Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Communications process”

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.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 919 records · Page 51
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1993

Lazy checkpoint coordination for bounding rollback propagation

Independent checkpointing allows maximum process autonomy but suffers from potential domino effects. Coordinated checkpointing eliminates the domino effect by sacrificing a certain degree of process autonomy. In this paper, we propose the technique of lazy checkpoint coordination which preserves process autonomy while employing communication-induced checkpoint coordination for bounding rollback propagation. The introduction of the notion of laziness allows a flexible trade-off between the cost for checkpoint coordination and the average rollback distance. Worst-case overhead analysis provides a means for estimating the extra checkpoint overhead. Communication trace-driven simulation for several parallel programs is used to evaluate the benefits of the proposed scheme for real applications.

Wang, Yi-Min↗
NASA NTRS1994

The Network Operations Control Center upgrade task: Lessons learned

This article synthesizes and describes the lessons learned from the Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) upgrade project, from the requirements phase through development and test and transfer. At the outset, the NOCC upgrade was being performed simultaneously with two other interfacing and dependent upgrades at the Signal Processing Center (SPC) and Ground Communications Facility (GCF), thereby adding a significant measure of complexity to the management and overall coordination of the development and transfer-to-operations (DTO) effort. Like other success stories, this project carried with it the traditional elements of top management support and exceptional dedication of cognizant personnel. Additionally, there were several NOCC-specific reasons for success, such as end-to-end system engineering, adoption of open-system architecture, thorough requirements management, and use of appropriate off-the-shelf technologies. On the other hand, there were several difficulties, such as ill-defined external interfaces, transition issues caused by new communications protocols, ambivalent use of two sets of policies and standards, and mistailoring of the new JPL management standard (due to the lack of practical guidelines). This article highlights the key lessons learned, as a means of constructive suggestions for the benefit of future projects.

Sherif, J. S.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Global Change Data Center: Mission, Organization, Major Activities, and 2001 Highlights

Rapid efficient access to Earth sciences data is fundamental to the Nation's efforts to understand the effects of global environmental changes and their implications for public policy. It becomes a bigger challenge in the future when data volumes increase further and missions with constellations of satellites start to appear. Demands on data storage, data access, network throughput, processing power, and database and information management are increased by orders of magnitude, while budgets remain constant and even shrink. The Global Change Data Center's (GCDC) mission is to provide systems, data products, and information management services to maximize the availability and utility of NASA's Earth science data. The specific objectives are (1) support Earth science missions be developing and operating systems to generate, archive, and distribute data products and information; (2) develop innovative information systems for processing, archiving, accessing, visualizing, and communicating Earth science data; and (3) develop value-added products and services to promote broader utilization of NASA Earth Sciences Enterprise (ESE) data and information. The ultimate product of GCDC activities is access to data and information to support research, education, and public policy.

Wharton, Stephen W.↗
NASA NTRS2003

Optimal Inflatable Space Towers with 3 - 100 km Height

Theory and computations are provided for building inflatable space towers up to one hundred kilometers in height. These towers can be used for tourism, scientific observation of space, observation of the Earth's surface, weather and upper atmosphere, and for radio, television, and communication transmissions. These towers can also be used to launch space ships and Earth satellites. These projects are not expensive and do not require rockets. They require thin strong films composed from artificial fibers and fabricated by current industry. The towers can be built using present technology. The towers can be used (for tourism, communication, etc.) during the construction process and provide self-financing for further construction. The tower design does not require work at high altitudes; all construction can be done at the Earth's surface. The transport system for a tower consists of a small engine (used only for friction compensation) located at the Earth's surface. The tower is separated into sections and has special protection mechanisms in case of damage. Problems involving security, control, repair, and stability of the proposed towers are addressed in other publications. The author is prepared to discuss these and other problems with serious organizations desiring to research and develop these projects.

Bolonkin, Alexander↗
NASA NTRS2004

Weather Information Communications

This slide presentation on weather information communications examines datalink capacity, information processing, decision making, and datalink costs.

Jarrell, Mike↗
NASA NTRS2012

Ares Upper Stage Processes to Implement Model Based Design - Going Paperless

Computer-Aided Design (CAD) has all but replaced the drafting board for design work. Increased productivity and accuracy should be natural outcomes of using CAD. Going from paper drawings only to paper drawings based on CAD models to CAD models and no drawings, or Model Based Design (MBD), is a natural progression in today?s world. There are many advantages to MBD over traditional design methods. To make the most of those advantages, standards should be in place and the proper foundation should be laid prior to transitioning to MBD. However, without a full understanding of the implications of MBD and the proper control of the data, the advantages are greatly diminished. Transitioning from a paper design world to an electronic design world means re-thinking how information gets controlled at its origin and distributed from one point to another. It means design methodology is critical, especially for large projects. It means preparation of standardized parts and processes as well as strong communication between all parties in order to maximize the benefits of MBD.

Gregory, Melanie↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Novel Technique for Running the NASA Legacy Code LAPIN Synchronously With Simulations Developed Using Simulink

This report presents a method for running a dynamic legacy inlet simulation in concert with another dynamic simulation that uses a graphical interface. The legacy code, NASA's LArge Perturbation INlet (LAPIN) model, was coded using the FORTRAN 77 (The Portland Group, Lake Oswego, OR) programming language to run in a command shell similar to other applications that used the Microsoft Disk Operating System (MS-DOS) (Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA). Simulink (MathWorks, Natick, MA) is a dynamic simulation that runs on a modern graphical operating system. The product of this work has both simulations, LAPIN and Simulink, running synchronously on the same computer with periodic data exchanges. Implementing the method described in this paper avoided extensive changes to the legacy code and preserved its basic operating procedure. This paper presents a novel method that promotes inter-task data communication between the synchronously running processes.

Vrnak, Daniel R.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Policy-Based Negotiation Engine for Cross-Domain Interoperability

A successful policy negotiation scheme for Policy-Based Management (PBM) has been implemented. Policy negotiation is the process of determining the "best" communication policy that all of the parties involved can agree on. Specifically, the problem is how to reconcile the various (and possibly conflicting) communication protocols used by different divisions. The solution must use protocols available to all parties involved, and should attempt to do so in the best way possible. Which protocols are commonly available, and what the definition of "best" is will be dependent on the parties involved and their individual communications priorities.

Vatan, Farrokh↗
NASA NTRS2013

Automating Hyperspectral Data for Rapid Response in Volcanic Emergencies

In a volcanic emergency, time is of the essence. It is vital to quantify eruption parameters (thermal emission, effusion rate, location of activity) and distribute this information as quickly as possible to decision-makers in order to enable effective evaluation of eruption-related risk and hazard. The goal of this work was to automate and streamline processing of spacecraft hyperspectral data, automate product generation, and automate distribution of products. Visible and Short-Wave Infrared Images of volcanic eruption in Iceland in May 2010." class="caption" align="right">The software rapidly processes hyperspectral data, correcting for incident sunlight where necessary, and atmospheric transmission; detects thermally anomalous pixels; fits data with model black-body thermal emission spectra to determine radiant flux; calculates atmospheric convection thermal removal; and then calculates total heat loss. From these results, an estimation of effusion rate is made. Maps are generated of thermal emission and location (see figure). Products are posted online, and relevant parties notified. Effusion rate data are added to historical record and plotted to identify spikes in activity for persistently active eruptions. The entire process from start to end is autonomous. Future spacecraft, especially those in deep space, can react to detection of transient processes without the need to communicate with Earth, thus increasing science return. Terrestrially, this removes the need for human intervention.

Davies, Ashley G.↗
NASA NTRS2010

MaROS Strategic Relay Planning and Coordination Interfaces

The Mars Relay Operations Service (MaROS) is designed to provide planning and analysis tools in support of ongoing Mars Network relay operations. Strategic relay planning requires coordination between lander and orbiter mission ground data system (GDS) teams to schedule and execute relay communications passes. MaROS centralizes this process, correlating all data relevant to relay coordination to provide a cohesive picture of the relay state. Service users interact with the system through thin-layer command line and web user interface client applications. Users provide and utilize data such as lander view periods of orbiters, Deep Space Network (DSN) antenna tracks, and reports of relay pass performance. Users upload and download relevant relay data via formally defined and documented file structures including some described in Extensible Markup Language (XML). Clients interface with the system via an http-based Representational State Transfer (ReST) pattern using Javascript Object Notation (JSON) formats. This paper will provide a general overview of the service architecture and detail the software interfaces and considerations for interface design.

Allard, Daniel A.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Simulating Autonomous Telecommunication Networks for Space Exploration

Currently, most interplanetary telecommunication systems require human intervention for command and control. However, considering the range from near Earth to deep space missions, combined with the increase in the number of nodes and advancements in processing capabilities, the benefits from communication autonomy will be immense. Likewise, greater mission science autonomy brings the need for unscheduled, unpredictable communication and network routing. While the terrestrial Internet protocols are highly developed their suitability for space exploration has been questioned. JPL has developed the Multi-mission Advanced Communications Hybrid Environment for Test and Evaluation (MACHETE) tool to help characterize network designs and protocols. The results will allow future mission planners to better understand the trade offs of communication protocols. This paper discusses various issues with interplanetary network and simulation results of interplanetary networking protocols.

Segui, John S.↗
NASA NTRS2015

Attitude Ground System (AGS) for the Magnetospheric Multi-Scale (MMS) Mission

MMS Overview Recall from Conrads presentation earlier today MMS launch: March 13, 2015 on an Atlas V from Space Launch Complex 40, Cape Canaveral, Florida MMS Observatory Separation: five minute intervals spinning at 3 rpm approximately 1.5 hours after launch MMS Science Goals: study magnetospheric plasma physics and understand the processes that cause power grids, communication disruptions and Aurora formation Mission: 4 identical spacecraft in tetrahedral formation with variable size1.2 x 12 RE in Phase 1, with apogee on dayside to observe bow shock1.2 x 25 RE in Phase 2, with apogee on night side to observe magneto tail Challenges Tight attitude control box, orbit and formation maintenance requirements Maneuvers on thrusters every two weeks Delta-H Spin axis direction and spin rate maintenance Delta-V Orbit and Formation maintenance Mission phase transitions AGS support Smart targeting prediction of Spin-Axis attitude in the presence of environmental torques to stay within the science attitude Determination of the spacecraft attitude and spin rate (sensitive to knowledge of inertia tensor)Calibrations to improve attitude determination results and improve orbit maneuvers Mass properties (Center of Mass, and inertia tensor for nutation and coning) Accelerometer bias (sensitive to the accuracy of the rate estimates) Sensor alignments.

Estimation and Calibration Support↗
NASA NTRS2016

Photonic Integrated Circuits

Integrated photonics generally is the integration of multiple lithographically defined photonic and electronic components and devices (e.g. lasers, detectors, waveguides passive structures, modulators, electronic control and optical interconnects) on a single platform with nanometer-scale feature sizes. The development of photonic integrated circuits permits size, weight, power and cost reductions for spacecraft microprocessors, optical communication, processor buses, advanced data processing, and integrated optic science instrument optical systems, subsystems and components. This is particularly critical for small spacecraft platforms. We will give an overview of some NASA applications for integrated photonics.

Laser↗
NASA NTRS2016

Photonic Integrated Circuits

Integrated photonics generally is the integration of multiple lithographically defined photonic and electronic components and devices (e.g. lasers, detectors, waveguides passive structures, modulators, electronic control and optical interconnects) on a single platform with nanometer-scale feature sizes. The development of photonic integrated circuits permits size, weight, power and cost reductions for spacecraft microprocessors, optical communication, processor buses, advanced data processing, and integrated optic science instrument optical systems, subsystems and components. This is particularly critical for small spacecraft platforms. We will give an overview of some NASA applications for integrated photonics.

laser↗
NASA NTRS2019

Simulation-to-Flight 1 (STF-1): Automating the Planning, Scheduling, Assessment and Data Processing/Reduction for a Small Satellite

On December 16, 2019, a 3-U CubeSat named STF-1 launched as West Virginia's first spacecraft. This event marked the culmination of a run-up to launch involving the production of the spacecraft, creation/configuration of command and control infrastructure, and the evolution of its co-creation, the NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites (NOS3). This event also marked the beginning of a new phase: operations. While plans, procedures, and infrastructure were already in place or started for operations, many lessons were learned during the operations phase, especially during early operations (first month/commissioning phase). Additional plans, procedures, and infrastructure, especially related to communication planning and automated data processing, were created and developed to fill needs for the operation of the STF-1 mission.This paper and presentation will overview the STF-1 operations team's solutions to addressing the many needs of operating a low-earth orbiting CubeSat mission with a single ground antenna that is shared and scheduled with several other missions. The STF-1 operations team deployed a combination of virtualization technologies, ground station technology solutions, collaboration software, custom planning software solutions, and existing ground antenna scheduling solutions to create an effective and efficient CubeSat operations environment. The end-solution satisfied the operations stakeholders, which include NASA, its industry partner TMC Technologies, and four independent professor-student teams at West Virginia University.

CubeSat↗
NASA NTRS2019

STF-1 Ground Operations - Automating the Planning, Scheduling, Assessment and Data Processing/Reduction for a Small Satellite

On December 16, 2018, a 3-U CubeSat named STF-1 launched as West Virginia's first spacecraft. This event marked the culmination of a run-up to launch involving the production of the spacecraft, creation/configuration of command and control infrastructure, and the evolution of its co-creation, the NASA Operational Simulator for Small Satellites (NOS3). This event also marked the beginning of a new phase: operations. While plans, procedures, and infrastructure were already in place or started for operations, many lessons were learned during the operations phase, especially during early operations (first month/commissioning phase). Additional plans, procedures, and infrastructure, especially related to communication planning and automated data processing, were created and developed to fill needs for the operation of the STF-1 mission.This paper and presentation will overview the STF-1 operations team's solutions to addressing the many needs of operating a low-earth orbiting CubeSat mission with a single ground antenna that is shared and scheduled with several other missions. The STF-1 operations team deployed a combination of virtualization technologies, ground station technology solutions, collaboration software, custom planning software solutions, and existing ground antenna scheduling solutions to create an effective and efficient CubeSat operations environment. The end-solution satisfied the operations stakeholders, which include NASA, its industry partner TMC2 Technologies, and four independent professor-student teams at West Virginia University.

Suder, Mark↗
NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Visualizations to Aid Decision-Making in the ACCP Value Framework

NASA’s priorities for Earth Science are informed by the 2017-2027 Decadal Survey for Earth Science and Applications from Space of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. In that document, five Designated Observables are identified as priorities for research, two of which are Aerosols, and Clouds, Convection, and Precipitation. NASA is addressing these two Designated Observables by a combined study (the Aerosols, Clouds, Convection, and Precipitation, or ACCP, study). In this context of the ACCP study’s multiple objectives and multiple stakeholders, heuristic-based approaches are insufficient to assess candidate observing system concepts due to the complexity of the decision problem. For the ACCP study, this complexity in assessment is such that absent a structured approach that permits understanding of the steps leading to a decision, the decision risks being made on an incomplete basis. While prose and numeric data both have their place in effective communication, visualizations play an important part not only in presenting information, but also in structuring conversations around that information. Each of the visualizations developed for the ACCP Value Framework serve at least one of several functions: it structures communication about a method or process, it facilitates the elicitation and aggregation of data, or it summarizes complex information to enable analysis. Thus, these visualizations can present information, structure conversations, or do both.

Christopher A Jones↗
NASA NTRS2022

Congo Basin, a neglected world heritage

The Congo Basin has received little attention, climatically speaking, compared to the Amazon Basin and even other parts of Africa. This world’s second largest forest has distinct meteorological characteristics, and its ecosystem is controlled by complex interactions between many climatic phenomena that act across scales(Fig. 1). Due to its location, the Congo rainforest also contributes to processes responsible for interhemispheric climatic communications in Africa. At the larger scale, the basin regulates the global tropical circulation by serving as one of the world’s most convectively active regions. Therefore, the Congo Basin offers a unique natural laboratory for climate science explorations and the implications for people and ecosystems. But, why this green heart of Africa has been neglected and what we should do about it?

Amin Dezfuli↗