Mission Success Starts With Safety Space Shuttle Return

Mission Success Starts With Safety Space Shuttle Return to Flight (The Safety Guy’s View) OSMA Software Assurance Symposium Bryan O’Connor Associate Administrator Office of Safety and Mission Assurance 30 July 2003 "Mission success stands on the foundation of our unwavering commitment to safety" Administrator Sean O'Keefe January 2003 () (1)

Mission Success Starts With Safety Knowledge and High Risk Operations There are things we know that we know, There are things we know we don’t know, There are things we don’t know. Donald Rumsfeld, U. S. Sec. Def NATO HQ Press Conference, June ‘ 02 At NASA (and any other organization engaged in high risk activities)… There also things we don’t know we know! 2

Mission Success Starts With Safety The Risk Iceberg 3

Mission Success Starts With Safety The Four Levels of the Risk Iceberg • Knowns Flight Data and demonstrated performance – Flight or test-validated analysis, simulations and models – Operation within certification limits – • Known Unknowns – – – • Generic but undemonstrated failure modes and hazards Risk analysis uncertainties Acknowledged test and analysis limitations Unverified modeling and simulation based predictions Envelope expansion and operations within certification but of family Unknowns Bad assumptions – Unfinished experimental research – Operation outside of certification limits (temperature, Q, tire speed, etc. ) – • Unknown Knowns Miscommunicated test or analysis results – Uneven understanding of data or environment across the team – Poor documentation combined with loss of corporate memory – 4

Mission Success Starts With Safety The Strategy for Safe Return to Flight • Knowns: (Systems Engineering and Program Management) High quality program and mission management processes and people – “Listen to the hardware” – • Known Unknowns: (Risk Management) Reduce uncertainties with analysis, test and attention to flight results – Recertify to the real environment (has it changed over the years? ) – Treat residual risk (including uncertainty) with conservative ground and flight procedures, operating margins, contingency plans – • Unknowns: (Continuous Research, Test and Evaluation) Do what we can to better understand the limitations of the system in the real environment – Constantly challenge old assumptions, models and analyses – • Unknown Knowns: (Continuous Process Improvement) Continuously assess and improve program communications, documentation, workforce competence – Improve data analysis tools and techniques (e. g. trending) – 5

Mission Success Starts With Safety Return to Flight: Near Term Activities • Columbia Accident Investigation Board recommendations to date Develop and implement comprehensive inspection plan for RCC – Modify NIMA memorandum of understanding – Develop in-flight TPS inspection and repair – Upgrade NASA imaging of shuttle launch and ascent – • Other Activities focused on Return to Flight – – – – – External tank upgrades (foam shedding) Improve FOD control at KSC Improve on-vehicle video/digital film downlink capability Assess KSC and MAF quality systems (including GMIPS) Address public risk policy for shuttle over-flight Improve mission management and Certification of Flight Readiness Review shuttle requirements (waivers, deviations, exceptions) Validate / improve safety and mission assurance structure (in-line and independent)…”no there” ? Improve problem tracking and anomaly resolution 6

Mission Success Starts With Safety and Independence 7

Mission Success Starts With Safety Typical Safety Program Interfaces (Example: Headquarters Directed Program) Functional Support NASA Administrator Independent Communications Path (re: Program) Organizational Reporting OSMA AA Code Q Enterprise AA NESC Center Director Policy Insight Matrix support Program SMA support Center SMA 8

Mission Success Starts With Safety Typical Safety Project Interfaces (Example: Center Managed Projects) Functional Support NASA Administrator Independent Communications Path (re: Program) Organizational Reporting OSMA AA Code Q Enterprise AA NESC Center Director Policy Projects SMA support Center SMA 9

Mission Success Starts With Safety NASA Safety and Engineering Center Training and Development Safety & Mission Assurance Chief Engineer Office Program Enterprises $ Training Tasks • Supplement to agency system safety and engineering activities Engineering/safety tasks Academia La. RC NESC • Independent engineering assessments and testing • Independent safety and mission assurance analysis, surveillance, audit Nat’l Facilities NASA Centers Industry 10

Mission Success Starts With Safety The Planned Result: Ex Scientia Salus (From Knowledge: Safety) 11