Results for “Portfolio” — Page 23

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Initial Assessment of Variable Depth Liner Optimization for Ducted Proprotor Applications

The rise of the Urban Air Mobility market has spurred the design of a new generation of novel aircraft. To aid industry and researchers interested in these types of aircraft, the Revolutionary Vertical Lift Technology project at NASA has developed a fleet of reference vehicles for system studies. A new six-passenger reference vehicle has recently been added to the research portfolio that has ducted proprotors for propulsors. The ducts present an opportunity to apply acoustic treatment to the interior of the duct that could target both tonal and broadband noise, representative of the sound produced by this type of propulsor. In this paper, design methodologies are presented to design a variable depth liner for this application. An optimizer is used to design multiple liners with variable chamber depths. Experimental results from normal impedance testing are compared to numerical predictions using the optimizer model and a finite element model. Results show that an optimizer can be used to design an acoustic liner with favorable performance for a broad range of frequencies, which could be appropriate for a ducted proprotor application.

Matthew B Galles↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor of Integrated Pressure with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

The Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) is widely used to measure the surface pressure of the scaled model in the wind tunnel tests. Compared to the conventional pressure transducers, uPSP has the advantage of high spatial resolution. With multiple high-speed cameras, the uPSP data collected with the camera pixels are mapped to the surface grid of the scaled model and converted to pressure. The shot noise, which is associated with the quantum processes both in the generation of the photons by the luminescent uPSP and in the conversion of the photons into electrons within the camera, is the dominant component of the noise in the uPSP measurement. The integrated pressure is usually computed as an area-weighted average of the uPSP measured pressures on the grid nodes of a user-defined patch. The effect of the shot noise is reduced in the integrated pressure; however, the measurement of the aerodynamic pressure is also attenuated. This paper discusses the Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor (JAAF) of the integrated pressure with uPSP measurements. The JAAF is defined as the ratio of the auto or cross Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the integrated aerodynamic pressure on the patch to the average auto PSD of the aerodynamic pressure on the grid nodes of the patch. Under the assumption that the cross spectrum of the aerodynamic pressure can be described with the Corcos model, the closed-form formula of the JAAF is derived for the integrated pressure on rectangular patches via the summation of uPSP measurements on discrete grid nodes. The closed-form formula is verified via the integration of the pressure field of Corcos model over continuous areas. The properties of the JAAF with different parameters are presented and the applications in the comparison of the spectrum of the pressure transducers and uPSP measurements, which were collected in the NASA Space Launch System (SLS) tests with the 11-by-11-foot transonic wind tunnel at NASA Ames Research Center in December 2017 and September 2019 respectively, are also discussed. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities(AETC) Portfolio Office.

Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lunar Science Investigations and Exploration in Celestial Mapping System

Introduction: As NASA expands the mission portfolio on the lunar surface, there is a need for applications with a broad range of analytical and functional capabilities that can be simultaneously deployed onto multiple mobile and desktop platforms to perform in-situ operations and hence enabling extensive Lunar exploration. Celestial Mapping System (CMS) [1,2] is developed to address the need for tools for science investigations, mission planning, operations and support for planetary sciences. Built on top of NASA WorldWind libraries, CMS can be simultaneously deployed onto multiple platforms, has the flexibility to update to the latest imagery and terrain datasets as they are being acquired (in real time) before and/or during the exploration mission and has the potential to enable traverse path planning suited for rovers, EVA and surface mobility units. It can provide critical functionalities such as equipment planning and optimized placement on Lunar surface, line of sight analysis to inform the coverage area for various equipment, powerful measurement tools based on 3D terrain, 3D COLLADA models to represent rovers, humans and equipment, visualization of derived mapping products (e.g. resource maps), and a data engine for hosting new observations that are not available in other contemporary lunar data tools [1]. Visualization of PSRs: The current presentation focuses on the work performed by the authors, to consume a unique dataset of super-enhanced images of the permanently shadowed regions (PSRs) at the lunar poles which were produced by the Hyper-effective nOise Removal U-net Software (HORUS) tool [3]. This tool was developed in direct support of NASA's VIPER and Artemis programs to enhance the extremely low-light images of the interior of PSRs and provide the first-time ability to see within these regions at and discern surface features (i.e. boulders and craters) down to 3 meters in size. We focused on the region near Nobili crater near Lunar south pole, selected site for VIPER mission and stitched several images to create a high-resolution map within one of the PSR of Nobile crater. Line of Sight Analysis and Traverse Planning in PSRs: We have developed an in-built line of sight analysis (LOS) tool in CMS that analyzes the terrain profile and obstructions and provides the visibility of a given terrain for a remote observer. This tool was utilized to perform viewshed analysis to investigate the area inside the PSR, a remote observer such as a rover could see without actually crossing the region. Figure 1 shows the viewshed analysis on the PSR in Nobile region. The yellow pin shows the observer location outside the PSR. The yellow area shows the visible part of PSR. The obstructed area with no visibility for the observer is shown in red. Figure 1: (left) PSR image on top of a high-resolution mosaic of sunlit images of a crater, in Nobile region (right) Viewshed Analysis of the same PSR with observer location shown by yellow pin. This analysis was extended further to set different heights for various observers and then perform the viewshed analysis. Combining the different visibility profiles can help designing improved traverses within the crater. Future plans: Eventually, HORUS datasets will be integrated into CMS as a layer in selected lunar polar regions. Hazard Maps will then be created based on terrain analysis in those regions. This integration will enable multiple scientific and exploration applications, such as designing traverses within PSRs, analyzing potential landing and science mission targets, investigating the meter-scale geomorphology of PSRs, including craters, boulder, surface roughness, mass wasting features and other indications of the presence of water-ice and other volatiles. Acknowledgments: CMS developers team including Kaitlyn J. Dickinson, Tyler A. Lucarz, Tyler W. Choi from USRA, NASA WorldWind Advisory team including Mark Peterson and Guillermo Miguel Del Castillo, HORUS team member V.T. Bickel, Robinson, M., LRO MOON LROC 2 EDR V1.0, LRO-L-LROC-2-EDR-V1.0, NASA Planetary Data System (PDS), 2009. https://doi.org/10.17189/1520643 References: [1] https://celestial.arc.nasa.gov [2] Agrawal et. al. “Celestial Mapping System for Lunar Surface Mapping and Analytics”, Lunar Surface Innovation Consortium, 2021 [3] Bickel V. et al. (2021) Nat Commun 12, 5607

Lunar Mapping↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Integration of CFD and Wind-Tunnel Testing at NASA

The debate over when wind-tunnel testing will be replaced by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) comes and goes. More recently, however, the debate has subsided with a more collaborative spirit between practitioners of these two disciplines. Combining these complementary disciplines has led to significant improvements in both as well as better understanding of aero- and fluid dynamics. Also, as CFD codes become more accurate, the need for comparisons with experimental data has increased. New measurement techniques, pressure-sensitive paint and off-body velocity measurements for example, have provided detailed, high-quality data for the comparisons. In-tunnel CFD simulations are also providing more direct comparisons between predicted and measured flows. Given this newenvironment, a concerted effort is now underway to facilitate in-tunnel CFD for the 12 major wind tunnels operated by NASA.The Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio (AETC) manages the major aerodynamic ground-testing facilities within NASA. This group is responsible for the operation, maintenance, and improvement of the wind-tunnel facilities and their capabilities. AETC has recently added a project to integrate CFD and wind-tunnel testing to better support customers of the NASA wind tunnels and to better understand the flow in the wind tunnels themselves. Being able to perform CFD simulations of wind-tunnel models in the wind tunnel environment providesthe cleanest way to assess the accuracy of the simulations relative to test data. AETC plans to provide accurate geometry and guidance to wind-tunnel customers who request it, to facilitate in-tunnel simulations. How this effort got started will be presented along with the status and plans for the project.

CFD↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Water and Disasters Tools and Development Across the SERVIR Program and Lessons-Learned Within the Hindukush Himalayan Region

The NASA-USAID SERVIR program works in partnership with leading regional organizations around the globe to help developing countries use information provided by earth observing satellites and geospatial technologies. The SERVIR Applied Sciences Team (AST) is assembled on a 3-year rotating cycle to partner with these regional organizations on the joint development and implementation of tools and techniques that can be used operationally in each region. The Portfolio of AST projects address regional priorities in four thematic service areas: Land Cover, Land Use Change & Ecosystems; Water and water-related Disasters; Weather & Climate and Food Security & Agriculture. An important goal of AST is knowledge sharing across the different regional entities to share tools and technologies for the improvement of all. This talk will focus on the Water and Disasters service area and review how tools developed in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region in partnership with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have evolved over the AST cycles. We will provide examples of stakeholder engagement both at ICIMOD and across the regional partners they support. We will also share recent examples and lessons learned with users from other SERVIR regions.

Lori A Schultz↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Framework for NASA Space Relay Satellite Services over the Next Decade: Development and Demonstration of the Commercial Successors to TDRS

• NASA SCaN Program plans to pursue commercial services for communications with Spacecrafts in near-earth Orbit • The Communications Services Project (CSP) formulated at GRC to establish partnerships with commercial SATCOM companies to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of providing SATCOM capabilities that could be offered as a service for future spacecraft users • CSP pursued an Announcement of Proposals (AFP) in 2021 • Awarded 6 industry vendors out of 14 (~ $278 million) • Viasat, SES Government Solutions, SpaceX; Kuiper Government Solutions (KGS), Telesat U.S. Services, Inmarsat Government. (4 RF and 2 Optical) • AFP’s objectives to develop and demonstrate end-to-end operational capabilities that could meet the needs of Government and private sector customers and maximize interoperability between them. • NASA completed assessment and analysis of the 6 industry proposals. • Results identified optimal portfolio that best meet AFP’s Objectives when considering capability coverage, risk spread, levels of confidence, U.S. domestic market stimulation, price and NASA budget.

George Haddad↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

An Overview of Advanced Air Mobility Research at NASA

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) will enable new types of aircraft to operate more cleanly, efficiently, and quietly, complemented by higher levels of autonomy and automation, and supported by air traffic management systems and infrastructure. The operations that these aircraft and systems are intended to conduct are designed to support missions that cover a varied set of use cases. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has been helping to lead the way in its AAM research through a broad portfolio of efforts that leverages multiple internal activities and external collaborations with industry and government. As the AAM concept has continued to advance, it has also become clear that there are very likely great benefits in its application to disaster response and the challenges posed by such complex events. In this application, NASA is leveraging its foundational work performed in partnership with the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) on integrated unmanned and manned aircraft operations in disaster response situations. The joint NASA and JAXA work, along with the ongoing AAM efforts, have contributed to the formulation of a new project that will expand the scope of technology integration with an initial focus on wildland firefighting.

advanced air mobility↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ideas For Infusing In-Space Servicing, Assembly and Manufacturing Concepts into Nuclear Electric Propulsion Architectures

NASA is currently investigating nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) for human Mars transport within the space nuclear propulsion portfolio. NEP spacecraft have the following characteristics, they: 1) include very large structures (~100-meter length); 2) are comprised of many components/modules; and 3) have very long lifetimes (e.g., 50 years for fuel rods). Thus, NEP spacecraft can be classified as a “persistent asset,” which is any zero-g or planetary surface system that benefits from in-space assembly (ISA) or multiple visits for servicing, repairs, and upgrades. NEP spacecraft will benefit from taking advantage of, and incorporating, In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities in the spacecraft architecture from the onset, enabling system maintenance, repair, and evolution. ISA has a long history of being proposed for, and studied as, a means for achieving large systems in space. More recently, the benefits of ISA have been recognized by NASA, the Department of Defense (DOD), other government agencies, and commercial space companies, and thus, ISAM is being actively pursued at a national level. Past and current strategies for achieving large structures in space have relied largely on two strategies; the first is to launch monolithic structures (designed to meet launch vehicle requirements for payload size and mass) that are docked or berthed to other monolithic structures on-orbit to form a larger structure (e.g., the International Space Station [ISS]); the second is folding and packaging large structures to fit inside a payload fairing and deploying the full-sized structure (unaided) once on-orbit (e.g., the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]). To date, conceptual architecture studies performed for NEP spacecraft capable of human-rated Mars transport have only included a combination of the two previously mentioned strategies. This paper will propose ideas for infusing ISAM strategies into NEP vehicle architectures that leverage existing and near future technologies and enable the resulting NEP systems to be realized in a more time- and cost-efficient manner.

in-space assembly↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lower Mekong Hydrological Decision Support system

The Lower Mekong Hydrological Decision Support system (LMHDSs) is a environmental data analysis tool developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center with funding from the SERVIR Applied Sciences Team and technical support from SERVIR Science Coordination Office (SCO). The web application allows stakeholders and decision-makers to view and download the inputs and outputs to the Soil and Water Assessment Tool(SWAT) model temporally and spatially. The front end is developed using JavaScript libraries like OpenLayers and Stock charts and the backend uses Django, a Python-based web framework. The web app provides several features, including visualizing map products, time-series plots, land-use/land-cover and associated soil information, and a data cart for downloading data. In addition, LMHDSs incorporates the NASAaccess software package, which provides seamless access to various climate and weather data products from NASA’s Earth observations portfolio. The application is region agnostic (any valid SWAT model can be used), modular (different components of the applications can be customized), and open (anyone can download and run it on their end). The web app is currently in use by the Mekong River Commission (MRC), a treaty-based regional intergovernmental organization that is made up of Mekong countries, as part of its hydrological decision support.

Hydrology↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Ideas for Infusing In-Space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Concepts into Nuclear Electric Propulsion Architectures

NASA is currently investigating nuclear electric propulsion (NEP) for human Mars transport within the space nuclear propulsion portfolio. NEP spacecraft have the following characteristics, they: 1) include very large structures (~100-meter length); 2) are comprised of many components/modules; and 3) have very long lifetimes (e.g., 50 years for fuel rods). Thus, NEP spacecraft can be classified as a “persistent asset,” which is any zero-g or planetary surface system that benefits from in-space assembly (ISA) or multiple visits for servicing, repairs, and upgrades. NEP spacecraft will benefit from taking advantage of, and incorporating, In-space Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing (ISAM) capabilities in the spacecraft architecture from the onset, enabling system maintenance, repair, and evolution. ISA has a long history of being proposed for, and studied as, a means for achieving large systems in space. More recently, the benefits of ISA have been recognized by NASA, the Department of Defense (DOD), other government agencies, and commercial space companies, and thus, ISAM is being actively pursued at a national level. Past and current strategies for achieving large structures in space have relied largely on two strategies; the first is to launch monolithic structures (designed to meet launch vehicle requirements for payload size and mass) that are docked or berthed to other monolithic structures on-orbit to form a larger structure (e.g., the International Space Station [ISS]); the second is folding and packaging large structures to fit inside a payload fairing and deploying the full-sized structure (unaided) once on-orbit (e.g., the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]). To date, conceptual architecture studies performed for NEP spacecraft capable of human-rated Mars transport have only included a combination of the two previously mentioned strategies. This paper will propose ideas for infusing ISAM strategies into NEP vehicle architectures that leverage existing and near future technologies and enable the resulting NEP systems to be realized in a more time- and cost-efficient manner.

in-space assembly↗

NASA NTRS2017

Mobility Metrics Summary Report

Mobility Metrics Summary developed by Crown Consulting Inc. for the NASA Portfolio Analysis and Management Office from January 24, 2017.

George Price↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Seeding Innovative Ideas and Partnering with the Ecosystem

Jenn Gustetic will talk about how NASA selects ideas and collaborates with the ecosystem to develop new technologies for NASA’s portfolio. She will explain how the organization encourages collaboration, co-invests to develop ideas from lab to market, and acts as the hub-and-spoke of the ecosystem. Jenn will also discuss NASA’s journey to break silos and work horizontally across programs. • Gathering and evaluating ideas internally and externally with diverse players – engaging communities, being the hub-and-spoke of the ecosystem, and encouraging collaboration through co-investments • Identify the best ideas, funding ideas from maturation to hand-off with fluctuating budgets, and managing IP and tech transfer • Balancing investments in projects that address NASA’s needs with higher risk ideas that may not have an obvious application • Transitioning ideas to the next phase – training people and teams and ensuring ownership • Developing a 3.0 innovation capacity strategy – disrupting silos, enabling the ecosystem to work seamlessly together, and taking people and leaders along

innovation↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor of Integrated Pressure with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

The Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) is widely used to measure the surface pressure of scaled models in wind tunnel tests. Compared to the conventional pressure transducers, uPSP has the advantage of high spatial resolution. With multiple high-speed Complementary Metal Oxide Superconductor (CMOS) cameras, the uPSP data collected with the camera pixels are mapped to the surface grid of the scaled model and converted to pressure. The shot noise is the dominant component of the noise in the uPSP measurement. The integrated pressure is usually computed on the grid nodes of a user-defined patch. The effect of shot noise is reduced in the integrated pressure on the patch; however, the measurement of the aerodynamic pressure may also be attenuated by the decorrelation of the flow pressure field being measured. This paper discusses the Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor (JAAF) of the integrated pressure with uPSP measurements. The JAAF, a function of frequency, is defined as the ratio of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the integrated aerodynamic pressure on the patch to the average PSD of the aerodynamic pressure on the grid nodes of the patch. In this paper, the JAAF is investigated for the integrated pressure on rectangular patches, whose edges are defined in the direction along the streamline or across the streamline. Based on the assumption that the surface pressure field can be described by the Corcos model, the closed-form formulas to compute the JAAFs of the integrated pressure on the discrete grid nodes of a rectangular patch and over the continuous area of a rectangular patch are derived respectively. It is shown that the JAAF of the integrated pressure over the continuous area of a rectangular patch is the limit of that on discrete nodes of the rectangular patch when the number of nodes in each row or column goes to infinity. The closed-form formulas of the JAAF derived in this paper, with estimated parameters of the model, are verified with the measurements of the uPSP and the conventional pressure transducer collected in the Space Launch System Ascent Unsteady Aerodynamics Test at NASA Ames Research Center in November 2017. The closed-form formulas of the JAAF of the integrated pressure on the rectangular patches, based on the Corcos model, provide an efficient method to estimate the attenuation of integration by the decorrelation of the flow pressure field and set references for the comparison of the spectrum of the integrated uPSP measurements and the conventional pressure transducer measurements. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office.

acoustics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor of Integrated Pressure with Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurements

The Unsteady Pressure-Sensitive Paint (uPSP) is widely used to measure the surface pressure of scaled models in wind tunnel tests. Compared to the conventional pressure transducers, uPSP has the advantage of high spatial resolution. With multiple high-speed Complementary Metal Oxide Superconductor (CMOS) cameras, the uPSP data collected with the camera pixels are mapped to the surface grid of the scaled model and converted to pressure. The shot noise is the dominant component of the noise in the uPSP measurement. The integrated pressure is usually computed on the grid nodes of a user-defined patch. The effect of shot noise is reduced in the integrated pressure on the patch; however, the measurement of the aerodynamic pressure may also be attenuated by the decorrelation of the flow pressure field being measured. This paper discusses the Joint Acceptance Attenuation Factor (JAAF) of the integrated pressure with uPSP measurements. The JAAF, a function of frequency, is defined as the ratio of the Power Spectral Density (PSD) of the integrated aerodynamic pressure on the patch to the average PSD of the aerodynamic pressure on the grid nodes of the patch. In this paper, the JAAF is investigated for the integrated pressure on rectangular patches, whose edges are defined in the direction along the streamline or across the streamline. Based on the assumption that the surface pressure field can be described by the Corcos model, the closed-form formulas to compute the JAAFs of the integrated pressure on the discrete grid nodes of a rectangular patch and over the continuous area of a rectangular patch are derived respectively. It is shown that the JAAF of the integrated pressure over the continuous area of a rectangular patch is the limit of that on discrete nodes of the rectangular patch when the number of nodes in each row or column goes to infinity. The closed-form formulas of the JAAF derived in this paper, with estimated parameters of the model, are verified with the measurements of the uPSP and the conventional pressure transducer collected in the Space Launch System Ascent Unsteady Aerodynamics Test at NASA Ames Research Center in November 2017. The closed-form formulas of the JAAF of the integrated pressure on the rectangular patches, based on the Corcos model, provide an efficient method to estimate the attenuation of integration by the decorrelation of the flow pressure field and set references for the comparison of the spectrum of the integrated uPSP measurements and the conventional pressure transducer measurements. The work described in this paper is a part of NASA’s development of a new state-of-the-art uPSP capability in production wind tunnels. Funding was provided by the NASA Aerosciences Evaluation and Test Capabilities Portfolio Office.

acoustics↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From the Knowledge-based Digital Platform (KbDP) Concept for Advanced Air Mobility Research to a Preliminary Prototype

Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) encompasses a range of innovative operational and technological changes to aviation (electric aircraft, increasingly automated aircraft, increasingly automated airspace operations, etc.) that are transforming aviation’s role in everyday movement of people and goods. There are multiple associated concepts and use cases for AAM, all interrelated, including small Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM), Upper-Class E Traffic Management (ETM), Extensible Traffic Management (xTM), Regional Air Mobility (RAM), and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). These AAM operations must integrate with traditional Air Traffic Management (ATM) operations, as well as non-aviation modes of transportation and logistics. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is spearheading an innovative digital engineering approach to integrate, communicate, and facilitate the research of multi-modal transportation systems. The Knowledge-based Digital Platform (KbDP) is a concept being developed that ties the workflows of Project Managers (PM), Principal Investigators (PI), and System Engineers together across organizational boundaries. It does so through the management of an information database defined by mathematical, data science, and system engineering principles. Machine Learning (ML) algorithms play a key role in this concept by extracting meaningful knowledge from the information database, which the human user leverages to greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of their research. Expected benefits of this concept include improved technology transfers from research to production, improved research portfolio investments, and research outcomes that are more integrated with all aspects of the multi-modal transportation problem. The preliminary KbDP prototype has been realized using UAM as a pathfinder use case and developed by a team of system engineer, software developer, data scientist, and interns.

Systems Engineering↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Development of a Test Article to Demonstrate the Long Duration Storage of Liquid Hydrogen via a Two-Stage Active Cooling Approach

A NASA team is developing a test article for the purpose of demonstrating the long duration storage of liquid hydrogen utilizing passive Cryogenic Fluid Management and cryocoolers via a two-stage active cooling approach. Funded by NASA’s Technology Demonstration Mission Program and managed by the Cryogenic Fluid Management Portfolio Project, the team is leveraging demonstrations conducted under pervious NASA activities to develop a fully integrated test article that will demonstrate the zero boil-off storage of liquid hydrogen. This paper discusses the previous activities being leveraged from NASA’s Cryogenic Propellant Storage and Transfer project, the test article design and build, hardware and instrumentation selections, control methodology, and the planned primary and secondary test objectives. The test article assembly and demonstration are both to be conducted in the East Test Area at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and are currently scheduled for Fiscal Year 2024.

Active Cooling↗

NASA NTRS2023

NASA Strategy for Technology Development

At the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), foresight is a coordinated, iterative, and continual process for making informed decisions. NASA faces diverse and relatively unique challenges and opportunities as the leading U.S. agency for aeronautics development, cutting-edge scientific discovery, and human space exploration. To address these challenges and leverage opportunities, NASA uses foresight to strategically plan technology development across four mission directorates: Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, Space Technology Mission Directorate, Science Mission Directorate, and Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (recently separated into the new Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate and Space Operations Mission Directorate). The mission directorates leverage a broad community of experts and partners to incorporate technology foresight into mission and program planning. Through this process NASA realizes tangible benefits to the agency’s science, technology, and exploration programs. As an independent office, NASA’s Office of Technology, Policy, and Strategy (OTPS) provides strategic advice, supported by independent assessments and rigorous analysis, to inform NASA senior leadership on key areas to align mission and agency-level activities. OTPS serves as a trusted authority to inform technology strategy at the agency to enable future missions. Specifically, OTPS coordinates and uses inputs from a broad community of experts, both internal and external to NASA, to inform decision making for technology plans, investments, and partnerships. OTPS develops and maintains the NASA Technology Taxonomy to standardize communication across the agency’s diverse technology portfolio and the related Strategic Technology Investment Plan that integrates priorities and informs technology investment. Through these efforts, OTPS has refined elements of foresight-informed strategic planning that may be applicable to other technology-driven industries where foresight is essential for resilience. This chapter describes the processes of foresight for technology development at NASA and provides insight into the value the agency derives from these processes. The chapter further describes the role of OTPS as an independent advisory office that supports NASA’s efforts to capitalize on foresight and strategic technology planning. We present these examples with consideration for how organizations in defense, security, and other technology-driven industries can operationalize foresight in their own strategic technology development.

Erica Rodgers↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Human System Risk Communication: Directed Acyclic Graphs

- The Human System Risk Board (HSRB) is responsible for the management of a portfolio of 30 human system risks that NASA tracks and configuration manages to mitigate for future crewed exploration missions. - The HSRB has been exploring the concept of causal diagrams (in the form of Directed Acyclic Graphs or DAGs) as an approach to creating knowledge graphs for each risk to enable shared mental models of causal flow from spaceflight hazards to mission outcomes among HSRB Stakeholders. - These diagrams are intended to improve insight and communication of risk across the myriad subject matter experts and management interested in human system risk reduction. This includes program managers, systems engineers, and operators in addition to the Human Health and Performance Directorate. - The DAG project was intended to create the foundation for composition of the 30 baselined DAGs into a single risk network and software is being developed in parallel to enable this forward work.

directed acrylic graph↗