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At least 487 records · Page 27

Study of roles of remote manipulator systems and EVA for shuttle mission support, volume 1

Alternate extravehicular activity (EVA) and remote manipulator system (RMS) configurations were examined for their relative effectiveness in performing an array of representative shuttle and payload support tasks. Initially a comprehensive analysis was performed of payload and shuttle support missions required to be conducted exterior to a pressurized inclosure. A set of task selection criteria was established, and study tasks were identified. The EVA and RMS modes were evaluated according to their applicability for each task and task condition. The results are summarized in tabular form, showing the modes which are chosen as most effective or as feasible for each task/condition. Conclusions concerning the requirements and recommendations for each mode are presented.

Malone, T. B.↗

Test Analysis Guidelines

Development of analysis guidelines for Exploration Life Support (ELS) technology tests was completed. The guidelines were developed based on analysis experiences gained from supporting Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) technology development in air revitalization systems and water recovery systems. Analyses are vital during all three phases of the ELS technology test: pre-test, during test and post test. Pre-test analyses of a test system help define hardware components, predict system and component performances, required test duration, sampling frequencies of operation parameters, etc. Analyses conducted during tests could verify the consistency of all the measurements and the performance of the test system. Post test analyses are an essential part of the test task. Results of post test analyses are an important factor in judging whether the technology development is a successful one. In addition, development of a rigorous model for a test system is an important objective of any new technology development. Test data analyses, especially post test data analyses, serve to verify the model. Test analyses have supported development of many ECLSS technologies. Some test analysis tasks in ECLSS technology development are listed in the Appendix. To have effective analysis support for ECLSS technology tests, analysis guidelines would be a useful tool. These test guidelines were developed based on experiences gained through previous analysis support of various ECLSS technology tests. A comment on analysis from an experienced NASA ECLSS manager (1) follows: "Bad analysis was one that bent the test to prove that the analysis was right to begin with. Good analysis was one that directed where the testing should go and also bridged the gap between the reality of the test facility and what was expected on orbit."

Jeng, Frank F.↗

Situation Awareness Implications of Adaptive Automation of Air Traffic Controller Information Processing Functions

The goal of this research was to define a measure of situation awareness (SA) in an air traffic control (ATC) task and to assess the influence of adaptive automation (AA) of various information processing functions on controller perception, comprehension and projection. The measure was also to serve as a basis for defining and developing an approach to triggering dynamic control allocations, as part of AA, based on controller SA. To achieve these objectives, an enhanced version of an ATC simulation (Multitask (copyright)) was developed for use in two human factors experiments. The simulation captured the basic functions of Terminal Radar Approach Control (TRACON) and was capable of presenting to operators four different modes of control, including information acquisition, information analysis, decision making and action implementation automation, as well as a completely manual control mode. The SA measure that was developed as part of the research was based on the Situation Awareness Global Assessment Technique (SAGAT), previous goal-directed task analyses of enroute control and TRACON, and a separate cognitive task analysis on the ATC simulation. The results of the analysis on Multitask were used as a basis for formulating SA queries as part of the SAGAT-based approach to measuring controller SA, which was used in the experiments. A total of 16 subjects were recruited for both experiments. Half the subjects were used in Experiment #1, which focused on assessing the sensitivity and reliability of the SA measurement approach in the ATC simulation. Comparisons were made of manual versus automated control. The remaining subjects were used in the second experiment, which was intended to more completely describe the SA implications of AA applied to specific controller information processing functions, and to describe how the measure could ultimately serve as a trigger of dynamic function allocations in the application of AA to ATC. Comparisons were made of the sensitivity of the SA measure to automation manipulations impacting both higher-order information processing functions, such as information analysis and decision making, versus lower-order functions, including information acquisition and action implementation. All subjects were exposed to all forms of AA of the ATC task and the manual control condition. The approach to AA used in both experiments was to match operator workload, assessed using a secondary task, to dynamic control allocations in the primary task. In total, the subjects in each experiment participated in 10 trials with each lasting between 45 minutes and 1 hour. In both experiments, ATC performance was measured in terms of aircraft cleared, conflicting, and collided. Secondary task (gauge monitoring) performance was assessed in terms of a hit-to-signal ratio. As part of the SA measure, three simulation freezes were conducted during each trial to administer queries on Level 1, 2, and 3 SA.

Kaber, David B.↗

Wind sensing, analysis, and modeling

The purpose of this task was to begin development of a unified approach to the sensing, analysis, and modeling of the wind environments in which launch systems operate. The initial activity was to examine the current usage and requirements for wind modeling for the Titan 4 vehicle. This was to be followed by joint technical efforts with NASA Langley Research Center to develop applicable analysis methods. This work was to be performed in and demonstrate the use of prototype tools implementing an environment in which to realize a unified system. At the convenience of the customer, due to resource limitations, the task was descoped. The survey of Titan 4 processes was accomplished and is reported in this document. A summary of general requirements is provided . Current versions of prototype Process Management Environment tools are being provided to the customer.

Corvin, Michael A.↗

Wind Sensing, Analysis, and Modeling

The purpose of this task was to begin development of a unified approach to the sensing, analysis, and modeling of the wind environments in which launch system operate. The initial activity was to examine the current usage and requirements for wind modeling for the Titan 4 vehicle. This was to be followed by joint technical efforts with NASA Langley Research Center to develop applicable analysis methods. This work was to be performed in and demonstrate the use of prototype tools implementing an environment in which to realize a unified system. At the convenience of the customer, due to resource limitations, the task was descoped. The survey of Titan 4 processes was accomplished and is reported in this document. A summary of general requirements is provided. Current versions of prototype Process Management Environment tools are being provided to the customer.

Corvin, Michael A.↗

SMART Task 6: Evaluation of the Costs of Geologic CO2 Storage for the Illinois Basin Decatur Project Site Using the NRAP/SMART Technoeconomic and Liability Evaluation for Storage (TALES) Model

This is a presentation featuring an analysis related to SMART Task 6 in which CO2 storage costs are presented. The National Energy Technology Laboratory has developed the NRAP/SMART Technoeconomic and Liability Evaluation for Storage (TALES) model to provide quantitative cost-based insights to support developers planning CO2 injection and storage projects. TALES calculates the revenues, costs, and financial performance of candidate CO2 saline storage project based on site-specific activity costs and financial parameters. TALES is being integrated as a module pertaining to storage cost as part of the broader SMART Visualization and Decision Support Platform (SVDSP). In this study, the TALES model was applied using real activity cost data associated with the development and operations at the Illinois Basin Decatur Project (IBDP) CO2 storage project site. Scenario analysis was implemented in which crucial operational and cost attributes were varied and the associated cost implications observed. Key results data and project cost summary metrics like first-year breakeven price of CO2 ($/tonne) and net present value (NPV) are presented in similar fashion to how they will appear in the SVDSP.

Vikara, Derek↗

Atmospheric lidar multi-user instrument system definition study

A spaceborne lidar system for atmospheric studies was defined. The primary input was the Science Objectives Experiment Description and Evolutionary Flow Document. The first task of the study was to perform an experiment evolutionary analysis of the SEED. The second task was the system definition effort of the instrument system. The third task was the generation of a program plan for the hardware phase. The fourth task was the supporting studies which included a Shuttle deficiency analysis, a preliminary safety hazard analysis, the identification of long lead items, and development studies required. As a result of the study an evolutionary Lidar Multi-User Instrument System (MUIS) was defined. The MUIS occupies a full Spacelab pallet and has a weight of 1300 kg. The Lidar MUIS laser provides a 2 joule frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser that can also pump a tuneable dye laser wide frequency range and bandwidth. The MUIS includes a 1.25 meter diameter aperture Cassegrain receiver, with a moveable secondary mirror to provide precise alignment with the laser. The receiver can transmit the return signal to three single and multiple photomultiple tube detectors by use of a rotating fold mirror. It is concluded that the Lidar MUIS proceed to program implementation.

Greco, R. V.↗

Evaluation of MARC for the analysis of rotating composite blades

The suitability of the MARC code for the analysis of rotating composite blades was evaluated using a four-task process. A nonlinear displacement analysis and subsequent eigenvalue analysis were performed on a rotating spring mass system to ensure that displacement-dependent centrifugal forces were accounted for in the eigenvalue analysis. Normal modes analyses were conducted on isotropic plates with various degrees of twist to evaluate MARC's ability to handle blade twist. Normal modes analyses were conducted on flat composite plates to validate the newly developed coupled COBSTRAN-MARC methodology. Finally, normal modes analyses were conducted on four composite propfan blades that were designed, analyzed, and fabricated at NASA Lewis Research Center. Results were compared with experimental data. The research documented herein presents MARC as a viable tool for the analysis of rotating composite blades.

Bartos, Karen F.↗

Illumination requirements for operating a space remote manipulator

Critical issues and requirements involved in illuminating remote manipulator operations in space help establish engineering designs for these manipulators. A remote manipulator is defined as any mechanical device that is controlled indirectly or from a distance by a human operator for the purpose of performing potentially dangerous or hazardous tasks to increase safety, reliability, and efficiency. Future space flights will rely on remote manipulators for a variety of tasks including satellite repair and servicing, structural assembly, data collection and analysis, and performance of contingency tasks. Carefully designed illumination of these manipulators will assure that these tasks will be completed efficiently and successfully. Studies concerning the influence of illumination on operation of a remote manipulator are few. Available results show that illumination can influence how successfully a human operates a remote manipulator. The intent of this study was to more fully examine this topic.

Chandlee, George O.↗

First results from the crop identification technology assessment for remote sensing /CITARS/

The CITARS task design, including objectives, analysis methodology and experimental procedures, is described and first results from this effort are presented. The extensive ground truth data set acquired for the CITARS task is described and discussed in some detail. Results of the accuracy tests for the photo interpretative CITARS ground truth are given. Results of the assessment of the ERTS MSS data for cloud cover and electronic quality are presented. Some results of the geometric correction and registration of the time sequential CITARS ERTS data are given. Finally, the field boundary selection problem is addressed and the results of the use of new technology for boundary selection are presented.

Hall, F. G.↗

Progress of the NASA/USGS Lunar Regolith Simulant Project

Beginning in 2004 personnel at MSFC began serious efforts to develop a new generation of lunar simulants. The first two products were a replication of the previous JSC-1 simulant under a contract to Orbitec and a major workshop in 2005 on future simulant development. Beginning in 2006 the project refocused its efforts and approached simulant development in a new and more comprehensive manner, examining new approaches in simulant development and ways to more accurately compare simulants to actual lunar materials. This led to a multi-year effort with five major tasks running in parallel. The five tasks are Requirements, Lunar Analysis, Process Development, Feed Stocks, and Standards. Major progress has been made in all five areas. A substantial draft of a formal requirements document now exists and has been largely stable since 2007. It does evolve as specific details of the standards and Lunar Analysis efforts proceed. Lunar Analysis has turned out to be vastly more difficult than anticipated. After great effort to mine existing published and gray literature, the team has realized the necessity of making new measurements of the Apollo samples, an effort that is currently in progress. Process development is substantially ahead of expectations in 2006. It is now practical to synthesize glasses of appropriate composition and purity. It is also possible to make agglutinate particles in significant quantities. A series of minerals commonly found on the Moon has been synthesized. Separation of mineral constituents from starting rock material is also proceeding. Customized grinding and mixing processes have been developed and tested are now being documented. Identification and development of appropriate feedstocks has been both easier and more difficult than anticipated. The Stillwater Mining Company, operating in the Stillwater layered mafic intrusive complex of Montana, has been an amazing resource for the project, but finding adequate sources for some of the components remains a difficult problem. For example the ratio of clino- to ortho-pyroxenes in the Stillwater is not an exact match for lunar materials. One of the sources being examined as an alternative pyroxene source is the Bushveld Complex in South Africa. Standards have been a major success for the project. The Figure of Merit algorithms have been created, tested, and are being considered for an ISO standard. Agreement has been reached in the community about how to make many of the critical measurements. There remains much work to do: (1) driving down the cost of simulants remains a major obstacle; (2) documentation and cost data analysis have not kept up with progress; (3) educating users in the complexity of the lunar regolith and the use of simulants remains a major task. In summary the project has made enormous progress and is successfully placing simulant development and use on a rigorous, scientifically defensible, engineering basis.

Rickman, Doug↗

System and Safety Analysis with SysAI A Statistical Learning Framework

This is a tutorial on how to use the SYSAI (System Analysis using Statistical AI), a flexible statistical learning framework for the V&V and analysis of complex and high-dimensional Aerospace systems with DNN and AI components. SYSAI provides functionality for a variety of analyses and V&V tasks, including statistical data analysis, high dimensional safety-envelope and time-series analysis, property checking, as well as intelligent test-case generation. The tutorial will demonstrate SYSAI with our industrial partner’s Autonomous Centerline Tracking system, which uses a DNN to enable autonomous aircraft taxiing as an example. Video & Tutorial

Statistical V&V for Complex safety-critical system↗

LDEF Experiment P0006 Linear Energy Transfer Spectrum Measurement (LETSME) quick look report

A preliminary analysis of the various passive radiation detector materials included in the P0006 LETSME experiment flown on LDEF (Long Duration Exposure Facility) is presented. It consists of four tasks: (1) readout and analysis of thermoluminescent detectors (TLD); (2) readout and analysis of fission foil/mica detectors; (3) readout and analysis of (6)LiF/CR-39 detectors; and (4) preliminary processing and readout of CR-39 and polycarbonate plastic nuclear track detectors (PNTD).

Source record↗

Systems design analysis applied to launch vehicle configuration

As emphasis shifts from optimum-performance aerospace systems to least lift-cycle costs, systems designs must seek, adapt, and innovate cost improvement techniques in design through operations. The systems design process of concept, definition, and design was assessed for the types and flow of total quality management techniques that may be applicable in a launch vehicle systems design analysis. Techniques discussed are task ordering, quality leverage, concurrent engineering, Pareto's principle, robustness, quality function deployment, criteria, and others. These cost oriented techniques are as applicable to aerospace systems design analysis as to any large commercial system.

Ryan, R.↗

In-line task 57: Component evaluation

Design analysis tests were performed on selected power switching components to determine the possible applicability of off-the-shelf hardware to space shuttles. Various characteristics were also evaluated in those devices to determine the most desirable properties for the space shuttle.

Boykin, J. C.↗

Flightspeed Integral Image Analysis Toolkit

The Flightspeed Integral Image Analysis Toolkit (FIIAT) is a C library that provides image analysis functions in a single, portable package. It provides basic low-level filtering, texture analysis, and subwindow descriptor for applications dealing with image interpretation and object recognition. Designed with spaceflight in mind, it addresses: Ease of integration (minimal external dependencies) Fast, real-time operation using integer arithmetic where possible (useful for platforms lacking a dedicated floatingpoint processor) Written entirely in C (easily modified) Mostly static memory allocation 8-bit image data The basic goal of the FIIAT library is to compute meaningful numerical descriptors for images or rectangular image regions. These n-vectors can then be used directly for novelty detection or pattern recognition, or as a feature space for higher-level pattern recognition tasks. The library provides routines for leveraging training data to derive descriptors that are most useful for a specific data set. Its runtime algorithms exploit a structure known as the "integral image." This is a caching method that permits fast summation of values within rectangular regions of an image. This integral frame facilitates a wide range of fast image-processing functions. This toolkit has applicability to a wide range of autonomous image analysis tasks in the space-flight domain, including novelty detection, object and scene classification, target detection for autonomous instrument placement, and science analysis of geomorphology. It makes real-time texture and pattern recognition possible for platforms with severe computational restraints. The software provides an order of magnitude speed increase over alternative software libraries currently in use by the research community. FIIAT can commercially support intelligent video cameras used in intelligent surveillance. It is also useful for object recognition by robots or other autonomous vehicles

Thompson, David R.↗

Analysis and design of a capsule landing system and surface vehicle control system for Mars exploration

Problems related to the design and control of a mobile planetary vehicle to implement a systematic plan for the exploration of Mars are reported. Problem areas include: vehicle configuration, control, dynamics, systems and propulsion; systems analysis, terrain modeling and path selection; and chemical analysis of specimens. These tasks are summarized: vehicle model design, mathematical model of vehicle dynamics, experimental vehicle dynamics, obstacle negotiation, electrochemical controls, remote control, collapsibility and deployment, construction of a wheel tester, wheel analysis, payload design, system design optimization, effect of design assumptions, accessory optimal design, on-board computer subsystem, laser range measurement, discrete obstacle detection, obstacle detection systems, terrain modeling, path selection system simulation and evaluation, gas chromatograph/mass spectrometer system concepts, and chromatograph model evaluation and improvement.

Frederick, D. K.↗