SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL AEROSPACE REPORTS

A Biweekly Publication of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration
VOLUME 44, ISSUE 13 - JULY 5, 2006

16 SPACE TRANSPORTATION AND SAFETY
Includes passenger and cargo space transportation, e.g., shuttle operations; and space rescue techniques.

For related information see also 03 Air Transportation and Safety; 15 Launch Vehicles and Launch Operations; and 18 Spacecraft design, Testing and Performance.

For space suits see 54 Man/System Technology and Life Support.

20060016381 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA

Micro-Flying Robotics in Space Missions

Bardina, Jorge; Thirumalainambi, Rajkumar; [2005]; 7 pp.; In English; SAE 2005 AeroTech Congress and Exhibition -World Aerospace Congress, 3-6 Oct. 2005, Dallas, TX, USA; Original contains black and white illustrations Report No.(s): SAE-2005-01-3405; Copyright; Avail.: Other Sources

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board issued a major recommendation to NASA. Prior to return to flight, NASA should develop and implement a comprehensive inspection plan to determine the structural integrity of all Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) system components. This inspection plan should take advantage of advanced non-destructive inspection technology. This paper describes a non-intrusive technology with a micro-flying robot to continuously monitor inside a space vehicle for any stress related fissures, cracks and foreign material embedded in walls, tubes etc. Author

Carbon-Carbon Composites; Nondestructive Tests; Robotics; Space Missions; Structural Failure

20060018398 Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, USA

Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) for Aerospace Systems

Baroth, Edmund C.; Pallix, Joan; January 2006; 1 pp.; In English; No Copyright; Avail.: Other Sources; Abstract Only

To achieve NASA's ambitious Integrated Space Transportation Program objectives, aerospace systems will implement a variety of new concept in health management. System level integration of IVHM technologies for real-time control and system maintenance will have significant impact on system safety and lifecycle costs. IVHM technologies will enhance the safety and success of complex missions despite component failures, degraded performance, operator errors, and environment uncertainty. IVHM also has the potential to reduce, or even eliminate many of the costly inspections and operations activities required by current and future aerospace systems. This presentation will describe the array of NASA programs participating in the development of IVHM technologies for NASA missions. Future vehicle systems will use models of the system, its environment, and other intelligent agents with which they may interact. IVHM will be incorporated into future mission planners, reasoning engines, and adaptive control systems that can recommend or execute commands enabling the system to respond intelligently in real time. In the past, software errors and/or faulty sensors have been identified as significant contributors to mission failures. This presentation will also address the development and utilization of highly dependable sohare and sensor technologies, which are key components to ensure the reliability of IVHM systems.

Author Systems Engineering; NASA Programs; Management Systems; Aerospace Systems; Component Reliability; Inspection; Real Time Operation; Safety Factors; Reliability; Adaptive Control

20060018419 NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL, USA

In-Space Propulsion: Connectivity to In-Space Fabrication and Repair

Johnson, L.; Harris, D.; Trausch, A.; Matloff, G. L.; Taylor, T.; Cutting, K.; September 2005; 64 pp.; In English; Original contains color and black and white illustrations Report No.(s): NASA/TM-2005-214184; M-1146; Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A04, Hardcopy

The connectivity between new in-space propulsion technologies and the ultimate development of an in-space fabrication and repair infrastructure are described in this Technical Memorandum.

A number of advanced in-space propulsion technologies are being developed by NASA, many of which are directly relevant to the establishment of such an in-space infrastructure. These include aerocapture, advanced solar-electric propulsion, solar-thermal propulsion, advanced chemical propulsion, tethers, and solar photon sails.

Other, further-term technologies have also been studied to assess their utility to the development of such an infrastructure. Author

Solar Electric Propulsion; Fabrication; Solar Sails; Tetherlines; Aerocapture; Chemical Propulsion

20060018421 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA

Using Perilog to Explore 'Decision Making at NASA'

McGreevy, Michael W.; October 2005; 30 pp.; In English; Original contains color and black and white illustrations Contract(s)/Grant(s): 078-20-40 Report No.(s): NASA/TM-2005-213469; A-050002; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A03, Hardcopy

Perilog, a context intensive text mining system, is used as a discovery tool to explore topics and concerns in 'Decision Making at NASA,' chapter 6 of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) Report, Volume I. Two examples illustrate how Perilog can be used to discover highly significant safety-related information in the text without prior knowledge of the contents of the document. A third example illustrates how 'if-then' statements found by Perilog can be used in logical analysis of decision making. In addition, in order to serve as a guide for future work, the technical details of preparing a PDF document for input to Perilog are included in an appendix.

Author Decision Making; Information Retrieval; Data Mining; Accident Investigation; Flight Safety

20060019168 NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, USA

Integrated Systems Health Management for Space Exploration

Uckun, Serdar; [2005]; 7 pp.; In English; 5th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, 10-11 Aug. 2005, Stanford, CA, USA; No Copyright; Avail.: CASI: A02, Hardcopy

Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) is a system engineering discipline that addresses the design, development, operation, and lifecycle management of components, subsystems, vehicles, and other operational systems with the purpose of maintaining nominal system behavior and function and assuring mission safety and effectiveness under off-nominal conditions. NASA missions are often conducted in extreme, unfamiliar environments of space, using unique experimental spacecraft. In these environments, off-nominal conditions can develop with the potential to rapidly escalate into mission- or life-threatening situations. Further, the high visibility of NASA missions means they are always characterized by extraordinary attention to safety.

ISHM is a critical element of risk mitigation, mission safety, and mission assurance for exploration. ISHM enables: In-space maintenance and repair; a) Autonomous (and automated) launch abort and crew escape capability; b) Efficient testing and checkout of ground and flight systems; c) Monitoring and trending of ground and flight system operations and performance; d) Enhanced situational awareness and control for ground personnel and crew; e) Vehicle autonomy (self-sufficiency) in responding to off-nominal conditions during long-duration and distant exploration missions; f) In-space maintenance and repair; and g) Efficient ground processing of reusable systems. ISHM concepts and technologies may be applied to any complex engineered system such as transportation systems, orbital or planetary habitats, observatories, command and control systems, life support systems, safety-critical software, and even the health of flight crews. As an overarching design and operational principle implemented at the system-of-systems level, ISHM holds substantial promise in terms of affordability, safety, reliability, and effectiveness of space exploration missions. Author

Systems Engineering; Systems Integration; Risk; Safety; Systems Management; Complex Systems; Ground Operational Support System; Life Support Systems; NASA Programs; Flight Operations

Source: NASA