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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 397 records · Page 22
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NASA NTRS2023

Flexible Data Fusion for Air Quality Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine to support Global Health Management Needs

The assessment and forecasting of air quality around the world at high spatial and temporal resolution can be enhanced by integrating data from multiple sources including models, satellites, regulatory monitors, and low-cost sensors. Such integration is subject to numerous technical challenges, however, including heterogeneous data resolution and formatting, different levels of data availability and reliability, and computational and capacity challenges to developing data fusion tools and platforms. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop a data fusion system within the Google Earth Engine platform which integrates these air quality data sources to produce comprehensive assessments and forecasts of key air pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The system is being developed in collaboration with city- and regional-level air quality managers, and will provide them with information to the assess and anticipate the health impacts of poor air quality, track local changes in air quality due to ongoing transportation and land use changes, and identify potential gaps in their current air quality monitoring strategies. The presentation will report advances achieved through the project, including bringing local air quality monitoring data into Google Earth Engine, quantifying uncertainties in air quality estimates and forecasts, and tailored communications tools providing integration into end-user processes to meet their needs.

Carl Malings↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Flexible Data Fusion for Air Quality Estimation and Forecasting in Google Earth Engine to support Global Health Management Needs

The assessment and forecasting of air quality around the world at high spatial and temporal resolution can be enhanced by integrating data from multiple sources including models, satellites, regulatory monitors, and low-cost sensors. Such integration is subject to numerous technical challenges, however, including heterogeneous data resolution and formatting, different levels of data availability and reliability, and computational and capacity challenges to developing data fusion tools and platforms. This presentation will provide an overview of a NASA-funded effort to develop a data fusion system within the Google Earth Engine platform which integrates these air quality data sources to produce comprehensive assessments and forecasts of key air pollutants at sub-daily and sub-city scales. The system is being developed in collaboration with city- and regional-level air quality managers and will provide them with information to the assess and anticipate the health impacts of poor air quality, track local changes in air quality due to ongoing transportation and land use changes, and identify potential gaps in their current air quality monitoring strategies. The presentation will report advances achieved through the project, including bringing local air quality monitoring data into Google Earth Engine, quantifying uncertainties in air quality estimates and forecasts, and tailored communications tools providing integration into end-user processes to meet their needs.

Nathan R. Pavlovic↗
NASA NTRS2007

Panel Resource Management (PRM) Implementation and Effects within Safety Review Panel Settings and Dynamics

While technical training and advanced degree's assure proficiency at specific tasks within engineering disciplines, they fail to address the potential for communication breakdown and decision making errors familiar to multicultural environments where language barriers, intimidating personalities and interdisciplinary misconceptions exist. In an effort to minimize these pitfalls to effective panel review, NASA's lead safety engineers to the ISS Safety Review Panel (SRP), and Payload Safety Review Panel (PSRP) initiated training with their engineers, in conjunction with the panel chairs, and began a Panel Resource Management (PRM) program. The intent of this program focuses on the ability to reduce the barriers inhibiting effective participation from all panel attendees by bolstering participants confidence levels through increased communication skills, situational awareness, debriefing, and a better technical understanding of requirements and systems.

Taylor, Robert W.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Organization's Orderly Interest Exploration: Inception, Development and Insights of AIAA's Topics Database

Since 2003, AIAA's Computer Systems and Software Systems Technical Committees (TCs) have developed a database that aids technical committee management to map technical topics to their members. This Topics/Interest (T/I) database grew out of a collection of charts and spreadsheets maintained by the TCs. Since its inception, the tool has evolved into a multi-dimensional database whose dimensions include the importance, interest and expertise of TC members and whether or not a member and/or a TC is actively involved with the topic. In 2005, the database was expanded to include the TCs in AIAA s Information Systems Group and then expanded further to include all AIAA TCs. It was field tested at an AIAA Technical Activities Committee (TAC) Workshop in early 2006 through live access by over 80 users. Through the use of the topics database, TC and program committee (PC) members can accomplish relevant tasks such as: to identify topic experts (for Aerospace America articles or external contacts), to determine the interest of its members, to identify overlapping topics between diverse TCs and PCs, to guide new member drives and to reveal emerging topics. This paper will describe the origins, inception, initial development, field test and current version of the tool as well as elucidate the benefits and insights gained by using the database to aid the management of various TC functions. Suggestions will be provided to guide future development of the database for the purpose of providing dynamics and system level benefits to AIAA that currently do not exist in any technical organization.

Marshall, Jospeh R.↗
NASA NTRS2007

iPhone in NASA Ground Operations

A comprehensive review of the literature and historical background of NASA established a need for an easy-to-implement technological improvement to displaying procedures which is cost effective and risk reducing. Previous unsuccessful attempts have led this team to explore the practicality of using a mobile handheld device. The major products, inputs, resources, constraints, planning and effort required for consideration of this type of solution were outlined. After analyzing the physical, environmental, life-cycle, functional, and socio-technical requirements, a Functional Analysis was performed to describe the top-level, second-level, and third-level functions of the system requirements. In addition, the risk/value proposition of conversion to a new technology was considered and gave a blueprint for transitioning along with the tasks necessary to implement the device into the Vehicle Assembly Building's (VAB) current infrastructure. A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) described the elemental work items of the implementation. Once the viability of this system was confirmed, a device was selected through use of technical design comparison methods including the Pugh Matrix and House of Quality. Comparison and evaluation of the Apple iPhone, Motorola Q, Blackberry, PC Notebook, and PDA revealed that the iPhone is the most suitable device for this task. This paper outlines the device design/ architecture, as well as some of the required infrastructure.

Benedict, Ashley↗
NASA NTRS2002

Science@NASA: Direct to People!

Science@NASA is a science communication effort sponsored by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center. It is the result of a four year research project between Marshall, the University of Florida College of Journalism and Communications and the internet communications company, Bishop Web Works. The goals of Science@NASA are to inform, inspire, and involve people in the excitement of NASA science by bringing that science directly to them. We stress not only the reporting of the facts of a particular topic, but also the context and importance of the research. Science@NASA involves several levels of activity from academic communications research to production of content for 6 websites, in an integrated process involving all phases of production. A Science Communications Roundtable Process is in place that includes scientists, managers, writers, editors, and Web technical experts. The close connection between the scientists and the writers/editors assures a high level of scientific accuracy in the finished products. The websites each have unique characters and are aimed at different audience segments: 1. http://science.nasa.gov. (SNG) Carries stories featuring various aspects of NASA science activity. The site carries 2 or 3 new stories each week in written and audio formats for science-attentive adults. 2. http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov. Features stories from SNG that are recast for a high school level audience. J-Track and J-Pass applets for tracking satellites are our most popular product. 3. http://kids. msfc.nasa.gov. This is the Nursemaids site and is aimed at a middle school audience. The NASAKids Club is a new feature at the site. 4. http://www.thursdaysclassroom.com . This site features lesson plans and classroom activities for educators centered around one of the science stories carried on SNG. 5. http://www.spaceweather.com. This site gives the status of solar activity and its interactions with the Earth's ionosphere and magnetosphere.

Koczor, Ronald J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

The application of NAVSTAR differential GPS in the civilian community

The NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS), currently being developed by the DOD, is a space based navigation system that will provide the user with precise position, velocity, and time information on a 24 hour basis, in all weather conditions and at any point on the globe. The baseline GPS system will provide guaranteed high accuracy to only a limited number of users, mostly the military. The civilian community has to devise a variation of this system to allow for an assured, uninterrupted level of accuracy. Differential GPS provides such a capability. In connection with the conceived possibility of the use of GPS by an enemy, it is found to be necessary to implement a selective availability technical capability. Differential GPS provides an approach for the civilian community to have a guaranteed level of accuracy better than the 250 meters presently planned for GPS.

Beser, J.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Unique strategies for technical information management at Johnson Space Center

In addition to the current NASA manned programs, the maturation of Space Station and the introduction of the Space Exploration programs are anticipated to add substantially to the number and variety of data and documentation at NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC). This growth in the next decade has been estimated at five to ten fold compared to the current numbers. There will be an increased requirement for the tracking and currency of space program data and documents with National pressures to realize economic benefits from the research and technological developments of space programs. From a global perspective the demand for NASA's technical data and documentation is anticipated to increase at local, national, and international levels. The primary users will be government, industry, and academia. In our present national strategy, NASA's research and technology will assume a great role in the revitalization of the economy and gaining international competitiveness. Thus, greater demand will be placed on NASA's data and documentation resources. In this paper the strategies and procedures developed by DDMS, Inc., to accommodate the present and future information utilization needs are presented. The DDMS, Inc., strategies and procedures rely on understanding user requirements, library management issues, and technological applications for acquiring, searching, storing, and retrieving specific information accurately and quickly. The proposed approach responds to changing customer requirements and product deliveries. The unique features of the proposed strategy include: (1) To establish customer driven data and documentation management through an innovative and unique methods to identify needs and requirements. (2) To implement a structured process which responds to user needs, aimed at minimizing costs and maximizing services, resulting in increased productivity. (3) To provide a process of standardization of services and procedures. This standardization is the central theme of the strategic approach. It will allow Division level Data and Documentation Libraries (DDL's) to function independently and optimize efficiency at the Directorate level. This process also facilitates interconnectivity between Division level DDL's and makes them transparent to the users. (4) To implement the process of 'cost savings', and at the same time the objective is to gain substantial improvement in the organization, categorization, and preservation of JSC-generated data and documentation, and (5) To find, locate, retrace, restore, and preserve the Center-generated crucial scientific and technical information that has been and is being provided by the engineers and scientists of JSC. This is important to the preservation of 'lessons learned'. Preliminary estimates of the possible cost savings which will result from the implementation of this process will also be discussed in this paper.

Krishen, Vijay↗
NASA NTRS2009

Technical Aspects of Acoustical Engineering for the ISS [International Space Station]

It is important to control acoustic levels on manned space flight vehicles and habitats to protect crew-hearing, allow for voice communications, and to ensure a healthy and habitable environment in which to work and live. For the International Space Station (ISS) this is critical because of the long duration crew-stays of approximately 6-months. NASA and the JSC Acoustics Office set acoustic requirements that must be met for hardware to be certified for flight. Modules must meet the NC-50 requirement and other component hardware are given smaller allocations to meet. In order to meet these requirements many aspects of noise generation and control must be considered. This presentation has been developed to give an insight into the various technical activities performed at JSC to ensure that a suitable acoustic environment is provided for the ISS crew. Examples discussed include fan noise, acoustic flight material development, on-orbit acoustic monitoring, and a specific hardware development and acoustical design case, the ISS Crew Quarters.

Allen, Christopher S.↗
NASA NTRS2009

Mentoring SFRM: A New Approach to International Space Station Flight Control Training

The Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) of the Johnson Space Center is responsible for providing continuous operations support for the International Space Station (ISS). Operations support requires flight controllers who are skilled in team performance as well as the technical operations of the ISS. Space Flight Resource Management (SFRM), a NASA adapted variant of Crew Resource Management (CRM), is the competency model used in the MOD. ISS flight controller certification has evolved to include a balanced focus on development of SFRM and technical expertise. The latest challenge the MOD faces is how to certify an ISS flight controller (Operator) to a basic level of effectiveness in 1 year. SFRM training uses a twopronged approach to expediting operator certification: 1) imbed SFRM skills training into all Operator technical training and 2) use senior flight controllers as mentors. This paper focuses on how the MOD uses senior flight controllers as mentors to train SFRM skills.

Huning, Therese↗
DOE OSTI2026

Microfibril orientation and compositional heterogeneity in fiber and vessel cell walls of poplar xylem studied by AFM-IR and SFG spectroscopy

Understanding the structural organization of cellulose microfibrils (CMFs) within individual plant cell walls is essential for connecting cell wall architecture to its mechanical and physiological functions. However, due to the complex hierarchical structure and nanoscale heterogeneity of cell walls, it remains technically challenging to resolve detailed compositional and orientational information at subcellular levels of individual cell walls. This study investigates the internal 3D structure, chemical composition, and sublayer organization of fiber and vessel cell walls in the xylem tissue of a two-year-old field-grown hybrid poplar tree (Populus alba × P. glandulosa) using photothermal atomic force microscopy coupled with infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) and sum frequency generation (SFG) hyperspectral microscopy. AFM-IR provided nanoscale chemical imaging, revealing localized compositional heterogeneity, including variations between adjacent cell walls and transitional layers beyond the traditional S1, S2, and S3 sublayers. SFG microscopy revealed that CMFs in fiber walls are highly aligned along the stem axis, consistent with their role in mechanical support, while vessel cell walls exhibited slightly tilted CMFs, reflecting their function in hydraulic transport. Together, these results offer new insights into cell-type-specific CMF organization and compositional gradients in hybrid poplar xylem. These findings highlight the structural and chemical complexity of secondary cell walls in woody plants and demonstrate the value of AFM-IR and SFG spectroscopy in elucidating plant cell wall architecture.

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2025

MLCommons Science Benchmarks

Benchmarks are a cornerstone of modern machine learning practice, providing standardized eval- uations that enable reproducibility, comparison, and scientific progress. Yet, as AI systems particularly deep learning models become increasingly dynamic, traditional static benchmarking approaches are losing their relevance. Models rapidly evolve in architecture, scale, and capability; datasets shift; and deployment contexts continuously change, creating a moving target for evaluation. Without adaptive benchmarking frame- works, both scientific assessment and real-world de- ployment risk becoming misaligned with actual system behavior. Drawing on our experience from MLCommons, educa- tional initiatives, and government programs such as the DOE s Million Parameter Consortium, we identify key barriers that hinder the broader adoption and utility of benchmarking in AI. These include substantial resource demands, limited access to specialized hardware, lack of expertise in benchmark design, and uncertainty among practitioners about how to relate benchmark results to their own application domains. Moreover, current benchmarks often emphasize peak performance on leadership-class hardware, offering limited guidance for more diverse, real-world deployment scenarios. We argue that benchmarking itself must become dy- namic in order to incorporate evolving models, updated data, and heterogeneous computational platforms while maintaining transparency, reproducibility, and inter- pretability. Democratizing this process requires not only technical innovation, but also systematic educational efforts spanning undergraduate to professional levels to develop sustained expertise in benchmark design and use. Finally, benchmarks should be framed and com- municated to support application-relevant comparisons, enabling both developers and users to make informed, context-sensitive decisions. Advancing dynamic and inclusive benchmarking practices will be essential to ensure that evaluation keeps pace with the evolving AI landscape and supports responsible, reproducible, and accessible AI deployment.

Hawks, Benjamin G. [Fermilab]↗
NASA NTRS1989

Mars rover 1988 concepts

Results of FY88 studies of a sample-collecting Mars rover are presented. A variety of rover concepts are discussed which include different technical approaches to rover functions. The performance of rovers with different levels of automation is described and compared to the science requirement for 20 to 40 km to be traversed on the Martian surface and for 100 rock and soil samples to be collected. The analysis shows that a considerable amount of automation in roving and sampling is required to meet this requirement. Additional performance evaluation shows that advanced RTG's producing 500 W and 350 WHr of battery storage are needed to supply the rover.

Pivirotto, Donna Shirley↗
NASA NTRS1993

NASA Engineering and Technology Advancement Office: A proposal to the administrator

NASA has continually had problems with cost, schedule, performance, reliability, quality, and safety aspects in programs. Past solutions have not provided the answers needed, and a major change is needed in the way of doing business. A new approach is presented for consideration. These problems are all engineering matters, and therefore, require engineering solutions. Proper engineering tools are needed to fix engineering problems. Headquarters is responsible for providing the management structure to support programs with appropriate engineering tools. A guide to define those tools and an approach for putting them into place is provided. Recommendations include establishing a new Engineering and Technology Advancement Office, requesting a review of this proposal by the Administrator since this subject requires a top level decision. There has been a wide peer review conducted by technical staff at Headquarters, the Field Installations, and others in industry as discussed.

Schulze, Norman R.↗
NASA NTRS1994

Ab Initio Vibrational Levels For HO2 and Vibrational Splittings for Hydrogen Atom Transfer

We calculate vibrational levels and wave functions for HO2 using the recently reported ab initio potential energy surface of Walch and Duchovic. There is intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer when the hydrogen atom tunnels through a T-shaped saddle point separating two equivalent equilibrium geometries, and correspondingly, the energy levels are split. We focus on vibrational levels and wave functions with significant splitting. The first three vibrational levels with splitting greater than 2/cm are (15 0), (0 7 1) and (0 8 0) where V(sub 2) is the O-O-H bend quantum number. We discuss the dynamics of hydrogen atom transfer; in particular, the O-O distances at which hydrogen atom transfer is most probable for these vibrational levels. The material of the proposed presentation was reviewed and the technical content will not reveal any information not already in the public domain and will not give any foreign industry or government a competitive advantage.

Barclay, V. J.↗
NASA NTRS2008

International Space Station Human Behavior and Performance Competency Model: Volume I

This document defines Human Behavior and Performance (HBP) competencies that are recommended to be included as requirements to participate in international long duration missions. They were developed in response to the Multilateral Crew Operations Panel (MMOP) request to develop HBP training requirements for the International Space Station (ISS). The competency model presented here was developed by the ITCB HBPT WG and forms the basis for determining the HBP training curriculum for long duration crewmembers. This document lists specific HBP competencies and behaviors required of astronauts/cosmonauts who participate in ISS expedition and other international longduration missions. Please note that this model does not encompass all competencies required. For example, outside the scope of this document are cognitive skills and abilities, including but not limited to concentration, memorization, perception, imagination, and thinking. It is assumed that these skills, which are crucial in terms of human behavior and performance, are considered during selection phase since such professionally significant qualities of the operator should be taken into consideration in order to ensure sufficient baseline levels that can be further improved during general astronaut training. Also, technical competencies, even though critical for crewmembers, are beyond the scope of this document. It should also be noted that the competencies in this model (and subsequent objectives) are not intended to limit the internal activities or training programs of any international partner.

Schmidt, Lacey↗
NASA NTRS2011

Deep Space Habitat Team: HEFT Phase 2 Effects

HEFT was a NASA-wide team that performed analyses of architectures for human exploration beyond LEO, evaluating technical, programmatic, and budgetary issues to support decisions at the highest level of the agency in HSF planning. HEFT Phase I (April - September, 2010) and Phase II (September - December, 2010) examined a broad set of Human Exploration of Near Earth Objects (NEOs) Design Reference Missions (DRMs), evaluating such factors as elements, performance, technologies, schedule, and cost. At end of HEFT Phase 1, an architecture concept known as DRM 4a represented the best available option for a full capability NEO mission. Within DRM4a, the habitation system was provided by Deep Space Habitat (DSH), Multi-Mission Space Exploration Vehicle (MMSEV), and Crew Transfer Vehicle (CTV) pressurized elements. HEFT Phase 2 extended DRM4a, resulting in DRM4b. Scrubbed element-level functionality assumptions and mission Concepts of Operations. Habitation Team developed more detailed concepts of the DSH and the DSH/MMSEV/CTV Conops, including functionality and accommodations, mass & volume estimates, technology requirements, and DDT&E costs. DRM 5 represented an effort to reduce cost by scaling back on technologies and eliminating the need for the development of an MMSEV.

Toups, Larry D.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Techniques for Conducting Effective Concept Design and Design-to-Cost Trade Studies

Concept design plays a central role in project success as its product effectively locks the majority of system life cycle cost. Such extraordinary leverage presents a business case for conducting concept design in a credible fashion, particularly for first-of-a-kind systems that advance the state of the art and that have high design uncertainty. A key challenge, however, is to know when credible design convergence has been achieved in such systems. Using a space system example, this paper characterizes the level of convergence needed for concept design in the context of technical and programmatic resource margins available in preliminary design and highlights the importance of design and cost evaluation learning curves in determining credible convergence. It also provides techniques for selecting trade study cases that promote objective concept evaluation, help reveal unknowns, and expedite convergence within the trade space and conveys general practices for conducting effective concept design-to-cost studies.

Design To Cost↗