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Computers in Spaceflight: The NASA Experience

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- Chapter Nine -

 

Making New Reality: Computers in Simulations and Image Processing

 

 

[270] The computers discussed so far actually flew in space or worked in direct support of launches and missions. Yet NASA found numerous uses for computers in areas somewhat removed from flight operations. Chief among these are simulations and image processing, which made the training of crews, development of launchers and spacecraft, and analysis of image data possible.

 

Simulations are used in hundreds of ways in the space program. Simulation programs and hardware test the workings of vehicles and spacecraft, determine the accuracy of flight paths, train controllers, check out designs, and actively contribute to the software development process. Simulations help NASA find out whether its programs and projects will work as planned, lessening the risks for crews and equipment. Especially important are simulations used in crew training and simulations used to test hardware. Both provide models by which to judge the extent and efficacy of NASA's dependence on simulations and to demonstrate the dependency of such simulations on computers.

 

Image processing was developed to make the analysis of digital images transmitted by unmanned deep space craft more consistent and fruitful. At first largely driven by the needs of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) scientific community, imaging spread quickly with applications such as Landsat and the Shuttle's imaging radar. From spectacular images of distant worlds to detailed pictures of the neighbor's farm, imaging technology has contributed to the quality of life on earth. Without the use of high-speed computers, the analysis and use of the billions of bits of imaging data would be impossible.

 

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