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At least 235 records · Page 13

Customizing NASA's Earth Science Research Products for addressing MENA Water Challenges

As projected by IPCC 2007 report, by the end of this century the Middle East North Mrica (MENA) region is projected to experience an increase of 3 C to 5 C rise in mean temperatures and a 20% decline in precipitation. This poses a serious problem for this geographic zone especially when majority of the hydrological consumption is for the agriculture sector and the remaining amount is for domestic consumption. In late 2011, the World Bank, USAID and NASA have joined hands to establishing integrated, modem, up to date NASA developed capabilities for various countries in the MENA region for addressing water resource issues and adapting to climate change impacts for improved decision making for societal benefits. The main focus of this undertaking is to address the most pressing societal issues which can be modeled and solved by utilizing NASA Earth Science remote sensing data products and hydrological models. The remote sensing data from space is one of the best ways to study such complex issues and further feed into the decision support systems. NASA's fleet of Earth Observing satellites offer a great vantage point from space to look at the globe and provide vital signs necessary to maintain healthy and sustainable ecosystem. NASA has over fifteen satellites and thirty instruments operating on these space borne platforms and generating over 2000 different science products on a daily basis. Some of these products are soil moisture, global precipitation, aerosols, cloud cover, normalized difference vegetation index, land cover/use, ocean altimetry, ocean salinity, sea surface winds, sea surface temperature, ozone and atmospheric gasses, ice and snow measurements, and many more. All of the data products, models and research results are distributed via the Internet freely through out the world. This project will utilize several NASA models such as global Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) to generate hydrological states and fluxes in near real time. These LDAS products will then be further compared with other NASA satellite observations (MODIS, VIIRS, TRMM, etc.) and other discrete models to compare and optimize evapotranspiration, soil moisture and crop irrigation, drought assessment and water balance. The floods being a critical disaster in many of the MENA countries, NASA's global flood mapping and modeling framework (CREST) will be customized for country specific needs and delivered to the remote sensing organizations for their future use. Training is an important component under this activity and adequate level of training will be offered to build basic capacity to work with NASA provided data products, models for their future use. This paper provides a comprehensive introduction to NASA's Earth Science mission for understanding the behavior of our home Planet, projecting its health for future generations and applying research results solving societal issues.

Habib, Shahid↗

DOE and AID stand-alone photovoltaic activities

The NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) is managing stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) system activities sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (AID). The DOE project includes village PV power demonstration projects in Gabon (four sites) and the Marshall Islands, PV-powered medical refrigerators in six countries, PV system microprocessor control development activities and PV-hybrid system assessments. The AID project includes a large village system in Tunisia, a water pumping/grain grinding project in Upper Volta, five medical clinics in four countries, PV-powered remote earth station application. These PV activities and summarizes significant findings to data are reviewed.

Bifano, W. J.↗

A strategic vision for telemedicine and medical informatics in space flight

This Workshop was designed to assist in the ongoing development and application of telemedicine and medical informatics to support extended space flight. Participants included specialists in telemedicine and medical/health informatics (terrestrial and space) medicine from NASA, federal agencies, academic centers, and research and development institutions located in the United States and several other countries. The participants in the working groups developed vision statements, requirements, approaches, and recommendations pertaining to developing and implementing a strategy pertaining to telemedicine and medical informatics. Although some of the conclusions and recommendations reflect ongoing work at NASA, others provided new insight and direction that may require a reprioritization of current NASA efforts in telemedicine and medical informatics. This, however, was the goal of the Workshop. NASA is seeking other perspectives and views from leading practitioners in the fields of telemedicine and medical informatics to invigorate an essential and high-priority component of the International Space Station and future extended exploration missions. Subsequent workshops will further define and refine the general findings and recommendations achieved here. NASA's ultimate aim is to build a sound telemedicine and medical informatics operational system to provide the best medical care available for astronauts going to Mars and beyond.

Aerospace Medicine/organization & administration↗

Developing a Remotely Sensed Drought Monitoring Indicator for Morocco

Drought is one of the most serious climatic and natural disasters inflicting serious impacts on the socio-economy of Morocco, which is characterized both by low-average annual rainfall and high irregularity in the spatial distribution and timing of precipitation across the country. This work aims to develop a comprehensive and integrated method for drought monitoring based on remote sensing techniques. The main input parameters are derived monthly from satellite data at the national scale and are then combined to generate a composite drought index presenting different severity classes of drought. The input parameters are: Standardized Precipitation Index calculated from satellite-based precipitation data since 1981 (CHIRPS), anomalies in the day-night difference of Land Surface Temperature as a proxy for soil moisture, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index anomalies from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data and Evapotranspiration anomalies from surface energy balance modeling. All of these satellite-based indices are being used to monitor vegetation condition, rainfall and land surface temperature. The weighted combination of these input parameters into one composite indicator takes into account the importance of the rainfall-based parameter (SPI). The composite drought index maps were generated during the growing seasons going back to 2003. These maps have been compared to both the historical, in situ precipitation data across Morocco and with the historical yield data across different provinces with information being available since 2000. The maps are disseminated monthly to several main stakeholders' groups including the Ministry of Agriculture and Department of Water in Morocco.

Drought monitoring↗

1981 LTA technology assessment - Past and present

A four-part presentation is made of (1) lessons learned from the design and operation of the 'classic' airships of the 1920s and 30s, with respect to such issues as construction, propulsion, control, instrumentation, ground handling, habitability, aerodynamics, and structure and construction; (2) lessons learned from the development of such specialized lighter-than-air (LTA) concepts as metal-clad airships, semi-buoyant lifting bodies, experimental, sport and commercial free balloons, high-altitude platforms, and tethered aerostats; (3) the current status of LTA technology in various countries, with emphasis on significant developments in configuration, dynamics, control, structures, materials, and propulsion; and (4) a projection of future trends. It is concluded that socio-economic factors will strongly influence and encourage LTA development in the 1990s.

Ashford, R. L.↗

The Philosophy which underlies the structural tests of a supersonic transport aircraft with particular attention to the thermal cycle

The information presented is based on data obtained from the Concorde. Much of this data also applies to other supersonic transport aircraft. The design and development of the Concorde is a joint effort of the British and French, and the structural test program is shared, as are all the other activities. Vast numbers of small specimens have been tested to determine the behavior of the materials used in the aircraft. Major components of the aircraft structure, totalling almost a complete aircraft, have been made and are being tested to help the constructors in each country in the design and development of the structure. Tests on two complete airframes will give information for the certification of the aircraft. A static test was conducted in France and a fatigue test in the United Kingdom. Fail-safe tests are being made to demonstrate the crack-propagation characteristics of the structure and its residual strength. Aspects of the structural test program are described in some detail, dealing particularly with the problems associated with the thermal cycle. The biggest of these problems is the setting up of the fatigue test on the complete airframe; therefore, this is covered more extensively with a discussion about how the test time can be shortened and with a description of the practical aspects of the test.

Ripley, E. L.↗

A long-lived mesoscale convective complex. II - Evolution and structure of the mature complex

The present investigation is concerned with an eight-day episode, during which a series of mesoscale convective complexes (MCC) developed and moved across the country, producing heavy rain and some flooding over an extensive region. An overview of the considered period from August 3 to August 10, 1977 is presented, and the evolution of the August 4 storm is examined. The structure of the mature MCC is discussed, taking into account the August 4-5 storm, a comparative case involving the August 3-4 storm, and an evaluation of the observed phenomena. It is concluded that MCCs are basically tropical in nature and that their dynamics are dominated by buoyant accelerations. It was found that the MCCs developed a warm-core, divergent anticyclonic flow pattern in the upper troposphere which was not present prior to the development of convection. A similar structure is observed in tropical cloud clusters.

Wetzel, P. J.↗

Transport jet aircraft noise abatement in foreign countries: Growth, structure, impact. Volume 1: Europe, July 1980

The development and implementation of aircraft noise control regulations in various European states are described. The countries include the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Federal Republic of Germany, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Topics discussed include noise monitoring, airport curfews, land use planning, and the government structure for noise regulation.

Spencer, F. A.↗

Multiple Hub Network Choice in the Liberalized European Market

A key question that so far has received relatively little attention in the germane literature is that of the changes at various airports as a result of the EU liberalization policies. That is, presently, most major European airports still benefit from the so-called home-carrier phenomenon where the country's publicly or semi-publicly owned carrier uses the country's main airport as its gateway hub and, consequently, the home-carrier is also the principal user of this airport (in terms of proportion of total aircraft movements, number of passengers transported, connections, slots ownership, etc.). The country's main airport has substantially benefited from these monopoly conditions of airline captivity, strongly determined by the bilateral system of international air transport regulation. Therefore, European major airports were used to operate in essentially different markets, compared to the increasingly competitive markets of their home based carriers. This partly explains relative stability of transport volumes and financial results of European major airports compared to the relatively volatile financial results of most European national airlines. However, the liberalization of European aviation is likely to change this situation. Market access is open now to all community carriers, i.e. carriers with majority ownership and effective control in the hands of EU citizens. Ticket prices are free, governments can only intervene in case of dumping or excessive pricing. A community airline can choose its seat in any of the 15 member states. Licensing procedures are harmonized between member states. In the last few months community carriers have had unrestricted route access within the EU. Most probably this development will be extended to countries inside and outside Europe. Last year the European Commission got the mandate to start negotiations with 10 other European countries. In the meantime the EC has also started negotiations with the USA on so-called soft rights. In the meantime, open skies agreements have been concluded between the USA and most of the EU member states to facilitate strategic alliances between airlines of the states involved. As a result of this on-going liberalization the model of the single 'national' carrier using the national home base as its single hub for the designated third, fourth and sixth freedom operations will stepwise disappear. Within the EU the concept of the national carrier has already been replaced by that of the community carrier. State ownership in more and more European carriers is reduced. On the longer run mergers or even bankruptcy will further undermine the "single national carrier - single national hub" model in Europe. In the meantime, strategic alliances between national carriers in Europe will already reduce the airlines' loyalty to a single airport. Profit maximization and accountability to share holders will supersede the loyalty of these newly emerging alliances, probably looking for the opportunities of a multiple hub network to adequately cover the whole European market. As a consequence, some European airports might see a substantial decline in arriving, departing and transfer traffic, thus in revenues and financial solvency, as well as in their connection to other inter-continental and intra-European destinations. At the same time, other airports might realize a significant increase in traffic as they will be sought after by the profit maximizing airlines as their major gateway hubs. Which will be the losing airports and which will be the winning ones? Can airports anticipate the actions of airlines in deregulated markets and utilize policies which will improve their relative position? If so, what should be these anticipatory policies? These questions become the more urgent, since an increasing number of major European airports will be privatized in the near future. Although increasing airport congestion in Europe will also be reflected in a growing demand pressure for airport slots, this is not a guarantee for a stable transport volume growth of individual airports. The more volatile the market is, the more vulnerable privatized airports become. Therefore, the main issue of this study is the analysis of the opportunities of major European airports to become a central hub as a result of the network choices made by the new European airlines in a completely liberalized market. In a previous study (Berechman and de Wit, 1996), we already explored the potential of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol of becoming the major West-European hub, once European aviation markets are deregulated. A major hindrance of that study was the use of a single hub-and-spoke network. For example that model could not analyze the viability of different combinations of European hubs within a multiple hub network of alternative airline alliances. In this study, we have formulated the model of a multi-hub network where two West-European airports are used for inter-continental and intra-European travel to enable a more realistic analysis of hub choice. Like the previous one also this multi-hub model is primarily used to assess the potential ability of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol for becoming a major West-European hub. Thus, in particular, the policy tests focus on this airport in a double hub network.

Berechman, Joseph↗

NASA develops Space Station

The NASA Space Station program's planning stage began in 1982, with a view to development funding in FY1987 and initial operations within a decade. An initial cost of $8 billion is projected for the continuously habitable, Space Shuttle-dependent system, not including either operational or scientific and commercial payload-development costs. As a customer-oriented facility, the Space Station will be available to foreign countries irrespective of their participation in the development phase.

Freitag, R. F.↗

HTML 5 Displays for On-Board Flight Systems

During my Internship at NASA in the summer of 2016, I was assigned to a project which dealt with developing a web-server that would display telemetry and other system data using HTML 5, JavaScript, and CSS. By doing this, it would be possible to view the data across a variety of screen sizes, and establish a standard that could be used to simplify communication and software development between NASA and other countries. Utilizing a web- approach allowed us to add in more functionality, as well as make the displays more aesthetically pleasing for the users. When I was assigned to this project my main task was to first establish communication with the current display server. This display server would output data from the on-board systems in XML format. Once communication was established I was then asked to create a dynamic telemetry table web page that would update its header and change as new information came in. After this was completed, certain minor functionalities were added to the table such as a hide column and filter by system option. This was more for the purpose of making the table more useful for the users, as they can now filter and view relevant data. Finally my last task was to create a graphical system display for all the systems on the space craft. This was by far the most challenging part of my internship as finding a JavaScript library that was both free and contained useful functions to assist me in my task was difficult. In the end I was able to use the JointJs library and accomplish the task. With the help of my mentor and the HIVE lab team, we were able to establish stable communication with the display server. We also succeeded in creating a fully dynamic telemetry table and in developing a graphical system display for the advanced modular power system. Working in JSC for this internship has taught me a lot about coding in JavaScript and HTML 5. I was also introduced to the concept of developing software as a team, and exposed to the different types of programs that are used to simplify team coding such as GitLab. While in JSC, I took full advantage of and attended the lectures that were held here on site. I learned a lot about what it is NASA does and about the interesting projects that are conducted here. One of the lectures I attended was about the selection process and the criteria that is used to select future astronauts for flight missions. This truly had an impact on my future plans as it showed me that this path was a viable option for me. After this internship I plan on completing my undergraduate course work and plan to move on for a masters degree. However, during the time in which I will be completing my masters course work, I would like to apply for the NASA pathways graduate program and, if I am accepted, eventually move on to being a full time civil servant. Working in NASA has not only been enjoyable, but full of information and great experiences that have motivated me to seek a full time employment here in the near future.

Silva, Chandika↗

Comparison of manually produced and automated cross country movement maps using digital image processing techniques

The Image-Based Information System (IBIS) was used to automate the cross country movement (CCM) mapping model developed by the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). Existing terrain factor overlays and a CCM map, produced by DMA for the Fort Lewis, Washington area, were digitized and reformatted into geometrically registered images. Terrain factor data from Slope, Soils, and Vegetation overlays were entered into IBIS, and were then combined utilizing IBIS-programmed equations to implement the DMA CCM model. The resulting IBIS-generated CCM map was then compared with the digitized manually produced map to test similarity. The numbers of pixels comprising each CCM region were compared between the two map images, and percent agreement between each two regional counts was computed. The mean percent agreement equalled 86.21%, with an areally weighted standard deviation of 11.11%. Calculation of Pearson's correlation coefficient yielded +9.997. In some cases, the IBIS-calculated map code differed from the DMA codes: analysis revealed that IBIS had calculated the codes correctly. These highly positive results demonstrate the power and accuracy of IBIS in automating models which synthesize a variety of thematic geographic data.

Wynn, L. K.↗

International space station wire program

Hardware provider wire systems and current wire insulation issues for the International Space Station (ISS) program are discussed in this viewgraph presentation. Wire insulation issues include silicone wire contamination, Tefzel cold temperature flexibility, and Russian polyimide wire insulation. ISS is a complex program with hardware developed and managed by many countries and hundreds of contractors. Most of the obvious wire insulation issues are known by contractors and have been precluded by proper selection.

May, Todd↗

Next Generation Active Buffet Suppression System

Buffeting is an aeroelastic phenomenon that is common to high performance aircraft, especially those with twin vertical tails like the F/A-18, at high angles of attack. These loads result in significant random stresses, which may cause fatigue damage leading to restricted capabilities and availability of the aircraft. This paper describes an international collaborative research activity among Australia, Canada and the United States involving the use of active structural control to alleviate the damaging structural response to these loads. The research program is being co-ordinated by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and is being conducted under the auspices of The Technical Cooperative Program (TTCP). This truly unique collaborative program has been developed to enable each participating country to contribute resources toward a program that coalesces a broad range of technical knowledge and expertise into a single investigation. This collaborative program is directed toward a full-scale test of an F/A-18 empennage, which is an extension of an earlier initial test. The current program aims at applying advanced directional piezoactuators, the aircraft rudder, switch mode amplifiers and advanced control strategies on a full-scale structure to demonstrate the enhanced performance and capability of the advanced active BLA control system in preparation for a flight test demonstration.

Galea, Stephen C.↗

A First Look at the Upcoming SISO Space Reference FOM

Simulation is increasingly used in the space domain for several purposes. One example is analysis and engineering, from the mission level down to individual systems and subsystems. Another example is training of space crew and flight controllers. Several distributed simulations have been developed for example for docking vehicles with the ISS and for mission training, in many cases with participants from several nations. Space based scenarios are also used in the "Simulation Exploration Experience", SISO's university outreach program. We have thus realized that there is a need for a distributed simulation interoperability standard for data exchange within the space domain. Based on these experiences, SISO is developing a Space Reference FOM. Members of the product development group come from several countries and contribute experiences from projects within NASA, ESA and other organizations. Participants represent government, academia and industry. The first version will focus on handling of time and space. The Space Reference FOM will provide the following: (i) a flexible positioning system using reference frames for arbitrary bodies in space, (ii) a naming conventions for well known reference frames, (iii) definitions of common time scales, (iv) federation agreements for common types of time management with focus on time stepped simulation, and (v) support for physical entities, such as space vehicles and astronauts. The Space Reference FOM is expected to make collaboration politically, contractually and technically easier. It is also expected to make collaboration easier to manage and extend.

Crues, Edwin↗

Fuel cell environmental life cycle assessment : a progress report

Energy generation using fuel cells offers the possibility of high conversion efficiency and reduced pollution. Thus, in the futue, conventional methods of energy generation using coalfired power plants, natural gas turbines and internal combustion engines can potentially be replaced by fuel cells. The United States, Japan and several countries in Europe are currently developing fuel cells for transportation, distributed energy generation and portable electronics applications. On a system basis, the efficiency of chemical to electrical energy conversion in fuel cells can be as high as 45%. Also, because of the lower operating temperatures compared to turbines and internal combustion engines, emissions such as carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides are extremely small. An assessment of the environmental impact of fuel cells over the entire lifecycle is needed to determine the specific benefits in various application scenarios. Such a comparative pollutants assessment must include a "cradle to grave" approach encompassing fuel production, fuel transportation, materials/manufacturing processes, waste management, and recycling. A comparative pollutant model would be a useful tool for industry and government in estimating energy savings and environmental credits, and providing a holistic understanding on regulatory needs. Another important benefit would be the ability to make appropriate comparisons with competitive energy generation technologies such as hybrids, turbines, and internal combustion engines, and to set up realistic targets. Also, exercising the model will assist in the initial screening for potential hot spots and showstoppers and focus on the right component technologies design for manufacturing, designs for input substitution and waste minimization, and prevent any unforeseen burdens.

Narayanan, S. R.↗

AgMIP Local, National and Global Assessments of Food System Challenges in A Changing Climate

Food systems connect a diverse network of stakeholders around the world, with complex dynamics governing production, processing, transportation, trade and consumption of food products. Extreme conditions can disrupt multiple components of the food system, with systemic connections providing structure that can both buffer and exacerbate risks. Climate change is shifting current practices in agricultural production and the broader food system, encouraging shifts toward more diverse value chains capable of drawing from multiple food producing regions to reduce the chance that an entire value chain be subject to simultaneous impacts. The IPCC Working Group I report assessed that heat waves, fires, floods and severe storms are becoming more pronounced and widespread with each degree of global warming, increasing food system risk. Food system disruptions can also come from outside the climate system, including from viral outbreaks, geopolitical conflict and socioeconomic changes. This presentation will highlight how the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP) develops modeling approaches that connect climate, biophysical and socioeconomic models in order to capture complex responses of the food system and potential interventions by diverse stakeholders in the public and private sectors. Models are applied on a range of scales that match decision contexts. These include households in specific agricultural production regions (e.g., within a country), national-level policymakers considering policies, sustainability and development priorities for a country’s agricultural sector, and global food market models that balance production and consumption around the world with competition for land, water, energy and sustainability priorities. Models are capable of capturing many important responses, but further development is needed to represent key systemic risks and the possibility for additional interventions beyond the farm gate. Improved food system models will provide important insights into our society’s ability to cope with climate change, as well as our ability to identify agricultural adaptation and mitigation opportunities to reduce overall risk.

Food systems↗

Large scale optimization using ASTROS: An overview

Interest in interdisciplinary systems is widespread around the world. A number of structural optimization systems are being developed and tested. Some examples are listed here. ASOP, FASTOP, and TSO are programs developed for the Air Force Flight Dynamics Laboratory during the seventies. These programs established the feasibility of integrating various disciplines. The program 'STARS' is basically a structural optimization system developed by the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in England. At present, it is being enhanced to include aeroelasticity. 'LAGRANGE' is an optimization system developed by MBB in Germany. ELFINI is a similar system developed in France. It is being marketed in the U.S. as well as other countries. The Automated STRuctural Optimization System (ASTROS) was developed for the Flight Dynamics Directorate of Wright Laboratory. The ASTROS system is described in viewgraph form.

Venkayya, Vipperia B.↗