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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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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2013

Supporting Real-Time Operations and Execution through Timeline and Scheduling Aids

Since 2003, the NASA Ames Research Center has been actively involved in researching and advancing the state-of-the-art of planning and scheduling tools for NASA mission operations. Our planning toolkit SPIFe (Scheduling and Planning Interface for Exploration) has supported a variety of missions and field tests, scheduling activities for Mars rovers as well as crew on-board International Space Station and NASA earth analogs. The scheduled plan is the integration of all the activities for the day/s. In turn, the agents (rovers, landers, spaceships, crew) execute from this schedule while the mission support team members (e.g., flight controllers) follow the schedule during execution. Over the last couple of years, our team has begun to research and validate methods that will better support users during realtime operations and execution of scheduled activities. Our team utilizes human-computer interaction principles to research user needs, identify workflow processes, prototype software aids, and user test these. This paper discusses three specific prototypes developed and user tested to support real-time operations: Score Mobile, Playbook, and Mobile Assistant for Task Execution (MATE).

scheduling↗
NASA NTRS2011

Science Hybrid Orbiter and Lunar Relay (SCHOLR) Architecture and Design

Considered both a stepping-stone to deep space and a key to unlocking the mysteries of planetary formation, the Moon offers a unique opportunity for scientific study. Robotic precursor missions are being developed to improve technology and enable new approaches to exploration. Robots, lunar landers, and satellites play significant roles in advancing science and technologies, offering close range and in-situ observations. Science and exploration data gathered from these nodes and a lunar science satellite is intended to support future human expeditions and facilitate future utilization of lunar resources. To attain a global view of lunar science, the nodes will be distributed over the lunar surface, including locations on the far side of the Moon. Given that nodes on the lunar far side do not have direct line-of-sight for Earth communications, the planned presence of such nodes creates the need for a lunar communications relay satellite. Since the communications relay capability would only be required for a small portion of the satellite s orbit, it may be possible to include communication relay components on a science spacecraft. Furthermore, an integrated satellite has the potential to reduce lunar surface mission costs. A SCience Hybrid Orbiter and Lunar Relay (SCHOLR) is proposed to accomplish scientific goals while also supporting the communications needs of landers on the far side of the Moon. User needs and design drivers for the system were derived from the anticipated needs of future robotic and lander missions. Based on these drivers and user requirements, accommodations for communications payload aboard a science spacecraft were developed. A team of interns identified and compared possible SCHOLR architectures. The final SCHOLR architecture was analyzed in terms of orbiter lifetime, lunar surface coverage, size, mass, power, and communications data rates. This paper presents the driving requirements, operational concept, and architecture views for SCHOLR within a lunar surface nodal network. Orbital and bidirectional link analysis, between lunar nodes, orbiter, and Earth, as well as a conceptual design for the spacecraft are also presented

Trase, Kathryn K.↗
NASA NTRS1983

Space station needs, attributes and architectural options. Volume 1, attachment 1: Executive summary NASA

User alignment plan, physical and life sciences and applications, commercial requirements national security, space operations, user needs, foreign contacts, mission scenario analysis and architectural concepts, alternative systems concepts, mission operations architectural development, architectural analysis trades, evolution, configuration, and technology development are discussed.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1993

US Coast Guard GPS Information Center (GPSIC) and its function within the Civil GPS Service (CGS)

In 1987, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) formally requested that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) take responsibility for providing an office that would respond to nonmilitary user needs for GPS information, data, and assistance. DOT accepted this responsibility and in February 1989, named the Coast Guard as their lead agency for the project. Since that time, the U.S. Coast Guard has worked with the U.S. Space Command to develop requirements and implement a plan for providing the requested interface with the civil GPS community. The Civil GPS Service (CGS) consists of four main elements: GPS Information Center (GPSIC) - provides GPS status information to civilian users of the system: Civil GPS Service Interface Committee (CGSIC) - established to identify civil GPS user technical information needs in support of the CGS program; Differential GPS (DGPS) - Coast Guard Research and Development Project; and PPS Program Office (PPSPO) - (Under development) will administer the program allowing qualified civil users to have access to the PPS signal. Details about the services these organizations provide are described.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS2019

Developing a Community of Practice for Applied Uses of Future PACE Data to Address Marine Food Security Challenges

External interaction:The Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission will include a hyperspectral imaging radiometer to advance ecosystem monitoring beyond heritage retrievals of the concentration of surface chlorophyll and other traditional ocean color variables, offering potential for novel science and applications. PACE is the first NASA ocean color mission to occur under the agency's new and evolving effort to directly engage practical end users prior to satellite launch to increase adoption of this freely available data toward societal challenges. Here we describe early efforts to engage a community of practice around marine food-related resource management, business decisions, and policy analysis. Obviously one satellite cannot meet diverse end user needs at all scales and locations, but understanding downstream needs helps in the assessment of information gaps and planning how to optimize the unique strengths of PACE data in combination with the strengths of other satellite retrievals, in situ measurements, and models. Higher spectral resolution data from PACE can be fused with information from satellites with higher spatial or temporal resolution, plus other information, to enable identification and tracking of new marine biological indicators to guide sustainable management. Accounting for the needs of applied researchers as well as non-traditional users of satellite data early in the PACE mission process will ultimately serve to broaden the base of informed users and facilitate faster adoption of the most advanced science and technology toward the challenge of mitigating food insecurity.

Schollaert Uz, Stephanie↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing an Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot (UASP-kit) for Wildland Fire UAS Operators

The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to support disaster management is becoming more widespread. Uninhibited by many of the operational constraints imposed on crewed aircraft, UAS have the potential to augment the aerial response in a number of ways, including supporting situation awareness, thereby accelerating disaster management efforts. The intent of the Scalable Traffic management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) activity is to build an ecosystem that will allow small UAS (sUAS) operations to fly safely in the airspace during disaster management events. The first step toward this goal is to develop a small, single-user tool (the UASP-kit) that will enhance an sUAS pilot’s situation awareness of the airspace. User needs for the functions and features of this tool were collected during a walkthrough over multiple days with subject matter experts from the US Forest Service. A prototype of the UASP-kit was then taken on an extended demonstration to multiple users, who were able to interact with it. User feedback was largely positive and users discussed the information they needed to support situation awareness in context. The demonstration also highlighted features that were unintuitive to use, and functions that need to be modified to make the kit more user-friendly and robust.

STEReO↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Developing an Unmanned Aircraft System Pilot Kit (UASP-kit) for Wildland Fire UAS Operators

The use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to support disaster management is becoming more widespread. Uninhibited by many of the operational constraints imposed on crewed aircraft, UAS have the potential to augment the aerial response in a number of ways, including supporting situation awareness, thereby accelerating disaster management efforts. The intent of the Scalable Traffic management for Emergency Response Operations (STEReO) activity is to build an ecosystem that will allow small UAS (sUAS) operations to fly safely in the airspace during disaster management events. The first step toward this goal is to develop a small, single-user tool (the UASP-kit) that will enhance an sUAS pilot’s situation awareness of the airspace. User needs for the functions and features of this tool were collected during a walkthrough over multiple days with subject matter experts from the US Forest Service. A prototype of the UASP-kit was then taken on an extended demonstration to multiple users, who were able to interact with it. User feedback was largely positive and users discussed the information they needed to support situation awareness in context. The demonstration also highlighted features that were unintuitive to use, and functions that need to be modified to make the kit more user-friendly and robust.

STEReO↗
NASA NTRS1973

Development of multiple user AMTRAN on the Datacraft DC6024

A multiple user version of AMTRAn was implemented on the Datacraft DC6024 computer is reported. The major portion of the multiple user logic is incorporated in the main program which remains in core during all AMTRAN processes. A detailed flowchart of the main program is provided as documentation of the multiple user capability. Activities are directed toward perfecting its capability, providing new features in response to user needs and requests, providing a two-dimensional array AMTRAN containing multiple user logic, and providing documentation as the tasks progress.

Austin, S. L.↗
NASA NTRS1994

HST archive primer, version 4.1

This version of the HST Archive Primer provides the basic information a user needs to know to access the HST archive via StarView the new user interface to the archive. Using StarView, users can search for observations interest, find calibration reference files, and retrieve data from the archive. Both the terminal version of StarView and the X-windows version feature a name resolver which simplifies searches of the HST archive based on target name. In addition, the X-windows version of StarView allows preview of all public HST data; compressed versions of public images are displayed via SAOIMAGE, while spectra are plotted using the public plotting package, XMGR. Finally, the version of StarView described here features screens designed for observers preparing Cycle 5 HST proposals.

Fruchter, A.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Spacelab utilization for future optics technology and applications

During the timeframe from 1980 to the year 2000, optics technology and applications experiments will require spacecraft that yield the maximum benefit at minimum cost. Current NASA plans include Spacelab, Power Extension Package (PEP), 25 kW Power System (PS), and a Science Applications and Space Platform (SASP), to satisfy the user needs in low earth orbit (LEO) and geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The purpose of this paper is to acquaint the optics technology user with NASA planning applicable to his future needs. This paper identifies current NASA concepts, including Spacelab hardware, that can be utilized to achieve a broad spectrum of optics scientific and application missions. Evolving configurations of Spacelab hardware elements will be shown that can be utilized as an orbital test platform in LEO and GEO.

De Sanctis, C. E.↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Game Based Learning For Earth Science Applications Training

Current NASA Earth capacity development programs employ mechanisms ranging from online resource sharing, and virtual and in-person trainings to share knowledge. While these programs are highly successful at engaging individuals around the world – in 2018, over 8000 individuals and over 2000 institutions from all 50 US states and over 140 countries were engaged through over 150 projects and trainings – user feedback has highlighted the desire for expanded hands-on, practical experiences in incorporating NASA EO insights with localized data and actions. We aim to address this gap by leveraging the benefits of game-based learning to build user skills in integrating NASA and local EO data to guide decisions for climate resiliency and hazard planning. This project is being executed as a two-phase crowdsourced challenge: 1) Phase 1 will require a well-researched product concept that reflects an understanding of NASA’s Earth data and tools and user needs, and proposes an innovative and interactive game or extended reality experience to train users in identifying relevant NASA data and applying insights to their climate resiliency decisions; 2) Winners of Phase 1 will be provided seed funding to develop a working prototype of the product. We aim to award 1-3 final winners to support the development of more than one game, thereby ensuring that NASA's diverse audiences around the world can access training games that best suit their needs and capabilities. This EO training game project fits in the NASA Earth Science Applied Sciences Program’s Capacity Development Program, contributing to the program mission of “helping people around the world better understand [NASA’s Earth] data and find ways to use them” (https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/what-we-do/capacity-building). The final training game will complement existing programmatic activities of workforce development, trainings, and collaborative projects, while providing the unique value of providing interactive experiences to users and collecting real-time data and feedback to improve NASA’s Earth applications’ products and services related to climate resilience.

Human centered design↗
NASA NTRS1994

Demand access communications for TDRSS users

The Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS) has long been used to provide reliable low and high-data rate relay services between user spacecraft in Earth orbit and the ground. To date, these TDRSS services have been implemented via prior scheduling based upon estimates of user needs and mission event timelines. While this approach may be necessary for large users that require greater amounts of TDRSS resources, TDRSS can potentially offer the planned community of smaller science missions (e.g., the small explorer missions), and other emerging users, the unique opportunity for services on demand. In particular, innovative application of the existing TDRSS Multiple Access (MA) subsystem, with its phased array antenna, could be used to implement true demand access services without modification to either the TDRSS satellites or the user transponder, thereby introducing operational and performance benefits to both the user community and the Space Network. In this paper, candidate implementations of demand access service via the TDRSS MA subsystem are examined in detail. Both forward and return link services are addressed and a combination of qualitative and quantitative assessments are provided. The paper also identifies further areas for investigation in this ongoing activity that is being conducted by GSFC/Code 531 under the NASA Code O Advanced Systems Program.

Zillig, David↗
NASA NTRS2010

The Crustal Dynamics Data Information System: A Resource to Support Scientific Analysis Using Space Geodesy

Since 1982. the Crustal Dynamics Data Information System (CDDIS) has supported the archive and distribution of geodetic data products acquired by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as well as national and international programs. The CDDIS provides easy, timely, and reliable access to a variety of data sets, products, and information about these data. These measurements. obtained from a global network of nearly 650 instruments at more than 400 distinct sites, include DORIS (Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), SLR and LLR (Satellite and Lunar Laser Ranging), and VLBI (Very Long Baseline Interferometry). The CDDIS data system and its archive have become increasingly important to many national and international science communities, particularly several of the operational services within the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) and its observing system the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), including the International DORIS Service (IDS), the International GNSS Service (IGS). the International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS), the International VLBI Service for Geodesy and Astrometry (IVS). and the International Earth rotation and Reference frame Service (IERS), Investigations resulting from the data and products available through the CDDIS support research in many aspects of Earth system science and global change. Each month, the CDDIS archives more than one million data and derived product files totaling over 90 Gbytes in volume. In turn. the global user community downloads nearly 1.2 TBytes (over 10.5 million files) of data and products from the CDDIS each month. The requirements of analysts have evolved since the start of the CDDIS; the specialized nature of the system accommodates the enhancements required to support diverse data sets and user needs. This paper discusses the CDDIS. including background information about the system and its. user communities. archive contents. available metadata, and future plans.

Noll. Carey E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Developing industrial participation in space - An approach for NASA

Maximizing industrial utilization of NASA's Space Transportation System (STS) requires the identification of potential STS users, determination of user needs, and initiation of integrated technical/market development efforts. With the involvement of potential end-users, R&D must be funded to demonstrate STS capabilities in technologies which have industrial potential. An integrated user development plan for NASA is discussed, emphasizing major activities and functional relationships in a user development program. Opportunities for private industry are noted. Results presented are those developed in support of a recent NASA contract intended as an initial step in the implementation by NASA of a user development program for the STS.

Madigan, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1983

DBMS UTILIZATION: A Corporate Information System (CIS) development approach

The Corporate Information System (CIS), an integrated information system intended to tie the corporation together as a functioning entity, is described. In addition to being a major upgraded automated data processing system, the CIS is a management philosophy which recognizes data as a valuable corporate resource and which distinguishes between data and selected data, or information. It further recognizes that different users need different kinds of information. Plans for CIS development are discussed. It will offer its users not just after-the-fact data, but timely information in a format that is meaningful and useful to the particular user, so that the information can be applied in planning, controlling, and decision making by all levels of management. In effect, CIS will help the corporation itself to function as a total, integrated system by typing together administrative activities through information exchange. The CIS supports the operational, tactical control, and strategic planning functions of the corporation. Operational functions are the day-to-day processing necessary to support the corporation's work, such as purchasing and payroll.

Rozett, P.↗
NASA NTRS1991

The exploration metaphor

NASA's experience in planetary exploration has demonstrated that the desktop workstation is inadequate for many visualization situations. The primary mission displays for the unmanned Surveyor missions to the moon during the mid-1960's, for example, were environmental images assembled on the inside surfaces of spherical shells. Future exploration missions will greatly benefit from advances in digital computer and display technology, but there remain unmet user interface needs. Alternative user interfaces and metaphors are needed for planetary exploration and other interactions with complex spatial environments. These interfaces and metaphors would enable the user to directly explore environments and naturally manipulate objects in those environments. Personal simulators, virtual workstations, and telepresence user interfaces are systems capable of providing this integration of user space and task space. The Exploration Metaphor is a useful concept for guiding the design of user interfaces for virtual environments and telepresence. To apply the Exploration Metaphor is to assert that computing is like exploration, and to support objects, operations, and contexts comparable to those encountered in the exploration of natural environments. The Exploration Metaphor, under development for user interfaces in support of NASA's planetary exploration missions and goals, will also benefit other applications where complex spatial information must be visualized. Visualization methods and systems for planetary exploration are becoming increasingly integrated and interactive as computing technology improves. These advances will benefit from virtual environment and telepresence interface technology. A key development has been the processing of multiple images and other sensor data to create detailed digital models of the planets and moons. Data from images of the Earth, Mars, and Miranda, for example, have been converted into 3D models, and dynamic virtual fly-overs have been computed as demonstrations. Similar processing of lower altitude photography and the use of computer aided design tools promise to produce very detailed models in the future.

Mcgreevy, Michael W.↗
NASA NTRS1976

Organizing for low cost space operations - Status and plans

Design features of the Space Transportation System (vehicle reuse, low cost expendable components, simple payload interfaces, standard support systems) must be matched by economical operational methods to achieve low operating and payload costs. Users will be responsible for their own payloads and will be charged according to the services they require. Efficient use of manpower, simple documentation, simplified test, checkout, and flight planning are firm goals, together with flexibility for quick response to varying user needs. Status of the Shuttle hardware, plans for establishing low cost procedures, and the policy for user charges are discussed.

Lee, C.↗