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Blair, J. C.

Publications and source records attributed to Blair, J. C..

17 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2012

Elements of Engineering Excellence

The inspiration for this Contract Report (CR) originated in discussions with the director of Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Engineering who asked that we investigate the question: "How do you achieve excellence in aerospace engineering?" Engineering a space system is a complex activity. Avoiding its inherent potential pitfalls and achieving a successful product is a challenge. This CR presents one approach to answering the question of how to achieve Engineering Excellence. We first investigated the root causes of NASA major failures as a basis for developing a proposed answer to the question of Excellence. The following discussions integrate a triad of Technical Understanding and Execution, Partnership with the Project, and Individual and Organizational Culture. The thesis is that you must focus on the whole process and its underlying culture, not just on the technical aspects. In addition to the engineering process, emphasis is given to the need and characteristics of a Learning Organization as a mechanism for changing the culture.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Engineering the System and Technical Integration

Approximately 80% of the problems encountered in aerospace systems have been due to a breakdown in technical integration and/or systems engineering. One of the major challenges we face in designing, building, and operating space systems is: how is adequate integration achieved for the systems various functions, parts, and infrastructure? This Contractor Report (CR) deals with part of the problem of how we engineer the total system in order to achieve the best balanced design. We will discuss a key aspect of this question - the principle of Technical Integration and its components, along with management and decision making. The CR will first provide an introduction with a discussion of the Challenges in Space System Design and meeting the challenges. Next is an overview of Engineering the System including Technical Integration. Engineering the System is expanded to include key aspects of the Design Process, Lifecycle Considerations, etc. The basic information and figures used in this CR were presented in a NASA training program for Program and Project Managers Development (PPMD) in classes at Georgia Tech and at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC). Many of the principles and illustrations are extracted from the courses we teach for MSFC.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Lessons Learned in Engineering

This Contractor Report (CR) is a compilation of Lessons Learned in approximately 55 years of engineering experience by each James C. Blair, Robert S. Ryan, and Luke A. Schutzenhofer. The lessons are the basis of a course on Lessons Learned that has been taught at Marshall Space Flight Center. The lessons are drawn from NASA space projects and are characterized in terms of generic lessons learned from the project experience, which are further distilled into overarching principles that can be applied to future projects. Included are discussions of the overarching principles followed by a listing of the lessons associated with that principle. The lesson with sub-lessons are stated along with a listing of the project problems the lesson is drawn from, then each problem is illustrated and discussed, with conclusions drawn in terms of Lessons Learned. The purpose of this CR is to provide principles learned from past aerospace experience to help achieve greater success in future programs, and identify application of these principles to space systems design. The problems experienced provide insight into the engineering process and are examples of the subtleties one experiences performing engineering design, manufacturing, and operations.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Launch Vehicle Design Process: Characterization, Technical Integration, and Lessons Learned

Engineering design is a challenging activity for any product. Since launch vehicles are highly complex and interconnected and have extreme energy densities, their design represents a challenge of the highest order. The purpose of this document is to delineate and clarify the design process associated with the launch vehicle for space flight transportation. The goal is to define and characterize a baseline for the space transportation design process. This baseline can be used as a basis for improving effectiveness and efficiency of the design process. The baseline characterization is achieved via compartmentalization and technical integration of subsystems, design functions, and discipline functions. First, a global design process overview is provided in order to show responsibility, interactions, and connectivity of overall aspects of the design process. Then design essentials are delineated in order to emphasize necessary features of the design process that are sometimes overlooked. Finally the design process characterization is presented. This is accomplished by considering project technical framework, technical integration, process description (technical integration model, subsystem tree, design/discipline planes, decision gates, and tasks), and the design sequence. Also included in the document are a snapshot relating to process improvements, illustrations of the process, a survey of recommendations from experienced practitioners in aerospace, lessons learned, references, and a bibliography.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1992

The role of criteria in design and management of space systems

Explicit requirements and standards arising in connection with space systems management serve as a framework for technical management and furnish legally binding control of development, verification, and operations. As a project develops, additional requirements are derived which are unique to the system in question; these are designated 'derived requirements'. The reliability and cost-effectiveness of a space system are best ensured where a balance has arisen between formal (legally binding) and informal. Attention is presently given to the development of criteria consistent with total quality management.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1978

Control system technology and tradeoffs for large space structures

The role of the control system in large space structure design is examined. It is pointed out that control and dynamics aspects of the structure must be considered very early in the design. Innovative techniques will be needed, such as on-orbit dynamic testing, offsetting of disturbance torques, and advances in the analysis area, particularly with respect to system modeling and achieving a tractable dimension of the problem. The technology pursued, while necessarily being focused, must not be too narrow, but should be concerned with the multidisciplinary aspects of large space structures.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Effects of ascent trajectory mode and tank disposal method on shuttle payload accommodation

The effects of external tank disposal by retrorocket versus passive tank drop, and targeting the main engine burn for high apogee versus the baseline parking orbit ascent method on shuttle payload accommodation capability were investigated. Missions launched from Eastern Test Range were investigated over a range of orbit altitudes to determine tank disposal requirements including footprint dispersions and alternate impact locations, performance, and orbital maneuvering system requirements. Passive tank drop also proved to be advantageous from a payload accommodation standpoint. Direct insertion was shown to be a means of accommodating long payloads at higher altitudes than permitted by the baseline ascent method.

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Shuttle ascent guidance and control.

The requirements of a unified optimal guidance scheme are discussed, giving attention to a general formulation, aspects of self-targeting, problems of optimum guidance within the atmosphere, and a unified concept for all flight phases. Since no previous guidance scheme meets these requirements, the shuttle demands a fundamentally new approach. A new unified optimal guidance scheme, called Mascot, was developed. The capabilities of Mascot include the real-time solution of general trajectory-optimization problems and the unification of guidance for all flight phases.

Lovingood, J. A.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Introduction

Saturn launch vehicle configurations, stages, and guidance and control systems, and wind effects on vehicle design

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1970

Guidance and control

Wind effects on rigid launch vehicle guidance and control system design, using model incorporating structural bending and fuel sloshing

Blair, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1966

Advanced control systems for launch vehicles.

Adaptive control system requirements for launch vehicles includes insensitivity to parameter variations and adjustability as function of measured flight conditions

SPACECRAFT CONTROL↗
NASA NTRS1965

The command system

Ground commands and internal logic functions for Relay I satellite command system

COMMAND SYSTEM↗
NASA NTRS1965

Spurious signals in satellite command systems

Problems encountered in operation of Relay I satellite generalized to spurious signals in satellite command systems - Error probabilities for command failures and spurious commands

SIGNAL RECEPTION↗