Summary

Greetings, space enthusiast! Are you tired of slogging through technical requirements, only to find omissions and inconsistencies that could spell disaster for your mission? What if there was an Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered app called STAR (Standards Technical Assistance Resource) that could streamline the process and offer requirement recommendations? Your challenge is to develop the approach, code, or procedure for STAR, so that with STAR as a copilot, mission designers can blast off with even greater confidence, knowing that they have the right requirements in place.

Background

The aerospace industry is an integral part of our modern world, impacting various aspects of daily life. From air travel and navigation systems that connect people and businesses worldwide, to satellites that provide communications that enable global connectivity and collect crucial data for weather forecasting and disaster management, the aerospace industry is vital to our society. It also drives advancements and innovations in fields like Earth observation, climate monitoring, and space exploration.

Ensuring the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of aerospace products is paramount, and it starts with well-maintained technical requirements. However, managing these documents accurately and efficiently is a complex, time-consuming challenge. In a rapidly evolving technological landscape, identifying a solution that streamlines the management of these critical documents, while ensuring quality and consistency, is essential to bolster the foundation of the aerospace industry and enhance safety and efficiency.

Regardless of your background, a basic understanding of the industry's significance and the importance of good requirements provides you with the necessary foundation to tackle this challenge. Addressing the inconsistencies and errors in these documents can create a safer and more reliable aerospace industry, impacting millions who rely on air travel and satellite services. Problems with requirements are consistently identified as a reason for project failure.

By engaging in the search for creative alternatives and solutions, you will contribute to the development of safer, more reliable, and universally harmonized aerospace products. Join this exciting journey and make a lasting impact on the aerospace industry and the lives of people around the world, including your own.

Objectives

Your challenge is to develop the approach, code, or procedure for a groundbreaking tool that could revolutionize the way technical requirements are managed in the aerospace industry by streamlining the process to review and update requirements, and ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and relevance of these vital documents. Your solution could improve the safety, reliability, and effectiveness of aerospace missions, ultimately benefiting everyone who relies on the aerospace industry—including you!

Embrace your creativity and explore novel approaches to tackle this complex challenge! Imagine a world where an AI-powered app, like the proposed Standards Technical Assistance Resource (STAR), quickly analyzes information like new technical bulletins, lessons learned, or standards and provides effective recommendations for improving technical requirements.

Think creatively! Feel free to consider various formats, technologies, and mediums to achieve this objective. While an AI-powered app like the STAR is one promising approach, you could propose other innovative ideas and novel solutions. Whatever your product may be, make sure you develop a tool that efficiently analyzes and ingests relevant information, provides effective recommendations for improving technical requirements, and addresses the issues of inconsistencies, errors, and omissions in the documents.

Potential Considerations

You may (but are not required to) consider the following information as you develop your solution to this challenge:

Guidelines

As an example, your process could analyze and suggest improvements to a NASA standard such as NASA-Standard-5018, Strength Design and Verification Criteria for Glass, Ceramics, and Windows in Human Space Flight Applications (See Resources section).
You can use any software you wish when developing your tool, but remember that NASA judges cannot download software to their computers.
You may utilize any resources mentioned in the Resources section, but do not feel limited by that list.
You can clearly describe the process you followed to develop the app and provide instructions for using the app.
You can submit the source code for your app along with a brief report explaining your approach and methodology.
When proposing to insert text, you could use brackets to indicate the insertion: This [is] an example.
When proposing to delete text, you could use “XX” to indicate the deletion: This is XXisXX an example.
Make sure the app’s output is not manually altered!

Output considerations

Recommendations generated by your app can include:
- The section number and version letter of the document under review
- The current language from that section
- The identified issue
- Suggested language or modification
- The source of each recommendation
Output from your tool could resemble the (fictitious) example below:
- NASA-STD-5018 Section: 4.5.3
- Current Language: The installation of the window into the vehicle/element shall not cause: a. Damage to the glass over the service life of the vehicle. b. Deterioration of the sealing capabilities over the service life of the vehicle.
- Issue: The term "damage" in point (a) is somewhat broad. It may benefit from a more specific definition or inclusion of examples to clarify what constitutes as damage. This can reduce ambiguity during inspections or assessments..
- Suggested Language: For the purpose of this standard, "damage" to glass windows encompasses the following:
  - Cracks or Fractures: Any visible or microscopic fracture in the glass that compromises its integrity or performance, including stress cracks, edge cracks, and impact cracks.
  - Delamination: Separation between layers in laminated glass, compromising its structural or visual properties.
  - Scratches or Abrasions: Visible or tactile marks on the surface which might impede clarity or compromise structural strength.
  - Chips or Pitting: Small and localized loss of glass material either from the surface or edges.
  - Discoloration or Hazing: Any change in the visual properties of the glass leading to reduced transparency, including fogging or development of a milky appearance.
  - Bubbles or Inclusions: Presence of air pockets or foreign materials within the glass that were not intended as part of the original design.
  - Seal Failure: Signs of moisture or foreign matter within multi-pane windows, indicating a failure of the sealing system.
  - Thermal Stress: Evidence of damage caused by extreme temperature variations, often leading to spontaneous breakage or weakened structural properties.
  - Chemical Damage: Alteration or deterioration of the glass due to contact or reaction with external chemicals or environmental factors, including etching or corrosion.
- Source: General knowledge of common types of damage that can occur to glass, particularly in contexts where its integrity and clarity are critical. This knowledge is informed by a combination of materials science, industry standards, and common practices related to glass manufacturing, installation, and maintenance.

Keep in mind that

Poor solutions might have many incorrect or nonsensical recommendations and require significant prompting to generate useful results.
Good solutions can simplify the process of filtering out irrelevant or inappropriate recommendations, leading to less labor required to review the suggestions.
Great solutions can be capable of ingesting the full text of source documents (e.g., PDF files) and provide recommendations with clear benefits and justifications, enabling comprehensive analysis and improvement suggestions.
Even better solutions can provide actionable recommendations with minimal prompting, ensuring a user-friendly experience.
Phenomenal solutions can also incorporate security measures, such as firewalls, to enable the safe processing of sensitive information.

For data and resources related to this challenge, refer to the Resources tab at the top of the page.

2023 NASA Space Apps Challenge

STAR: Revolutionizing Technical Standards with AI