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The Application of Advanced Cultivation Techniques in the Long Term Maintenance of Space Flight Plant Biological Systems

The development of the International Space Station (ISS) presents extensive opportunities for the implementation of long duration space life sciences studies. Continued attention has been placed in the development of plant growth chamber facilities capable of supporting the cultivation of plants in space flight microgravity conditions. The success of these facilities is largely dependent on their capacity to support the various growth requirements of test plant species. The cultivation requirements for higher plant species are generally complex, requiring specific levels of illumination, temperature, humidity, water, nutrients, and gas composition in order to achieve normal physiological growth and development. The supply of water, nutrients, and oxygen to the plant root system is a factor, which has proven to be particularly challenging in a microgravity space flight environment. The resolution of this issue is particularly important for the more intensive crop cultivation of plants envisaged in Nasa's advanced life support initiative. BioServe Space Technologies is a NASA, Research Partnership Center (RPC) at the University of Colorado, Boulder. BioServe has designed and operated various space flight plant habitat systems, and placed specific emphasis on the development and enhanced performance of subsystem components such as water and nutrient delivery, illumination, gas exchange and atmosphere control, temperature and humidity control. The further development and application of these subsystems to next generation habitats is of significant benefit and contribution towards the development of both the Space Plant biology and the Advanced Life Support Programs. The cooperative agreement between NASA Ames Research center and BioServe was established to support the further implementation of advanced cultivation techniques and protocols to plant habitat systems being coordinated at NASA Ames Research Center. Emphasis was placed on the implementation of passive-based water and nutrient support systems and techniques, which can be used to minimize demands on power, mass, and operational complexity in space flight studies. This effort has direct application to the development of next-generation space flight plant chambers such as the Plant Research Unit (PRU). Work was also directed at the development of in-flight plant preservation techniques and protocols consistent with the interest in applying recent developments in gene chip micro array technologies. Cultivation technologies and protocols were evaluated in a 55 day space flight plant growth study, conducted on the ISS, mission 9A (10/7/02 - 12/7/02).

Heyenga, A. G.

An overview of the space medicine program and development of the Health Maintenance Facility for Space Station

Because the prolonged stay on board the Space Station will increase the risk of possible inflight medical problems from that on Skylab missions, the Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) planned for the Space Station is much more sophisticated than the small clinics of the Skylab missions. The development of the HMF is directed by the consideration of three primary factors: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of injuries and illnesses that may occur in flight. The major components of the HMF include the clinical laboratory, pharmacy, imaging system, critical-care system, patient-restraint system, data-management system, exercise system, surgical system, electrophysiologic-monitoring system, introvenous-fluid system, dental system, and hyperbaric-treatment-support system.

Pool, Sam Lee

Space shuttle recommendations based on aircraft maintenance experience

Space shuttle design recommendations based on aircraft maintenance experience are developed. The recommendations are specifically applied to the landing gear system, nondestructive inspection techniques, hydraulic system design, materials and processes, and program support.

Spears, J. M.

Implementing a Reliability Centered Maintenance Program at NASA's Kennedy Space Center

Maintenance practices have long focused on time based "preventive maintenance" techniques. Components were changed out and parts replaced based on how long they had been in place instead of what condition they were in. A reliability centered maintenance (RCM) program seeks to offer equal or greater reliability at decreased cost by insuring only applicable, effective maintenance is performed and by in large part replacing time based maintenance with condition based maintenance. A significant portion of this program involved introducing non-intrusive technologies, such as vibration analysis, oil analysis and I/R cameras, to an existing labor force and management team.

DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT

Autonomy and automation for Space Station housekeeping and maintenance functions

The Space Station crew will be a critical resource for economical operation of science and commercial payloads. Core station housekeeping and maintenance functions should be provided in a manner that requires a minimum of crew interaction. This paper outlines a prospective functional architecture for allocation of autonomous and automated control of these functions and discusses implementation issues arising from safety of manned operations, integration test requirements, and evolution of future station capabilities.

Turner, P. R.

Maintenance evaluation for space station liquid systems

Many of the thermal and environmental control life support subsystems as well as other subsystems of the space station utilize various liquids and contain components which are either expendables or are life-limited in some way. Since the space station has a 20-year minimum orbital lifetime requirement, there will also be random failures occurring within the various liquid-containing subsystems. These factors as well as the planned space station build-up sequence require that maintenance concepts be developed prior to the design phase. This applies to the equipment which needs maintenance as well as the equipment which may be required at a maintenance work station within the space station. This paper presents several maintenance concepts for liquid-containing items and a flight experiment program which would allow for evaluation and improvement of these concepts so they can be incorporated in the space station designs at the outset of its design phase.

Flugel, Charles

Managing NASA's International Space Station Logistics and Maintenance Program

The International Space Station's Logistics and Maintenance program has had to develop new technologies and a management approach for both space and ground operations. The ISS will be a permanently manned orbiting vehicle that has no landing gear, no international borders, and no organizational lines - it is one Station that must be supported by one crew, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It flies partially assembled for a number of years before it is finally completed in 2006. It has over 6,000 orbital replaceable units (ORU), and spare parts which number into the hundreds of thousands, from 127 major US vendors and 70 major international vendors. From conception to operation, the ISS requires a unique approach in all aspects of development and operations. Today the dream is coming true; hardware is flying and hardware is failing. The system has been put into place to support the Station for both space and ground operations. It started with the basic support concept developed for Department of Defense systems, and then it was tailored for the unique requirements of a manned space vehicle. Space logistics is a new concept that has wide reaching consequences for both space travel and life on Earth. This paper discusses what type of organization has been put into place to support both space and ground operations and discusses each element of that organization. In addition, some of the unique operations approaches this organization has had to develop is discussed.

Butina, Anthony

Seventh Annual Workshop on Space Operations Applications and Research (SOAR 1993), volume 2

This document contains papers presented at the Space Operations, Applications and Research Symposium (SOAR) Symposium hosted by NASA/Johnson Space Center (JSC) on August 3-5, 1993, and held at JSC Gilruth Recreation Center. The symposium was cosponsored by NASA/JSC and U.S. Air Force Materiel Command. SOAR included NASA and USAF programmatic overviews, plenary session, panel discussions, panel sessions, and exhibits. It invited technical papers in support of U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Department of Energy, NASA, and USAF programs in the following areas: robotics and telepresence, automation and intelligent systems, human factors, life support, and space maintenance and servicing. SOAR was concerned with Government-sponsored research and development relevant to aerospace operations. More than 100 technical papers, 17 exhibits, a plenary session, several panel discussions, and several keynote speeches were included in SOAR '93. These proceedings, along with comments and suggestions made by panelists and keynote speakers, will be used to assess progress made in joint USAF/NASA projects and activities to identify future collaborative/jolnt programs. SOAR '93 was the responsibility of the USAF NASA Space Technology Interdependency Group Operations Committee. Symposium proceedings include papers presented by experts from NASA, the USAF, USA, and USN, U.S. Department of Energy, universities, and industry.

Navigation

Cybernetic anthropomorphic machine systems

Functional descriptions are provided for a number of cybernetic man machine systems that augment the capacity of normal human beings in the areas of strength, reach or physical size, and environmental interaction, and that are also applicable to aiding the neurologically handicapped. Teleoperators, computer control, exoskeletal devices, quadruped vehicles, space maintenance systems, and communications equipment are considered.

Gray, W. E.

Manned systems utilization analysis (study 2.1). Volume 1: Executive summary

Man's contribution to the achievement of scientific mission objectives in the space environment is investigated in terms of potential improvement in future applications of scientific instruments relative to the need for interactive manned support operations. Emphasis is placed on experience gained from space programs and the development of empirical techniques to associate the benefit of repair and management actions. Design features are addressed in terms of weight, volume, and reliability associated with designing for space maintenance. The results of the following programs are examined: the OVI series of automated spacecraft; the OSO-7 automated spacecraft; and the Skylab S-056 X-ray telescope experiment in the ATM. It is shown that orbital maintenance is the most realistic means of achieving high system availabilities for scientific instruments.

Wolfe, R. R.