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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

NICS (NASA Instrument Capabilities Study) Instrument Schedule and Cost Study

This paper summarizes work performed on the Flight Projects Directorate Planetary Science Projects Division (PSPD, Code 430) NICS (NASA Instrument Capabilities study) instrument schedule and cost study. Included are a short summary of the original NICS (NASA, 2008), and the design and approach, data collection, analysis, preliminary findings and recommendations from select areas of the current study. The NICS (2008) was chartered by then NASA Chief Engineer Michael Ryschkewitsch and chaired by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) engineer, John Leon. The focus was to identify problem areas in instrument development and, if possible, to offer solutions. In the area of instrument developments, the NICS (2008) identified a lack of resources and authority to successfully manage to instrument cost and schedule requirements; and a lack of critical skills, expertise, and leadership to successfully implement unique (one-of-a-kind) high technology developments (NASA, 2008, pp. 51, 52). Additionally, the NICS (2008) found problems in requirements formulation, reviews and management; unrealistic caps and overly optimistic estimates; and externally directed changes which increased the likelihood of overrunning cost and schedule (NASA, 2008, pp.53, 54). It is noteworthy that NICS findings are consistent with previous studies at the mission level (Robbins, Schmidt & White, 2020). Five years later in 2013, the Instrument Projects Division (IPD) was established to implement and manage instrument projects greater than $20M. The IPD was known as Code 490. Its structure incorporated several of the NICS (2008) recommendations. To see if these incorporated recommendations made a difference, and to identify other potential challenges in instrument developments, two parallel studies were initiated. Originally led by the IPD, now led by the PSPD, and the Instrument and Payload Systems Engineering Branch (IPSE, Code 592), respectively, the instrument schedule and cost study and the instrument technical complexity study began in 2017. Data collection was initiated in 2020 and is on-going. This paper is limited to the IPD/PSPD study. Among other findings, preliminary data indicate IPD/PSPD project management support positively influenced instrument development as related to providing a dedicated level of support staff, including a deputy Instrument Project Manager (dIPM), reducing IPM leadership changes, and providing other project support. Next steps include continued data collection and analysis, and mapping to technical complexity data.

NICS implementation↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Characterization of NiC Multilayer Coating Stress for X-Ray Optic Applications

NiC multilayers have been identified as a promising coating design for hard X-ray astrophysical imaging applications enabling bandpass extension beyond the Pt K-edge of approximately 78 keV. However, these coatings are difficult to deposit with low interfacial roughness below a bilayer thickness of about 35 ˚A. Utilizing a DC magnetron sputtering system, NiC multilayer of varying d-spacings are deposited on flat Si wafers and characterized using 8.048 keV X-ray reflectometry measurements. The residual coating stress is also measured using interferometry. We investigate how deposition parameters affect both the coating quality (i.e. surface/interfacial roughness, density, etc.) and the residual coating stress. From these experimental results conducted on flat substrates, we employ FEM and ray trace simulations to determine how NiC multilayer stress could impact the figure, and therefore performance, of full shell X-ray optics.

mulitlayer↗
NASA NTRS1984

Stuttgart Interconnection Network Project from PIX to NICS

The PIX follow-up project NICS is described. The purpose of PIX was access to X.25, the DATEX-P network of the Federal German Post Office. The development and implementation of higher protocols for levels 4-7 in the ISOSINN was the actual problem here. Results of the PIX project are given. NICS (Stuttgart Interconnection Network Project) is presented. International Protocols are reviewed. PAD service is described, which allows terminal access to DATEX-P network of the Federal German Post Office.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2013

An Offload NIC for NASA, NLR, and Grid Computing

This work addresses distributed data management and access dynamically configurable high-speed access to data distributed and shared over wide-area high-speed network environments. An offload engine NIC (network interface card) is proposed that scales at nX10-Gbps increments through 100-Gbps full duplex. The Globus de facto standard was used in projects requiring secure, robust, high-speed bulk data transport. Novel extension mechanisms were derived that will combine these technologies for use by GridFTP, bandwidth management resources, and host CPU (central processing unit) acceleration. The result will be wire-rate encrypted Globus grid data transactions through offload for splintering, encryption, and compression. As the need for greater network bandwidth increases, there is an inherent need for faster CPUs. The best way to accelerate CPUs is through a network acceleration engine. Grid computing data transfers for the Globus tool set did not have wire-rate encryption or compression. Existing technology cannot keep pace with the greater bandwidths of backplane and network connections. Present offload engines with ports to Ethernet are 32 to 40 Gbps f-d at best. The best of ultra-high-speed offload engines use expensive ASICs (application specific integrated circuits) or NPUs (network processing units). The present state of the art also includes bonding and the use of multiple NICs that are also in the planning stages for future portability to ASICs and software to accommodate data rates at 100 Gbps. The remaining industry solutions are for carrier-grade equipment manufacturers, with costly line cards having multiples of 10-Gbps ports, or 100-Gbps ports such as CFP modules that interface to costly ASICs and related circuitry. All of the existing solutions vary in configuration based on requirements of the host, motherboard, or carriergrade equipment. The purpose of the innovation is to eliminate data bottlenecks within cluster, grid, and cloud computing systems, and to add several more capabilities while reducing space consumption and cost. Provisions were designed for interoperability with systems used in the NASA HEC (High-End Computing) program. The new acceleration engine consists of state-ofthe- art FPGA (field-programmable gate array) core IP, C, and Verilog code; novel communication protocol; and extensions to the Globus structure. The engine provides the functions of network acceleration, encryption, compression, packet-ordering, and security added to Globus grid or for cloud data transfer. This system is scalable in nX10-Gbps increments through 100-Gbps f-d. It can be interfaced to industry-standard system-side or network-side devices or core IP in increments of 10 GigE, scaling to provide IEEE 40/100 GigE compliance.

Awrach, James↗
NASA NTRS2011

10-100 Gbps Offload NIC for WAN, NLR, and Grid Computing

An extremely fast offload engine system has been developed that operates at 60 Gigabits per second (Gbps), and has scalability to 100 Gbps full-duplex (f-d). This system is based on unique coding and architecture derived from splintered UDP (User Datagram Protocol) offload technology, resulting in unique FPGA (field programmable gate array) intellectual property core and firmware. This innovation improves the networking speed of supercomputer clusters by providing an ultra-fast network protocol processing offload from a CPU (central processing unit) by inserting an offload engine into a host backplane and network connections. This runs on protocol firmware.

Awrach, James↗
NASA NTRS2001

National Ice Center Visiting Scientist Program

The objectives of the work done by Dr. Kim Partington were to manage NASA's polar research program, including its strategic direction, research funding and interagency and international collaborations. The objectives of the UCAR Visiting Scientist Program at the National Ice Center (NIC) are to: (1) Manage a visiting scientist program for the NIC Science Center in support of the mission of the NIC; (2) Provide a pool of researchers who will share expertise with the NIC and the science community; (3) Facilitate communications between the research and operational communities for the purpose of identifying work ready for validation and transition to an operational environment; and (4) Act as a focus for interagency cooperation. The NIC mission is to provide worldwide operational sea ice analyses and forecasts for the armed forces of the US and allied nations, the Departments of Commerce and Transportation, and other US Government and international agencies, and the civil sector. The NIC produces these analyses and forecasts of Arctic, Antarctic, Great Lakes, and Chesapeake Bay ice conditions to support customers with global, regional, and tactical scale interests. The NIC regularly deploys Naval Ice Center NAVICECEN Ice Reconnaissance personnel to the Arctic and Antarctica in order to perform aerial ice observation and analysis in support of NIC customers. NIC ice data are a key part of the US contribution to international global climate and ocean observing systems.

Austin, Meg↗
NASA NTRS2020

History and Logic Model NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Instrument and Payload Systems Engineering Technical Performance Study

Historically, some NASA missions have exceeded schedule and cost commitments. Studies suggest technical performance is a contributor. The 1980 NASA Project Management Study concluded, "one of the most significant contributors to cost and schedule growth is inadequate definition of technical and management aspects of a program..." (as cited in GAO/NSIAD-93-97, p. 11). The 1991 NASA Roles and Missions Report identified a "need for increased emphasis on technological readiness and requirements on the front end of a program" (as cited in GAO/NSIAD-93-97, p. 11). The 1992 NASA Program Costs Report stated that NASA officials identified, among other things, "insufficient definition studies... [and] program redesigns and technical complexities" as reasons for cost and schedule overruns (GAO/NSAID-93-97, p. 11). The 2002 Task Force on Acquisition of National Security Space Programs found "requirements definition and control issues, unhealthy cost bias in proposal evaluation, widespread lack of budget reserves required to implement high risk programs on schedule, and an overall underappreciation of the importance of appropriately staffed and trained system engineering staff to manage the technologically demanding and unique aspects of space programs" (DoD, 2003, p.i.) In 2007, The NASA Office of the Chief Engineer chartered the NASA Instrument Capability Study (NICS) “to determine whether NASA instrument developers are facing challenges that impact the capability to design and build quality instruments or whether there are flaws in the acquisition strategy evidenced by schedule delays, cost overruns, and increased technical risk via design deficiencies. The... team was also chartered to determine if occurrences [are]... isolated cases or if there are generic issues... If the issues [are] found to be generic, the team [is] to offer solutions to recover such capability" (NICS Report, 2008, p. vi). The 2008 NICS Report, led by Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), identified challenges to instrument technical performance consistent with findings from previous reports. In 2017, the Instrument Project Division (IPD) Implementation Study was initiated to determine if there was a change in meeting schedule and cost commitments after implementing certain NICS recommendations. In 2018, the Instrument Technical Performance Study was initiated to determine the current state of Instrument Technical Performance in the GSFC Payload & Instrument Systems Engineering Branch. The purpose of the combined studies is to answer the question, "Is there a relationship between meeting NASA scientific instrument technical success and meeting schedule and cost commitments? If yes, what is the relationship?" References Department of Defense Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics. (2003). The report of the defense science board/ air force scientific advisory board joint task force on acquisition of national security space programs. Washington DC. Government Accounting Office. (1992). NASA program costs: Space missions require substantially more funding than initially estimated. GAO/NSIAD-93-97. Washington DC. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency, Department of Defense. (2008). The NASA instrument capability study final report. NP-2008-11-058-GSFC. Washington DC.

Robbins, Geraldine↗
NASA NTRS2008

Neutron Imaging Camera

We describe the Neutron Imaging Camera (NIC) being developed for DTRA applications by NASA/GSFC and NSWC/Carderock. The NIC is based on the Three-dimensional Track Imager (3-DTI) technology developed at GSFC for gamma-ray astrophysics applications. The 3-DTI, a large volume time-projection chamber, provides accurate, approximately 0.4 mm resolution. 3-D tracking of charged particles. The incident direction of fast neutrons, E(sub N) > 0.5 MeV. arc reconstructed from the momenta and energies of the proton and triton fragments resulting from 3He(n,p)3H interactions in the 3-DTI volume. We present angular and energy resolution performance of the NIC derived from accelerator tests.

Hunter, Stanley D.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Coupling between the nickel-carbon and carbon-oxygen stretch motion in NiCO

Linear-combination-of-Gaussian-type-orbital (LCGTO) X-alpha calculations are performed on NiCO for various linear Ni-CO and NiC-O bond distances. The basis sets used are moderately large, approximately double zeta, and thus are fairly accurate within the X-alpha approximation. The electronic structure and equilibrium bond distances are consistent with recent CI calculations, indicating a much stronger Ni-CO bond than occurs in Ni(CO)4. The calculations agree to within 100/cm with the experimentally observed NiC-O stretch frequency. The Ni-CO stretch is predicted to occur at 656/cm, although at an intensity that is 640 times less. Compared with experimental results for CO adsorbed on single crystal Ni(100), the computed vibrational frequencies and intensities are less appropriate than the relevant experimental values for Ni(CO)4. This is interpreted to mean that an accurate description of the electronic structure of the nickel atom participating directly in the surface bond requires proper accounting of the bonds to its other nearest neighbors.

Dunlap, B. I.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The NSINIC on-line system

The NSI NIC on-line system is described in the form of view graphs. The following subject areas are covered: NSI history; the ADFTO's other on-line services; the current system; and the next generation of NSI NIC.

Lev, Brian↗
NASA NTRS1991

Proceedings of the 7th Semiannual Meeting of the Nozzle Initiative Industry Advisory Committee on Standardization of Carbon-Phenolic Test Methods and Specifications

The application of carbon fibers and fabrics (CF) for producing rocket nozzles is discussed. These materials which are essential for fabricating the carbon composites used in aerospace systems gasify when exposed to high temperatures and the mechanical properties of the composites degrade. The oxidation kinetics under isothermal (IC) and non-isothermal (NIC) conditions are examined and a comparison is made between the characteristics of IC and NIC oxidation. Several CF, chars, and carbon blacks were examined, including a microporous char, a graphitized rayon fabric, and several carbonized rayon fabrics. A summary is given of the advantages and drawbacks of isothermal and non-isothermal oxidation of carbons. The proceedings are assembled in the form of a roundtable discussion.

Hall, William B.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Space physics analysis network node directory (The Yellow Pages): Fourth edition

The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) is a component of the global DECnet Internet, which has over 17,000 host computers. The growth of SPAN from its implementation in 1981 to its present size of well over 2,500 registered SPAN host computers, has created a need for users to acquire timely information about the network through a central source. The SPAN Network Information Center (SPAN-NIC) an online facility managed by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) was developed to meet this need for SPAN-wide information. The remote node descriptive information in this document is not currently contained in the SPAN-NIC database, but will be incorporated in the near future. Access to this information is also available to non-DECnet users over a variety of networks such as Telenet, the NASA Packet Switched System (NPSS), and the TCP/IP Internet. This publication serves as the Yellow Pages for SPAN node information. The document also provides key information concerning other computer networks connected to SPAN, nodes associated with each SPAN routing center, science discipline nodes, contacts for primary SPAN nodes, and SPAN reference information. A section on DECnet Internetworking discusses SPAN connections with other wide-area DECnet networks (many with thousands of nodes each). Another section lists node names and their disciplines, countries, and institutions in the SPAN Network Information Center Online Data Base System. All remote sites connected to US-SPAN and European-SPAN (E-SPAN) are indexed. Also provided is information on the SPAN tail circuits, i.e., those remote nodes connected directly to a SPAN routing center, which is the local point of contact for resolving SPAN-related problems. Reference material is included for those who wish to know more about SPAN. Because of the rapid growth of SPAN, the SPAN Yellow Pages is reissued periodically.

Peters, David J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Proton Single Event Effects (SEE) Testing of the Myrinet Crossbar Switch and Network Interface Card

As part of the Remote Exploration and Experimentation Project (REE), work was performed to do a proton SEE (Single Event Effect) evaluation of the Myricom network protocol system (Myrinet). This testing included the evaluation of the Myrinet crossbar switch and the Network Interface Card (NIC). To this end, two crossbar switch devices and five components in the NIC were exposed to the proton beam at the University of California at Davis Crocker Nuclear Laboratory (CNL).

Howard, James W., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Direct muscarinic and nicotinic receptor-mediated excitation of rat medial vestibular nucleus neurons in vitro

We have utilized intracellular recording techniques to investigate the cholinoceptivity of rat medial vestibular nucleus (MVN) neurons in a submerged brain slice preparation. Exogenous application of the mixed cholinergic agonists, acetylcholine (ACh) or carbachol (CCh), produced predominantly membrane depolarization, induction of action potential firing, and decreased input resistance. Application of the selective muscarinic receptor agonist muscarine (MUSC), or the selective nicotinic receptor agonists nicotine (NIC) or 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium (DMPP) also produced membrane depolarizations. The MUSC-induced depolarization was accompanied by decreased conductance, while an increase in conductance appeared to underlie the NIC- and DMPP-induced depolarizations. The muscarinic and nicotinic receptor mediated depolarizations persisted in tetrodotoxin and/or low Ca2+/high Mg2+ containing media, suggesting direct postsynaptic receptor activation. The MUSC-induced depolarization could be reversibly blocked by the selective muscarinic-receptor antagonist, atropine, while the DMPP-induced depolarization could be reversibly suppressed by the selective ganglionic nicotinic-receptor antagonist, mecamylamine. Some neurons exhibited a transient membrane hyperpolarization during the depolarizing response to CCh or MUSC application. This transient inhibition could be reversibly blocked by the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist, bicuculline, suggesting that the underlying hyperpolarization results indirectly from the endogenous release of GABA acting at GABA receptors. This study confirms the cholinoceptivity of MVN neurons and establishes that individual MVN cells possess muscarinic as well as nicotinic receptors. The data provide support for a prominent role of cholinergic mechanisms in the direct and indirect regulation of the excitability of MVN neurons.

Non-NASA Center↗
NASA NTRS2008

Neutron Imaging Camera

The Neutron Imaging Camera (NIC) is based on the Three-dimensional Track Imager (3DTI) technology developed at GSFC for gamma-ray astrophysics applications. The 3-DTI, a large volume time-projection chamber, provides accurate, approximately 0.4 mm resolution, 3-D tracking of charged particles. The incident direction of fast neutrons, En > 0.5 MeV, are reconstructed from the momenta and energies of the proton and triton fragments resulting from (sup 3)He(n,p) (sup 3)H interactions in the 3-DTI volume. The performance of the NIC from laboratory and accelerator tests is presented.

Hunter, Stanley↗
NASA NTRS2009

Oxygen Ion Heat Rate within Alfvenic Turbulence in the Cusp

The role that the cleft/cusp has in ionosphere-magnetosphere coupling makes it a dynamic and important region. It is directly exposed to the solar wind, making it possible for the entry of electromagnetic energy and precipitating electrons and ions from dayside reconnection and other dayside events. It is also a significant source of ionospheric plasma, contributing largely to the mass loading of the magnetosphere with large fluxes of outflowing ions. Crossing the cusp/cleft near 5100 km, the Polar instruments observe the common correlation of downward Poynting flux, ion energization, soft electron precipitation, broadband extremely low-frequency (BB-ELF) emissions, and density depletions. The dominant power in the BB-ELF emissions is now identified to be from spatially broad, low frequency Alfv nic structures. For a cusp crossing, we determine using the Electric Field Investigation (EFI), that the electric and magnetic field fluctuations are Alfv nic and the electric field gradients satisfy the inequality for stochastic acceleration. With all the Polar 1996 horizontal crossings of the cusp, we determine the O+ heating rate using the Thermal Ion Dynamics Experiment (TIDE) and Plasma Wave Investigation (PWI). We then compare this heating rate to other heating rates assuming the electric field gradient criteria exceeds the limit for stochastic acceleration for the remaining crossings. The comparison suggests that a stochastic acceleration mechanism is operational and the heating is controlled by the transverse spatial scale of the Alfvenic waves.

Coffey, Victoria N.↗