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NASA Headquarters Responsible Official: Tony Springer

Curator:
SAIC Information Services
www.aeronautics.nasa.gov

Harry N. Swenson -- VAMS

Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation Project Manager

Mr. Harry N. Swenson became the Project Manager for the Virtual Airspace Modeling and Simulation (VAMS) Project in November of 2001. The goal of the VAMS Project is to identify and assess capabilities that lead to a significant increase in the capacity of the National Airspace System, while maintaining safety and affordability. VAMS is a multi-center effort that is combining the talents of experts in air traffic management; modeling and simulation; and communication, navigation and surveillance from the Ames, Langley and Glenn Research Centers. In this newsletter is an article on the System-wide Modeling tool being developed to analyze proposed changes to the National Airspace System.

Harry joined the NASA-Ames Research Center in 1982 as a research engineer working on advanced helicopter guidance, navigation and control automation systems. He led several interagency projects with the FAA, Army and Air Force researching issues associated with the Microwave Landing System, terrain following radar systems, forward looking infrared imaging systems integrated with heads-up and helmet mounted display systems. Harry's research became one of the cornerstones of NASA's Automated Nap-of-the-Earth flight program. He led a joint NASA-Army team that conducted the first operational flight evaluation of a covert Terrain Following/Terrain Avoidance near-terrain helicopter guidance system for nighttime and adverse weather operation on the Army's NUH-60 STAR research helicopter. In the early nineties Harry transitioned his career to the research of Air Traffic Management (ATM) issues. He led the development of an ATM automation tool known as the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA) which he moved from a laboratory prototype into a the fully operational traffic flow management tool at the Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center, serving one of the world's busiest airports. Based on this success, the TMA became one of the key elements of the FAA's Free Flight modernization program and is being deployed throughout the United States. In 1998, Harry became the Chief of the Aviation Operation Systems Development Branch, which develops, validates and tests all Center/TRACON Automation System related software. His branch also ran several ATM laboratories both at Ames and the North Texas Research Station in Dallas Ft. Worth FAA and Airline facilities.

Harry has authored 18 technical papers in the area of automation research and holds a B.S degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and a M.S. degree from Stanford University in Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has been awarded numerous honors from NASA including the Software of the Year Award along with the Administrator's Award for Turning Goals into Reality in 1998, and the Exceptional Service Medal in 2002.

--March 26, 2003