Award Data

The objective of this effort is to demonstrate a prototype model of a flight-critical system using AbTech's AIM network synthesis tool and NASA's CLIPS production rule system and to demonstrate the ability of an AIM generated polynomial network to reliably perform sensitivity analysis using variable components of this flight critical system. The resulting adaptive test generation, analysis, and co ...

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A key component in the Alkali Metal Thermal to Electric Converter (AMTEC) is the electrode that is generally sputter deposited on the beta"-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE). Electrode deposition, as it is now practiced however, is a random process that covers active sites on the BASE and places many electrode pore openings at inactive sites. This proposal describes a novel fabrication process for ...

NASA space flight equipment test facilities require a monitoring device for airborne vapors of the rocket fuels hydrazine, monomethylhydrazine (MMH) and unsymmetrical dimethylhydrazine (UDMH). The ideal monitor will be portable, respond rapidly and specifically to hydrazines, and be sensitive at the 10 ppb level or below. Infrared direct absorption techniques have much to offer in terms of simplic ...

Space optical communications techniques are expected to be of great value when communicating at planetary distances. As opposed to RF systems, the high optical power concentration resulting from the small beam divergence will allow smaller diameter telescopes, less power and jam resistant communications. For deep space communications, the low optical level available for detection at the spacecraft ...

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has identified the need for representation, indexing, storage, and retrieval of reusable software components. To address this need, American Research Corporation of Virginia proposes the development of an icon-based software component access system using a model based on the theory of partially ordered sets. Project objectives include develo ...

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The specific proposed innovation is the use of an active radiometer in place of conventional radar techniques for measuring rainfall over the earth's surface from satellite platforms. This technique provides a substantial savings in data acquisition time that can be used to increase the scan rate and to improve the spatial resolution (i.e. reduce the footprint) of the measurements. This will provi ...

An innovative composite spacer for multilayer insulations is proposed that employs a newly developed ultra-low density aerogels. The design uses the extremely low solid conductivity and reduced gas conduction of aerogels sandwiched in a durable carrier to minimize each mode of heat transfer and maximize applicability. The proposed multilayer insulation will be relatively insensitive to the externa ...

Safety-critical aerospace applications have become increasingly dependent on a software component. However, conventional approaches to increasing the software reliability of these systems have focused on purely programming aspects. While these methods can all lead to techniques which should minimize the number of flaws in the logic of programs, none claim to result in generation of code with zero ...