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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2004

Space-based Science Operations Grid Prototype

Grid technology is the up and coming technology that is enabling widely disparate services to be offered to users that is very economical, easy to use and not available on a wide basis. Under the Grid concept disparate organizations generally defined as "virtual organizations" can share services i.e. sharing discipline specific computer applications, required to accomplish the specific scientific and engineering organizational goals and objectives. Grids are emerging as the new technology of the future. Grid technology has been enabled by the evolution of increasingly high speed networking. Without the evolution of high speed networking Grid technology would not have emerged. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center's (MSFC) Flight Projects Directorate, Ground Systems Department is developing a Space-based Science Operations Grid prototype to provide to scientists and engineers the tools necessary to operate space-based science payloads/experiments and for scientists to conduct public and educational outreach. In addition Grid technology can provide new services not currently available to users. These services include mission voice and video, application sharing, telemetry management and display, payload and experiment commanding, data mining, high order data processing, discipline specific application sharing and data storage, all from a single grid portal. The Prototype will provide most of these services in a first step demonstration of integrated Grid and space-based science operations technologies. It will initially be based on the International Space Station science operational services located at the Payload Operations Integration Center at MSFC, but can be applied to many NASA projects including free flying satellites and future projects. The Prototype will use the Internet2 Abilene Research and Education Network that is currently a 10 Gb backbone network to reach the University of Alabama at Huntsville and several other, as yet unidentified, Space Station based science experimenters. There is an international aspect to the Grid involving the America's Pathway (AMPath) network, the Chilean REUNA Research and Education Network and the University of Chile in Santiago that will further demonstrate how extensive these services can be used. From the user's perspective, the Prototype will provide a single interface and logon to these varied services without the complexity of knowing the where's and how's of each service. There is a separate and deliberate emphasis on security. Security will be addressed by specifically outlining the different approaches and tools used. Grid technology, unlike the Internet, is being designed with security in mind. In addition we will show the locations, configurations and network paths associated with each service and virtual organization. We will discuss the separate virtual organizations that we define for the varied user communities. These will include certain, as yet undetermined, space-based science functions and/or processes and will include specific virtual organizations required for public and educational outreach and science and engineering collaboration. We will also discuss the Grid Prototype performance and the potential for further Grid applications both space-based and ground based projects and processes. In this paper and presentation we will detail each service and how they are integrated using Grid

Bradford, Robert N.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing

Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS) is a recent product of a continuing effort to develop architectures for controlling either a single autonomous robotic vehicle or multiple cooperating but otherwise autonomous robotic vehicles. CARACaS is potentially applicable to diverse robotic systems that could include aircraft, spacecraft, ground vehicles, surface water vessels, and/or underwater vessels. CARACaS incudes an integral combination of three coupled agents: a dynamic planning engine, a behavior engine, and a perception engine. The perception and dynamic planning en - gines are also coupled with a memory in the form of a world model. CARACaS is intended to satisfy the need for two major capabilities essential for proper functioning of an autonomous robotic system: a capability for deterministic reaction to unanticipated occurrences and a capability for re-planning in the face of changing goals, conditions, or resources. The behavior engine incorporates the multi-agent control architecture, called CAMPOUT, described in An Architecture for Controlling Multiple Robots (NPO-30345), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 28, No. 11 (November 2004), page 65. CAMPOUT is used to develop behavior-composition and -coordination mechanisms. Real-time process algebra operators are used to compose a behavior network for any given mission scenario. These operators afford a capability for producing a formally correct kernel of behaviors that guarantee predictable performance. By use of a method based on multi-objective decision theory (MODT), recommendations from multiple behaviors are combined to form a set of control actions that represents their consensus. In this approach, all behaviors contribute simultaneously to the control of the robotic system in a cooperative rather than a competitive manner. This approach guarantees a solution that is good enough with respect to resolution of complex, possibly conflicting goals within the constraints of the mission to be accomplished by the vehicle(s).

Huntsberger, Terrance↗
NASA NTRS2011

An Analysis of Near Fields of 34m Antennas of JPL/NASA Deep Space Network

This paper addresses the issue of calculating near fields of the 34m Beam Waveguide (BWG) antennas of the NASA/JPL Deep Space Network (DSN). Calculating the near fields of DSN antennas are of interest in receive mode where the transmitting signals from nearby flying objects such as helicopters and airplanes could interfere with the operation of sensitive RF receiving system of DSN antennas, and in the transmit mode where fields from high-powered DSN antennas interfere with receivers on nearby flying objects, as well as safety considerations for the operators and visitors to the grounds surrounding the antenna sites. A complete and detailed analysis has been performed using PO/PTD techniques, including surface errors and support struts effects. Some results are presented, including comparisons with preliminary field tests.

near fields↗
NASA NTRS2019

The Updated GEO Population for ORDEM 3.1

The limited availability of data for satellite fragmentations and debris in the geosynchronous orbit (GEO) region creates challenges to building accurate models for the orbital debris environment at such altitudes. Updated methods to properly incorporate and extrapolate measurement data have become a cornerstone of the GEO component in the newest version of the NASA Orbital Debris Engineering Model (ORDEM), ORDEM 3.1. For the GEO region, the Space Surveillance Network (SSN) catalog provides coverage down to a limit of approximately 1 m. A more statistically complete representation of the GEO population for smaller objects, which can pose a high risk to operational spacecraft, is thus dependent on dedicated observations by instruments optimized to observe debris smaller than the SSN cataloging threshold. For ORDEM 3.1, optical data from the Michigan Orbital DEbris Survey Telescope (MODEST) provided the input for building the GEO population down to approximately 30 cm (converting absolute magnitude to size). For smaller sizes, the size distribution of debris in the MODEST dataset was extrapolated down to 10 cm, and orbital parameters were estimated based on the orbits of the larger objects. When compared to previous versions of the model, significant improvements were made to the process of building the GEO population in ORDEM 3.1, both in the assessment of fragmentation debris in the data and assignment of orbital elements within the model. A so-called “debris ring filter,” based on a range of angles between an orbit’s angular momentum vector and that of the stable Laplace plane, was applied to the data to reduce biases from non- GEO objects, such as objects in a GEO-transfer orbit. In addition, a new approach was implemented to assign noncircular mean motions and eccentricities to the fragmentation debris observed by MODEST because the short observation window (5 min) in GEO limits orbit resolution to a circular orbit assumption for assigning orbital parameters. For ORDEM 3.1, non-circular orbital elements were assigned using relationships that were identified between mean motion and the angle between the orbit plane and the stable Laplace plane, as well as between mean motion and eccentricity, based on breakup clouds modeled by the NASA Standard Breakup Model. This approach has yielded a high-fidelity GEO model that has been validated with data from more recent MODEST observation campaigns.

Manis, A.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Using Neural Networks in Decision Making for a Reconfigurable Electro Mechanical Actuator (EMA)

The objectives of this project were to demonstrate applicability and advantages of a neural network approach for evaluating the performance of an electro-mechanical actuator (EMA). The EMA in question was intended for the X-37 Advanced Technology Vehicle. It will have redundant components for safety and reliability. The neural networks for this application are to monitor the operation of the redundant electronics that control the actuator in real time and decide on the operating configuration. The system we proposed consists of the actuator, sensors, control circuitry and dedicated (embedded) processors. The main purpose of the study was to develop suitable hardware and neural network capable of allowing real time reconfiguration decisions to be made. This approach was to be compared to other methods such as fuzzy logic and knowledge based systems considered for the same application. Over the course of the project a more general objective was the identification of the other neural network applications and the education of interested NASA personnel on the topic of Neural Networks.

Latino, Carl D.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Deep Impact Network Experiment (DINET)

DINET is a technology development experiment intended to increase the technical readiness of JPL s implementation of DTN protocols - "ION". The objective is to advance ION in flight and ground SW to TRL 8, with code of sufficient quality that future flight projects can easily use it at low risk. DINET is to be implemented on the Deep Impact flyby spacecraft. DINET operations will be performed in late 2008 during the Deep Impact spacecraft team "stand down" after EPOCH operations and before the start of development for DIXI operations.

Deep Impact↗
NASA NTRS1971

Atlas/Centaur-26 Intelsat 4 (F3) operations summary

The design, development, and deployment of the Intelsat 4 satellite are discussed. Subjects considered are : (1) mission objective, (2) mission plan, (3) launch operations, (4) post launch operations, (5) communications equipment, and (6) test operations. Illustrations are provided to show the configuration of the satellite and launch vehicle and the operations intercommunication system network.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1997

Innovative Educational Aerospace Research at the Northeast High School Space Research Center

Northeast High Magnet School of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a proud sponsor of the Space Research Center (SPARC). SPARC, a model program of the Medical, Engineering, and Aerospace Magnet school, provides talented students the capability to successfully exercise full simulations of NASA manned missions. These simulations included low-Earth Shuttle missions and Apollo lunar missions in the past, and will focus on a planetary mission to Mars this year. At the end of each scholastic year, a simulated mission, lasting between one and eight days, is performed involving 75 students as specialists in seven teams The groups are comprised of Flight Management, Spacecraft Communications (SatCom), Computer Networking, Spacecraft Design and Engineering, Electronics, Rocketry, Robotics, and Medical teams in either the mission operations center or onboard the spacecraft. Software development activities are also required in support of these simulations The objective of this paper is to present the accomplishments, technology innovations, interactions, and an overview of SPARC with an emphasis on how the program's educational activities parallel NASA mission support and how this education is preparing student for the space frontier.

Audra Luyet↗
NASA NTRS2014

Preparing for Crew-Control of Surface Robots from Orbit

Since 2010, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have been developing robots that can be remotely operated on planetary surfaces by astronauts in orbiting spacecraft. A primary objective of this work has been to test telerobotic technologies that are needed for future deep-space human exploration missions. Specifically, ESA's Multi-Purpose End-To-End Robotic Operations Network (METERON) project and NASA's Human Exploration Telerobotics (HET) project are complementary initiatives that aim to validate communications, operations and robotic systems through a range of ground and flight experiments with humans and robots in the loop. Several experiments have already been successfully completed and others are now in preparation for flight.

telerobotics↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Approach to Reasoning Service Migration in Data and Reasoning Fabric (DRF) Implementation

In this paper we consider service placement problem for Data and Reasoning Fabric (DRF) enabled airspace operations assuming a fixed cloud/edge infrastructure with allocated computing, storage and power resources, where cloud/edge servers, and communication stations are in a wired connected network, while vehicles use a wireless network for communication. The objective is to automatically select the best location for the requested service execution, which achieves minimum cost while satisfying the user quality of service (QoS) and available resources constraints. To this end, we estimate for each potential location the response time, consumed energy and total cost; formulate an optimization problem for cost minimization given the users QoS constraints and network infrastructure limitations; and solve it using nonlinear programming tools. The approach is applied to trajectory re-planning use case to handle a no-fly zone contingency in real time.

Vahram Stepanyan↗
NASA NTRS2021

An Approach to Reasoning Service Migration in Data and Reasoning Fabric (DRF) Implementation

In this paper we consider service migration problem for Data and Reasoning Fabric (DRF) enabled airspace operations assuming a fixed cloud/edge infrastructure with allocated computing, storage and power resources, where cloud/edge servers, and communication stations are in a wired connected network, while vehicles use a wireless network for communication. The objective is to automatically select the best location for the requested service execution, which achieves minimum cost while satisfying the user quality of service (QoS) and available resources constraints. To this end, estimates of the response time, consumed energy and total cost are defined for each potential compute location. A mixed-integer linear program is then formulated and solved to identify optimal compute locations given QoS constraints, network infrastructure limitations, with worst-case vehicle positioning. The approach is applied to trajectory re-planning use case to avoid a collision with an emergency vehicle in real time.

Air mobility↗
NASA NTRS2022

Preparing the Mars Relay Network for the Arrival of the Perseverance Rover at Mars

The Perseverance rover represents NASA’s latest achievement in Mars exploration. Landing successfully on 18 Feb 2021, the rover’s transmitted data during its entry, descent, and landing (EDL) were captured by the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) and the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution (MAVEN) orbiter. This data, broadcast in near-realtime to the world, allowed everyone to share in the excitement (and “terror”) of the day. The images returned thereafter included the first images of the new landing site, video of the landing itself taken from a variety of vantage points, and eventually the historic images of the first powered flight on another planet. Behind the scenes, the return of that data to Earth was accomplished via Mars orbiters operated by NASA and ESA, using three different ground tracking networks. Considered together, this Mars Relay Network (MRN) enabled the successful, timely, and unobtrusive return of the rover’s data. This paper describes the preparations taken by the participants of the MRN in anticipation of the arrival of Perseverance at Mars. These were not only focused on successfully acquiring the rover’s critical event telemetry during its EDL, but also on readying the network to return the rover’s data on an ongoing basis as it pursued its mission objectives. Included is a brief description of the MRN, which represents a highly successful international collaboration and continues as critical infrastructure for NASA’s and ESA’s ongoing Mars exploration. Also summarized are the activities performed prior to EDL, including landing site reconnaissance and mission test and training activities; those activities performed on EDL day, especially the recording, return, and processing of the rover’s critical event telemetry; and those activities that are now being performed on an ongoing basis during the rover’s surface operations, including an outline of the planning processes that enable relay services. Finally, a description of the performance of the network to-date on behalf of the Perseverance rover is given, summarizing the success of the network to provide support to both it and other spacecraft on the surface of Mars.

Srnka, Evan↗
NASA NTRS1996

Design and Implementation of Replicated Object Layer

One of the widely used techniques for construction of fault tolerant applications is the replication of resources so that if one copy fails sufficient copies may still remain operational to allow the application to continue to function. This thesis involves the design and implementation of an object oriented framework for replicating data on multiple sites and across different platforms. Our approach, called the Replicated Object Layer (ROL) provides a mechanism for consistent replication of data over dynamic networks. ROL uses the Reliable Multicast Protocol (RMP) as a communication protocol that provides for reliable delivery, serialization and fault tolerance. Besides providing type registration, this layer facilitates distributed atomic transactions on replicated data. A novel algorithm called the RMP Commit Protocol, which commits transactions efficiently in reliable multicast environment is presented. ROL provides recovery procedures to ensure that site and communication failures do not corrupt persistent data, and male the system fault tolerant to network partitions. ROL will facilitate building distributed fault tolerant applications by performing the burdensome details of replica consistency operations, and making it completely transparent to the application.Replicated databases are a major class of applications which could be built on top of ROL.

Koka, Sudhir↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Autonomous Contingency Management In Urban Air Mobility: The Communication Network Awareness Machine System

Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) has begun the modernization of the nation’s air transportation system (NAS), with goals to improve system safety, increase operation efficiency and capacity, provide enhanced predictability, resilience and robustness [1]. The overall objective of the Air Traffic Management-eXploration (ATM-X) project is to facilitate the goals of NextGen by conducting research to enable the growing demand of new, mission variant, air vehicles with safe access to the NAS. The implementation and utilization of new and burgeoning technologies that are both flexible, scalable, and systematically user-focused are requisite for ATM-X to achieve its intention of NAS safe entry [2]. Researchers from NASA Langley’s Flight Deck Integration Team have developed a system architecture that would allow ATM-X to leverage the necessary capabilities of an Increasingly Autonomous System (IAS), machine-agent that will promote the safe access and operation of air vehicles within what has become the byproduct of NextGen modernization, a Net-Centric airspace architecture and an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) community. Conducting flight operations within this type of architecture constrains the human-agent’s natural ability by data management. When the massive volume of data, its types, and the acquisition speed at which the data is ingested is observed it becomes evident that the human-agent will be functioning at an operational disadvantage. Therefore, the development and integration of intelligent machine-agents into the flight deck are a necessary implementation to achieve ATM-X overall objective of safe access and operation in the NAS.

Urban Air Mobility↗
NASA NTRS2024

Deeper Dive into Interoperability and Its Implications for LunaNet Communications and Navigation Services

The Artemis program being developed by United States’ (US) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is developing the capabilities to return humans to the Moon and establish an initial base camp and associated infrastructure with extensive contributions from international and commercial partners. In planning for cislunar exploration and science missions, space agencies are collaborating to enable communications, networking, and Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) systems—called LunaNet—to exchange information and provide services to cislunar spacecraft and space systems, thus helping each other to achieve their shared goals. To achieve commonality and lower cost for mutual benefit, the strategy of interoperability is being adopted to help fit all the pieces together and function smoothly. Facilitating interoperability should benefit lunar missions by providing the ability to operate in a collaborative environment similar to the terrestrial Internet. Interoperability allows them to share information, navigate safely despite increasing radio frequency congestion, and follow common processes and procedures for effective joint operations. Unlike prior government-dominated efforts, this ecosystem is expected to include and benefit for-profit (commercial) businesses, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions as active stakeholders. Ultimately, the goal is to enable a cislunar ecosystem of service providers and users to contribute to and/or utilize infrastructure and capabilities to achieve mission objectives that span the full range of human endeavors while supporting a variety of business models. This approach enables a Systems of Systems (SoS), such as a Network-of-Networks, to be sustainable in the context of the LunaNet ecosystem as systems evolve over time in technologies, standards, components, and user applications. This paper reports on the results of an effort to help frame the development of the international LunaNet architecture by providing a canonical definition of interoperability broad enough to meet these needs, examining architectural and operational implications of the definition, and exploring interoperability strategies and tactics to deploy and evolve the services proposed for cislunar exploration and science missions.

interoperability↗
NASA NTRS2004

Growth in the Number of SSN Tracked Orbital Objects

The number of objects in earth orbit tracked by the US Space Surveillance Network (SSN) has experienced unprecedented growth since March, 2003. Approximately 2000 orbiting objects have been added to the "Analyst list" of tracked objects. This growth is primarily due to the resumption of full power/full time operation of the AN/FPS-108 Cobra Dane radar located on Shemya Island, AK. Cobra Dane is an L-band (23-cm wavelength) phased array radar which first became operational in 1977. Cobra Dane was a "Collateral Sensor" in the SSN until 1994 when its communication link with the Space Control Center (SCC) was closed. NASA and the Air Force conducted tests in 1999 using Cobra Dane to detect and track small debris. These tests confirmed that the radar was capable of detecting and maintaining orbits on objects as small as 5-cm diameter. Subsequently, Cobra Dane was reconnected to the SSN and resumed full power/full time space surveillance operations on March 4, 2003. This paper will examine the new data and its implications to the understanding of the orbital debris environment and orbital safety.

Stansbery, Eugene G.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Flight Test of an Adaptive Controller and Simulated Failure/Damage on the NASA NF-15B

The method of flight-testing the Intelligent Flight Control System (IFCS) Second Generation (Gen-2) project on the NASA NF-15B is herein described. The Gen-2 project objective includes flight-testing a dynamic inversion controller augmented by a direct adaptive neural network to demonstrate performance improvements in the presence of simulated failure/damage. The Gen-2 objectives as implemented on the NASA NF-15B created challenges for software design, structural loading limitations, and flight test operations. Simulated failure/damage is introduced by modifying control surface commands, therefore requiring structural loads measurements. Flight-testing began with the validation of a structural loads model. Flight-testing of the Gen-2 controller continued, using test maneuvers designed in a sequenced approach. Success would clear the new controller with respect to dynamic response, simulated failure/damage, and with adaptation on and off. A handling qualities evaluation was conducted on the capability of the Gen-2 controller to restore aircraft response in the presence of a simulated failure/damage. Control room monitoring of loads sensors, flight dynamics, and controller adaptation, in addition to postflight data comparison to the simulation, ensured a safe methodology of buildup testing. Flight-testing continued without major incident to accomplish the project objectives, successfully uncovering strengths and weaknesses of the Gen-2 control approach in flight.

Buschbacher, Mark↗
NASA NTRS2006

Space-based Networking Technology Developments in the Interplanetary Network Directorate Information Technology Program

Described recent development of communications protocols, services, and associated tools targeted to reduce risk, reduce cost and increase efficiency of IND infrastructure and supported mission operations. Space-based networking technologies developed were: a) Provide differentiated quality of service (QoS) that will give precedence to traffic that users have selected as having the greatest importance and/or time-criticality; b) Improve the total value of information to users through the use of QoS prioritization techniques; c) Increase operational flexibility and improve command-response turnaround; d) Enable new class of networked and collaborative science missions; e) Simplify applications interfaces to communications services; and f) Reduce risk and cost from a common object model and automated scheduling and communications protocols. Technologies are described in three general areas: communications scheduling, middleware, and protocols. Additionally developed simulation environment, which provides comprehensive, quantitative understanding of the technologies performance within overall, evolving architecture, as well as ability to refine & optimize specific components.

scheduling↗