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At least 271 records · Page 15

Cyber Resiliency and the Implementation of a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System in an Urban Air Mobility Environment

With the growth in urban air mobility systems and the increasing reliance on interconnected technologies, ensuring the security of these complex infrastructures has become critical. As cities evolve into smart urban centers, the vulnerability to cyber threats escalates, possibly endangering citizens’ safety and the efficiency of transportation networks. In response to these challenges, this paper presents a study on implementing a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) tailored explicitly to urban mobility environments’ unique demands. This study explores the design, development, and deployment of the proposed HIDS, focusing on its adaptability to monitor the hybrid nature of the urban mobility environment. Leveraging machine learning algorithms and anomaly detection techniques, the HIDS is equipped to continuously monitor and analyze the behavior of individual host systems, vehicles, and devices, thereby providing a proactive approach to threat detection. Implementing a HIDS is a pivotal strategy for enhancing cyber resiliency, as it gives an organization granular visibility into internal system activities, enables rapid detection and response to anomalous behavior and cyber threats, and fortifies the organization’s overall cybersecurity posture. In conclusion, this paper highlights the significance of host-based intrusion detection in urban mobility environments and underscores the necessity of tailored security solutions to safeguard against emerging cyber threats.

UAM↗

Cyber Resiliency and the Implementation of a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System in an Urban Air Mobility Environment

With the growth in Urban Air Mobility systems and the increasing reliance on interconnected technologies, ensuring the security of these complex components has become critical. As cities evolve into smart urban centers, the vulnerability to cyber threats escalates, possibly endangering citizens safety and the efficiency of transportation networks.In response to these challenges, this paper presents a study on the need for cyber resilient techniques within future air traffic environments. It will pay specific attention to the implementation of a Host-Based Intrusion Detection System (HIDS) utilizing Atomic OSSEC software, tailored specifically to a NASA simulation of an UrbanAirMobility environments’ unique demands. Further, this study seeks to outline the rational for NASA’s recommendation for a HIDS in such environments. It explores the design, development, and deployment of the proposed HIDS, focusing on its adaptability to monitor the hybrid nature of the Urban Air Mobility environment. Leveraging machine learning algorithms and anomaly detection techniques, the HIDS is equipped to continuously monitor and analyze the behavior of individual host systems, vehicles, and devices, thereby providing a proactive approach to threat detection. Implementing a HIDS is a pivotal strategy for enhancing cyber resiliency, as it gives an organization granular visibility into internal system activities, enables rapid detection and response to anomalous behavior and cyber threats, and fortifies the organizations overall cybersecurity posture. Finally, this study aims to provide recommendations and include learned takeaways that the Urban Air Mobility industry should consider. In brief, this paper highlights the significance of host-based intrusion detection in UrbanAirMobility environments and underscores the necessity of tailored security solutions to safeguard against emerging cyber threats.

UAM↗

SMAP RFI Change Detection

The Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission, launched on January 31, 2015, has completed its primary 3-year mission and is currently in its extended mission. Although operation occurs within the protected frequency allocation of 1400-1427 MHz, the SMAP radiometer is impacted by radio frequency interference (RFI). The radiometer was designed to provide detection and filtering of RFI in order to meet error budget requirements. A time series algorithm was developed to monitor, detect and report the changing environment with the objective of detecting new RFI sources as well as existing persistent sources. The detection of sources are used in RFI reporting to NASA spectrum management with the hope that interfering sources will be turned off by the necessary administrations.

Priscilla N Mohammed↗

Charged particle activation studies on the surface of LDEF spacecraft

High energy proton induced nuclear reaction products are examined using seven elements, namely, Aluminum, Silicon, Nickel, Copper, Zirconium, Tantalum, and Tungsten. The samples were in the form of plates, 2 x 2 x 1/8 inches. Activities due to Na-22 from Al, Co-56 and Co-57 from Ni, Co-58 from Cu, and Y-88 from Zr targets were detected. No induced activity was observed in Si, Ta, and W, most probably due to the long cooling times. Only the Zr sample contained a weak Be-7 peak, although Ta and W were also located at the leading edge of the spacecraft. Gamma-rays of individual isotopes were measured using high-resolution Ge(Li) solid state detector coupled to 4096-multichannel analyzer. Activities were calculated for Co-56 (846 keV) and Co-57 (122 and 136 keV's) at the time of the entry of the spacecraft and found to be 0.014 plus or minus 0.005 c/sec. g, 0.018 plus or minus 0.002 c/sec. g, and 0.0024 plus or minus 0.0007 c/sec. g, respectively.

Olmez, Ilhan↗

Selection effects against small comets

Everhart's (1967) formulation is used to determine the correlation between the probability of discovering a comet and the size of its nuclear radius. The analysis is concentrated on comets that are not more than two or three hundred meters in diameter; hence, heliocentric variations in cometary brightness can be neglected. The effect of cometary physical decay is also considered, and a strong observational bias against the detection of small active comets is found. The following three factors are involved: (1) small comets must pass closer to the earth than large comets in order to be detected, (2) the resulting higher angular velocity for nearby comets leads to a decrease in the time available to discover a small comet, and (3) small comets physically decay and vanish faster than do large comets.

Zook, H. A.↗

Grazing-Activated Production of Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) by two clones of Emiliania huxleyi

Emiliania huxleyi clones CCMP 370 and CCMP 373 produced similar amounts of dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) during axenic exponential growth, averaging 109 mM internal DMSP. Both clones had detectable DMSP lyase activity, as measured by production of dimethyl sulfide (DMS) during in vitro assays of crude cell preparations, but activities and conditions differed considerably between clones. Clone 373 had high activity; clone 370 had low activity and required chloride. For both strains, enzyme activity per cell was constant during exponential growth, but little DMS was produced by healthy cells. Rather, DMS production was activated when cells were subjected to physical or chemical stresses that caused cell lysis. We propose that DMSP lyase and DMSP are segregated within these cells and re-action only under conditions that result in cell stress or damage. Such activation occurs during microzooplankton grazing. When these clones were grazed by the dinoflagellate Oxyrrhis marina, DMS was produced; ungrazed cells, as well as those exposed to grazer exudates and associated bacteria, generated no DMS. Grazing of clone 373 produced much more DMS than grazing of clone 370, consistent with their relative in vitro DMSP lyase activities. DMS was only generated when cells were actually being grazed, indicating that ingested cells were responsible for the DMS formation. We suggest that even low levels of grazing can greatly accelerate DMS production.

Wolfe, Gordon V.↗

Ultra-sensitive radon assay using an electrostatic chamber in a recirculating system

Rare event searches such as neutrinoless double beta decay and Weakly Interacting Massive Particle detection require ultra-low background detectors. Radon contamination is a significant challenge for these experiments, which employ highly sensitive radon assay techniques to identify and select low-emission materials. This work presents the development of ultra-sensitive electrostatic chamber (ESC) instruments designed to measure radon emanation in a recirculating gas loop, for future lower background experiments. Unlike traditional methods that separate emanation and detection steps, this system allows continuous radon transport and detection. This is made possible with a custom-built recirculation pump. A Python-based analysis framework, PyDAn, was developed to process and fit time-dependent radon decay data. Radon emanation rates are given for various materials measured with this instrument. A radon source of known activity provides an absolute calibration, enabling statistically-limited minimal detectable activities of 20 µBq. These devices are powerful tools for screening materials in the development of low-background particle physics experiments.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Ultra-sensitive radon assay using an electrostatic chamber in a recirculating system

Rare event searches such as neutrinoless double beta decay and Weakly Interacting Massive Particle detection require ultra-low background detectors. Radon contamination is a significant challenge for these experiments, which employ highly sensitive radon assay techniques to identify and select low-emission materials. This work presents the development of ultra-sensitive electrostatic chamber (ESC) instruments designed to measure radon emanation in a recirculating gas loop, for future lower background experiments. Unlike traditional methods that separate emanation and detection steps, this system allows continuous radon transport and detection. This is made possible with a custom-built recirculation pump. A Python-based analysis framework, PyDAn, was developed to process and fit time-dependent radon decay data. Radon emanation rates are given for various materials measured with this instrument. A radon source of known activity provides an absolute calibration, enabling statistically-limited minimal detectable activities of 20 uBq. These devices are powerful tools for screening materials in the development of low-background particle physics experiments.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗

Microfluidics microFACS for Life Detection

A prototype micro-scale Fluorescent Activated Cell Sorter (microFACS) for life detection has been built and is undergoing testing. A functional miniature microfluidics instrument with the ability to remotely distinguish live or dead bacterial cells from abiotic particulates in ice or permafrost of icy bodies of the solar system would be of fundamental value to NASA. The use of molecular probes to obtain the bio-signature of living or dead cells could answer the most fundamental question of Astrobiology: Does life exist beyond Earth? The live-dead fluorescent stains to be used in the microFACS instrument function only with biological cell walls. The detection of the cell membranes of living or dead bacteria (unlike PAH's and many other Biomarkers) would provide convincing evidence of present or past life. This miniature device rapidly examine large numbers of particulates from a polar ice or permafrost sample and distinguish living from dead bacteria cells and biological cells from mineral grains and abiotic particulates and sort the cells and particulates based on a staining system. Any sample found to exhibit fluorescence consistent with living cells could then be used in conjunction with a chiral labeled release experiment or video microscopy system to seek addition evidence for cellular metabolism or motility. Results of preliminary testing and calibration of the microFACS prototype instrument system with pure cultures and enrichment assemblages of microbial extremophiles will be reported.

Platt, Donald W.↗

Phosphate cycling on the basic protein of Plodia interpunctella granulosis virus

The presence of infected cell-specific phosphoproteins was investigated in Plodia interpunctella granulosis virus (PiGV)-infected fat body using [32P]orthophosphoric acid labeling. One infected cell-specific phosphoprotein had a mobility similar to that of the basic protein (VP12) of PiGV. Further analysis, using immunoblotting and acid-urea gel analysis of infected fat body, confirmed that this phosphoprotein was VP12. However we did not detect phosphorylated VP12 in 32P-labeled nucleocapsids. Phosphoamino acid analysis of 32P-labeled VP12 revealed that phosphoserine was present in the basic protein. Since VP12 is phosphorylated in the infected cell, but not in the nucleocapsid, it appears that dephosphorylation of VP12 is a critical event in the life cycle of the virus. We therefore assayed virus nucleocapsids and infected fat body for the presence of phosphatase activity. Phosphatase activity was not detected in the virus, but the infected fat body had more activity than uninfected fat body. A model for nucleocapsid assembly and uncoating is presented which takes into account the phosphorylation state of VP12, the role of Zn2+ in the nucleocapsid, and the role of the capsid-associated kinase.

NASA Discipline Cell Biology↗

Aircraft Fault Detection and Classification Using Multi-Level Immune Learning Detection

This work is an extension of a recently developed software tool called MILD (Multi-level Immune Learning Detection), which implements a negative selection algorithm for anomaly and fault detection that is inspired by the human immune system. The immunity-based approach can detect a broad spectrum of known and unforeseen faults. We extend MILD by applying a neural network classifier to identify the pattern of fault detectors that are activated during fault detection. Consequently, MILD now performs fault detection and identification of the system under investigation. This paper describes the application of MILD to detect and classify faults of a generic transport aircraft augmented with an intelligent flight controller. The intelligent control architecture is designed to accommodate faults without the need to explicitly identify them. Adding knowledge about the existence and type of a fault will improve the handling qualities of a degraded aircraft and impact tactical and strategic maneuvering decisions. In addition, providing fault information to the pilot is important for maintaining situational awareness so that he can avoid performing an action that might lead to unexpected behavior - e.g., an action that exceeds the remaining control authority of the damaged aircraft. We discuss the detection and classification results of simulated failures of the aircraft's control system and show that MILD is effective at determining the problem with low false alarm and misclassification rates.

Wong, Derek↗

Emerging flux in active regions

The rates at which flux emerges in active and quiet solar regions within the sunspot belts are compared. The emerging flux regions (EFRs) were identified by the appearance of arch filament structures in H-alpha. All EFRs in high resolution films of active regions made at Big Bear in 1978 were counted. The comparable rate of flux emergence in quiet regions was obtained from SGD data and independently from EFRs detected outside the active region perimeter on the same films. The rate of flux emergence is 10 times higher in active regions than in quiet regions. A sample of all active regions in 31 days of 1983 gave a ratio of 7.5. Possible mechanisms which might funnel new magnetic flux to regions of strong magnetic field are discussed.

Liggett, M.↗

Thermally Activated Driver

Space-qualified, precise, large-force, thermally activated driver (TAD) developed for use in space on astro-physics experiment to measure abundance of rare actinide-group elements in cosmic rays. Actinide cosmic rays detected using thermally activated driver as heart of event-thermometer (ET) system. Thermal expansion and contraction of silicone oil activates driver. Potential applications in fluid-control systems where precise valve controls are needed.

Kinard, William H.↗

Lightning Activity within a Tornadic Thunderstorm Observed by the Optical Transient Detector (OTD)

The first storm-scale, total lightning observations during tornadogenesis from space are presented. The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) OTD (Optical Transient Detector) overpass of an Oklahoma supercell, just minutes prior to tornado touchdown on 17 April 1995, detected a lightning flash rate of 45 flashes/ min. The total lighting activity was at least 15 times greater than the cloud-to-ground lightning activity detected by the National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN), indicating most of the lightning was intracloud. Total lightning rates were decreasing rapidly prior to tornadic touchdown. These observations are consistent with the limited results from recent ground based measurements of total lightning activity in tornadic storms, suggesting significant intracloud lightning and rapidly decreasing flash rates prior to tornado touchdown.

Buechler, D. E.↗

Laser action in far-infrared astrophysical sources

Employing new atomic data and a 15 level collisional-radiative model, it is shown that population inversion, and consequent laser action, can be achieved in far-infrared (FIR) lines (C II) 157 micrometer, (N III) 58 micrometer, (O IV) 26 micrometer, (Ne VI) 7.6 micrometer, and (Mg VIII) 3 micrometer. Coupling of the lasting transition 2s(sup 2)2p((sup 2)P(sup o sub 3/2)-(sup 2)P(sup o sub 1/2)) to higher energy levels of the 2s2p(sup 2) configuration in boron-like ions provides the dominant pumping flux. Lasing column lengths are found to be l approximately equal 10(exp -4)-1.0 pcs, at T(sub e) approximately equal 10(exp 4)-10(exp 6) K, N(sub e) approximately equal 10(exp 4)-10(exp 10)/cu cm, conditions and sizes prevalent in broad-line regions of active-galactic nuclei and novae. Detectable emission fluxes are estimated. Lasing activity in the source could significantly affect abundance determinations. The FIR line emission should be readily observable with the upcoming Infrared Space Observatory.

Peng, Jianfang↗

Dust Production of Comet 21P/Giacobini Zinner Using Broadband Photometry

Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner is a Jupiter family comet that was discovered in December of 1900 by the French astronomer Michel Giacobini, and rediscovered two orbits later by German astronomer Ernst Zinner in 1913. 21P is approximately 2 km in diameter, and is the parent of the Draconids, a meteor shower known to undergo dramatic outbursts. In 1933 and 1946, up to 10,000 meteors per hour were reported for the Draconids; and 2011 saw a minor Draconid outburst. As meteor stream modeling/ forecasting is a primary focus for the NASA Meteoroid Environment Office, it was decided to monitor 21P for three purposes: firstly to find the apparent and absolute magnitude with respect to heliocentric distance; second to calculate Af(rho), a quantity that describes the dust production rate and is used in models to predict the activity of the Draconids; thirdly to detect possible increases in cometary activity, which could correspond to future Draconid meteor outbursts. Giacobini-Zinner is unique in several ways. It was the first comet to have measurements made in situ. Comet 21P was visited by ICE (International Cometary Explorer) in 1985 to study the interaction of the cometary atmosphere with the flowing solar-wind plasma. It is a carbon-depleted comet, and most studies show that it peaks in gas and dust production pre-perihelion, specifically in two very studied passages; 1985 and 1998. A prior study was conducted by Pittichova et al (2008) for 21P during its 2004-2006 close approach to the Sun. Apparent and absolute magnitudes were measured at various heliocentric distances as well as the dust production. At 2.32 AU from the Sun, 21P exhibited an apparent magnitude of 17.05 and Af of 83 cm, and an apparent magnitude of 15.91/Af(rho) of 130.66 cm at 1.76 AU. Another such study performed by Lara et al.on 21P s 1998 apparition found values of Af(rho) of 1010 cm when 1.05 AU from the Sun, two weeks before perihelion, and 669 cm at perihelion, when 1.03 AU from the Sun

Blaauw, Rhiannon↗

A Self Contained Method for Safe and Precise Lunar Landing

The return of humans to the Moon will require increased capability beyond that of the previous Apollo missions. Longer stay times and a greater flexibility with regards to landing locations are among the many improvements planned. A descent and landing system that can land the vehicle more accurately than Apollo with a greater ability to detect and avoid hazards is essential to the development of a Lunar Outpost, and also for increasing the number of potentially reachable Lunar Sortie locations. This descent and landing system should allow landings in more challenging terrain and provide more flexibility with regards to mission timing and lighting considerations, while maintaining safety as the top priority. The lunar landing system under development by the ALHAT (Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard detection Avoidance Technology) project is addressing this by providing terrain-relative navigation measurements to enhance global-scale precision, an onboard hazard-detection system to select safe landing locations, and an Autonomous GNC (Guidance, Navigation, and Control) capability to process these measurements and safely direct the vehicle to this landing location. This ALHAT landing system will enable safe and precise lunar landings without requiring lunar infrastructure in the form of navigation aids or a priori identified hazard-free landing locations. The safe landing capability provided by ALHAT uses onboard active sensing to detect hazards that are large enough to be a danger to the vehicle but too small to be detected from orbit, given currently planned orbital terrain resolution limits. Algorithms to interpret raw active sensor terrain data and generate hazard maps as well as identify safe sites and recalculate new trajectories to those sites are included as part of the ALHAT System. These improvements to descent and landing will help contribute to repeated safe and precise landings for a wide variety of terrain on the Moon.

Paschall, Stephen C., II↗

Analysis of active volcanoes from the Earth Observing System

The Earth Observing System (EOS) scheduled for launch in 1997 and 1999 is briefly described, and the EOS volcanology investigation objectives are discussed. The volcanology investigation will include long- and short-term monitoring of selected volcanoes, the detection of precursor activity associated with unanticipated eruptions, and a detailed study of on-going eruptions. A variety of instruments on the EOS platforms will enable the study of local- and regional-scale thermal and deformational features of volcanoes, and the chemical and structural features of volcanic eruption plumes and aerosols.

Mouginis-Mark, Peter↗