Browsing by Subject "NASA"
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Item The application of systems engineering to a Space-based Solar Power Technology Demonstration Mission(2012-05) Chemouni Bach, Julien; Fowler, Wallace T.; Guerra, Lisa A.This thesis presents an end-to-end example of systems engineering through the development of a Space-based Solar Power Satellite (SSPS) technology demonstration mission. As part of a higher education effort by NASA to promote systems engineering in the undergraduate classroom, the purpose of this thesis is to provide an educational resource for faculty and students. NASA systems engineering processes are tailored and applied to the development of a conceptual mission in order to demonstrate the role of systems engineering in the definition of an aerospace mission. The motivation for choosing the SSPS concept is two fold. First, as a renewable energy concept, space-based solar power is a relevant topic in today's world. Second, previous SSPS studies have been largely focused on developing full-scale concepts and lack a formalized systems engineering approach. The development of an SSPS technology demonstration mission allows for an emphasis on determining mission, and overall concept, feasibility in terms of technical needs and risks. These are assessed through a formalized systems engineering approach that is defined as an early concept or feasibility study, typical of Pre-Phase A activities. An architecture is developed from a mission scope, involving the following trade studies: power beam type, power beam frequency, transmitter type, solar array, and satellite orbit. Then, a system hierarchy, interfaces, and requirements are constructed, and cost and risk analysis are performed. The results indicate that the SSPS concept is still technologically immature and further concept studies and analyses are required before it can be implemented even at the technology demonstration level. This effort should be largely focused on raising the technological maturity of some key systems, including structure, deployment mechanisms, power management and distribution, and thermal systems. These results, and the process of reaching them, thus demonstrate the importance and value of systems engineering in determining mission feasibility early on in the project lifecycle.Item Knowledge management and culture at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC)(2011-08) Toon, Katherine Parker; Lewis, Kyle, 1961-; Nichols, Dr. StevenA critical component needed to maintain National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) mission will be Johnson Space Center’s (JSC) ability to build off previous space program’s lessons learned by utilizing knowledge management (KM) activities and practices. Currently, at the local level of NASA JSC, employees lack cultural enablers that can stimulate behaviors that promote knowledge management practices that within the organization. Through surveys conducted with current NASA civil servant employees, this thesis investigates current involvement and attitudes in knowledge management activities/programs and practices of NASA JSC employees at the local level. By understanding the local employee’s involvement and attitudes of knowledge management, recommendations can be made on how to create a culture change that stimulates behaviors that promote knowledge management within the local level’s of NASA JSC.Item Medical Hardware for the Space Environment: An Engineering Experience at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration(2011-10-21) Reyna, BaraquielThe complexity and amount of medical hardware needed by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) constantly shifts with mission requirements. Early missions such as Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo required minimal, relatively non-complex medical hardware, but as mission lengths have increased from hours to multiple months and mission crew sizes have increased from one to seven, so has the amount and complexity of medical hardware. As such, a need has arisen to develop a methodology by which medical hardware is certified for the space environment in a safe, consistent, and economically viable manner. This record of study documents my experiences certifying medical hardware for the space environment by providing two specific certification examples, a defibrillator, and automated external defibrillator and provides a brief history of the medical hardware used by NASA for its manned space programs.Item Space Shuttle Program (SSP) retirement and NASA transition to the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE)(2009-08) Reyes, Carlos Joel; Duvic, Robert Conrad, 1947-; Ambler, TonyOn January 14, 2004, President George W. Bush announced the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). The goals of the vision include developing a new generation launch capability while completing assembly of the International Space Station (ISS) and retiring the Space Shuttle by 2010. In support of this goal, the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) initiated evaluation of hardware, infrastructure, and workforce skill mix needed to continue Space Shuttle flights until the projected 2010 retirement. The SSP also studied how NASA will deploy personnel from, and use the facilities of, the SSP to ensure that the Space Shuttle operates safely through its final flight, and to ensure personnel and facilities from the SSP are effectively transitioned to NASA’s exploration programs. NASA funding, like other federal agencies, is affected by various factors including domestic and international political environments, current and emerging technologies available to meet agency goals, and sustainability and potential economic return of federal expenditures. In this paper I will present a retrospective analysis of federal budget allocations to NASA as a percentage of the Federal Budget from years 1958 to 2010 (adjusted to 1979 dollars). The classic method for calculating net present value (NPV) is not well suited for projecting potential value of future R&D technologies. A quantitative analysis of R&D technologies transferred to private industry will be presented, as well as a description of a method of evaluating their significance will discussed relative to current budgetary considerations will likely for past, current and upcoming funding cycles. The opportunity at hand for NASA’s transition from SSP to Constellation in support of the VSE initiative is to advocate their culture as R&D innovators and emphasize the future benefit of increased funding.Item Systems integration and analysis of advanced life support technologies(2009-06-02) Nworie, Grace A.Extended missions to space have long been a goal of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Accomplishment of NASA's goal requires the development of systems and tools for sustaining human life for periods of several months to several years. This is the primary objective of NASA's Advanced Life Support (ALS) program. This work contributes directly to NASA efforts for ALS, particularly food production. The objective of this work is to develop a systematic methodology for analyzing and improving or modifying ALS technologies to increase their acceptability for implementation in long-duration space missions. By focusing primarily on the food production systems, it is an aim of this work to refine the procedure for developing and analyzing the ALS technologies. As a result of these efforts, researchers will have at their disposal, a powerful tool for establishing protocols for each technology as well as for modifying each technology to meet the standards for practical applications. To automate the developed methodology and associated calculations, a computer-aided tool has been developed. The following systematic procedures are interrelated and automatically integrated into the computer-aided tool: ? Process configuration, with particular emphasis given to food production (e.g., syrup and flour from sweet potato, starch from sweet potato, breakfast cereal from sweet potato); ? Modeling and analysis for mass and energy tracking and budgeting; ? Mass and energy integration ? Metrics evaluation (e.g., Equivalent System Mass (ESM)). Modeling and analysis is achieved by developing material- and energy-budgeting models. Various forms of mass and energy are tracked through fundamental as well as semiempirical models. Various system alternatives are synthesized and screened using ESM and other metrics. The results of mass, energy and ESM analyses collectively revealed the major consumers of time, equivalent mass, and energy, namely evaporation, condensation, dehydration, drying and extrusion. The targeted processes were subsequently targeted for modifications. In conclusion, this work provides a systematic methodology for transforming non-conventional problems into traditional engineering design problems, a significant contribution to ALS studies.