Video Teleconference (VTC) Ops
This viewgraph presentation gives a detailed description of the video teleconference equipment upgrade, salvo updates, and a service/change request status.
Kimball, Braden↗
SEARCH · Engineering Papers
Results for “VTc”
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.
Mitigating Headward Fluid Shifts with Venoconstrictive Thigh Cuffs during Spaceflight
Venoconstrictive thigh cuffs (VTC) are a mechanical countermeasure capable of attenuating the spaceflight induced headward fluid shift, and thus may be a viable spaceflight associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) countermeasure. Crewmembers can use VTC to mitigate the headward fluid shift to aid in adapting to spaceflight. However, data are needed to determine if VTC affect ocular structures. PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to determine the efficacy of long duration use of VTC application to mitigate the spaceflight-induced headward fluid shift. We hypothesize that a VTC countermeasure will temporarily reverse the headward fluid shift and attenuate spaceflight-induced changes of internal jugular vein (IJV) cross-sectional area, IJV pressure, stroke volume, cardiac output, intraocular pressure (IOP), and optic nerve head and retinal morphology. METHODS This study will evaluate the effectiveness of VTC countermeasure application on the headward fluid shift, as well as cardiovascular and ocular variables. VTC during spaceflight will be worn for an extended duration (up to 6 hours) with data collected at three time points (30 minutes, 3 hours, and 6 hours) to characterize the temporal profile of key fluid shift outcome measures of the vascular fluid shift, IOP, and ocular structure changes. Ten astronauts will be recruited to participate and will be studied before and during approximately 180-day International Space Station (ISS) spaceflight missions. Baseline data collection will occur approximately 90-days before launch (Figure). Preflight, each leg of the crewmember will be measured to determine the VTC cuff size and a cuff fit check session will occur prior to the preflight baseline ground imaging to verify the appropriate fit measured via a surface contact pressure. Prior to donning the VTC, baseline measures without VTC will be collected seated, supine, and supine followed by data collection with the VTC. The baseline data collection will include ultrasound (IJV area and pressure, stroke volume and cardiac output), brachial blood pressure and heart rate, optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging (total retinal thickness and choroid thickness), and IOP. An inflight cuff fit check session, same as the preflight fit check, will occur prior to VTC use on ISS. The inflight VTC experiment will be conducted early (FD45) and late (R-45) to determine if mission duration affects VTC fit and the efficacy of fluid redistribution. A system usability scale comfort questionnaire will be included in each VTC session to capture feedback from crewmembers regarding the comfort and usability of the VTC. SCIENTIFIC & MISSION IMPACT Results will narrow knowledge gaps described in the Human Research Roadmap to mitigate the headward fluid shift during spaceflight and help NASA to 1) determine the efficacy of extended use VTC application to mitigate the spaceflight-induced headward fluid shift and 2) further the understanding of the use of VTC on vascular fluid shifts, IOP, and ocular structure during spaceflight. Supported by NASA Human Research Program Directed Research. Figure. Detailed Testing Schedule. Baseline data collection at L-90 will be performed in a randomized order of position.
J V Jasien↗
Mitigating Headward Fluid Shifts With Veno-Constrictive Thigh Cuffs During Spaceflight
Astronauts experience a chronic headward fluid shift in weightlessness as evidenced by increased cardiac output, decreased leg volume, a redistribution of venous fluid, and venous congestion in the upper body. Alterations in cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics and changes in cerebral venous pressure secondary to the headward fluid shift may contribute to ocular changes associated with spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). Veno-constrictive thigh cuffs (VTC; Braslets) provided to Soyuz crewmembers alleviate symptoms of the headward fluid shift during the first week of spaceflight and have been documented to reduce internal jugular vein (IJV) distension during weightlessness. Application of VTCs designed collaboratively by NASA Johnson Space Center Cardiovascular and Vision Laboratory (CVL) and Clemson Textile Laboratory at Clemson University to improve fit and comfort was documented to mitigate changes in choroid thickness, intraocular pressure, and IJV area during posture-induced headward fluid shifts. VTC are demonstrated to reduce headward fluid shifts in both ground-based and spaceflight studies, and thus, may be a countermeasure against development of SANS. In addition, VTC are a simple mechanical countermeasure currently at a high technical readiness level (TRL) and are compact and lightweight, making them compatible with the spaceflight operations environment
Connor R. Ferguson↗
Advanced Shipboard Communications Demonstrations with ACTS
For ships at sea. satellites provide the only option for high data rate (HDR), long haul communications. Furthermore the demand for HDR satellite communications (SATCOM) for military and commercial ships. and other offshore platforms is increasing. Presently the bulk of this maritime HDR SATCOM connectivity is provided via C-band and X-band. However, the shipboard antenna sizes required to achieve a data rate of, say T 1 (1.544 Mbps) with present C-/X-band SATCOM systems range from seven to ten feet in diameter. This limits the classes of ships to which HDR services can be provided to those which are large enough to accommodate the massive antennas. With its high powered K/Ka-band spot beams, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Advanced Communications Technology Satellite (ACTS) was able to provide T I and higher rate services to ships at sea using much smaller shipboard antennas. This paper discusses three shipboard HDR SATCOM demonstrations that were conducted with ACTS between 1996 and 1998. The first demonstration involved a 2 Mbps link provided to the seismic survey ship MN Geco Diamond equipped with a 16-inch wide, 4.5-inch tall, mechanically steered slotted waveguide array antenna developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. In this February 1996 demonstration ACTS allowed supercomputers ashore to process Geco Diamond's voluminous oceanographic seismic data in near real time. This capability allowed the ship to adjust its search parameters on a daily basis based on feedback from the processed data, thereby greatly increasing survey efficiency. The second demonstration was conducted on the US Navy cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) with the same antenna used on Geco Diamond. Princeton conducted a six-month (January-July 1997) Western Hemisphere solo deployment during which time T1 connectivity via ACTS provided the ship with a range of valuable tools for operational, administrative and quality-of-life tasks. In one instance, video teleconferencing (VTC) via ACTS allowed the ship to provide life-saving emergency medical aid, assisted by specialists ashore. to a fellow mariner - the Master of a Greek cargo ship. The third demonstration set what is believed to be the all-time SATCOM data rate record to a ship at sea, 45 Mbps in October 1998. This Lake Michigan (Chicago area) demonstration employed one of ACTS' fixed beams and involved the smallest of the three vessels, the 45-foot Bayliner M/V Entropy equipped with a modified commercial-off-the-shelf one-meter antenna. A variety of multi-media services were provided to Entropy through a stressing range of sea states. These three demonstrations provided a preview of the capabilities that could be provided to future mariners on a more routine basis when K/Ka-band SATCOM systems are widely deployed.
Axford, Roy A.↗
Advanced Distributed Measurements and Data Processing at the Vibro-Acoustic Test Facility, GRC Space Power Facility, Sandusky, Ohio - an Architecture and an Example
A large-scale, distributed, high-speed data acquisition system (HSDAS) is currently being installed at the Space Power Facility (SPF) at NASA Glenn Research Center s Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, OH. This installation is being done as part of a facility construction project to add Vibro-acoustic Test Capabilities (VTC) to the current thermal-vacuum testing capability of SPF in support of the Orion Project s requirement for Space Environments Testing (SET). The HSDAS architecture is a modular design, which utilizes fully-remotely managed components, enables the system to support multiple test locations with a wide-range of measurement types and a very large system channel count. The architecture of the system is presented along with details on system scalability and measurement verification. In addition, the ability of the system to automate many of its processes such as measurement verification and measurement system analysis is also discussed.
Hill, Gerald M.↗
Use of Otoacousticemission Phase Change to Evaluate Countermeasures for Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome
Spaceflight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS) is a human spaceflight risk recognized by NASA. Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) has been implicated as a root cause of many SANS signs and symptoms, yet there is no reliable noninvasive means of monitoring ICP. We have developed a noninvasive method of monitoring ICP change that exploits ear canal acoustic and otoacoustic emission (OAE) measurements. Changed ICP alters pressure in the inner ear, leading to changes in the tension and position of middle ear (ME) components; tension of these components determines the phase of the stimulus in the ear canal and the OAE response sound transmission back through the ME. The OAE method has been validated in several studies, including our own experiments as part of the NASA Fluid Shifts study. Systematic OAE phase changes demonstrating increased ME tension (an ICP indicator) are observed as posture is changed from seated to supine to head-down tilt (HDT). This effect can be substantially mitigated by lower body negative pressure (LBNP). The OAE technique has also been used on International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers, providing evidence that ICP in microgravity is similar to that seen on the ground in the supine position. The OAE method is also a rapid and noninvasive means of assessing the effectiveness of SANS countermeasures. Here we report results from two studies which used OAEs. In the most recent study (Venous Congestion Countermeasures - VCCM), three promising countermeasures [LBNP, an impedance threshold device (ITD), and veno-occlusive thigh cuffs (VTC)] were applied individually and in combination. In our previous ITD-only study, ITD was investigated for its ability to reduce ICP and cephalic venous congestion in supine and various HDT postures. Internal jugular vein (IJV) ultrasound showed a clear decongestive effect at all postures, however OAE data showed that ITD only caused a phase decrease (tension decrease) in HDT postures. In supine, ITD appeared to INCREASE tension. This paradox leads us to hypothesize that the OAE method is not accurately representing ICP changes with countermeasures (CM), which can alter ME tension through other means, such as ME pressure (MEP) changes. More generally, the exact mechanism for observed OAE response and stimulus phase shifts are not clearly understood, specifically with regard to the effects of MEP. The VCCM study examined the effects of externally-applied MEP on OAE recordings to document the relationship between these parameters. Analysis of these data provide new insights to these OAE mechanisms, in addition to results on CM effectiveness.
Kemp, D.↗