Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Communication costs”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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

At least 451 records · Page 25
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2001

Telemetry Tracking and Control Through Commercial LEO Satellites

Personnel from the Goddard Space Flight Center Wallops Flight Facility (GSFC/WFF in Virginia have successfully tested commercial LEO communications satellites for sounding rocket, balloon and aircraft flight TT&C. The Flight Modern became a GSFC/WFF Advanced Range Technology Initiative (ARTI) in an effort to streamline TT&C capability to the user community at low cost. Ground tests of the Flight Modem verified duplex communications quality of service and measured transmission latencies. These tests were completed last year and results reported in the John Hopkins University (JHU) Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) 4th International Symposium on Reducing Spacecraft Costs for Ground Systems and Operations. The second phase of the Flight Modem baseline test program was a demonstration of the ruggedized version of the WFF Flight Modem flown on a sounding rocket launched it the Swedish rocket range (Esrangc) near Kiruna, Sweden, with results contained in this paper. Aircraft flight tests have been and continue to be conducted. Flights of opportunity are being actively pursued with other centers, ranges and users at universities. The WFF Flight Modem contains a CPS receiver to provide vehicle position for tracking and vehicle recovery. The system architecture, which integrates antennas, CPS receiver, commercial satellite packet data modem and a single board computer with custom software, is described. Small satellite use of the WFF Flight Modem is also being investigated, The Flight Modem provides an independent vehicle position source for Range Safety applications. The LEO communication system contains a coarse position location system, which is compared to GPS ace acy. This comparison allows users, to determine the need for a CPS receiver in addition to the satellite packet data modem for their application.

Streich, Ronald C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Communications satellite systems capacity analysis

Analog and digital modulation techniques are compared with regard to efficient use of the geostationary orbit by communications satellites. Included is the definition of the baseline systems (both space and ground segments), determination of interference susceptibility, calculation of orbit spacing, and evaluation of relative costs. It is assumed that voice or TV is communicated at 14/11 GHz using either FM or QPSK modulation. Both the Fixed-Satellite Service and the Broadcasting-Satellite Service are considered. For most of the cases examined the digital approach requires a satellite spacing less than or equal to that required by the analog approach.

Browne, L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

EDSN: A First Demonstration of a Distributed System of Nanosatellites

Edison Demonstration of SmallSat Networks (EDSN) is the first demonstration of a distributed system of nano-scale satellites to use intersatellite communication while working towards common science and technology goals. This unique mission configuration poses key technological challenges, including multi-satellite deployment, close proximity flight, cross-satellite communications, and simplified and effective operations. Tackling these challenges has required extensive development on EDSNs guidance navigation and control (GNC) and flight software systems. Although use of COTS component is common to the CubeSat community, it is prudent to point out that utilization of these components enables EDSN to accomplish its objectives at relatively low cost ($12M) in comparison to current multi-satellite missions capable of cross-link communications. EDSN is on cost and schedule with flight unit shipment in August 2013. This paper aims to update the community of EDSN's progress since SRR and speaks to the approach EDSN has taken to resolve some of the main issues revolving around a distributed system of nano-scale satellites.

Nanosatellite↗
DOE OSTI2022

Seamless Wireless Communication Platform for Internet of Things Applications

The rapid growth of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices resulted in the proliferation of wireless technologies to cater to their increasing data rate requirements and support multiple applications. However, such ever-increasing wireless technologies present numerous challenges such as incompatible wireless standards, increased energy consumption, and insecure communication. The traditional gateways proposed in the literature suffers from limitations such as computational complexity, resource requirements, increased cost, and device size. We vision an era of seamless wireless communication to alleviate the aforementioned challenges in IoT applications. through three inter-dependent functionalities namely detection and identification of wireless technologies, energy-efficient transmit power control, and secure end-to-end communication. To prove the concept, a new gateway is proposed to achieve these three functionalities with only physical layer measurements so that the different communication protocols in the higher layers can be avoided. Novel schemes are conceptualized for resource-limited seamless IoT applications. Moreover, the conceptual seamless IoT platform is validated through software-based computer simulation and software-defined radio-based testbed implementation. Finally, the preliminary analysis demonstrates that the proposed platform has great potential in advancing seamless IoT applications.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
NASA NTRS1979

Millimeter wave satellite concepts. Volume 1: Executive summary

The objectives of the program were: (1) development of methodology based on the technical requirements of potential services that might be assigned to millimeter wave bands for identifying the viable and appropriate technologies for future NASA millimeter research and development programs, and (2) testing of this methodology with user applications and services. The scope of the program included the entire communications network, both ground and space subsystems. The reports include: (1) cost, weight, and performance models for the subsystems, (2) conceptual design for point-to-point and broadcast communications satellites, (3) analytic relationships between subsystem parameters and an overall link performance, (4) baseline conceptual systems, (5) sensitivity studies, (6) model adjustment analyses, (7) identification of critical technologies and their risks, (8) brief R&D program scenarios for the technologies judged to be moderate or extensive risks.

Hilsen, N. B.↗
NASA NTRS2009

How Configuration Management (CM) Can Help Project Teams To Innovate and Communicate

Traditionally, CM is relegated to a support role in project management activities. CM s traditional functions of identification, change control, status accounting, and audits/verification are still necessary and play a vital role. However, this presentation proposes CM s role in a new and innovative manner that will significantly improve communication throughout the organization and, in turn, augment the project s success. CM s new role is elevated to the project management level, above the engineering or sub-project level in the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), where it can more effectively accommodate changes, reduce corrective actions, and ensure that requirements are clear, concise, and valid, and that results conform to the requirements. By elevating CM s role in project management and orchestrating new measures, a new communication will emerge that will improve information integrity, structured baselines, interchangeability/traceability, metrics, conformance to standards, and standardize the best practices in the organization. Overall project performance (schedule, quality, and cost) can be no better than the ability to communicate requirements which, in turn, is no better than the CM process to communicate project decisions and the correct requirements.

Cioletti, Louis↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lagrange-Based Options for Relay Satellites to Eliminate Earth-Mars Communications Outages During Solar Superior Conjunctions

Recent conjunction class Mars human mission plans have generally assumed that there will inevitably be periods of communications outages between Earth and Mars. This has significant cost and risk implications for not only Mars missions, but also precursor missions in the lunar environment. But are there ways to avoid these outages? The potential exists for communications to be interrupted by Solar Superior Conjunctions (SSCs). Depending on the communications system, used, there can be communications outages up to as many as 78 days. The higher bandwidth systems experience the greatest outage. If these communications channels are interrupted due to an SSC, there are of course resulting challenges to mission operations. An outage of a few days to a few weeks could allow minor disturbances to become major concerns or even trigger subsystems failures. An inability to consult with the ground at the wrong time could result in loss of mission, loss of an element, or loss of life. Each planet in the solar system has a set of five Lagrange points associated with it and the Sun. At any given point in time, a planet or either its L4 or L5 point is visible to any other planet in the solar system, regardless of the position of the sun relative to the two. Thus, L4 and L5 have high value as relay systems to prevent communications outages. There are four sets of solar Lagrange points that may be of potential use in this study: Mars-Sun L4 and L5 points, Earth-Sun L4 and L5, Venus-Sun L4 and L5, and Mercury-Sun L4 and L5. A candidate relay satellite system will be identified, with consideration of both new technology developments and existing telecommunications satellites. This system may have implications for not only the Mars human mission architectures, but also Gateway and human lunar surface architectures as these other studies are tasked with paving the way to human Mars missions. If Mars communications outages can be eliminated, then the degree of autonomy necessary in Mars and precursor systems may be reduced.

Relay Satellite↗
NASA NTRS1989

Full-scale system impact analysis: Digital document storage project

The Digital Document Storage Full Scale System can provide cost effective electronic document storage, retrieval, hard copy reproduction, and remote access for users of NASA Technical Reports. The desired functionality of the DDS system is highly dependent on the assumed requirements for remote access used in this Impact Analysis. It is highly recommended that NASA proceed with a phased, communications requirement analysis to ensure that adequate communications service can be supplied at a reasonable cost in order to validate recent working assumptions upon which the success of the DDS Full Scale System is dependent.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2017

Lunar and Lagrangian Point L1 L2 CubeSat Communication and Navigation Considerations

CubeSats have grown in sophistication to the point that relatively low-cost mission solutions could be undertaken for planetary exploration. There are unique considerations for Lunar and L1L2 CubeSat communication and navigation compared with low earth orbit CubeSats. This paper explores those considerations as they relate to the MoreheadGSFC Lunar IceCube Mission. The Lunar IceCube is a CubeSat mission led by Morehead State University with participation from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, JPL, the Busek Company and Vermont Tech. It will search for surface water ice and other resources from a high inclination lunar orbit. Lunar IceCube is one of a select group of CubeSats designed to explore beyond low-earth orbit that will fly on NASAs Space Launch System (SLS) as secondary payloads for Exploration Mission (EM) 1. Lunar IceCube and the EM-1 CubeSats will lay the groundwork for future lunar and L1L2 CubeSat missions. This paper discusses communication and navigation needs for the Lunar IceCube mission and navigation and radiation tolerance requirements related to lunar and L1L2 orbits. Potential CubeSat radio and antennas for such missions are investigated and compared. Ground station coverage, link analysis, and ground station solutions are also discussed. There are currently modifications in process for the Morehead ground station. Further enhancement of the Morehead ground station and the NASA Near Earth Network (NEN) are being examined. This paper describes how the NEN may support Lunar and L1L2 CubeSats without any enhancements and potential expansion of NEN to better support such missions in the future. The potential NEN enhancements include upgrading current NEN Cortex receiver with Forward Error Correction (FEC) Turbo Code, providing X-band Uplink capability, and adding ranging options. The benefits of ground station enhancements for CubeSats flown on NASA Exploration Missions (EM) are presented. The paper also discusses other initiatives that the NEN is studying to better support the CubeSat community, including streamlining the compatibility test, planning and scheduling associated with CubeSat missions.

CubeSat↗
NASA NTRS1985

Communications

An overview of NASA's Thin Route satellite telecommunication project is presented. Thin Route employs applications technology satellites (ATS) in place of more costly commercial multi- transponder telecommunications satellites. This system allows remote and underdeveloped areas to communicate with the outside world for purposes of obtaining medical assistance among other things. The system represents a substantial cost saving over commercial systems.

Hathorn, S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

X-Band CubeSat Communication System Demonstration

Today's CubeSats mostly operate their communications at UHF- and S-band frequencies. UHF band is presently crowded, thus downlink communications are at lower data rates due to bandwidth limitations and are unreliable due to interference. This research presents an end-to-end robust, innovative, compact, efficient and low cost S-band uplink and X-band downlink CubeSat communication system demonstration between a balloon and a Near Earth Network (NEN) ground system. Since communication systems serve as umbilical cords for space missions, demonstration of this X-band communication system is critical for successfully supporting current and future CubeSat communication needs. This research has three main objectives. The first objective is to design, simulate, and test a CubeSat S- and X-band communication system. Satellite Tool Kit (STK) dynamic link budget calculations and HFSS Simulations and modeling results have been used to trade the merit of various designs for small satellite applications. S- and X-band antennas have been tested in the compact antenna test range at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to gather radiation pattern data. The second objective is simulate and test a CubeSat compatible X-band communication system at 12.5Mbps including S-band antennas, X-band antennas, Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) /GSFC transmitter and an S-band receiver from TRL-5 to TRL-8 by the end of this effort. Different X-band communication system components (antennas, diplexers, etc.) from GSFC, other NASA centers, universities, and private companies have been investigated and traded, and a complete component list for the communication system baseline has been developed by performing analytical and numerical analysis. This objective also includes running simulations and performing trades between different X-band antenna systems to optimize communication system performance. The final objective is to perform an end-to-end X-band CubeSat communication system demonstration between a balloon and/or a sounding rocket and a Near Earth Network (NEN) ground system. This paper presents CubeSat communication systems simulation results, analysis of X-band and S-band antennas and RF front-end components, transceiver design, analysis and optimization of space-to-ground communication performance, subsystem development, as well as the test results for an end-to-end X-band CubeSat communication system demonstration. The outcome of this work will be used to pave the way for next generation NEN-compatible X-band CubeSat communication systems to support higher data rates with more advanced modulation and forward error correction (FEC) coding schemes, and to support and attract new science missions at lower cost. It also includes an abbreviated concept of operations for CubeSat users to utilize the NEN, starting from first contact with NASA's communication network and continuing through on-orbit operations.

NEN↗
DOE OSTI2020

Cloud-based implementation of white-box model predictive control for a GEOTABS office building: A field test demonstration

Model predictive control (MPC) has been proven in simulations and pilot case studies to be a superior control strategy for large buildings. MPC can utilize the weather and occupancy schedule forecasts, together with the system model, to predict the future thermal behavior of the building and minimize the overall energy use and maximize thermal comfort. However, these advantages come with the cost of increased modeling effort, computational demands, communication infrastructure, and commissioning efforts. Thus a typical approach is to, often rapidly, simplify the building modeling and MPC optimization problem while paying a price of not reaching the full performance potential. It has been shown that by employing accurate physics-based models, MPC performance can be notably increased closer to its theoretical performance bound. However, implementation of such high-fidelity MPC in real buildings remains a challenge, resulting in a lack of successful field test studies. This work presents the methodology and field test demonstration of a computationally efficient implementation of the white-box MPC in an office building in Belgium. The detailed model of the building is based on first-principle physical equations. The deployment and supervision of MPC operation in a practical setting are supported by an automated cloud-based communication infrastructure. The motivating factor behind the cloud-based architecture is its compatibility with a commercially appealing control as a service concept. The building is equipped with a ground source heat pump (GSHP) and thermally activated building structures (TABS), where the combination of both is also known as GEOTABS. From a control perspective, GEOTABS buildings are particularly challenging systems due to large scale, complex heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, and slow dynamics with time delays. On the other hand, there is an increased potential for energy savings due to the high thermal mass, which acts as thermal storage. The MPC operation is demonstrated during the challenging transient seasons (switching between heating and cooling), and its performance is compared to a traditional rule-based controller (RBC). We provide a proof of concept of real MPC operation for the most difficult seasons with notable GSHP energy use savings equal to 53.5% and thermal comfort improvement by 36.9%. Other MPC applications found in the literature describe tests for only cooling or only heating, and up to now only for a black-box or a grey-box approach.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2020

Asynchronous I/O VOL Connector (AsyncVOL) v0.1

Asynchronous I/O is becoming increasingly popular with the large amount of data access required by scientific applications. They can take advantage of an asynchronous interface by scheduling I/O as early as possible and overlap computation or communication with I/O operations, which hides the cost associated with I/O and improves the overall performance.

Tang, Houjun↗
NASA NTRS1968

Two-way digital driver/receiver uses one set of lines

Two-way /bilateral/ digital driver/receiver system using MOS circuits was designed for a multiprocess computer having several subsystems at relatively close locations. The system requires only a single set of communication lines between subsystems, thus achieving lower cost with increased reliability.

Burnett, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1970

COPTRAN - A method of optimum communication systems design

Single set of mathematical expressions describes system cost and probability of error of data transmission in terms of four basic parameters in the link equation. A Lagrange multiplier sets up equations whose solutions yield the optimum values for system design considerations and weight and cost values.

Brinkman, K. L.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Narrowband system activities in the NASA communications program

The objective of NASA's narrowband system activities is to identify, develop, and test the technology needed for future commercial satellite-aided mobile communications systems. Desired characteristics include low service cost, efficient spectrum utilization, and compatibility with terrestrial systems. Ongoing effort includes system concept definition and market analysis. A typical system would need a large spaceborne antenna with 50 to 100 beams, each 0.5 to 0.7 degree wide, onboard switching and processing, linear solid-state amplifiers, and low-cost user terminals. The paper describes current studies and discusses future NASA plans in this field.

Durrani, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1982

One third of the world - A review of Pacific islands telecommunications requirements

This paper describes the Pacific Basin Communications Study, an assessment of Pacific islands telecommunications requirements, recently completed by the Public Service Satellite Consortium under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The study describes extant and planned telecommunications systems in the region, examines user needs in terms of the development of governmental, social and commercial activities, and proposes and describes alternative technological solutions to communications problems. Questions of financing, implementation, management, costs and benefits of a regional telecommunications system are discussed. This paper describes user requirements based on six months of field investigation and technological options for improving telecommunications in the Pacific islands.

Hurd, J. N.↗