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Under NASA instrument development programs (PIDDP 2000-2002, MIDP 2003-2005, ESR&T, 2005), we have been developing miniature ground penetrating radars (GPR) for use in mapping subsurface stratigraphy from planetary rovers for Mars and lunar applications. The Mars GPR is for deeper penetration (up to 50-m depth) into the Martian subsurface at moderate resolution (1.5 m) for a geological characterization...
For the success of NASA's new vision for space exploration to Moon, Mars and beyond, exposures from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is 'a must solve' problem The payload penalty demands a very stringent requirement on the design of the spacecrafts for human deep space missions. Langley has developed state-of-the-art radiation protection and shielding technology...
The progress in the development of the atmospheric electron X-ray spectrometer (AEXS) is described. The AEXS is a surface analysis tool based on excitation of characteristic X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra from samples in ambient atmospheres using a focused electron beam. Operation in ambient atmospheres with moderate-to-high spatial resolution in comparison to similar instruments is obtained through...
Enhanced robotic surface exploration is a fundamental MEPAT (Mars Exploration Program Advanced Technologies) goal for Mars exploration technology development because many surface-investigation goals require traversing significant distances in widely varying terrain conditions. SILVRCLAW (stowable, inflatable, large, vectran, rigidizable, cold-resistant, lightweight, all-terrain wheel) is an inflatable,...
NASA's Mars exploration rovers' (MER) onboard mobility flight software was designed to provide robust and flexible operation. The MER vehicles can be commanded directly, or given autonomous control over multiple aspects of mobility: which motions to drive, measurement of actual motion, terrain interpretation, even the selection of targets of interest (although this mode remains largely underused)...
Congress authorized NASA's Prometheus Project in February 2003, with the first Prometheus mission slated to explore the icy moons of Jupiter. The Project had two major objectives: (1) to develop a nuclear reactor that would provide unprecedented levels of power and show that it could be processed safely and operated reliably in space for long-duration, deep-space exploration and (2) to explore the...
This paper compares the performance of two different launch systems; one with a hydrogen fuelled scramjet stage and one with a hydrocarbon fuelled scramjet stage. The two launch systems are optimized with respect to payload delivery capability and then compared, assuming a fixed launch mass. A rocket powered booster is used to achieve the required scramjet ignition conditions and a rocket powered...
The ARL Trade Space Visualizer (ATSV) is a multi-dimensional data visualization interface used in early conceptual design to support trade space exploration. Often, conceptual design teams consist of multiple decision-makers, where each team member has a unique set of requirements and preferences. Previously, the ATSV has been restricted to a single seat model, where decision-makers explore trade...
AstroLogic is an XML-based messaging system which turns around the usual model of spacecraft control. Normally a spacecraft is governed by a top-down, all-seeing command & data handling system, which sends commands and receives responses from subsystems. AstroLogic inverts this by having subsystems send requests for resources to other subsystems, which reply according to their ability to provide...
As the requirements of a modern air vehicle changes during development and use, requirements and design of test and recording functions will always have to be up to date. To achieve control over recording, fault isolation and health management in a tightly integrated avionics system with several configuration variants and frequent updates, powerful tools are needed, especially given demands for cost...
The role of intelligent agents has been recognized as important in various competitive and complex application environments. Since the intelligent agent is developed to be cleverer, more complex, and yet uncontrollable, a number of problems have recently been recognized. Examples of theses problems are: how to identify whom we can trust, how we know which agent is lying and how to manage information...
Realizing organizational collaboration requires a greater level of information sharing between knowledge agents - both the people within an organization and the information systems that support them. Achieving this level of information transparency relies on fundamental improvements in today's systems and data mediation architectures. This paper describes how semantic Web technologies can be leveraged...
Chip-on-board (COB) technology is a viable approach for miniaturization in space electronics. Although COB technology has been widely used in many commercial products, comprehensive and systematic studies are needed for space application. Temperature extremes (-125degC to +85degC) that the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) electronics will be exposed to pose challenges in spacecraft electronics design...
SpaceWire is becoming a popular solution for satellite high-speed data buses, because it is a simple standard that provides great flexibility for a wide range of system requirements. It is simple in packet format and protocol, allowing users to easily tailor their implementation for their specific application. Some of the attractive aspects of SpaceWire that make it easy to implement also make it...
Our team developed and demonstrated a new system design approach that can diagnosis and track overall machinery health, inform operators shortly before maintenance action is needed, place orders for parts needed to perform the specific repair or maintenance action and schedule needed manpower for repair action. This embedded wireless system was integrated into legacy Navy supply and maintenance systems...
The ever growing demand for on-board space craft processing combined with the exponential advance in chip development and high pin count devices is resulting in an increased complexity in high reliability interconnect technology. When the thermal management, control of ground bounce, and power distribution issues are considered, achieving the required reliability levels for space applications with...
Wireless ad hoc technology is demanding and continually growing. Its dynamics and flexibility allow the network to be easily set up without the requirement of a predetermined infrastructure. The advancement of the technology itself draws attentions from intruders as well as researchers and developers. Consequently, detecting intrusions on wireless ad hoc network is one of the most challenging issues...
This work develops a resource management strategy for a wireless sensor network of bearings-only sensors. Specifically, the resource manager determines which nodes actively sense and communicate during each snapshot in order to achieve a tolerable level of geolocalization accuracy while attempting to maximize the effective lifetime of the network. Unlike other methods that use the total energy consumed...
Originally conceived for fault tolerance control of its associated general purpose processor, the embedded microcontroller (EMC) present in BAE Systems Power PCI Bridge application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) has evolved into a processing workhorse finding applications spanning memory controllers, I/O processors as well as continuing to support the RAD750reg PowerPCreg processor. Development...
The following paper describes an advanced dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) optical network developed by L-3 PHOTONICS. The network, configured as an amplified optical bus, carries traffic simultaneously in both directions, using multiple wavelengths. As a result, data distribution is of the form peer-to-multi-peer, it is protocol independent, and scalable. The network leverages the rapid...
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