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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

Proceedings of the Seventh International Space University Alumni Conference

The Seventh Alumni Conference of the International Space University, coordinated by the ISU U.S. Alumni Organization (IUSAO), was held at Cleveland State University in Cleveland, Ohio on Friday, July 24, 1998. These proceedings are a record of the presentations. The following topics are included: Remote sensing education in developing countries; Integrated global observing strategy; NASA's current earth science program; Europe's lunar initiative; Lunarsat: Searching for the South Polar cold traps; Asteroid hazards; ESA exobiological activities; Space testbed for photovoltaics; Teledesic Space infrastructure; Space instrument's concurrent design; NASA advanced fuel program; Mission preparation and training for the European Robotic Arm (ERA); and Global access to remote sensing systems.

Bailey, Sheila↗

A rigorous approach to self-checking programming

Self-checking programming is shown to be an effective concurrent error detection technique. The reliability of a self-checking program however relies on the quality of its assertion statements. A self-checking program written without formal guidelines could provide a poor coverage of the errors. A constructive technique for self-checking programming is presented. A Structured Program Design Language (SPDL) suitable for self-checking software development is defined. A set of formal rules, was also developed, that allows the transfromation of SPDL designs into self-checking designs to be done in a systematic manner.

Hua, Kien A.↗

Design of a verifiable subset for HAL/S

An attempt to evaluate the applicability of program verification techniques to the existing programming language, HAL/S is discussed. HAL/S is a general purpose high level language designed to accommodate the software needs of the NASA Space Shuttle project. A diversity of features for scientific computing, concurrent and real-time programming, and error handling are discussed. The criteria by which features were evaluated for inclusion into the verifiable subset are described. Individual features of HAL/S with respect to these criteria are examined and justification for the omission of various features from the subset is provided. Conclusions drawn from the research are presented along with recommendations made for the use of HAL/S with respect to the area of program verification.

Browne, J. C.↗

Apparel Manufacture

Marshall Space Flight Center teamed with the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) in 1989 on a program involving development of advanced simulation software. Concurrently, the State of Alabama chartered UAH to conduct a technology advancement program in support of the state's apparel manufacturers. In 1992, under contract to Marshall, UAH developed an apparel-specific software package that allows manufacturers to design and analyze modules without making an actual investment -- it functions on ordinary PC equipment. By 1995, Marshall had responded to requests for the package from more than 400 companies in 36 states; some of which reported savings up to $2 million. The National Garment Company of Missouri, for example, uses the system to design and balance a modular line before committing to expensive hardware; for setting up sewing lines; and for determining the composition of a new team.

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A survey of functional programming language principles

Research in the area of functional programming languages has intensified in the 8 years since John Backus' Turing Award Lecture on the topic was published. The purpose of this paper is to present a survey of the ideas of functional programming languages. The paper assumes the reader is comfortable with mathematics and has knowledge of the basic principles of traditional programming languages, but does not assume any prior knowledge of the ideas of functional languages. A simple functional language is defined and used to illustrate the basic ideas. Topics discussed include the reasons for developing functional languages, methods of expressing concurrency, the algebra of functional programming languages, program transformation techniques, and implementations of functional languages. Existing functional languages are also mentioned. The paper concludes with the author's opinions as to the future of functional languages. An annotated bibliography on the subject is also included.

Holloway, C. M.↗

Finite elements and the method of conjugate gradients on a concurrent processor

An algorithm for the iterative solution of finite element problems on a concurrent processor is presented. The method of conjugate gradients is used to solve the system of matrix equations, which is distributed among the processors of a MIMD computer according to an element-based spatial decomposition. This algorithm is implemented in a two-dimensional elastostatics program on the Caltech Hypercube concurrent processor. The results of tests on up to 32 processors show nearly linear concurrent speedup, with efficiencies over 90% for sufficiently large problems.

Lyzenga, G. A.↗

Finite elements and the method of conjugate gradients on a concurrent processor

An algorithm for the iterative solution of finite element problems on a concurrent processor is presented. The method of conjugate gradients is used to solve the system of matrix equations, which is distributed among the processors of a MIMD computer according to an element-based spatial decomposition. This algorithm is implemented in a two-dimensional elastostatics program on the Caltech Hypercube concurrent processor. The results of tests on up to 32 processors show nearly linear concurrent speedup, with efficiencies over 90 percent for sufficiently large problems.

Lyzenga, G. A.↗

Software modifications to the Demonstration Advanced Avionics Systems (DAAS)

Critical information required for the design of integrated avionics suitable for generation aviation is applied towards software modifications for the Demonstration Advanced Avionics System (DAAS). The program emphasizes the use of data busing, distributed microprocessors, shared electronic displays and data entry devices, and improved functional capability. A demonstration advanced avionics system (DAAS) is designed, built, and flight tested in a Cessna 402, twin engine, general aviation aircraft. Software modifications are made to DAAS at Ames concurrent with the flight test program. The changes are the result of the experience obtained with the system at Ames, and the comments of the pilots who evaluated the system.

Nedell, B. F.↗

MESA: Scalable Runtime Verification Tool Using Actors

This work presents our runtime verification approach implemented by the tool MESA (MEssage-based System Analysis) which allows for using concurrent monitors to check for properties specified in linear temporal logic and finite state machines.We employ the actor programing model to implement MESA where monitors are captured by concurrent actors that communicate via messaging. The paper also presents a case study where MESA is used to monitor flights in National Airspace System of United States using live air traffic data stream. The case study which motivated this work in the first place shows that our approach is effective.We also perform empirical study by conducting experiments using monitoring systems with different numbers of concurrent monitors and different layers of indexing.This paper describes our experiments, evaluates our results,and discusses challenges faced during the study. The evaluation shows our approach is scalable.

runtime verification, concurrency, actor programin↗

Taking the Heat Off Thermal Loads

Under an SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) contract with Goddard Space Flight Center, (NAS5-32730), Frederick A. Costello, Inc., has developed a low cost computer program for integrating thermal modeling with other engineering disciplines. TCON(tm) Concurrent Engineering Software enables graphical user-interface programs to create three dimensional models. This technology reduces time, and facilitates accuracy while performing these applications. TCON(tm) has been sold to NASA and major US industries.

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Opportunity for early science return by the Artemis Program

The purpose of the Artemis Program is to gather vital scientific and engineering data by conducting robotic exploration missions on the lunar surface both prior to and concurrent with human missions. The Artemis Program includes rapid, near-term development of a variety of small experimental and operational payloads, a low-cost capacity to deliver these payloads to any location on the lunar surface, and the analysis of the data returned. The Artemis Program will provide opportunities to improve the understanding of lunar geosciences, to demonstrate the Moon's unique capacity as an astronomical platform to study the universe, to conduct scientific and technology development experiments, and to prepare for and complement human missions.

Meyer, Charles↗

Development of a Deployable Nonmetallic Boom for Reconfigurable Systems of Small Spacecraft

In 2005, NASA commenced Phase 1 of the Modular Reconfigurable High Energy Technology Demonstrator (MRHE) program to investigate reconfigurable systems of small spacecraft. During that year, Lockheed Martin's Advanced Technology Center (ATC) led an accelerated effort to develop a 1-g MRHE concept demonstration featuring robotic spacecraft simulators equipped with docking mechanisms and deployable booms. The deployable boom built for MRHE was the result of a joint effort in which ATK was primarily responsible for developing and fabricating the Collapsible Rollable Tube (CRT patent pending) boom while Lockheed Martin designed and built the motorized Boom Deployment Mechanism (BDM) under a concurrent but separate IR&D program. Tight coordination was necessary to meet testbed integration and functionality requirements. This paper provides an overview of the CRT boom and BDM designs and presents preliminary results of integration and testing to support the MRHE demonstration.

Rehnmark, Fredrik↗

Utilization of CAD/CAE for concurrent design of structural aircraft components

The feasibility of installing the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy telescope (named SOFIA) into an aircraft for NASA astronomy studies is investigated using CAD/CAE equipment to either design or supply data for every facet of design engineering. The aircraft selected for the platform was a Boeing 747, chosen on the basis of its ability to meet the flight profiles required for the given mission and payload. CAD models of the fuselage of two of the aircraft models studied (747-200 and 747 SP) were developed, and models for the component parts of the telescope and subsystems were developed by the various concurrent engineering groups of the SOFIA program, to determine the requirements for the cavity opening and for design configuration. It is noted that, by developing a plan to use CAD/CAE for concurrent engineering at the beginning of the study, it was possible to produce results in about two-thirds of the time required using traditional methods.

Kahn, William C.↗

Summary of progress at the Poker Flat Observatory in Alaska

A description of the status of the Poker Flat MST Radar as of early 1983 is included in the 1983 mesosphere-stratosphere-troposphere MST Workshop Proceedings. The Observatory continues to operate in a continuous data-taking mode, except for a three-week planned campaign experiment concurrent with the STATE rocket program during June 1983. Construction of the digital preprocessing system mentioned in the last status report is all but complete. This additional improvement should be operational by late summer. The possibility of steering the array also mentioned in the last status report is being investigated. A project is underway to electronically steer the one-quarter vertical section of the array. Steering will be in finite steps within about + or - 5 deg of vertical. Successful testing of this modification may lead to eventually steering the entire array in this manner. Data analysis of the data base (now more than four years in length) continues with well over one dozen extramural scientific groups participating.

Balsley, B. B.↗

Transputer parallel processing at NASA Lewis Research Center

The transputer parallel processing lab at NASA Lewis Research Center (LeRC) consists of 69 processors (transputers) that can be connected into various networks for use in general purpose concurrent processing applications. The main goal of the lab is to develop concurrent scientific and engineering application programs that will take advantage of the computational speed increases available on a parallel processor over the traditional sequential processor. Current research involves the development of basic programming tools. These tools will help standardize program interfaces to specific hardware by providing a set of common libraries for applications programmers. The thrust of the current effort is in developing a set of tools for graphics rendering/animation. The applications programmer currently has two options for on-screen plotting. One option can be used for static graphics displays and the other can be used for animated motion. The option for static display involves the use of 2-D graphics primitives that can be called from within an application program. These routines perform the standard 2-D geometric graphics operations in real-coordinate space as well as allowing multiple windows on a single screen.

Ellis, Graham K.↗

Space Station Freedom thermal control and life support system design

The Space Station Freedom thermal control system (TCS) and environmental control and life support system (ECLSS) are reviewed. Differences in the TCS and ECLSS are discussed between the early man-tended configuration (MTC) compared to the eventual evolutions to the permanently manned configuration (PMC). Concurrent analytical and developmental testing programs are included in the systems discussions as well as a description of an early 1993 flight test program on elements of the PMC water recovery system. Recent TCS design changes to the air cooling of rack mounted equipment are discussed. An overview of all TCS and ECLSS subsystems is included.

Wegrich, R. D.↗

Evolution of a high-performance storage system based on magnetic tape instrumentation recorders

In order to provide transparent access to data in network computing environments, high performance storage systems are getting smarter as well as faster. Magnetic tape instrumentation recorders contain an increasing amount of intelligence in the form of software and firmware that manages the processes of capturing input signals and data, putting them on media and then reproducing or playing them back. Such intelligence makes them better recorders, ideally suited for applications requiring the high-speed capture and playback of large streams of signals or data. In order to make recorders better storage systems, intelligence is also being added to provide appropriate computer and network interfaces along with services that enable them to interoperate with host computers or network client and server entities. Thus, recorders are evolving into high-performance storage systems that become an integral part of a shared information system. Data tape has embarked on a program with the Caltech sponsored Concurrent Supercomputer Consortium to develop a smart mass storage system. Working within the framework of the emerging IEEE Mass Storage System Reference Model, a high-performance storage system that works with the STX File Server to provide storage services for the Intel Touchstone Delta Supercomputer is being built. Our objective is to provide the required high storage capacity and transfer rate to support grand challenge applications, such as global climate modeling.

Peters, Bruce↗

High-Level Data Races

Data races are a common problem in concurrent and multi-threaded programming. They are hard to detect without proper tool support. Despite the successful application of these tools, experience shows that the notion of data race is not powerful enough to capture certain types of inconsistencies occurring in practice. In this paper we investigate data races on a higher abstraction layer. This enables us to detect inconsistent uses of shared variables, even if no classical race condition occurs. For example, a data structure representing a coordinate pair may have to be treated atomically. By lifting the meaning of a data race to a higher level, such problems can now be covered. The paper defines the concepts view and view consistency to give a notation for this novel kind of property. It describes what kinds of errors can be detected with this new definition, and where its limitations are. It also gives a formal guideline for using data structures in a multi-threading environment.

Artho, Cyrille↗