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At least 163 records · Page 9

Evaluation of Cabin Crew Technical Knowledge

Accident and incident reports have indicated that flight attendants have numerous opportunities to provide the flight-deck crew with operational information that may prevent or essen the severity of a potential problem. Additionally, as carrier fleets transition from three person to two person flight-deck crews, the reliance upon the cabin crew for the transfer of this information may increase further. Recent research (Chute & Wiener, 1996) indicates that light attendants do not feel confident in their ability to describe mechanical parts or malfunctions of the aircraft, and the lack of flight attendant technical training has been referenced in a number of recent reports (National Transportation Safety Board, 1992; Transportation Safety Board of Canada, 1995; Chute & Wiener, 1996). The present study explored both flight attendant technical knowledge and flight attendant and dot expectations of flight attendant technical knowledge. To assess the technical knowledge if cabin crewmembers, 177 current flight attendants from two U.S. carriers voluntarily :ompleted a 13-item technical quiz. To investigate expectations of flight attendant technical knowledge, 181 pilots and a second sample of 96 flight attendants, from the same two airlines, completed surveys designed to capture each group's expectations of operational knowledge required of flight attendants. Analyses revealed several discrepancies between the present level of flight attendants.

Dunbar, Melisa G.↗

Systems, methods and apparatus for verification of knowledge-based systems

Systems, methods and apparatus are provided through which in some embodiments, domain knowledge is translated into a knowledge-based system. In some embodiments, a formal specification is derived from rules of a knowledge-based system, the formal specification is analyzed, and flaws in the formal specification are used to identify and correct errors in the domain knowledge, from which a knowledge-based system is translated.

Hinchey, Michael G.↗

Space Shuttle Guidance, Navigation, and Rendezvous Knowledge Capture Reports

This document is a catalog and readers guide to lessons learned, experience, and technical history reports, as well as compilation volumes prepared by United Space Alliance personnel for the NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) Flight Dynamics Division.1 It is intended to make it easier for future generations of engineers to locate knowledge capture documentation from the Shuttle Program. The first chapter covers observations on documentation quality and research challenges encountered during the Space Shuttle and Orion programs. The second chapter covers the knowledge capture approach used to create many of the reports covered in this document. These chapters are intended to provide future flight programs with insight that could be used to formulate knowledge capture and management strategies. The following chapters contain descriptions of each knowledge capture report. The majority of the reports concern the Space Shuttle. Three are included that were written in support of the Orion Program. Most of the reports were written from the years 2001 to 2011. Lessons learned reports concern primarily the shuttle Global Positioning System (GPS) upgrade and the knowledge capture process. Experience reports on navigation and rendezvous provide examples of how challenges were overcome and how best practices were identified and applied. Some reports are of a more technical history nature covering navigation and rendezvous. They provide an overview of mission activities and the evolution of operations concepts and trajectory design. The lessons learned, experience, and history reports would be considered secondary sources by historians and archivists.

John L Goodman↗

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2015

The NASA U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program continues to capture, share, and archive significant spacesuit-related knowledge with engineers and other technical staff and invested entities. Since its 2007 inception, the SKC Program has hosted and recorded more than 65 events. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, 40 of these were processed and uploaded to a publically accessible NASA Web site where viewers can expand their knowledge about the spacesuit's evolution, known capability and limitations, and lessons learned. Sharing this knowledge with entities beyond NASA can increase not only more people's understanding of the technical effort and importance involved in designing a spacesuit, it can also expand the interest and support in this valuable program that ensures significant knowledge is retained and accessible. This paper discusses the FY 2015 SKC events, the release and accessibility of the approved events, and the program's future plans.

Chullen, Cinda↗

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture Accomplishments in Fiscal Year 2015

The NASA U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program continues to capture, share, and archive significant spacesuit-related knowledge with engineers and other technical staff and invested entities. Since its 2007 inception, the SKC Program has hosted and recorded more than 75 events. By the end of Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, 40 of these were processed and uploaded to a publically accessible NASA Web site where viewers can expand their knowledge about the spacesuit's evolution, known capabilities and limitations, and lessons learned. Sharing this knowledge with entities beyond NASA can increase not only more people's understanding of the technical effort and importance involved in designing a spacesuit, it can also expand the interest and support in this valuable program that ensures significant knowledge is retained and accessible. This paper discusses the FY 2015 SKC events, the release and accessibility of the approved events, and the program's future plans.

Chullen, Cinda↗

Aerosol-Radiation-Cloud Interactions in the South-East Atlantic: Future Suborbital Activities to Address Knowledge Gaps in Satellite and Model Assessments

Southern Africa produces almost a third of the Earth's biomass burning (BB) aerosol particles. Particles lofted into the mid-troposphere are transported westward over the South-East (SE) Atlantic, home to one of the three permanent subtropical stratocumulus (Sc) cloud decks in the world. The SE Atlantic stratocumulus deck interacts with the dense layers of BB aerosols that initially overlay the cloud deck, but later subside and may mix into the clouds. These interactions include adjustments to aerosol-induced solar heating and microphysical effects, and their global representation in climate models remains one of the largest uncertainties in estimates of future climate. Hence, new observations over the SE Atlantic have significant implications for global climate change scenarios. Our understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions in the SE Atlantic is hindered both by the lack of knowledge on aerosol and cloud properties, as well as the lack of knowledge about detailed physical processes involved. Most notably, we are missing knowledge on the absorptive and cloud nucleating properties of aerosols, including their vertical distribution relative to clouds, on the locations and degree of aerosol mixing into clouds, on the processes that govern cloud property adjustments, and on the importance of aerosol effects on clouds relative to co-varying synoptic scale meteorology. We discuss the current knowledge of aerosol and cloud property distributions based on satellite observations and sparse suborbital sampling. Recent efforts to make full use of A-Train aerosol sensor synergies will be highlighted. We describe planned field campaigns in the region to address the existing knowledge gaps. Specifically, we describe the scientific objectives and implementation of the five synergistic, international research activities aimed at providing some of the key aerosol and cloud properties and a process-level understanding of aerosol-cloud interactions over the SE Atlantic: NASA's ORACLES, the UK Met Office's CLARIFY-2016, the DoE's LASIC, NSF's ONFIRE, and CNRS' AEROCLO-SA.

aerosols↗

Building Scalable Knowledge Graphs for Earth Science

Knowledge Graphs link key entities in a specific domain with other entities via relationships. From these relationships, researchers can query knowledge graphs for probabilistic recommendations to infer new knowledge. Scientific papers are an untapped resource which knowledge graphs could leverage to accelerate research discovery. Goal: Develop an end-to-end (semi) automated methodology for constructing Knowledge Graphs for Earth Science.

Ramachandran, Rahul↗

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture – Chronicling Spacesuit Design for the Future

With less than 4 years until the United States is scheduled to land the first woman and next man on the Moon, NASA is leveraging 60 years of experience to build a spacesuit to assist in the success of this and future human space exploration missions. This experience comes from the achievements of retired and employed spacesuit experts, innovations that were conceived from existing ideas and inventions, and a plethora of archived knowledge. The U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program’s primary function is to capture, archive, and share current and legacy spacesuit-related knowledge with scientists, engineers, and technicians. To capture valuable spacesuit-related knowledge, the program uses various methods that have included hosting and recording classroom and online courses, workshops, and vignettes, and preserving thousands of legacy spacesuit-related files. In 2019, the SKC Program added to its role when it began coordinating the electronic recording of the new spacesuits’ buildup. This new, next-generation spacesuit is named the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and is a compilation of many components. As each component is tested and assembled into the suit, the SKC Program is chronicling this buildup using high-speed video production and photography that includes time-lapsed images. To complement the recording of the components, the SKC Program plans to record and photograph the design verification testing. In 2020, the SKC Program was given the initiative to research and identify the custodianship of historical spacesuit equipment that resides within the Crew and Thermal Systems Division. These archives will be added to the SKC Program’s expansive archived collection of spacesuit-related knowledge that represents over 5 decades of spacesuit legacy from the Apollo era to the pursuit of Mars and beyond. This paper describes the electronic documentation of the xEMU’s buildup and identifies the SKC Program’s 2020 accomplishments.

Cinda Chullen↗

U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture – Chronicling Spacesuit Design for the Future

With less than 4 years until the United States is scheduled to land the first woman and next man on the Moon, NASA is leveraging 60 years of experience to build a spacesuit to assist in the success of this and future human space exploration missions. This experience comes from the achievements of retired and employed spacesuit experts, innovations that were conceived from existing ideas and inventions, and a plethora of archived knowledge. The U.S. Spacesuit Knowledge Capture (SKC) Program’s primary function is to capture, archive, and share current and legacy spacesuit-related knowledge with scientists, engineers, and technicians. To capture valuable spacesuit-related knowledge, the program uses various methods that have included hosting and recording classroom and online courses, workshops, and vignettes, and preserving thousands of legacy spacesuit-related files. In 2019, the SKC Program added to its role when it began coordinating the electronic recording of the new spacesuits’ buildup. This new, next-generation spacesuit is named the Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (xEMU) and is a compilation of many components. As each component is tested and assembled into the suit, the SKC Program is chronicling this buildup using high-speed video production and photography that includes time-lapsed images. To complement the recording of the components, the SKC Program plans to record and photograph the design verification testing. In 2020, the SKC Program was given the initiative to research and identify the custodianship of historical spacesuit equipment that resides within the Crew and Thermal Systems Division. These archives will be added to the SKC Program’s expansive archived collection of spacesuit-related knowledge that represents over 5 decades of spacesuit legacy from the Apollo era to the pursuit of Mars and beyond. This paper describes the electronic documentation of the xEMU’s buildup and identifies the SKC Program’s 2020 accomplishments.

Cinda Chullen↗

Neo – Mars Adaptive Training Integrative Knowledge System (MATRIKS) to Improve Operational Performance and its Neural Basis for Spaceflight

With prolonged mission durations, spaceflight crews will become increasingly dependent on onboard technologies for knowledge acquisition and maintenance. It is expected that not all skills and knowledge required for these missions can be retained and retrieved based on pre-mission training alone. Limited and delayed communication will significantly constrain support from Mission Control and crews will increasingly rely on autonomous onboard technologies to successfully perform post-landing operations. With the present project we will target NASA’s particular interest in developing and assessing an adaptive, just-in-time countermeasure that will consolidate and improve skills that are most relevant to space flight operations. To achieve this aim, NASA established a Virtual NASA Specialized Center of Research (VNSCOR)referred to as “Mars Adaptive Training Integrative Knowledge System (MATRIKS)”, comprising the following three projects: (1) “Trinity–Multi-Environment Virtual Training for Long Duration Exploration Missions”, PI: A. Anderson (UC Boulder); (2) “Morpheus–A Haptic Sensory Supplement to Optimize In-Flight Adaptive Training for Human Control of Spacecraft Robotic Arms”, PI: S. Robinson, UC Davis); and the present project “Neo–Adaptive Training integrative knowledge System to Improve Operational Performance and its Neural Basis for Spaceflight” (UPenn, PI: A.C. Stahn). Neo leverages a validated workstation called 6DF that simulates a rendezvous and docking maneuver using real spacecraft flight dynamics. It is designed to (1) train and improve sensorimotor skills relevant for inflight and post-landing operational tasks; (2) feature an autonomous and adaptive training approach that does not rely on feedback from flight operations on the ground; (3) maximize the transfer of mission-relevant motor skills; (4) allow the assessment of the neural circuitry underlying the task; and (5) deliver the training in a motivating and meaningful way to astronauts. Neocomprises two overarching aims: First, we will identify the neural circuitry underlying spaceflight relevant tasks by performing a subset of the 6DFtaskduring functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)in a total of up to N=30 subjects with varying levels of 6DF training experience. Second, as part of the above-mentioned VNSCOR MATRIKS the proposed 6DF autonomous intelligent tutor system will be integrated in an additive manner with a haptic feedback intervention (Morpheus), and a multi-environment virtual trainer(Trinity).It is expected that Neo, Morpheus and Trinity mutually complement each other to facilitate an effective countermeasure tool to acquire and retain operational skills that are critical for exploration class missions. To assess the efficacy of this combined effort, the VNSCOR MATRIKS will collect data inN=16 crew members in one HERA campaign of 45 days duration with N=16 crew members(four missions with N=4 crew member seach).The primary goal is to identify changes in operational performance as assessed by NASA’s simulator of Canadarm2 operations, i.e., Robotic On-board Trainer (ROBoT-r) in response to MATRIKS. As part of Neo we will also identify if, and to what extent MATRIKS will promote transfer to general cognitive performance (Cognition battery), distinctive visuo-spatial tasks critical for telerobotic tasks (Spatial Cognition battery), and affect brain structural changes and the neural circuitry of key brain networks expected to be relevant for spaceflight-related performance. At the conclusion of the research, we will have defined and demonstrated the use of a neuroscience-based, adaptive training integrative knowledge system to potentially mitigate visuo-spatial and sensorimotor brain changes associated with prolonged isolation and confinement to reduce the likelihood or impact of potential decrements in human performance capabilities during long-duration space missions. The expected significance of this 4-year project relates to its relevance for facilitating effective countermeasure tools to acquire and retain operational skills that are critical for exploration class missions. This will support the development of necessary countermeasures and technologies in support of human space exploration, focusing on mitigating operational performance risks.

A C Stahn↗

Small Satellite Reliability Initiative (SSRI) Knowledge Base Tool: Update and Future Direction

The Small Satellite Reliability Initiative (SSRI)Knowledge Base is a comprehensive and searchable online tool that consolidates and organizes resources, best practices, and lessons learned from previous small satellite missions sponsored by NASA, other government agencies, and academia. This free, publicly available tool is available to the entire SmallSat community. The SSRI Knowledge Base provides vetted, high-quality sources of information on elements that are key to successful small satellite missions. These resources include SSRI working group generated documents and presentations in addition to existing guides, publications, standards, software tools, websites, and books. The Knowledge Base is fully searchable, offers downloadable content when possible, and otherwise links to or references content directly from within the tool. This presentation and paper will discuss the motivation for and development of the SSRI Knowledge Base, demonstrate the existing tool, and outline plans for further development. The SSRI is a collaborative activity with broad participation from civil, Department of Defense, and both national and international commercial space systems providers and stakeholders. NASA’s Small Spacecraft Systems Virtual Institute (S3VI) funds the SSRI Knowledge Base. The S3VIis jointly sponsored by NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate and Science Mission Directorate.

Small Spacecraft↗

Defining Pupil Knowledge Requirements for Roman Space Telescope Integrated Payload Assembly Testing

This thesis examines the use of phase retrieval to characterize an optical system under testing conditions with pupil knowledge error. The purpose of this investigation is to define pupil knowledge requirements for the integrated payload testing of the Roman Space Telescope. We have conducted a Monte Carlo study to determine how location uncertainty of the ground support equipment relative to the payload caused by the temperature deformation in the Space Environment Simulator will affect our ability to use image-based wavefront sensing during the test to characterize system alignment. This test will be conducted with significant wavefront error (WFE) present due to gravity sag on the primary mirror. The study incrementally decenters two pieces of ground support equipment and evaluates how the phase retrieval algorithm attempts to fit the wavefront. We conducted this investigation in two steps. First, we used an ideal optical model of the test configuration without the gravity sag on the primary mirror to see the fitting effects related only to pupil knowledge error introduced by the decentering. Then, we used perturbed and gravity sag models to investigate the effects of decentering dependent wavefront effects in addition to pupil knowledge error. The results from the ideal model provided a clear limit of the amount of pupil knowledge error that can be present before seeing significant WFE in the phase retrieval. For the second study, we used the decentering tolerances from the ideal model results to determine the WFE effects of decentering in the presence of gravity sag and system misalignments. The second part of this study will be factored into the overall integrated payload assembly testing WFE budget.

Roman Space Telescope↗

The Emphasis of Design Patterns in Expressing Expert Knowledge From A Technical Solution – A Framework for Continued Research

Digital Engineering is a transformative strategy that leverages an integrated model-based approach to improve communication, decision making, design understanding, and acquisition efficiency of system development. As modern systems are derived from pre-existing systems, harvesting expert knowledge from proven systems in a useful, model-based way will reduce the experiential learning and cognition required for new system development, contributing to a Digital Engineering transformation. Motivated by performance gains observed during a multi-year, sequential development activity, this survey reviews knowledge, architecture, and pattern literature to establish a framework for research of architectural methods for expert knowledge identification and description using Model Based System Engineering. The multi-year sequential development activity is offered as the experimental system of interest for this research. This work aims to enable a digital engineering strategy that improves concept phase decision making, accelerates knowledge acquisition from lessons learned repositories, and eases the burden of generational knowledge loss.

Lithium Ion↗

Personalizing knowledge delivery services: a conceptual framework

Consistent with the call of the Minnesota Symposium for new theory in knowledge management, we offer a new conceptualization of Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) as a portfolio of personalized knowledge delivery services. Borrowing from research on online consumer behavior, we describe the challenges imposed by personalized knowledge delivery services, and suggest design parameters that can help to overcome these challenges. We develop our design constructs through a set of hypotheses and discuss the research implications of our new conceptualization. Finally, we describe practical implications suggested by our conceptualization - practical suggestions that we hope to gain some experience with as part of an ongoing action research project at our partner organization.

knowledge management↗

Knowledge management in the engineering design environment

The Aerospace and Defense industry is experiencing an increasing loss of knowledge through workforce reductions associated with business consolidation and retirement of senior personnel. Significant effort is being placed on process definition as part of ISO certification and, more recently, CMMI certification. The process knowledge in these efforts represents the simplest of engineering knowledge and many organizations are trying to get senior engineers to write more significant guidelines, best practices and design manuals. A new generation of design software, known as Product Lifecycle Management systems, has many mechanisms for capturing and deploying a wider variety of engineering knowledge than simple process definitions. These hold the promise of significant improvements through reuse of prior designs, codification of practices in workflows, and placement of detailed how-tos at the point of application.

designs↗

Optimizing GRACE/GRACE-FO Data and A priori Hydrological Knowledge for Improved Global Terrestial Water Storage Component Estimates

The comprehensive information of global terrestrial water storage (TWS) components (soil moisture, groundwater, snow, surface water) is essential for effective assessment of water resource availability, climate variation, and disaster mitigation measures. Observational data provided by the Gravity Recovery And Climate Experiment (GRACE) and GRACE Follow-On satellite missions offer global TWS variation (ΔTWS) in terms of an integrated water column. However, GRACE spatial resolution is relatively coarse (i.e., 3°), and the vertically integrated value cannot be separated into ΔTWS components directly. This study demonstrates the feasibility to estimate ΔTWS components at any desired spatial-vertical resolution by effectively maintaining the native resolution of the employed hydrological knowledge. It utilizes a least-squares with constraints (LSC) approach to rigorously incorporate GRACE and GRACE-FO data and a priori hydrological knowledge, with the aim to improve global ΔTWS components’ accuracy and spatial resolution. The 3°×3° GRACE mascon derived ΔTWS data is disaggregated into the 0.5°×0.5° anomalous soil moisture storage (ΔSMS), groundwater storage (ΔGWS), snow water equivalent (ΔSWE), and surface water storage (ΔSWS) based on the covariance information obtained from the Community Atmosphere Biosphere Land Exchange (CABLE) and the PCRaster Global Water Balance (PCR-GLOBWB) models. Evaluation with different ground measurements and satellite products between 2002 and 2019 exhibits significantly improved accuracy in all individual ΔTWS components. This improvement is of particular note in ΔGWS and ΔSWS, where the LSC approach increases the globally averaged correlation values by approximately 0.13 and 0.05, respectively. Reliable prior knowledge leads to a more accurate ΔTWS component estimate, and the use of ensemble-mean knowledge yields the best result.

GRACE↗

Identifying and Documenting Expert Knowledge, A Practical Study of Design Patterns

Globalization, powered by digitization, is increasing technology growth and knowledge transfer rates to levels not seen in the previous 3500 years, obscuring absolute truth and accelerating rates of innovation and production. Competing,or remaining competitive, in this global marketplace requires a learning organization adopt a method of capture, retention, and reuse for demonstrated tacit knowledge to accelerate the development of increasingly complex systems of high quality at a reasonable cost. The architectural theory of Patterns and Pattern Language is a validated methodology for mining tacit domain knowledge from a proven system. This work applies architectural theory to a multi-year development experiment and captures exposed knowledgeas a design patternin a model based systems engineering tool, demonstrating applicability ofdigital engineering initiativesin thedescription and reuse of expert design knowledge.By creating and archiving model based expressions of expert knowledge,a learning organization canimprovepractical decision making and avoid uninformed concept phase decision making

systems engineering↗

KBGIS-2: A knowledge-based geographic information system

The architecture and working of a recently implemented knowledge-based geographic information system (KBGIS-2) that was designed to satisfy several general criteria for the geographic information system are described. The system has four major functions that include query-answering, learning, and editing. The main query finds constrained locations for spatial objects that are describable in a predicate-calculus based spatial objects language. The main search procedures include a family of constraint-satisfaction procedures that use a spatial object knowledge base to search efficiently for complex spatial objects in large, multilayered spatial data bases. These data bases are represented in quadtree form. The search strategy is designed to reduce the computational cost of search in the average case. The learning capabilities of the system include the addition of new locations of complex spatial objects to the knowledge base as queries are answered, and the ability to learn inductively definitions of new spatial objects from examples. The new definitions are added to the knowledge base by the system. The system is currently performing all its designated tasks successfully, although currently implemented on inadequate hardware. Future reports will detail the performance characteristics of the system, and various new extensions are planned in order to enhance the power of KBGIS-2.

Smith, T.↗