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At least 235 records · Page 13
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2007

NASA's SDR Standard: Space Telecommunications Radio System

A software defined radio (SDR) architecture used in space-based platforms proposes to standardize certain aspects of radio development such as interface definitions, functional control and execution, and application software and firmware development. NASA has charted a team to develop an open software defined radio hardware and software architecture to support NASA missions and determine the viability of an Agency-wide Standard. A draft concept of the proposed standard has been released and discussed among organizations in the SDR community. Appropriate leveraging of the JTRS SCA, OMG s SWRadio Architecture and other aspects are considered. A standard radio architecture offers potential value by employing common waveform software instantiation, operation, testing and software maintenance. While software defined radios offer greater flexibility, they also poses challenges to the radio development for the space environment in terms of size, mass and power consumption and available technology. An SDR architecture for space must recognize and address the constraints of space flight hardware, and systems along with flight heritage and culture. NASA is actively participating in the development of technology and standards related to software defined radios. As NASA considers a standard radio architecture for space communications, input and coordination from government agencies, the industry, academia, and standards bodies is key to a successful architecture. The unique aspects of space require thorough investigation of relevant terrestrial technologies properly adapted to space. The talk will describe NASA s current effort to investigate SDR applications to space missions and a brief overview of a candidate architecture under consideration for space based platforms.

Reinhart, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Space Telecommunications Radio Architecture (STRS): Technical Overview

A software defined radio (SDR) architecture used in space-based platforms proposes to standardize certain aspects of radio development such as interface definitions, functional control and execution, and application software and firmware development. NASA has charted a team to develop an open software defined radio hardware and software architecture to support NASA missions and determine the viability of an Agency-wide Standard. A draft concept of the proposed standard has been released and discussed among organizations in the SDR community. Appropriate leveraging of the JTRS SCA, OMG s SWRadio Architecture and other aspects are considered. A standard radio architecture offers potential value by employing common waveform software instantiation, operation, testing and software maintenance. While software defined radios offer greater flexibility, they also poses challenges to the radio development for the space environment in terms of size, mass and power consumption and available technology. An SDR architecture for space must recognize and address the constraints of space flight hardware, and systems along with flight heritage and culture. NASA is actively participating in the development of technology and standards related to software defined radios. As NASA considers a standard radio architecture for space communications, input and coordination from government agencies, the industry, academia, and standards bodies is key to a successful architecture. The unique aspects of space require thorough investigation of relevant terrestrial technologies properly adapted to space. The talk will describe NASA's current effort to investigate SDR applications to space missions and a brief overview of a candidate architecture under consideration for space based platforms.

Reinhart, Richard C.↗
NASA NTRS2016

Curating NASA's Past, Present, and Future Astromaterial Sample Collections

The Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office at NASA Johnson Space Center (hereafter JSC curation) is responsible for curating all of NASA's extraterrestrial samples. JSC presently curates 9 different astromaterials collections in seven different clean-room suites: (1) Apollo Samples (ISO (International Standards Organization) class 6 + 7); (2) Antarctic Meteorites (ISO 6 + 7); (3) Cosmic Dust Particles (ISO 5); (4) Microparticle Impact Collection (ISO 7; formerly called Space-Exposed Hardware); (5) Genesis Solar Wind Atoms (ISO 4); (6) Stardust Comet Particles (ISO 5); (7) Stardust Interstellar Particles (ISO 5); (8) Hayabusa Asteroid Particles (ISO 5); (9) OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft Coupons and Witness Plates (ISO 7). Additional cleanrooms are currently being planned to house samples from two new collections, Hayabusa 2 (2021) and OSIRIS-REx (2023). In addition to the labs that house the samples, we maintain a wide variety of infra-structure facilities required to support the clean rooms: HEPA-filtered air-handling systems, ultrapure dry gaseous nitrogen systems, an ultrapure water system, and cleaning facilities to provide clean tools and equipment for the labs. We also have sample preparation facilities for making thin sections, microtome sections, and even focused ion-beam sections. We routinely monitor the cleanliness of our clean rooms and infrastructure systems, including measurements of inorganic or organic contamination, weekly airborne particle counts, compositional and isotopic monitoring of liquid N2 deliveries, and daily UPW system monitoring. In addition to the physical maintenance of the samples, we track within our databases the current and ever changing characteristics (weight, location, etc.) of more than 250,000 individually numbered samples across our various collections, as well as more than 100,000 images, and countless "analog" records that record the sample processing records of each individual sample. JSC Curation is co-located with JSC's Astromaterials Research Office, which houses a world-class suite of analytical instrumentation and scientists. We leverage these labs and personnel to better curate the samples. Part of the cu-ration process is planning for the future, and we refer to these planning efforts as "advanced curation". Advanced Curation is tasked with developing procedures, technology, and data sets necessary for curating new types of collections as envi-sioned by NASA exploration goals. We are (and have been) planning for future cu-ration, including cold curation, extended curation of ices and volatiles, curation of samples with special chemical considerations such as perchlorate-rich samples, and curation of organically- and biologically-sensitive samples.

Zeigler, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Vehicle Engineering Development Activities at the Marshall Space Flight Center

New initiatives in the Space Transportation Directorate at the Marshall Space Flight Center include an emphasis on Vehicle Engineering to enhance the strong commitment to the Directorate's projects in the development of flight hardware and flight demonstrators for the advancement of space transportation technology. This emphasis can be seen in the activities of a newly formed organization in the Transportation Directorate, The Vehicle Subsystems Engineering Group. The functions and type of activities that this group works on are described. The current projects of this group are outlined including a brief description of the status and type of work that the group is performing. A summary section is included to describe future activities.

Fisher, Mark F.↗
NASA NTRS1971

Microbiologic assay of space hardware.

Review of the procedures used in the microbiological examination of space hardware. The general procedure for enumerating aerobic and anaerobic microorganisms and spores is outlined. Culture media and temperature-time cycles used for incubation are reviewed, along with assay systems designed for the enumeration of aerobic and anaerobic spores. The special problems which are discussed are involved in the precise and accurate enumeration of microorganisms on surfaces and in the neutralization of viable organisms buried inside solid materials that could be released to a planet's surface if the solid should be fractured. Special attention is given to sampling procedures including also the indirect techniques of surface assays of space hardware such as those using detachable or fallout strips. Some data on comparative levels of microbial contamination on lunar and planetary spacecraft are presented.

Favero, M. S.↗
NASA NTRS1976

The Viking mission search for life on Mars

The scientific payload on the Viking Mars landers is described. Shortly after landing, two facsimile cameras capable of stereoscopic imaging will scan the landing site area in black and white, color, and infrared to reveal gross evidence of past or present living systems. A wide range mass spectrometer will record a complete mass spectrum for soil samples from mass 12 to mass 200 every 10.3 sec. Three experiments based on different assumptions on the nature of life on Mars, if it exists, will be carried out by the bio-lab. A pyrolytic release experiment is designed to measure photosynthetic or dark fixation of carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide into organic compounds. A labelled release experiment will test for metabolic activity during incubation of a surface sample moistened with a solution of radioactively labelled simple organic compounds. A gas exchange experiment will detect changes in the gaseous medium surrounding a soil sample as the result of metabolic activity. The hardware, function, and terrestrial test results of the bio-lab experiments are discussed.

Klein, H. P.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Autonomous Integrated Receive System (AIRS) requirements definition. Volume 3: Performance and simulation

The autonomous and integrated aspects of the operation of the AIRS (Autonomous Integrated Receive System) are discussed from a system operation point of view. The advantages of AIRS compared to the existing SSA receive chain equipment are highlighted. The three modes of AIRS operation are addressed in detail. The configurations of the AIRS are defined as a function of the operating modes and the user signal characteristics. Each AIRS configuration selection is made up of three components: the hardware, the software algorithms and the parameters used by these algorithms. A comparison between AIRS and the wide dynamics demodulation (WDD) is provided. The organization of the AIRS analytical/simulation software is described. The modeling and analysis is for simulating the performance of the PN subsystem is documented. The frequence acquisition technique using a frequency-locked loop is also documented. Doppler compensation implementation is described. The technological aspects of employing CCD's for PN acquisition are addressed.

Chie, C. M.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Modular, Hierarchical Learning By Artificial Neural Networks

Modular and hierarchical approach to supervised learning by artificial neural networks leads to neural networks more structured than neural networks in which all neurons fully interconnected. These networks utilize general feedforward flow of information and sparse recurrent connections to achieve dynamical effects. The modular organization, sparsity of modular units and connections, and fact that learning is much more circumscribed are all attractive features for designing neural-network hardware. Learning streamlined by imitating some aspects of biological neural networks.

Baldi, Pierre F.↗
NASA NTRS2016

CASIS Fact Sheet: Hardware and Facilities

Vencore is a proven information solutions, engineering, and analytics company that helps our customers solve their most complex challenges. For more than 40 years, we have designed, developed and delivered mission-critical solutions as our customers' trusted partner. The Engineering Services Contract, or ESC, provides engineering and design services to the NASA organizations engaged in development of new technologies at the Kennedy Space Center. Vencore is the ESC prime contractor, with teammates that include Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies, Sierra Lobo, Nelson Engineering, EASi, and Craig Technologies. The Vencore team designs and develops systems and equipment to be used for the processing of space launch vehicles, spacecraft, and payloads. We perform flight systems engineering for spaceflight hardware and software; develop technologies that serve NASA's mission requirements and operations needs for the future. Our Flight Payload Support (FPS) team at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) provides engineering, development, and certification services as well as payload integration and management services to NASA and commercial customers. Our main objective is to assist principal investigators (PIs) integrate their science experiments into payload hardware for research aboard the International Space Station (ISS), commercial spacecraft, suborbital vehicles, parabolic flight aircrafts, and ground-based studies. Vencore's FPS team is AS9100 certified and a recognized implementation partner for the Center for Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS

Solomon, Michael R.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Management control and status reports documentation standard and Data Item Descriptions (DID). Volume of the information system life-cycle and documentation standards, volume 5

This is the fifth of five volumes on Information System Life-Cycle and Documentation Standards. This volume provides a well organized, easily used standard for management control and status reports used in monitoring and controlling the management, development, and assurance of informations systems and software, hardware, and operational procedures components, and related processes.

Callender, E. David↗
NASA NTRS1996

A Description of the Software Element of the NASA EME Flight Tests

In support of NASA's Fly-By-Light/Power-By-Wire (FBL/PBW) program, a series of flight tests were conducted by NASA Langley Research Center in February, 1995. The NASA Boeing 757 was flown past known RF transmitters to measure both external and internal radiated fields. The aircraft was instrumented with strategically located sensors for acquiring data on shielding effectiveness and internal coupling. The data are intended to support computational and statistical modeling codes used to predict internal field levels of an electromagnetic environment (EME) on aircraft. The software was an integral part of the flight tests, as well as the data reduction process. The software, which provided flight test instrument control, data acquisition, and a user interface, executes on a Hewlett Packard (HP) 300 series workstation and uses BP VEEtest development software and the C programming language. Software tools were developed for data processing and analysis, and to provide a database organized by frequency bands, test runs, and sensors. This paper describes the data acquisition system on board the aircraft and concentrates on the software portion. Hardware and software interfaces are illustrated and discussed. Particular attention is given to data acquisition and data format. The data reduction process is discussed in detail to provide insight into the characteristics, quality, and limitations of the data. An analysis of obstacles encountered during the data reduction process is presented.

Koppen, Sandra V.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Development of a Centrifugal Technique for the Microbial Bioburden Analysis of Freon (CFC-11)

NASA Procedural Requirement 8020.12C entitled "Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions" states that the source-specific encapsulated microbial density for encapsulated organisms (div(0)) in nonmetallic materials ranges from 1-30 spores/cubic cm. The standard laboratory procedure, NASA Standard Procedures for the Microbial Examination of Space Hardware, NHB 5340.1B, does not provide any direction into the methodologies to understand the bioburden within such a fluid as CFC-11 (Freon). This general specification value for the Freon would be applicable to the Freon charged within the Mars Science Laboratory fs (MSL fs) Heat Rejection System. Due to the large volume required to fill this system, MSL could not afford to conservatively allocate 55.8% of the total spore budget of the entire laboratory system (rover, descent stage, cruise stage, and aeroshell) of 5.00 X 10(exp 5) spores at launch. A novel filtration approach was developed to analyze the Freon employing a 50 kDa molecular weight cutoff (MCO) filter, followed by 0.22-micron pore-size filter to establish a calculated microbial bioburden.

Benardini, James N.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG)

The Life Sciences Glovebox (LSG) accommodates life science and technology investigations in a “workbench” type environment. It is used for biological studies, including rodent research and cell biology. The facility has an enclosed Work Volume (WV) that is held at a negative pressure with respect to the crew living area. This allows the facility to provide two levels of containment for handling Biohazard Level II and lower biological materials. The LSG facility is operated by the Payloads Operations Integration Center at MSFC. Payloads may also operate remotely from different telescience centers located in the United States and different countries. The Glovebox Integration Engineer (GIE) is the focal to assist organizations that have payloads operating in the LSG facility. NASA provides an LSG engineering unit for payload developers, fit checks, and to verify that the hardware is operating properly before beginning actual operations on the ISS.

biology↗
NASA NTRS1991

Precision Cleaning Verification of Nonvolatile Residues by Using Water, Ultrasonics, and Turbidity Analyses

Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC's) in the atmosphere are believed to present a major environmental problem because they are able to interact with and deplete the ozone layer. NASA has been mandated to replace chlorinated solvents in precision cleaning, cleanliness verification, and degreasing of aerospace fluid systems hardware and ground support equipment. KSC has a CFC phase-out plan which provides for the elimination of over 90 percent of the CFC and halon use by 1995. The Materials Science Laboratory and KSC is evaluating four analytical methods for the determination of nonvolatile residues removal by water: (1) infrared analyses using an attenuated total reflectance; (2) surface tension analyses, (3) total organic content analyses, and (4) turbidity analyses. This research project examined the ultrasonic-turbidity responses for 22 hydrocarbons in an effect to determine: (1) if ultrasonics in heated water (70 C) will clean hydrocarbons (oils, greases, gels, and fluids) from aerospace hardware; (2) if the cleaning process by ultrasonics will simultaneously emulsify the removed hydrocarbons in the water; and (3) if a turbidimeter can be used successfully as an analytical instrument for quantifying the removal of hydrocarbons. Sixteen of the 22 hydrocarbons tested showed that ultrasonics would remove it at least 90 percent of the contaminated hydrocarbon from the hardware in 10 minutes or less giving a good ultrasonic-turbidity response. Six hydrocarbons had a lower percentage removal, a slower removal rate, and a marginal ultrasonic-turbidity response.

Skinner, S. Ballou↗
NASA NTRS2012

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture Series Catalog

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other organizations have been performing U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (USSKC) since the beginning of space exploration through published reports, conference presentations, specialized seminars, and classes instructed by veterans in the field. The close physical interaction between spacesuit systems and human beings makes them among the most personally evocative pieces of space hardware. Consequently, spacesuit systems have required nearly constant engineering refinements to do their jobs without impinging on human activity. Since 2008, spacesuit knowledge capture has occurred through video recording, engaging both current and former specialists presenting technical scope specifically to educate individuals and preserve knowledge. These archives of spacesuit legacy reflect its rich history and will provide knowledge that will enhance the chances for the success of future and more ambitious spacesuit system programs. The scope and topics of USSKC have included lessons learned in spacesuit technology; experience from the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and Shuttle Programs; the process of hardware certification, design, development, and other program components; spacesuit evolution and experience; failure analysis and resolution; and aspects of program management. USSKC activities have progressed to a level where NASA, the National Air and Space Museum (NASM), Hamilton Sundstrand (HS) and the spacesuit community are now working together to provide a comprehensive way to organize and archive intra-agency information related to the development of spacesuit systems. These video recordings are currently being reviewed for public release using NASA export control processes. After a decision is made for either public or non-public release (internal NASA only), the videos and presentations will be available through the NASA Johnson Space Center Engineering Directorate (EA) Engineering Academy, the NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS), the NASA Aeronautics & Space Database (NA&SD), or NASA YouTube. Event availability is duly noted in this catalog.

Bitterly, Rose↗
NASA NTRS2004

Extraction of Organic Molecules from Terrestrial Material: Quantitative Yields from Heat and Water Extractions

In the robotic search for life on Mars, different proposed missions will analyze the chemical and biological signatures of life using different platforms. The analysis of samples via analytical instrumentation on the surface of Mars has thus far only been attempted by the two Viking missions. Robotic arms scooped relogith material into a pyrolysis oven attached to a GC/MS. No trace of organic material was found on any of the two different samples at either of the two different landing sites. This null result puts an upper limit on the amount of organics that might be present in Martian soil/rocks, although the level of detection for each individual molecular species is still debated. Determining the absolute limit of detection for each analytical instrument is essential so that null results can be understood. This includes investigating the trade off of using pyrolysis versus liquid solvent extraction to release organic materials (in terms of extraction efficiencies and the complexity of the sample extraction process.) Extraction of organics from field samples can be accomplished by a variety of methods such utilizing various solvents including HCl, pure water, supercritical fluid and Soxhelt extraction. Utilizing 6N HCl is one of the most commonly used method and frequently utilized for extraction of organics from meteorites but it is probably infeasible for robotic exploration due to difficulty of storage and transport. Extraction utilizing H2O is promising, but it could be less efficient than 6N HCl. Both supercritical fluid and Soxhelt extraction methods require bulky hardware and require complex steps, inappropriate for inclusion on rover spacecraft. This investigation reports the efficiencies of pyrolysis and solvent extraction methods for amino acids for different terrestrial samples. The samples studied here, initially created in aqueous environments, are sedimentary in nature. These particular samples were chosen because they possibly represent one of the best terrestrial analogs of Mars and they represent one of the absolute best case scenarios for finding organic molecules on the Martian surface.

Beegle, L. W.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Research-study of a self-organizing computer

It is shown that a self organizing system has two main components: an organizable physical part, and a programing part. This report presents the organizable part in the form of a programable hardware and its programing language.

Schaffner, M. R.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Modeling reality

Although powerful computers have allowed complex physical and manmade hardware systems to be modeled successfully, we have encountered persistent problems with the reliability of computer models for systems involving human learning, human action, and human organizations. This is not a misfortune; unlike physical and manmade systems, human systems do not operate under a fixed set of laws. The rules governing the actions allowable in the system can be changed without warning at any moment, and can evolve over time. That the governing laws are inherently unpredictable raises serious questions about the reliability of models when applied to human situations. In these domains, computers are better used, not for prediction and planning, but for aiding humans. Examples are systems that help humans speculate about possible futures, offer advice about possible actions in a domain, systems that gather information from the networks, and systems that track and support work flows in organizations.

Denning, Peter J.↗