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By NASA
4 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
Urban air mobility means a safe and efficient system for vehicles, piloted or not, to move passengers and cargo within a city.NASA As the aviation industry evolves, new air vehicles and operators are entering the airspace. NASA is working to ensure these new diverse set of operations can be safely integrated into the current airspace. The agency is researching how traditional and emerging aircraft operations can efficiently operate in a shared airspace.
NASA’s Air Traffic Management-eXploration (ATM-X) project is a holistic approach to advancing a digital aviation ecosystem through research, development and testing. To accommodate the growing complexity and scale of new operations in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), ATM-X leverages technologies that contribute to transforming the national airspace, improving airspace access, and making operations safer and more efficient for all users.
ATM-X fosters access to data by enhancing the availability of digital information and predictive services – including flight traffic predictions – for airspace operations.
ATM-X works closely with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), commercial partners, industry experts, and stakeholders in evaluating the sustainable impacts of emerging mobility solutions. ATM-X is conducting research to augment current key stakeholders that enable safe operations today such as pilots and air traffic controllers. Through these cooperations, ATM-X researches and validates technological advances in computing, communications, and increasingly automated technologies to support the continued evolution of aviation operations.
ATM-X supports the modernization of today’s air transportation system through a diverse portfolio of core capabilities, which include remotely supervised missions up through high-altitude operations. The four research subprojects under ATM-X work collaboratively to enable a robust transformation of the National Airspace System (NAS).
NASA/Maria Werries Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management Beyond-Visual-Line-of Sight (UTM-BVLOS)
UTM BVLOS is supporting the future of aviation by operationalizing UTM for safe use of drones in our everyday lives. UTM BVLOS is part of a new traffic management paradigm called Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) that will use digital information exchange, cooperative operating practices, and automation to provide air traffic management for remotely piloted operations for small UAS beyond an operator’s visual line of sight. This project focuses on enabling operations in a low- altitude airspace, including drone package delivery and public safety operations.
As the FAA works to authorize these types of flights, NASA’s UTM BVLOS team is working with industry to ensure these operations can be routine, safe, and efficient. One such effort is the industry-driven “Key Site Operational Evaluation” out of North Texas, where UTM BVLOS is helping to test UTM tools and services in an operational context.
Digital Information Platform (DIP)
DIP is focused on increasing access to digital information to enable increasingly sustainable and efficient operations for today and future airspace systems. DIP is prototyping a digital service-oriented framework that uses machine learning to provide information, including traffic predictions, weather information, and in-time flight trajectory updates. DIP tests and validates key services for end-to-end trajectory planning and surface operations.
DIP is engaging with the FAA, industry, flight operators, and relevant stakeholders, in a series of Sustainable Flight National Partnership – Operations demonstrations to support the United States Climate Action Plan objective of net-zero emissions by 2050. Through these types of collaborations, DIP tests and validates key services and capabilities for end-to-end trajectory planning and surface operations.
Pathfinding for Airspace with Autonomous Vehicles (PAAV)
PAAV is focused on enabling remotely piloted operations in today’s airspace, which includes assessing increasingly automated capabilities to allow safe operations across all phases of flight.
PAAV is working with key stakeholders, including the FAA, industry standards organizations, and industry partners to develop an ecosystem which helps validate standards, concepts, procedures, and technology. This research will help test and validate a broad range of tools and services that could provide critical information and functions necessary for remotely piloted operations at lower complexity airspace shared with conventional aircrafts. This includes ground-based surveillance to detect and avoid hazards, command and control communications, and relevant weather information, which is critical for safe, seamless, and scalable UAS cargo operations.
NAS Exploratory Concepts & Technologies (NExCT)
Advancements in aircraft design, power, and propulsion systems are enabling high-altitude long-endurance vehicles, such as balloons, airships, and solar aircraft to operate at altitudes of 60,000 feet and above. This airspace is referred to as “Upper Class E” airspace in the United States, or ETM. These advancements open doors to benefits ranging from increased internet coverage, improved disaster response, expanded scientific missions, to even supersonic flight. To accommodate and foster this growth, NExCT is developing a new traffic management concept in this airspace.
NExCT is working with the FAA and industry partners to extend a new concept for safely integrating and scaling air traffic across UTM, UAM, and ETM, collectively referenced as the Extensible Traffic Management (xTM) domain. Together, this research project will enable, test, and validate a common xTM framework that is efficient and safe.
ATM-X
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Last Updated Sep 11, 2024 EditorJim BankeContactHillary Smithhillary.smith@nasa.gov Related Terms
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By NASA
5 min read
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)
A fire burns in Fishlake National Forest, as part of the Fall 2023 FASMEE prescribed burn. NASA/ Grace Weikert Background
Fire is a natural occurrence in many ecosystems and can promote ecological health. However, wildfires are growing in scope and occurring more often than in the past. Among other causes this is due to human-caused climate impacts and the expansion of communities into areas with wildland vegetation. These blazes continue to significantly harm communities, public health, and natural ecosystems. NASA is leveraging cutting-edge science and technology to better understand wildland fire behavior and provide valuable tools for fire policy, response, and mitigation.
NASA’s Stake in Wildfire
NASA’s contributions to wildland fire management span decades. This includes research to better understand the role fire plays in Earth’s dynamic atmosphere, and airborne and spaceborne sensors to analyze fire lifecycles. Much of this research and technology is still used by wildfire agencies across the globe today. NASA is building on this research and technology development with the Wildland Fire Management Initiative (WMI).
WMI leverages expertise across the Agency in space technology, science, and aeronautics to improve wildfire research and response. Through this effort, NASA and its partners will continue to provide tools and technologies for improved predictive fire modeling, risk assessment, fire prevention, suppression and post-fire recovery operations. NASA’s WMI aims to equip responders with improved tools for managing these fires
How NASA is Tackling Wildfire
NASA is collaborating with other government agencies, academia, and commercial industries to build a concept of operations for the future of wildland fire management. This means identifying gaps in current wildland fire technologies and procedures and laying out clear solutions to address those challenges.
NASA will perform a demonstration of wildland fire technologies – including X – in the coming years.
To provide a well-rounded toolkit for improving wildland operations, NASA and is tackling every aspect of wildland fire response. These efforts include:
Pre-Fire
Fuel fire maps with improved accuracy Tools that identify where and when safe, preventative burn treatments would be most effective Airspace management and safety technologies to enable mainstream use of uncrewed aircraft systems in prescribed burns Active Fire
Fire detection and tracking imagery Improved fire information management systems Models for changing fire conditions, including fire behavior, and wind and atmospheric tracking for quality forecasts Uncrewed aircraft and high-altitude balloons for real-time communications for fighting fires in harsh environments Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) to expand use of uncrewed aircraft systems in fire response, particularly in environments where traditional air traffic control technologies aren’t available An airspace awareness and communications system to enable remotely piloted aircraft to identify, monitor, and suppress wildfires 24 hours a day Post-Fire
Improved fire impact assessments, including fire severity, air and water quality, risks of landslides, debris flows, and burn scars Ground-based, airborne, and spaceborne observations to develop monitoring systems for air quality and map burn severity and develop and enhance models and predictions of post-fire hazards NASA’s Disasters Response Coordination System (DRCS) supports all three fire response aspects listed above. The DRCS, developed under the Agency’s Earth Science Division’s Disasters Program, provides decisional support to international and domestic operational response agencies. This support includes products for understanding wildfire movement and potential pathways, burn-area maps, and impacts of fire, ash, and smoke to population and critical infrastructure. DCRS tools also provide assessments of post-fire flooding and debris flow susceptibility.
NASA’s Investment in New Wildland Fire Technologies
NASA’s WMI offers grants, contracts, and prizes to small businesses, research institutions, and other wildland technology innovators. Some related technology development activities underway include:
Testing communications technologies for incident response teams in areas with no cellphone coverage via a high-altitude balloon 60,000 feet above ground level Developing wildfire detection systems and instruments for crewed and uncrewed aircraft Funding early-stage technology development for remote sensing instruments and sensor systems Developing and flight testing integrated, compact systems for small spacecraft and other platforms for autonomous detection, location tracking, and data collection of transient smoke plumes, early wildfires and other events Licensing technologies relevant to wildland fire management and hosting wildland fire webinars to promote NASA technology licensing Partners
The NASA Wildland Fire Management Initiative team collaborates with industry, academia, philanthropic institutions, and other government agencies for a more fire-resilient future. These include:
U.S. Forest Service The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The Federal Aviation Administration The Department of Homeland Security The Department of Defense The National Wildfire Coordinating Group WMI Deliverables
Through these combined efforts, NASA aims to address urgent wildland fire management challenges and ensure communities are better prepared for wildland fires. NASA will continue to expand partnerships within wildland fire management agencies for technology development and adoptions.
For more information, email: Agency-WildlandFiresInitiative@mail.nasa.gov
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By NASA
NASA’s Artemis missions aim to establish a sustained lunar presence on and around the Moon. Communications and navigation technologies will be critical to enabling the safety, science, and operations of our astronauts and missions.NASA Solicitation Number: NNH16ZCQ001K-1_Appendix-Q-LUTNOMS
July 8, 2024 – Solicitation Released
Solicitation Overview
NASA’s long-term vision to provide for a resilient space and ground communications and navigation infrastructure in which space mission users can seamlessly “roam” between an array of space-based and ground-based networks has been bolstered by innovative studies delivered by industry through the Next Space Technologies for Exploration (NextSTEP) – 2 Omnibus Broad Agency Announcement vehicle. Initially, NASA seeks to create an interoperable architecture composed of a mixture of existing NASA assets and commercial networks and services. In the long-term, this will allow for a smooth transition to fully commercialized communications services for near-Earth users. The overarching goal is to create a reliable, robust, and cost-effective set of commercial services in which NASA is one of many customers.
NASA’s Commercialization, Innovation, and Synergies (CIS) Office has released a solicitation notice under the Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (Next STEP-2) Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) to seek industry insights, innovative guidance, and demonstrations in the following two (2) Study Areas:
Lunar User Terminals Network Orchestration and Management System (NOMS) To support lunar surface operations, NASA is seeking state-of-the-art industry studies, system development, and demonstrations for a dual-purpose navigation and communication lunar surface user terminal. The terminal must meet technical requirements provided by the government to support lunar surface exploration plans and ensure interoperability with developed LunaNet and Lunar Communications Relay and Navigation System (LCRNS) standards. The requirements will be split into separate LunaNet Augmented Forward Signal (AFS) navigation receiver and communications transceiver capabilities. However, the development of a combined communications and position, navigation, and timing (CPNT) system capable of meeting the full suite of requirements is desired.
Additionally, NASA is seeking innovative industry studies and demonstrations on advanced Network Orchestration and Management Systems (NOMS) that effectively address NASA technical requirements aimed at controlling and interfacing with a globally distributed network of Satellite Ground Systems currently supporting the Near Space Network (NSN).
The resulting studies will ensure advancement of NASA’s development of space communication and exploration technologies, capabilities, and concepts.
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By NASA
Credits: NASA NASA has awarded the Goddard Logistics Services Contract to TRAX International Corporation of Las Vegas to provide logistics services and management for NASA missions.
The cost-plus-fixed-fee contract includes a base period and up to five options with a potential contract value of approximately $265 million if all options are exercised. The basic period of performance is from Thursday, Aug. 1, 2024, to July 21, 2025. The five option periods, if exercised, would extend the contract through Jan. 31, 2030.
Under this contract, TRAX will provide disposal operations, export control, equipment management, mail, supply, materials, and transportation for NASA. The work will be performed at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, and NASA Headquarters in Washington.
For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:
https://www.nasa.gov
-end-
Abbey Donaldson
Headquarters, Washington
202-358-1600
Abbey.a.donaldson@nasa.gov
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Last Updated Jun 18, 2024 LocationNASA Headquarters Related Terms
Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Centers & Facilities NASA Headquarters Wallops Flight Facility View the full article
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By NASA
“I feel that my larger purpose at NASA, which I’ve felt since I came on as an intern, is to leave NASA a better place than I found it. I know there are so many people who are just like myself, who have had this big, huge dream of being at NASA from some sort of spark in their childhood.
“I have a privilege as a well-spoken, affable, femme, white woman and I’m compelled to use this privilege for good — to advocate for others. I feel like this dream should be achievable for anyone who has the merit to be here without wondering ‘Are my needs going [to] be met?’ Or, ‘If I’m a part of a particular community, will I be faced with any sort of backlash because of the culture?’
“As an Agency, we’re trying to do incredibly hard things moving forward. And going forward, I choose to use the privilege of being at HQ and being very close to leadership as a vessel for progress to help ensure we get closer to everybody having the right to achieve their dream here.”
— Mallory Carbon, Management and Program Analyst, NASA Headquarters
Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls
Interviewer: NASA/Thalia Patrinos
Check out some of our other Faces of NASA.
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