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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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At least 325 records · Page 18

Terrestrial laser scanning data (Levels 0 and 1) from Urban Biogeochemistry Pilot Project sites, Knoxville, Tennessee, Jul 2024 - Jul 2025

This data package contains data from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) at five urban park sites in Knoxville, Tennessee, USA. All parks include open-grown and/or closed-canopy trees and mixed nearby land use. These study sites were established as part of the Urban Biogeochemistry Pilot Project, which has an overall goal of better understanding how hydrobiogeochemical cycling is altered within the human environment. These five sites represent a gradient of urbanization, and were instrumented to understand hydrological and biogeochemical cycling (e.g., soil moisture, soil physical properties and biogeochemistry, tree transpiration, species type). The TLS data archived here were collected to provide detailed, three-dimensional information about forest structure. Specifically, data were collected to allow tree- and stand-level characterization of woody structure and leaf area. TLS scans were placed to capture the area around trees with sap flow sensors, and as much of a 50 m radius area around the meteorological station as possible given site property limits. Derived products will allow upscaling of water content and transpiration data. This data package contains the following data: - High-level files document further details of the campaign and data package: 1_CampaignSummary.csv provides details about the campaign and study site, 2_ScanAreasDetail.csv provides details about each separate scan area (groups of scans post-processed into a single point cloud), 3_TerrestrialLidarSensor.csv provides further technical details about the Riegl VZ-400i TLS sensor, TLS_CSV_dd.csv is a CSV Data Dictionary providing information about the fields in CSV files following the ESS-DIVE CSV File Formatting Guidelines Reporting Format, TLS_flmd.csv is a File Level Metadata file providing information about each file in the data package following the ESS-DIVE File Level Metadata Reporting Format, and README.txt is a text file describing the overall project and file structure. - Level 0 data are the raw data (.PROJ folders) as recorded by the Riegl VZ-400i TLS instrument before scan co-registration and post-processing with the Riegl's proprietary RiSCAN PRO software, which requires a license. - Level 1 data contain post-processed, co-registered data from each scan area. The "PointClouds" folder for each scan area contains a .las file with 1 cm resolution point cloud data exported from RiSCAN PRO. These are the main files likely to be of interest to most users and can be further processed with any software capable of manipulating .las files (e.g. Python, R CloudCompare). The "Project Information" folder contains log files from post-processing in RiSCAN PRO that may be of interest to users who want to see detailed records of post-processing, including all PDF reports generated by RiSCAN PRO. The "ScanPositions" folder contains information about the final position of all TLS scans, after post-processing, in multiple formats. The file ScanPositions_*.csv provides final geo-referenced scan positions, and the file SOP_backup_*.csv can be used in RiSCAN PRO to restore the co-registered scan positions if users wish to re-process raw data (Level 0 .PROJ folders) with RiSCAN PRO software (e.g., subsample to a different resolution, exclude a certain scan position, or apply different filters on reflectance or deviation values) without redoing time-consuming co-registration steps.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Modular Software for Spacecraft Navigation Using the Global Positioning System (GPS)

The Goddard Space Flight Center Flight Dynamics and Mission Operations Divisions have jointly investigated the feasibility of engineering modular Global Positioning SYSTEM (GPS) navigation software to support both real time flight and ground postprocessing configurations. The goals of this effort are to define standard GPS data interfaces and to engineer standard, reusable navigation software components that can be used to build a broad range of GPS navigation support applications. The paper discusses the GPS modular software (GMOD) system and operations concepts, major requirements, candidate software architecture, feasibility assessment and recommended software interface standards. In additon, ongoing efforts to broaden the scope of the initial study and to develop modular software to support autonomous navigation using GPS are addressed,

Truong, S. H.↗

International Ultraviolet Explorer Final Archive

CSC processed IUE images through the Final Archive Data Processing System. Raw images were obtained from both NDADS and the IUEGTC optical disk platters for processing on the Alpha cluster, and from the IUEGTC optical disk platters for DECstation processing. Input parameters were obtained from the IUE database. Backup tapes of data to send to VILSPA were routinely made on the Alpha cluster. IPC handled more than 263 requests for priority NEWSIPS processing during the contract. Staff members also answered various questions and requests for information and sent copies of IUE documents to requesters. CSC implemented new processing capabilities into the NEWSIPS processing systems as they became available. In addition, steps were taken to improve efficiency and throughput whenever possible. The node TORTE was reconfigured as the I/O server for Alpha processing in May. The number of Alpha nodes used for the NEWSIPS processing queue was increased to a maximum of six in measured fashion in order to understand the dependence of throughput on the number of nodes and to be able to recognize when a point of diminishing returns was reached. With Project approval, generation of the VD FITS files was dropped in July. This action not only saved processing time but, even more significantly, also reduced the archive storage media requirements, and the time required to perform the archiving, drastically. The throughput of images verified through CDIVS and processed through NEWSIPS for the contract period is summarized below. The number of images of a given dispersion type and camera that were processed in any given month reflects several factors, including the availability of the required NEWSIPS software system, the availability of the corresponding required calibrations (e.g., the LWR high-dispersion ripple correction and absolute calibration), and the occurrence of reprocessing efforts such as that conducted to incorporate the updated SWP sensitivity-degradation correction in May.

Source record↗

From requirements to acceptance tests

From user requirements definition to accepted software system, the software project management wants to be sure that the system will meet the requirements. For the development of a telecommunication satellites Control Centre, C.N.E.S. has used new rules to make the use of tracing matrix easier. From Requirements to Acceptance Tests, each item of a document must have an identifier. A unique matrix traces the system and allows the tracking of the consequences of a change in the requirements. A tool has been developed, to import documents into a relational data base. Each record of the data base corresponds to an item of a document, the access key is the item identifier. Tracing matrix is also processed, providing automatically links between the different documents. It enables the reading on the same screen of traced items. For example one can read simultaneously the User Requirements items, the corresponding Software Requirements items and the Acceptance Tests.

Baize, Lionel↗

Applying formal methods and object-oriented analysis to existing flight software

Correctness is paramount for safety-critical software control systems. Critical software failures in medical radiation treatment, communications, and defense are familiar to the public. The significant quantity of software malfunctions regularly reported to the software engineering community, the laws concerning liability, and a recent NRC Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board report additionally motivate the use of error-reducing and defect detection software development techniques. The benefits of formal methods in requirements driven software development ('forward engineering') is well documented. One advantage of rigorously engineering software is that formal notations are precise, verifiable, and facilitate automated processing. This paper describes the application of formal methods to reverse engineering, where formal specifications are developed for a portion of the shuttle on-orbit digital autopilot (DAP). Three objectives of the project were to: demonstrate the use of formal methods on a shuttle application, facilitate the incorporation and validation of new requirements for the system, and verify the safety-critical properties to be exhibited by the software.

Cheng, Betty H. C.↗

A requirements specification for a software design support system

Most existing software design systems (SDSS) support the use of only a single design methodology. A good SDSS should support a wide variety of design methods and languages including structured design, object-oriented design, and finite state machines. It might seem that a multiparadigm SDSS would be expensive in both time and money to construct. However, it is proposed that instead an extensible SDSS that directly implements only minimal database and graphical facilities be constructed. In particular, it should not directly implement tools to faciliate language definition and analysis. It is believed that such a system could be rapidly developed and put into limited production use, with the experience gained used to refine and evolve the systems over time.

Noonan, Robert E.↗

e-Stars Template Builder

e-Stars Template Builder is a computer program that implements a concept of enabling users to rapidly gain access to information on projects of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The information about a given project is not stored in a data base, but rather, in a network that follows the project as it develops. e-Stars Template Builder resides on a server computer, using Practical Extraction and Reporting Language (PERL) scripts to create what are called "e-STARS node templates," which are software constructs that allow for project-specific configurations. The software resides on the server and does not require specific software on the user machine except for an Internet browser. A user's computer need not be equipped with special software (other than an Internet-browser program). e-Stars Template Builder is compatible with Windows, Macintosh, and UNIX operating systems. A user invokes e-Stars Template Builder from a browser window. Operations that can be performed by the user include the creation of child processes and the addition of links and descriptions of documentation to existing pages or nodes. By means of this addition of "child processes" of nodes, a network that reflects the development of a project is generated.

Cox, Brian↗

Mars Science Laboratory Boot Robustness Testing

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) is one of the most complex spacecrafts in the history of mankind. Due to the nature of its complexity, a large number of flight software (FSW) requirements have been written for implementation. In practice, these requirements necessitate very complex and very precise flight software with no room for error. One of flight software's responsibilities is to be able to boot up and check the state of all devices on the spacecraft after the wake up process. This boot up and initialization is crucial to the mission success since any misbehavior of different devices needs to be handled through the flight software. I have created a test toolkit that allows the FSW team to exhaustively test the flight software under variety of different unexpected scenarios and validate that flight software can handle any situation after booting up. The test includes initializing different devices on spacecraft to different configurations and validate at the end of the flight software boot up that the flight software has initialized those devices to what they are suppose to be in that particular scenario.

mission phases↗

A Unified Approach to Model-Based Planning and Execution

Writing autonomous software is complex, requiring the coordination of functionally and technologically diverse software modules. System and mission engineers must rely on specialists familiar with the different software modules to translate requirements into application software. Also, each module often encodes the same requirement in different forms. The results are high costs and reduced reliability due to the difficulty of tracking discrepancies in these encodings. In this paper we describe a unified approach to planning and execution that we believe provides a unified representational and computational framework for an autonomous agent. We identify the four main components whose interplay provides the basis for the agent's autonomous behavior: the domain model, the plan database, the plan running module, and the planner modules. This representational and problem solving approach can be applied at all levels of the architecture of a complex agent, such as Remote Agent. In the rest of the paper we briefly describe the Remote Agent architecture. The new agent architecture proposed here aims at achieving the full Remote Agent functionality. We then give the fundamental ideas behind the new agent architecture and point out some implication of the structure of the architecture, mainly in the area of reactivity and interaction between reactive and deliberative decision making. We conclude with related work and current status.

Muscettola, Nicola↗

omni-engineer-lbl (omni) v0.5

This is a fork of the omni-engineer software developed by Pietro Schirano. My collaborators and I are altering the software to work better with our LBNL infrastructure and requirements. The software is a coding agent wrapper around LLM model APIs, and can use any of the APIs provided by LBNL's CBorg service, or any service that uses an OpenAI endpoint(s).

Fong, Timothy [Lawrence Berkeley National Laborato↗

The use of computer-generated color graphic images for transient thermal analysis

Color computer graphics techniques were investigated as a means of rapidly scanning and interpreting large sets of transient heating data. The data presented were generated to support the conceptual design of a heat-sink thermal protection system (TPS) for a hypersonic research airplane. Color-coded vector and raster displays of the numerical geometry used in the heating calculations were employed to analyze skin thicknesses and surface temperatures of the heat-sink TPS under a variety of trajectory flight profiles. Both vector and raster displays proved to be effective means for rapidly identifying heat-sink mass concentrations, regions of high heating, and potentially adverse thermal gradients. The color-coded (raster) surface displays are a very efficient means for displaying surface-temperature and heating histories, and thereby the more stringent design requirements can quickly be identified. The related hardware and software developments required to implement both the vector and the raster displays for this application are also discussed.

Edwards, C. L. W.↗

DSS command software update

The modifications, additions, and testing results for a version of the Deep Space Station command software, generated for support of the Voyager Saturn encounter, are discussed. The software update requirements included efforts to: (1) recode portions of the software to permit recovery of approximately 2000 words of memory; (2) correct five Voyager Ground data System liens; (3) provide capability to automatically turn off the command processor assembly local printer during periods of low activity; and (4) correct anomalies existing in the software.

Stinnett, W. G.↗

Achieving reutilization of scheduling software through abstraction and generalization

Reutilization of software is a difficult goal to achieve particularly in complex environments that require advanced software systems. The Request-Oriented Scheduling Engine (ROSE) was developed to create a reusable scheduling system for the diverse scheduling needs of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). ROSE is a data-driven scheduler that accepts inputs such as user activities, available resources, timing contraints, and user-defined events, and then produces a conflict-free schedule. To support reutilization, ROSE is designed to be flexible, extensible, and portable. With these design features, applying ROSE to a new scheduling application does not require changing the core scheduling engine, even if the new application requires significantly larger or smaller data sets, customized scheduling algorithms, or software portability. This paper includes a ROSE scheduling system description emphasizing its general-purpose features, reutilization techniques, and tasks for which ROSE reuse provided a low-risk solution with significant cost savings and reduced software development time.

Wilkinson, George J.↗

The Orion GN and C Data-Driven Flight Software Architecture for Automated Sequencing and Fault Recovery

The Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle (CET) is being designed to include significantly more automation capability than either the Space Shuttle or the International Space Station (ISS). In particular, the vehicle flight software has requirements to accommodate increasingly automated missions throughout all phases of flight. A data-driven flight software architecture will provide an evolvable automation capability to sequence through Guidance, Navigation & Control (GN&C) flight software modes and configurations while maintaining the required flexibility and human control over the automation. This flexibility is a key aspect needed to address the maturation of operational concepts, to permit ground and crew operators to gain trust in the system and mitigate unpredictability in human spaceflight. To allow for mission flexibility and reconfrgurability, a data driven approach is being taken to load the mission event plan as well cis the flight software artifacts associated with the GN&C subsystem. A database of GN&C level sequencing data is presented which manages and tracks the mission specific and algorithm parameters to provide a capability to schedule GN&C events within mission segments. The flight software data schema for performing automated mission sequencing is presented with a concept of operations for interactions with ground and onboard crew members. A prototype architecture for fault identification, isolation and recovery interactions with the automation software is presented and discussed as a forward work item.

King, Ellis↗

A view of software development environment issues

The unique and challenging nature of the Space Station Program requires that software standards be effectively used to control costs, facilitate enhancements and ensure safety. The Software Standards Panel identified and developed recommendations in four areas to help the Space Station Program achieve these objectives. The areas in which recommendations are offered are policy, organization, process and candidate software standards for the Space Station Program. The concensus process employed by the panel is given and recommendations are made.

Boehm, B.↗

Historical Aerospace Software Errors Categorized to Influence Fault Tolerance

- Motivation - Very little literature exists characterizing software errors in real-time avionic systems - How, where, and why is software most likely to fail? - Purpose - Raise awareness of how software fails through historical study - Recommend improvements to software fault tolerant design based on historical study - Outline - Discuss Software Failures - Common Cause, Failure Classes, Mitigation strategies - Review NASA requirements for Software Fault Tolerance - Review Historical Software Failures - Analyze failures and provide statistics - Erroneous vs. fail-Silent - Reboot recoverability likelihood - Code Location - Missing or unknown code?

Flilght↗