Now, however, scientific exploration of the solar system is undergoing a major change in scale, and existing missions find it necessary to limit costs while fulfilling existing goals. In the future, NASA's Discovery program will continue the reconnaisance, exploration, and diagnostic phases of planetary research using lower cost missions, which will include lower cost mission operations systems (MOS). Historically, one of the more expensive functions of MOS has been its interaction with the science community. Traditional MOS elements that this interaction have embraced include mission planning, science (and engineering) event conflict resolution, sequence optimization and integration, data production (e.g., assembly, enhancement, quality assurance, documentation, archive), and other science support services. In the past, the payoff from these efforts has been that use of mission resources has been highly optimized, constraining resources have been generally completely consumed, and data products have been accurate and well documented. But because these functions are expensive we are now challenged to reduce their cost while preserving the benefits. In this paper, we will consider ways of revising the traditional MOS approach that might save project resources while retaining a high degree of service to the Projects' customers. Pre-launch, science interaction can be made simplier by limiting numbers of instruments and by providing greater redundancy in mission plans. Post launch, possibilities include prioritizing data collection into a few categories, easing requirements on real-time of quick-look data delivery, and closer integration of scientists into the mission operation.

mission operation science community interaction co↗

Data analysis report on ATS-F COMSAT millimeter wave propagation experiment, part 1

The 13/18 GHz COMSAT Propagation Experiment (CPE) was performed to measure attenuation caused by hydrometeors along slant paths from transmitting terminals on the ground to the ATS-6 satellite. The effectiveness of site diversity in overcoming this impairment was also studied. Problems encountered in assembling a valid data base of rain induced attenuation data for statistical analysis are considered. The procedures used to obtain the various statistics are then outlined. The graphs and tables of statistical data for the 15 dual frequency (13 and 18 GHz) site diversity locations are discussed. Cumulative rain rate statistics for the Fayetteville and Boston sites based on point rainfall data collected are presented along with extrapolations of the attenuation and point rainfall data.

Hyde, G.↗

A concept for a transparent data acquisition and distribution system for spaceflight applications

The paper describes the Modular Data System concept of the NASA End-to-End Data System program. Data from a single instrument along with the necessary ancillary data will be assembled into self-contained packets and subsequently transmitted over various communications links (space telemetry channel, ground communications circuits, etc.) to the experimenter's facility in real time; reliable error control coding will be included in each link transmission to protect the integrity of the data packets. A major objective is to make the entire data acquisition and distribution process transparent to the experimenter in the sense that the output terminal of the distribution system will be physically, logically and electrically identical to that of the experiment output channel.

Greene, E. P.↗

Panoramic attitude sensor

Each subassembly, design analysis, and final calibration data on all assemblies for the Panormic Attitude Sensor (PAS) are described. The PAS is used for course attitude determination on the International Ultraviolet Explorer Spacecraft (IUE). The PAS contains a sun sensor which is sensitive only to the sun's radiation and a mechanically scanned sensor which is sensitive to the earth, moon, and the sun. The signals from these two sensors are encoded and sent back in the telemetry data stream to determine the spacecraft attitude.

Meek, I. C.↗

Usage-Based Discovery of Earth Observations

Most providers of Earth Observation data enable search via dataset characteristics, (e.g., quantity being measured, instrument, location, and time). However, the Earth Science Information Partners Federation (ESIP) is attempting to improve dataset discovery by capturing information on how datasets are used. At a usage-based discovery hackfest at the July 2020 ESIP Summer Meeting, participants pooled their collective skills to implement a prototype based on the connections between datasets and data usage, which can reveal unanticipated patterns in dataset connectivity that are not apparent through traditional approaches. A survey of natural hazards websites, focusing on hydrology-related hazards such as floods and hydrology datasets such as rainfall, illustrated the difficulty of gleaning which dataset was actually used and how it was accessed. This difficulty highlights the need for greater transparency on dataset usage in website design. An application wireframe for a usage-based discovery database was conceptualized as a tool to help applications data specialists rapidly assemble a fit-for-purpose website as part of a disaster response, where customer feedback was integral to the manner in which the website would be developed and delivered. Capturing connections among datasets and instances of usage, either for research or applications, could help users identify datasets with a proven track record of utility or those that have been supplanted by more accurate and(or) precise representations. It may also help Earth Observation providers maximize returns on investments in data services. Social discovery, i.e, following discovery paths laid down by previous users of the data, could be a critical tool for improving the timeliness and applicability of dataset delivery at times and in circumstances where practitioners don’t have the capacity to evaluate the deluge of datasets that are returned by today’s search tools.

search↗

Planetary geological studies

A global data base was assembled for the study of Mars crater ejecta morphology. The craters were classified as to morhology using individual photographic prints of Viking orbiter frames. Positional and scale information were derived by fitting digitized mosaic coordinates to lattitude-longitude coordinates of surface features from the Mars geodetic control net and feature coordinates from the U.S.G.S. series of 1:5,00,000 scale shaded relief maps. Crater morphology characteristics recorded are of two classes - attributes of each ejecta deposit and other crater charactersitics. Preliminary efforts to check the data base with findings of other workers are described.

Blasius, K. R.↗