E
NASA-Identified R&T Challenges from the Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics
The Decadal Survey of Civil Aeronautics1 identifies numerous research and technology (R&T) challenges within the field of Aeronautics. In briefings to the committee, NASA identified the R&T challenges relevant to the work being pursued in its various aviation safety-related research activities. These challenges are listed in the various tables below. The “NASA Relevance and Suitability” scores are “Why NASA Composite Score” in the Decadal Survey, and they reflect a combination of four distinct factors:
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Supporting infrastructure
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Mission alignment
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Lack of alternative sponsors
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Appropriate level of risk
Due to the subjective nature of the scoring and differences between panels, the Decadal Survey cautions readers against direct comparison of the scores for challenges from different panels (each panel was assigned a letter, A-E).
TABLE E.1 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to New Operations (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Dynamics, Navigation, Control, and Avionics |
|
(D1) Advanced guidance systems |
7.5 |
(D2) Distributed decision-making, decision making under uncertainty, and flight-path planning and prediction |
6 |
(D6) Improved on-board weather systems and tools |
6 |
(D8) Human-machine integration |
6 |
(D9) Synthetic vision and enhanced vision systems |
6 |
(D7) Advanced communications, navigation, and surveillance technology |
4.5 |
Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Operations and Decision-making, Human Integrated Systems, and Networking and Communications |
|
(E1) Methodologies, tools, and simulation and modeling capabilities to design and evaluate complex interactive systems |
6 |
(E2) New concepts and methods of separating, spacing, and sequencing aircraft |
6 |
(E3) Appropriate roles of humans and automated systems for separation assurance, including feasibility and merits of highly automated separation assurance systems |
6 |
(E4) Affordable new sensors, system technologies, and procedures to improve the prediction and measurement of wake turbulence |
6 |
(E5) Interfaces that assure effective information sharing and coordination among ground-based and airborne human and machine agents |
6 |
(E8a) Transparent and collaborative decision-support systems |
6 |
(E8c) Interfaces and procedures that support human operators ineffective task and attention management |
6 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.2 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to Hazardous Conditions and the IIFD and IRAC Technical Plans (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Operations and Decision-making, Human Integrated Systems, and Networking and Communications |
|
(E4) Affordable new sensors, system technologies, and procedures to improve the prediction and measurement of wake turbulence |
6 |
Dynamics, Navigation, Control, and Avionics |
|
(D6) Improved on-board weather systems and tools |
6 |
(D7) Advanced communications, navigation, and surveillance technology |
4.5 |
Aerodynamics and Aerocoustics |
|
(A6) Aerodynamics robust to atmospheric disturbances and adverse weather conditions, including icing |
4.5 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.3 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to Loss and Control (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Dynamics, Navigation, Control, and Avionics |
|
(D1) Advanced guidance systems |
7.5 |
(D2) Distributed decision-making, decision making under uncertainty, and flight-path planning and prediction |
6 |
(D3) Intelligent and adaptive flight control techniques |
6 |
(D13) More efficient certification processes for complex systems |
2 |
(D14) Design, development, and upgrade processes for complex, software-intensive systems, including tools for design, development, and verification and validation |
1.5 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.4 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to Durable Aircraft Structures and Systems According to the AAD Technical Plan (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Materials and Structures |
|
(C1) Integrated vehicle health management |
7 |
(C6a) Innovative high-temperature metals and environmental coatings |
7.5 |
(C14) Next-generation nondestructive evaluation |
4 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.5 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to On-Board System Failures and Faults According to the IVHM Technical Plan (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Propulsion and Power |
|
(B3) Intelligent engines and mechanical power systems capable of self-diagnosis and reconfiguration between shop visits |
6 |
Materials and Structures |
|
(C1) Integrated vehicle health management |
7 |
Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Operations and Decision-making, Human Integrated Systems, and Networking and Communications |
|
(E1) Methodologies, tools, and simulation and modeling capabilities to design and evaluate complex interactive systems |
6 |
(E8b) Using operational and maintenance data to assess leading indicators of safety |
6 |
Dynamics, Navigation, Control, and Avionics |
|
(D5) Fault-tolerant and integrated vehicle health management systems |
7.5 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.6 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to Analyzing Complex Systems for Safety (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Intelligent and Autonomous Systems, Operations and Decision-making, Human Integrated Systems, and Networking and Communications |
|
(E1) Methodologies, tools, and simulation and modeling capabilities to design and evaluate complex interactive systems |
6 |
(E2) New concepts and methods of separating, spacing, and sequencing aircraft |
6 |
(E3) Appropriate roles of humans and automated systems for separation assurance, including feasibility and merits of highly automated separation assurance systems |
6 |
(E5) Interfaces that ensure effective information sharing and coordination among ground-based and airborne human and machine agents |
6 |
(E6) Vulnerability analysis as an integral element in the architecture design and simulations of the air transportation system |
6 |
(E8a) Transparent and collaborative decision-support systems |
6 |
(E8c) Interfaces and procedures that support human operators ineffective task and attention management |
6 |
Dynamics, Navigation, Control, and Avionics |
|
(D1) Advanced guidance systems |
7.5 |
(D2) Distributed decision-making, decision making under uncertainty, and flight-path planning and prediction |
6 |
(D6) Improved on-board weather systems and tools |
6 |
(D8) Human-machine integration |
6 |
(D9) Synthetic visions and enhanced vision systems |
6 |
(D7) Advanced communications, navigation, and surveillance technology |
4.5 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |
TABLE E.7 The Decadal Survey’s Top-Ranked Safety R&T Challenges Applicable to Safety-Related Research in the Fundamental Aeronautics Program (9 is highest score; 1 is lowest)
R&T Challenge by Discipline/Area |
NASA Relevance and Suitability |
Aerodynamics and Aerocoustics |
|
(A4a) Aerodynamic designs and flow control schemes to reduce aircraft and rotor noise |
6 |
(A6) Aerodynamics robust to atmospheric disturbances and adverse weather conditions, including icing |
4.5 |
Materials and Structures |
|
(C8) Structural innovations for high-speed rotorcraft |
7.5 |
SOURCE: Selected from the “Prioritization of R&T Challenges” tables in the Decadal Survey. |