NASA Glenn Research Center

**Safety and Assurance Directorate**

####### 

####### SUMMARY OF KEY ACTIVITIES

####### July 9, 2004 

The following are highlights of key activities during the week ending
July 9, 2004, for the Glenn Q(8000)/Safety and Assurance Directorate
(SaAD):

**[Risk Related Decisions/Actions]{.underline}:**

**[Programmatic]{.underline}:**

None Reported

**[Institutional]{.underline}:**

None Reported

**[Key Activities]{.underline}:**

**[Q(8000)/Directorate Office (8000)]{.underline}:**

The Directorate\'s Space Management Committee Representative attended
the space management meeting. The needed office space in Building 6 is a
top priority of the committee and is actively being worked by all
affected parties.

**[QD(8010)/Plum Brook Reactor Decommissioning Program
Office]{.underline}:**

[Current Site Activities]{.underline} \-- The project has successfully
put in place at the Plum Brook Station Engineering Building a
Respiratory Fit Test facility, including trained and qualified operators
and approved procedures. This facility will be used to do fit testing
for those decommissioning workers who need to wear a respirator. Up to
this point this service was provided by the Detroit Edison Fermi Plant
in Monroe, Michigan. PBOSG (Plum Brook Operations Support Group)
personnel have also been trained and qualified to use the test facility,
and will be able to use it for other Plum Brook Station employees.

The installation of scaffolding inside the reactor tank was completed.
This scaffolding will support the segmentation of the tank over the next
several weeks. The removal of the first piece of tank, the tank lid
bolting flange, is scheduled for next week.

**[QE(8100)/Risk Management Office (RMO):]{.underline}**

**[ASSURANCE ENGINEERING]{.underline}**

**[Safety and Mission Assurance]{.underline}**

[Process Based Mission Assurance (PBMA)]{.underline} \-- The GRC PBMA
Management Team was contacted by the NASA Administrator\'s \"One NASA\"
team with a request to employ the PBMA-KMS (Knowledge Management System)
to host a \"NASA Administrator\'s Transformation Discussion Forum\" in a
Bulletin Board threaded discussion work space. This site was operational
and formally linked/integrated into the transformation portal of "Inside
NASA" in time to support a NASA-wide dialogue on the topic of the
Administrator\'s Transformation web cast on July 9th.

**[SPACE]{.underline}**

[Documentation]{.underline} \-- Completed a new section for the "Space
Assurance Requirements and Guidelines (SARG)" document on \"Storage
Requirements for Suspended Projects\" and submitted it to the document
administrator. Note that the new section was coordinated with and
addressed comments from a number of project managers.

Continued to work on the Safety Data Package template. Adding relevant
information from an old template drafted in 1995 and incorporating
comments received from current safety engineers on the initial draft.

**[Biological and Physical Research]{.underline}**

**Microgravity**

At Engineering\'s request, RMO participated in a review and discussion
of draft charts for next week\'s presentation to the Project Managers\'
Working Group on Random Vibration Testing.

[Microgravity Research, Development and Operations Contract
(MRDOC)]{.underline} \-- Participated in a meeting with the team
investigating options for a possible follow-on contract to MRDOC. (A new
contract might include a broader scope of work than the current MRDOC
and possibly be managed at the Directorate level.) Discussed relative
merits of alternative contract structures. RMO recommended utilizing
lessons learned from MRDOC and a risk-based acquisition management
(RBAM) approach for any new procurement effort.

[Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF)]{.underline} -**-** Participated
in a meeting with the FCF Support Project Manager to review the FCF CRM
(Continuous Risk Management) process. Presented a briefing on how the
database is structured, the various reports that are output results, and
how action items relate to risks and risk mitigations.

Supported an Engineering Review Board (ERB) on the Input-Output
Processor (IOP) CANbus processor synchronous signal requirement. The ERB
decided to relax the tolerance on the requirement but also agreed to
make a software change, with associated re-testing, that should improve
synchronous signal timing.

[Light Microscopy Module (LMM)]{.underline} \-- Worked with MRDOC
software assurance to develop a plan for LMM software inspections.
Completed the code complexity analysis and reviewed the results with
MRDOC software assurance.

Continued to monitor project efforts to improve system safety
communication and ensure that the verification program is consistent
with verification plans documented in signed safety hazard reports. (RMO
will be supporting the LMM Verification Readiness Review (VRR) process,
which has been scheduled to kick-off next week.)

[Flow Enclosure Accommodating Novel Investigations in the Combustion of
Solids (FEANICS)]{.underline} \-- Began to redline the FEANICS EEE Parts
Control Plan in order to recommend changes.

[Binary Colloidal Alloy Test (BCAT-3)]{.underline} \-- Principal
Investigators are ecstatic with the quality of recent photos that
Astronaut Mike Fincke took for the Saturday Science activities. The
modified procedures and Mike\'s detailed written suggestions have
established a new benchmark for \"ideal\" photographs. Even the practice
photos provided new information and insights because of their
exceptional clarity.

[Air/Water Multiphase Flow Experiment]{.underline} \-- Reviewed a safety
permit request for the 2.2 Second Drop Tower and arranged a team review
meeting for next week at the tower.

**[Space Exploration]{.underline}**

**Space Flight and Exploration Systems**

[Project Prometheus Program/Jupiter Icy Moon Orbiter (JIMO)]{.underline}
\-- RMO participate in a teleconference with the JPL Reliability Lead
for JIMO and other members of the fault tree development team to discuss
overall progress and to resolve other issues.

**Space Propulsion**

[NASA Evolutionary Xenon Thruster (NEXT)]{.underline} \-- Completed the
first preliminary draft report on results of 3-string versus 4-string
and operating versus non-operating spare comparative analyses. The
report was submitted to the project team for critique.

Continue editing/rewriting the preliminary draft of the NEXT Reliability
Assurance Plan incorporating JPL reliability document information.

[Project Constellation Program/Next Generation Launch Technologies
(NGLT)]{.underline} \-- The Lockheed Martin's Risk Management Data
Review Documents (DRD) for Safety and Risk Management were reviewed.
They were found to be acceptable.

**Space Power**

[Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG)]{.underline} \-- Began study the
affect on the Stirling Convertor Assembly (SCA) reliability at the upper
and lower bounds of both heater head and flexure reliabilities as
calculated by Sest Inc. This study is intended to evaluate SCA
reliability bounds at probable maxima and minima of heater head
temperature and power piston stroke length.

RMO is scheduled to meet with the SRG lead engineer for discussing
resource plan inputs for FY05 and FY06 on RMO Reliability and Quality
Assurance support. These inputs are due on July 28, 2004.

**[AEROSPACE TECHLOLOGY]{.underline}**

Began constructing a flow chart of a "vision concept" of SaAD future
involvement with the GRC Aeronautics programs conducted on the
Laboratory.

**[QV(8200)/Quality Management Office (QMO):]{.underline}**

**[SPACE]{.underline}**

[Return To Flight]{.underline} \-- QMO has been asked to assembly red
line drawings and discrepancy reports from last year's wind tunnel
testing. Several actions have been assigned as this activity will be
completed through the project office by mid August.

There was no actual testing in the M&S facilities last week. Some
activity is expected to resume later this month.

**[Biological and Physical Research]{.underline}**

**Microgravity**

[Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF)]{.underline} \-- QMO continues to
witness daily work activities on the Flight (FLT) and Ground Integration
Units (GIU), for the Fluids Integrated Rack (FIR) and the Combustion
Integrated Rack (CIR). QMO also witnessed vibration testing of several
components on the CIR experiment assembly (EA).

QMO observed a physical interference problem between the FIR rack and
the white light box electrical connector, when the optics bench was
translated into the fully retracted position. No damage occurred;
however, a problem report was written.

QMO witnessed the unsuccessful installation of the CIR FLT input-output
processor (IOP), which resulted in metal burrs forming on the mating
components. QMO wrote a problem report on this interference problem
after the on-orbit replacement unit (ORU) IOP also did not fit. Note
that QMO has noticed a recent trend of components not fitting-up
properly, which has resulted in physical damage and the generation of
metal debris.

Participated in an FCF Review of Level II MRDOC PRACAs (Problem Reports
and Corrective Actions). Supported meeting with questions and background
information on various FCF systems and interactions.

QMO is monitoring the planned roll off of personnel at NGIT and will
assure that quality is maintained during build and verification.

QMO is completing several fastener tests of individual procurements
through JSC\'s fastener quality assurance laboratory.

**[QS(8300)/Glenn Safety Office (GSO)]{.underline}:**

[Voluntary Protection Program (VPP)]{.underline} \-- Scheduled initial
briefing on VPP Certification Status and Mishap Reporting with all
Directorates this week. A schedule will be developed by the Points of
Contact (POC) to ensure that all supervisors are trained as soon as
possible.

[Area Safety Committees]{.underline} \-- Supported the Area 4 Safety
Committee by reviewing one permit for the Zero-G facility. The permit
was a renewal of a previously approved permit. The only safety issues
associated with the permit was a request that qualified operators
receive fire extinguisher training through the GSO and that the
evacuation alarm system for Zero-G and the SEL sections of Building 110
be reviewed by the GSO fire protection engineer.

[GSO Support for Design of Projects Impacted by Airport
Expansion]{.underline} \-- Continued to review and edit the Facility
Hazard Analysis (FHA) for the new Central Chemical Storage Facility
(CCSF), B215. Reviewed the Construction Audit Report from the bi-weekly
walk-thru of this facility.

[Construction Safety]{.underline} \-- Participated in a safety review of
the Pumping Speed Test in the B-2 Facility. The test involves verifying
pumping capacity while discharging simulated exhaust gases into the test
chamber. This is a precursor to the Lockheed Martin Arcjet Test
scheduled for August 2004.

Continued safety oversight for the Cryogenic Components Laboratory (CCL)
Relocation Project. Reviewed and commented on a Health and Safety Plan
(HASP) for cleaning vessel O-49 for oxygen service.

**[QO(8400)/Environmental Management Office (EMO)]{.underline}:**

**[CHEMICAL MANAGEMENT]{.underline}**

[Hazard Communication Training]{.underline} \-- The Chemical Management
Team (CMT) issued 103 hazard communication certificates to students who
successfully completed the hazard communication test. The next scheduled
hazard communication training session will be July 15 at Plum Book
Station.

[Area Safety Committees and Safety Permits]{.underline} \-- The CMT
reviewed safety data related to experiments on the "Sub-cooled pool
boiling heat transfer mechanisms in microgravity", the "Physical and
chemical aspects of fire suppression" and the "Granular material flows
with interstitial fluid effects". All three of these experiments will be
flown on the KC-135 in August.

The CMT has initiated a dialogue with the Glenn Safety Office on the
Building Inspection Program. There were a number of findings from the
Environmental Functional Review related to compressed gas and flammable
material storage that should have been addressed through regular
inspections. A determination will be made on how to address these
findings in future inspections.

[Outreach]{.underline} \-- Presented a Speakers Bureau presentation
about Mars to a group of 45 students and adult observers at the Space
Science Adventure program at University School in Shaker Heights, Ohio.

**[ENVIRONMENTAL]{.underline}**

This week, the Environmental Team (ET) conducted effluent water sampling
at several areas at Plum Brook Station\'s Reactor Building.

A review of three proposals to prepare a Cultural Resources Management
Plan for GRC was completed. Selection of a recommended contractor was
made this week.

ET arranged for the Environmental Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
Team at Stennis Space Center to visit GRC on July 20. They will be here
to assist the Center in consolidating its GIS and making it accessible
on the web.

[Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act
(CERCLA)]{.underline} \-- The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
approved the South 40 Soil Remediation Final Construction Report. This
project is now complete.

The ET and the City of Cleveland completed revisions to the Landfill
Capping Final Construction Report. The ET submitted the revisions and
additional documentation to Ohio EPA. This project is on schedule.

Ohio EPA informed the ET that the proposed revisions to the Test Cell 1
Final Construction Report were acceptable. The ET is revising the
document to include these changes, and expects to submit it to Ohio EPA
early next week. This project is on schedule.

[EMO Support for Design of Projects Impacted by Airport
Expansion]{.underline} \-- The ET provided draft license agreement
language, draft deed restriction language, and draft certification
statements to NASA Legal, and met with NASA Legal on multiple occasions
to iron out the final language. The ET then participated in a meeting
with NASA Legal and the City of Cleveland to negotiate the content of
the license agreement.

Ohio EPA informed the ET that it had started evaluation of the latest
draft of the Environmental Baseline Assessment / Suitability for
Transfer Report. This project is on schedule.