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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 505 records · Page 28
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2000

Fault Scarp Detection Beneath Dense Vegetation Cover: Airborne Lidar Mapping of the Seattle Fault Zone, Bainbridge Island, Washington State

The emergence of a commercial airborne laser mapping industry is paying major dividends in an assessment of earthquake hazards in the Puget Lowland of Washington State. Geophysical observations and historical seismicity indicate the presence of active upper-crustal faults in the Puget Lowland, placing the major population centers of Seattle and Tacoma at significant risk. However, until recently the surface trace of these faults had never been identified, neither on the ground nor from remote sensing, due to cover by the dense vegetation of the Pacific Northwest temperate rainforests and extremely thick Pleistocene glacial deposits. A pilot lidar mapping project of Bainbridge Island in the Puget Sound, contracted by the Kitsap Public Utility District (KPUD) and conducted by Airborne Laser Mapping in late 1996, spectacularly revealed geomorphic features associated with fault strands within the Seattle fault zone. The features include a previously unrecognized fault scarp, an uplifted marine wave-cut platform, and tilted sedimentary strata. The United States Geologic Survey (USGS) is now conducting trenching studies across the fault scarp to establish ages, displacements, and recurrence intervals of recent earthquakes on this active fault. The success of this pilot study has inspired the formation of a consortium of federal and local organizations to extend this work to a 2350 square kilometer (580,000 acre) region of the Puget Lowland, covering nearly the entire extent (approx. 85 km) of the Seattle fault. The consortium includes NASA, the USGS, and four local groups consisting of KPUD, Kitsap County, the City of Seattle, and the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC). The consortium has selected Terrapoint, a commercial lidar mapping vendor, to acquire the data.

Harding, David J.↗
NASA NTRS2014

Effect of Control System Augmentation on Handling Qualities and Task Performance in Good and Degraded Visual Environments

In June 2013, NASA and the U.S. Army jointly conducted a simulation experiment in the NASA-Ames Vertical Motion Simulator that examined and quantified the effects of limited-authority control system augmentation on handling qualities and task performance in both good and degraded visual environments (DVEs). The vehicle model used for the experiment was the OH-58D with similar size, weight and performance, and the same 4-blade rotor system as the Bell 407 civilian helicopter that is commonly used for medical evacuation and emergency medical services. The control systems investigated as part of this study included the baseline aircraft Rate Command system, a short-term Attitude Command/Attitude Hold system that uses lagged-rate feedback to provide a short-term attitude response, Modernized Control Laws that provide an Attitude Command/Attitude Hold control response type, and Modernized Control Laws with an additional Position Hold function. Evaluation tasks included the ADS-33 Hover, Sidestep, Acceleration/Deceleration, and Pirouette Mission Task Elements, as well as a new proposed Emergency Medical Services task that includes an approach and landing at a minimally prepared remote landing site. Degraded visual environments were simulated with night vision goggles and an unaided night scene. A total of nine experimental test pilots participated in the four-week simulation experiment. Data recorded during the evaluation included Cooper-Harper handling qualities ratings, Bedford Workload scale ratings, and task performance. The Usable Cue Environment (UCE) was measured for this simulation experiment, and found to be UCE equals 1 in good visual environments and UCE equals 2 in degraded visual environments with night vision goggles. Results showed that handling qualities ratings were improved with a control system providing short-term attitude response over a rate command system, although the improvements were not sufficient to produce Level 1 handling qualities in degraded visual environments. Results for an Attitude Command/Attitude Hold control system showed that borderline Level 1 handling qualities could be achieved in degraded visual environments, and the 10 percent authority stability augmentation system was adequate to obtain these handling qualities ratings.

Handling Qualities↗
NASA NTRS1981

NASA/BLM Applications Pilot Test (APT), phase 2. Volume 3: Technology transfer

Techniques used and materials presented at a planning session and two workshops held to provide hands-on training in the integration of quantitatively based remote sensing data are described as well as methods used to enhance understanding of approaches to inventories that integrate multiple data sources given various resource information objectives. Significant results from each of the technology transfer sessions are examined.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

The evaluation of OSTA's APT and ASVT programs

The results of an evaluation of NASA's Applications Pilot Test (APT) and Applications System Verification and Transfer (AVST) Programs are presented. These programs sponsor cooperative projects between NASA and potential users of remote sensing (primarily LANDSAT) technology from federal and state government and the private sector. Fifteen specific projects, seven APT's and eight ASVT's, are examined as mechanisms for technology development, test, and transfer by comparing their results against stated objectives. Interviews with project managers from NASA field centers and user agency representatives provide the basis for project evaluation from NASA and user perspectives.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2000

Mapping Environmental Contaminants at Ray Mine, AZ

Airborne Visible and InfraRed Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data was collected over Ray Mine as part of a demonstration project for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) through the Advanced Measurement Initiative (AMI). The overall goal of AMI is to accelerate adoption and application of advanced measurement technologies for cost effective environmental monitoring. The site was selected to demonstrate the benefit to EPA in using advanced remote sensing technologies for the detection of environmental contaminants due to the mineral extraction industry. The role of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in this pilot study is to provide data as well as performing calibration, data analysis, and validation of the AVIRIS results. EPA is also interested in developing protocols that use commercial software to perform such work on other high priority EPA sites. Reflectance retrieval was performed using outputs generated by the MODTRAN radiative transfer model and field spectra collected for the purpose of calibration. We are presenting advanced applications of the ENVI software package using n-Dimensional Partial Unmixing to identify image-derived endmembers that best match target materials reference spectra from multiple spectral libraries. Upon identification of the image endmembers the Mixture Tuned Match Filter algorithm was applied to map the endmembers within each scene. Using this technique it was possible to map four different mineral classes that are associated with mine generated acid waste.

McCubbin, Ian↗
NASA NTRS2011

HERRO: A Science-Oriented Strategy for Crewed Missions Beyond LEO

This paper presents an exploration strategy for human missions beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Moon that combines the best features of human and robotic spaceflight. This "Human Exploration using Real-time Robotic Operations" (HERRO) strategy refrains from placing humans on the surfaces of the Moon and Mars in the near-term. Rather, it focuses on sending piloted spacecraft and crews into orbit around exploration targets of interest, such as Mars, and conducting astronaut exploration of the surfaces using telerobots and remotely controlled systems. By eliminating the significant communications delay with Earth due to the speed of light limit, teleoperation provides scientists real-time control of rovers and other sophisticated instruments, in effect giving them a "virtual presence" on planetary surfaces, and thus expanding the scientific return at these destinations. It also eliminates development of the numerous man-rated landers, ascent vehicles and surface systems that are required to land humans on planetary surfaces. The propulsive requirements to travel from LEO to many destinations with shallow gravity-wells in the inner solar system are quite similar. Thus, a single spacecraft design could perform a variety of missions, including orbit-based surface exploration of the Moon, Mars and Venus, and rendezvous with Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs), as well as Phobos and Deimos. Although HERRO bypasses many of the initial steps that have been historically associated with human space exploration, it opens the door to many new destinations that are candidates for future resource utilization and settlement. HERRO is a first step that takes humans to exciting destinations beyond LEO, while expanding the ability to conduct science within the inner solar system.

Schmidt, George R.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

m:N ConOps/R&R Remote Simulation

This presentation details the experimental design of an investigation of small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operations involving multiple vehicle management by a remote operator. The study is part of an ongoing effort to explore multiple vehicle control by multiple operators, i.e., the control of N vehicles by m operators (m:N operations). For this effort, NASA and collaborators have developed prototypes of a concept of operations (ConOps), roles and responsibilities (R&R) for operators and supervisors, and a ground control station (GCS), including software displays and interfaces. Participants in this study acted as the pilot-in-command of twelve aircraft flying pre-approved routes in a simulation of a food delivery operation utilizing sUAS in the San Diego, CA area. Each participant experienced four experimental trials. Twice within the course of each trial, participants were responsible for responding to a sudden, unanticipated, and high-priority contingency: an airspace restriction for sUAS operations known as a UAS Volume Reservation (UVR). Upon issuance of a UVR, pilots were expected to reroute affected vehicles around the airspace. The level of automation (LoA) and workload of the flight rerouting task were varied. The LoA was manipulated by providing reroute suggestions ("auto" condition) for aircraft or by requiring pilots to manually reroute ("manual" condition) affected vehicles. Workload was varied as a function of the number of vehicles affected by the UVR contingencies: 2 vehicles ("low workload" condition) versus 4 vehicles ("high workload" condition). Additionally, some vehicles required pilots to adjust for terrain conflicts while avoiding the UVR region. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person data collection for this study was not possible. Researchers adapted to this circumstance through the development of remote data collection protocol. Participants were able to view adapted GCS displays using the Microsoft Teams teleconferencing platform and responded to events by using a verbal protocol developed for the experiment. Using this protocol, participants provided instructions for actions to a researcher, referred to as the surrogate, to carry out on their behalf. This presentation describes the experiment design, including special details for remote data collection via a subject-surrogate configuration, and concludes with planned data analysis and results to be presented at a later date.

multi-UAS↗
NASA NTRS1992

A global change data base using Thematic Mapper data - Earth Monitoring Educational System (EMES)

Some of the main directions in creating an education program in earth system science aimed at combining top science and technology with high academic performance are presented. The creation of an Earth Monitoring Educational System (EMES) integrated with the research interests of the NASA Ames Research Center and one or more universities is proposed. Based on the integration of a global network of cooperators to build a global data base for assessments of global change, EMES would promote degrees at all levels in global ecology at associated universities and colleges, and extracurricular courses for multilevel audiences. EMES objectives are to: train specialists; establish a tradition of solving regional problems concerning global change in a systemic manner, using remote sensing technology as the monitoring tool; and transfer knowledge on global change to the national and world communities. South America is proposed as the pilot continent for the project.

D'Antoni, Hector L.↗
NASA NTRS2013

NASA Tech Briefs, March 2013

Topics covered include: Remote Data Access with IDL Data Compression Algorithm Architecture for Large Depth-of-Field Particle Image Velocimeters Vectorized Rebinning Algorithm for Fast Data Down-Sampling Display Provides Pilots with Real-Time Sonic-Boom Information Onboard Algorithms for Data Prioritization and Summarization of Aerial Imagery Monitoring and Acquisition Real-time System (MARS) Analog Signal Correlating Using an Analog-Based Signal Conditioning Front End Micro-Textured Black Silicon Wick for Silicon Heat Pipe Array Robust Multivariable Optimization and Performance Simulation for ASIC Design; Castable Amorphous Metal Mirrors and Mirror Assemblies; Sandwich Core Heat-Pipe Radiator for Power and Propulsion Systems; Apparatus for Pumping a Fluid; Cobra Fiber-Optic Positioner Upgrade; Improved Wide Operating Temperature Range of Li-Ion Cells; Non-Toxic, Non-Flammable, -80 C Phase Change Materials; Soft-Bake Purification of SWCNTs Produced by Pulsed Laser Vaporization; Improved Cell Culture Method for Growing Contracting Skeletal Muscle Models; Hand-Based Biometric Analysis; The Next Generation of Cold Immersion Dry Suit Design Evolution for Hypothermia Prevention; Integrated Lunar Information Architecture for Decision Support Version 3.0 (ILIADS 3.0); Relay Forward-Link File Management Services (MaROS Phase 2); Two Mechanisms to Avoid Control Conflicts Resulting from Uncoordinated Intent; XTCE GOVSAT Tool Suite 1.0; Determining Temperature Differential to Prevent Hardware Cross-Contamination in a Vacuum Chamber; SequenceL: Automated Parallel Algorithms Derived from CSP-NT Computational Laws; Remote Data Exploration with the Interactive Data Language (IDL); Mixture-Tuned, Clutter Matched Filter for Remote Detection of Subpixel Spectral Signals; Partitioned-Interval Quantum Optical Communications Receiver; and Practical UAV Optical Sensor Bench with Minimal Adjustability.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

Space Environment Effects: Low-Altitude Trapped Radiation Model

Accurate models of the Earth's trapped energetic proton environment are required for both piloted and robotic space missions. For piloted missions, the concern is mainly total dose to the astronauts, particularly in long-duration missions and during extravehicular activity (EVA). As astronomical and remote-sensing detectors become more sensitive, the proton flux can induce unwanted backgrounds in these instruments. Due to this unwanted background, the following description details the development of a new model for the low-trapped proton environment. The model is based on nearly 20 years of data from the TIRO/NOAA weather satellites. The model, which has been designated NOAAPRO (for NOAA protons), predicts the integral omnidirectional proton flux in three energy ranges: >16, >36, and >80 MeV. It contains a true solar cycle variation and accounts for the secular variation in the Earth's magnetic field. It also extends to lower values of the magnetic L parameter than does AP8. Thus, the model addresses the major shortcomings of AP8.

Huston, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS2019

NASA Studies the Earth from the Philippines

The Cloud, Aerosol and Monsoon Processes Philippines Experiment (CAMP2Ex) is a NASA/NRL mission studying clouds and aerosols with the NASA P-3B aircraft, a Learet and an ocean research vessel. The mission is based in the Philippines from late August through early October 2019. This presentation is aimed at 8-12th grade students in the Philippines for education/outreach purposes to expose students to NASA Earth and Airborne Science research, the CAMP2Ex mission, and careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).The presentation starts with an overview of NASA Earth science, including discussing how and why NASA studies the earth using satellites, airplanes, and sensors on the ground. We discuss the NASA Airborne Science Program and how NASA uses airplanes to study the Earth from the equator to the poles. We discuss the CAMP2Ex mission specifically, including mission science goals and why we are based in the Philippines. We will discuss basic cloud physics and remote sensing using demonstrations and activities. Finally, we discuss careers in STEM and at NASA, giving personal examples of the career paths of scientists, engineers and pilots on the CAMP2Ex mission.

Schaller, Emily L.↗
NASA NTRS1995

Image applications for coastal resource planning: Elkhorn Slough Pilot Project

The purpose of this project has been to evaluate the utility of digital spectral imagery at two levels of resolution for large scale, accurate, auto-classification of land cover along the Central California Coast. Although remote sensing technology offers obvious advantages over on-the-ground mapping, there are substantial trade-offs that must be made between resolving power and costs. Higher resolution images can theoretically be used to identify smaller habitat patches, but they usually require more scenes to cover a given area and processing these images is computationally intense requiring much more computer time and memory. Lower resolution images can cover much larger areas, are less costly to store, process, and manipulate, but due to their larger pixel size can lack the resolving power of the denser images. This lack of resolving power can be critical in regions such as the Central California Coast where important habitat change often occurs on a scale of 10 meters. Our approach has been to compare vegetation and habitat classification results from two aircraft-based spectral scenes covering the same study area but at different levels of resolution with a previously produced ground-truthed land cover base map of the area. Both of the spectral images used for this project were of significantly higher resolution than the satellite-based LandSat scenes used in the C-CAP program. The lower reaches of the Elkhorn Slough watershed was chosen as an ideal study site because it encompasses a suite of important vegetation types and habitat loss processes characteristic of the central coast region. Dramatic habitat alterations have and are occurring within the Elkhorn Slough drainage area, including erosion and sedimentation, land use conversion, wetland loss, and incremental loss due to development and encroachnnent by agriculture. Additonally, much attention has already been focused on the Elkhorn Slough due to its status as a National Marine Education and Research Reserve and as part of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. These destinations have resulted in a rich collection of prior spatial and temporal habitat data.

Kvitek, Rikk G.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Heat Capacity Mapping Mission investigation no. 25 (Tellus project)

The TELLUS pilot project, utilizing 0.5 to 1.1 micron and 10.5 to 12.5 micron day and/or night imagery from the Heat Capacity Mapping Mission, is described. The application of remotely sensed data to synoptic evaluation of evapotranspiration and moisture in agricultural soils was considered. The influence of topography, soils, land use, and meteorology on surface temperature distribution was evaluated. Anthropogenic heat release was investigated. Test areas extended from semi-arid land in southern Italy to polders in the Netherlands, and from vine-growing hills in the Rhineland to grasslands in Buckinghamshire.

Deparatesi, S. G.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Cloud boundaries during FIRE 2

To our knowledge, previous observations of cloud boundaries have been limited to studies of cloud bases with ceilometers, cloud tops with satellites, and intermittent reports by aircraft pilots. Comprehensive studies that simultaneously record information of cloud top and cloud base, especially in multiple layer cases, have been difficult, and require the use of active remote sensors with range-gated information. In this study, we examined a 4-week period during which the NOAA Wave Propagation Laboratory (WPL) 8-mm radar and the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) 3-mm radar operated quasi-continuously, side by side. By quasi-continuously, we mean that both radars operated during all periods when cloud was present, during both daytime and nighttime hours. Using this data, we develop a summary of cloud boundaries for the month of November for a single location in the mid-continental United States.

Uttal, Taneil↗
NASA NTRS2005

STS-114 Flight Day 2 Highlights

Video coverage of NASA's Return to Flight continues with highlights from Day 2 of STS-114. After a wake-up song from Mission Control Center, the crew of Space Shuttle Discovery (Commander Eileen Collins, Pilot James Kelly, Mission Specialists Soichi Noguchi, Stephen Robinson, Andrew Thomas, Wendy Lawrence, and Charles Camarda) inspects the orbiter for damage using a camera on the Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS). The SRMS, a robot arm, extends its length by grappling the new Orbiter Boom Sensor System, in order to image Discovery's wing leading edges and the underside of its nose. After the boom is stowed in the payload bay, the top and sides of the crew cabin are then imaged, including the Reaction Control System jets. The Shuttle's Ku-band antenna is then deployed. The video includes scenes of the payload bay contents, and crew members on the flight deck.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1975

The design and implementation of CRT displays in the TCV real-time simulation

The design and application of computer graphics to the Terminal Configured Vehicle (TCV) program were described. A Boeing 737-100 series aircraft was modified with a second flight deck and several computers installed in the passenger cabin. One of the elements in support of the TCV program is a sophisticated simulation system developed to duplicate the operation of the aft flight deck. This facility consists of an aft flight deck simulator, equipped with realistic flight instrumentation, a CDC 6600 computer, and an Adage graphics terminal; this terminal presents to the simulator pilot displays similar to those used on the aircraft with equivalent man-machine interactions. These two displays form the primary flight instrumentation for the pilot and are dynamic images depicting critical flight information. The graphics terminal is a high speed interactive refresh-type graphics system. To support the cockpit display, two remote CRT's were wired in parallel with two of the Adage scopes.

Leavitt, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS2001

STS-105 Crew Training Clip

The STS-105 crewmembers, Commander Scott Horowitz, Pilot Frederick Sturckow, and Mission Specialists Daniel Barry and Patrick Forrester, are seeing during various stages of their training. Footage includes Post-Insertion Training, Virtual Reality Laboratory Remote Manipulator System Training, Emergency Egress Training in the CCT, Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory Training, Post Egress Landing Training at FFT, Long Rendezvous Training in the GNS (Navigation Simulator), and Post Insertion Operations Training at FFT.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1981

Users manual for the US baseline corn and soybean segment classification procedure

A user's manual for the classification component of the FY-81 U.S. Corn and Soybean Pilot Experiment in the Foreign Commodity Production Forecasting Project of AgRISTARS is presented. This experiment is one of several major experiments in AgRISTARS designed to measure and advance the remote sensing technologies for cropland inventory. The classification procedure discussed is designed to produce segment proportion estimates for corn and soybeans in the U.S. Corn Belt (Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois) using LANDSAT data. The estimates are produced by an integrated Analyst/Machine procedure. The Analyst selects acquisitions, participates in stratification, and assigns crop labels to selected samples. In concert with the Analyst, the machine digitally preprocesses LANDSAT data to remove external effects, stratifies the data into field like units and into spectrally similar groups, statistically samples the data for Analyst labeling, and combines the labeled samples into a final estimate.

Horvath, R.↗