The CANEUS/NASA workshop successfully stimulated the interest of participants from around the world through their expertise in collaborative efforts to organize workshops that define the issues for in-depth understanding of the complexity that exists within the aerospace industry and space programs while identifying possible solutions and partnerships to accomplish these goals. Over 200 international participants gathered in Grapevine, Texas on March 27-28th sharing their research regarding the maturity level and capabilities of alternatives to a wired infrastructure.
 Minoo Dastoor, NASA HQ Innovative Partnership Programs opened the conference with encouragement as projects costs are rising and any reduction of cost based on less weight and mass on missions would start the evolution to fly-by-wireless. They are also looking at human productivity that can be enhanced through the dynamics of human interface with machines and shared autonomy where 5 can do the work of 50 on space missions. Inflatable habitats for the Moon Missions were also of interest as wireless technology would take them to the next phase.
George Studer, Workshop Project Director from NASA/Johnson Space Center, Structural Engineering Division presented an overview concerning instrumentation and control when reducing the number of wires deployed in new vehicles. Studor stated that NASA has been adding wireless devices by increments on shuttle missions as they are proven to be reliable and will increase those incremental additions with the advanced maturity of wireless state- of-the-art devices. Stressing that system engineering requires a metrics design approach involving the entire life-cycle of the vehicle and reliability is necessary from the point of attachment of a device to the end response point at mission control.
Dave Whalen, Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor Electromagnetic Interference and Lightning for the Federal Aviation Administration, Aviation Safety outlines the perspectives on Aircraft Wireless System Certification. Internal and external harsh environments, cross-system compatibility onboard and all interference within the electromagnetic spectrums are the issues involving certification as wireless systems mature. FAA rules are currently performance based for safety, not technology specific and they will apply until new rules are deemed necessary. Reference: Title 14, Part 25, Paragraph 1309 for current rules.
A committee is studying new rules for more tolerance in the future for passenger/operations in the design phase as most airlines would like to offer an office and entertainment atmosphere in the sky using some form of WI-FI. Some airlines have invested in WI-FI for private jets which will become an issue as no specific regulations have been written for the wireless spectrum which has no physical separation in the data/bus, while wired uses air shield on their data/bus. The spectrums are owned geographically and current wireless systems are air to ground by satellite as loss of function is not as critical as it will be in a wireless aircraft. When flying in an unlicensed spectrum the interference problems are intensified as you must solve all problems in the U.S. and all other nations that use the spectrum where even the RF from a microwave oven can cause interference in wireless systems.
 Robert W. Brocato, RF & Optics Microsystems Applications, Sandia National Labs, Principal Member of Technical Staff gave a presentation and demonstration on Multiple Passive Sensors interrogated with 1 mW of RF over 10 meters, which is showing a promising foundation to monitor inflatable habitats for space as they had to be wireless/no batteries and collect power from a radar unit at 10 meters distance. Proven benefits: flexibility of active tag and simplicity of passive tag.
Presentations from attendees across the spectrum of aerospace including companies, universities, and NASA centers around the country all working on various design projects that would embrace the maturity of wireless technology outlined the complex issues and opportunities for collaboration on solutions.
Jean-Pierre Daniel, AIRBUS SAS, France, Engineering Systems summed it up nicely as he stated that the AIRBUS had 7800 signals all with separate wires. CHALLENGE: 7000 could be replaced by wireless.
Complexity EXISTS! Will you GO FOR IT! The audience response was a resounding…YES.
NanoByte film clip from conference at NanoNEWS.TV page |
