Location
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel
Start Date
28-4-1998 2:00 PM
Description
The International Space Station (ISS) begins its life with the first element being delivered
to space on a Russian launch vehicle, followed shortly thereafter by U.S. and Russian launches
of additional elements to be mated on-orbit. Subsequent flights by the U.S., Russia, and potentially
Japan and ESA, will deliver hardware and software developed by the International Partners/
Participants including U.S., Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Europe, and Brazil. The overall
ISS functionality will change dramatically during the early flights. With each new installation, the
structure and subsystems will mature into the planned assembly-complete functional configuration.
This configuration will be sustained for the lifetime of the Space Station.
For the ISS Program, Sustaining Engineering is phased to begin after the delivery of
each hardware or software item to NASA. This differs from the approach used by many programs
which is to begin the sustaining phase after all development, testing, functional checkout,
and initial usage periods have been completed satisfactorily. For the complex ISS Program,
however, this more traditional approach is a luxury that cannot be afforded. Design and development
of ISS hardware and software are accomplished in phases, to maintain a feasible
launch and assembly schedule. Similarly, the hardware and software are delivered to NASA in
phases. This means that some elements actually will be launched and activated on-orbit, while
other elements are still literally "on the drawing board."
Therefore, Sustaining Engineering on the ISS Program is defined as the design engineering
support needed after the development of the hardware and software items are completed
and these items are delivered to NASA. This design knowledge is required during launch
site processing, on-orbit assembly and activation, and throughout the operational phase to
ensure that the assembled Station fully supports the scientific endeavors for which it was designed.
Paper Session I-B - Engineering for the ISS Lifetime
Howard Johnson Plaza-Hotel
The International Space Station (ISS) begins its life with the first element being delivered
to space on a Russian launch vehicle, followed shortly thereafter by U.S. and Russian launches
of additional elements to be mated on-orbit. Subsequent flights by the U.S., Russia, and potentially
Japan and ESA, will deliver hardware and software developed by the International Partners/
Participants including U.S., Russia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Europe, and Brazil. The overall
ISS functionality will change dramatically during the early flights. With each new installation, the
structure and subsystems will mature into the planned assembly-complete functional configuration.
This configuration will be sustained for the lifetime of the Space Station.
For the ISS Program, Sustaining Engineering is phased to begin after the delivery of
each hardware or software item to NASA. This differs from the approach used by many programs
which is to begin the sustaining phase after all development, testing, functional checkout,
and initial usage periods have been completed satisfactorily. For the complex ISS Program,
however, this more traditional approach is a luxury that cannot be afforded. Design and development
of ISS hardware and software are accomplished in phases, to maintain a feasible
launch and assembly schedule. Similarly, the hardware and software are delivered to NASA in
phases. This means that some elements actually will be launched and activated on-orbit, while
other elements are still literally "on the drawing board."
Therefore, Sustaining Engineering on the ISS Program is defined as the design engineering
support needed after the development of the hardware and software items are completed
and these items are delivered to NASA. This design knowledge is required during launch
site processing, on-orbit assembly and activation, and throughout the operational phase to
ensure that the assembled Station fully supports the scientific endeavors for which it was designed.
Comments
Session Chairman: William V. Bates, Chief of Staff ISS Program Office, Johnson Space Center
Session Organizer: Ellen Prince Brown