SSME component assembly and life management expert system

Abstract

The Space Shuttle utilizes several rocket engine systems, all of which must function with a high degree of reliability for successful mission completion. The Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) is by far the most complex of the rocket engine systems. In earlier spacecraft, rocket systems (and, in fact, the entire spacecraft) were designed for use on only a single mission and were discarded after use. In a major departure from earlier practices, almost all systems on the Space Shuttle, including the rocket systems, are designed to be reusable; only the external tank is discarded during each mission.