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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 415 records · Page 23
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1977

The development of a multi-target compiler-writing system for flight software development

A wide variety of systems designed to assist the user in the task of writing compilers has been developed. A survey of these systems reveals that none is entirely appropriate to the purposes of the MUST project, which involves the compilation of one or at most a small set of higher-order languages to a wide variety of target machines offering little or no software support. This requirement dictates that any compiler writing system employed must provide maximal support in the areas of semantics specification and code generation, the areas in which existing compiler writing systems as well as theoretical underpinnings are weakest. This paper describes an ongoing research and development effort to create a compiler writing system which will overcome these difficulties, thus providing a software system which makes possible the fast, trouble-free creation of reliable compilers for a wide variety of target computers.

Feyock, S.↗
NASA NTRS2006

Practical Application of Model-based Programming and State-based Architecture to Space Missions

Innovative systems and software engineering solutions are required to meet the increasingly challenging demands of deep-space robotic missions. While recent advances in the development of an integrated systems and software engineering approach have begun to address some of these issues, they are still at the core highly manual and, therefore, error-prone. This paper describes a task aimed at infusing MIT's model-based executive, Titan, into JPL's Mission Data System (MDS), a unified state-based architecture, systems engineering process, and supporting software framework. Results of the task are presented, including a discussion of the benefits and challenges associated with integrating mature model-based programming techniques and technologies into a rigorously-defined domain specific architecture.

state analysis↗
NASA NTRS2015

Internship Abstract - Aerosciences and Flight Mechanics Intern

Mars is a hard place to land on, but my internship with NASA's Aerosciences & Flight Mechanics branch has shown me the ways in which men and women will one day land safely. I work on Mars Aerocapture, an aeroassist maneuver that reduces the fuel necessary to "capture" into Martian orbit before a descent. The spacecraft flies through the Martian atmosphere to lose energy through heating before it exits back into space, this time at a slower velocity and in orbit around Mars. Spacecraft will need to maneuver through the Martian atmosphere to accurately hit their orbit, and they will need to survive the generated heat. Engineering teams need simulation data to continue their designs, and the guidance algorithm that ensures a proper orbit insertion needs to be refined - two jobs that fell to me at the summer's start. Engineers within my branch have developed two concept aerocapture vehicles, and I run simulations on their behavior during the maneuver. I also test and refine the guidance algorithm. I spent the first few weeks familiarizing myself with the simulation software, troubleshooting various guidance bugs and writing code. Everything runs smoothly now, and I recently sent my first set of trajectory data to a Thermal Protection System group so they can incorporate it into their heat-bearing material designs. I hope to generate plenty of data in the next few weeks for various engineering groups before my internship ends mid-August. My major accomplishment so far is improving the guidance algorithm. It is a relatively new algorithm that promises higher accuracy and fuel efficiency, but it hasn't undergone extensive testing yet. I've had the opportunity to work with the principal developer - a professor at Iowa State University - to find and fix several issues. I was also assigned the task of expanding the branch's aerodynamic heating simulation software. I am excited to do this because engineers in the future will use my work to generate meaningful data and make design decisions. My internship has taught me to how to teach myself. There are no tutors, study sessions or professor office hours. When I am given an assignment I am expected to figure out how to accomplish it, and I have grown in my problem solving abilities. My summer experience has reinforced my drive to work at NASA, and I can definitely see myself working full time on the aerocapture project, or something similar.

Rangel, John↗
NASA NTRS1985

Planetary image conversion task

The Planetary Image Conversion Task group processed 12,500 magnetic tapes containing raw imaging data from JPL planetary missions and produced an image data base in consistent format on 1200 fully packed 6250-bpi tapes. The output tapes will remain at JPL. A copy of the entire tape set was delivered to US Geological Survey, Flagstaff, Ariz. A secondary task converted computer datalogs, which had been stored in project specific MARK IV File Management System data types and structures, to flat-file, text format that is processable on any modern computer system. The conversion processing took place at JPL's Image Processing Laboratory on an IBM 370-158 with existing software modified slightly to meet the needs of the conversion task. More than 99% of the original digital image data was successfully recovered by the conversion task. However, processing data tapes recorded before 1975 was destructive. This discovery is of critical importance to facilities responsible for maintaining digital archives since normal periodic random sampling techniques would be unlikely to detect this phenomenon, and entire data sets could be wiped out in the act of generating seemingly positive sampling results. Reccomended follow-on activities are also included.

Martin, M. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Simulation verification techniques study. Task report 4: Simulation module performance parameters and performance standards

Shuttle simulation software modules in the environment, crew station, vehicle configuration and vehicle dynamics categories are discussed. For each software module covered, a description of the module functions and operational modes, its interfaces with other modules, its stored data, inputs, performance parameters and critical performance parameters is given. Reference data sources which provide standards of performance are identified for each module. Performance verification methods are also discussed briefly.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1992

The FAST Hipparcos data reduction consortium - Overview of the reduction software

The main features of the data analysis methods adopted by FAST in the calibration and processing of the Hipparcos data are discussed. The structure of the data reduction software is examined, and the actual processing and evaluation are presented. Attention is given to the first look task, the calibration task, data preparation, attitude determination, the great circle reduction, synthesis treatment, iterations, data management and command software, and follow-up and evaluation activities.

Kovalevsky, J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Selection criteria and facilitation training for the study of groupware

Computer support for planning and decision making groups is a growing trend in the 90s. Groupware is a name often applied to group software and has been defined as 'computer-based systems that support groups engaged in a common task (or goal) and that provide an interface to a shared environment'. Unlike most single-user software, groupware assists user groups in their collaboration, coordination, and communication efforts. This paper focuses on groupware to support the meeting process. These systems are often called group decision support systems (GDSS), electronic meeting systems (EMS), or group support systems (GSS). The term 'meeting support groupware' is used here to include any computer-based system to support meetings. In order to understand this technology, one must first understand groups, what they do and the problems they face, and groupware, a wide range of technology to support group work. Guidelines for selecting groups for study as part of an overall research plan are provided in this document. These were taken from the literature and from persons for whom the information in this paper was targeted. Also, guidelines for facilitation training are discussed. Familiarity with known and accepted techniques are the principle duties of the facilitator and any form of training must include practice in using these techniques.

Robichaux, Barry P.↗
NASA NTRS2013

Mars Science Laboratory CHIMRA/IC/DRT Flight Software for Sample Acquisition and Processing

The design methodologies of using sequence diagrams, multi-process functional flow diagrams, and hierarchical state machines were successfully applied in designing three MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) flight software modules responsible for handling actuator motions of the CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for In Situ Martian Rock Analysis), IC (Inlet Covers), and DRT (Dust Removal Tool) mechanisms. The methodologies were essential to specify complex interactions with other modules, support concurrent foreground and background motions, and handle various fault protections. Studying task scenarios with multi-process functional flow diagrams yielded great insight to overall design perspectives. Since the three modules require three different levels of background motion support, the methodologies presented in this paper provide an excellent comparison. All three modules are fully operational in flight.

sample processing↗
NASA NTRS1992

The KASE approach to domain-specific software systems

Designing software systems, like all design activities, is a knowledge-intensive task. Several studies have found that the predominant cause of failures among system designers is lack of knowledge: knowledge about the application domain, knowledge about design schemes, knowledge about design processes, etc. The goal of domain-specific software design systems is to explicitly represent knowledge relevant to a class of applications and use it to partially or completely automate various aspects of the designing systems within that domain. The hope is that this would reduce the intellectual burden on the human designers and lead to more efficient software development. In this paper, we present a domain-specific system built on top of KASE, a knowledge-assisted software engineering environment being developed at the Stanford Knowledge Systems Laboratory. We introduce the main ideas underlying the construction of domain specific systems within KASE, illustrate the application of the idea in the synthesis of a system for tracking aircraft from radar signals, and discuss some of the issues in constructing domain-specific systems.

Bhansali, Sanjay↗
NASA NTRS1992

Domain specific software design for decision aiding

McDonnell Aircraft Company (MCAIR) is involved in many large multi-discipline design and development efforts of tactical aircraft. These involve a number of design disciplines that must be coordinated to produce an integrated design and a successful product. Our interpretation of a domain specific software design (DSSD) is that of a representation or framework that is specialized to support a limited problem domain. A DSSD is an abstract software design that is shaped by the problem characteristics. This parallels the theme of object-oriented analysis and design of letting the problem model directly drive the design. The DSSD concept extends the notion of software reusability to include representations or frameworks. It supports the entire software life cycle and specifically leads to improved prototyping capability, supports system integration, and promotes reuse of software designs and supporting frameworks. The example presented in this paper is the task network architecture or design which was developed for the MCAIR Pilot's Associate program. The task network concept supported both module development and system integration within the domain of operator decision aiding. It is presented as an instance where a software design exhibited many of the attributes associated with DSSD concept.

Keller, Kirby↗
NASA NTRS2011

Mars Science Laboratory Flight Software Boot Robustness Testing Project Report

On the surface of Mars, the Mars Science Laboratory will boot up its flight computers every morning, having charged the batteries through the night. This boot process is complicated, critical, and affected by numerous hardware states that can be difficult to test. The hardware test beds do not facilitate testing a long duration of back-to-back unmanned automated tests, and although the software simulation has provided the necessary functionality and fidelity for this boot testing, there has not been support for the full flexibility necessary for this task. Therefore to perform this testing a framework has been build around the software simulation that supports running automated tests loading a variety of starting configurations for software and hardware states. This implementation has been tested against the nominal cases to validate the methodology, and support for configuring off-nominal cases is ongoing. The implication of this testing is that the introduction of input configurations that have yet proved difficult to test may reveal boot scenarios worth higher fidelity investigation, and in other cases increase confidence in the robustness of the flight software boot process.

Mars Science Laboratory (MSL)↗
NASA NTRS1989

The development of expertise on an intelligent tutoring system

An initial examination was conducted of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) developed for use in industry. The ITS, developed by NASA, simulated a satellite deployment task. More specifically, the PD (Payload Assist Module Deployment)/ICAT (Intelligent Computer Aided Training) System simulated a nominal Payload Assist Module (PAM) deployment. The development of expertise on this task was examined using three Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) candidates who had no previous experience with this task. The results indicated that performance improved rapidly until Trial 5, followed by more gradual improvements through Trial 12. The performance dimensions measured included performance speed, actions completed, errors, help required, and display fields checked. Suggestions for further refining the software and for deciding when to expose trainees to more difficult task scenarios are discussed. Further, the results provide an initial demonstration of the effectiveness of the PD/ICAT system in training the nominal PAM deployment task and indicate the potential benefits of using ITS's for training other FDO tasks.

Johnson, Debra Steele↗
NASA NTRS1991

The development of expertise using an intelligent computer-aided training system

An initial examination was conducted of an Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) developed for use in industry. The ITS, developed by NASA, simulated a satellite deployment task. More specifically, the PD (Payload Assist Module Deployment)/ICAT (Intelligent Computer Aided Training) System simulated a nominal Payload Assist Module (PAM) deployment. The development of expertise on this task was examined using three Flight Dynamics Officer (FDO) candidates who has no previous experience with this task. The results indicated that performance improved rapidly until Trial 5, followed by more gradual improvements through Trial 12. The performance dimensions measured included performance speed, actions completed, errors, help required, and display fields checked. Suggestions for further refining the software and for deciding when to expose trainees to more difficult task scenarios are discussed. Further, the results provide an initial demonstration of the effectiveness of the PD/ICAT system in training the nominal PAM deployment task and indicate the potential benefits of using ITS's for training other FDO tasks.

Johnson, Debra Steele↗
NASA NTRS1989

Ada and software management in NASA: Assessment and recommendations

Recent NASA missions have required software systems that are larger, more complex, and more critical than NASA software systems of the past. The Ada programming language and the software methods and support environments associated with it are seen as potential breakthroughs in meeting NASA's software requirements. The findings of a study by the Ada and Software Management Assessment Working Group (ASMAWG) are presented. The study was chartered to perform three tasks: (1) assess the agency's ongoing and planned Ada activities; (2) assess the infrastructure (standards, policies, and internal organizations) supporting software management and the Ada activities; and (3) present an Ada implementation and use strategy appropriate for NASA over the next 5 years.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Fast Technology Infusion Model for Aerospace Organizations

A multi-year Fast Technology Infusion initiative proposes a model for aerospace organizations to improve the cost-effectiveness by which they mature new, in-house developed software and hardware technologies for space mission use. The first year task under the umbrella of this initiative will provide the framework to demonstrate and document the fast infusion process. The viability of this approach will be demonstrated on two technologies developed in prior years with internal Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) funding. One hardware technology and one software technology were selected for maturation within one calendar year or less. The overall objective is to achieve cost and time savings in the qualification of technologies. At the end of the recommended three-year effort, we will have demonstrated for six or more in-house developed technologies a clear path to insertion using a documented process that permits adaptation to a broad range of hardware and software projects.

technology readiness level↗
NASA NTRS2010

Use of Dynamic Models and Operational Architecture to Solve Complex Navy Challenges

The United States Navy established 8 Maritime Operations Centers (MOC) to enhance the command and control of forces at the operational level of warfare. Each MOC is a headquarters manned by qualified joint operational-level staffs, and enabled by globally interoperable C41 systems. To assess and refine MOC staffing, equipment, and schedules, a dynamic software model was developed. The model leverages pre-existing operational process architecture, joint military task lists that define activities and their precedence relations, as well as Navy documents that specify manning and roles per activity. The software model serves as a "computational wind-tunnel" in which to test a MOC on a mission, and to refine its structure, staffing, processes, and schedules. More generally, the model supports resource allocation decisions concerning Doctrine, Organization, Training, Material, Leadership, Personnel and Facilities (DOTMLPF) at MOCs around the world. A rapid prototype effort efficiently produced this software in less than five months, using an integrated process team consisting of MOC military and civilian staff, modeling experts, and software developers. The work reported here was conducted for Commander, United States Fleet Forces Command in Norfolk, Virginia, code N5-0LW (Operational Level of War) that facilitates the identification, consolidation, and prioritization of MOC capabilities requirements, and implementation and delivery of MOC solutions.

Grande, Darby↗
NASA NTRS1995

Achieving reutilization of scheduling software through abstraction and generalization

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

Wilkinson, George J.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Ground Software Maintenance Facility (GSMF) user's manual. Appendices NASA-CR-178806 NAS 1.26:178806 Rept-41849-G159-026-App HC A05/MF A01

Procedures are presented that allow the user to assemble tasks, link, compile, backup the system, generate/establish/print display pages, cancel tasks in memory, and to TET an assembly task without having to enter the commands every time. A list of acronyms is provided. Software identification, payload checkout unit operating system services, data base generation, and MITRA operating procedures are also discussed.

Aquila, V.↗