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NASA NTRS1986

An empirical study of software design practices

Software engineers have developed a large body of software design theory and folklore, much of which was never validated. The results of an empirical study of software design practices in one specific environment are presented. The practices examined affect module size, module strength, data coupling, descendant span, unreferenced variables, and software reuse. Measures characteristic of these practices were extracted from 887 FORTRAN modules developed for five flight dynamics software projects monitored by the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL). The relationship of these measures to cost and fault rate was analyzed using a contingency table procedure. The results show that some recommended design practices, despite their intuitive appeal, are ineffective in this environment, whereas others are very effective.

Card, David N.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Reflectance Measurements, Part 2

Improving the productivity of spectroreflectometer readings taken to monitor induced contamination of lenses, mirrors, and coatings in the space environment are described. More sophisticated modelling techniques were applied to the laboratory data collected last summer in order to produce a more accurate model of the nonlinearities and noise sources of the instrumentation. This would ultimately allow for correction of known anomalies by the digital computer, yielding an anticipated order to magnitude improvement in the accuracy of the reflectance measurements, while reducing the total measuring time. The construction of and programming for a modernized version of the electronics used in Beckman DK-2 spectroreflectometers suffered because of a schedule lag in fabrication of a modified form of the carrier frequency pickoff. Separate development of the electronics and the computer programming was partially accomplished.

Brown, R. A.↗

NASA NTRS2017

Data Collection and Analysis Software Development for Rotor Dynamics Testing in Spin Laboratory

Gas turbine engine components undergo high rotational loading another complex environmental conditions. Such operating environment leads these components to experience damages and cracks that can cause catastrophic failure during flights. There are traditional crack detections and health monitoring methodologies currently being used which rely on periodic routine maintenances, nondestructive inspections that often times involve engine and components dis-assemblies. These methods do not also offer adequate information about the faults, especially, if these faults at subsurface or not clearly evident. At NASA Glenn research center, the rotor dynamics laboratory is presently involved in developing newer techniques that are highly dependent on sensor technology to enable health monitoring and prediction of damage and cracks in rotor disks. These approaches are noninvasive and relatively economical. Spin tests are performed using a subscale test article mimicking turbine rotor disk undergoing rotational load. Non-contact instruments such as capacitive and microwave sensors are used to measure the blade tip gap displacement and blade vibrations characteristics in an attempt develop a physics based model to assess/predict the faults in the rotor disk. Data collection is a major component in this experimental-analytical procedure and as a result, an upgrade to an older version of the data acquisition software which is based on LabVIEW program has been implemented to support efficiently running tests and analyze the results. Outcomes obtained from the tests data and related experimental and analytical rotor dynamics modeling including key features of the updated software are presented and discussed.

Rotor Dynamics↗

NASA NTRS1990

An automated environment for multiple spacecraft engineering subsystem mission operations

Flight operations at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) are now performed by teams of specialists, each team dedicated to a particular spacecraft. Certain members of each team are responsible for monitoring the performances of their respective spacecraft subsystems. Ground operations, which are very complex, are manual, labor-intensive, slow, and tedious, and therefore costly and inefficient. The challenge of the new decade is to operate a large number of spacecraft simultaneously while sharing limited human and computer resources, without compromising overall reliability. The Engineering Analysis Subsystem Environment (EASE) is an architecture that enables fewer controllers to monitor and control spacecraft engineering subsystems. A prototype of EASE has been installed in the JPL Space Flight Operations Facility for on-line testing. This article describes the underlying concept, development, testing, and benefits of the EASE prototype.

Bahrami, K. A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Converging Indicators for Assessing Individual Differences in Adaptation to Extreme Environments: Preliminary Report

This paper describes the development and validation of a new methodology for assessing the deleterious effects of spaceflight on crew health and performance. It is well known that microgravity results in various physiological alterations, e.g., headward fluid shifts which can impede physiological adaptation. Other factors that may affect crew operational efficiency include disruption of sleep-wake cycles, high workload, isolation, confinement, stress and fatigue. From an operational perspective, it is difficult to predict which individuals will be most or least affected in this unique environment given that most astronauts are first-time flyers. During future lunar and Mars missions space crews will include both men and women of multi-national origins, different professional backgrounds, and various states of physical condition. Therefore, new methods or technologies are needed to monitor and predict astronaut performance and health, and to evaluate the effects of various countermeasures on crew during long duration missions. This paper reviews several studies conducted in both laboratory and operational environments with men and women ranging in age between 18 to 50 years. The studies included the following: soldiers performing command and control functions during mobile operations in enclosed armored vehicles; subjects participating in laboratory tests of an anti-motion sickness medication; subjects exposed to chronic hypergravity aboard a centrifuge, and subject responses to 36-hours of sleep deprivation. Physiological measurements, performance metrics, and subjective self-reports were collected in each study. The results demonstrate that multivariate converging indicators provide a significantly more reliable method for assessing environmental effects on performance and health than any single indicator.

Cowings, Patricia S.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Technology Development to Support Human Health and Performance in Exploration Beyond Low Earth Orbit

In the course of defining the level of risks and mitigating the risks for exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit, NASA s Human Research Program (HRP) has identified the need for technology development in several areas. Long duration missions increase the risk of serious medical conditions due to limited options for return to Earth; no resupply; highly limited mass, power, volume; and communication delays. New space flight compatible medical capabilities required include: diagnostic imaging, oxygen concentrator, ventilator, laboratory analysis (saliva, blood, urine), kidney stone diagnosis & treatment, IV solution preparation and delivery. Maintenance of behavioral health in such an isolated, confined and extreme environment requires new sensory stimulation (e.g., virtual reality) technology. Unobtrusive monitoring of behavioral health and treatment methods are also required. Prolonged exposure to weightlessness deconditions bone, muscle, and the cardiovascular system. Novel exercise equipment or artificial gravity are necessary to prevent deconditioning. Monitoring of the degree of deconditioning is required to ensure that countermeasures are effective. New technologies are required in all the habitable volumes (e.g., suit, capsule, habitat, exploration vehicle, lander) to provide an adequate food system, and to meet human environmental standards for air, water, and surface contamination. Communication delays require the crew to be more autonomous. Onboard decision support tools that assist crew with real-time detection and diagnosis of vehicle and habitat operational anomalies will enable greater autonomy. Multi-use shield systems are required to provide shielding from solar particle events. The HRP is pursuing the development of these technologies in laboratories, flight analog environments and the ISS so that the human health and performance risks will be acceptable with the available resources.

Kundrot, C.E.↗

NASA NTRS2011

Ka-Band Site Characterization of the NASA Near Earth Network in Svalbard, Norway

Critical to NASA s rapid migration toward Ka-Band is the comprehensive characterization of the communication channels at NASA's ground sites to determine the effects of the atmosphere on signal propagation and the network's ability to support various classes of users in different orbits. Accordingly, NASA has initiated a number of studies involving the ground sites of its Near Earth and Deep Space Networks. Recently, NASA concluded a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Norwegian Space Centre of the Kingdom of Norway and began a joint site characterization study to determine the atmospheric effects on Ka-Band links at the Svalbard Satellite Station in Norway, which remains a critical component of NASA s Near Earth Communication Network (NEN). System planning and design for Ka-band links at the Svalbard site cannot be optimally achieved unless measured attenuation statistics (e.g. cumulative distribution functions (CDF)) are obtained. In general, the CDF will determine the necessary system margin and overall system availability due to the atmospheric effects. To statistically characterize the attenuation statistics at the Svalbard site, NASA has constructed a ground-based monitoring station consisting of a multi-channel total power radiometer (25.5 - 26.5 GHz) and a weather monitoring station to continuously measure (at 1 second intervals) attenuation and excess noise (brightness temperature). These instruments have been tested in a laboratory environment as well as in an analogous outdoor climate (i.e. winter in Northeast Ohio), and the station was deployed in Svalbard, Norway in May 2011. The measurement campaign is planned to last a minimum of 3 years but not exceeding a maximum of 5 years.

Acosta, R.↗

NASA NTRS1998

NASA Lewis' Telescience Support Center Supports Orbiting Microgravity Experiments

The Telescience Support Center (TSC) at the NASA Lewis Research Center was developed to enable Lewis-based science teams and principal investigators to monitor and control experimental and operational payloads onboard the International Space Station. The TSC is a remote operations hub that can interface with other remote facilities, such as universities and industrial laboratories. As a pathfinder for International Space Station telescience operations, the TSC has incrementally developed an operational capability by supporting space shuttle missions. The TSC has evolved into an environment where experimenters and scientists can control and monitor the health and status of their experiments in near real time. Remote operations (or telescience) allow local scientists and their experiment teams to minimize their travel and maintain a local complement of expertise for hardware and software troubleshooting and data analysis. The TSC was designed, developed, and is operated by Lewis' Engineering and Technical Services Directorate and its support contractors, Analex Corporation and White's Information System, Inc. It is managed by Lewis' Microgravity Science Division. The TSC provides operational support in conjunction with the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and NASA Johnson Space Center. It enables its customers to command, receive, and view telemetry; monitor the science video from their on-orbit experiments; and communicate over mission-support voice loops. Data can be received and routed to experimenter-supplied ground support equipment and/or to the TSC data system for display. Video teleconferencing capability and other video sources, such as NASA TV, are also available. The TSC has a full complement of standard services to aid experimenters in telemetry operations.

Hawersaat, Bob W.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Infrared Camera

A sensitive infrared camera that observes the blazing plumes from the Space Shuttle or expendable rocket lift-offs is capable of scanning for fires, monitoring the environment and providing medical imaging. The hand-held camera uses highly sensitive arrays in infrared photodetectors known as quantum well infrared photo detectors (QWIPS). QWIPS were developed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Space Microelectronics Technology in partnership with Amber, a Raytheon company. In October 1996, QWIP detectors pointed out hot spots of the destructive fires speeding through Malibu, California. Night vision, early warning systems, navigation, flight control systems, weather monitoring, security and surveillance are among the duties for which the camera is suited. Medical applications are also expected.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2017

Recent Progress in Laboratory Astrophysics and Astrochemistry Achieved with the COSmIC Facility

We describe the characteristics and the capabilities of the laboratory facility, COSmIC, that was developed at NASA Ames to generate, process and analyze interstellar, circumstellar and planetary analogs in the laboratory. COSmIC stands for "Cosmic Simulation Chamber" and is dedicated to the study of neutral and ionized molecules and nanoparticles under the low temperature and high vacuum conditions that are required to simulate various space environments such as diffuse interstellar clouds, circumstellar outflows and planetary atmospheres. COSmIC integrates a variety of state-of-the-art instruments that allow recreating simulated space conditions to generate, process and monitor cosmic analogs in the laboratory. The COSmIC experimental setup is composed of a Pulsed Discharge Nozzle (PDN) expansion, that generates a plasma in the stream of a free supersonic jet expansion, coupled to high-sensitivity, complementary in situ diagnostics: cavity ring down spectroscopy (CRDS) and laser induced fluorescence (LIF) systems for photonic detection, and Reflectron Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ReTOF-MS) for mass detection. Recent results obtained using COSmIC will be highlighted. In particular, the progress that has been achieved in the domain of the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs) and in monitoring, in the laboratory, the formation of circumstellar dust grains and planetary atmosphere aerosols from their gas-phase molecular precursors. Plans for future laboratory experiments on interstellar and planetary molecules and grains will also be addressed, as well as the implications of the studies underway for astronomical observations and past and future space mission data analysis.

Salama, Farid↗

NASA NTRS1988

Study of industry requirements that can be fulfilled by combustion experimentation aboard space station

The purpose of this study is to define the requirements of commercially motivated microgravity combustion experiments and the optimal way for space station to accommodate these requirements. Representatives of commercial organizations, universities and government agencies were contacted. Interest in and needs for microgravity combustion studies are identified for commercial/industrial groups involved in fire safety with terrestrial applications, fire safety with space applications, propulsion and power, industrial burners, or pollution control. From these interests and needs experiments involving: (1) no flow with solid or liquid fuels; (2) homogeneous mixtures of fuel and air; (3) low flow with solid or liquid fuels; (4) low flow with gaseous fuel; (5) high pressure combustion; and (6) special burner systems are described and space station resource requirements for each type of experiment provided. Critical technologies involving the creation of a laboratory environment and methods for combining experimental needs into one experiment in order to obtain effective use of space station are discussed. Diagnostic techniques for monitoring combustion process parameters are identified.

Priem, Richard J.↗

NASA NTRS1988

Artificial intelligence in a mission operations and satellite test environment

A Generic Mission Operations System using Expert System technology to demonstrate the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) automated monitor and control functions in a Mission Operations and Satellite Test environment will be developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Expert system techniques in a real time operation environment are being studied and applied to science and engineering data processing. Advanced decommutation schemes and intelligent display technology will be examined to develop imaginative improvements in rapid interpretation and distribution of information. The Generic Payload Operations Control Center (GPOCC) will demonstrate improved data handling accuracy, flexibility, and responsiveness in a complex mission environment. The ultimate goal is to automate repetitious mission operations, instrument, and satellite test functions by the applications of expert system technology and artificial intelligence resources and to enhance the level of man-machine sophistication.

Busse, Carl↗

NASA NTRS2011

Comparative Validation of Realtime Solar Wind Forecasting Using the UCSD Heliospheric Tomography Model

The University of California, San Diego 3D Heliospheric Tomography Model reconstructs the evolution of heliospheric structures, and can make forecasts of solar wind density and velocity up to 72 hours in the future. The latest model version, installed and running in realtime at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center(CCMC), analyzes scintillations of meter wavelength radio point sources recorded by the Solar-Terrestrial Environment Laboratory(STELab) together with realtime measurements of solar wind speed and density recorded by the Advanced Composition Explorer(ACE) Solar Wind Electron Proton Alpha Monitor(SWEPAM).The solution is reconstructed using tomographic techniques and a simple kinematic wind model. Since installation, the CCMC has been recording the model forecasts and comparing them with ACE measurements, and with forecasts made using other heliospheric models hosted by the CCMC. We report the preliminary results of this validation work and comparison with alternative models.

MacNeice, Peter↗

NASA NTRS2003

Packaging Technology Designed, Fabricated, and Assembled for High-Temperature SiC Microsystems

A series of ceramic substrates and thick-film metalization-based prototype microsystem packages designed for silicon carbide (SiC) high-temperature microsystems have been developed for operation in 500 C harsh environments. These prototype packages were designed, fabricated, and assembled at the NASA Glenn Research Center. Both the electrical interconnection system and the die-attach scheme for this packaging system have been tested extensively at high temperatures. Printed circuit boards used to interconnect these chip-level packages and passive components also are being fabricated and tested. NASA space and aeronautical missions need harsh-environment, especially high-temperature, operable microsystems for probing the inner solar planets and for in situ monitoring and control of next-generation aeronautical engines. Various SiC high-temperature-operable microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors, actuators, and electronics have been demonstrated at temperatures as high as 600 C, but most of these devices were demonstrated only in the laboratory environment partially because systematic packaging technology for supporting these devices at temperatures of 500 C and beyond was not available. Thus, the development of a systematic high-temperature packaging technology is essential for both in situ testing and the commercialization of high-temperature SiC MEMS. Researchers at Glenn developed new prototype packages for high-temperature microsystems using ceramic substrates (aluminum nitride and 96- and 90-wt% aluminum oxides) and gold (Au) thick-film metalization. Packaging components, which include a thick-film metalization-based wirebond interconnection system and a low-electrical-resistance SiC die-attachment scheme, have been tested at temperatures up to 500 C. The interconnection system composed of Au thick-film printed wire and 1-mil Au wire bond was tested in 500 C oxidizing air with and without 50-mA direct current for over 5000 hr. The Au thick-film metalization-based wirebond electrical interconnection system was also tested in an extremely dynamic thermal environment to assess thermal reliability. The I-V curve1 of a SiC high-temperature diode was measured in oxidizing air at 500 C for 1000 hr to electrically test the Au thick-film material-based die-attach assembly.

Chen, Liang-Yu↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

From the Interstellar Medium to Ocean Worlds: new challenges for Laboratory Astrophysics

From the Interstellar Medium to Ocean Worlds: new challenges for Laboratory Astrophysics For the past 35+ years, laboratory experiments in Astrophysics have been focusing on identifying and understanding the molecular species and chemistry occurring in interstellar environments, such as the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM) and dense molecular clouds. A significant portion of these laboratory efforts concerns investigations of carbon-based molecules ranging in size from a single carbon atom (e.g., CO, CO2, H2CO) to large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) molecules potentially consisting of more than one hundred carbon atoms as well as their reactions with H2O and other interstellar species. The laboratory facilities built to conduct these investigations are capable of monitoring the chemistry and measuring the spectra under a wide range of interstellar conditions (e.g., low temperatures and pressures). The past 15 years of space exploration revealed the presence of at least nine other Ocean Worlds, besides Earth, in our Solar System. These worlds include moons and dwarf planets, ice-covered surfaces, subsurface oceans, as well as geysers venting H2O and other compounds, including organics in at least one environment, into space. Although these worlds represent environments that are significantly different from those traditionally considered the realm of Laboratory Astrophysics, their facilities are well situated to provide insight into the chemistry occurring in and around these worlds as well as experimental data for the interpretation of observations from missions visiting these Ocean World. This presentation will discuss the areas where Laboratory Astrophysics can provide experimental data to help understand the chemistry, and mission data of Ocean Worlds, and the challenges research into Ocean Worlds presents to our current facilities and how they can be overcome. Lastly, this presentation will introduce the new ICEE (In-situ Carbon Evolution Experiments) facility at NASA Ames Research Center as an example of how a lab dedicated to Laboratory Astrophysics can adapt itself to also meet the needs for Ocean Worlds research.

Andrew Lige Mattioda↗

NASA NTRS2002

Evaluation of Standard Gear Metrics in Helicopter Flight Operation

Each false alarm made by a machine monitoring system carries a high price tag. The machine must be taken out of service, thoroughly inspected with possible disassembly, and then made ready for service. Loss of use of the machine and the efforts to inspect it are costly. In addition, if a monitoring system is prone to false alarms, the system will soon be turned off or ignored. For aircraft applications, one growing concern is that the dynamic flight environment differs from the laboratory environment where fault detection methods are developed and tested. Vibration measurements made in flight are less stationary than those made in a laboratory, or test facility, and thus a given fault detection method may produce more false alarms in flight than might be anticipated. In 1977. Stewart introduced several metrics, including FM0 and FM4, for evaluating the health of a gear. These metrics are single valued functions of the vibration signal that indicate if the signal deviates from an ideal model of the signal. FM0 is a measure of the ratio of the peak-to-peak level to the harmonic energy in the signal. FM4 is the kurtosis of the signal with the gear mesh harmonics and first order side bands removed. The underlying theory is that a vibration signal from a gear in good condition is expected to be dominated by a periodic signal at the gear mesh frequency. If one or a small number of gear teeth contain damage or faults, the signal will change, possibly showing increased amplitude, local phase changes or both near the damaged region of the gear. FM0 increases if a signal contains a local increase in amplitude. FM4 increases if a signal contains a local increase in amplitude or local phase change in a periodic signal. Over the years, other single value metrics were also introduced to detect the onset and growth of damage in gears. These various metrics have detected faults in several gear tests in experimental test rigs. Conditions in these tests have been steady state in the sense that the rpm, torque and forces on the gear have been held steady. For gears used in a dynamic environment such as that occurring in aircraft, the rpm, torque and forces on the gear are constantly changing. The authors have measured significant variation in rpm and torque in the transmissions of helicopters in controlled steady flight conditions flown by highly proficient test pilots. Statistical analyses of the data taken in flight show significant nonstationarity in the vibration measurements. These deviations from stationarity may increase false alarms in gear monitoring during aircraft flight. In the proposed paper, the authors will study vibration measurements made in flight on an AH- 1 Cobra and an OH-58C Kiowa helicopters. The primary focus will be the development of a methodology to assess the impact of nonstationarity on false alarms. Issues to be addressed include how time synchronous averages are constructed from raw data as well as how lack of stationarity effects the behavior of single value metrics. Emphasis will be placed on the occurrence of false alarms with the use of standard metrics. In order to maintain an acceptable level of false alarms in the flight environment, this study will also address the determination of appropriate threshold levels, which may need to be higher than for test rigs.

Mosher, M.↗

NASA NTRS1990

On-board switching and processing

Findings from NASA's space electronics division's (SED's) advanced systems studies related to future communications satellite services that will require onboard switching and processing technology are reviewed. SED's digital signal switching and processing technology program is reviewed. This program responds to specific systems technology development needs for enabling commercial development of future satellite services. The technologies include: modulators, demodulators, and forward error-correction hardware for space- and ground-based applications; onboard information switching and processing, onboard network control, and health monitoring; and cost-efficient ground terminals. The in-house systems integration, test, and evaluation (SITE) project, which includes a laboratory testbed for evaluating technology in a simulated systems environment, is reviewed.

Harrold, Joseph L.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing Mars-Based Clinical Scenarios for an Earth Independent Medical Operations (EIMO) – Based Decision Support Service

As crewed missions move beyond Low-Earth Orbit, pre-mission planning cannot fully buy down the medical risks of exploration-class missions. Martian missions, where increased hazards exist, (such as long-duration spaceflight, surface-level EVA operations, and communications delays) will require a paradigm shift in the structure of a medical system. An Earth-Independent Medical Operations-based Medical System (EIMO-MS) will need to optimize four critical domains to help provide medical care: utilization of Pre-Mission Planning, augmentation of Acute and Prolonged Medical Decision Making, automated tracking of Resource Management, and assistance in Task Load Balance. The ideal EIMO-MS will be able to accomplish this goal by having an interactive, adaptable interface that will be able to provide real-time medical services. It must respond based on the level of crewmember training, medical situation, and available medical and non-medical resources. To showcase the capabilities and requirements of such a sophisticated automated MS, a series of clinical scenarios of escalating complexity were developed with clinical and systems engineering input. These scenarios describe in clinical detail what a theoretical future medical system, enhanced with multiple information streams (such as a medical database, an AI-based Decision Support System, real-time monitoring, enhanced in-situ laboratory imaging, etc.) can achieve in conjunction with a trained and experienced crew. Scenarios are comprised of: a context section including objectives and applicable spaceflight environment, a highlighted assumptions section, a clinical narrative section, and a systems engineering activity diagram demonstrating the integrated Medical System (MS). The “swim lanes” of the activity diagram act as the logistical core of each scenario and show how the MS will interact with the crew, ground support, and other in-flight systems. The Design Reference Mission that is used for the scenarios is based on existing reference mission profiles [1] with a projected 30-sol stay on the Martian surface. Scenarios span the spectrum from planned evaluations, minor medical care, urgent care, surgical guidance, critical and expectant management, and behavioral health care. Mission complexity will exponentially increase during deep space and Mars exploration-class missions, and medical support for these missions will likewise need to increase in autonomy and adaptability. The integrated system that will support these missions will need to provide assistance in a variety of anticipated and unforeseen scenarios. These medical scenarios, guided by clinician input, are initial steps in crafting the requirements for an EIMO-based medical system. By working in a systems engineering framework, requirements and capabilities can be extracted and mapped while maintaining a clinical core.

Prashant Parmar↗