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NASA NTRS2007

Effective Training for Flight in Icing Conditions

The development of a piloted flight simulator called the Ice Contamination Effects Flight Training Device (ICEFTD) was recently completed. This device demonstrates the ability to accurately represent an iced airplane s flight characteristics and is utilized to train pilots in recognizing and recovering from aircraft handling anomalies that result from airframe ice formations. The ICEFTD was demonstrated at three recent short courses hosted by the University of Tennessee Space Institute. It was also demonstrated to a group of pilots at the National Test Pilot School. In total, eighty-four pilots and flight test engineers from industry and the regulatory community spent approximately one hour each in the ICEFTD to get a "hands on" lesson of an iced airplane s reduced performance and handling qualities. Additionally, pilot cues of impending upsets and recovery techniques were demonstrated. The purpose of this training was to help pilots understand how ice contamination affects aircraft handling so they may apply that knowledge to the operations of other aircraft undergoing testing and development. Participant feedback on the ICEFTD was very positive. Pilots stated that the simulation was very valuable, applicable to their occupations, and provided a safe way to explore the flight envelope. Feedback collected at each demonstration was also helpful to define additional improvements to the ICEFTD; many of which were then implemented in subsequent demonstrations.

Barnhart, Billy P.↗
NASA NTRS1970

The Nimbus 4 user's guide

Background information on the Nimbus 4 spacecraft and experiments is provided for potential data users as a basis for selecting, obtaining, and utilizing Nimbus 4 data in research studies. The basic spacecraft system operation and the objectives of the Nimbus 4 flight are outlined, with a detailed discussion of each of the experiments included. The format, archiving, and access to the data are also described. Finally, the contents and format of the Nimbus 4 data catalogs are described.

Sabatini, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1972

The Nimbus 5 user's guide

Background information on the Nimbus 5 spacecraft and experiments is presented as a basis for selecting, obtaining, and utilizing the data in research studies. The basic spacecraft system operation and the objectives of the Nimbus 5 flight are outlined, followed by a detailed discussion of each of the experiments. The format, archiving, and access to the data, and the contents and format of the Nimbus 5 Data Catalogs are described.

Sabatini, R. R.↗
NASA NTRS1975

The Nimbus-6 User's Guide

Background information was given on the Nimbus 6 spacecraft and experiments as a basis for selecting, obtaining, and utilizing Nimbus 6 data in research studies. The basic spacecraft system operation and the objectives of the Nimbus 6 flight are outlined, followed by a detailed discussion of each of the experiments. The format, archiving, and access to the data are also described. Finally, the contents and format of the Nimbus 6 data catalogs are described. These catalogs will be issued periodically after the launch of Nimbus 6. They will contain representative pictorial data and daily temperature, humidity, infrared and radiometer data obtained during each period, as well as information on the collection and availability of all Nimbus 6 data.

Sissala, J. E.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Simulator comparison of thumball, thumb switch, and touch screen input concepts for interaction with a large screen cockpit display format

A piloted simulation study was conducted comparing three different input methods for interfacing to a large screen, multiwindow, whole flight deck display for management of transport aircraft systems. The thumball concept utilized a miniature trackball embedded in a conventional side arm controller. The multifunction control throttle and stick (MCTAS) concept employed a thumb switch located in the throttle handle. The touch screen concept provided data entry through a capacitive touch screen installed on the display surface. The objective and subjective results obtained indicate that, with present implementations, the thumball concept was the most appropriate for interfacing with aircraft systems/subsystems presented on a large screen display. Not unexpectedly, the completion time differences between the three concepts varied with the task being performed, although the thumball implementation consistently outperformed the other two concepts. However, pilot suggestions for improved implementations of the MCTAS and touch screen concepts could reduce some of these differences.

Jones, Denise R.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Compatibility and consistency in aircrew decision aiding

A group of 32 subjects performed a flight-control task while responding to between one and four analog indicators that were formatted as either command or status-decision aid displays. The results obtained indicate the advantage of the status format when subjects are required to verbally support the state of the indicator(s), in part, because the command format 'bypasses' the representation of the indicator's state from which the command was derived. No advantage is noted for either format in the case where the subjects are required to manually correct the state indicated. The importance of consistency in system-design efforts may exceed that of compatibility.

Andre, Anthony D.↗
NASA NTRS2012

The DECLIC Research Facility - a Fertile Platform for NASA/CNES Scientific Collaboration

The DECLIC (Device for the Study of Critical Liquids and Crystalization) Facility was launched to the International Space Station (ISS) on Shuttle flight 17-A (August 2009) and has been in service for a little over three years. Activity from the three originally planned investigations, the HTI (High Temperature Insert) investigation, the ALI (Alice Like Insert) investigation and the DSI (Directional Solidication Insert) investigation has led to fruitful collaborations among a team of scientists, sponsored by NASA and CNES, to extend the utility of the inserts and the breadth of science beyond its initial scope. These follow-on investigations plan to use inserts that have been returned to earth for refurbishment, two of which (i.e., HTI-R and DSI-R) simply entail changing the test sample and the third (i.e., ALI-R) entails a slight hardware modication to allow for precise changes in sample volume. The first investigation, the Supercritical Water Mixture (SCWM) experiment, uses the refurbished HTI-R, which will accommodate a dilute aqueous mixture of Na2SO4 -0.5% w. This investigation will extend earlier observations of pure water at near-critical conditions. The second experiment uses a modified insert, the DSI-R, with a different concentration of succinonitrile-camphor than the original flight sample. This will allow, among other objectives, a detailed study of dendritic sidebranch formation in extended three-dimensional arrays, with the goal of elucidating whether noise amplication and/or a deterministic limit cycle is the main cause of sidebranch formation. The final experiment, the ALI-R, uses a sample cell with variable density to allow for additional observations of thermo-physical properties on SF6 at near critical conditions. The presentation will provide a discussion of the DECLIC facility's hardware, its modied inserts, and an overview of the extended science that will be achieved through these collaborative activities.

Hicks, Michael C.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Exploratory Contrail Studies: Transonic Truss-Braced Wing (TTBW) Contrail Assessment & National Airspace System (NAS) Impacts from Contrail Avoidance

Aviation is projected to become an increasingly large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Condensation trails (contrails) are visible cloud trails of water vapor made from aircraft engine exhaust. One study estimated that persistent contrails have contributed about 57% of total Effective Radiative Forcing from aviation operations. Airspace management can reduce persistent contrails and related climate change impacts. NAS Digital Twin simulation capability and Autoresolver conflict management service can be utilized to investigate persistent contrail formation avoidance. On three of the four days analyzed, TTBW persistent contrail formation length was about 10 percentage points less than Boeing 737-800 (around 3% vs 13%). On average, altitude change maneuvers in simulation reduced persistent contrail formation length by 69.8% for 0.4% increase in fuel burn and 1.2% increase in flight duration.

persistent contrails↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Conditions of the Toll-Like Receptors System of the Human Innate Immunity Cells During the Long-Term Isolation

During long duration missions onboard the International Space Station (ISS), alterations in T cell function and plasma cytokine profiles have been observed. Recent studies involving pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) have established that adaptation of innate immunity to long duration space flight occurs through changes in signal PRRs, Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Despite the fact that fundamental research of PRR molecular biology is far from complete, there are an increasing number of arguments confirming the important role of this system in regulating the initial stages of the adaptive immune response, as well as in the formation of autoimmune and allergic diseases. Long duration isolation is widely used by NASA as an analog for space flight with previous missions including several Antarctic bases, an undersea research station (NEEMO), and other isolation chambers. ‘SIRIUS’ is a multi-compartment pressurized facility at the IMBP in Moscow, Russia, in which subjects will spend 8 months executing tasks similar to those performed by astronauts in space. Prolonged isolation studies like SIRIUS replicate many of the influences expected to occur during long duration spaceflight missions including isolation, stress, confinement, and living in remote conditions. The immune study to be performed on the upcoming SIRIUS mission is being led by Dr. Sergey Ponomarev at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, Russia. The NASA JSC Immunology lab will provide analysis of immune cell function, serum cytokines and stress hormones, and salivary cortisol, cytokines, and viruses. This study will be conducted with SIRIUS subjects under the auspices of the parent program. The goal of the study is to evaluate the effect of the 8-month isolation mission on components of human innate immunity at the molecular and cellular level. Successful implementation and completion of this project will provide a unique assortment of new data, significantly expanding the current understanding of the molecular and cellular changes in TLRs during long-term isolation. We hypothesize that mission-like isolation in the Russian NEK facility, consisting of circadian misalignment, isolation, stress, and ‘station lifestyle’, will result in a pattern of immune dysregulation similar to that observed in astronauts onboard ISS. This pattern of alterations can be summarized as phenotypic changes (altered distribution of peripheral cytotoxic, central memory, CD8+ T cell subsets), reductions in T cell function, alterations in plasma cytokine profiles (increased inflammatory and certain chemokines), and reductions in mitogen stimulated cytokine profiles (spans Th1, Th2, Th17). We further hypothesize that these immune changes will correlate with the reactivation of latent herpesviruses (which persists during orbital flight), to be used as measurable adverse clinical manifestation or with other observed symptomology. The SIRIUS-21 mission began in November of 2021 and successfully concluded with the crew emerging in July of 2022. Currently, the logistics of shipping the samples from Russia to the United States is being organized.

Cody L Gutierrez↗
NASA NTRS1973

Integrated digital flight-control system for the space shuttle orbiter

The integrated digital flight control system is presented which provides rotational and translational control of the space shuttle orbiter in all phases of flight: from launch ascent through orbit to entry and touchdown, and during powered horizontal flights. The program provides a versatile control system structure while maintaining uniform communications with other programs, sensors, and control effectors by using an executive routine/functional subroutine format. The program reads all external variables at a single point, copies them into its dedicated storage, and then calls the required subroutines in the proper sequence. As a result, the flight control program is largely independent of other programs in the GN&C computer complex and is equally insensitive to the characteristics of the processor configuration. The integrated structure of the control system and the DFCS executive routine which embodies that structure are described along with the input and output. The specific estimation and control algorithms used in the various mission phases are given.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1973

Integrated Digital Flight Control System for the Space Shuttle Orbiter

The objectives of the integrated digital flight control system (DFCS) is to provide rotational and translational control of the space shuttle orbiter in all phases of flight: from launch ascent through orbit to entry and touchdown, and during powered horizontal flights. The program provides a versatile control system structure while maintaining uniform communications with other programs, sensors, and control effectors by using an executive routine/functional subroutine format. The program reads all external variables at a single point, copies them into its dedicated storage, and then calls the required subroutines in the proper sequence. As a result, the flight control program is largely independent of other programs in the computer complex and is equally insensitive to characteristics of the processor configuration. The integrated structure is described of the control system and the DFCS executive routine which embodies that structure. The input and output, including jet selection are included. Specific estimation and control algorithm are shown for the various mission phases: cruise (including horizontal powered flight), entry, on-orbit, and boost. Attitude maneuver routines that interface with the DFCS are included.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1973

Digital flight control software design requirements

The objective of the integrated digital flight control system is to provide rotational and translational control of the space shuttle orbiter in all phases of flight: from launch ascent through orbit to entry and touchdown, and during powered horizontal flights. The program provides a versatile control system structure while maintaining uniform communications with other programs, sensors, and control effects by using an executive routine/function subroutine format. The program reads all external variables at a single point, copies them into its dedicated storage, and then calls the required subroutines in the proper sequence. As a result, the flight control program is largely independent of other programs in the GN and C computer complex and is equally insensitive to the characteristics of the processor configuration. The integrated structure of the control system and the DFCS executive routine which embodies that structure are described. The specific estimation and control algorithms used in the various mission phases are shown. Attitude maneuver routines that interface with the DFCS are also described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

Void Management in MEPHISTO and Other Space Experiments

The second flight of NASA's Shuttle Flight experiment program known as MEPHISTO suffered from a void in the liquid portion of the sample, even though a piston arrangement was in place to keep the ampoule filled. In preparations for the next flight of the MEPHISTO furnace an animated computer program, called MEPHISTO Volume Visualizer (MVV), was written to help avoid the formation of unwanted voids. A piston system on MEPHISTO has the ability to move approximately 5 mm in compression, to accommodate expansion of the solid during heating; then from the completely compressed position, the piston can move up to 25 mm in towards the sample, effectively making the ampoule smaller and hopefully eliminating any voids. Due to the nature of the piston design and ampoule and sample arrangement, the piston has gotten stuck during normal directional solidification; this creates the risk of a void. To eliminate such a void, the liquid in the hot zones of the furnace can be heated, thereby expanding the liquid and consuming any void. The problem with this approach is that if the liquid is heated too much an overpressure could result, breaking the ampoule and ending the experiment catastrophically. The MVV has been found to be a useful tool in the assessment of the risks associated with the formation of a void and the additional heating of the liquid in the hot zone of this Bridgman type furnace. The MVV software will be discussed and copies available; it is written in the Delphi 2 programming language and runs under Windows 95 and NT. The strategies used in other flight experiments, such as the Isothermal Dendritic Growth Experiment, will also be presented.

deGroh, Henry C., III↗
NASA NTRS1987

High intensity 5 eV atomic oxygen source and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) simulation facility

An atomic oxygen exposure facility has been developed for studies of material degradation. The goal of these studies is to provide design criteria and information for the manufacture of long life (20 to 30 years) construction materials for use in LEO. The studies that are being undertaken using the facility will provide: absolute reaction cross sections for use in engineering design problems; formulations of reaction mechanisms; and calibration of flight hardware (mass spectrometers, etc.) in order to directly relate experiments performed in LEO to ground based investigations. The facility consists of: (1) a CW laser sustained discharge source of O atoms having a variable energy up to 5 eV and an intensity between 10(15) and 10(17) O atoms s(-1) cm(-2); (2) an atomic beam formation and diagnostics system consisting of various stages of differential pumping, a mass spectrometer detector, and a time of flight analyzer; (3) a spinning rotor viscometer for absolute O atom flux measurements; and (4) provision for using the system for calibration of actual flight instruments. Surface analysis equipment is available for the characterization of material surfaces before and after exposure to O atoms.

Cross, J. B.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Joint ASRS and NASA Callback on FANS-1 Datalink Operational Incidents

The recent certification and implementation of the Future Air Navigation System (FANS- 1) was based on the benefits of reduced separation minima, ability to optimize flight plans enroute, and the prompt transmission and reception of messages between oceanic controllers and 747-400 aircraft transiting the Pacific. In addition, FANS was intended to supersede High Frequency (HF) radio which has been the staple, yet problematic, long distance communication link for years. However, in the three initial years of operation, FANS has revealed its own unique operational issues. Although some technical and engineering problems have been studied and addressed, little research has been conducted on human factors issues associated with the use of FANS on the flight deck. This lack of prior data on the operational use of FANS prompted a joint NASA/Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) inquiry into FANS datalink. In addition, two foreign air carriers and their respective safety agencies were recruited to participate. This international FANS research effort consisting of three aviation safety agencies and three international commercial air-carriers has provided a unique opportunity for conducting human factors research in an operational environment. An ASRS 'callback' format was chosen for the study as a practical and viable method for capturing FANS events on the flight deck. Initially, 747-400 pilots were encouraged to submit reports to their respective safety agencies if they had experienced any positive or negative incidents with the use of FANS. Upon receipt of a report, it was evaluated and if deemed pertinent to the study, a telephone interview or 'callback' was conducted on the FANS incident to elicit further details, capture the key events, and gather contextual information. Once the operational data collection phase was completed, the reports and interviews were analyzed with two purposes in mind: primarily to identify and address problematic human factors issues with current FANS technology, and, secondarily, to provide 'lessons learned' for future datalink systems and implementation.

Moses, John↗
NASA NTRS2014

Bone Metabolism on ISS Missions

Spaceflight-induced bone loss is associated with increased bone resorption (1, 2), and either unchanged or decreased rates of bone formation. Resistive exercise had been proposed as a countermeasure, and data from bed rest supported this concept (3). An interim resistive exercise device (iRED) was flown for early ISS crews. Unfortunately, the iRED provided no greater bone protection than on missions where only aerobic and muscular endurance exercises were available (4, 5). In 2008, the Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED), a more robust device with much greater resistance capability, (6, 7) was launched to the ISS. Astronauts who had access to ARED, coupled with adequate energy intake and vitamin D status, returned from ISS missions with bone mineral densities virtually unchanged from preflight (7). Bone biochemical markers showed that while the resistive exercise and adequate energy consumption did not mitigate the increased bone resorption, bone formation was increased (7, 8). The typical drop in circulating parathyroid hormone did not occur in ARED crewmembers. In 2014, an updated look at the densitometry data was published. This study confirmed the initial findings with a much larger set of data. In 42 astronauts (33 male, 9 female), the bone mineral density response to flight was the same for men and women (9), and those with access to the ARED did not have the typical decrease in bone mineral density that was observed in early ISS crewmembers with access to the iRED (Figure 1) (7). Biochemical markers of bone formation and resorption responded similarly in men and women. These data are encouraging, and represent the first in-flight evidence in the history of human space flight that diet and exercise can maintain bone mineral density on long-duration missions. However, the maintenance of bone mineral density through bone remodeling, that is, increases in both resorption and formation, may yield a bone with strength characteristics different from those that existed before space flight. Studies to assess bone strength after flight are underway at NASA, to better understand the results of bone remodeling. Studies are also underway to evaluate optimized exercise protocols and nutritional countermeasures. Regardless, there is clear evidence of progress being made to protect bone during spaceflight.

Smith, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Progress In Plasma Accelerator Development for Dynamic Formation of Plasma Liners

An experimental plasma accelerator for magnetic target fusion (MTF) applications under development at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center is described. The accelerator is a coaxial pulsed plasma thruster (Figure 1). It has been tested experimentally and plasma jet velocities of approx.50 km/sec have been obtained. The plasma jet has been photographed with 10-ns exposure times to reveal a stable and repeatable plasma structure (Figure 2). Data for velocity profile information has been obtained using light pipes and magnetic probes embedded in the gun walls to record the plasma and current transit respectively at various barrel locations. Preliminary spatially resolved spectral data and magnetic field probe data are also presented. A high speed triggering system has been developed and tested as a means of reducing the gun "jitter". This jitter is being characterized and future work for second generation "ultra-low jitter" gun development is being identified.

Thio, Y. C. Francis↗