National Academies Press: OpenBook

Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA's Constellation System (2009)

Chapter: Appendix D: Definitions for Technology Readiness Levels

« Previous: Appendix C: Request for Information
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Definitions for Technology Readiness Levels." National Research Council. 2009. Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA's Constellation System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12554.
×
Page 136
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Definitions for Technology Readiness Levels." National Research Council. 2009. Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA's Constellation System. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/12554.
×
Page 137

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

D Definitions for Technology Readiness Levels Technology readiness levels (TRLs) are a systematic metric or measurement system that supports assessments of the maturity of a particular technology and the consistent comparison of maturity between different types of technology. TRLs, first introduced by NASA in the 1980s, initially included seven levels. The system was later expanded to include nine levels, summarized in Table D.1. Table D.1, “Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs),” is reprinted from Appendix J of NPR [NASA Procedural Requirements] 7120.8, “NASA Research and Technology Program and Project Management Requirements.” (That document is still in draft form, but it will supersede the previous TRL definitions.) TABLE D.1  Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) TRL Definition Hardware Description Software Description Exit Criteria 1 Basic principles Scientific knowledge generated Scientific knowledge generated underpinning Peer reviewed observed and underpinning hardware basic properties of software architecture and publication of reported. technology concepts/applications. mathematical formulation. research underlying the proposed concept/application. 2 Technology Invention begins, practical Practical application is identified but is Documented concept and/or application is identified but is speculative, no experimental proof or detailed description of the application speculative, no experimental analysis is available to support the conjecture. application/concept formulated. proof or detailed analysis Basic properties of algorithms, representations that addresses is available to support the and concepts defined. Basic principles coded. feasibility and conjecture. Experiments performed with synthetic data. benefit. 3 Analytical and Analytical studies place the Development of limited functionality to Documented experimental technology in an appropriate validate critical properties and predictions analytical/ critical context and laboratory using non-integrated software components. experimental function and/or demonstrations, modeling and results validating characteristic simulation validate analytical predictions of key proof of concept. prediction. parameters. 136

APPENDIX D 137 TRL Definition Hardware Description Software Description Exit Criteria 4 Component and/ A low fidelity system/component Key, functionally critical, software Documented or breadboard breadboard is built and operated components are integrated, and functionally test performance validation in to demonstrate basic functionality validated, to establish interoperability and demonstrating laboratory and critical test environments, begin architecture development. Relevant agreement environment. and associated performance environments defined and performance in this with analytical predictions are defined relative to environment predicted. predictions. the final operating environment. Documented definition of relevant environment. 5 Component and/ A medium fidelity system/ End-to-end software elements implemented Documented or breadboard component brassboard is built and and interfaced with existing systems/ test performance validation operated to demonstrate overall simulations conforming to target environment. demonstrating in relevant performance in a simulated End-to-end software system, tested in relevant agreement environment. operational environment with environment, meeting predicted performance. with analytical realistic support elements that Operational environment performance predictions. demonstrates overall performance predicted. Prototype implementations Documented in critical areas. Performance developed. definition of scaling predictions are made for requirements. subsequent development phases. 6 System/ A high-fidelity system/component Prototype implementations of the software Documented subsystem model prototype that adequately demonstrated on full-scale realistic problems. test performance or prototype addresses all critical scaling Partially integrate with existing hardware/ demonstrating demonstration issues is built and operated software systems. Limited documentation agreement in an operation in a relevant environment to available. Engineering feasibility fully with analytical environment. demonstrate operations under demonstrated. predictions. critical environmental conditions. 7 System A high fidelity engineering Prototype software exists having all key Documented prototype unit that adequately addresses functionality available for demonstration test performance demonstration in all critical scaling issues is and test. Well integrated with operational demonstrating an operational built and operated in a relevant hardware/software systems demonstrating agreement environment. environment to demonstrate operational feasibility. Most software bugs with analytical performance in the actual removed. Limited documentation available. predictions. operational environment and platform (ground, airborne, or space). 8 Actual system The final product in its final All software has been thoroughly debugged Documented completed and configuration is successfully and fully integrated with all operational test performance “flight qualified” demonstrated through test hardware and software systems. All user verifying analytical through test and and analysis for its intended documentation, training documentation, and predictions. demonstration. operational environment and maintenance documentation completed. All platform (ground, airborne, or functionality successfully demonstrated in space). simulated operational scenarios. Verification and Validation (V&V) completed. 9 Actual system The final product is successfully All software has been thoroughly debugged Documented flight proven operated in an actual mission. and fully integrated with all operational mission operational through hardware/software systems. All documentation results. successful has been completed. Sustaining software mission engineering support is in place. System has operations. been successfully operated in the operational environment. NOTE: Generic TRL descriptions are found in NASA, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and Requirements, NPR 7123.1, Table G-19. SOURCE: Reprinted from Appendix J of NPR [NASA Procedural Requirements] 7120.8, “NASA Research and Technology Program and Project Management Requirements.”

Next: Appendix E: Committee and Staff Biographical Information »
Launching Science: Science Opportunities Provided by NASA's Constellation System Get This Book
×
Buy Paperback | $51.00 Buy Ebook | $40.99
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

In January 2004 NASA was given a new policy direction known as the Vision for Space Exploration. That plan, now renamed the United States Space Exploration Policy, called for sending human and robotic missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. In 2005 NASA outlined how to conduct the first steps in implementing this policy and began the development of a new human-carrying spacecraft known as Orion, the lunar lander known as Altair, and the launch vehicles Ares I and Ares V.

Collectively, these are called the Constellation System. In November 2007 NASA asked the National Research Council (NRC) to evaluate the potential for new science opportunities enabled by the Constellation System of rockets and spacecraft.

The NRC committee evaluated a total of 17 mission concepts for future space science missions. Of those, the committee determined that 12 would benefit from the Constellation System and five would not. This book presents the committee's findings and recommendations, including cost estimates, a review of the technical feasibility of each mission, and identification of the missions most deserving of future study.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!