NASA Information Technology
By Carolina M. Blake
Chief, Commercial Technology Office
NASA Ames Research Center
Our vision in NASA is to open the Space Frontier. When people
think of space, they think of rocket plumes and the Space Shuttle,
but the future of space is in information technology. We must develop
a virtual presence, in space, on planets, and in aircraft and spacecraft.
— NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin,
Sacramento, California, May 29, 1996
NASA's
FUTURE SPACE EXPLORATION AND aeronautics will require advances in
many areas of science and technology, but paramount among these
is computer science and other related computational disciplines.
To expand the frontiers of knowledge for aeronautics and space,
accelerate America's emerging information revolution and inspire
future generations, seven discipline-based research areas are identified
as critical: automated reasoning, human-centered computing and human/computer
interaction, modeling and simulation, information management and
knowledge discovery and data mining, smart sensor systems, advanced
software technology and high-performance computing.
Future deep space missions will require unmanned spacecraft and
robotic planetary explorers to probe the universe on our behalf.
These things will have to have an unprecedented level of intelligence.
Independent of direct communication with and control from Earth,
they must be adaptable, curious and self-sufficient in harsh and
unpredictable environments. Also, information technology (IT) research
related to autonomous and semi-autonomous space systems operations
for space exploration will enable a new generation of space flight
systems for orbiting and exploration at a much lower cost than traditional
approaches.
To address these needs, NASA's Ames Research Center has identified
new IT research areas, including revolutionary computing, intelligent
data understanding, human-centered computing, advanced software
engineering and high-performance, heterogeneous computing/ networking.
NASA researchers are developing sophisticated software that will
enable spacecraft to achieve this unprecedented level of autonomy.
Research in automated software engineering will consequently speed
the development of next-generation software. NASA recently granted
its Software of the Year Award to Remote Agent, the first artificial
intelligence software to command a spacecraft—Deep Space 1—without
help from the ground. With Deep Space 1, a new era in space exploration
has begun; there will be more effective use of existing resources
and significantly more missions.
According to Dr. Steven Zornetzer, Director of Information Sciences
and Technology at Ames, NASA will expand activities in neurally
inspired computing and nanotechnology. "Neurally inspired computing
has barely scratched the surface in terms of extracting principles
of biological computation and applying those principles to engineered
systems. In the area of nanotechnology, we have the opportunity
to completely change the way we conceptualized the computing paradigm,"
he said.
Another key development in IT is human-centered computing, a new
model based on the fundamental principle that future information
processing technologies requiring human interfaces will be designed
with full appreciation of human capabilities and limitations. These
include sensory/motor, perceptual and cognitive capabilities. Here
on Earth, such technologies will lead to a new generation of embedded
aviation operations systems that promise profound social and economic
impact. President Clinton has announced a major initiative to enhance
the safety of commercial aviation. A new generation of cognitive
prostheses (computational aids designed to leverage human capacities)
will be required to help pilots and air traffic controllers realize
progressively safer aircraft operation in increasingly congested
airspace.
In the area of integrated design systems, new IT systems are being
developed to accommodate globally distributed and increasingly complex
design-team interrelationships. They will provide in-depth knowledge
for cost-effective early design decisions and expedite aerospace
products to market. This will reduce costs for American aerospace
manufacturers and expand their market share. New space missions
will be made possible as the insertion of focused information technologies
significantly reduces both risk and life cycle costs.
While meeting its unique goals, NASA technology research and development
must also enhance overall U.S. economic security. To ensure that
NASA's technology assets and expertise contribute to U.S. economic
growth, it is critical that we quickly and effectively translate
them into improved production processes and marketable, innovative
products. We must strengthen our partnerships with industry. Partnering
with high-technology experts will greatly enhance our presence in
space and in the process serve to better our lives on Earth.
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