Designing for Reliability and Safety: The Ares Launch Vehicles Paradigm Change
Abstract
In the past, S&MA performed an assurance function with little or no in-line engineering role. Lessons learned from S&MA early involvement in the Ares I launch vehicle design phases proved that performing an in-line function jointly with engineering is critical for S&MA to have an effective role in supporting the system, element, and component design. This paper discusses the S&MA Ares I paradigm change and the early involvement of S&MA in the conceptual phase of the Ares V. Specifically, this paper discusses the top-down functional performance-based analysis that has been developed by S&MA and its support contractor, Information Systems Laboratories(ISL), to evaluate the safety and reliability of Ares V as part of the performance(vehicle sizing and trajectory) analysis process. The techniques employ parametric methods that utilize the products of the performance analysis process to rapidly provide relative comparisons of safety and reliability estimates across the various design options considered in conceptual phase. The paper also addresses safety and reliability analyses needed to support NASA launch vehicles design beyond the conceptual design.
- Publication:
-
Making Safety Matter
- Pub Date:
- September 2010
- Bibcode:
- 2010ESASP.680E..66S