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NASA NTRS2013

ESO Commercial Microgravity Case Study 1: Novice Commercial Users (Medical) Vivo Biosciences Inc. - A Small Business Perspective

This case study was conducted in FY 2013 by the Emerging Space Office (ESO) to begin characterizing the kinds of opportunities and challenges encountered by small high-tech businesses who have never done RD in space and who serve terrestrial versus space markets, but who have legitimate business reasons for considering space research and development for generating novel or improved products. Vivo Biosciences Inc. (VBI) is an award winning company with a customer base that includes major pharmaceutical companies. However, despite a continuing series of successes, VBI believes that they are about at the limit of the performance their product can achieve on Earth and gravity is the problem. This Case Study documented VBI's experience as the novice company attempted its first steps in the process of conducting research and development in space. The report presents insights applicable to commercial suppliers of microgravity services as well as ISS support of new commercial users, especially small businesses interested in using space for product development.

Harper, Lynn D.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Virtual International Satellite Training Experiences for Weather, Marine, Climate, and Environmental Applications

Since January 2020, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, its Cooperative Institutes, and international partners provided over 15,000 hours of virtual satellite focused on user engagement. The training provides and guides users to analyze a large variety of satellite data for weather, climate, and environmental applications and decision support. The training team reached users in over 50 countries via monthly Regional Focus Group and special topic sessions, World Meteorological Organization Regional Association III and IV Workshops, and American Meteorological Society Short Courses. The training sessions were offered in both English and Spanish covering such themes as GOES-R, JPSS and other satellite capabilities, data access using GEONET Cast, data display, and user applications. The training also emphasized the operational application of satellite observations for cross-disciplinary topics like heavy rain and hail events, aviation hazards, fire and smoke detection, volcanic eruptions and ash monitoring, climate indices, monitoring coral reef health, and in tsunami preparedness. The presentation will highlight the methods used and challenges posed by the various training approaches and future modifications to adapt to the virtual environment during training sessions planned for the next year.

Satellite Training↗

NASA NTRS1988

Space station commonality analysis

This study was conducted on the basis of a modification to Contract NAS8-36413, Space Station Commonality Analysis, which was initiated in December, 1987 and completed in July, 1988. The objective was to investigate the commonality aspects of subsystems and mission support hardware while technology experiments are accommodated on board the Space Station in the mid-to-late 1990s. Two types of mission are considered: (1) Advanced solar arrays and their storage; and (2) Satellite servicing. The point of departure for definition of the technology development missions was a set of missions described in the Space Station Mission Requirements Data Base. (MRDB): TDMX 2151 Solar Array/Energy Storage Technology; TDMX 2561 Satellite Servicing and Refurbishment; TDMX 2562 Satellite Maintenance and Repair; TDMX 2563 Materials Resupply (to a free-flyer materials processing platform); TDMX 2564 Coatings Maintenance Technology; and TDMX 2565 Thermal Interface Technology. Issues to be addressed according to the Statement of Work included modularity of programs, data base analysis interactions, user interfaces, and commonality. The study was to consider State-of-the-art advances through the 1990s and to select an appropriate scale for the technology experiments, considering hardware commonality, user interfaces, and mission support requirements. The study was to develop evolutionary plans for the technology advancement missions.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1997

Steady-State Cycle Deck Launcher Developed for Numerical Propulsion System Simulation

One of the objectives of NASA's High Performance Computing and Communications Program's (HPCCP) Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) is to reduce the time and cost of generating aerothermal numerical representations of engines, called customer decks. These customer decks, which are delivered to airframe companies by various U.S. engine companies, numerically characterize an engine's performance as defined by the particular U.S. airframe manufacturer. Until recently, all numerical models were provided with a Fortran-compatible interface in compliance with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) document AS681F, and data communication was performed via a standard, labeled common structure in compliance with AS681F. Recently, the SAE committee began to develop a new standard: AS681G. AS681G addresses multiple language requirements for customer decks along with alternative data communication techniques. Along with the SAE committee, the NPSS Steady-State Cycle Deck project team developed a standard Application Program Interface (API) supported by a graphical user interface. This work will result in Aerospace Recommended Practice 4868 (ARP4868). The Steady-State Cycle Deck work was validated against the Energy Efficient Engine customer deck, which is publicly available. The Energy Efficient Engine wrapper was used not only to validate ARP4868 but also to demonstrate how to wrap an existing customer deck. The graphical user interface for the Steady-State Cycle Deck facilitates the use of the new standard and makes it easier to design and analyze a customer deck. This software was developed following I. Jacobson's Object-Oriented Design methodology and is implemented in C++. The AS681G standard will establish a common generic interface for U.S. engine companies and airframe manufacturers. This will lead to more accurate cycle models, quicker model generation, and faster validation leading to specifications. The standard will facilitate cooperative work between industry and NASA. The NPSS Steady-State Cycle Deck team released a batch version of the Steady-State Cycle Deck in March 1996. Version 1.1 was released in June 1996. During fiscal 1997, NPSS accepted enhancements and modifications to the Steady-State Cycle Deck launcher. Consistent with NPSS' commercialization plan, these modifications will be done by a third party that can provide long-term software support.

VanDrei, Donald E.↗

NASA NTRS1995

EXPECT: Explicit Representations for Flexible Acquisition

To create more powerful knowledge acquisition systems, we not only need better acquisition tools, but we need to change the architecture of the knowledge based systems we create so that their structure will provide better support for acquisition. Current acquisition tools permit users to modify factual knowledge but they provide limited support for modifying problem solving knowledge. In this paper, the authors argue that this limitation (and others) stem from the use of incomplete models of problem-solving knowledge and inflexible specification of the interdependencies between problem-solving and factual knowledge. We describe the EXPECT architecture which addresses these problems by providing an explicit representation for problem-solving knowledge and intent. Using this more explicit representation, EXPECT can automatically derive the interdependencies between problem-solving and factual knowledge. By deriving these interdependencies from the structure of the knowledge-based system itself EXPECT supports more flexible and powerful knowledge acquisition.

Swartout, BIll↗

NASA NTRS1992

AXAF user interfaces for heterogeneous analysis environments

The AXAF Science Center (ASC) will develop software to support all facets of data center activities and user research for the AXAF X-ray Observatory, scheduled for launch in 1999. The goal is to provide astronomers with the ability to utilize heterogeneous data analysis packages, that is, to allow astronomers to pick the best packages for doing their scientific analysis. For example, ASC software will be based on IRAF, but non-IRAF programs will be incorporated into the data system where appropriate. Additionally, it is desired to allow AXAF users to mix ASC software with their own local software. The need to support heterogeneous analysis environments is not special to the AXAF project, and therefore finding mechanisms for coordinating heterogeneous programs is an important problem for astronomical software today. The approach to solving this problem has been to develop two interfaces that allow the scientific user to run heterogeneous programs together. The first is an IRAF-compatible parameter interface that provides non-IRAF programs with IRAF's parameter handling capabilities. Included in the interface is an application programming interface to manipulate parameters from within programs, and also a set of host programs to manipulate parameters at the command line or from within scripts. The parameter interface has been implemented to support parameter storage formats other than IRAF parameter files, allowing one, for example, to access parameters that are stored in data bases. An X Windows graphical user interface called 'agcl' has been developed, layered on top of the IRAF-compatible parameter interface, that provides a standard graphical mechanism for interacting with IRAF and non-IRAF programs. Users can edit parameters and run programs for both non-IRAF programs and IRAF tasks. The agcl interface allows one to communicate with any command line environment in a transparent manner and without any changes to the original environment. For example, the authors routinely layer the GUI on top of IRAF, ksh, SMongo, and IDL. The agcl, based on the facilities of a system called Answer Garden, also has sophisticated support for examining documentation and help files, asking questions of experts, and developing a knowledge base of frequently required information. Thus, the GUI becomes a total environment for running programs, accessing information, examining documents, and finding human assistance. Because the agcl can communicate with any command-line environment, most projects can make use of it easily. New applications are continually being found for these interfaces. It is the authors' intention to evolve the GUI and its underlying parameter interface in response to these needs - from users as well as developers - throughout the astronomy community. This presentation describes the capabilities and technology of the above user interface mechanisms and tools. It also discusses the design philosophies guiding the work, as well as hopes for the future.

Mandel, Eric↗

NASA NTRS1993

Scheduling the future NASA Space Network: Experiences with a flexible scheduling prototype

NASA's Space Network (SN) provides telecommunications and tracking services to low earth orbiting spacecraft. One proposal for improving resource allocation and automating conflict resolution for the SN is the concept of flexible scheduling. In this concept, each Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) will possess a Space Network User POCC Interface (SNUPI) to support the development and management of flexible requests. Flexible requests express the flexibility, constraints, and repetitious nature of the user's communications requirements. Flexible scheduling is expected to improve SN resource utilization and user satisfaction, as well as reduce the effort to produce and maintain a schedule. A prototype testbed has been developed to better understand flexible scheduling as it applies to the SN. This testbed consists of a SNUPI workstation, an SN scheduler, and a flexible request language that conveys information between the two systems. All three are being evaluated by operations personnel. Benchmark testing is being conducted on the scheduler to quantify the productivity improvements achieved with flexible requests.

Happell, Nadine↗

NASA NTRS1986

Intelligent user interface concept for space station

The space station computing system must interface with a wide variety of users, from highly skilled operations personnel to payload specialists from all over the world. The interface must accommodate a wide variety of operations from the space platform, ground control centers and from remote sites. As a result, there is a need for a robust, highly configurable and portable user interface that can accommodate the various space station missions. The concept of an intelligent user interface executive, written in Ada, that would support a number of advanced human interaction techniques, such as windowing, icons, color graphics, animation, and natural language processing is presented. The user interface would provide intelligent interaction by understanding the various user roles, the operations and mission, the current state of the environment and the current working context of the users. In addition, the intelligent user interface executive must be supported by a set of tools that would allow the executive to be easily configured and to allow rapid prototyping of proposed user dialogs. This capability would allow human engineering specialists acting in the role of dialog authors to define and validate various user scenarios. The set of tools required to support development of this intelligent human interface capability is discussed and the prototyping and validation efforts required for development of the Space Station's user interface are outlined.

Comer, Edward↗

NASA NTRS1978

Advanced space power requirements and techniques. Task 1: Mission projections and requirements. Volume 1: Technical report

The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop projections of the NASA, DoD, and civil space power requirements for the 1980-1995 time period; (2) identify specific areas of application and space power subsystem type needs for each prospective user; (3) document the supporting and historical base, including relevant cost related measures of performance; and (4) quantify the benefits of specific technology projection advancements. The initial scope of the study included: (1) construction of likely models for NASA, DoD, and civil space systems; (2) generation of a number of future scenarios; (3) extraction of time phased technology requirements based on the scenarios; and (4) cost/benefit analyses of some of the technologies identified.

Wolfe, M. G.↗

NASA NTRS1984

Adaptive mobile access protocol (AMAP) for the message service of a land mobile satellite experiment (MSAT-X)

This paper describes a feasibility study of the adaptive mobile access protocol (AMAP) for MSATA-X, a proposed experimental mobile satellite communication network. The mobiles are dispersed over a wide geographical area and the channel data rate is limited due to the size and cost limitations of mobile antennas. AMAP is a reservation based multiple-access scheme. The available bandwidth is divided into subchannels, which are divided into reservation and message channels. The ALOHA multiple-access scheme is employed in the reservation channels, while the message channels are demand assigned. AMAP adaptively reallocates the reservation and message channels to optimize system performance. It has been shown that if messages are generated at a rate of one message per hour, AMAP can support approximately 2000 active users per 2400 bit/s channel with an average delay of 1.4 s.

Li, V. O. K.↗

NASA NTRS1986

Program status

The Pilot Climate Data System (PCDS) was designed to support a variety of users that have been arbitrarily categorized into four groups: researchers, data producers, occasional users, and management. The expanding capabilities of the system are attracting the attention of both academic and other scientific institutions worldwide. Highlighted by progress in networking capabilities, hardware acquisitions, software developments, data set additions, and tutorial developments, exciting advances have taken place since the First PCDS Workshop. In the plans for the 1986 fiscal year, recommendations from an ad hoc users' group meeting in May 1985 and from the First PCDS workshop are apparent. This year's plans are listed, along with comments made at the users' group meeting. Although the PCDS is presently considered to be in a developmental phase, plans for making the transition to an operational phase are being implemented.

Smith, P.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The development of an intelligent user interface for NASA's scientific databases

The National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) has initiated an Intelligent Data Management (IDM) research effort which has as one of its components, the development of an Intelligent User Interface (IUI). The intent of the IUI effort is to develop a friendly and intelligent user interface service that is based on expert systems and natural language processing technologies. This paper presents the design concepts, development approach and evaluation of performance of a prototype Intelligent User Interface Subsystem (IUIS) supporting an operational database.

Campbell, William J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

A framework for implementing data services in multi-service mobile satellite systems

Mobile satellite systems being planned for introduction in the early 1990s are expected to be invariably of the multi-service type. Mobile Telephone Service (MTS), Mobile Radio Service (MRS), and Mobile Data Service (MDS) are the major classifications used to categorize the many user applications to be supported. The MTS and MRS services encompass circuit-switched voice communication applications, and may be efficiently implemented using a centralized Demand-Assigned Multiple Access (DAMA) scheme. Applications under the MDS category are, on the other hand, message-oriented and expected to vary widely in characteristics; from simplex mode short messaging applications to long duration, full-duplex interactive data communication and large file transfer applications. For some applications under this service category, the conventional circuit-based DAMA scheme may prove highly inefficient due to the long time required to set up and establish communication links relative to the actual message transmission time. It is proposed that by defining a set of basic bearer services to be supported in MDS and optimizing their transmission and access schemes independent of the MTS and MRS services, the MDS applications can be more efficiently integrated into the multi-service design of mobile satellite systems.

Ali, Mohammed O.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Configuration management issues and objectives for a real-time research flight test support facility

An account is given of configuration management activities for the Western Aeronautical Test Range (WATR) at NASA-Ames, whose primary function is the conduct of aeronautical research flight testing through real-time processing and display, tracking, and communications systems. The processing of WATR configuration change requests for specific research flight test projects must be conducted in such a way as to refrain from compromising the reliability of WATR support to all project users. Configuration management's scope ranges from mission planning to operations monitoring and performance trend analysis.

Yergensen, Stephen↗

NASA NTRS1989

Distributed user services for supercomputers

User-service operations at supercomputer facilities are examined. The question is whether a single, possibly distributed, user-services organization could be shared by NASA's supercomputer sites in support of a diverse, geographically dispersed, user community. A possible structure for such an organization is identified as well as some of the technologies needed in operating such an organization.

Sowizral, Henry A.↗

NASA NTRS1986

The development of an intelligent user interface for NASA's scientific databases

Campbell, William J.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Automating software design system DESTA

'DESTA' is the acronym for the Dialogue Evolutionary Synthesizer of Turnkey Algorithms by means of a natural language (Russian or English) functional specification of algorithms or software being developed. DESTA represents the computer-aided and/or automatic artificial intelligence 'forgiving' system which provides users with software tools support for algorithm and/or structured program development. The DESTA system is intended to provide support for the higher levels and earlier stages of engineering design of software in contrast to conventional Computer Aided Design (CAD) systems which provide low level tools for use at a stage when the major planning and structuring decisions have already been taken. DESTA is a knowledge-intensive system. The main features of the knowledge are procedures, functions, modules, operating system commands, batch files, their natural language specifications, and their interlinks. The specific domain for the DESTA system is a high level programming language like Turbo Pascal 6.0. The DESTA system is operational and runs on an IBM PC computer.

Lovitsky, Vladimir A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Reuse: A knowledge-based approach

This paper describes our research in automating the reuse process through the use of application domain models. Application domain models are explicit formal representations of the application knowledge necessary to understand, specify, and generate application programs. Furthermore, they provide a unified repository for the operational structure, rules, policies, and constraints of a specific application area. In our approach, domain models are expressed in terms of a transaction-based meta-modeling language. This paper has described in detail the creation and maintenance of hierarchical structures. These structures are created through a process that includes reverse engineering of data models with supplementary enhancement from application experts. Source code is also reverse engineered but is not a major source of domain model instantiation at this time. In the second phase of the software synthesis process, program specifications are interactively synthesized from an instantiated domain model. These specifications are currently integrated into a manual programming process but will eventually be used to derive executable code with mechanically assisted transformations. This research is performed within the context of programming-in-the-large types of systems. Although our goals are ambitious, we are implementing the synthesis system in an incremental manner through which we can realize tangible results. The client/server architecture is capable of supporting 16 simultaneous X/Motif users and tens of thousands of attributes and classes. Domain models have been partially synthesized from five different application areas. As additional domain models are synthesized and additional knowledge is gathered, we will inevitably add to and modify our representation. However, our current experience indicates that it will scale and expand to meet our modeling needs.

Iscoe, Neil↗