NOAA -14 September 28, 2006 (DOY 271) tumble anomaly

This describes a NOAA-14 spacecraft loss of control event and the lessons learned. The lessons learned are in two categories: contingency recovery operations; and on-orbit propulsion system isolation methods. The work is motivated in recognition of the effort of the NOAA off-line engineering support team and their NOAA civil servant mission leads and operations support staff.     

Pilots's Associate Demonstration One

A brief overview is given of the DARPA- and AFWAL-sponsored Pilot's Associate Demonstration One project. The project developed prototypes for four avionics expert systems, with an emphasis on a crew station information manager (CSIM) system. CSIM operated on information from three supporting subsystems: a situation assessor, a mission planner, and an integration controller. These expert system (ES) prototypes were demonstrated in both a stand-alone environment on an symbolic processor and integrated with an engineering flight simulator. Some of the lessons learned during the project and potential future research directions for avionics ES are examined     

Lessons Learned: Solutions to "...It was a good idea at the time..."

One of the panel sessions at IECEC 2002 was entitled "...It seemed like a good idea at the time...". A few examples of the type of lessons learned by the author and sources for other vicarious experiences are provided.     

Got software? what managers and engineers need to know

As part of a JPL-wide software quality initiative aimed at addressing the challenges of developing, managing, and acquiring software, a team at JPL generated a detailed Software Training Plan for both managers and engineers. The team took the approach of treating the software training program as though it were a system development task and went through all the typical phases of system development including requirements, design, and implementation. During the requirements collection phase, the team conducted dozens of interviews and identified the specific skills needed. The skills fell into categories such as software management, software engineering, systems engineering, and other technical areas. However, an equally important finding was that several "soft" skills were deemed critical for the successful and timely management and implementation of software-intensive systems. This discusses JPL's approach and "lessons learned" from planning and delivering a software training program in an engineering and scientific environment.     

Data-driven reliability analysis of Boeing 787 Dreamliner

The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, launched in 2011, was presented as a game changer in air travel. With the aim of producing an efficient, mid-size, wide-body plane, Boeing initiated innovations in product and process design, supply chain operation, and risk management. Nevertheless, there were reliability issues from the start, and the plane was grounded by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2013, due to safety problems associated with Li-ion battery fires. This paper chronicles events associated with the aircraft’s initial reliability challenges. The manufacturing, supply chain, and organizational factors that contributed to these problems are assessed based on FAA data. Recommendations and lessons learned are provided for the benefit of engineers and managers who will be engaged in future complex systems development.     

从一起直升机坠海事故探讨适航问题

许多适航标准、技术和管理规则，无论初始适航还是持续适航，都来自于航空事故的教训。因此航空事故调查的意义不仅是查明原因，更重要的是从中吸取教训，改进、提高适航标准、技术和管理，并做到举一反三。就笔者亲身参与调查分析的一起直升机坠海事故，探讨其背后的适航标准、技术和管理问题。     

Designing to MIL-STD-2165: Testability

The V-22 avionic hardware is the first to be designed under MIL-STD-2165 testability program requirements. This paper presents an overview of the avionics design-for-testability approach and lessons learned to date relative to the application of MIL-STD-2165. The paper will discuss incorporation of testability requirements up front in the avionics design which will drive the supportability philosophy at both the Organizational and Depot levels of maintenance. The paper will compare previous avionics hardware testability requirements versus those applied to the V-22 avionics and highlight areas of improvement. A discussion of testability design impacts on reduced level of testing (i.e. WRA/SRA/System) will be included. In addition, the paper discusses an innovative approach to meeting the user requirements for a man-portable forward deployed maintenance capability that forms the basis for a two level support scenario (Organizational and Depot). The innovation comes from the fact that the on-board Central Integrated Checkout system will provide data as well as fault isolation and will use this data as a mechanism to reduce the size and complexity of the stimulus and measurement hardware at either the Organizational or Depot level depending on the deployment requirements.     

Boeing 777 high lift control system

The Boeing 777 high lift control systems (HLCS), a state-of-the-art microprocessor-based system that provides fly-by-wire control, protection, and built-in-test and maintenance access functions for the leading edge slats and trailing edge flaps drive and actuation systems, is discussed. This system is designed to take advantage of technologically proven concepts as well as judicious application of new concepts in response to market demands, airline customer input, and a thorough review of lessons learned from previous aircraft programs. The purpose of the HLCS, the wing high lift devices it controls, the HLCS components, its three modes of operation, automatic functions, and system failure protections are described. The use of the EASY5 engineering analysis program developed by the Boeing Company to model dynamic systems in both the time and frequency domains for modeling mechanical and hydraulic portions of the high lift system is discussed     

An environment for the integration and test of the Space Stationdistributed avionics systems

An approach is described to supplying an environment for the integration and test of the Space Station distributed avionics systems. Background is included on the development of this concept including the lessons learned from Space Shuttle experience. The environment's relationship to the process flow of the Space-Station verification, from systems development to on-orbit verification, is presented. The uses of the environment's hardware implementation, called Data Management System (DMS) kits, are covered. It is explained how these DMS kits provide a development version of the Space-Station operational environment and how this environment allows system developers to verify their systems performance, fault detection, and recovery capability. Conclusions on how the use of the DMS kits, in support of this concept, will ensure adequate on-orbit test capability are included     

Proposal to TPS delivery in 4 months?

Decreasing the often lengthy Test Program Set (TPS) development time is a high priority for both DoD and commercial industry. A protracted test development time for a commercial product can make or break its success. It can impact time-to-market goals for a product, which in turn, can result in a loss of market share. Though the DoD world has different objectives, they, too, are concerned with long test development times which can increase costs and jeopardize a weapon system's mission readiness. The case study for this paper is a test system developed by BAE Systems in less than four months to meet a commercial customer's stringent schedule requirements. The factors that contributed to the success of this project are examined, as is their relevance to the DoD world. The desire is to apply relevant lessons learned from the commercial industry to DoD programs, yielding a decrease in TPS development time     

Characteristics of a successful space system engineer

The Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite was launched on June 24, 1999, on a three-year mission to explore the universe using the technique of high-resolution spectroscopy in the far-ultraviolet spectral region. The FUSE instrument comprises many subsystems, each of which contributes in an essential way to the success of the mission. The instrument system engineer oversees the engineering of all elements in such a complex technical project. In performing system engineering for the FUSE instrument's command, telemetry, data processing and data storage functions, and in leading the engineering efforts for the development of the FUSE instrument on-board computer, the author has learned valuable lessons about the characteristics that are prerequisite to success for a space system engineer. These characteristics fall under various categories of acquired, practical know-how. These categories are described with illustrations drawn from the development of the FUSE instrument. In addition to these practical skills and the concomitant knowledge, the system engineer needs personal integrity, which is the link that connects knowledge with know-how and makes them work together to motivate a team of subsystem engineers. This, too, will be discussed     

"4F"技术在直升机研制中的应用与经验教训

本文首先论述了"4F"方法之间的相互关联及它们各自的功能作用.然后结合型号研制中"4F"工作的经验教训提出了做好"4F"工作的改进措施,以期在型号研制的可靠性工程活动中,通过"4F"工作以便卓有成效地减少或消除故障,提高直升机的可靠性和安全性.     

Choosing software and replacing ATE: lessons learned

When tasked to ensure the Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system remains fully operational and supportable through 2020, the Air Force realized that the support capability of its legacy automated test system for the operational ground support electronics subsystem would need to be completely replaced. The legacy test system, while fully operational, was rapidly becoming non-supportable. Unless replaced with new hardware and upgraded test program sets, the needed long-term support could not be provided to the weapon system. To address this issue within the scope of available program funding constraints, the Air Force selected an approach of combining the technical and programmatic expertise of the weapon system prime contractor, the program control responsibilities of the weapon system Program Office, and the technical capability of an Air Force technical organization. The program was divided into two phases: a prototype phase and a production/rehost phase. This paper gives an overview of the program and presents valuable lessons learned during the prototype phase.     

TOPEX/Poseidon: Electrical power system-lessons learned

The main objective of the TOPEX/Poseidon Spacecraft is to monitor the world's oceans for scientific study of weather and climate prediction, coastal storm warning and maritime safety. The operational conditions of this satellite imposed challenging requirements for the on-board Electrical Power System (EPS), Going through various phases of its development and on-orbit performance verifications, there were certain events and/or circumstances we would have liked to avoid. Some circumstances were avoided with preventative measures, other potentially detrimental events were not. Thus, a number of valuable lessons were learned which are presented in this paper     

The THEMIS Constellation

The Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) mission is the fifth NASA Medium-class Explorer (MIDEX), launched on February 17, 2007 to determine the trigger and large-scale evolution of substorms. The mission employs five identical micro-probes (termed “probes”), which have orbit periods of one, two and four days. Each of the Probes carries five instruments to measure electric and magnetic fields as well as ions and electrons. Each probe weighs 134 kg including 49 kg of hydrazine fuel and measures approximately 0.8×0.8×1.0 meters (L×W×H) and operates on an average power budget of 40 watts. For launch, the Probes were integrated to a Probe Carrier and separated via a launch vehicle provided pyrotechnic signal. Attitude data are obtained from a sun sensor, inertial reference unit and the instrument Fluxgate Magnetometer. Orbit and attitude control use a RCS system having two radial and two axial thrusters for roll and thrust maneuvers. Its two fuel tanks and pressurant system yield 960 meters/sec of delta-V, sufficient to allow Probe replacement strategies. Command and telemetry communications use an S-band 5 watt transponder through a cylindrical omni antenna with a toroidal gain pattern. This paper provides the key requirements of the probe, an overview of the probe design and how they were integrated and tested. It includes considerations and lessons learned from the experience of building NASA’s largest constellation.     

综合传感器系统--向纵深发展的航空电子综合技术

文章从传感器的重要性及"经济上可承受性"引出了"综合传感器系统(ISS)概念"并对其定义、实现方法和验证结果及目前存在问题进行了分析.特别是对孔径综合、射频综合和ISS管理做了图示说明.指出传感器综合技术是本世纪初航空电子的关键技术,对未来作战飞机有致关重要的影响,并就我国开展这项关键技术研究提出了有益建议.     

CATIA软件Tubing Design模块应用研究

本文系统研究了CATIA软件Tubing Design模块,建立了直升机基于特征的零部件库的建库方法及组织架构,确定了直升机管路系统设计、协同设计的一般原则.针对工程实际,提出了管路设计过程中零部件装配不必严格采用摆放规则的原则以及软管建模的新方法.     

A manager's guide to TPS first article acceptance testing

This paper offers insight into the challenges of First Article Testing (FAT) for Test Program Sets. While FAT represents a successful culmination of extensive development effort, this success comes only with advanced planning and buyer/seller cooperation. This paper emphasizes FAT challenges and their resolution. The paper is written against a real-world contract backdrop, and the problems encountered were real and representative of the generic challenges. The lessons imparted can provide valuable guidance to buyer and seller in a Test Program Set contract sell-off. For the lessons learned to be useful, however, they must be applied prior to FAT, and must result in effective, preemptive, bi-partisan management action. FAT is typically the end result of millions of dollars of expenditure and equivalent technical and emotional investment. It offers only two outcomes: “win-win” or “lose-lose”. This paper is intended to assist a win-win result     

飞机损伤容限和耐久性设计技术的发展

本文评介并讨论了以下问题:两类经验教训;设计思想的发展--五种模式;损伤容限和耐久性设计技术的特征;飞机设计应用实例;需要进一步研究的若干问题。     

The Education and Public Outreach Program for NASA��s Dawn Mission

The Dawn mission??s Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) program takes advantage of the length of the mission, an effort to maintain level funding, and the exceptional support of the science and engineering teams to create formal and informal educational materials that bring STEM content and modes of thinking to students of all ages. With materials that are based on researched pedagogical principles and aligned with science education standards, Dawn weaves together many aspects of the mission to engage students, teachers, and the general public. E/PO tells the story of the discovery of the asteroid belt, uncovers principles of physics behind the ion propulsion that powers the spacecraft, and explains what we can learn from the instrumentation and how the mission??s results will expand our understanding of the origins of the solar system. In this way, we not only educate and inform, we build anticipation and expectation in the general public for the spacecraft??s arrival at Vesta in 2011 and three years later at Ceres. This chapter discusses the organization, strategies, formative assessment and dissemination of these materials and activities, and includes a section on lessons learned.