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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Use NASA Earthdata in the Cloud

With the impending arrival of new, high-data-volume Earth observation missions, NASA’s ability to effectively ingest, process, and archive large amounts of data requires the most cost-effective, flexible, and scalable data-management architectures and technologies. To meet these demands, NASA's Earth Science Data Systems (ESDS) Program is implementing a strategic vision to develop and operate multiple components of NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) in a commercial cloud environment. As more earth observing data is moved into the cloud, NASA EOSDIS wants to share our reasoning for moving data into the commercial cloud, as well as demonstrate how end-users can take advantage of both data in the cloud and cloud-deployed services. This presentation explains the enterprise reasons for moving data into the cloud, specifically the scalability of cloud systems, the flexibility to pivot to the most optimal language/system/architecture, and the reduced redundancy of a common architecture. Then we primarily focus on the user-driven reasons for moving to the cloud. Equal access to high performance computing helps all parties, especially users that don't have access to their own on-premise computing infrastructure. Rapid deployment allows users to spin up their own systems without needing the extensive platform previously required for large scale development. Cost effectiveness allows users a wide breadth of computing options, from super computer ability to small scale development, which can help underserved communities. Finally we link to internal resources that users can utilize to begin their cloud based development journey without having to be an expert in the field.

Nicholas Doty↗
DOE OSTI2026

Decentralised Reinforcement Learning for Dynamic Cyberattack Response in Microgrid Networks

Microgrids rely on communication networks for reliable operation, which makes them inherently vulnerable to cyberattacks. Such attacks can destabilise system dynamics and drive states away from their nominal operating trajectories. Although several physics-informed and machine learning-based strategies have been developed to counter these threats, the rapidly evolving cyber landscape enables adversaries to bypass static defences or rules-based mitigation approaches. This paper proposes a dynamic, online-trained and fully decentralised reinforcement learning (RL)-based cyberattack response framework to protect microgrids from evolving cyberattacks. The proposed framework deploys multiple deep Q-networks (DQNs), each associated with a distributed energy resource (DER), to enable localised and adaptive attack mitigation. In this framework, each DQN processes local voltage and frequency measurements—combined with intrusion detection system (IDS) alerts—as observations and rewards to guide decision-making. Extensive simulation studies demonstrate the robustness of the proposed framework under diverse attack scenarios and varying IDS-induced detection delays. Comparative analysis highlights its superiority over existing static or preexisting rules-based mitigation approaches. Finally, we present an analysis that shows the framework's scalability to real-life microgrids with more interacting agents.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗
DOE OSTI2026

The ARM Precipitation Best Estimate (PrecipBE) Value-Added Product Report

The U.S. Department of Energy Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) User Facility’s Precipitation Best-Estimate (PrecipBE) Value-Added Product integrates multiple precipitation datastreams, accounting for data quality and instrument limitations, to deliver comprehensive per-precipitation event properties alongside ancillary ARM data set data. PrecipBE bundles all valid surface rainfall samples into artificial intelligence (AI)-ready tabular and time-series formats, reporting bundle means and uncertainty ranges. This per-event structure provides an insightful and easy-to-use resource for researchers analyzing precipitation characteristics.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRS2012

Virtual Machine Language 2.1

VML (Virtual Machine Language) is an advanced computing environment that allows spacecraft to operate using mechanisms ranging from simple, time-oriented sequencing to advanced, multicomponent reactive systems. VML has developed in four evolutionary stages. VML 0 is a core execution capability providing multi-threaded command execution, integer data types, and rudimentary branching. VML 1 added named parameterized procedures, extensive polymorphism, data typing, branching, looping issuance of commands using run-time parameters, and named global variables. VML 2 added for loops, data verification, telemetry reaction, and an open flight adaptation architecture. VML 2.1 contains major advances in control flow capabilities for executable state machines. On the resource requirements front, VML 2.1 features a reduced memory footprint in order to fit more capability into modestly sized flight processors, and endian-neutral data access for compatibility with Intel little-endian processors. Sequence packaging has been improved with object-oriented programming constructs and the use of implicit (rather than explicit) time tags on statements. Sequence event detection has been significantly enhanced with multi-variable waiting, which allows a sequence to detect and react to conditions defined by complex expressions with multiple global variables. This multi-variable waiting serves as the basis for implementing parallel rule checking, which in turn, makes possible executable state machines. The new state machine feature in VML 2.1 allows the creation of sophisticated autonomous reactive systems without the need to develop expensive flight software. Users specify named states and transitions, along with the truth conditions required, before taking transitions. Transitions with the same signal name allow separate state machines to coordinate actions: the conditions distributed across all state machines necessary to arm a particular signal are evaluated, and once found true, that signal is raised. The selected signal then causes all identically named transitions in all present state machines to be taken simultaneously. VML 2.1 has relevance to all potential space missions, both manned and unmanned. It was under consideration for use on Orion.

Riedel, Joseph E.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Information Metacatalog for a Grid

SWIM is a Software Information Metacatalog that gathers detailed information about the software components and packages installed on a grid resource. Information is currently gathered for Executable and Linking Format (ELF) executables and shared libraries, Java classes, shell scripts, and Perl and Python modules. SWIM is built on top of the POUR framework, which is described in the preceding article. SWIM consists of a set of Perl modules for extracting software information from a system, an XML schema defining the format of data that can be added by users, and a POUR XML configuration file that describes how these elements are used to generate periodic, on-demand, and user-specified information. Periodic software information is derived mainly from the package managers used on each system. SWIM collects information from native package managers in FreeBSD, Solaris, and IRX as well as the RPM, Perl, and Python package managers on multiple platforms. Because not all software is available, or installed in package form, SWIM also crawls the set of relevant paths from the File System Hierarchy Standard that defines the standard file system structure used by all major UNIX distributions. Using these two techniques, the vast majority of software installed on a system can be located. SWIM computes the same information gathered by the periodic routines for specific files on specific hosts, and locates software on a system given only its name and type.

Kolano, Paul↗
DOE OSTI2025

Visual‐Analytics Bridge Complexity and Accessibility for Robust Urban Water Planning

Urban water resources planning is complicated by unprecedented uncertainty in supply and demand. Real‐world planning often simplifies the full range of uncertainty faced by a system into a limited set of deterministic scenarios to enhance accessibility for decision‐makers and the public. However, overlooking uncertainty can expose the system to failures. On the other end of the spectrum, academically developed tools for scenario analysis rigorously quantify the combined effects of multiple sources of uncertainty, but the practical application of these models is limited by the challenges of information visualization and communication of results. In short, municipal water supply planners lack access to planning frameworks that effectively integrate a rigorous treatment of uncertainty with accessible, user‐friendly visual and interactive tools to enhance user accessibility. In this work, we fill this gap by proposing Visual‐Robust Decision Making, and demonstrate an application for the city of Santa Barbara (SB), CA. Santa Barbara faces multiple uncertainties from pending state and federal regulations to changing hydrology and water demand. The city seeks to increase its water portfolio robustness by expanding its seawater desalination plant, but must decide how much capacity to add. We introduce computational tools that assess uncertainty across nine uncertain drivers identified with the help of water planners in SB. To allow public participation in the desalination expansion decision, we develop interactive visual‐analytics to aid decision‐makers and stakeholders in navigating complex scenario analysis outcomes. Our results quantify the tradeoffs between increased capacity and system robustness and aim to enhance participation and uncertainty characterization of urban water planning efforts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1997

Computer Supported Indexing: A History and Evaluation of NASA's MAI System

Computer supported or machine aided indexing (MAI) can be categorized in multiple ways. The system used by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) Center for AeroSpace Information (CASI) is described as semantic and computational. It's based on the co-occurrence of domain-specific terminology in parts of a sentence, and the probability that an indexer will assign a particular index term when a given word or phrase is encountered in text. The NASA CASI system is run on demand by the indexer and responds in 3 to 9 seconds with a list of suggested, authorized terms. The system was originally based on a syntactic system used in the late 1970's by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC). The NASA mainframe-supported system consists of three components: two programs and a knowledge base (KB). The evolution of the system is described and flow charts illustrate the MAI procedures. Tests used to evaluate NASA's MAI system were limited to those that would not slow production. A very early test indicated that MAI saved about 3 minutes and provided several additional terms for each document indexed. It also was determined that time and other resources spent in careful construction of the KB pay off with high-quality output and indexer acceptance of MAI results.

Silvester, June P.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Liftoff and Transition Database Generation for Launch Vehicles Using Data-Fusion-Based Modeling

A data fusion technique for merging multiple data sources with differing fidelity and resolution was developed to support the production of aerodynamic line load databases for the Liftoff and Transition (LOT) flight phase of the Space Launch System (SLS). The technique uses a reduced order model based on a high-fidelity line load data set from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to predict solutions for a much larger solution space. Even higher-fidelity force and moment information (from wind-tunnel tests) is then used to adjust the model. The adjustment uses constrained optimization through the method of Lagrange multipliers in order to minimize the deviation of the line load distribution from the spatially-dense CFD solution, while ensuring that the integrated force and moment values match those observed in physical wind tunnel measurements. Though the wind-tunnel data are operationally-dense (available at many flow conditions), they are spatially coarse (as only the overall forces and moments are available). Conversely, CFD for such complex configurations is expensive, and thus operationally sparse. Data fusion techniques are necessary to make the most efficient use of available information, delivering accurate results within time and resource constraints.

Wignall, T. J.↗
NASA NTRS2020

An Efficient Focal Plane Alignment Methodology with Application to the ASTERIA Nanosatellite Space Telescope

The process of aligning an instrument focal plane toprecursor optics such as a telescope can be a difficult and timeconsuming process. The final alignment must achieve sufficientperformance at multiple locations across the field of view. Inthe case of instruments with infinite conjugates, such as a spacetelescope, there are practical challenges in illuminating the system at multiple off-axis field points simultaneously. Iterationduring the alignment process can cause a lengthy search for localminima within the performance cost function.This paper presents a focal plane alignment methodology thatavoids the above difficulties and obtains the desired level ofoptical performance in an efficient manner. The approach isbased on systematically measuring spot size across a set of fieldpoints and defocus positions, and then using a least squaresfit to determine the optimal location for the focal plane. Thisapproach has the additional benefit of revealing the amount offield curvature present in the instrument. It also provides theanalyst with a direct calculation of the shims needed to place thefocal plane at the computed best-fit location.This approach was successfully applied to the Arcsecond SpaceTelescope Enabling Research In Astrophysics (ASTERIA) payload. ASTERIA is a cubesat mission that was deployed intolow-Earth orbit in November 2017 and operated until December2019. In addition to presenting the theoretical basis for themethodology, this paper will present laboratory measurementsobtained during the payload alignment campaign. This approach is applicable to future space-borne optical instrumentsthat require an efficient methodology for focal plane alignmentwith limited cost or schedule resources.

Smith, Matthew W↗
DOE OSTI2026

An Analysis of Future Wind Energy Resources and Cost Uncertainties Across the United States

Wind power is a growing source of energy generation that relies on complex global atmospheric and earth system processes. There has been evidence of reductions in average wind speeds over land in North America since the 1980s, and several models project that average wind speeds will continue to decrease. Concurrently, the cost of wind energy systems in the United States has been decreasing since around 2010, a trend also projected to continue. There is considerable uncertainty in these future projections, with quantitative estimates of future wind resource and system costs varying widely. To study this, we run wind energy models with possible future system costs, turbine designs, and meteorological inputs from multiple downscaled earth system models over the contiguous United States. Changes in mean annual energy production from 2000-2019 to 2040-2059 can be as high as +10% in South Texas or as low as -20% in Iowa. Larger turbines and moderate reductions in system costs can offset the largest projected decreases in wind resource, but much uncertainty remains in the extent to which wind resources will change and to what extent system costs can be reduced. An analysis of variance shows, in several states in the Midwest, uncertainty in future wind resources can influence the cost of wind energy nearly as much as uncertainty in future system costs.

17 WIND ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2026

Project Phase 1 Report: Reducing Data Center Peak Cooling Demand and Energy Costs With Cold Underground Thermal Energy Storage (Cold UTES)

Cold Underground Thermal Energy Storage (Cold UTES) is an ultra-long duration grid energy storage technology. With Cold-UTES, low-cost grid power is converted to cold thermal energy and stored in the native subsurface rock at the point of use. Cold UTES is one approach within the general category of engineered geothermal systems. Cold UTES for peak-hour cooling of data centers (DCs) was studied for deployment in Maricopa County, Arizona and Loudoun County, Virgina using thermal storage capacities from 4 GWh-th to over 1,000 GWh-th (>1 Terawatt-hour). The two sites have different power and transmission systems, available grid energy resources, daily and seasonal load profiles, weather conditions, and grid regulatory requirements. The study results indicate high value for both locations and because of this, likely indicates value across most of the US and the world. The basis of the study was a 1,000 MW-e hourly electric use of DC computing and auxiliary loads, which was modeled as 1 GW-th of thermal load to a dry cooled heat rejection system - i.e. a cooling system that does not consume water. The electric power required for cooling the DC varies as the air temperature changes. In cold weather only the dry-coolers are used, with an electrical load for cooling load as low as 10 MW-e. In hot summer hours, chillers and dry- coolers are required, which raises the electrical load for cooling load to as much as 300 MW-e. The continuous and peak cooling electrical loads result in a grid interconnection requirement of no less than 1,300 MW-e. From both a grid and thermal design modeling perspective the 1.3 GW-e could either be a single facility or result from the total load at multiple sites.

15 GEOTHERMAL ENERGY↗
DOE OSTI2024

FatPlants: a comprehensive information system for lipid-related genes and metabolic pathways in plants

Abstract FatPlants, an open-access, web-based database, consolidates data, annotations, analysis results, and visualizations of lipid-related genes, proteins, and metabolic pathways in plants. Serving as a minable resource, FatPlants offers a user-friendly interface for facilitating studies into the regulation of plant lipid metabolism and supporting breeding efforts aimed at increasing crop oil content. This web resource, developed using data derived from our own research, curated from public resources, and gleaned from academic literature, comprises information on known fatty-acid-related proteins, genes, and pathways in multiple plants, with an emphasis on Glycine max, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Camelina sativa. Furthermore, the platform includes machine-learning based methods and navigation tools designed to aid in characterizing metabolic pathways and protein interactions. Comprehensive gene and protein information cards, a Basic Local Alignment Search Tool search function, similar structure search capacities from AphaFold, and ChatGPT-based query for protein information are additional features. Database URL: https://www.fatplants.net/

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

System Modeling of a Lunar Molten Regolith Electrolysis Plant

Introduction: In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) is the process of extracting local resources to produce commodities for propulsion, life support systems, and off-planet construction rather than transporting consumables from Earth. Molten Regolith Electrolysis (MRE) is a novel ISRU method of extracting oxygen gas and metal alloy from lunar regolith. The MRE process involves placing lunar regolith between two electrodes, through which current is passed, to melt the regolith and reduce the metal oxide constituents by direct electrolysis (e.g. FeO, SiO2, MgO, Al2O3) into oxygen gas and metal alloys. The oxygen is liquefied and used as propellant for landers, while the metals (e.g. Ferro-alloys) are further processed and used in structural building materials and parts manufacturing. A system model was developed that accounted for the major processes of an MRE plant (from excavation of raw materials to storage of products) to assess the feasibility of a lunar MRE plant. The System Engineering and Integration (SE&I) ISRU Modeling and Analysis (SIMA) team utilized its previously documented system sizing model, the Mission Analysis and Integration Tool (MAIT) [1] as framework of the system model. MAIT uses MATLAB/Simulink to integrate subsystem models into a complete system model of the MRE plant. Total mass, volume, and power requirements were computed for numerous iterations of a MRE plant. System Model: Figure 1: MRE Plant Block Diagram The regolith excavation model determines the mass and power needed to excavate sufficient regolith. The preheating auger initiates the regolith heating process before regolith enters the MRE re-actor to reduce the energy required to turn the solid into a molten liquid. The MRE reactor is modeled in COMSOL Multiphysics and based on the research by Dominguez, Sibille, and Schreiner [2, 3, 4]. This preliminary reactor model provides an accurate calculation of thermal equilibrium during electrochemical operation of the reactor system to assess the optimal mass and power required to process the inlet flow of regolith. The model also computes the outlet flowrates of oxygen and molten products. For this analysis, the primary components of the metal alloy considered were iron and silicon. The oxygen is then purified using an Yttrium Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) electrode, followed by liquefaction using a 90K cryocooler to be stored as liquid oxygen in insulated cylindrical tanks. In future iterations of the system model, the molten metal tapped from the MRE reactor will undergo additional processing or refinement. However, downstream handling of metals is currently a technology gap that is missing a high TRL subsystem model. Therefore, for this analysis, the accumulated metal alloy stream terminates after leaving the MRE reactor. Study Goals: This analysis investigates multiple input variables to the system to determine the sensitivity of a (near) complete plant at full-scale. This preliminary investigation ran parametric sweeps on the MRE reactor geometry, electrical current supply, layers of multi-layer insulation (MLI) on the reactor, size of the electrodes in the oxygen purification model, and regolith composition (based on landing site location). Three production targets of oxygen (1,000, 10,000, and 50,000 kg/yr) were investigated for this analysis. The parametric sweeps conducted in this analysis provide valuable insight into the expected impact of the various model inputs on plant size. This information can be used to identify the most critical components of the plant and guide future decisions on allocating funding for research and development, providing subsystem developers with appropriate interfaces with downstream and upstream processes, and assessing the overall feasibility of MRE when compared to other ISRU plants. References: [1] Carlson, A. et al. (2024) ICES, ICES-2024-53. [2] Dominguez, D.A., and Sibille, L. (2011) AIAA, AIAA-2011-700. [3] Schreiner, S.S. (2015) MIT, Dissertation. [4] Schreiner, S.S. et al. (2016) ASR, 57(7), pp.1585-1603.

ISRU↗
NASA NTRS1991

COSMIC: Software catalog 1991 edition diskette format

The PC edition of the annual COSMIC Software contains descriptions of the over 1,200 computer programs available for use within the United States as of January 1, 1991. By using the PC version of the catalog, it is possible to conduct extensive searches of the software inventory for programs that meet specific criteria. Elements such as program keywords, hardware specifications, source code languages, and title acronyms can be used for the basis of such searches. After isolating those programs that might be of best interest to the user, it is then possible to either view at the monitor, or generate a hardcopy listing of all information on those packages. In addition to the program elements that the user can search on, information such as total program size, distribution media, and program price, as well as extensive abstracts on the program, are also available to the user at this time. Another useful feature of the catalog allows for the retention of programs that meet certain search criteria between individual sessions of using the catalog. This allows users to save the information on those programs that are of interest to them in different areas of application. They can then recall a specific collection of programs for information retrieval or further search reduction if desired. In addition, this version of the catalog is adaptable to a network/shared resource environment, allowing multiple users access to a single copy of the catalog database simultaneously.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1982

Propagation of wide bandwidth signals through strongly turbulent ionized media

Analytic and numerical techniques are presented which directly address the problem of propagation of wide bandwidth signals through random ionized media. This work is applicable to the problems of satellite communication and space based radar observation through a disturbed ionospheric propagation channel that would result from a high altitude chemical release or nuclear detonation. An analytic solution is presented for the two-position, two-frequency mutual coherence function for spherical wave propagation in the strong scattering limit. This solution is used to derive simple expressions for the power impulse response function and to determine its relationship to the important parameters of decorrelation distance and coherence bandwidth which describe the disturbed propagation channel. Results for mean time delay and time delay jitter are presented and compared to direct simulation results and to other theoretical calculations. A numerical/analytical solution to the parabolic wave equation is presented in the form of a multiple phase-screen (MPS) propagation simulation. In this very general solution technique, the random medium is divided into a finite number of layers. The field fluctuation through each layer is obtained by replacing the layer by a centrally located thin phase-screen, whose statistical properties are determined from the statistics of the electron-density irregularities. The waveform then propagates from phase-screen to phase-screen via an exact solution to the Fresnel-Kirchnoff equation. For wide bandwidth waveforms, numerical solutions are obtained at a number of discrete frequencies centered about the carrier and then time-domain solutions are obtained by Fourier transform techniques. Detailed results are presented for a number of interesting cases including propagation of a 20 MHz bandwidth signal through a finite barium cloud at a carrier frequency of 100 MHz. One of the major uses of the MPS propagation simulation has been to provide realizations of the received signal after propagation through a disturbed channel. The MPS simulation obtains a general solution of the parabolic wave equation under both weak and strong scattering conditions. A second technique to directly obtain realizations of wide bandwidth waveforms is presented here. This technique is limited to the case of strong scattering but requires only a fraction of the computer resources needed for MPS signal generation. Detailed comparisons of the two signal generation techniques are presented.

Random Media↗
DOE OSTI2025

Selection of Global Climate Model Data for Downscaling With Generative Machine Learning and Use in the Power Planning for Alignment of Climate and Energy Systems Project

The range of results from climate models and scenarios is important to the understanding of uncertainty in power planning analysis. A U.S. Department of Energy-funded analytic project called Power Planning for Alignment of Climate and Energy Systems is developing data and analytic methods to reflect the effects of climate change on key variables for power system planning, as part of the Grid Modernization Lab Consortium. This project will select and prepare global climate model results for use in power system planning models. A related report (Evaluation of Global Climate Models for Use in Energy Analysis) assesses the performance of various global climate models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 data archive for their historical skill with respect to energy system performance and for their future projections under multiple climate change scenarios. Building from that report, we describe the selection of a climate scenario (Shared Socioeconomic Pathway [SSP] 2-4.5) and five climate models: TaiESM1, EC-Earth3-CC, GFDL-CM4, EC-Earth3-Veg, and MPI-ESM1-2-HR. We describe the model selection criteria, which were based on the quality of the match between model results under historical conditions and on the representation of the range of future values for several variables. These results will be downscaled via an open-source generative machine learning method called Super-Resolution for Renewable Energy Resource Data with Climate Change Impacts.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS1990

The application of CFD to rotary wing flow problems

Rotorcraft aerodynamics is especially rich in unsolved problems, and for this reason the need for independent computational and experimental studies is great. Three-dimensional unsteady, nonlinear potential methods are becoming fast enough to enable their use in parametric design studies. At present, combined CAMRAD/FPR analyses for a complete trimmed rotor soltution can be performed in about an hour on a CRAY Y-MP (or ten minutes, with multiple processors). These computational speeds indicate that in the near future many of the large CFD problems will no longer require a supercomputer. The ability to convect circulation is routine for integral methods, but only recently was it discovered how to do the same with differential methods. It is clear that the differential CFD rotor analyses are poised to enter the engineering workplace. Integral methods already constitute a mainstay. Ultimately, it is the users who will integrate CFD into the entire engineering process and provide a new measure of confidence in design and analysis. It should be recognized that the above classes of analyses do not include several major limiting phenomena which will continue to require empirical treatment because of computational time constraints and limited physical understanding. Such empirical treatment should be included, however, into the developing CFD, engineering level analyses. It is likely that properly constructed flow models containing corrections from physical testing will be able to fill in unavoidable gaps in the experimental data base, both for basic studies and for specific configuration testing. For these kinds of applications, computational cost is not an issue. Finally, it should be recognized that although rotorcraft are probably the most complex of aircraft, the rotorcraft engineering community is very small compared to the fixed-wing community. Likewise, rotorcraft CFD resources can never achieve fixed-wing proportions and must be used wisely. Therefore the fixed-wing work must be gleaned for many of the basic methods.

Caradonna, F. X.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Virtualization - A Key Cost Saver in NASA Multi-Mission Ground System Architecture

With science team budgets being slashed, and a lack of adequate facilities for science payload teams to operate their instruments, there is a strong need for innovative new ground systems that are able to provide necessary levels of capability processing power, system availability and redundancy while maintaining a small footprint in terms of physical space, power utilization and cooling.The ground system architecture being presented is based off of heritage from several other projects currently in development or operations at Goddard, but was designed and built specifically to meet the needs of the Science and Planetary Operations Control Center (SPOCC) as a low-cost payload command, control, planning and analysis operations center. However, this SPOCC architecture was designed to be generic enough to be re-used partially or in whole by other labs and missions (since its inception that has already happened in several cases!)The SPOCC architecture leverages a highly available VMware-based virtualization cluster with shared SAS Direct-Attached Storage (DAS) to provide an extremely high-performing, low-power-utilization and small-footprint compute environment that provides Virtual Machine resources shared among the various tenant missions in the SPOCC. The storage is also expandable, allowing future missions to chain up to 7 additional 2U chassis of storage at an extremely competitive cost if they require additional archive or virtual machine storage space.The software architecture provides a fully-redundant GMSEC-based message bus architecture based on the ActiveMQ middleware to track all health and safety status within the SPOCC ground system. All virtual machines utilize the GMSEC system agents to report system host health over the GMSEC bus, and spacecraft payload health is monitored using the Hammers Integrated Test and Operations System (ITOS) Galaxy Telemetry and Command (TC) system, which performs near-real-time limit checking and data processing on the downlinked data stream and injects messages into the GMSEC bus that are monitored to automatically page the on-call operator or Systems Administrator (SA) when an off-nominal condition is detected. This architecture, like the LTSP thin clients, are shared across all tenant missions.Other required IT security controls are implemented at the ground system level, including physical access controls, logical system-level authentication authorization management, auditing and reporting, network management and a NIST 800-53 FISMA-Moderate IT Security plan Risk Assessment Contingency Plan, helping multiple missions share the cost of compliance with agency-mandated directives.The SPOCC architecture provides science payload control centers and backup mission operations centers with a cost-effective, standardized approach to virtualizing and monitoring resources that were traditionally multiple racks full of physical machines. The increased agility in deploying new virtual systems and thin client workstations can provide significant savings in personnel costs for maintaining the ground system. The cost savings in procurement, power, rack footprint and cooling as well as the shared multi-mission design greatly reduces upfront cost for missions moving into the facility. Overall, the authors hope that this architecture will become a model for how future NASA operations centers are constructed!

Ground System Architecture↗