ARES is a full-scope IT provider of software engineering and infrastructure management for mission and enterprise systems.
Data Center Operations and System Administration
For over 18 years, ARES has managed the International Space Station Production Facility data center, including network operations, file storage, and administration for hundreds of servers. This infrastructure supports ISS ground and business information system, including service-based data sharing, ISS cargo systems, and the program’s risk management database.
ARES also supports the Mission Control Center Mission Evaluation Room, where our team designed and developed the telemetry data management and distribution software used for ISS. This team has been awarded dozens of silver snoopy awards, and most recently an RNASA Stellar Award.
Software Engineering and Cloud Computing
ARES is responsible for the design and development of NASA’s technology portfolio management system, TechPort. TechPort tracks information for over 15,000 NASA technology development projects, enabling strategic investment planning, gap analysis, partnership development, and technology infusion. TechPort was also NASA’s first enterprise system to be 100% cloud-based, serving as a pathfinder for the Agency’s cloud initiatives.
The ARES TechPort Team has received multiple awards and accolades, including the 2021 NASA STMD Innovation Award, 2018 Space Flight Awareness Award, and the 2015 Group Achievement Award. Learn more at https://techport.nasa.gov.
In 2023, the TechPort Team was invited to present a paper at the AIAA ASCEND conference detailing information and lessons learned about NASA’s Technology Portfolio Management process. The paper can be accessed here: https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/epdf/10.2514/6.2023-4713.
Enterprise Architecture
ARES leads NASA’s Enterprise Architecture (EA) efforts for NASA OCIO’s transformation activities. Our team supports the design of OCIO architectures, roadmaps, portfolio process management, integration, and associated EA tooling. Our staff were responsible for the implementation of NASA’s first EA system, Casewise Evolve, and have since shepherded the Agency’s transformation to an accessible, lightweight EA management system. Our staff includes certified Federal Enterprise Architecture (FEA) consultants experienced with U.S. Government requirements and reference architectures.
Cybersecurity
To address emerging cybersecurity threats to cloud-based systems, ARES developed the Cyber Defense Suite (ACyDS). ACyDS is a suite of customized, autonomous cyber defense and monitoring tools tailored to U.S. Government cloud environments. ACyDS uses a whitelist-based approach, identifying known good system behavior to prevent attacks, monitor, and report.
These tools have proven effective in operational environments, preventing over 6 million attacks and mitigating the impacts of zero-day vulnerabilities in open-source software. This was most recently highlighted by the NASA knowledge services team as a spotlight lesson learned.
Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
ARES saved the U.S. Government over 960 labor hours through the development of an innovative machine-learning recommendation system. Using MATLAB and Python, ARES data scientists developed an ensemble model to support the binning and categorization of over 15,000 technologies, providing a future-proof solution for classifying these data according to an evolving taxonomy. This has also increased the findability of data, allowing records to be categorized according to a set of classifications to enable structured search mechanisms and aggregate reporting.
Read more about this recommendation system on the NASA Technical Reports Server here.
Software Assurance
ARES has led software assurance services for multi-billion-dollar science, research, and ballistic missile defense programs. As a leading provider of safety and mission assurance services to the federal government, ARES provides expertise in system safety, static code analysis, reliability, failure modes and effects analysis, and hazard analysis. ARES software assurance engineers evaluate software requirements, design, and code for completeness, and robustness ensuring operational readiness and mission effectiveness verifying measures to prevent accidents, nominal and off-nominal operations of critical system functions, and minimize their effects are incorporated in system designs. “Test like you fly” is critical to our approach, integrating our holistic risk management techniques to minimize the risk of unexpected environment conditions and providing assurance services across the system and software development lifecycle.
Client Testimonial
…the ARES Team consistently continues to come up with creative solutions for difficult problems, they are also extremely effective in listening to contributing stakeholders – creating an environment encouraging innovation and efficiencies.