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At least 109 records · Page 6

Prescribed Travel Schedules for Fatigue Management

The NASA Fatigue Management Team is developing recommendations for managing fatigue during travel and for shift work operations, as Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Management of Circadian Desynchrony in ISS Operations. The Guidelines provide the International Space Station (ISS ) flight surgeons and other operational clinicians with evidence-based recommendations for mitigating fatigue and other factors related to sleep loss and circadian desynchronization. As much international travel is involved both before and after flight, the guidelines provide recommendations for: pre-flight training, in-flight operations, and post-flight rehabilitation. The objective of is to standardize the process by which care is provided to crewmembers, ground controllers, and other support personnel such as trainers, when overseas travel or schedule shifting is required. Proper scheduling of countermeasures - light, darkness, melatonin, diet, exercise, and medications - is the cornerstone for facilitating circadian adaptation, improving sleep, enhancing alertness, and optimizing performance. The Guidelines provide, among other things, prescribed travel schedules that outline the specific implementation of these mitigation strategies. Each travel schedule offers evidence based protocols for properly using the NASA identified countermeasures for fatigue. This presentation will describe the travel implementation schedules and how these can be used to alleviate the effects of jet lag and/or schedule shifts.

Whitmire, Alexandra↗

The Impacts of Rising Temperatures on Aircraft Takeoff Performance

Steadily rising mean and extreme temperatures as a result of climate change will likely impact the air transportation system over the coming decades. As air temperatures rise at constant pressure, air density declines, resulting in less lift generation by an aircraft wing at a given airspeed and potentially imposing a weight restriction on departing aircraft. This study presents a general model to project future weight restrictions across a fleet of aircraft with different takeoff weights operating at a variety of airports. We construct performance models for five common commercial aircraft and 19 major airports around the world and use projections of daily temperatures from the CMIP5 model suite under the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 emissions scenarios to calculate required hourly weight restriction. We find that on average, 10 - 30% of annual flights departing at the time of daily maximum temperature may require some weight restriction below their maximum takeoff weights, with mean restrictions ranging from 0.5 to 4% of total aircraft payload and fuel capacity by mid- to late century. Both mid-sized and large aircraft are affected, and airports with short runways and high temperatures, or those at high elevations, will see the largest impacts. Our results suggest that weight restriction may impose a non-trivial cost on airlines and impact aviation operations around the world and that adaptation may be required in aircraft design, airline schedules, and/or runway lengths.

air transportation system↗

The MICRO-BOSS scheduling system: Current status and future efforts

In this paper, a micro-opportunistic approach to factory scheduling was described that closely monitors the evolution of bottlenecks during the construction of the schedule and continuously redirects search towards the bottleneck that appears to be most critical. This approach differs from earlier opportunistic approaches, as it does not require scheduling large resource subproblems or large job subproblems before revising the current scheduling strategy. This micro-opportunistic approach was implemented in the context of the MICRO-BOSS factory scheduling system. A study comparing MICRO-BOSS against a macro-opportunistic scheduler suggests that the additional flexibility of the micro-opportunistic approach to scheduling generally yields important reductions in both tardiness and inventory. Current research efforts include: adaptation of MICRO-BOSS to deal with sequence-dependent setups and development of micro-opportunistic reactive scheduling techniques that will enable the system to patch the schedule in the presence of contingencies such as machine breakdowns, raw materials arriving late, job cancellations, etc.

Sadeh, Norman M.↗

Mission Data System Java Edition Version 7

The Mission Data System framework defines closed-loop control system abstractions from State Analysis including interfaces for state variables, goals, estimators, and controllers that can be adapted to implement a goal-oriented control system. The framework further provides an execution environment that includes a goal scheduler, execution engine, and fault monitor that support the expression of goal network activity plans. Using these frameworks, adapters can build a goal-oriented control system where activity coordination is verified before execution begins (plan time), and continually during execution. Plan failures including violations of safety constraints expressed in the plan can be handled through automatic re-planning. This version optimizes a number of key interfaces and features to minimize dependencies, performance overhead, and improve reliability. Fault diagnosis and real-time projection capabilities are incorporated. This version enhances earlier versions primarily through optimizations and quality improvements that raise the technology readiness level. Goals explicitly constrain system states over explicit time intervals to eliminate ambiguity about intent, as compared to command-oriented control that only implies persistent intent until another command is sent. A goal network scheduling and verification process ensures that all goals in the plan are achievable before starting execution. Goal failures at runtime can be detected (including predicted failures) and handled by adapted response logic. Responses can include plan repairs (try an alternate tactic to achieve the same goal), goal shedding, ignoring the fault, cancelling the plan, or safing the system.

Reinholtz, William K.↗

A systems engineering management approach to resource management applications

The author presents a program management response to the following question: How can the traditional practice of systems engineering management, including requirements specification, be adapted, enhanced, or modified to build future planning and scheduling systems for effective operations? The systems engineering management process, as traditionally practiced, is examined. Extensible resource management systems are discussed. It is concluded that extensible systems are a partial solution to problems presented by requirements that are incomplete, partially immeasurable, and often dynamic. There are positive indications that resource management systems have been characterized and modeled sufficiently to allow their implementation as extensible systems.

Hornstein, Rhoda Shaller↗

Electromagnetic Pain Relief/Blocking: Feasibility Assessment

Context/Background: Astronauts use pharmaceuticals during spaceflight to manage acute and chronic pain, but use of analgesics will have drawbacks for exploration-class missions because the shelf life of these medications is limited, resupply will be curtailed, astronauts may develop tolerance and/or addiction to these medications, and side effects can include impairment of cognitive abilities. Electromagnetic devices have been developed that treat pain terrestrially by affecting neuromodulation–dubbed “electroceuticals”, these devices have varied mechanisms of action that either stimulate or suppress neural activity in the central nervous system or peripheral nerves. Objective/Purpose: The available literature was reviewed and FDA-approved pain treatments (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological), as well as those currently under development, were assessed for their suitability for use in exploration class spaceflight missions. Data Sources: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of libraries, data sources were restricted to those available digitally. Online database searches included PubMed, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, federal grant award databases (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), National Institutes of Health (NIH)), and general internet searches. More than 1,600 records were reviewed in this effort. Study Selection/Eligibility Criteria: Targeted searches included different aspects of pain management. Priority was given to review studies, to cover as much of the available literature as possible in this limited effort. Study Appraisal and Synthesis Methods/Data Extraction and Data Synthesis: The titles of the studies and the awards that were obtained by searching online databases were reviewed and further information was sought for the relevant titles. Abstracts or award summaries were generally available online; for journal abstracts, full text articles were either available online or were requested via interlibrary loan. Results: An overwhelming majority of the literature focuses on the treatment of chronic rather than acute pain because it is assumed that acute pain only rarely fails to resolve and instead transitions into chronic pain when the central nervous system becomes hypersensitized. The available electromagnetic devices marketed for pain treatment have varying levels of invasiveness, use different mechanisms of action, and have demonstrated varying efficacy when evaluated scientifically. A truly noninvasive, highly efficient device is desired for use during spaceflight. One portable, self-contained, FDA-approved device was identified that, from preliminarily assessment, best met these criteria; the device noninvasively applies pulsed shortwave therapy (PSWT) to modify pain signals from peripheral nerves, however, the device has limited battery life and the effects are relatively non-selective in type of neural signal modified. Limitations: This current effort, although extensive, did not identify a comprehensive list of all alternatives for pain treatment. Once the pandemic limitations are lifted, a longer, more thorough effort may find additional options. Conclusions/Implications: The ideal electromagnetic pain treatment device for use on exploration-class spaceflight missions does not yet exist, but it may be available soon. It is not feasible for NASA to develop medical devices due to the schedule constraints for pending exploration-class missions, but adapting a promising device that is already FDA-approved might be an option. Monitoring research that is ongoing at other federal agencies is recommended, and further review of the candidate PSWT device identified in this current effort may be warranted.

Carol Mullenax↗

Electromagnetic Pain Relief/Blocking: Feasibility Assessment

CONTEXT/BACKGROUND Astronauts use pharmaceuticals during spaceflight to manage acute and chronic pain, but use of analgesics will have drawbacks for exploration-class missions because the shelf life of these medications is limited, resupply will be curtailed, astronauts may develop tolerance and/or addiction to these medications, and side effects can include impairment of cognitive abilities. Electromagnetic devices have been developed that treat pain terrestrially by affecting neuromodulation–dubbed “electroceuticals”, these devices have varied mechanisms of action that either stimulate or suppress neural activity in the central nervous system or peripheral nerves. OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE The available literature was reviewed and FDA-approved pain treatments (both pharmacological and non-pharmacological), as well as those currently under development, were assessed for their suitability for use in exploration class spaceflight missions. DATA SOURCES Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of libraries, data sources were restricted to those available digitally. Online database searches included PubMed, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, federal grant award databases (National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Department of Defense (DoD), National Institutes of Health (NIH)), and general internet searches. More than 1,600 records were reviewed in this effort. STUDY SELECTION/ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA Targeted searches included different aspects of pain management. Priority was given to review studies, to cover as much of the available literature as possible in this limited effort. STUDY APPRAISAL AND SYNTHESIS METHODS/DATA EXTRACTION AND DATA SYNTHESIS The titles of the studies and the awards that were obtained by searching online databases were reviewed and further information was sought for the relevant titles. Abstracts or award summaries were generally available online; for journal abstracts, full text articles were either available online or were requested via interlibrary loan. RESULTS An overwhelming majority of the literature focuses on the treatment of chronic rather than acute pain because it is assumed that acute pain only rarely fails to resolve and instead transitions into chronic pain when the central nervous system becomes hypersensitized. The available electromagnetic devices marketed for pain treatment have varying levels of invasiveness, use different mechanisms of action, and have demonstrated varying efficacy when evaluated scientifically. A truly noninvasive, highly efficient device is desired for use during spaceflight. One portable, self-contained, FDA-approved device was identified that, from preliminarily assessment, best met these criteria; the device noninvasively applies pulsed shortwave therapy (PSWT) to modify pain signals from peripheral nerves, however, the device has limited battery life and the effects are relatively non-selective in type of neural signal modified. LIMITATIONS This current effort, although extensive, did not identify a comprehensive list of all alternatives for pain treatment. Once the pandemic limitations are lifted, a longer, more thorough effort may find additional options. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS The ideal electromagnetic pain treatment device for use on exploration-class spaceflight missions does not yet exist, but it may be available soon. It is not feasible for NASA to develop medical devices due to the schedule constraints for pending exploration-class missions, but adapting a promising device that is already FDA-approved might be an option. Monitoring research that is ongoing at other federal agencies is recommended, and further review of the candidate PSWT device identified in this current effort may be warranted.

C A Mullenax↗

Adaptive Mission Assurance (AMA) – A Conceptual Guide for NASA Missions

NASA is well acquainted with and skilled in conducting Risk Class A Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA). Class A missions are characterized as having highly specific performance with an ultra-low risk tolerance for risk and mission failure. But space is rapidly changing, and the space enterprise is challenged to pursue faster more agile mission developments with fewer resources and directed schedules. To meet this demand mission development teams face accepting more risk and trading performance within strict cost and schedule constraints. In responding to this challenge, The Aerospace Corporation has evolved the Adaptive Mission Assurance (AMA) approach. The benefit of an “adaptive” approach is most realized for smaller Research and Development (R&D), or Science and Technology (S&T) demonstration missions constrained by significantly smaller budgets and directed schedules. The challenge for these “risk tolerant, constraints-driven” missions is how to identify the most valuable mission assurance tasks that will fit within strict budgetary and schedule constraints for “gracefully” accepting risk that still achieves an agreeable expectation of mission success. AMA can respond to this challenge with little to no impact to team staffing or existing workload. This conceptual guide introduces AMA as a potential implementation for NASA Risk Class D and Sub-Class D missions.

Douglas A. Harris↗

Multi-Objective Multi-User Scheduling for Space Science Missions

We have developed an architecture called MUSE (Multi-User Scheduling Environment) to enable the integration of multi-objective evolutionary algorithms with existing domain planning and scheduling tools. Our approach is intended to make it possible to re-use existing software, while obtaining the advantages of multi-objective optimization algorithms. This approach enables multiple participants to actively engage in the optimization process, each representing one or more objectives in the optimization problem. As initial applications, we apply our approach to scheduling the James Webb Space Telescope, where three objectives are modeled: minimizing wasted time, minimizing the number of observations that miss their last planning opportunity in a year, and minimizing the (vector) build up of angular momentum that would necessitate the use of mission critical propellant to dump the momentum. As a second application area, we model aspects of the Cassini science planning process, including the trade-off between collecting data (subject to onboard recorder capacity) and transmitting saved data to Earth. A third mission application is that of scheduling the Cluster 4-spacecraft constellation plasma experiment. In this paper we describe our overall architecture and our adaptations for these different application domains. We also describe our plans for applying this approach to other science mission planning and scheduling problems in the future.

science planning↗

Users manual for flight control design programs

Computer programs for the design of analog and digital flight control systems are documented. The program DIGADAPT uses linear-quadratic-gaussian synthesis algorithms in the design of command response controllers and state estimators, and it applies covariance propagation analysis to the selection of sampling intervals for digital systems. Program SCHED executes correlation and regression analyses for the development of gain and trim schedules to be used in open-loop explicit-adaptive control laws. A linear-time-varying simulation of aircraft motions is provided by the program TVHIS, which includes guidance and control logic, as well as models for control actuator dynamics. The programs are coded in FORTRAN and are compiled and executed on both IBM and CDC computers.

Nalbandian, J. Y.↗

Task and work performance on Skylab missions 2, 3, and 4: Time and motion study: Experiment M151

Human task performance was evaluated under weightlessness conditions during long duration space flight in order to study the characteristics of the adaptation function. Results show that despite pronounced variability in training schedules and in initial reaction to the Skylab environment, in-flight task performance was relatively equivalent among Skylab crews, and behavioral performance continued to improve from beginning to end of all missions.

Kubis, J. F.↗

Controls-structures-electromagnetics interaction program

A technology development program is described involving Controls Structures Electromagnetics Interaction (CSEI) for large space structures. The CSEI program was developed as part of the continuing effort following the successful kinematic deployment and RF tests of the 15 meter Hoop/Column antenna. One lesson learned was the importance of making reflector surface adjustment after fabrication and deployment. Given are program objectives, ground based test configuration, Intelsat adaptive feed, reflector shape prediction model, control experiment concepts, master schedule, and Control Of Flexible Structures-II (COFS-II) baseline configuration.

Grantham, William L.↗

Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications

Proceedings of a conference held in Huntsville, Alabama, on November 15-16, 1988. The Fourth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: space applications of expert systems in fault diagnostics, in telemetry monitoring and data collection, in design and systems integration; and in planning and scheduling; knowledge representation, capture, verification, and management; robotics and vision; adaptive learning; and automatic programming.

Odell, Stephen L.↗

Parallel simulated annealing algorithms for cell placement on hypercube multiprocessors

Two parallel algorithms for standard cell placement using simulated annealing are developed to run on distributed-memory message-passing hypercube multiprocessors. The cells can be mapped in a two-dimensional area of a chip onto processors in an n-dimensional hypercube in two ways, such that both small and large cell exchange and displacement moves can be applied. The computation of the cost function in parallel among all the processors in the hypercube is described, along with a distributed data structure that needs to be stored in the hypercube to support the parallel cost evaluation. A novel tree broadcasting strategy is used extensively for updating cell locations in the parallel environment. A dynamic parallel annealing schedule estimates the errors due to interacting parallel moves and adapts the rate of synchronization automatically. Two novel approaches in controlling error in parallel algorithms are described: heuristic cell coloring and adaptive sequence control.

Banerjee, Prithviraj↗

Simplifying applications software for vision guided robot implementation

A simple approach to robot applications software is described. The idea is to use commercially available software and hardware wherever possible to minimize system costs, schedules and risks. The U.S. has been slow in the adaptation of robots and flexible automation compared to the fluorishing growth of robot implementation in Japan. The U.S. can benefit from this approach because of a more flexible array of vision guided robot technologies.

Duncheon, Charlie↗

Distributed Scheduling Architecture for Multi-Center Time-Based Metering

The Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) is an air traffic control automation system currently in use in seven Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) to enable time based metering to busy airports within their airspace. However, this system is limited to operation within a single ARTCC, within about a 200 nautical mile radius of the airport, and on relatively simple streams of traffic. The need for coordinated metering within a greater (300+ nautical mile) radius of an airport, on streams of traffic with significant branching, and across ARTCC boundaries, has been identified. Early tests revealed that TMA could not simply be scaled up to handle such a problem. Instead, a loosely coupled hierarchy of schedules, in which constraints from downstream schedules are passed upstream, is required. Such an architecture reduces the reliance on distant projections of arrival times, making schedules robust to changes in sequence and to additions of aircraft (such as aircraft departing inside the system s scheduling horizon). This architecture is also scaleable, easily reconfigurable, and can be networked together. As such, it can be adapted for use in any size or configuration of airspace and with any number of airports delivering restrictions. An implementation of this distributed scheduling architecture is currently undergoing testing in the TMA-Multi Center system. This paper describes the architecture and its motivation.

Landry, Steven↗

Development of An Intelligent Flight Propulsion Control System

The initial design and demonstration of an Intelligent Flight Propulsion and Control System (IFPCS) is documented. The design is based on the implementation of a nonlinear adaptive flight control architecture. This initial design of the IFPCS enhances flight safety by using propulsion sources to provide redundancy in flight control. The IFPCS enhances the conventional gain scheduled approach in significant ways: (1) The IFPCS provides a back up flight control system that results in consistent responses over a wide range of unanticipated failures. (2) The IFPCS is applicable to a variety of aircraft models without redesign and,(3) significantly reduces the laborious research and design necessary in a gain scheduled approach. The control augmentation is detailed within an approximate Input-Output Linearization setting. The availability of propulsion only provides two control inputs, symmetric and differential thrust. Earlier Propulsion Control Augmentation (PCA) work performed by NASA provided for a trajectory controller with pilot command input of glidepath and heading. This work is aimed at demonstrating the flexibility of the IFPCS in providing consistency in flying qualities under a variety of failure scenarios. This report documents the initial design phase where propulsion only is used. Results confirm that the engine dynamics and associated hard nonlineaaities result in poor handling qualities at best. However, as demonstrated in simulation, the IFPCS is capable of results similar to the gain scheduled designs of the NASA PCA work. The IFPCS design uses crude estimates of aircraft behaviour. The adaptive control architecture demonstrates robust stability and provides robust performance. In this work, robust stability means that all states, errors, and adaptive parameters remain bounded under a wide class of uncertainties and input and output disturbances. Robust performance is measured in the quality of the tracking. The results demonstrate the flexibility of the IFPCS architecture and the ability to provide robust performance under a broad range of uncertainty. Robust stability is proved using Lyapunov like analysis. Future development of the IFPCS will include integration of conventional control surfaces with the use of propulsion augmentation, and utilization of available lift and drag devices, to demonstrate adaptive control capability under a greater variety of failure scenarios. Further work will specifically address the effects of actuator saturation.

Calise, A. J.↗

Digital controllers for VTOL aircraft

Using linear-optimal estimation and control techniques, digital-adaptive control laws have been designed for a tandem-rotor helicopter which is equipped for fully automatic flight in terminal area operations. Two distinct discrete-time control laws are designed to interface with velocity-command and attitude-command guidance logic, and each incorporates proportional-integral compensation for non-zero-set-point regulation, as well as reduced-order Kalman filters for sensor blending and noise rejection. Adaptation to flight condition is achieved with a novel gain-scheduling method based on correlation and regression analysis. The linear-optimal design approach is found to be a valuable tool in the development of practical multivariable control laws for vehicles which evidence significant coupling and insufficient natural stability.

Stengel, R. F.↗