RECOVERY ACT FUNDS TAS::80 0125::TAS RECOVERY - TASK TITLE: ASSESSING THE IMPACT THAT SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAG…

Public award description

RECOVERY ACT FUNDS TAS::80 0125::TAS RECOVERY - TASK TITLE: ASSESSING THE IMPACT THAT SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY WILL HAVE ON QUALIFYING AND CERTIFYING FLIGHT-CRITICAL AERONAUTICS SOFTWARE 1.0 BACKGROUND: NASA'S AVIATION SAFETY PROGRAM IS CONDUCTING RESEARCH DIRECTED AT IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF CURRENT AND FUTURE AIRCRAFT OPERATING IN THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM. THE RESEARCH FOCUS IS ON THE WAY VEHICLES ARE DESIGNED, BUILT, OPERATED, AND MAINTAINED, AND IS ORGANIZED INTO FOUR PROJECT AREAS: (1) INTEGRATED VEHICLE HEALTH MANAGEMENT, (2) INTEGRATED INTELLIGENT FLIGHT DECK, (3) INTEGRATED RESILIENT AIRCRAFT CONTROL, AND (4) AIRCRAFT AGING AND DURABILITY. THIS RESEARCH STATEMENT OF WORK SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE INTEGRATED VEHICLE HEALTH MANAGEMENT (IVHM) PROJECT WHICH IS PURSUING RESEARCH DIRECTED AT DEVELOPING CONCEPTS, TOOLS, TECHNIQUES, AND METHODOLOGIES FOR ASSESSING THE HEALTH OF FLIGHT-CRITICAL AIRCRAFT SOFTWARE. THIS EFFORT IS BEING CONDUCTED UNDER THE IVHM SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT SUB-ELEMENT WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN VERSION 2.0 OF THE IVHM TECHNICAL PLAN1. SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT SEEKS TO PERFORM THE FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH NEEDED TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL DETECT, DIAGNOSE, PREDICT, AND MITIGATE ADVERSE EVENTS THAT OCCUR DURING FLIGHT. ADVERSE EVENTS INCLUDE THOSE THAT ARISE FROM SYSTEM, SUBSYSTEM, OR COMPONENT FAULTS OR FAILURES DUE TO DAMAGE, DEGRADATION, OR ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS (SUCH AS TURBULENCE, ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS, AND LIGHTNING). FOUNDATIONAL RESEARCH PROVIDES THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF A TECHNOLOGY BASE TO SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESS THE STATED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. WHILE DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, PROGNOSTICS, AND MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFULLY EMPLOYED IN HARDWARE SYSTEM AND COMPONENTS, APPLICATION OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO SOFTWARE IS A NEW CONCEPT RECENTLY ADDED TO THE IVHM RESEARCH PORTFOLIO. THE POTENTIAL SAFETY BENEFITS AFFORDED BY THE ENVISIONED SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT CONCEPT LED TO THE 2008 NASA RESEARCH ANNOUNCEMENT TOPIC 5.1 SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES (HTTP://WWW.AERONAUTICS.NASA.GOV/NRA.HTM) WHICH SPECIFICALLY TARGETS THE DEVELOPMENT OF FOUNDATIONAL TOOLS AND TECHNIQUES TO ENABLE THE DETECTION, DIAGNOSIS, PROGNOSIS, AND MITIGATION OF ERRORS AND RELATED ADVERSE EVENTS CAUSED OR CONTRIBUTED TO BY SOFTWARE IN ON-BOARD SYSTEMS. THESE IN-PROGRESS RESEARCH ACTIVITIES ARE ADDRESSING MANY OF THE FOUNDATIONAL TECHNICAL CHALLENGES POSED BY SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT. THERE ARE, HOWEVER, SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES WITH REGARDS TO PLANNING FOR THE POTENTIAL DISRUPTION SUCH TECHNOLOGY MAY INTRODUCE TO AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION FOR SOFTWARE-BASED SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT. THIS TASK SEEKS TO CHARACTERIZE THE IMPACT THAT NEW SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES MAY HAVE ON CURRENT AND EMERGING AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES. ESTABLISHING THIS CHARACTERIZATION IS VITAL FOR THE SUCCESSFUL INFUSION OF SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES INTO CIVIL AVIATION. 2.0 SCOPE OF WORK: THIS EFFORT WILL RESULT IN A PUBLISHED RESEARCH PAPER DIRECTED AT CHARACTERIZING THE ANTICIPATED IMPACT THAT NEW IVHM-DEVELOPED SOFTWARE HEALTH MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGY WILL HAVE ON CURRENT AND EMERGING AIRWORTHINESS CERTIFICATION PROCEDURES FOR FLIGHT-CRITICAL AERONAUTICS SOFTWARE. THE CONTRACTOR SHALL IDENTIFY EXISTING REGULATORY GUIDANCE FOR FLIGHT-CRITICAL CIVIL AVIATION SOFTWARE, IDENTIFY EXISTING SYSTEM LEVEL SAFETY ASSESSMENTS AND CERTIFICATION CONSIDERATIONS, IDENTIFY NEW INITIATIVES FOR ASSURING THE SAFETY OF FLIGHT-CRITICAL SOFTWARE ANTICIPATED FOR THE FAA S NEXT GENERATION AIR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM (NEXTGEN), AND PERFORM AN ANALYSIS OF ANTICIPATED IMPACT TO FEDERAL AVIATION REGULATIONS AND ADVISORY CIRCULARS. NEXTGEN IS THE FAA S PLAN TO MODERNIZE THE NATIONAL AIRSPACE SYSTEM (NAS) THROUGH 2025 IN ORDER TO HANDLE A PREDICTED TWO TO THREE TIMES GROWTH WHILE ENSURING THAT FUTURE SAFETY, CAPACITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS ARE MET. -------