Start Date
4-1971 8:00 AM
Description
This paper, prepared for the Eighth Space Congress, was developed to illustrate how system engineering techniques were applied in the early conceptual development of an end-to-end (total system, source to user) Space Shuttle Cargo Handling System. The techniques described were applied to a study under contract to NASA, Kennedy Space Center. The paper further shows that continuation of the system engineering practices on subsequent phases of the cargo handling system development will greatly enhance the orderly and timely progression of the system through the conceptual phase into the definition, production, and operational phases. The techniques involved an orderly top-down iterative methodology following the basic guidelines of a uniquely simple system engineering diagram successfully used in the past on complete weapon systems. Methods are shown where streamlined techniques were developed to keep within the confines of calendar time limitations of the initial study and to reduce the magnitude of documentation.
While system engineering is more often used for development of a system containing a major prime vehicle end item such as a weapon or an aerospace vehicle, the techniques are readily applied to a system (cargo handling system) where no single end item is dominant, but the system interfaces heavily with several major aerospace vehicles in the forthcoming space program. The conceptual definition of such interfacing aerospace vehicles as the Earth Orbiting Shuttle and the Space Station in fact become part of the baseline inputs to the system engineering progress involving the cargo handling system conceptual development. The cargo handling system is visualized as a total distribution system when treated in an end-to-end fashion.
System Engineering Approach to Development of an End-to-End Space Cargo Handling System
This paper, prepared for the Eighth Space Congress, was developed to illustrate how system engineering techniques were applied in the early conceptual development of an end-to-end (total system, source to user) Space Shuttle Cargo Handling System. The techniques described were applied to a study under contract to NASA, Kennedy Space Center. The paper further shows that continuation of the system engineering practices on subsequent phases of the cargo handling system development will greatly enhance the orderly and timely progression of the system through the conceptual phase into the definition, production, and operational phases. The techniques involved an orderly top-down iterative methodology following the basic guidelines of a uniquely simple system engineering diagram successfully used in the past on complete weapon systems. Methods are shown where streamlined techniques were developed to keep within the confines of calendar time limitations of the initial study and to reduce the magnitude of documentation.
While system engineering is more often used for development of a system containing a major prime vehicle end item such as a weapon or an aerospace vehicle, the techniques are readily applied to a system (cargo handling system) where no single end item is dominant, but the system interfaces heavily with several major aerospace vehicles in the forthcoming space program. The conceptual definition of such interfacing aerospace vehicles as the Earth Orbiting Shuttle and the Space Station in fact become part of the baseline inputs to the system engineering progress involving the cargo handling system conceptual development. The cargo handling system is visualized as a total distribution system when treated in an end-to-end fashion.
Comments
No other information or file available for this session.