Operability Index Development for Human Spacecraft Design
- Paper number
IAC-11,D6,1,8,x10092
- Author
Ms. Christine Fanchiang, University of Colorado, United States
- Coauthor
Prof. David Klaus, University of Colorado, United States
- Year
2011
- Abstract
With the advent of commercial human spaceflight on the horizon, human-rating of spacecraft is an important aspect in ensuring mission success. As proposed in NASA’s Human-Rating Requirements document (NPR 8705.2B), the central tenet of human-rating is to protect and utilize the crew. To quantify and characterize how well the tenet is upheld, we have developed an operability index specific for human spacecraft. The term operability is often loaded with many definitions. In this case it is used to describe the qualities of a spacecraft. Specifically, the operability index indicates how well a spacecraft both utilizes and protects the crew for a given reference mission. The purpose of this work is to define, characterize, and integrate the elements contributing to this index. We aggregated various indices developed for the multi-faceted aspects of human spacecraft design. The four major components combined into this index are: 1) a habitability index to define living conditions, 2) a modified Cooper-Harper rating to identify spacecraft handling characteristics, 3) a capability index capturing the different configurations and subsystem characteristics, and 4) a flight operability index for the overall operations involved. The combination of these four components and their associated weighting factors defines the operability index. The values from this index allow for a quantitative means to compare across multiple spacecraft designs. The definition of an operability index enables future spacecraft designers to differentiate and assess multiple designs and determine the most favorable fit for a given mission.
- Abstract document
- Manuscript document
(absent)