AEROSPACE REPORT NUMBER: TOR-2009(2189)-8768, COMMON SENSOR INTEGRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NASA RESEARCH AIRCRAFT: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AND ROADMAP (2

AEROSPACE REPORT NUMBER: TOR-2009(2189)-8768, COMMON SENSOR INTEGRATION REQUIREMENTS FOR NASA RESEARCH AIRCRAFT: PRELIMINARY ASSESSMENT AND ROADMAP (29 DEC 2009)., NASA operates a large number of different aircraft that serve as platforms for scientific research and engineering development in support of national objectives. These aircraft cover a very wide range of altitudes, mission durations, crews, and capabilities. They carry a large variety of important instruments from a spectrum of government agencies, universities, industry, and international sources. Finally, they are operated by different NASA centers. In this report we use the words “aircraft” and “platform” interchangeably. At the present time these platforms all have independent and unique processes, paths, and documentation to integrate scientific instruments and other sensors for missions. In addition, each platform has unique technical requirements. This system can be cumbersome for instrument Principal Investigators (PIs), making migration of instruments from one NASA aircraft to another time-consuming and expensive. In order to investigate how to increase cross-platform interoperability, NASA formed the Joint Airborne Science Sensor Integration Working Group (JASSIWG). The WG has the responsibility to make sure a plan is designed and implemented to enhance cross-platform interoperability within the constraints of costs, benefits, and schedules. Attendees of the first JASSIWG meeting in early FY08 agreed that NASA should be able to provide the science community with a more consistent and standardized set of information, design requirements, and processes so that instruments can be designed and operated in a more cross-platform manner1. Such commonality and transportability will increase opportunities for the community of investigators, the airborne science platforms, and NASA management to meet airborne science goals. The structure and implementation of cross-platform interoperability should not impact safety of flight or mission assurance, the procedures for which are well-established and managed at each of the centers. The overall goal is to promote portability of aircraft-based instruments, in the design phase where possible (e.g., new or in modification), in order to increase the utility of NASA research aircraft as national assets supporting PIs from the full spectrum of research agencies and organizations. Increasing portability and aircraft utility will also lower costs and increase the timeliness and value of scientific data.