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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Overview of the NASA Earth Action Strategies Wildland Fire Initiative

As part of NASA’s new Earth Action strategy, the Wildland Fire initiative was established, which includes both the NASA Wildland Fire Program (WFP) and the FireSense project. NASA has over 50 years of experience generating data and technology to enhance fire science and operational management. The WFP’s mission is threefold: 1) assemble communities of practice through collaborative efforts with government, academia, and the private sector; 2) co-develop knowledge and applications with relevant partners and stakeholders in the wildfire community; and 3) improve wildland fire management through the transitioning of NASA data, technology, tools, and science to stakeholder organizations. The WFP is focusing on supporting proactive fire management, including situational awareness, preparedness, and risk mitigation. This will be accomplished through selected projects that identify management challenges, relevant to partners and end users, and the NASA data that will be utilized to deliver innovative solutions to enhance the management of wildland fires. Examples include: i) investigation of evaporative stress from OpenET to help predict the risk of wildfire occurrence in watersheds; ii) incorporation of space based LiDAR for the generation of 3-dimensional forest fuel metrics, used to improve wildfire risk and behavior models; iii) integration of global, multi-platform geostationary active-fire data in near-real-time into NASA’s Fire Information for Resource Management System (FIRMS); and iv) identification of post-fire ecohydrological conditions using thermal, multispectral, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and hyperspectral remotely-sensed data to improve flood hazard forecast models. The FireSense project is a US-focused 5-year project that will focus on delivering NASA’s unique Earth science and technological capabilities to operational agencies, striving towards enhancing fire fighting and air quality management. The project will include airborne campaigns and new technology that will likely have global implications. Initial stakeholder engagement led FireSense to focus on four use-cases focused on the characterization and measurement of: (i) pre-fire fuels conditions, (ii) active fire-dynamics; (iii) post-fire impact and threats; and iv) air quality impacts and forecasting, each-developed with identified stakeholders.

Wildland Fire program↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Upper Class E Traffic Management: NASA's Collaborative Research and Technical Development to Enable Routine, Safe, and Scalable High Altitude Operation

In the past, operations at high altitudes have been limited in number and largely conducted for defense/security purposes. However, with broad technological advances, a growing number of commerical and public good use cases, and a significant rise in the number of capable platforms, the demand for operating in high altitude airspace - known as upper Class E in the United States - is increasing. With that increase in demand comes the need for a means to manage the airspace in a way that does not burden current air traffic services and infrastructure given that provisions for commercial operations are limited. NASA, in collaboration with other government agencies and strong representation from industry, has developed a cooperative approach to airspace management referred to as Upper Class E Traffic Management (ETM). Key aspects of the ETM concept are the ability to exchange information through services that enable the operators to share airspace in cetain areas by adhering to cooperative operating practices (COPs) and by having shared situation awareness. To advance the concept, NASA recently developed and formally tested the first dedicated reference ETM system and supportin architecture. The test involved real-time simulation of high altitude operations with a diverse set of aircraft and encourter situations that included industry partners connected to the system from their remote operating centers. This presentation will provide attendees with an understanding of the ETM concept, the details and importance of the system that has been developed, an overview of the groundbreaking simulation, and a glimpse of things to come in our next steps.

Conrad Dang-Gabriel↗
DOE OSTI2020

COVID-19 Joint Pandemic Modeling and Analysis Platform

The non-pharmaceutical intervention to reduce the impact and spread of COVID-19 requires the development of policies and guidance through a collaborative effort among government, academia, medicine, and citizens. To operationalize this effort, we have developed an all-encompassing situational awareness platform that can process multi-modal and multi-source data allowing informed decision making. Besides, showing the current spread of infection, the platform also captures the impact of human dynamics on the infection spread, location, and availability of critical infrastructure, prediction, and high-performance computing driven simulation. The platform is extensible, allowing third-party integration and services to consume the curated data and analytics in near real-time. We believe the platform will augment critical decision making for reducing the impact and spread of the pandemic.

Thakur, Gautam↗
NASA NTRS2019

A Permanent Human Lunar Surface Presence Enabled by a CLV Class JUMP Lander

There are compelling advantages of a human presence on the surface of the Moon, as evidenced partly by the preponderance of lunar surface architectures that have existed throughout NASA, industry, and academia since the Apollo program. This paper specifically advocates and illustrates an example of a permanent human lunar surface presence enabled by a commercial launch vehicle (CLV) class Joinable Undercarriage to Maximize Payload (JUMP) lunar lander. The paper will discuss purposes for such a surface presence, including SPD-1 fulfillment, global collaboration, US industry advancement, US government leadership in spaceflight, a Mars dress rehearsal, Mars collaborative exploration, and lunar village development. An architectural description will be presented, including site selection, primary elements, and surface configuration. Element and lander allocation to CLV and Space Launch System (SLS) rockets will be discussed in terms of launch vehicle selection philosophy and allocation to specific launch manifests. This will enable a presentation of a lunar campaign spanning the period from 2026 to 2056. In conclusion, various aspects of the architecture will be suggested for further study.

Howard, Robert L., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Ohio Space Grant Funds for Scholarship/Fellowship Students

The Ohio Aerospace Institute (OAT), a consortium of university, industry, and government, was formed to promote collaborative aerospace-related research, graduate education, and technology transfer among the nine Ohio universities with doctoral level engineering programs, NASA Lewis Research Center, Air Force Wright Laboratory, and industry. OAT provides enhanced opportunities for affiliates to utilize federal government research laboratories and facilities at Lewis Research Center (LeRC) and Wright Laboratory. As a component of the graduate education and research programs, students and faculty from the member universities, LeRC engineers and scientists, and visiting investigators from industry, government and non-member universities conduct collaborative research projects using the unique facilities at LeRC, and will participate in collaborative education programs. Faculty from the member universities who hold collateral appointments at OAT, and government and industry experts serving as adjunct faculty, can participate in the supervision of student research.

Source record↗
DOE OSTI2020

Transforming Energy through Small Business

As a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratory, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) works closely with industry, academia, government, and diverse outside business to foster collaborative ventures. Our commitment to small business is central to our mission. We partner with small business in a number of ways.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
NASA NTRS2020

Strategic Deconfliction Performance: Results and Analysis from the NASA UTM Technical Capability Level 4 Demonstration

Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Traffic Management (UTM) refers to the service-based, cooperative approach to the management of small UAS in the National Airspace System that is safe, scalable, and fair. UTM provides the means to manage the airspace in a complementary manner that does not burden the current air traffic control workforce or infrastructure but allows the Air Navigation Service Provider to maintain its regulatory and operational authority of the airspace. A key feature of UTM is the ability to provide operators the means to strategically deconflict operations from others in the airspace through the digital exchange of information via supporting services. Through this approach, the four-dimensional operation volumes that encompass the intent of operators in a given area are discoverable and can be used for airspace awareness as well as planning conflict free operations that account for and avoid other operations. In certain cases, it is also possible to negotiate volume intersections for shared airspace use without the need to re-plan. In the NASA UTM concept, strategic deconfliction is the first layer of three in the overall conflict management model. The three layers of the conflict management model, which follow the International Civil Aviation Organization’s scheme [ICAO 2005] are: strategic conflict management, separate provision, and collision avoidance. In UTM, the strategic layer mostly occurs prior to departure, but is applicable to en route operations with sufficient planning horizon. The initial requirements for a strategic deconfliction capability within UTM are defined in a NASA publication [Rios 2018]. Within the concept and implementation of service-provided strategic deconfliction is the notion of priority. It is understood that there are instances in which an operation requires a priority designation within the UTM system and special handling accordingly to provide situation awareness and facilitate appropriate responses from other airspace users. Examples of situations requiring priority designation include: when an operator declares an emergency due to problems with the vehicle or its immediate surroundings; operations that are in support of certain organizations (e.g., public safety and first responders); or special missions that also require priority use of airspace (e.g., emergency medical deliveries). UAS Volume Reservations (UVRs) also relate to the topic of priority in the sense that the airspace that the volume encompasses has a different status or classification in which unassociated operations must vacate if inside, or avoid if outside, through strategic deconfliction with the volume. Operations that are specially permitted to access the UVR area are typically assigned priority status given the nature of their mission and their associated credentials. The ability to perform strategic deconfliction, handle certain operations with a priority distinction, and establish UVRs that are communicated throughout the UTM system, is predicated on an architecture that has been established through an evolutionary process in response to close collaboration with stakeholders from government and industry. Another important and influential aspect of these capabilities and architecture is the live, distributed flight tests that have been conducted across the Technical Capability Levels (TCLs) that culminated with a set of complex tests performed as part of TCL4 [Rios 2020]. The TCL4 flight test involved two FAA-designated UAS test sites building teams to collaborate with NASA’s UTM Project on the execution of several detailed, small UAS scenarios in urban environments.

conflict management↗
DOE OSTI2026

Ecosystems for Scientific Computing in the Age of AI

Scientific computing is at an inflection point. Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping how scientific software is developed, how teams collaborate, how projects are governed, and how the next generation is trained. Drawing on insights from a 2025 workshop report, this article argues that the future of discovery will depend on agile, robust ecosystems built through socio-technical co-design—the intentional integration of technical and human systems. This perspective is essential for ensuring that future scientific computing remains trustworthy, sustainable, and scalable. It combines advances in AI, high-performance computing, and software with new models for cross-disciplinary collaboration, education, and workforce development. Key recommendations include building modular, trustworthy AI-enabled software ecosystems; enabling teams to integrate AI into scientific workflows while preserving human creativity, integrity, and rigor; and developing adaptive training pathways that keep pace with rapid technological change. By sharing these perspectives, we hope to stimulate broader community dialogue and encourage coordinated action.

AI↗
DOE OSTI2025

Transforming Energy Through Computational Excellence: A View From NREL

At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—a U.S. Department of Energy laboratory—computational science, high-performance computing, applied mathematics, advanced computer science, visualization, and data play a pivotal role in advancing energy abundance, affordability, security, and reliability. From fundamental scientifc discovery to systems engineering and analysis, NREL researchers tackle market-relevant challenges to develop solutions for an independent energy system that is reliable, resilient and secure. Collaborative partnerships with industry, government, and academia ensure that our research remains cutting edge, impactful, applicable, and aligned with real-world energy needs. This special issue of Computing in Science & Engineering highlights exemplary NREL projects where computational tools and methodologies drive discovery and accelerate innovation in scalable and integrated energy systems. The featured articles explore the role of computational modeling, high-performance computing, generative AI, and adaptive computing in advancing independent energy solutions, optimizing sustainability research, and enhancing decision-making for energy solutions using a broad mix of energy technologies. Here, these contributions demonstrate how NREL’s computational research bridges the gap between theoretical advancements and practical implementation, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and a commitment to innovation, with a focus on translating computational excellence into real-world impact, thus accelerate progress toward national energy goals. By showcasing cutting-edge research at the intersection of computational science and energy systems, this issue aims to inspire and inform researchers, practitioners, and policymakers dedicated to shaping a more reliable energy future.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2024

Kansas City, Missouri, Streetlight Electric Vehicle Charging: Strategies and challenges for site selection of streetlight electric vehicle infrastructure in Kansas City, Missouri (Final Report)

Public streetlight charging, whether on streets in central business districts or residential areas, provides easy charging access for apartment residents and homeowners alike. While most electric vehicle (EV) drivers charge at home, they do so in garages or on driveways they own. For renters and residents of multifamily housing (MFH), however, this may not be an option. EVs have a lower cost of ownership compared to conventional vehicles, and a used EV may be an affordable option for a lower-income household. But without easy access to charging, even a low-cost used EV may not be an option for a prospective buyer. An affordable curbside charging network has the potential to expand EV adoption into neighborhoods that have to date seen minimal interest and uptake of the technology and associated charging infrastructure. Streetlight charging networks can provide an economical, scalable, and effective approach to providing equitable and convenient charging. Metropolitan Energy Center (MEC) is dedicated to the mission of creating resource efficiency, environmental health, and economic vitality in the Kansas City region and beyond. Since 1983, MEC has provided resources, outreach, and training to make alternative fuels and energy efficiency commonplace. MEC led a streetlight charging pilot project that installed limited EV charging infrastructure on the streetlight system in Kansas City, Missouri, to demonstrate and test the benefits of curbside charging for EVs at existing on-street parking locations. The project aimed to cost-effectively expand the charging network in Kansas City to support residential charging and provide infrastructure in one or more charging deserts throughout the city. This pilot evaluates the impact and overall success of streetlight charging based on community feedback, utilization of charging infrastructure, technical feasibility, and cost. The project has pursued a data- and community-driven site selection process designed to identify sites with high demand and high opportunity for EV charging. This project was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and awarded to MEC through a competitive proposal process. The novelty and complexity of this project required an organization that could facilitate collaboration across levels of government, community members, and industry partners. For the past 25 years, through Kansas City Regional Clean Cities, MEC has worked with numerous public and private fleets on a variety of projects to improve the environmental performance and efficiency of the regional vehicle fleet. To advance affordable, efficient, and clean transportation efforts, DOE Clean Cities and Communities coalitions create local networks of public and private sector stakeholders and engage communities. Rooted within their local communities, the coalitions serve as experts and ambassadors, bringing to bear the collective knowledge, experience, and practical know-how of the entire network from within DOE, its national laboratories, and diverse stakeholders in the field. MEC and its project partners made in-kind contributions to leverage federal dollars for the benefit of the Kansas City community. Findings from this project will help determine the best applications for streetlight charging technologies to maximize funding impact and serve community needs. The team evaluated locations based on expected charging demand, technical feasibility, safety considerations, and enhanced charging network siting needs. Throughout the project, the team gathered feedback and evaluated ways to make public charging for EVs available to all community members. The insights will help Kansas City and other communities streamline future efforts to support EV drivers through public charging in the city right-of-way. Furthermore, this project will inform citywide guidance for future installations. MEC is committed to a transparent and publicly accessible approach that encourages the collaborative evaluation of streetlight charging. The project has engaged the community to proactively identify and evaluate the benefits and impacts of streetlight charging. It was a priority for the project to ensure the benefits of this pilot are distributed equitably to all members of the Kansas City community and that new charging opportunities and associated resources are available in diverse neighborhoods across the city. The charging infrastructure supports an affordable curbside charging network that will enable more drivers to choose EVs and provide easy charging access for all community members interested in driving an EV. The community feedback received through this project informed future resources and opportunities to make EVs more accessible to all members of the Kansas City community. MEC worked with several community partners on this project, including Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST), Pennsylvania State University (Penn State), the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL); the city of Kansas City, Missouri; Evergy; Black and McDonald (B&M); LilyPad EV; EVNoire; and Westside Housing Organization (WHO). Project partners contributed to the cost match required for DOE grants through capital expenditures, personnel, and other in-kind contributions. Detailed descriptions of project team organizations can be found in Appendix A. Project Partners. Analysts at NREL and MST/PennState developed site maps based on demand and equity considerations. MEC conducted outreach to community members to garner input on project design and site selection, and received approval from the Missouri Public Service Commission (PSC) for Evergy’s EV charging station ownership. MEC worked with all partners to gather additional siting criteria and developed a site selection evaluation checklist, and partners conducted site visits to proposed installation sites. Next, B&M, Evergy, and the city executed all site agreements, conducted site-specific engineering design, acquired associated permits, and issued notices to proceed site by site or in small batches. Finally, from January to April 2023, the project team installed 23 EV charging stations built on Kansas City’s streetlight system in six council districts. Evergy will own, operate, and monitor the stations for 10 years, sharing charging data with MEC for at least 1 year.

32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATI↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cost-Benefit Analysis For Indonesia Building Sector: Whole-Building Cooling Solutions

The Net Zero World (NZW) Initiative Collaborative Work Program with the Government of Indonesia (GoI) includes technical assistance and investment mobilization facilitation to accelerate deployment of energy efficiency technologies and solutions for the building sector. A February 2023 U.S.–Indonesia Joint Workshop on Decarbonizing the Building Sector yielded a NZW Indonesia Building Decarbonization Working Group (NZW IBDWG) with four sub-working groups (SWG): SWG-A National Center, SWG-B Capacity Building, SWG-C Investment and Financing, and SWG-D Pilot Projects. Technical analysis of whole-building cooling solutions for tropical climates of Indonesia was conducted by SWG-A to quantify energy savings, carbon dioxide reductions, and comfort improvements offered by 12 passive or low-energy cooling strategies: ceiling fans with and without thermostat setbacks; cool roofs; cool walls; exterior awnings; exterior shades; interior shades; insulated roofs; insulated walls; low-e windows; solar window films; and natural ventilation. Leveraging the results from SWG-A, cost-benefit analysis (CBA) was conducted by SWG-C to assess the consumer and national costs and impacts associated with these 12 cooling solutions. The evaluation involved estimating life-cycle costs (LCC), payback period (PBP), net present values (NPV), annual electricity burden change for low-income households, and reduced national annual power-sector generation demand by 2030, 2040, 2050, and 2060. This evaluation can help guide Indonesia’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP) investments in policies and programs to advance research, development, deployment, and commercial adoption (RDDCA) of efficient residential building sector cooling technologies and solutions in Indonesia. Four key energy conservation measures (ECM) have been identified to reduce air-conditioning (AC) energy demand in single-family housing in Indonesia: ceiling fan with temperature setback (to 28.1 °Celcius from 25 °C); insulated walls; insulated roof; and cool roof. This study found that low-income households with AC installations in Indonesia currently face a high energy cost burden of approximately 10%. However, by implementing a ceiling fan with temperature setback, this burden could decrease to 2.5% today and further reduce to 1.3% by the year 2060. The PBP for a ceiling fan with temperature setback is one year, indicating one of the lowest LCC and best NPV. In the planned upcoming phase of CBA, a series of building cooling improvement scenarios can be further defined, incorporating more than one ECM in combination with socio-economic factors evaluated in the initial CBA phase. Additionally, the analysis of ECM effects in multifamily housing can be expanded. This broader national analysis aims to encompass a holistic and comprehensive system-level perspective, including factors such as avoided power sector infrastructure investments, domestic job creation, domestic manufacturing job creation, and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY↗
DOE OSTI2021

Planned Relocation: A Pluralistic and Integrated Approach to Science and Governance

Planned relocation is an ambitious objective that occurs in complex governance settings rife with inequalities of power, discrimination, distrust, deep uncertainty, misalignment of incentives and authorities, and other challenges. Taking planned relocation from ambition to an equitable and effective portfolio of measures will require changes in science, governance and how they work together. Research will need to understand perverse incentives, conflicts, limits to risk perception, and other factors across individuals, communities, governance levels, and sectors. Knowledge to enable planned relocation will emerge not just from technical studies but from entwined processes of action, learning and capacity building. Science and governance must advance their collaboration to better support and learn from these tangled processes to identify adaptive pathways, build agency and implement strategies under deep uncertainty.

global environmental change, adapatation, decision↗
DOE OSTI2020

Opportunities and Challenges from Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for the Advancement of Science, Technology, and the Office of Science Missions

In February 2019, the President signed Executive Order 13859, Maintaining American Leadership in Artificial Intelligence. This order launched the American Artificial Intelligence Initiative, a concerted effort to promote and protect AI technology and innovation in the United States. The Initiative implements a government-wide strategy in collaboration and engagement with the private sector, academia, the public, and like-minded international partners. Among other actions, key directives in the Initiative called for Federal agencies to: Prioritize AI research and development investments, Enhance access to high-quality cyberinfrastructure and data, Ensure that the US maintains an international leadership role in the development of technical standards for AI, and Provide education and training opportunities to prepare the American workforce for the new era of AI. The mission of the Department of Energy (DOE) is to ensure America’s security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental, and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. In terms of Science and Innovation, the DOE’s mission is to maintain a vibrant US effort in science and engineering as a cornerstone of our economic prosperity with clear leadership in strategic areas. From July to October in 2019, the Argonne, Oak Ridge, and Berkeley National Laboratories hosted a series of four AI for Science Town Hall meetings in Chicago, Oak Ridge, Berkeley, and Washington DC. The four meetings were attended by over 1300 scientists from the 17 DOE Labs, 39 companies, and over 90 universities. The goal of the Town Hall series was ‘to examine scientific opportunities in the areas of artificial intelligence, Big Data, and high-performance computing (HPC) in the next decade, and to capture the big ideas, grand challenges, and next steps to realizing these.’ The discussions at the meetings were captured in the final report of the AI for Science Town Hall meetings.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2021

Postdoctoral Program Overview October 2021 [Slides]

The primary institutional role of the Postdoc Program Office is to provide guidance and support to postdocs, mentors, and management regarding the appointment review and selection process, extensions, management of program awards and publication prizes, as well as the offering of Career Development workshops and events. Program participants sustain the Lab’s reputation for scientific excellence and are one of the primary recruitment sources for early career staff scientists and engineers. For those who do not stay at LANL, they move on to very promising careers in academia, industry, and government and continue to collaborate with the Lab, as well as become ambassadors of the Program.

99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS↗
NASA NTRS1998

NASA Aeronautics Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design Fellowship Program

For a number of years, Virginia Tech had been on the forefront of research in the area of multidisciplinary analysis and design. In June of 1994, faculty members from aerospace and ocean engineering, engineering science and mechanics, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, at Virginia Tech joined together to form the Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design (MAD) Center for Advanced Vehicles. The center was established with the single goal: to perform research that is relevant to the needs of the US industry and to foster collaboration between the university, government and industry. In October of 1994, the center was chosen by NASA headquarters as one of the five university centers to establish a fellowship program to develop a graduate program in multidisciplinary analysis and design. The fellowship program provides full stipend and tuition support for seven U. S. students per year during their graduate studies. To advise us regarding the problems faced by the industry, an industrial advisory board has been formed consisting of representatives from industry as well as government laboratories. The function of the advisory board is to channel information from its member companies to faculty members concerning problems that need research attention in the general area of multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO). The faculty and their graduate students make proposals to the board on how to address these problems. At the annual board meeting in Blacksburg, the board discusses the proposals and suggests which students get funded under the NASA fellowship program. All students participating in the program are required to spend 3-6 months in industry working on their research projects. We are completing the third year of the fellowship program and have had three advisory board meetings in Blacksburg.

Grossman, B.↗
NASA NTRS1999

NASA Aeronautics Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design Fellowship Program

This program began as a grant from NASA Headquarters, NGT-10025, which was in effect from 10/l/93 until 10/31/96. The remaining funding for this effort was transferred from NASA Headquarters to NASA Langley and a new grant NGT-1-52155 was issued covering the period II/l/96 to 5/15/99. This report serves as the final report of NGT-1-52155. For a number of years, Virginia Tech had been on the forefront of research in the area of multidisciplinary analysis and design. In June of 1994, faculty members from aerospace and ocean engineering, engineering science and mechanics, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, mathematics and computer sciences, at Virginia Tech joined together to form the Multidisciplinary Analysis and Design (MAD) Center for Advanced Vehicles. The center was established with the single goal: to perform research that is relevant to the needs of the US industry and to foster collaboration between the university, government and industry. In October of 1994, the center was chosen by NASA headquarters as one of the five university centers to establish a fellowship program to develop a graduate program in multidisciplinary analysis and design. The fellowship program provides full stipend and tuition support for seven U. S. students per year during their graduate studies. The grant is currently being administered by the NMO Branch of NASA Langley. To advise us regarding the problems faced by the industry, an industrial advisory board has been formed consisting of representatives from industry as well as government laboratories. The present membership includes major aerospace companies: Aurora Flight Sciences, Boeing: Philadelphia, Boeing: Long Beach, Boeing: Seattle, Boeing: St. Louis, Cessna, Ford, General Electric, Hughes, Lockheed-Martin: Palo Alto, Northrop-Grumman, Sikorsky, smaller, aerospace software companies: Aerosoft, Phoenix Integration and Proteus Engineering, along with representatives from government agencies, including: NASA Ames, Langley and Lewis. The function of the advisory board is to channel information from its member companies to faculty members concerning problems that need research attention in the general area of multidisciplinary design optimization (MDO). The faculty and their graduate students make presentations to the board on their research. The board makes recommendations on the research and suggests new areas and problems which need attention. Many students participating in the program spend 3-6 months in industry working on their research projects. We are completing the fifth year of the fellowship program and have had four advisory board meetings in Blacksburg. Ten students have spent the three month periods in industry. In addition to the research element of the MAD Center efforts we also have an academic component. We have developed a menu of design-related graduate courses and two new courses: one in Aerospace Manufacturing and another in MDO. Some of the MAD Center activities are described on the world-wide web at http://www.aoe.vt.edu/mads.html The MAD Center represents an innovative approach for joint Industry-Government-University cooperation in the development of a comprehensive program in engineering education which addresses the design needs of industry. The following charts list detail of the grant: mission of the MAD center, faculty members, purpose of the advisory board, board members, summary of the graduate and undergraduate program, history of the fellowship program, mission of the fellowship program, requirements of MAD fellows, course requirements, students supported, advisory board participants, and MAD center research papers

Grossman, B.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Economic Metrics for Commercial Reusable Space Transportation Systems

The success of any effort depends upon the effective initial definition of its purpose, in terms of the needs to be satisfied and the goals to be fulfilled. If the desired product is "A System" that is well-characterized, these high-level need and goal statements can be transformed into system requirements by traditional systems engineering techniques. The satisfaction of well-designed requirements can be tracked by fairly straightforward cost, schedule, and technical performance metrics. Unfortunately, some types of efforts, including those that NASA terms "Programs," tend to resist application of traditional systems engineering practices. In the NASA hierarchy of efforts, a "Program" is often an ongoing effort with broad, high-level goals and objectives. A NASA "project" is a finite effort, in terms of budget and schedule, that usually produces or involves one System. Programs usually contain more than one project and thus more than one System. Special care must be taken in the formulation of NASA Programs and their projects, to ensure that lower-level project requirements are traceable to top-level Program goals, feasible with the given cost and schedule constraints, and measurable against top-level goals. NASA Programs and projects are tasked to identify the advancement of technology as an explicit goal, which introduces more complicating factors. The justification for funding of technology development may be based on the technology's applicability to more than one System, Systems outside that Program or even external to NASA. Application of systems engineering to broad-based technology development, leading to effective measurement of the benefits, can be valid, but it requires that potential beneficiary Systems be organized into a hierarchical structure, creating a "system of Systems." In addition, these Systems evolve with the successful application of the technology, which creates the necessity for evolution of the benefit metrics to reflect the changing baseline. Still, economic metrics for technology development in these Programs and projects remain fairly straightforward, being based on reductions in acquisition and operating costs of the Systems. One of the most challenging requirements that NASA levies on its Programs is to plan for the commercialization of the developed technology. Some NASA Programs are created for the express purpose of developing technology for a particular industrial sector, such as aviation or space transportation, in financial partnership with that sector. With industrial investment, another set of goals, constraints and expectations are levied on the technology program. Economic benefit metrics then expand beyond cost and cost savings to include the marketability, profit, and investment return requirements of the private sector. Commercial investment criteria include low risk, potential for high return, and strategic alignment with existing product lines. These corporate criteria derive from top-level strategic plans and investment goals, which rank high among the most proprietary types of information in any business. As a result, top-level economic goals and objectives that industry partners bring to cooperative programs cannot usually be brought into technical processes, such as systems engineering, that are worked collaboratively between Industry and Government. In spite of these handicaps, the top-level economic goals and objectives of a joint technology program can be crafted in such a way that they accurately reflect the fiscal benefits from both Industry and Government perspectives. Valid economic metrics can then be designed that can track progress toward these goals and objectives, while maintaining the confidentiality necessary for the competitive process.

Shaw, Eric J.↗
NASA NTRS2002

NASA's National Center for Advanced Manufacturing

An investment in the future, NASA has designated a new initiative where government, industry, and academia collaborate to meet the manufacturing needs of future space systems. The Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama has the principal responsibility for implementation of the National Center for Advanced Manufacturing (NCAM). The mission of the NCAM is to build partnerships that will jointly conduct program planning and develop strategies to perform manufacturing research and technology development for critical national missions.

Vickers, John H.↗