NASA Engineering and Safety Center NESC Discipline Super

NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Discipline Super Problem Resolution Team (SPRT) Introduction and Staffing 1 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. 2 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

NASA Engineering and Safety Center • 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. Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence 3

NASA Engineering and Safety Center • 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 4 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

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

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) Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence 6

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

NESC SPRTs – Form & Function Guidelines NESC Director / Review Board (NRB) NESC Chief Engineers (NCE) 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 NESC Principal Engineers (NPE) NESC Discipline Experts (NDE) Independent Technical Assessment / Inspection (ITA/I) Team • Comprised of Discipline SPRT experts 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 Super Problem Resolution Team (SPRT) Core SPRT Tech Experts (NASA) SPRT Tech Experts (Other Govt. Agency) SPRT Tech Experts (Industry) SPRT Tech Experts (Academia) 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 8

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

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

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 “One. NASA” 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 11 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

Back-up 12 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

NASA HQ Senior S&MA Integration Manager Office of the Director NESC Leadership Team 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) Tinsley, John NASA HQ Chief Engineer Representative La. RC *Management & Technical Support Office Systems Engineering Office Manager – Dawn Schaible (Acting) Manager - Stan Newberry La. RC NESC Chief Engineers Office GRC ARC SSC La. RC GSFC JSC MSFC DFRC JPL KSC - Derrick Cheston Dr. Michael Freeman Randy Galloway Dr. Michael Gilbert Michael Hagopian David Hamilton Danny Johnston Michael Kehoe Matt Landano (Acting) Tim Wilson NASA Centers *Proposed Organizational Titles Hudkins, Keith Principal Engineers Office Ken Cameron Clinton Cragg Dr. Richard Gilbrech Dr. Charles Harris La. RC *NESC Discipline Expert Engineers Office GNC NDE Propulsion Power & Avionics Mechanical Analysis Flight Sciences Mechanical Systems Human Factors Materials Structures Fluids/Life Support/Thermal Software - Frank Bauer (GSFC) Dr. Ed Generazio (La. RC) George Hopson (MSFC) Robert Kichak (GSFC) Julie Kramer-White (Acting) (JSC) Steve Labbe (Acting) (JSC) John Mc. Manamen (JSC) Dr. Cynthia Null (ARC) Dr. Robert Piascik (La. RC) Dr. Ivatury Raju (La. RC) Henry Rotter (JSC) Steve Scott (GSFC) 13 NASA Centers

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-43 A – 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-43 A a resounding success 14 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

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 monopropellant 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 15 phases Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence

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

NESC Work in Progress (cont’d) • • Statistical Analysis Support for External Tank Project Improved Methods of Pressure Leak Detection for 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 17 Mission Success Starts With Safety • Safety Starts With Engineering Excellence