Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Machine Learning Model Of Perturb-Seq Data For Use In Space Flight Gene Expression Profile Analysis, Liam F. Johnson, James Casaletto, Lauren Sanders, Sylvain Costes

Graduate Industrial Research Symposium

The genetic perturbations caused by spaceflight on biological systems tend to have a system-wide effect which is often difficult to deconvolute it into individual signals with specific points of origin. Single cell multi-omic data can provide a profile of the perturbational effects, but does not necessarily indicate the initial point of interference within the network. The objective of this project is to take advantage of large scale and genome-wide perturbational datasets by using them to train a tuned machine learning model that is capable of predicting the effects of unseen perturbations in new data. Perturb-Seq datasets are large libraries of …

Statistical Approach To Quantifying Interceptability Of Interaction Scenarios For Testing Autonomous Surface Vessels, Benjamin E. Hargis, Yiannis E. Papelis

Modeling, Simulation and Visualization Student Capstone Conference

This paper presents a probabilistic approach to quantifying interceptability of an interaction scenario designed to test collision avoidance of autonomous navigation algorithms. Interceptability is one of many measures to determine the complexity or difficulty of an interaction scenario. This approach uses a combined probability model of capability and intent to create a predicted position probability map for the system under test. Then, intercept-ability is quantified by determining the overlap between the system under test probability map and the intruder’s capability model. The approach is general; however, a demonstration is provided using kinematic capability models and an odometry-based intent model.

A Bidirectional Deep Lstm Machine Learning Method For Flight Delay Modelling And Analysis, Desmond B. Bisandu, Irene Moulitsas

National Training Aircraft Symposium (NTAS)

Flight delays can be prevented by providing a reference point from an accurate prediction model because predicting flight delays is a problem with a specific space. Only a few algorithms consider predicted classes' mutual correlation during flight delay classification or prediction modelling tasks. None of these existing methods works for all scenarios. Therefore, the need to investigate the performance of more models in solving the problem of flight delay is vast and rapidly increasing. This paper presents the development and evaluation of LSTM and BiLSTM models by comparing them for a flight delay prediction. The LSTM does the feature extraction …

Actively Guided Cansats For Assisting Localization And Mapping In Unstructured And Unknown Environments, Cary Chun, M. Hassan Tanveer

Symposium of Student Scholars

When navigating in unknown and unstructured environments, Unmanned Arial Vehicles (UAVs) can struggle when attempting to preform Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) operations. Particularly challenging circumstance arise when an UAV may need to land or otherwise navigate through treacherous environments. As the primary UAV may be too large and unwieldly to safely investigate in these types of situations, this research effort proposes the use of actively guided CanSats for assisting in localization and mapping of unstructured environments. A complex UAV could carry multiple of these SLAM capable CanSats, and when additional mapping and localization capabilities where required, the CanSat would …

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Based Heat Exchanger On The Martian, Sarah Guinn

Discovery Day - Prescott

The use of supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) in power cycles has been fairly new in the last decade. Due to this, there is a lack in research for both terrestrial and extraterrestrial applications. The purpose of this project is to utilize sCO2 as a working fluid and design and optimize a Brayton Cycle based heat exchanger on the Martian surface. Due to the lack of water on Mars, this research will provide a stronger analysis of planetary based drycooling processes in low atmospheric pressure and colder temperatures. We have been conducting an in-depth analysis of the heat exchanger by modeling …

Autonomous Watercraft Simulation And Programming, Nicholas J. Savino

Student Scholar Showcase

Automation of various modes of transportation is thought to make travel more safe and efficient. Over the past several decades, advances to semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles have led to advanced autopilot systems on planes and boats, and an increasing popularity of self-driving cars. We predicted the motion of an autonomous vehicle using simulations in Python. The simulation models the motion of a small scale watercraft, which can then be built and programmed using an Arduino Microcontroller. We examined different control methods for a simulated rescue craft to reach a target. We also examined the effects of different factors, such as …

Astria Ontology: Open, Standards-Based, Data-Aggregated Representation Of Space Objects, Jennie Wolfgang, Kathleen Krysher, Michael Slovenski, Unmil P. Karadkar, Shiva Iyer, Moriba K. Jah

Space Traffic Management Conference

The necessity for standards-based ontologies for long-term sustainability of space operations and safety of increasing space flights has been well-established [6, 7]. Current ontologies, such as DARPA’s OrbitOutlook [5], are not publicly available, complicating efforts for their broad adoption. Most sensor data is siloed in proprietary databases [2] and provided only to authorized users, further complicating efforts to create a holistic view of resident space objects (RSOs) in order to enhance space situational awareness (SSA).

The ASTRIA project is developing an open data model with the goal of aggregating data about RSOs, parts, space weather, and governing policies in order …

Nanosat Tracking And Identification Techniques And Technologies, Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Nanosats (and CubeSats, ‘Smallsats’, etc.) are of order 10 cm in size, and are at or near the limits of what can be tracked and characterized, using existing space surveillance assets. Additionally, given the CubeSat form-factor, they are often launched in large numbers (scores), and can be virtually identical. Thus are they difficult to track and to identify.

We have identified a number of technologies that future nanosat missions could employ that would enhance the trackability and/or identification of their satellites when on-orbit. Some of these technologies require active illumination of the satellite with electromagnetic energy, either in the radio …

Pulsed Fiber Optics Lasers As Highly Sensitive Sensors, Hanieh Afkhamiardakani

Shared Knowledge Conference

An interferometer or resonator is a device in which optical beams of specific frequencies circulate with minimal losses. These losses are completely compensated by the gain inside a laser resonator. A small perturbation introduced inside the laser can affect its frequency, which in turns becomes a metric of that perturbation. The perturbation is usually caused by an electric or magnetic field, rotation, acceleration, nonlinear index of refraction etc. Tiny changes of optical frequency are monitored by superimposing the laser field and a reference field (from the same laser) on a detector. This technique requires creating a laser in which two …

Physical Properties Of Engineered Nanocomposites For Defense Applications, Alex Henson, Sanju Gupta

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Polymer nanocomposites are significant for modern and future technologies (aerospace, defense, water purification etc.) due to their tailored properties, lightweight and low cost. However, ‘forward’ engineered polymer (host matrix) composites with smaller size nanoparticles (guest) providing desired properties targeting specific applications remains a challenging task as they depend largely on nanoparticles size, shape and loading (volume fraction). This study develops polymer nanocomposites impregnated with ‘organic-inorganic’ silsesquioxane nanoparticles and graphene nanoribbons, and investigates microscopic structure and dynamics of interfacial layer to predict macroscale properties. The nanocomposites consist of poly(2-vinylpyridine) (P2VP) polymer (segment ~5nm) with spherical silsesquioxane nanoparticles (diameter ~2-5nm) and planar …

Remote Sensing Of Soil Moisture Using S-Band Signals Of Opportunity: Model Development And Experimental Validation, Marvin Jesse, Benjamin Nold, James L. Garrison

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Root zone soil moisture (RZSM) is a vital aspect in meteorology, hydrology, and agriculture. There are currently some methods in passive and active remote sensing at L-band, but these methods are limited to a sensing depth of approximately 10 cm. Observing RZSM (water in the top meter of soil) will require lower frequencies, thus presenting significant difficulties for a spaceborne instrument, because of the required antenna size, the presence of radio-frequency interference (RFI), and competition for spectrum allocations (in the case of active radar). Bistatic radar using Signal of Opportunity (SoOp) (e.g. digital satellite transmitters) provides an opportunity for remote …

University Of Minnesota Smallsat And High Altitude Ballooning Development And Collaboration, Luke Zumwalt, Ricardo Saborio, Athanasios Pantazides, Aaron Nightingale, Demoz Gebre Egziabher, Lindsay Glesener

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

The Experiment for X-ray Characterization and Timing (EXACT) mission is a 3U CubeSat technology-development project being built by the SmallSat team at the University of MN – Twin Cities which is a joint research effort of the Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (AEM) Department and the School of Physics and Astronomy (SPA). The main objective of this spacecraft is to carry a payload including a detector designed to measure energy and time of arrival time of individual hard x-ray photons emitted from the Sun and from other astrophysical sources. During the development process for EXACT, flights provided by the High-Altitude Student …

Solar Eclipse Induced Atmospheric Turbulence Effects On High Altitude Balloons, Fnu Anamika, Denise Buckner, Peter Henson, Jennifer Fowler, Nanette Valentour

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

The North Dakota Atmospheric Education Student Initiated Research (ND-AESIR) team launched a balloon during the total solar eclipse in Rexburg, Idaho. After the umbra’s passage, the balloon experienced unexpectedly high levels of atmospheric turbulence. Video footage taken from the payload displays the conditions, and analysis of flight path data models created from the iridium GPS confirm that unusually violent turbulence occurred. These forces caused the key rings holding the bottom of the parachute to the payload train to rip open; the balloon and parachute flew away and the payloads free fell to the surface from an altitude of 68,301 feet. …

Placing A High-Altitude Balloon In The Path Of Totality, Nicholas Jordan, Christopher Helmerich

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

The UAH Space Hardware Club had conducted 70 flights prior to the Eclipse. In this time, we have gained valuable skills and experience which we have put into practice and passed on through the years. We put these skills into practice for the Eclipse. Our first challenge was finding where to launch. We started out by looking for suitable locations inside totality. We also examined a map of totality at 80,000 ft. We then ran predictions based on past weather during that time of year. By compiling multiple past predictions, we eliminated possible launch sites. We had multiple payloads, some …

Hazard Assessment Of Meteoroid Impact For The Design Of Lunar Habitats, Herta Paola Montoya, Shirley Dyke, Julio A. Ramirez, Antonio Bobet, H. Jay Melosh, Daniel Gomez

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

The design of self-sustaining lunar habitats is a challenge primarily due to the Moon’s lack of atmospheric protection and hazardous environment. To assure safe habitats that will lead to further lunar and space exploration, it is necessary to assess the different hazards faced on the Moon such as meteoroid impacts, extreme temperatures, and radiation. In particular, meteoroids pose a risk to lunar structures due to their high frequency of occurrence and hypervelocity impact. Continuous meteoroid impacts can harm structural elements and vital equipment compromising the well-being of lunar inhabitants. This study is focused on the hazard conceptualization and quantification of …

Using P-Band Signals Of Opportunity Radio Waves For Root Zone Soil Moisture Remote Sensing, Phillip H. Lipinski, Benjamin R. Nold, James L. Garrison

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Retrieval of Root Zone Soil Moisture (RZSM) is important for understanding the carbon cycle for use in climate change research as well as meteorology, hydrology, and precision agriculture studies. A current method of remote sensing, GNSS-R uses GPS signals to measure soil moisture content and vegetation biomass, but it is limited to 3-5 cm of soil penetration depth. Signals of Opportunity (SoOp) has emerged as an extension of GNSS-R remote sensing using communication signals. P-band communication signals (370 MHz) will be studied as an improved method of remote sensing of RZSM. P-band offers numerous advantages over GNSS-R, including stronger signal …

P26. Global Exponential Stabilization On So(3), Soulaimane Berkane

Western Research Forum

Global Exponential Stabilization on SO(3)

Commercial Space Situational Awareness (Ssa) Capabilities And Their Benefits For Civilian Space Traffic Management (Stm), Mark A. Skinner

Space Traffic Management Conference

Paralleling (but lagging) satellite development, SSA, long the sole domain of sophisticated militaries, now includes commercial providers. These commercial capabilities, identified as beneficial to the sustainable use of outer space[1], have demonstrated technical sophistication sufficient to positively contribute to the mitigation of satellite interference and provide actionable SSA information. Utilizing small optical telescopes, these entities are able to determine the orbits of objects in the geosynchronous orbit (GSO) to sizes as small as 1 m², with measured positional uncertainties of 10s of meters, on the order of the size of a modern communications satellite. These techniques …

Multi-Dome Forming Of A Ti–Al–Mn Alloy, Sergey Aksenov, Aleksey Kolesnikov, Ivan Zakhariev

The 8th International Conference on Physical and Numerical Simulation of Materials Processing

No abstract provided.

Development Of A "Multi-Cut" Payload For Use In Stratospheric Ballooning Missions, James Flaten, Joey Habeck, Noah Biniek, Steven Smeaton, Austin Langford, Jordan Diers, Isaac Krieger

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

The ability to cut strings (AKA lines) during stratospheric ballooning missions has a wide variety of uses including, but not limited to, (a) flight termination (i.e. cutting payloads away from the main balloon), (b) cutting away excess lift balloon(s) to slow ascent rate (and possibly achieve float), (c) cutting away ballast weights to slow descent rate or increase ascent rate, (d) cutting away burst balloon(s) on descent to avoid parachute entanglement, and (e) cutting away payloads which are intended to return to the ground independently, for experimental purposes. We report on the development of a “multi-cut” payload box that uses …

Applying Newton’S Law Of Cooling When The Target Keeps Changing Temperature, Such As In Stratospheric Ballooning Missions, James Flaten, Kaye Smith, Erick Agrimson

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

Newton’s Law of Cooling describes how a “small” system, such as a thermometer, comes to thermal equilibrium with a “large” system, such as its environment, as a function of time. It is typically applied when the environment is in thermal equilibrium and the conditions are such that the thermal decay time for the thermometer is a constant. Neither of these conditions are met when measuring environmental (i.e. atmospheric) temperature using a thermometer mounted in a payload lofted into the stratosphere under weather balloons. In this situation the thermometer is in motion so it encounters layer after layer of atmosphere which …

Early Afternoon Concurrent Panel Sessions: Commercial Space Industry Snapshot: Presentation: Small Catapult-Assisted Horizontal-Launch Reusable Rbcc Ssto Spaceplane For Economical Short-Duration Leo Access, Nihad E. Daidzic,

Aviation / Aeronautics / Aerospace International Research Conference

This article discusses the conceptual design, flight trajectory calculations, and utilization of the possible future horizontally-launched reusable Single-Stage-to-Orbit (SSTO) spaceplane for small payload short-duration manned/unmanned access to Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO). The 10,000 lb spaceplane would use 5,000 ft catapult-assist horizontal-launch facility and conduct powered approach and landing on conventional horizontal paved runways following the gliding atmospheric re-entry. To increase the economy of operation, the launch facility located at high elevations (4,000+ ft) equatorial region is required, such as, the plateaus in Kenya and Tanzania in Africa and/or Ecuador in South America. A 500-lb payload, including pilot-commander, is envisioned. The propulsion cycle …

Medium-Range Forecast Of The Arctic Sea-Ice Cover Using The Satellite Observation Data, Kimura Noriaki

ShipArc 2015 Conference

No abstract provided.

Use Of Satellite Sar Observations Integrated In Arctic Maritime Situational Awareness, Hans Eilif Larsen

ShipArc 2015 Conference

No abstract provided.

Kinetic Modeling Of Roll To Roll Rfcvd Plasma, Kudzo S. Ahegbebu, Siva Sashank Tholeti, Alina A. Alexeenko

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Roll-to-roll radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (R2R RFCVD) is a technique for large-scale synthesis of high quality graphitic nanopetals. Graphitic nanopetals are petal-like graphene structures with remarkable electrical and mechanical properties with major industrial applications such as microsupercapacitors. RFCVD uses a non-equilibrium plasma with high energy electrons to catalyze chemical reactions, induce the creation of free radicals, and promote otherwise high temperature chemistry in a low temperature environment. Understanding how bulk plasma characteristics (particularly, power and number densities) vary with changing reactor parameters is an important step towards optimizing synthesis techniques. In our present work we use the …

Dsmc Simulation Of Microstructure Actuation By Knudsen Thermal Force, Aaron Pikus, Israel Sebastiao, Andrew Strongrich, Alina Alexeenko

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

In many industrial and research applications there is a need for vacuum sensors with higher accuracy and spatial resolution than what is currently available. Examples of target applications include high-altitude platforms, satellites and in-vacuum manufacturing processes such as freeze-drying of food and pharmaceuticals. In this connection, a novel pressure sensor, named Microelectromechanical In-plane Knudsen Radiometric Actuator (MIKRA), has been developed by at Purdue University. MIKRA is based on Knudsen thermal forces generated by rarefied flow driven by thermal gradients within the microstructure Thus, the goal of this work is to model the rarefied gas flow in the MIKRA sensor under …

Directional Camera Control On High Altitude Balloons, Matthew M. Plewa, Brent Scharlau

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

The research reported in this paper examined the design and control of a gimbal for solar eclipse tracking and video recording. The gimbal design required 3 axes of rotation to allow for full range of motion. Utilizing individual brushless motors for each of the axes ensure minimum rotational requirements on each axes. In controlling the gimbal, both a mathematical and visual method were utilized. The mathematical method is a modified version of what is currently used for solar array pointing. The visual method looks at where the position of the sun is within the image and determines what angle changes …

Techniques For Payload Stabilization For Improved Photography During Stratospheric Balloon Flights, James Flaten, Christopher Gosch, Joseph (Benjamin) Habeck

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

Payload-box rotation and swing are perennial challenges to achieving high-quality photography (typically videography) during weather-balloon flights to “near-space” (AKA the stratosphere). Continuous camera motion can lead to blurred still photos, nearly-impossible-to-watch video footage, and precludes time-exposure photography required for most astronomical imaging even though altitudes are reached where the daytime sky appears black. Apparently-random payload rotation, persisting even at altitude, can often exceed servo rotation rates and frustrate attempts to do active camera pointing. Here we discuss mostly-passive payload stabilization strategies we, and our collaborators, have used to mitigate and dampen both swing and rotation of suspended payloads on high-altitude …

The “Stratospheric Cricket Keeper” – Developing A Simple“Life-Support” Payload For High-Altitude Balloon Missions, Lucas Kramer, Chad Serba, James Flaten

2017 Academic High Altitude Conference

Exposure to the environmental conditions of “near-space” (AKA the stratosphere) is quickly fatal to nearly all forms of animal life. It is even challenging to build a sealable enclosure that can keep insects (crickets) alive through the dramatic and simultaneous pressure and temperature drops experienced during a high-altitude balloon mission. This poster describes the development of a rugged “cricket keeper” in which we were able to fly crickets to the stratosphere and, quoting the words of JFK, “return (them) safely to the earth!” This “life-support” payload had large windows (for the view!) and included Arduino-logged temperature and pressure sensors, an …

Investigations Of Synthetic Fuels: S8 And Sasol Ipk To Determine The Possibility Of Alternate Fuels In The Aerospace Industry, Scott M. Dyke

GS4 Georgia Southern Student Scholars Symposium

Investigations of Synthetic Fuels: S8 and Sasol IPK to Determine the Possibility of Operation as Alternate Fuels in the Aerospace Industry

Name: Scott Dyke

Co-Authors: Martin Muinos, Julia Heimberger, Dr. Valentin Soloiu,

An ever-growing society that becomes more and more dependent on a finite energy source will eventually exceed its supply. Fossil fuel quantities are continuously decreasing and new solutions are needed. According to the United States Department of Transportation, over 10 billion gallons of airline fuels have been consumed in each of the past 15 years with some years over 13 billion gallons. In the meantime, fuel costs have …