Range Engineering and Systems Development and Planning

Planning for systems and facilities infrastructures is an essential part of any major program that requires the construction of new facilities or the modification/refurbishment of existing facilities. In today's complex systems testing environment with its high-cost weapons systems and support equipment, testing must be closely controlled to ensure maximum benefit and results from every test mission. This requires range systems that are designed, equipped, and operated to provide maximum capability, flexibility, and efficiency with maximum test data return and minimum retesting.

Spiral Technology has demonstrated experience in the area of Range Engineering and Systems Development and associated planning through its participation in the design, development, implementation, testing, documentation, and operation in many of the advanced research and Test and Evaluation (T&E) ranges within the US inventory. Spiral Technology personnel have provided support of these ranges over the full spectrum of their systems development life cycle from requirements analysis and definition to operations during mission conduct.

Spiral Technology personnel are currently providing support to the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC) in the development of new real-time mission support and post mission analysis systems. This support includes development of new real-time processing systems, mission control center display and analysis systems, and tracking and data acquisition systems.

As flight research and T&E ground pre-flight and flight mission conduct become more demanding in today's research/test budget environment, it often becomes more cost effective to take the data acquisition, mission control and real-time analysis functions to the test vehicle at remote test sites. Spiral Technology has been instrumental in the development, fielding and operation of mobile range systems. Spiral Technology has provided design, development, and operational mission support for these type of facilities at the NASA Ames Research Center as it functioned as part of the NASA WATR.

Spiral Technology has also been a major player in the planning for the site preparation, installation, and integration of a new air traffic control processing and display systems like the REHOST System. The REHOST air traffic control system has been installed in the R-2508 Test Range air traffic control facilities at Air Force Flight Test Center (AFFTC) at Edwards AFB (two locations) and at China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC).

Spiral Technology has provided significant support to the AFFTC and its associated data acquisition, tracking, real-time processing, and analysis range systems. Spiral has provided analysis and solutions for telemetry interference issues, real-time mission support systems development and implementation support, and major facilities development support such as that for the AFFTC Ridley Mission Control Center.

Specific areas of Spiral's expertise relative to Range Engineering and Systems Development and Planning include:

• System requirements definition
• Real-time data systems design, development, testing, installation, and documentation
• Configuration Control and Management
• Site preparation and activation planning
• Power distribution system; commercial and UPS
• Facility and development grounding systems
• Electro-magnetic interference control
• Data distribution systems; copper, fiber optic, Ethernet
• Communications/video systems cabling, switching, and security
• Facility antenna systems installations
• Facility environment controls; air handlers, HVAC