Description of Driving Event:
Space Shuttle Safety and Operational Upgrades
Lesson(s) Learned:
NASA plans to operate the Space Shuttle until at least 2012. This will require safety and operational upgrades to hardware, software, and logistics support.
Recommendation(s):
NASA should complete Space Shuttle upgrades as soon as possible to take advantage of opportunities for earliest risk reduction and operational improvement.
Evidence of Recurrence Control Effectiveness:
The SSP upgrade strategy is founded on the premise that safety, reliability, and supportability improvements must be made to support human space transportation until a suitable replacement is available. To manage and focus these efforts more effectively, the SSP established the Office of SSP Development on January 16, 1997. The Space Shuttle upgrades program is being implemented from a systems perspective. Upgrades will be integrated and prioritized across all flight and ground systems, ensuring that individual upgrades are compatible and that their impact is assessed across the entire program. A phased approach to the SSP upgrades is already under way. Phase I, to be completed by the year 2000, emphasizes safety and performance enhancements for the International Space Station (ISS) assembly and utilization. Ongoing efforts within all SSP elements are also under way to identify Phase II candidate and Phase III/IV studies. Primary emphasis remains on safety and risk reduction by improving reliability and maintainability, eliminating obsolescent components, and improving vehicle performance. As those upgrade candidates are identified by the program elements, the SSP is committed to expediting implementation to maximize safety and reduce overall program risk.
Documents Related to Lesson:
N/A
Mission Directorate(s):
- Space Operations
- Exploration Systems
Additional Key Phrase(s):
- Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel
- Ground Operations
- Logistics
- Policy & Planning
- Research & Development
- Spacecraft
Additional Info:
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