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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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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2005

Analysis of Rapidly Developing Low Cloud Ceilings in a Stable Environment

This report describes the work done by the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) in developing a database of days that experienced rapid (< 90 minutes) low cloud formation in a stable atmosphere, resulting in ceilings at the Shuttle Landing Facility (TTS) that violated Space Shuttle Flight Rules (FR). The meteorological conditions favoring the rapid formation of low ceilings include the presence of any inversion below 8000 ft, high relative humidity beneath the inversion, and a clockwise turning of the winds from the surface to the middle troposphere (approx. 15000 ft). The AMU compared and contrasted the atmospheric and thermodynamic conditions between days with rapid low ceiling formation and days with low ceiling resulting from other mechanism. The AMU found that the vertical wind profile is the probable discerning factor between the rapidly-forming ceiling days and other low ceiling days at TTS. Most rapidly-developing low ceiling days had a clockwise turning of the winds with height, whereas other low ceiling days typically had a counter-clockwise turning of the winds with height or negligible vertical wind shear. Forecasters at the Space Meteorology Group (SMG) issue 30 to 90 minute forecasts for low cloud ceilings at TTS to support Space Shuttle landings. Mission verification statistics have shown ceilings to be the number one forecast challenge. More specifically, forecasters at SMG are concerned with any rapidly developing clouds ceilings below 8000 ft in a stable, capped thermodynamic environment, Therefore, the AMU was tasked to examine archived events of rapid stable cloud formation resulting in ceilings below 8000 ft, and document the atmospheric regimes favoring this type of cloud development. The AMU examined the cool season months of November to March during the years of 1993-2003 for days that had low-level inversions and rapid, stable low cloud formation that resulted in ceilings violating the Space Shuttle FR. The AMU wrote and modified existing code to identify inversions from the morning Cape Canaveral, FL rawinsonde (XMR) during the cool season and output pertinent sounding information. They parsed all days with cloud ceilings below 8000 ft at TTS, forming a database of possible rapidly-developing low ceiling events. Days with precipitation or noticeable fog bum-off situations were excluded from the database. Only the daytime hours were examined for possible ceiling development events since low clouds are easier to diagnose with visible satellite imagery. Follow-on work would expand the database to include nighttime cases, using a special enhancement of the infrared imagery for identifying areas of low clouds. The report presents two sample cases of rapidly-developing low cloud ceilings. These cases depict the representative meteorological and thermodynamic characteristics of such events. The cases also illustrate how quickly the cloud decks can develop, sometimes forming in 30 minutes or less. The report also summarizes the composite meteorological conditions for 20 event days with rapid low cloud ceiling formation and 48 non-events days consisting of advection or widespread low cloud ceilings. The meteorological conditions were quite similar for both the event and non-event days, since both types of days experienced low cloud ceilings. Both types of days had a relatively moist environment beneath the inversion based below 8000 ft. In the 20 events identified, de onset of low ceilings occurred between 1200-1800 UTC in every instance. The distinguishing factor between the event and non-event days appears to be the vertical wind profile in the XMR sounding. Eighty-five percent of the event days had a clockwise turning of the winds with height in the lower to middle troposphere whereas 83% of the non-events had a counter-clockwise turning of the winds with height or negligible vertical wind shear. A clockwise turning of the winds with height indicates a warm advection regime, which supports large-scale rising motn and possible cloud formation. Meanwhile, a counter-clockwise turning of the winds with height indicates cold advection or sinking motion in a post-cold frontal environment.

Wheeler, Mark M.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Stable Low Cloud Phase II: Nocturnal Event Study

This report describes the work done by the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) in developing a database of nights that experienced rapid (< 90 minutes) low cloud formation in a stable atmosphere, resulting in ceilings at the Shuttle Landing Facility (TTS) that violated Space Shuttle Flight Rules (FR). This work is the second phase of a similar AMU task that examined the same phenomena during the day. In the first phase of this work, the meteorological conditions favoring the rapid formation of low ceilings include the presence of any inversion below 8000 ft, high relative humidity (RH) beneath the inversion and a clockwise turning of the winds from the surface to the middle troposphere (-15000 ft). The AMU compared and contrasted the atmospheric and thermodynamic conditions between nights with rapid low ceiling formation and nights with low ceilings resulting from other mechanisms. The AMU found that there was little to discern between the rapidly-forming ceiling nights and other low ceiling nights at TTS. When a rapid development occurred, the average RH below the inversions was 87% while non-events had an average RH of 79%. One key parameter appeared to be the vertical wind profile in the Cape Canaveral, FL radiosonde (XMR) sounding. Eighty-three percent of the rapid development events had veering winds with height from the surface to the middle troposphere (-15,000 ft) while 61% of the non-events had veering winds with height. Veering winds indicate a warm-advection regime, which supports large-scale rising motion and ultimately cloud formation in a moist environment. However, only six of the nights (out of 86 events examined) with low cloud ceilings had an occurrence of rapidly developing ceilings. Since only 7% rapid development events were observed in this dataset, it is likely that rapid low cloud development is not a common occurrence during the night, or at least not as common as during the day. In the AMU work on the daytime rapid low cloud development (Case and Wheeler 2005), nearly 30% of the low cloud ceiling cases investigated were identified as rapidly developing events. Forecasters at the Space Meteorology Group (SMG) issue 30 to 90 minute forecasts for low cloud ceilings at TTS to support Space Shuttle landings. Mission verification statistics have shown ceilings to be the number one forecast challenge. More specifically, forecasters at SMG are concerned with any rapidly developing clouds/ceilings below 8000 R in a stable, capped thermodynamic environment. Therefore, the AMU was tasked to examine archived events of rapid stable cloud formation resulting in ceilings below 8000 ft, and document the atmospheric regimes favoring this type of cloud development. The AMU examined the cool season months of November to March during the years of 1994-2005 for nights that had low-level inversions and rapid, stable low cloud formation that resulted in ceilings violating the Space Shuttle FR. The AMU wrote and modified existing code to identify inversions from the evening and morning XMR radiosonde during the cool season and output pertinent sounding information. They parsed all days with cloud ceilings below 8000 ft at TTS, forming a database of possible rapidly-developing low ceiling events. Nights with precipitation or noticeable fog burn-off situations were excluded from the database. Only the nighttime hours were examined for possible ceiling development events since the daytime events were examined in the first phase of this work. The report presents one sample case of rapidly-developing low cloud ceilings. The case depicts the representative meteorological and thermodynamic characteristics of such events. The case also illustrates how quickly the cloud decks can develop, sometimes forming in 30 minutes or less. The report also summarizes the composite meteorological conditions for 6 event nights with rapid low cloud ceiling formation and 80 non-events nights consisting of advection or widespread low cloud ceilings. The teorological conditions were quite similar for both the event and non-event nights, since both types of nights experienced low cloud ceilings. Both types of nights had a relatively moist environment beneath an inversion based below 8000 ft.

Bauman, William H., III↗
NASA NTRS2011

SSC OCIO, IT SUMMIT 2011

The Stennis Space Center (SSC) Records Retention Facility is a centralized location for all SSC records, Records Management staff, and the SSC History Office. The building is a storm resistant facility and provides a secure environment for records housing. The Records Retention Facility was constructed in accordance with The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) requirements for records storage, making it the first NARA compliant facility in the agency. Stennis Space Center's Records Retention Facility became operational in May 2010. The SSC Records Retention Facility ensures that the required federal records are preserved, managed and accessible to all interested personnel. The facility provides 20,000 cubic feet of records storage capacity for the purpose of managing the centers consolidated records within a central, protected environment. Records housed in the facility are in the form of paper, optical, film and magnetic media. Located within the SSC Records Retention Facility, the Records Management Office provides comprehensive records management services in the form of: a) Storage and life-cycle management of inactive records of all media types; b) Digitizing/scanning of records and documents; c) Non-textual/digital electronic records media storage, migration and transfer; d) Records Remediation.

Cottrell, Dinna L.↗
NASA NTRS2006

A Study of Rapidly Developing Low Cloud Ceilings in a Stable Atmosphere at the Florida Spaceport

Forecasters at the Space Meteorology Group (SMG) issue 30 to 90 minute forecasts for low cloud ceilings at the Shuttle Landing Facility (KTTS) in Kennedy Space Center, FL for all Space Shuttle missions. Mission verification statistics have shown cloud ceilings to be the biggest forecast challenge. SMG forecasters are especially concerned with rapidly developing cloud ceilings below 8000 ft. in a stable, capped thermodynamic environment because ceilings below 8000 ft restrict Shuttle landing operations and are the most challenging to predict accurately. This project involves the development of a database of these cases over east-central Florida in order to identify the onset, location, and if possible, dissipation times of rapidly-developing low cloud ceilings. Another goal is to document the atmospheric regimes favoring this type of cloud development to improve forecast skill of such events during Space Shuttle launch and landing operations. A 10-year database of stable, rapid low cloud development days during the daylight hours was compiled for the Florida cool-season months by examining the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sounding data, and identifying days that had high boundary layer relative humidity associated with a thermally-capped environment below 8000 ft. Archived hourly surface observations from KTTS and Melbourne, Orlando, Sanford, and Ocala, FL were then examined for the onset of cloud ceilings below 8000 ft between 1100 and 2000 UTC. Once the database was supplemented with the hourly surface cloud observations, visible satellite imagery was examined in 30-minute intervals to confirm event occurrences. This paper will present results from some of the rapidly developing cloud ceiling cases and the prevailing meteorological conditions associated with these events, focusing on potential pre-curser information that may help improve their prediction.

FROM↗
NASA NTRS2006

Analysis of Rapidly Developing Low Cloud Ceilings in a Stable Environment

Forecasters at the Space Meteorology Group (SMG) issue 30 to 90 minute forecasts for low cloud ceilings at the Space Shuttle Landing Facility (TTS) to support Space Shuttle landings. Mission verification statistics have shown ceilings to be the number one forecast challenge for SMG. More specifically, forecasters at SMG are concerned with any rapidly developing clouds/ceilings below 8000 ft in a stable, capped thermodynamic environment. Therefore, the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) was tasked to examine archived events of rapid stable cloud formation resulting in ceilings below 8000 ft, and document the atmospheric regimes favoring this type of cloud development. The AMU examined the cool season months of November to March during the years of 1993-2003 for days that had low-level inversions and rapid, stable low cloud formation that resulted in ceilings violating the Space Shuttle Flight Rules. The AMU wrote and modified existing code to identify inversions from the morning (-10 UTC) Cape Canaveral, FL rawinsonde (XMR) during the cool season and output pertinent sounding information. They parsed all days with cloud ceilings below 8000 ft at TTS, forming a database of possible rapidly-developing low ceiling events. Days with precipitation or noticeable fog burn-off situations were excluded from the database. In the first phase of this work, only the daytime hours were examined for possible ceiling development events since low clouds are easier to diagnose with visible satellite imagery. Phase II of this work includes expanding the database to include nighttime cases which is underway as this abstract is being written. For the nighttime cases, the AMU will analyze both the 00 UTC soundings and the 10 UTC soundings to examine those data for the presence of a low-level inversion. The 00 UTC soundings will probably not have a surface-based inversion, but the presence of inversions or "neutral" layers aloft and below 8,000 ft will most likely help define the stable regime, being a thermodynamically "capped" environment. Occurrences of elevated low-level inversions or stable layers will be highlighted in conjunction with nights that experienced a possible development or onset of cloud ceilings below 8,000 ft. Using these criteria to narrow down the database, the AMU will then use archived IR satellite imagery for these possible events. This presentation summarizes the composite meteorological conditions for 20 daytime event days with rapid low cloud ceiling formation and 48 non-events days consisting of advection or widespread low cloud ceilings and describes two sample cases of daytime rapidly-developing low cloud ceilings. The authors will also summarize the work from the nighttime cases and describe a representative sample case from this data set.

Bauman, William H., III↗
NASA NTRS2013

Stackfile Database

This software provides storage retrieval and analysis functionality for managing satellite altimetry data. It improves the efficiency and analysis capabilities of existing database software with improved flexibility and documentation. It offers flexibility in the type of data that can be stored. There is efficient retrieval either across the spatial domain or the time domain. Built-in analysis tools are provided for frequently performed altimetry tasks. This software package is used for storing and manipulating satellite measurement data. It was developed with a focus on handling the requirements of repeat-track altimetry missions such as Topex and Jason. It was, however, designed to work with a wide variety of satellite measurement data [e.g., Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment -- GRACE). The software consists of several command-line tools for importing, retrieving, and analyzing satellite measurement data.

deVarvalho, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2014

An Updated Examination of Aviation Accidents Associated with Turbulence, Wind Shear and Thunderstorm

One of the technical challenges within the Atmospheric Environment Safety Technologies (AEST) Project of the Aviation Safety Program was to "improve and expand remote sensing and mitigation of hazardous atmospheric environments and phenomena"1. In 2012, the author performed an analysis comparing various characteristics of accidents associated with different types of atmospheric hazard environments2. This document reports an update to that analysis which was done in preparation for presenting these findings at the 2015 annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board. Specifically, an additional three years of data were available, and a time-trend analysis was added.

Evans, Joni K.↗
NASA NTRS2019

Web-Based Surface Metering Display (SMD) User Manual

This document serves as a manual for the ATD-2 Web-Based Surface Metering Display (SMD) Version 4.6.0. It describes the elements of the full SMD interface and provides explanations for how to interact with the SMD. The document provides instructions for selecting the type of metering, entering specific metering parameters, and setting excess queue time variables. There are instructions for submitting system feedback and bug reports as well.

Surface Metering↗
NASA NTRS2023

Commercial Low-Earth Orbit Destination (CLD) Concept of Operations

This concept of operations describes: - High-level Government goals, objectives, and needs for the CLD program, vehicle(s), and missions, - Strategies, policies, and processes for developing, certifying, maintaining, using, and retiring CLDs in the context of Government use, and - Government and CLD partner roles, responsibilities, and interactions during various phases of Government CLD operations. The intent of this document is to describe the overall high-level concept of how the end-to-end CLD service will be used to convey the nature and scope of services the Government intends to procure from the CLD partner. It will provide insight into NASA’s concepts for CLD operations rather than to provide mature, explicit, or complete requirements. It addresses how the concept of operations will be used to meet NASA expectations from an operational perspective to facilitate an understanding of the end-to-end CLD service needs, goals, and objectives (NGOs). Formal CLD requirements and standards are detailed in the NASA Commercial LEO Development Program’s (CLDP) various requirements, interface, process, and standards documents, as well as the contractual Statements of Work (SOW) and Data Requirement Deliverables (DRD). As such, the Concept of Operations can use terms such as “should” or “may” or “expects to” since it is not a contractual requirements document. It exists solely to convey the initial nature and type of services the Government intends to procure and is not, per se, a requirements document.

Operations↗
NASA NTRS2003

Use of Atomic Oxygen for the Determination of Document Alteration

Atomic oxygen, which normally is found only the near Earth space environment, causes oxidation and erosion of polymers on spacecraft. The development of technology to prevent this degradation has required NASA to develop ground laboratory facilities that generate atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen has also been found to be able to oxidize most types of ink from a variety of types of pens. The use of atomic oxygen to identify alteration of documents has been investigated and is reported. Results of testing indicates that for many types of ink, pen, and paper, identification of document alteration of pen and ink numbers and evidence of alteration can be made visible by exposing the questionable writing to atomic oxygen. Atomic oxygen provides discrimination because different inks may oxidize at different rates, the amount of time between delayed alteration may add to ink thickness at crossings, and the end of pen strokes tend to have much thicker ink deposits than the rest of the character. Examples and techniques of using atomic oxygen to identify document alteration indicate that the technology can, in many but not all cases, provide discrimination between original and altered documents.

Banks, Bruce A.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Mapping and geological analysis of Mercury radar data

Although many radar profiles and images of the area within 20 deg of Mercury's equator had been obtained from 1971 to 1981, at both Goldstone and Arecibo radar facilities, surprisingly little geological analysis had been done with these data until recently. Topographic profiles and radar roughness reflectivity images which can be derived from these data will be crucial in completing the geological mapping of Mercury now underway at the U.S. Geological Survey. Processing of available radar data must be completed to establish any systematic relationship between radar reflectivities and roughness, density, dielectric constant, and other related geological parameters. Specific tasks accomplished for these purposes include the following. Documentation was located and searched to establish the type and quantity of Goldstone 12.5 cm radar observations which were available for Mercury. Data has been collected during approximately 50 observation periods from 1971 to 1981. About half of the data, collected during 1972 and 1973, have been processed, but without adequate documentation. A standardized, well-documented procedure for processing and analysis for all Goldstone Earth-based observations of Mercury was established.

Clark, P. E.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Advanced space power requirements and techniques. Task 1: Mission projections and requirements. Volume 1: Technical report

The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop projections of the NASA, DoD, and civil space power requirements for the 1980-1995 time period; (2) identify specific areas of application and space power subsystem type needs for each prospective user; (3) document the supporting and historical base, including relevant cost related measures of performance; and (4) quantify the benefits of specific technology projection advancements. The initial scope of the study included: (1) construction of likely models for NASA, DoD, and civil space systems; (2) generation of a number of future scenarios; (3) extraction of time phased technology requirements based on the scenarios; and (4) cost/benefit analyses of some of the technologies identified.

Wolfe, M. G.↗
NASA NTRS1981

AgRISTARS: Foreign Commodity production forecasting. Project procedures designation and description document, volume 1

The crop estimation analysis procedures documentation of the AgRISTARS - Foreign Commodity Production Forecasting Project (FCPF) is presented. Specifically it includes the technical/management documentation of the remote sensing data analysis procedures prepared in accordance with the guidelines provided in the FCPF communication/documentation standards manual. Standard documentation sets are given arranged by procedural type and level then by crop types or other technically differentiating categories.

Waggoner, J. T.↗
NASA NTRS1984

Conceptual design of a monitoring system for the Charters of Freedom

A conceptual design of a monitoring system for the Charters of Freedom was developed for the National Archives and Records Service. The monitoring system would be installed at the National Archives and used to document the condition of the Charters as part of a regular inspection program. The results of an experimental measurements program that led to the definition of analysis system requirements are presented, a conceptual design of the monitoring system is described and the alternative approaches to implementing this design were discussed. The monitoring system is required to optically detect and measure deterioration in documents that are permanently encapsulated in glass cases. An electronic imaging system with the capability for precise photometric measurements of the contrast of the script on the documents can perform this task. Two general types of imaging systems are considered (line and area array), and their suitability for performing these required measurements are compared. A digital processing capability for analyzing the electronic imaging data is also required, and several optional levels of complexity for this digital analysis system are evaluated.

Cutts, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Wind shear detection. Forward-looking sensor technology

A meeting took place at NASA Langley Research Center in February 1987 to discuss the development and eventual use of forward-looking remote sensors for the detection and avoidance of wind shear by aircraft. The participants represented industry, academia, and government. The meeting was structured to provide first a review of the current FAA and NASA wind shear programs, then to define what really happens to the airplane, and finally to give technology updates on the various types of forward-looking sensors. This document is intended to informally record the essence of the technology updates (represented here through unedited duplication of the vugraphs used), and the floor discussion following each presentation. Also given are key issues remaining unresolved.

Bracalente, E. M.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Redshifts of high-temperature emission lines in the far-ultraviolet spectra of late-type stars. II - New, precise measurements of dwarfs and giants

Results are presented from an IUE SWP camera investigation of the occurrence of gasdynamic flows, analogous to the downdrafts of 10 to the 5th K material observed over magnetic active regions of the sun, among stars of late spectral type. The SWP calibration spectra study conducted documents the existence of local, small, persistent distortions of the echelle wavelength scales that are of unknown origin. Attention is given to the enormous widths of the stellar high-excitation emission lines in both the dwarfs and the giants, with respect to the comparatively small, subsonic Doppler shifts; the widths are typically an order of magnitude greater than the redshifts.

Ayres, Thomas R.↗
NASA NTRS2002

Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Systems Integration and Environmental Assessment

This study documents the design and analysis of four types of advanced technology commercial transport airplane configurations (small, medium large and very large) with an assumed technology readiness date of 2010. These airplane configurations were used as a platform to evaluate the design concept and installed performance of advanced technology engines being developed under the NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology (UEET) program. Upon installation of the UEET engines onto the UEET advanced technology airframes, the small and medium airplanes both achieved an additional 16% increase in fuel efficiency when using GE advanced turbofan engines. The large airplane achieved an 18% increase in fuel efficiency when using the P&W geared fan engine. The very large airplane (i.e. BWB), also using P&W geared fan engines, only achieved an additional 16% that was attributed to a non-optimized airplane/engine combination.

Daggett, David L.↗