Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Small Data”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 343 records · Page 19

Martian Plains Volcanism in Syria Planum and Tempe Mareotis as Analogs to the Eastern Snake River Plains, Idaho: Similarities and Possible Petrologic Contributions to Topography

Prior to the Mars Global Surveyor (MGS) and Mars Odyssey (MO) missions, The Syria Planum region of Mars was noted for several clusters of small (5-100 km) shield volcanoes and collapse craters, long tube and fissure-fed lava flows, and possible volcanic vents that were thought to be nearly contemporaneous with the volcanism in the Tempe- Mareotis province, which has long been known for volcanic shields and vents analogous to those of the Eastern Snake River Plains (ESRP) in Idaho. Recent MGS-based work on regional and global populations of martian small shields has revealed significant global trends in edifice attributes that are well-explained by eruption models with latitudinal variations in subsurface water/ice abundance, consistent with recent MO evidence for significant amounts of subsurface water that varies in latitude abundance s, and topographic and morphologic evidence for more geologically recent lava-ice relationships. However, while the global trends in small volcano data can be at least partially explained by volatile interactions with volcanism, some global and regional characteristics appear to be perhaps better explained by possible compositional, crystallinity or eruption style variations. This study expands the sampling of shields done in martian initial global studies for the Syria Planum and Tempe-Mareotis regions, which display a newly visible breadth and number of features in image and topography data. We compare these features to a similar range of features visible in the ESRP where both compositional and eruption style variations can quantitatively be shown to contribute to morphologic and topographic differences.

Sakimoto, S. E. H.↗

Quiet, Efficient Fans for Spaceflight: An Overview of NASA's Technology Development Plan

A Technology Development Plan to improve the aerodynamic and acoustic performance of spaceflight fans has been submitted to NASA s Exploration Technology Development Program. The plan describes a research program intended to make broader use of the technology developed at NASA Glenn to increase the efficiency and reduce the noise of aircraft engine fans. The goal is to develop a set of well-characterized government-owned fans nominally suited for spacecraft ventilation and cooling systems. NASA s Exploration Life Support community will identify design point conditions for the fans in this study. Computational Fluid Dynamics codes will be used in the design and analysis process. The fans will be built and used in a series of tests. Data from aerodynamic and acoustic performance tests will be used to validate performance predictions. These performance maps will also be entered into a database to help spaceflight fan system developers make informed design choices. Velocity measurements downstream of fan rotor blades and stator vanes will also be collected and used for code validation. Details of the fan design, analysis, and testing will be publicly reported. With access to fan geometry and test data, the small fan industry can independently evaluate design and analysis methods and work towards improvement.

Koch, L. Danielle↗

Data Automata in Scala

The field of runtime verification has during the last decade seen a multitude of systems for monitoring event sequences (traces) emitted by a running system. The objective is to ensure correctness of a system by checking its execution traces against formal specifications representing requirements. A special challenge is data parameterized events, where monitors have to keep track of the combination of control states as well as data constraints, relating events and the data they carry across time points. This poses a challenge wrt. efficiency of monitors, as well as expressiveness of logics. Data automata is a form of automata where states are parameterized with data, supporting monitoring of data parameterized events. We describe the full details of a very simple API in the Scala programming language, an internal DSL (Domain-Specific Language), implementing data automata. The small implementation suggests a design pattern. Data automata allow transition conditions to refer to other states than the source state, and allow target states of transitions to be inlined, offering a temporal logic flavored notation. An embedding of a logic in a high-level language like Scala in addition allows monitors to be programmed using all of Scala's language constructs, offering the full flexibility of a programming language. The framework is demonstrated on an XML processing scenario previously addressed in related work.

runtime verification↗

DiskSat: Demonstration Mission for a Two-Dimensional Satellite Architecture

The DiskSat is a quasi-two-dimensional satellite bus architecture designed for applications requiring high power, large apertures, and/or high maneuverability in a low-mass satellite. A representative DiskSat structure is a composite flat panel, one meter in diameter and 2.5 cm thick. The volume is almost 20 liters, equivalent to a hypothetical 20U CubeSat, while the structural mass is less than 3 kg. The surface area is large enough to host over 200 W of solar cells without deployable solar panels. For launch, multiple DiskSats are stacked in a fully enclosed container/deployer using a simple mechanical interface and are released individually in orbit. The Aerospace Corporation, with the support of the NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD), is preparing a flight of four DiskSats for launch in 2024 to demonstrate the feasibility of both the dispenser and the DiskSat bus. In addition, the flight is expected to demonstrate several features of the DiskSat including the unprecedented high power-to-mass ratio, the maneuverability of the bus using low-thrust electric propulsion, and the ability to fly continuously in a low-drag orientation, enabling operations in very low Earth orbits (VLEO). The DiskSats will be launched in and deployed from a dispenser that provides a containerized rideshare environment; the dispenser fully encloses the DiskSats during launch and then opens to dispense the satellites one at a time once in orbit. The dispenser is modular in design and expandable from the capacity of four DiskSats for this flight to as many as 20 DiskSats for future flights. NASA STMD seeks disruptive and innovative technologies that could help lead to the next-generation systems for future science and exploration missions. DiskSat is a potentially disruptive technology leading to new, enabling architectures using ever-more capable small spacecraft. Data generated from this flight will inform the drafting of a DiskSat standard intended to encourage easy and frequent access to space, in the same manner as the CubeSat standard. DiskSat is expected to become a standard format for rideshare-compatible, high-power, maneuverable, low-mass satellites for Earth-orbit, cis-lunar, and deep space applications.

Richard Welle↗

Midwest Food Security & Agriculture II: Leveraging NASA Earth Observations to Analyze and Display Crop Phenology Data and Weather Conditions to Support Expansion of Small Grain Crops in the Midwest

Agriculture in the Midwest is dominated by monoculture systems that strip the soil of nutrients, decrease yields, and worsen water quality. Crop diversification and cultivating small grains is economically and ecologically advantageous, but limited in practice due to a lack of data about small-grain crop performance as well as monoculture-favoring insurance coverage, economic incentives, and sociocultural traditions. Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) strives to create more sustainable agriculture and supports Midwestern farmers in adding small grains into their crop rotations. The DEVELOP team partnered with the USDA Agricultural Research Service and the USA National Phenology Network to assist PFI in applying NASA Earth observation data to track small-grain crop performance. This project developed a Google Earth Engine user interface that enables PFI farmers to compare satellite-assessed vegetation production and climatic conditions of their farm with other PFI farmers. The team assessed the crop performance through Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI). Additionally, the team created a regression model to analyze the predictive properties of vegetation indices and crop yield, ultimately establishing a relationship with mean NDVI from the early growing season. PFI farmers can utilize these products to make informed decisions about their crop production as well as advocate for more expansive insurance policies to protect small-grain crops.

Sophie Barrowman↗

Open-Source Data Analysis Tool for Spectral Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Using Spectroscopic Photon-Counting Detector

Spectral small-angle X-ray scattering (sSAXS) is a powerful technique for material characterization from thicker samples by capturing elastic X-ray scattering data in angle- and energy-dispersive modes at small angles. This approach is enabled by the use of a 2D spectroscopic photon-counting detector that provides energy and position information of scattered photons when a sample is irradiated by a polychromatic X-ray beam. Here, we describe an open-source tool with a graphical interface for analyzing sSAXS data obtained from a 2D spectroscopic photon-counting detector with a large number of energy bins. The tool takes system geometry parameters and raw detector data to output 1D scattering patterns and a 2D spatially-resolved scattering map in the energy range of interest. We validated these features using data from samples of caffeine powder with well-known scattering peaks. This open-source tool will facilitate sSAXS data analysis for various material characterization applications.

Chemistry↗

A study of the generation mechanisms of high latitude and equatorial F-region irregularities using DE-2 data

Characteristics of small scale (approx. 10 km and smaller) density irregularities in the various domains of the high latitude F-region in the winter (i.e., dark) hemisphere are examined. The DE-2 spacecraft has made it possible for the first time to study simultaneously on a systematic basis the spectral characteristics of not only the density irregularities but of the velocity irregularities, as well. Density irregularity spectra near auroral acceleration and shear regions have been studied using AE-D data.

Basu, S.↗

Initial Approach to Collect Small Unmanned Aircraft System Off-Nominal Operational Situations Data

NASA is developing the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management research platform to safely integrate small unmanned aircraft operations in large-scale at low-altitudes. As a part of this effort, small unmanned aircraft system off-nominal operational situations data collection process has been developed to take lessons learned and to reinforce operational compliance. In this paper, descriptions of variables used for digital data collection and an online report form for collection of observational data from the operators (contextual data) are provided. They are used to collect off-nominal data from the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management National Campaign in 2017. The digital data show that 2 out of 118 campaign operations (1.7%) encountered loss of navigation. Since the campaign aircraft used Global Positioning System for navigation, it is likely that unobstructed view of the sky at the campaign locations contributed to this small number. Also, 4 out of 47 operations (8.5%) encountered loss of communications. A relatively short distance between ground control system and aircraft, ranging from 2300 feet to 4200 feet, likely contributed to this small number. There was no data to identify the loss of communications condition, aircraft received signal strength, for the remaining 71 operations suggesting that some operators may not be monitoring unmanned aircraft communications system performance or monitoring it with different parameters. For the contextual data, due to the low number of total reports during the campaign, no significant trends emerged. This is an initial attempt to collect contextual data from small unmanned aircraft operators about off-nominal situations, and changes will be made to the future data collection to improve the amount and quality of the information.

unmanned aviation systems traffic management (UTM)↗

Initial Approach to Collect Small Unmanned Aircraft System Off-Nominal Operational Situations Data

NASA is developing the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management research platform to safely integrate small unmanned aircraft operations in large-scale at low-altitudes. As a part of this effort, small unmanned aircraft system off-nominal operational situations data collection process has been developed to take lessons learned and to reinforce operational compliance. In this paper, descriptions of variables used for digital data collection and an online report form for collection of observational data from the operators (contextual data) are provided. They are used to collect off-nominal data from the Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management National Campaign in 2017. The digital data show that 2 out of 118 campaign operations (1.7%) encountered loss of navigation. Since the campaign aircraft used Global Positioning System for navigation, it is likely that unobstructed view of the sky at the campaign locations contributed to this small number. Also, 4 out of 47 operations (8.5%) encountered loss of communications. A relatively short distance between ground control system and aircraft, ranging from 2300 feet to 4200 feet, likely contributed to this small number. There was no data to identify the loss of communications condition, aircraft received signal strength, for the remaining 71 operations suggesting that some operators may not be monitoring unmanned aircraft communications system performance or monitoring it with different parameters. For the contextual data, due to the low number of total reports during the campaign, no significant trends emerged. This is an initial attempt to collect contextual data from small unmanned aircraft operators about off-nominal situations, and changes will be made to the future data collection to improve the amount and quality of the information.

Jung, Jaewoo↗

Two-phase pressure drop of ammonia in small diameter horizontal tubes

Data for pressure drop in adiabatic two-phase ammonia flows in small diameter horizontal tubes are presented. The data has direct application to the sizing of the flow-through radiator tubes in the Space Station Freedom heat rejection system. The data are compared to existing correlations for pressure drop and are found to be significantly lower than the most commonly used correlations. However, several of the less commonly used correlations predict the data accurately. Alternate pressure drop prediction methods are explored and a recommendation is made for a method to accurately predict the pressure drop in two-phase ammonia flows in small horizontal tubes.

Ungar, Eugene K.↗

Omnidirectional Inter-Satellite Optical Communicator (ISOC)

The objective of the Omnidirectional Inter-Satellite Optical Communicator (ISOC) project is to design a compact, lightweight,and energy efficient communicator module for use between satellites in space. This module will achieve continuous optical communication, with simultaneous data transmission and reception, at up to1 gigabit per second (Gbits) data rates for small spacecraft separated by up to 200 kilometers (kms). To achieve this goal,a data communicator with full spherical coverage field of view (FOV) needs to be designed. The proposed ISOC is a dodecahedron geometric array of chipscale, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based gimbal-less scanning mirrors that provide adjustable beam pointing and spherical FOV coverage for uninterrupted data transmission between several small spacecraft at arbitrary relative positions. This design eliminates known pointing issues and hence allows accurate direction of arrival calculations.Moreover, the proposed approach will enable data relaying between multiple satellites, and enable relative navigation control.

Inter-small satellite communication↗

Study of a small magnetospheric substorm

Data from a rocket launched into the expansion phase of an auroral substorm have been compared with data from numerous ground stations and several space vehicles. It is shown that this magnetic and auroral substorm has most of the features of larger substorms; thus it is implied that the same plasma processes are involved in all substorms. Some evidence is presented to link the auroral breakup with the field lines conjugate to the inner edge of the plasma sheet. The implications of these two results for substorm morphology and the triggering mechanism of the substorm instability are discussed. It is concluded that spatial gradients in plasma temperature are a likely cause.

Johnstone, A. D.↗

High-speed data word monitor

Small, portable, self-contained device provides high-speed display of bit pattern or any selected portion of transmission, can suppress filler patterns so that display is not updated, and can freeze display so that specific event may be observed in detail.

Wirth, M. N.↗

A suggested standardized format for cosmic ray ground-level event data

A standardized format is suggested for the archival storage and exchange of neutron monitor data obtained during solar flare initiated ground level cosmic ray events. Using the data for the 7 May 1978 ground level event, a format has been developed that incorporates hourly data preceding and following the event and small time interval data immediately before and during the event. Provision has been made for the inclusion of uncorrected and corrected data as well as the atmospheric pressure. The cosmic ray intensity data are then reduced to a standard counting rate of counts per second facilitating the graphing and comparison of these data for various analyses.

Shea, M. A.↗

Convection and electrodynamic signatures in the vicinity of a Sun-aligned arc: Results from the Polar Acceleration Regions and Convection Study (Polar ARCS)

An experimental campaign designed to study high-latitude auroral arcs was conducted in Sondre Stromfjord, Greenland, on February 26, 1987. The Polar Acceleration Regions and Convection Study (Polar ARCS) consisted of a coordinated set of ground-based, airborne, and sounding rocket measurements of a weak, sun-aligned arc system within the duskside polar cap. A rocket-borne barium release experiment, two DMSP satellite overflights, all-sky photography, and incoherent scatter radar measurements provided information on the large-scale plasma convection over the polar cap region while a second rocket instrumented with a DC magnetometer, Langmuir and electric field probes, and an electron spectrometer provided measurements of small-scale electrodynamics. The large-scale data indicate that small, sun-aligned precipitation events formed within a region of antisunward convection between the duskside auroral oval and a large sun-aligned arc further poleward. This convection signature, used to assess the relationship of the sun-aligned arc to the large-scale magnetospheric configuration, is found to be consistent with either a model in which the arc formed on open field lines on the dusk side of a bifurcated polar cap or on closed field lines threading an expanded low-latitude boundary layer, but not a model in which the polar cap arc field lines map to an expanded plasma sheet. The antisunward convection signature may also be explained by a model in which the polar cap arc formed on long field lines recently reconnected through a highly skewed plasma sheet. The small-scale measurements indicate the rocket passed through three narrow (less than 20 km) regions of low-energy (less than 100 eV) electron precipitation in which the electric and magnetic field perturbations were well correlated. These precipitation events are shown to be associated with regions of downward Poynting flux and small-scale upward and downward field-aligned currents of 1-2 micro-A/sq m. The paired field-aligned currents are associated with velocity shears (higher and lower speed streams) embedded in the region of antisunward flow.

Weiss, L. A.↗

Preliminary Base Pressures Obtained from the X-15 Airplane at Mach Numbers from 1.1 to 3.2

Base pressure measurements have been made on the fuselage, 10 deg.-wedge vertical fin, and side fairing of the X-15 airplane. Data are presented for Mach numbers between 1.1 and 3.2 for both powered and unpowered flight. Comparisons are made with data from small-scale-model tests, semiempirical estimates, and theory. The results of this preliminary study show that operation of the interim rocket engines (propellant flow rate approximately 70 lb/sec) reduces the base drag of the X-15 by 25 to 35 percent throughout the test Mach number range. Values of base drag coefficient for the side fairing and fuselage obtained from X-15 wind-tunnel models were adequate for predicting the overall full-scale performance of the test airplane. The leading-edge sweep of the upper movable vertical fin was not an important factor affecting the fin base pressure. The power-off base pressure coefficients of the upper movable vertical fin (a 10 deg. wedge with chord-to-thickness ratio of 5.5 and semispan-to-thickness ratio of 3.2) are in general agreement with the small-scale blunt-trailing-edge-wing data of several investigators and with two-dimensional theory.

Saltzman, Edwin J.↗

Solid-State Recorders Enhance Scientific Data Collection

Under Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts with Goddard Space Flight Center, SEAKR Engineering Inc., of Centennial, Colorado, crafted a solid-state recorder (SSR) to replace the tape recorder onboard a Spartan satellite carrying NASA's Inflatable Antenna Experiment. Work for that mission and others has helped SEAKR become the world leader in SSR technology for spacecraft. The company has delivered more than 100 systems, more than 85 of which have launched onboard NASA, military, and commercial spacecraft including imaging satellites that provide much of the high-resolution imagery for online mapping services like Google Earth.

Source record↗