Mission Success Starts With Safety Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence 1 NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Discipline Super Problem Resolution

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Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering ExcellenceMission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC)

Discipline

Super Problem Resolution Team (SPRT)

Introduction and Staffing

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Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

NASA Engineering and Safety Center

• On July 15, 2003, Administrator O’Keefe announced plans to create the NASA Engineering and Safety Center at Langley Research Center.

The Center will provide a central location to coordinate and conduct robust, independent engineering and safety assessments across the Agency.

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• NESC philosophy and culture

– Safety through Engineering Excellence

– Mission Success Starts with Safety

– Safety Starts with Engineering Excellence

NESC will cultivate a Safety culture by providing knowledgeable technical leadership

to perform independent in-depth technical assessments in an open environment

with unequalled tenacity.

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• NASA lacks “value added” independent assessment of technical issues within its programs and institutions.

• NESC created to provide independent assessment of technical issues– Scope

• Independent in-depth technical assessments• Independent trend analysis• Independent systems engineering analysis• Mishap Investigations• Support Programs• Focus on High Risk Programs

• NESC independent assessment uses discipline experts from across NASA and Nation in Super Problem Resolution Teams

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NESC Principles of Operation

• Proactive – Test and analysis of issues or trends not currently

being addressed by the program

• Active – Independent review of known risk areas

• Reactive – Independent investigation of mishaps and close calls

• Set example for safety culture through engineering excellence

• Encourage/document /disposition dissenting opinions

• Measure performance with metrics

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NESC Personnel / Staffing

• NESC permanent staffing includes: – Principal Engineers located at NASA Langley – NESC Chief Engineers (NCE) located at each NASA Field

Center– Systems Engineers located across the Agency– NESC Discipline Experts (NDE) for specific disciplines located

across the Agency• Fluids/Life Support/Thermal, Flight Sciences, Guidance Navigation &

Control, Human Factors, Materials, Mechanical Analysis, Mechanical Systems, Non-Destructive Evaluation, Power & Avionics, Propulsion, Software, Structures

– Chief Scientist & Chief Astronaut• NDE’s, Chief Scientist & Chief Astronaut are the leaders of National

expert teams…called Super Problem Resolution Teams (SPRT)

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Super Problem Resolution Teams (SPRT’s)

• SPRT’s are the backbone of the NESC• SPRT’s shall have membership from multiple sources

– NASA, industry, academia, other Government Agencies and possibly international experts

• SPRT’s will provide technical support of NESC assessments– Independent expertise/reviews and leadership– Independent test, analysis and evaluation – not just

technical opinions

• Changes/additions to SPRT’s will be negotiated with the team members and their respective NASA Centers/organizations, as required

NESC SPRTs – Form & Function Guidelines

SPRT Tech Experts – Roster of focused discipline experts with skills / capabilities in a particular field of the discipline

• Conduct Test, Analysis, Evaluations in their field of expertise in support of NESC ITA/Is

• Readily Accessible

• Considered the Best of the Best

• Matrix support to NESC as Requested

• On Call to Support an IAT/I

• Time / resources covered by NESC PWC

SPRT Core – 10 to 30 experts with broad based experience and knowledge across the range of the discipline plus several crosscutting engineering specialists as appropriate

• Regular SPRT Telecons (bi-weekly)

• Peer Review of IAT/I Products

• Think Tank for Discipline

• Annual Working Group Meetings

• Low Level Continuous Support to NESC

• Time Covered via NESC PWC

• On Call to Support an IAT/I

•Sub-team leads as appropriate to support discipline SPRT expert(s) assigned to ITA/Is

NESC Director /Review Board (NRB)

NESC ChiefEngineers (NCE)

NESC DisciplineExperts (NDE)

NESC PrincipalEngineers (NPE)

Independent Technical Assessment / Inspection

(ITA/I) Team

Super Problem ResolutionTeam (SPRT) Core

SPRT Tech Experts(NASA)

SPRT Tech Experts(Other Govt. Agency)

SPRT Tech Experts(Industry)

SPRT Tech Experts(Academia)

ITA/I Team – NESC led team of independent experts conducts independent test, analysis and inspection on selected requests

• Primarily Led by NPE

• Could be NDE or NCE

• Comprised of Discipline SPRT experts

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Benefits to being an SPRT Member

• Provides an opportunity to interact with the best of the best in

NASA, Industry, Academia and other Government Agencies

• Challenging assignments & interaction with discipline experts

– Invaluable Experience gained helping resolve NASA’s critical

issues

– High Impact / High Feedback / High Visibility / Job Satisfaction

• Growth through addressing broad spectrum of technical issues and

gaining experiences within chosen discipline

– Problem Resolution Team is a challenging experience

– Recognition and Interaction within technical discipline

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Benefits to being an SPRT Member (cont.)

• Exposure to other NASA programs, projects, cultures, methods,

business practices across the agency

• Potential career development experiences and opportunities

– NESC is pursuing human resource initiatives and benefits to

supporting NESC

• Provides a review team for Programs and Projects members to

identify their own project concerns and issues for the SPRT to

review and decided if further study/review is required

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Organization Benefits of Supporting NESC

• Provides employees opportunity to interact with the best of the best in NASA, Industry, Academia & other Government Agencies

• Comprehensive expertise obtained through NESC agency level experience broadens employees technical experience– Across full spectrum of discipline– Provides a better employee through this experience– Teaches method for problem resolution and how to obtain corrective

actions• Lead & Participation in a “OneNASA” initiative• Exposure to other NASA programs, projects, cultures, methods,

business practices across the agency– Broadens employee horizons via wide network of interaction– Gains experience outside employee’s own work area

• Potential for NESC funding • Recognition of Discipline Expertise within your center/organization

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Back-up

LaRC

Office of the Director

Director - Ralph Roe

Deputy Director - Dr. Paul Munafo

Deputy Director for Safety - Vacant

Chief Astronaut - Dr. Steve Hawley (JSC)

Chief Scientist - Dr. David Leckrone (GSFC)

*NESC Discipline Expert Engineers Office

Frank Bauer (GSFC)

Dr. Ed Generazio (LaRC)

George Hopson (MSFC)

Robert Kichak (GSFC)

Julie Kramer-White (Acting) (JSC)

Steve Labbe (Acting) (JSC)

John McManamen (JSC)

Dr. Cynthia Null (ARC)

Dr. Robert Piascik (LaRC)

Dr. Ivatury Raju (LaRC)

Henry Rotter (JSC)

Steve Scott (GSFC)

GNC -

NDE -

Propulsion -

Power & Avionics -

Mechanical Analysis -

Flight Sciences -

Mechanical Systems -

Human Factors -

Materials -

Structures -

Fluids/Life Support/Thermal -

Software - NASA CentersNASA Centers

NESC Chief Engineers Office

GRC - Derrick Cheston

ARC - Dr. Michael Freeman

SSC - Randy Galloway

LaRC - Dr. Michael Gilbert

GSFC - Michael Hagopian

JSC - David Hamilton

MSFC - Danny Johnston

DFRC - Michael Kehoe

JPL - Matt Landano (Acting)

KSC - Tim Wilson

Principal Engineers Office

LaRC

Ken Cameron

Clinton Cragg

Dr. Richard Gilbrech

Dr. Charles Harris

Systems Engineering Office

LaRC

Manager – Dawn Schaible (Acting)

*Management & Technical Support Office

LaRC

Manager - Stan Newberry

NESCLeadership Team Tinsley, John

NASA HQ SeniorS&MA Integration

Manager

Hudkins, Keith

NASA HQ Chief EngineerRepresentative

*Proposed Organizational Titles

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NESC Path-Finder Assessments

Orbiter Rudder Speed Brake Actuator Braycote Grease

– Requested by Space Shuttle Program Manager

– Assessed the potential breakdown of Braycote grease in the rudder speed brake actuators

– Discovered planetary gear assembly installed backwards

X-43A

– Requested through a “dissenting opinion” email to the NESC

– Specific technical concerns with several aerodynamic issues in return to flight approach

– Worked with project manager to ensure concerns are addressed and properly dispositioned

– X-43A a resounding success

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NESC Path-Finder Assessments (cont’d)

CALIPSO – Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations

– Requested by GSFC Deputy Center Director/Center Director

– Assessed human safety risks associated with the possibility of leakage through threaded mechanical fasteners in a mono-propellant system

Mars Exploration Rover (MER) Flight Operations

– Requested by JPL Safety and Mission Assurance Office

– Provided human factors review of flight controller operations and review of entry, descent and landing phases---several recommendations provided to the MER team to improve ops

– Assisted in data review following landing of first rover to determine potential impacts to second rover’s entry, descent and landing phases

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NESC Work in Progress

• Orbiter Rudder/Speed Brake Gear Margins

• Orbiter Main Propulsion System Flowliner

• Orbiter Reaction Control System Reaction Jet Driver Wire-to-Wire Short

• Kevlar Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels

• Shelf-life of Graphite-Epoxy Overwrapped Pressure Vessels

• Shuttle Ascent Debris Transport Analysis Review

• KSC System Data Integrity Review

• Shuttle/ISS Flip Maneuver for Thermal Protection System (TPS) Repair

• Non-Destructive Evaluation for External Tank TPS Closeout

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NESC Work in Progress (cont’d)

• Statistical Analysis Support for External Tank Project• Improved Methods of Pressure Leak Detection for ISS• ISS Cooling Water Chemistry/Compatibility • Post Proof NDE of ISS European Module Welds • Soyuz 7 Helium Leak • ISS Control Moment Gyro• Field Programmable Gate Arrays Reliability• Arnold Engineering Development Center Solid Rocket Motor

Plume Test• Cassini Saturn Orbit Insertion Critical Events Readiness Review

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Mission Success Starts With Safety Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence 1 NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Discipline Super Problem Resolution