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At least 289 records · Page 16

Scheduling the Mapping of a planet under geometrical constraints

Scheduling the coverage of a planet by scientific instruments on board spacecrafts under observational constraints is central in a significant number of current and future missions for the exploration of the solar system. In this paper, we describe the components and algorithms of a software used to study early-phase mission design or to schedule daily operations of currently in-flight spacecraft. The scheduling problem at hand is usually a large combinatorial problem. A discretization process is described and several ordering algorithms are designed and compared. Experiments show that high-quality schedules can be produced by approaches combining reasoning about rolling, coverage and priorities.

Wells, Christopher↗

Crew Factors in Flight Operations: A Survey of Fatigue Factors in Corporate/Executive A Viation Operations - 8

Corporate flight crews face unique challenges including unscheduled flights, quickly changing schedules, extended duty days, long waits, time zone changes, and peripheral tasks. Most corporate operations are regulated by Part 91 FARs which set no flight or duty time limits. The objective of this study was to identify operationally significant factors that may influence fatigue, alertness, and performance in corporate operations. In collaboration with the National Business Aircraft Association and the Flight Safety Foundation, NASA developed and distributed a retrospective survey comprising 107 questions addressing demographics, home sleep habits, flight experience, duty schedules, fatigue during operations, and work environment. Corporate crewmembers returned 1,488 surveys. Respondents averaged 45.2 years of age, had 14.9 years of corporate flying experience, and 9,750 total flight hours. The majority (89%) rated themselves as 'good' or 'very good' sleepers at home. Most (82%) indicated they are subject to call for duty and described an average duty day of 9.9 h. About two-thirds reported having a daily duty time limit and over half (57%) reported a daily flight time limit. Nearly three-quarters (71%) acknowledged having 'nodded off' during a flight. Only 21% reported that their flight departments offer training on fatigue issues. Almost three-quarters (74%) described fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' concern, and a majority (61%) characterized it as a common occurrence. Most (85%) identified fatigue as a 'moderate' or 'serious' safety issue.

Rosekind, Mark R.↗

Lessons Learned from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s Product Development Lead Training Schedule and Cost Development Workshop: Continuous Improvement

This presentation provides a status of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) effort to increase foundational knowledge of Product Development Leads (PDLs) in schedule and cost management including earned value management (EVM). In 2012, GSFC’s Engineering and Technology Directorate (ETD) implemented an in-house training program to prepare PDLs for managing the technical, cost, schedule, and risk aspects of spaceflight systems to meet their subsystem commitments. Developed in-house, the PDL training program provides an integrated approach to requirements development, risk, schedule and cost management, EVM, performance tracking, and other areas. The program has been held twice yearly since its inception with 531 participating and 451 completing the curriculum. In 2017, the program won the Robert H. Goddard award for Quality and Process Improvement. Program development and evolution were presented in the 2018 NASA Schedule and Cost Symposium. The presentation was so well received that this year we focus on one workshop within the program: Schedule and Cost Development, including EVM. We examine the on-going logic modeling process and how participant and stakeholder data influence workshop content and design, and how the disciplines of schedule and cost contribute to mission success. In this presentation we refresh you on how the approach integrates lecture, small group discussion, estimating, case study exercises, and problem solving. We update you on the data collected from participants and stakeholders, and we discuss how we use these data to measure training effectiveness. Specific topics include: • How the logic model is used as the backbone for continuous program improvement, • How feedback influences implementation and curriculum updates, • How data collection and analysis inform workshop content and development, including participant discoveries of EVM data, • How including the resource analyst and planner in the product development team supports project success.

Lessons Learned↗

Towards a Measure of Situation Awareness for Space Mission Schedulers

The success of space flight missions relies on support provided to astronauts through specialist knowledge of ground-based personnel. One of the many essential tasks that ground personnel provide is the scheduling of flight crew daily activities. Future long duration exploration missions will require astronauts to assume planning and scheduling responsibilities in order to facilitate increased autonomy from ground support. Although situation awareness is critical to the scheduling task, a sufficient measure for this domain has not been developed. This paper documents the approach and process by which the authors developed a framework for measuring situation awareness in space mission schedulers and presents the measure applications’ initial results.

human factors in spaceflight↗

Towards a Measure of Situation Awareness for Space Mission Schedulers

The success of space flight missions relies on support provided to astronauts through specialist knowledge of ground-based personnel. One of the many essential tasks that ground personnel provide is the scheduling of flight crew daily activities. Future long duration exploration missions will require astronauts to assume planning and scheduling responsibilities in order to facilitate increased autonomy from ground support. Although situation awareness is critical to the scheduling task, a sufficient measure for this domain has not been developed. This paper documents the approach and process by which the authors developed a framework for measuring situation awareness in space mission schedulers and presents the measure applications’ initial results.

human factors in spaceflight↗

Is the Last Inflight Rest Break Really the Best?

As pilots experienced in augmented long-haul flights know, current FAA regulations limit options for scheduling in-flight rest periods, such that on many long-haul operations the landing pilot needs to use the final bunk period, closest to top of descent (TOD). However, the logistics of a particular flight (e.g., timing of the flight, timing of passenger service) and the pilot’s own physiology may mean that the last rest break isn’t always the best. To study this, we conducted a large survey of pilots flying these operations. Pilots completed the survey after eligible flights and provided us with information on which rest break they used, how much sleep they received, factors that disrupted sleep and ratings on the quality of their sleep, and they also provided fatigue and alertness ratings at top-of-descent. Pilots from another US-based carrier were also surveyed, in collaboration with our research partners at Washington State University, to increase the sample size and gather insights between operations.

in-flight rest↗

X-37 Project Overview: Successfully Achieve Orbit and Return to Earth Safely

A viewgraph presentation outlines the Boeing X-37 Project. The following are discussed: the program objectives, funding, program products, vehicle characteristics. An overview of the flight test program is described, including mission operations, tests of the flight envelope, and a schedule for the construction and flight of the X-37. The technologies and experiments being demonstrated on the X-37 are listed, as well as the aerospace areas being explored by the X-37 project.

Turner, Susan↗

Maximum Oxygen Uptake During Long-Duration Space Flight: Preliminary Results

INTRODUCTION: Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) is maintained during space flight lasting <15 d, but has not been measured during long-duration missions. This abstract describes pre-flight and in-flight preliminary findings from the International Space Station (ISS) VO2max experiment. METHODS: Seven astronauts (4 M, 3 F: 47 +/- 5 yr, 174 +/- 7 cm, 74.1 +/- 14.7 kg [mean +/- SD]) performed cycle exercise tests to volitional maximum approx.45 d before flight and tests were scheduled every 30 d during flight beginning on flight day (FD) 14. Tests consisted of three 5-min stages designed to elicit 25%, 50%, and 75% of preflight VO2max, followed by 25 W/min increases. VO2 and heart rate (HR) were measured using the ISS Portable Pulmonary Function System (PPFS) (Damec, Odense, DK). Unfortunately the PPFS did not arrive at the ISS in time to support early test sessions for 3 crewmembers. Descriptive statistics are presented for pre-flight vs. late-flight (FD 147 +/- 33 d) comparisons for all subjects (n=7); and pre-flight, early (FD 18 +/- 3) and late-flight (FD 156 +/- 5) data are presented for subjects (n=4) who completed all of these test sessions. RESULTS: When all subjects are considered, average VO2max decreased from pre- to late in-flight (2.98 +/- 0.85 vs. 2.57 +/- 0.50 L/min) while maximum HR late-flight seemed unchanged (178 +/- 9 vs. 175 +/- 8 beats/min). Similarly, for subjects who completed pre-, early, and late flight measurements (n=4), mean VO2max declined from 3.19 +/- 0.75 L/min preflight to 2.43 +/- 0.43 and 2.62 +/- 0.38 L/min early and late-flight, respectively. Maximum HR was 183 +/- 8, 174 +/- 8, and 179 +/- 6 beats/min pre-, early- and late-flight. DISCUSSION: Average VO2max declined during flight and did not appreciably recover as flight duration increased; however much inter-subject variation occurred in these changes.

Moore, A. D., Jr.↗

Future Air Traffic Growth and Schedule Model User's Guide

The Future Air Traffic Growth and Schedule Model was developed as an implementation of the Fratar algorithm to project future traffic flow between airports in a system and of then scheduling the additional flights to reflect current passenger time-of-travel preferences. The methodology produces an unconstrained future schedule from a current (or baseline) schedule and the airport operations growth rates. As an example of the use of the model, future schedules are projected for 2010 and 2022 for all flights arriving at, departing from, or flying between all continental United States airports that had commercial scheduled service for May 17, 2002. Inter-continental US traffic and airports are included and the traffic is also grown with the Fratar methodology to account for their arrivals and departures to the continental US airports. Input data sets derived from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) data and FAA Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) are included in the examples of the computer code execution.

Kimmel, William M.↗

Future Air Traffic Growth and Schedule Model, Supplement

The Future Air Traffic Growth and Schedule Model was developed as an implementation of the Fratar algorithm to project future traffic flow between airports in a system and of then scheduling the additional flights to reflect current passenger time-of-travel preferences. The methodology produces an unconstrained future schedule from a current (or baseline) schedule and the airport operations growth rates. As an example of the use of the model, future schedules are projected for 2010 and 2022 for all flights arriving at, departing from, or flying between all continental United States airports that had commercial scheduled service for May 17, 2002. Inter-continental US traffic and airports are included and the traffic is also grown with the Fratar methodology to account for their arrivals and departures to the continental US airports. Input data sets derived from the Official Airline Guide (OAG) data and FAA Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) are included in the examples of the computer code execution.

Kimmel, William M.↗

Autonomous Precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project Status as of May 2010

This paper includes the current status of NASA s Autonomous precision Landing and Hazard Avoidance Technology (ALHAT) Project. The ALHAT team has completed several flight tests and two major design analysis cycles. These tests and analyses examine terrain relative navigation sensors, hazard detection and avoidance sensors and algorithms, and hazard relative navigation algorithms, and the guidance and navigation system using these ALHAT functions. The next flight test is scheduled for July 2010. The paper contains results from completed flight tests and analysis cycles. ALHAT system status, upcoming tests and analyses is also addressed. The current ALHAT plans as of May 2010 are discussed. Application of the ALHAT system to landing on bodies other than the Moon is included

Striepe, Scott A.↗

Initial Investigations of Controller Tools and Procedures for Schedule-Based Arrival Operations with Mixed Flight-Deck Interval Management Equipage

NASA's Air Traffic Management Demonstration-1 (ATD-1) is a multi-year effort to demonstrate high-throughput, fuel-efficient arrivals at a major U.S. airport using NASA-developed scheduling automation, controller decision-support tools, and ADS-B-enabled Flight-Deck Interval Management (FIM) avionics. First-year accomplishments include the development of a concept of operations for managing scheduled arrivals flying Optimized Profile Descents with equipped aircraft conducting FIM operations, and the integration of laboratory prototypes of the core ATD-1 technologies. Following each integration phase, a human-in-the-loop simulation was conducted to evaluate and refine controller tools, procedures, and clearance phraseology. From a ground-side perspective, the results indicate the concept is viable and the operations are safe and acceptable. Additional training is required for smooth operations that yield notable benefits, particularly in the areas of FIM operations and clearance phraseology.

Callantine, Todd J.↗

The NASA Flight Demonstration Program

The Flight Demonstration Program was initiated by the Office of Space Flight in October 1983. The purposes of this program are to conduct an ongoing series of flight demonstrations which demonstrate critical enabling technology to potential Shuttle users and at the same time provide hands on experience to NASA engineers. Flight demonstrations are selected through a peer review process in response to an annual solicitation issued by the Flight Demonstration Office at NASA Headquarters. As of July 1985 one major flight demonstration has been successfully conducted, two flight demonstrations are scheduled to fly in November on STS 61-B, and five flight demonstrations are in various stages of development and planned to be flown during the next three years.

Levin, G. M.↗

X-38 Experimental Controls Laws

X-38 Experimental Control Laws X-38 is a NASA JSC/DFRC experimental flight test program developing a series of prototypes for an International Space Station (ISS) Crew Return Vehicle, often called an ISS "lifeboat." X- 38 Vehicle 132 Free Flight 3, currently scheduled for the end of this month, will be the first flight test of a modem FCS architecture called Multi-Application Control-Honeywell (MACH), originally developed by the Honeywell Technology Center. MACH wraps classical P&I outer attitude loops around a modem dynamic inversion attitude rate loop. The dynamic inversion process requires that the flight computer have an onboard aircraft model of expected vehicle dynamics based upon the aerodynamic database. Dynamic inversion is computationally intensive, so some timing modifications were made to implement MACH on the slower flight computers of the subsonic test vehicles. In addition to linear stability margin analyses and high fidelity 6-DOF simulation, hardware-in-the-loop testing is used to verify the implementation of MACH and its robustness to aerodynamic and environmental uncertainties and disturbances.

Munday, Steve↗

Cockpit napping

The results of a NASA-sponsored study examining the effectiveness of a brief, preplanned cockpit rest period to improve pilot alertness and performance in nonaugmented long-haul flight operations are discussed. Four regularly scheduled trans-Pacific flight legs were studied. The shortest flight legs were about 7 h and the longest about 9.5 h, with duty periods averaging about 11 h and layovers about 25 h. Three-person B747 crews were divided randomly into two volunteer pilot groups. These crews were nonaugmented, and therefore no relief pilots were available. The rest group, consisting of four crews, was allowed a 40 min opportunity to rest during the overwater cruise portion of the flight. On a preplanned, rotating basis, individual crew members were allowed to nap. It is concluded that a preplanned cockpit nap is associated with significantly better behavioral performance and higher levels of physiological alertness and that this can be accomplished without disrupting normal flight operations or compromising safety.

Graeber, R. Curtis↗

Differences in Characteristics of Aviation Accidents during 1993-2012 Based on Flight Purpose

Usually aviation accidents are categorized and analyzed within flight conduct rules (Part 121, Part 135, Part 91) because differences in accident rates within flight rules have been demonstrated. Even within a particular flight rule the flights have different purposes. For many, Part 121 flights are synonymous with scheduled passenger transport, and indeed this is the largest group of Part 121 accidents. But there are also non-scheduled (charter) passenger transport and cargo flights. The primary purpose of the analysis reported here is to examine the differences in aviation accidents based on the purpose of the flight. Some of the factors examined are the accident severity, aircraft characteristics and accident occurrence categories. Twenty consecutive years of data were available and utilized to complete this analysis.

Evans, Joni K.↗