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Annual report to the NASA Administrator by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel on the space shuttle program. Part 2: Summary of information developed in the panel's fact-finding activities

Safety management areas of concern include the space shuttle main engine, shuttle avionics, orbiter thermal protection system, the external tank program, and the solid rocket booster program. The ground test program and ground support equipment system were reviewed. Systems integration and technical 'conscience' were of major priorities for the investigating teams.

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Annual report to the NASA Administrator by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. Part 2: Space shuttle program. Section 2: Summary of information developed in the Panel's fact-finding activities

The management areas and the individual elements of the shuttle system were investigated. The basic management or design approach including the most obvious limits or hazards that are significant to crew safety was reviewed. Shuttle program elements that were studied included the orbiter, the space shuttle main engine, the external tank project, solid rocket boosters, and the launch and landing elements.

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Space Shuttle Program: Automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture (category 3)

The NASA Johnson Space Center is actively pursuing the development and demonstration of capabilities for automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture (AR&C) using the Space Shuttle as the active vehicle. This activity combines the technologies, expertise, tools, and facilities of the JSC Tracking and Communications Division (EE), Navigation, Control and Aeronautics Division (EG), Automation and Robotics Division (ER), and Structures and Mechanics Division (ES) of the Engineering Directorate and the Flight Design and Dynamics Division (DM) of the Mission Operations Directorate. Potential benefits of AR&C include more efficient and repeatable rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture operations; reduced impacts on the target vehicles (e.g., Orbiter RCS plume loads); reduced flight crew work loads; reduced ground support requirements; and reduced operational constraints. This paper documents the current JSC capabilities/tools/facilities for AR&C and describes a proposed plan for a progression of ground demonstrations and flight tests and demonstrations of AR&C capabilities. This plan involves the maturing of existing technologies in tracking and communications; guidance, navigation and control; mechanisms; manipulators; and systems management and integrating them into several evolutionary demonstration stages.

Jackson, William L.↗

Space shuttle program information control and retrieval system feasibility study report

The feasibility of having a common information management network for space shuttle data, is studied. Identified are the information types required, sources and users of the information, and existing techniques for acquiring, storing and retrieving the data. The study concluded that a decentralized system is feasible, and described a recommended development plan for it.

Lingle, C. P.↗

Space Shuttle Program progress report

A status report devoted to progress of design, manufacturing and test activities for each element of the Space Shuttle is presented. In particular, attention is given to system engineering and integration, the orbiter and its subsystems, the carrier aircraft, the main engine, the external tank, the solid rocket booster, the launch and landing facilities, and ground and orbital flight tests.

Thompson, R. F.↗

Proposal to Accomplish Phase B Space Shuttle Program

This proposal has been prepared in response to National Aeronautics and Space Administration Request for Proposal No. 10-8423, dated February 20, 1970, and Amendments No.1, 2, 3, & 4 thereto. It is firm for a period of not less than one hundred twenty (120) days from March 30, 1970. The executed certifications requested in Enclosures 5 and 6 of the Request for Proposal are appended at the end of this proposal. Grumman Aerospace Corporation, along with its associates -- the General Electric Company, Eastern Airlines, the Northrop Corporation, and the Aerojet-General Corporation -- are pleased to submit this proposal. This study must prove that technical challenges can be met at a cost commensurate with realistic national funding levels at an early date, (perferably prior to the late 1977 initial operating capability (IOC) indicated in the Statement of Work). We have assembled a team of extremely competent associates. Together, we are fully qualified to study all facets of the proposed Phase B study, and to develop and build the product. We believe we have already made a promising start toward defining the concept of the space shuttle system.

Mead, Lawrence M.↗

Space Shuttle Program Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) Success Legacy - Major Accomplishments and Lessons Learned Detail Historical Timeline Analysis

This presentation focuses on the Space Shuttle Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) and the people who developed and maintained this system. One theme is to provide quantitative data on software quality and reliability over a 30 year period. Consistent data relates to code break discrepancies. Requirements were supplied from external sources. Requirement inspections and measurements not implemented until later, beginning in 1985. Second theme is to focus on the people and organization of PASS. Many individuals have supported the PASS project over the entire period while transitioning from company to company and contract to contract. Major events and transitions have impacted morale (both positively and negatively) across the life of the project.

Orr, James K.↗

Space Shuttle Program Progress Report

A status report is presented on progress in the design, manufacturing and testing of components of the space transportation system (STS), and primarily the Space Shuttle vehicles. Project landmarks from 1969 to 1981 are indicated, fabrication of the Shuttle Orbiter and rollout of the first prototype are described, fabrication and assembly of some Orbiter parts are sketched, and some of the subsystems (thermal protection, avionics, maneuvering aids, reaction control, remote manipulator) are described. Also discussed are: Orbiter carrier aircraft, Shuttle main engine and tests, external fuel tank, solid rocket booster, launch and landing facilities. A separate section is devoted to ground tests (vibration, propulsion, electronics, avionics integration), trainers and simulators, and flight tests (captive flight, free flight, landing and approach, orbital flight).

Thompson, R. F.↗

Space Shuttle Program Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) Success Legacy - Quality and Reliability Date

Thsi slide presentation reviews the avionics software system on board the space shuttle, with particular emphasis on the quality and reliability. The Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) provides automatic and fly-by-wire control of critical shuttle systems which executes in redundant computers. Charts given show the number of space shuttle flights vs time, PASS's development history, and other charts that point to the reliability of the system's development. The reliability of the system is also compared to predicted reliability.

Orr, James K.↗

Report to the NASA Administrator by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel on the Space Shuttle Program. Part 1: Observations and Conclusions

Each system was chosen on the basis of its importance with respect to crew safety and mission success. An overview of the systems management is presented. The space shuttle main engine, orbiter thermal protection system, avionics, external tanks and solid rocket boosters were examined. The ground test and ground support equipment programs were studied. Program management was found to have an adequate understanding of the significant ground and flight risks involved.

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Annual report to the NASA Administrator by the Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. Part 2: Space shuttle program. Section 1: Observations and conclusions

The NASA and contractor management systems, including policies, practices, and procedures for the development of critical systems, subsystems and integration of the program elements, were investigated. The technical development status of critical systems, subsystems, and interfaces is presented. Space shuttle elements were qualified as to potential risks and hazards. The elements included the orbiter, external tanks, main engine, solid rocket boosters, and the ground support facilities.

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The Space Shuttle Program Pre-Flight Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Risk/Damage Predictions and Post-Flight Damage Assessments

The pre-flight predictions and postflight assessments carried out in relation to a series of Space Shuttle missions are reviewed, and data are presented for the meteoroid and orbital debris damage observed on the Hubble Space Telescope during the 1994 Hubble repair mission. Pre-flight collision risk analyses are carried out prior to each mission, and in the case of an unacceptable risk, the mission profile is altered until the risk is considered to be acceptable. The NASA's BUMPER code is used to compute the probability of damage from debris and meteoroid particle impacts based on the Poisson statistical model for random events. The penetration probability calculation requires information concerning the geometry of the critical systems, the penetration resistance and mission profile parameters. Following each flight, the orbiter is inspected for meteoroid and space debris damage. The emphasis is on areas such as the radiator panels, the windows and the reinforced carbon-carbon structures on the leading wing edges and on the nose cap. The contents of damage craters are analyzed using a scanning electron microscope to determine the nature and origin of the impactor. Hypervelocity impact tests are often performed to simulate the observed damage and to estimate the nature of the damaging particles. The number and type of damage observed provides information concerning the orbital debris environment.

Levin, George M.↗

Shuttle Ground Support Equipment (GSE) T-0 Umbilical to Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Flight Elements Consultation

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) was tasked with assessing the validity of an alternate opinion that surfaced during the investigation of recurrent failures at the Space Shuttle T-0 umbilical interface. The most visible problem occurred during the Space Transportation System (STS)-112 launch when pyrotechnics used to separate Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) Hold-Down Post (HDP) frangible nuts failed to fire. Subsequent investigations recommended several improvements to the Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and processing changes were implemented, including replacement of ground-half cables and connectors between flights, along with wiring modifications to make critical circuits quad-redundant across the interface. The alternate opinions maintained that insufficient data existed to exonerate the design, that additional data needed to be gathered under launch conditions, and that the interface should be further modified to ensure additional margin existed to preclude failure. The results of the assessment are contained in this report.

Wilson, Timmy R.↗

An in-flight technique for wind measurement in support of the space shuttle program

A technique to use an aircraft to measure wind profiles in the altitude range of 1,500 to 18,200 m was demonstrated at NASA Ames-Dryden. This demonstration was initiated to determine if an aircraft could measure wind profiles in support of space shuttle launches. The Jimsphere balloon is currently the device used to measure pre-launch wind profiles for the space shuttle. However, it takes approximately an hour for the Jimsphere to travel through the altitudes of interest. If these wind instruments could be taken with an aircraft closer to launch in a more timely manner and with the same accuracy as a Jimsphere balloon, some uncertainties in the measurements could be removed. The aircraft used for this investigation was an F-104G which is capable of flight above 18,000 m. It had conventional research instrumentation to provide air data and flow angles along with a ring laser gyro inertial navigation system (INS) to provide inertial and Euler angle data. During the course of 17 flights, wind profiles were measured in 21 climbs and 18 descents. Preliminary comparisons between aircraft measured wind profiles and Jimsphere measured profiles show reasonable agreement (within 3 m/sec). Most large differences between the profiles can usually be explained by large spatial or time differences between the Jimsphere and aircraft measurements, the fact that the aircraft is not in a wings-level attitude, or INS shifts caused by aircraft maneuvering.

Bjarke, Lisa J.↗

Space shuttle program: Automatic rendezvous, proximity operations, and capture

An overview of the current NASA JSC capabilities and ongoing activities for the design, development, and demonstration of AR&C capabilities was provided. The JSC plans for ground and flight tests/demonstrations of progressive AR&C capabilities, using the Space Shuttle are described. The Space Shuttle could provide an effective 'flying test bed' for these demonstrations.

Jackson, William↗

The NORSTAR Program: Space shuttle to space station

The development of G-325, the first high school student-run space flight project, is updated. An overview is presented of a new international program, which involves students from space station countries who will be utilizing Get Away Special technology to cooperatively develop a prototype experiment for controlling a space station research module environment.

Fortunato, Ronald C.↗

A study of the role of pyrotechnic systems on the space shuttle program

Pyrotechnic systems, high burn rate propellant and explosive-actuated mechanisms, have been used extensively in aerospace vehicles to perform a variety of work functions, including crew escape, staging, deployment and destruction. Pyrotechnic system principles are described in this report along with their applications on typical military fighter aircraft, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and a representative unmanned spacecraft. To consider the possible pyrotechnic applications on the space shuttle the mechanical functions on a large commercial aircraft, similar in scale to the shuttle orbiter, were reviewed. Many potential applications exist for pyrotechnic system on the space shuttle, both in conventional short-duration functions and in longer duration and/or repetitive type gas generators.

Lake, E. R.↗

NASA's management concept for the Space Shuttle Program.

An overview of the Shuttle Program organization and management concepts suggests the necessity of careful measurements of contractor schedules, cost and technical performance, and program modification control to keep both the development and operating cost of the Program at the lowest possible level. Maximum use of the contractors' own management systems and the utilization of new technologies, procedures and materials during space operations are also envisaged as contributors to the reduction of costs per flight to acceptable limits.

Myers, D. D.↗