Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

This section addresses common questions about the NOS Testbed (NOS-T).

General Questions

What is NOS-T?

NOS-T (New Observing Strategies Testbed) is a digital engineering environment developed by NASA to facilitate the development, testing, and evaluation of new observing strategies for space missions.

Who can use NOS-T?

NOS-T is available to NASA personnel, contractors, academic partners, and other authorized users working on relevant projects. Contact the NOS-T team for access information.

Is NOS-T open source?

Parts of the NOS-T toolkit are open source. Please refer to the repository license for specific details on usage and distribution.

Technical Questions

What computing resources are required?

NOS-T can run on standard workstations for basic simulations. More complex modeling may require high-performance computing resources. See the installation guide for specific requirements.

Can NOS-T interface with other simulation tools?

Yes, NOS-T is designed with an interoperability framework that allows integration with various external tools and models. See the API documentation for details.

What messaging protocol does NOS-T use?

NOS-T uses the Advanced Message Queuing Protocol (AMQP) for communication between distributed simulation components. AMQP is an open standard application layer protocol for message-oriented middleware focused on reliability, security, and interoperability.

Do I need to understand AMQP to use NOS-T?

A deep understanding is not necessary to start using NOS-T. However, familiarity with basic concepts like brokers, exchanges, queues, and bindings will help you work more effectively with the system. See the Protocol Overview section for more details.

Where is the NOS-T broker hosted?

The NOS-T broker is hosted on an Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (EC2) instance. Connection details are provided during the onboarding process.

Troubleshooting

Simulation crashes with memory error

This typically occurs when running complex scenarios on insufficient hardware. Try reducing the simulation fidelity or using a machine with more RAM.

Cannot connect to distributed simulation

Check your network configuration and firewall settings. The distributed simulation features require specific ports to be open. See the network configuration guide.

Messages aren’t being received by components

Verify that your exchanges and queues are properly bound with correct routing keys. Check that publishers and consumers are using matching exchange types and binding patterns.

Getting Additional Help

If your question isn’t answered here, consider:

  • Checking the detailed documentation sections

  • Posting in the user forum

  • Submitting a GitHub issue

  • Contacting the NOS-T support team: