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Range Operations BranchCode MR

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/research/Facilities/WATR/index.html

Bill McMullen

Branch Chief

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Western Aeronautical Test RangeTechnology/CapabilityAeronautical Tracking Facility provides telemetry, radar, voice communications, video, mission control center, flight termination, and mobile system supportBenefits

Expertise supporting flight test and ground test programs requiring test vehicle communications, data retrieval, upland link command and control within local and extended test range facilities through established alliance agreements and shared system.

ApplicationsExperimental flight test programs supported, Space based, Hypersonic, Supersonic, Subsonic, Manned and un-manned, aircraft and ground based vehicles

Web-Sitehttp://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/research/Facilities/WATR/index.html

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What is the WATR?

• NASA’s Western Aeronautical Test Range (WATR) is a network of facilities used to support aeronautical research, science missions, exploration system concepts, and space operations.

• WATR resides at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center located at Edwards Air Force Base, California. WATR is a part of NASA’s Corporate Management of Aeronautical Facilities and funded by the Strategic Capability Asset Program (SCAP). It is managed by the Aeronautics Test Program (ATP) of the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) to provide “the right facility at the right time.”

• NASA is a tenant on Edwards Air Force Base and has an agreement with the Air Force Flight Test Center to use the land and airspace controlled by the Department of Defense (DoD).

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FOR INTEGRATED T&EFOR INTEGRATED T&E

3264N.009

3264N.009

SCALE IN NAUTICAL MILES

0 10050

DoD WESTERN TEST RANGESDoD WESTERN TEST RANGES

MICROWAVE/FIBER

OPTIC DATA LINKS

SATELLITE LINK

COMPATIBLE RANGE

FEATURES

TSPI

GPS

RADAR

OPTICS

TELEMETRY

VIDEO

COMMUNICATIONS

COMMAND & CONTROL

SYSTEMS

ATC RADAR

COMMONALITY

INTEROPERABILITY

INTERNETTED

PT PILLAR

EGLIN

WRIGHTPATTERSON NAWC

JOHNSON SPACECENTER

KSC

NTF

MOUNTAIN HOME

FALLON

UTTR

VANDENBERG

PT MUGU

EDWARDS

COMPLEX

CHINA LAKE

TONOPAH/NELLIS

COMPLEX

EDWARDS

KIRTLAND

CHINA LAKE

VANDENBERG

PT MUGU

TONOPAH/NELLIS

COMPLEX

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MISSION CONTROL CENTER

Video Tracking RF CommunicationsTelemetry Tracking Radar Tracking

Real-time data processing Real-time data monitoring

WATR Support Configuration

Remote User sites

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Telemetry Tracking• Three fixed C-, L-, and S-band tracking stations and several mobile systems

– Supports both downlink telemetry and air-to-ground video– Command uplink for Space Shuttle, UAVs, RPVs, and piloted vehicles– Supports Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) vehicles

• One 9-meter S-band tracking station at Dugway Proving Grounds (Utah)– Can support high mach flights

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Time Space Positioning

• Three main types of positioning data

– Precision tracking radars> High accuracy RIR-716 C-band

radars> 3000-nm range within line of

sight> Data Enhancement System

for highly accurate range and angle information for orbital acquisitions

– Global Positioning System (GPS)> Differential GPS ground station

– FAA radar data> Provided via the Air Force

Flight Test enter Center

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Video• Video tracking, distribution, and recording

– Long Range Optical (LRO) tracking systems for visual contact with test vehicle> High-definition, broadcast quality video for data analysis and network

feeds> Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) for night missions> High powered telescope to view distant targets

– Cameras providing ramp and runway coverage – Mobile TV vans for video tracking remote operations (microwaved to control room)– Video distribution and recording systems

> Up to 256 video sources are routed to both internal and external destinations> Video is recorded on multiple video formats (HD, BETA, VHS, DVD)

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Voice Communication

• Two-way voice communications with aircraft and spacecraft

– UHF, VHF, and HF radios are used as appropriate– High-gain directional antennas are used for distant targets– Pilots communicate with ground controllers in the Mission Control

Center (MCC)– Special VHF equipment for communicating with both the Russian spacecraft

(Soyuz) and the International Space Station (ISS)– Provide data circuits to other NASA centers, DoD facilities, industry partners

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Mobile Operations Facilities

Un-manned Mobile Systems work area for Mobile System maintenance and buildup work. A Large mobile 45-ft semi-trailer Equipped with 6-ft telemetry antenna, L-band uplink capability, L- and S-band receive UHF/VHF radio and intercom system. A suitcase mobile 4 foot Telemetry systems and two 4 foot Trailer mounted mobile TM Systems are available for deployment. Site will support Real-time missions with interface to other Range systems and or test sites.

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Data Processing

WATR mission data processing capability is adaptable to a wide range of unique project needs:

- Handles up to 6 Pulse Code Modulation (PCM) and custom data streams

- Handles up to 1,500,000 samples per second of data

- Handles both telemetry and radar data

- Accommodates complex user computational models

- Provides data archival

- Is available in both fixed and mobile configurations

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Mission Control CenterThe WATR Mission Control Center provides real-time mission operations for test conductors, research engineers, range safety and other project personnel.

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Real-Time Data Analysis

• The WATR provides a set of tools to the project test conductors, engineers,

and range safety personnel for:

– Monitoring of data for flight safety and mission success

– Additional data analysis for in-flight test point clearance

• A mixture of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and in-house tools are easily configurable to accommodate a variety of mission goals

• Available in both fixed or mobile configuration

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Range Safety• Public safety and the safety of our pilots and research aircraft are of the highest priority

– Range Safety Officers monitor flight critical data as well as time-space positioning data– Close attention is paid to vehicle location as well as predicted debris impact points– Flight termination system is available for unpiloted vehicles

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Range Engineering BranchCode MC

Matt Cheung

Branch Chief

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WATR Telemetry/Radar Acquisition and Processing System and Mission Control Center Systems Engineering Services

• Responsible to provide system and software engineering services to maintain and to improve the Telemetry/Radar Acquisition and Processing System (TRAPS) and Mission Control Center (MCC) systems to satisfy various project requirements. – The TRAPS is a collection of subsystems which act together to acquire multiple

data sources, process the data, distribute the data, and generate the real-time archive.

– The TRAPS provides real-time data to one or more Mission Control Centers (MCCs).

– The MCCs use various in-house developed and COTS display applications– Project and range personnel use the data to monitor the status and performance of

the research vehicle

• Responsibility include systems, hardware and software engineering for all TRAPS, MCC, WATR Development Laboratory systems: WATR Telemetry Front-End System Data Acquisition and Processing systems and associated applications, mass storage, network, and display applications.

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WATR TRAPS and MCCS Engineering Servicescontinued

• Currently supported systems require that the contractor be skilled with the following:– Concepts – Telemetry, PCM data, FM data, IRIG Standards, Decommutation, Network

Protocols, GPS, Object Oriented Programming, and the software development life cycle.

 – Platforms – PC, Wyle Omega, Linux

 – Operating Systems – Windows XP & Windows Server 2003 and 2008, and Linux,

(Windows 7 future)

 – Programming Languages – C/C++, C#, ASP .Net, Windows, Visual Basic, SQL,

Fortran 77/90.

 – Tools – Wyle Omega Manager and Clients, Visio, SourceSafe, Visual Studio, Active

Server Pages .Net, MS Access, SQL Server, AGI STK, and Crystal Reports.

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Contract Requirements

• Support NASA DFRC in range and range safety engineering tasks– Systems analysis; safety analysis; fault analysis– Design reviews and recommendations (i.e., from requirements

development/reviews to end product range integration support)– Code reviews and recommendations– Equipment development and support (e.g., FTS Test Set)– National Test Range Coordination– Proper documentation in accordance with NASA DFRC standards

associated with the development of safety of flight hardware and software• Special requirement – be able to obtain a clearance at the SECRET level

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Range Operations Engineering

•Support for mission-critical WATR radar and telemetry tracking systems, voice communications systems, data distribution networks, and data processing systems.

• Perform the approved systems engineering tasks and ensures that the hardware/software systems meet the current established requirements and any additional requirements due to upgrades and or approved modifications.

• Provide technical documentation of software and hardware modifications to include drawings and documentation to transition from engineering support to operations.

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Global Test Range

• The Global Test Range Development Lab supports the development of global-reach network access between airborne instruments and customer groups that are in general geographically distant from traditional control room operations. – From a research and development perspective the global test range is focused on

the integration of network computing with sensors and instruments on aerospace platforms.

• Customer groups served by global test range capabilities include:– Airborne science operations on deployment, where geographically distributed

researchers require access to on-board instruments.– Aeronautical systems developers trying to monitor intelligent vehicle health

management systems technologies & architectures.– Space exploration systems project personnel focused on prototyping or validating

network communications components of future communications architecture.– Organizations in need of rapidly deployed connectivity to remote locations, such as

disaster management groups.– Any traditional aeronautical flight test activity in need of supporting off-range

network communications and/or off-range but near real-time project participants.

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Global Test Range Continued

• This WBS element will participate on an interdisciplinary engineering team that prototypes global test range capabilities.

• Responsibilities include, but are not limited to regarding global test range systems and equipment– fabrication– integration– assembly– testing – installation – calibration– testing– reconfiguration– modification– documentation of global test range systems and equipment. – capable of rapid prototyping of mechanical components with subsequent delivery of

mechanical drawings to document as-built components.

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Simulation Engineering Branch

Code ME

http://xnet.dfrc.nasa.gov/Organizations/CodeME/index.htmlDFRC-SimHelp@nasa.gov

Manuel CastroGroup Lead

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Simulation Services and Capabilities• Planning and Conceptual Design• Mission Support• Capabilities • Configurations• Operational capabilities• External Interfaces• Projects Supported• Research Aircraft Integration Facility (RAIF)• Support Required

Topics of Discussion

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Planning and Conceptual Design

Mission Support• Vehicle System Design• Risk Assessment and Mitigation• Mission Planning• Mission Control Room Training• Post-flight Data Analysis

Education and Outreach

Simulation Services

CONCEPT

FLIGHT

DESIGN

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• Fix-based engineering simulations– Non-linear– 6 Degrees-of-freedom

• Used for design and flight performance evaluations

• Interfacing with flight hardware is routine– Mil-STD-1553– ARINC 429– Ethernet– RS-232 / RS-422– Analog and Discrete I/O– PCM streams

Simulation Capabilities

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Simulation Configurations

• Same software supports:– Non-real-time (batch)

• Desktop– Real-time, interactive mode

• Cockpit• 3-D Visuals• Execution rate tied to clock

– Hardware-in-the-loop• Mission Computers• Flight Control Computers• Actuators• Health Monitors• INS/GPS

– Vehicle-in-the-loop

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• Operable by one person

• Place simulation product in the hands of the customers– Provide source code and documentation– Users can operate remotely in batch mode– Users can operate offsite in batch mode

• Flexible– Many types of aircraft simulated including unique vehicles– Multiple platforms that support real-time operations (Solaris and Linux)– Multi-language support (FORTRAN, C, C++, Java, Ada)– Rapid development

Operational Capabilities

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• Real-Time 3-D graphics – Multiple views available

• Pilot view• Exterior views

– Multiple aircraft in same virtual space– Articulated surfaces, smoke trails, etc.– Heads-up Display (HUD) symbology

Operational Capabilities (cont’d)

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Operational Capabilities (cont’d)

• Mission Control Room displays– Can drive control room displays directly from the

simulation (GRIM, PDS, IADS)– Engineers can prototype displays– Engineers train while testing

• Telemetry encoding (PCM)

• Real-Time data recording

• Real-Time data playback– Flight data– Previous simulation run

• Interfaces to Matlab and/or Simulink

Control Room PDS Display

Control Room GRIM Display

Control Room IADS Display

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External Interfaces

• Mission Control Center (MCC)

• Flight Hardware and/or Software– Flight Control Computers– Flight Research Control

Computers– Aircraft actuators– Aircraft data buses– Aircraft sensors

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Simulation Projects Supported35+ years experience in the development, verification and validation

of systems and flight vehicles using hardware-in-the-loop and vehicle in-the-loop simulations• Space: Lunar Lander Research Vehicle, Shuttle, Aero-gravity Assisted

Mars Transfer Vehicle, Orion, Constellation Training Facility• Aeronautics: X-15, F-8, F-14, B-720, SR-71, HiMAT, X-29, X-30, X-31,

X-33, X-34, X-38, X-43, X-54, F-16, F-15, F-18, C-17, Gliders, Phoenix Missile, Blended/Hybrid Wing Body

• Science: G-III, Ikhana, Global Hawk, SOFIA

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The RAIF and its simulation capability provide project teams with the means to conduct efficient and thorough testing of advanced, highly integrated vehicles.

The RAIF was specifically designed to support the development, integration, test and validation of highly integrated, complex research vehicles.

• Six vehicle test bays including vehicle support systems (e.g. vehicle cooling and power)

• Eleven simulation labs, avionics and mechanics shop, ESD qualified areas

• Simulation labs overlook the test bays and are connected to the bays for data, video and audio communication

• Capable of remote testing and monitoring• Office space and conference rooms available

Research Aircraft Integration Facility

Existing Facility Layout

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• Technician Support– Mechanical assembly and minor fabrication– Electronic fabrication

• Through-hole and Surface mount soldering• Wiring to print or schematic specifications• Cable fabrication to specifications

– Testing mechanical and electrical assemblies or sub-assemblies– Troubleshooting mechanical and electrical assemblies– Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Flight Support

• Configure and test systems for Preflight Operations• Monitor and troubleshoot general UAV systems for Flight Operations• Perform post flight operations

Contract Requirements

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• Computer Maintenance and System Administration– Maintenance for existing and future developmental simulation systems

• PC administration• UNIX / Linux administration• SUN administration

– System Backup– System Documentation– System Configuration Control– Related Peripherals

Contract Requirements (cont’d)

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• Computer Aided Design (CAD)– Constructing mechanical and electrical simulation drawings– Maintain and Update laboratory block diagrams– Keep and maintain the assigned drawings/diagrams in repository– Use standard CAD/CAM tools to develop 2-D and 3-D drawings

Contract Requirements (cont’d)