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NASA NTRS2022

Evaluation of remote sensing-based evapotranspiration products at low-latitude eddy covariance sites

Remote sensing-based evapotranspiration (ET) products have been evaluated primarily using data from northern middle latitudes; therefore, little is known about their performance at low latitudes. To address this bias, an evaluation dataset was compiled using eddy covariance data from 40 sites between latitudes 30° S and 30° N. The flux data were obtained from the emerging network in Mexico (MexFlux) and from openly available databases of FLUXNET, AsiaFlux, and OzFlux. This unique reference dataset was then used to evaluate remote sensing-based ET products in environments that have been underrepresented in earlier studies. The evaluated products were: MODIS ET (MOD16, both the discontinued collection 5 (C5) and the latest collection (C6)), Global Land Evaporation Amsterdam Model (GLEAM) ET, and Atmosphere-Land Exchange Inverse (ALEXI) ET. Products were compared with unadjusted fluxes (ETorig) and with fluxes corrected for the lack of energy balance closure (ETebc). Three common statistical metrics were used: coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and percent bias (PBIAS). The effect of a vegetation mismatch between pixel and site on product evaluation results was investigated by examining the relationship between the statistical metrics and product-specific vegetation match indexes. Evaluation results of this study and those published in the literature were used to examine the performance of the products across latitudes. Differences between the MOD16 collection 5 and 6 datasets were generally smaller than differences with the other products. Performance and ranking of the evaluated products depended on whether ETorig or ETebc was used. When using ETorig, GLEAM generally had the highest R2, smallest PBIAS, and best RMSE values across the studied land cover types and climate zones. Neither MOD16 nor ALEXI performed consistently better than the other. When using ETebc, none of the products stood out in terms of both low bias and strong correlations. The use of ETebc instead of ETorig affected the biases more than the correlations. The product evaluation results showed no significant relationship with the degree of match between the vegetation at the pixel and site scale. The latitudinal comparison showed tendencies of lower R2 (all products) but better PBIAS and normalized RMSE values (MOD16 and GLEAM) for forests at low latitudes than for forests at northern middle latitudes. For non-forest vegetation, the products showed no clear latitudinal differences in performance.

Diego Salazar-Martínez↗

NASA NTRS2016

Variations in Sleep and Performance by Duty Start Time in Short Haul Operations

fatigue↗

NASA NTRS2014

Variation in Sleep Duration and Circadian Phase by Duty Start Time Among Short-Haul Commercial Airline Pilots

Prior studies have confirmed that commercial airline pilots experience circadian phase shifts and short sleep duration following travel with layovers in different time zones. Few studies have examined the impact of early and late starts on the sleep and circadian phase of airline pilots who return to their domicile after each duty period. We recruited 44 pilots (4 female) from a short-haul commercial airline to participate in a study examining sleep and circadian phase over four duty schedules (baseline, early starts, mid-day starts, late starts). Each duty schedule was five days long, separated by three rest days. Participants completed the rosters in the same order. Sleep outcomes were estimated using wrist-borne actigraphy (Actiware Software, Respironics, Bend, OR) and daily sleep diaries. Thirteen participants volunteered to collect urine samples for the assessment of 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s). Urine samples were collected in four hourly bins during the day and eight-hourly bins during sleep episodes, for 24 hours immediately following each experimental duty schedule. The aMT6s results were fit to a cosine in order to obtain the acrophase to estimate circadian phase. Univariate statistics were calculated for acrophase changes, schedule start times and sleep times. All statistical analyses were computed using SAS software (Cary, IN).The mean duty start times varied as expected (baseline 10:17 [ 3:50], early starts 5:24 [ 0:30], mid-day starts 13:52 [ 1:20], late starts 16:33 [ 1:33]). Actigraphy-derived sleep duration varied between schedule types, with the shortest average sleep durations occurring during the early starts and night duty. Mean circadian phase was similar during each schedule type (baseline 26:14 [ 3:22], early starts 25:29 [2:13], mid-day starts 26:20 [ 3:16], late starts 25:49 [ 4:28]), but there were wide inter-individual differences in phase shifting from the beginning to the end of the study, with phase shifts ranging from a 5.98 hour phase advance to an 11.34 hour phase delay. Our preliminary findings suggest that early and late starts are associated with reduced sleep duration. The dispersion in inter-individual differences in circadian phase across shifting duty schedules should be further evaluated to determine how schedule-induced phase shifts may affect operational performance.

Flynn-Evans, Erin↗

NASA NTRS2020

Full Aerothermal Characterization of the 6- by 9-Foot Icing Research Tunnel (2019 Test)

A full aerothermal characterization of the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) was completed in August 2019. A mandatory maintenance period required the test entry to be separated into two phases: the first occurring in April 2019 and the second in August 2019. The hardware used during this test entry consisted of the 6-foot quick-check rake, 6-foot traversing rake, RTD array, and hot-wire rake. The 6-foot quick check rake collects static pressure, total pressure, total temperature, and flow angularity data along the centerline of the test section. The data from the 6-foot quick-check rake were used to generate test section calibration relationships for total and static pressure as well as implement statistical process control. The 6-foot traversing rake collects flow uniformity data across the test section for various flow parameters, such as static pressure, total pressure, and flow angularity. Total temperature flow uniformity data is mapped by the RTD array and is used to generate the test section calibration relationship for total temperature. The hot-wire rake measures turbulence intensity at three lateral locations and characterizes airspeed unsteadiness in the test section. The test entry resulted in updated calibration relationships and a full characterization of test section flow quality and flow uniformity in the IRT.

Wind↗

NASA NTRS1983

LANDSAT 4 band 6 data evaluation

Satellite data collected over Lake Ontario were processed to observed surface temperature values. This involved computing apparent radiance values for each point where surface temperatures were known from averaged digital count values. These radiance values were then converted by using the LOWTRAN 5A atmospheric propagation model. This model was modified by incorporating a spectral response function for the LANDSAT band 6 sensors. A downwelled radiance term derived from LOWTRAN was included to account for reflected sky radiance. A blackbody equivalent source radiance was computed. Measured temperatures were plotted against the predicted temperature. The RMS error between the data sets is 0.51K.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1984

LANDSAT 4 band 6 data evaluation

Previously experienced data collection problems were successfully resolved. A limited effort, directed at improved methods of display of TM Band 6 data, has concentrated on implementation of intensity hue and saturation displays using the Band 6 data to control hue. These displays tend to give the appearance of high resolution thermal data and make whole scene thermal interpretation easier by color coding thermal data in a manner that aids visual interpretation. More quantitative efforts were directed at utilizing the reflected bands to define land cover classes and then modifying the thermal displays using long wave optical properties associated with cover type.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2003

Full-Waveform, Wide-Swath Lidar Imaging of Forested and Urban Areas in Leaf-On Conditions: Development, Results and Future Direction

Full-Waveform lidar measurements provide unprecedented views of the vertical and horizontal structure of vegetation and the topography of the Earth s surface. Utilizing a high signal-to-noise ratio lidar system, larger than typical laser footprints (10-20 m), and the recorded time history of interaction between a short-duration (approx. 10 ns) pulse of laser light and the surface of the Earth, full-waveform lidar is able to simultaneously image sub-canopy topography as well as the vertical structure of any overlying vegetation. These data reveal the true 3-D vegetation structure in leaf-on conditions enabling important biophysical parameters such as above-ground biomass to be estimated with unprecedented accuracy. An airborne lidar mission was conducted July-August 2003 in support of the North America Carbon Program. NASA s Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) was used to image approximately 2,000 km$^2$ in Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maryland. Areas with available ground and other data were included (e.g., experimental forests, FLUXNET sites) in order to facilitate as many bio- and geophysical investigations as possible. Data collected included ground elevation and canopy height measurements for each laser footprint, as well as the vertical distribution of intercepted surfaces. Data will be publicly distributed within 6- 12 months of collection. Further details of the mission, including the lidar system technology, the locations of the mapped areas, and examples of the numerous data products that can be derived from the return waveform data products will be presented. Future applications including detection of ground and vegetation canopy changes and a spaceborne implementation of wide-swath, full-waveform imaging lidar will also be discussed.

Blair, James B.↗

NASA NTRS2004

U.S. Centennial of Flight Commision: Born of Dreams - Inspired by Freedom

The U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission developed and maintained a public web site that included activities related to the centennial of flight celebration and the history of aviation. The web site, www.centennialofflight.gov, was continually updated with educational and historical information, events, sights and sounds, and Commission information from its inception to June 2004. This DVD contains a 'snap shot' of the web site as of April 2004. The Web site on this DVD can be enjoyed without an Internet connection although in some places, you will be given links to online content. DVD content includes: 1) About the Commission - Information on the legislation, the Commissioners and Advisory Board members, news, the National Plans, meeting minutes and status reports; 2) Calendar of Events - A comprehensive list of activities, symposiums, exhibits, air shows, educational activities and more that took place through March 2004; 3) Wright Brothers History - The Library of Congress bibliography of Wright-related resources as well as the Chronology and Flight Log; the Brunsman articles; interactive learning modules from The Wright Experience; short informative essays and a series of links to other Wright brothers information sources. 4) History of Flight - Essays and images on the history of flight; 5) Sights and Sounds - Images, movies and special collections that capture the accomplishments of the Wright brothers and others who made significant contributions throughout the history of aviation and aerospace. As part of the NASA Art Program, a centennial song, 'Way Up There,' was commissioned; 6) Licensed Products - View collections of souvenirs and gift items to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first powered flight; 7) Education - Resources that will help educators and their students celebrate 100 years of flight. Teachers can download Wright brothers posters and a Centennial of Flight bookmark, view live Web casts, and access an Educational Resources Center Matrix representing more than 50 government, industry and labor organizations promoting aviation and aerospace education.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS2014

Biomechanics of the Treadmill Locomotion on the International Space Station

Exercise prescriptions completed by International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers are typically based upon evidence obtained during ground-based investigations, with the assumption that the results of long-term training in weightlessness will be similar to that attained in normal gravity. Coupled with this supposition are the assumptions that exercise motions and external loading are also similar between gravitational environments. Normal control of locomotion is dependent upon learning patterns of muscular activation and requires continual monitoring of internal and external sensory input [1]. Internal sensory input includes signals that may be dependent on or independent of gravity. Bernstein hypothesized that movement strategy planning and execution must include the consideration of segmental weights and inertia [2]. Studies of arm movements in microgravity showed that individuals tend to make errors but that compensation strategies result in adaptations, suggesting that control mechanisms must include peripheral information [3-5]. To date, however, there have been no studies examining a gross motor activity such as running in weightlessness other than using microgravity analogs [6-8]. The objective of this evaluation was to collect biomechanical data from crewmembers during treadmill exercise before and during flight. The goal was to determine locomotive biomechanics similarities and differences between normal and weightless environments. The data will be used to optimize future exercise prescriptions. This project addresses the Critical Path Roadmap risks 1 (Accelerated Bone Loss and Fracture Risk) and 11 (Reduced Muscle Mass, Strength, and Endurance). Data were collected from 7 crewmembers before flight and during their ISS missions. Before launch, crewmembers performed a single data collection session at the NASA Johnson Space Center. Three-dimensional motion capture data were collected for 30 s at speeds ranging from 1.5 to 9.5 mph in 0.5 mph increments with a 12-camera system. During flight, each crewmember completed up to 6 data collection sessions spread across their missions, performing their normal exercise prescription for the test day, resulting in varying data collection protocols between sessions. Motion data were collected by a single HD video camera positioned to view the crewmembers' left side, and tape markers were placed on their feet, legs, and neck on specific landmarks. Before data collection, the crewmembers calibrated the video camera. Video data were collected during the entire exercise session at 30 Hz. Kinematic data were used to determine left leg hip, knee, and ankle range of motion and contact time, flight time, and stride time for each stride. 129 trials in weightlessness were analyzed. Mean time-normalized strides were found for each trial, and cross-correlation procedures were used to examine the strength and direction of relationships between segment movement pattern timing in each gravitational condition. Cross-correlation analyses between gravitational conditions revealed highly consistent movement patterns at each joint. Peak correlation coefficients occurred at 0% phase, indicating there were no lags in movement timing. Joint ranges of motion were similar between gravitational conditions, with some slight differences between subjects. Motion patterns in weightlessness were highly consistent at a given speed with those occurring in 1G, indicating that despite differing sensory input, subjects maintain running kinematics. The data suggest that individuals are capable of compensating for loss of limb weight when creating movement strategies. These results have important implications for creating training programs for use in weightlessness as practitioners can have greater confidence in running motions transferring across gravitational environments. Furthermore, these results have implications for use by researchers investigating motor control mechanisms and investigating hypotheses related to movement strategies when using sensory input that is dependent upon gravity.

DeWitt, John↗

NASA NTRS2011

Flight Testing of the Forward Osmosis Bag for Water Recovery on STS-135

The Forward Osmosis Bag (FOB) is a personal water purification device for recovery of potable liquid from almost any non-potable water source. The FOB experiment was flown as a sortie mission on STS-135/ULF7 using flight-certified materials and a design based on the X-Pack(TradeMark) from Hydration Technology Innovations (Albany, OR). The primary objective was to validate the technology for use under microgravity conditions. The FOB utilizes a difference in solute concentration across a selectively permeable membrane to draw water molecules from the non-potable water while rejecting most chemical and all microbial contaminants contained within. Six FOB devices were tested on STS-135 for their ability to produce a potable liquid permeate from a feed solution containing 500 mL potassium chloride (15 g/L) amended with 0.1% methyl blue dye (w:v) tracer against an osmotic gradient created by addition of 60 mL of concentrate containing the osmolytes fructose and glucose, and 0.01% sodium fluorescein (w:v) tracer. Three FOB devices were physically mixed by hand for 2 minutes by a crewmember after loading to augment membrane wetting for comparison with three unmixed FOB devices. Hydraulic flux rate and rejection of salt and dye in microgravity were determined from a 60-mL sample collected by the crew on orbit after 6 hours. Post-flight analysis of samples collected on orbit demonstrated that the Forward Osmosis Bag achieved expected design specifications in microgravity. The hydraulic flux rate of water across the membrane was reduced approximately 50% in microgravity relative to ground controls that generated an average of 50 mL per hour using the same water and osmolyte solutions. The membrane rejected both potassium and chloride at >92% and methyl blue dye at >99.9%. Physical mixing of the FOB during water recovery did not have any significant effect on either flux rate or rejection of solutes from the water solution. The absence of buoyancy-driven convection in microgravity suggests that mass transport was dominated by diffusion, slowing the rate of permeate production across the membrane. It is possible that a predicted reduction in concentration polarization at the membrane surface that may have acted to increase the rate of permeate production in microgravity was negligible under the described test conditions.

Roberts, Michael S.↗

NASA NTRS2010

Path Length Fluctuations Derived from Site Testing Interferometer Data

To evaluate possible sites for NASA's proposed Ka-band antenna array, the NASA Glenn Research Center has constructed atmospheric phase monitors (APM) which directly measure the tropospheric phase stability. These instruments observe an unmodulated 20.2 GHz beacon signal broadcast from a geostationary satellite (Anik F2) and measure the phase difference between the signals received by the two antennas. Two APM's have been deployed, one at the NASA Deep Space Network (DSN) Tracking Complex in Goldstone, California, and the other at the NASA White Sands Complex, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Two station-years of atmospheric phase fluctuation data have been collected at Goldstone since operations commenced in May 2007 and 0.5 station-years of data have been collected at White Sands since operations began February 2009. With identical instruments operating simultaneously, we can directly compare the phase stability at the two sites. Phase stability is analyzed statistically in terms of the root-mean-square (rms) of the tropospheric path length fluctuations over 10 min blocks. Correlation between surface wind speed and relative humidity with interferometer phase are discussed. For 2 years, the path length fluctuations at the DSN site in Goldstone, California, have been better than 757 micrometer (with reference to a 300 m baseline and to Zenith) for 90 percent of the time. For the 6 months of data collected at White Sands, New Mexico, the path length fluctuations have been better than 830 micrometers (with reference to a 300 m baseline and to Zenith) for 90 percent of the time. This type of data analysis, as well as many other site quality characteristics (e.g., rain attenuation, infrastructure, etc.), will be used to determine the suitability of both sites for NASA s future communication services at Ka-band using an array of antennas.

Acosta, Roberto J.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Human Performance in Simulated Reduced Gravity Environments

NASA is currently designing a new space suit capable of working in deep space and on Mars. Designing a suit is very difficult and often requires trade‐offs between performance, cost, mass, and system complexity. Our current understanding of human performance in reduced gravity in a planetary environment (the moon or Mars) is limited to lunar observations, studies from the Apollo program, and recent suit tests conducted at JSC using reduced gravity simulators. This study will look at our most recent reduced gravity simulations performed on the new Active Response Gravity Offload System (ARGOS) compared to the C‐9 reduced gravity plane. Methods: Subjects ambulated in reduced gravity analogs to obtain a baseline for human performance. Subjects were tested in lunar gravity (1.6 m/sq s) and Earth gravity (9.8 m/sq s) in shirt‐sleeves. Subjects ambulated over ground at prescribed speeds on the ARGOS, but ambulated at a self‐selected speed on the C‐9 due to time limitations. Subjects on the ARGOS were given over 3 minutes to acclimate to the different conditions before data was collected. Nine healthy subjects were tested in the ARGOS (6 males, 3 females, 79.5 +/- 15.7 kg), while six subjects were tested on the C‐9 (6 males, 78.8 +/- 11.2 kg). Data was collected with an optical motion capture system (Vicon, Oxford, UK) and was analyzed using customized analysis scripts in BodyBuilder (Vicon, Oxford, UK) and MATLAB (MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA). Results: In all offloaded conditions, variation between subjects increased compared to 1‐g. Kinematics in the ARGOS at lunar gravity resembled earth gravity ambulation more closely than the C‐9 ambulation. Toe‐off occurred 10% earlier in both reduced gravity environments compared to earth gravity, shortening the stance phase. Likewise, ankle, knee, and hip angles remained consistently flexed and had reduced peaks compared to earth gravity. Ground reaction forces in lunar gravity (normalized to Earth body weight) were 0.4 +/- 0.2 on the ARGOS, but only 0.2 +/- 0.1 on the C‐9. Discussion: Gait analysis showed differences in joint kinematics and temporal‐spatial parameters between the reduced gravity simulators and with respect to earth gravity. Although most of the subjects chose a somewhat unique ambulation style as a result of learning to ambulate in a new environment, all but two were consistent with keeping an Earth‐like gait. Learning how reduced gravity affects ambulation will help NASA to determine optimal suit designs, influence mission planning, help train crew, and may shed light on the underlying methods the body uses to optimize gait for energetic efficiency. Conclusion: Kinematic and kinetic analysis demonstrated noteworthy differences between an offloaded environment and 1‐g, as would be expected. The analysis showed a trend to change the ambulation style in an offloaded environment to a rolling‐loping walk (resembling crosscountry skiing) with increased swing time. This ambulation modification, particularly in the ARGOS, indicated that the relative kinetic energy of the subject was increased, on average, per the static body weight compared to the 1‐g condition. How much of this was influenced by the active offloading of the ARGOS system is unknown.

Cowley, Matthew↗

NASA NTRS1973

On the feasibility of benefit-cost analysis applied to remote sensing projects

The following step-wise procedure for making a benefit-cost analysis of using remote sensing techniques could be used either in the limited context of California water resources, or a context as broad as the making of integrated resource surveys of the entire earth resource complex on a statewide, regional, national, or global basis. (1) Survey all data collection efforts which can be accomplished by remote sensing techniques. (2) Carefully inspect the State of California budget and the Budget of the United States Government to find annual cost of data collection efforts. (3) Decide the extent to which remote sensing can obviate each of the collection efforts. (4) Sum the annual costs of all data collection which can be equivalently accomplished through remote sensing. (5) Decide what additional data could and would be collected through remote sensing. (6) Estimate the value of this information. It is not harmful to do a benefit-cost analysis so long as its severe limitations are recalled and it is supplemented with socio-economic impact studies.

Merewitz, L.↗

NASA NTRS1978

Origin of magnetization in lunar breccias - An example of thermal overprinting

Twenty six samples from seven hand specimens, collected from the station 6 boulder at the Apollo 17 landing site, were studied magnetically. The boulder is a breccia consisting of three lithologic units distinguished by their clast population. The direction of magnetization of samples from unit B which is almost devoid of large clasts cluster fairly well after alternating field demagnetization. Samples from unit C which is characterized by abundant large clasts up to 1 m in size do not contain a uniform direction of magnetization but the distribution is not random. Based on these data we propose that the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in these breccias is the vector sum of two magnetizations, a pre-impact magnetization and a partial thermoremanence acquired during breccia formation. The relative contribution of the two components is controlled by the thermal history of the ejecta, which in turn is determined by its clast population. Depending on the clast population, the NRM can be a total thermoremanence, a partial thermoremanence plus a pre-impact magnetization, or a pre-impact magnetization. This model of thermal overprinting might be applicable to all lunar breccias of medium and higher metamorphic grade.

Gose, W. A.↗

NASA NTRS1991

Effects of Clinostat Rotation on Aurelia Statolith Synthesis

Aurelia ephyrae develop eight graviceptors (rhopalia) during their metamorphosis from polyps, which are used for positional orientation with respect to gravity. In three experiments for each speed of 1/15, 1/8, 1/2, 1, and 24 rpm, groups of six polyps were rotated in the horizontal or vertical plane (control) using clinostats. Other controls were kept stationary in the two planes. Ten ephyrae from each group were collected after 5 to 6 days at 27 C in iodine and the number of statoliths per rhopalium were counted. Statistical analyses of statolith numbers revealed that horizontal clinostat rotation at 1/4 and 1/2 rpm caused the formation of significantly fewer statoliths per rhopalium than were found in controls. The finding that these slow rates of rotation reduces statolith numbers suggests that the developing ephyrae were disoriented with respect to gravity at these speeds, causing fewer statocytes to differentiate or to mineralize.

Spangenberg, Dorothy B.↗

NASA NTRS1997

Wind Tunnel Results of the Aerodynamic Performance of a 1/8-Scale Model of a Twin-Engine Transport with Multi-Element Wing

A wind tunnel investigation was performed in the 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel on a pressure instrumented 1/8-scale twin-engine subsonic transport to better understand the flow physics on a multi-element wing section. The wing consisted of a part-span, triple-slotted trailing edge flap, inboard leading-edge Krueger flap and an outboard leading-edge slat. The model was instrumented with flush pressure ports at the fuselage centerline and seven spanwise wing locations. The model was tested in cruise, take-off and landing configurations at dynamic pressures and Mach numbers from 10 lbf/ft(exp 2) to 50 lbf/ft(exp 2) and 0.08 to 0.17, respectively. This resulted in corresponding Reynolds numbers of 0.8 x 10(exp 5) to 1.8 x 10(exp 6). Pressure data were collected using electronically scanned pressure devices and force and moment data were collected with a six component strain gauge balance. Results are presented for various control surface deflections over an angle-of-attack range from -4 degrees to 16 degrees and sideslip angle range from -10 degrees to 10 degrees. Longitudinal and lateral directional aerodynamic data are presented as well as chordwise pressure distributions at the seven spanwise wing locations and the fuselage centerline.

Laflin, Brenda E. Gile↗

NASA NTRS1995

MPI-IO: A Parallel File I/O Interface for MPI Version 0.3

Thanks to MPI [9], writing portable message passing parallel programs is almost a reality. One of the remaining problems is file I/0. Although parallel file systems support similar interfaces, the lack of a standard makes developing a truly portable program impossible. Further, the closest thing to a standard, the UNIX file interface, is ill-suited to parallel computing. Working together, IBM Research and NASA Ames have drafted MPI-I0, a proposal to address the portable parallel I/0 problem. In a nutshell, this proposal is based on the idea that I/0 can be modeled as message passing: writing to a file is like sending a message, and reading from a file is like receiving a message. MPI-IO intends to leverage the relatively wide acceptance of the MPI interface in order to create a similar I/0 interface. The above approach can be materialized in different ways. The current proposal represents the result of extensive discussions (and arguments), but is by no means finished. Many changes can be expected as additional participants join the effort to define an interface for portable I/0. This document is organized as follows. The remainder of this section includes a discussion of some issues that have shaped the style of the interface. Section 2 presents an overview of MPI-IO as it is currently defined. It specifies what the interface currently supports and states what would need to be added to the current proposal to make the interface more complete and robust. The next seven sections contain the interface definition itself. Section 3 presents definitions and conventions. Section 4 contains functions for file control, most notably open. Section 5 includes functions for independent I/O, both blocking and nonblocking. Section 6 includes functions for collective I/O, both blocking and nonblocking. Section 7 presents functions to support system-maintained file pointers, and shared file pointers. Section 8 presents constructors that can be used to define useful filetypes (the role of filetypes is explained in Section 2 below). Section 9 presents how the error handling mechanism of MPI is supported by the MPI-IO interface. All this is followed by a set of appendices, which contain information about issues that have not been totally resolved yet, and about design considerations. The reader can find there the motivation behind some of our design choices. More information on this would definitely be welcome and will be included in a further release of this document. The first appendix contains a description of MPI-I0's 'hints' structure which is used when opening a file. Appendix B is a discussion of various issues in the support for file pointers. Appendix C explains what we mean in talking about atomic access. Appendix D provides detailed examples of filetype constructors, and Appendix E contains a collection of arguments for and against various design decisions.

Corbett, Peter↗

NASA NTRS1997

Tether-Based Investigation of the Ionosphere and Lower Thermosphere Concept Definition Study Report

Understanding the plasma and atmosphere around the Earth in the lower altitude regions of the mesosphere, lower thermosphere, and ionosphere is important in the global electric system. An upper atmosphere tether has been proposed to NASA that would collect much-needed data to further our knowledge of the regions. The mission is proposed as a shuttle experiment that would lower a tethered probe into certain regions of Earth's atmosphere, collecting data over a 6-day period. This report is a summary of the results of a concept definition study to design engineering system that will achieve the scientific objectives of this mission.

Johnson, L.↗