Designing for on-orbit maintenanceThe history of conducting maintenance in space is outlined with particular emphasis on Skylab and shuttle missions to develop maintenance concepts for applications to maintaining the Space Station Freedom. In-flight maintenance (IFM) encompasses the activities of the crew alone or with robotic devices inside or outside the pressurized elements. The extravehicular activities (EVAs) and 141 on-orbit intravehicular activities (IVAs) related to space shuttle flights are discussed in terms of task and level of success. Skylab IFM procedures including IVA and EVA are similarly assessed, and two critical issues are identified. Coordination of flight crew, technicians, and other personnel is critical, and the efficient generation, collection, and storage of data is a key to IFM effectiveness. The overriding concern is that design guidelines for IFM learned from other programs are built into the development of technologies for the Space Station Freedom.
Document ID
19920029873
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Accola, Anne L. (NASA Space Station Program Office Reston, VA, United States)
Johnson, Gerald E. (NASA Space Station Program Office Reston, VA, United States)
Robbins, Richard L. (NASA Space Station Freedom Program Office Reston, VA, United States)