Two computer science professors and a doctoral student in computer science in the School of Engineering are members of a technical team that has received a 2011 Associate Administrator Award from the Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The work of the Vehicle Level Reasoning System (VLRS) group, NASA Langley Research Center, was selected in the Technology and Innovation category. The AA awards are presented to individuals and groups who contribute to Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate activities and who demonstrate exemplary performance in one of five award categories. The awards ceremony was April 24 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
 

Gautam Biswas, professor of computer science and computer engineering; Xenofon Koutsoukos, associate professor of computer science and computer engineering; and Daniel L.C. Mack, a Ph.D. student in computer science, are members of the VLRS technical team along with four members of Honeywell Aerospace Advanced Technology as well as four members of Business Development/Management Support at Honeywell Aerospace, two members from Aerospace Advance Technology and two members from NASA’s Ames Research Center.

The VLRS group received the award for outstanding contributions to the design of the central maintenance computer for the Boeing 787 and Embraer aircraft. The group successfully developed a vehicle-level reasoning system that can detect precursors to potential problems onboard an aircraft 30 flights prior to adverse events. Such detection permits maintenance intervention prior to the failure, greatly improving aviation safety.

The awards are presented to NASA employees, contractors and students or interns who distinguish themselves, either individually or as part of a group, through their overall approach to their work and through results they achieved during the award year. Their accomplishments demonstrate a profound positive impact and benefit to ARMD, its partners and stakeholders.

Nominations come from NASA Headquarters and NASA centers around the country where aeronautics research and support activities take place, and encompass the immediately preceding NASA fiscal year, which is October 1-September 30.