# Presentation: 941066

## Safety Health &Independent Assessment (SH&IA) Launch Vehicle Flight Readiness Assessment Process

- Safety Health &Independent Assessment (SH&IA) Launch Vehicle Flight Readiness Assessment Process

**Rick Boutin**
**SH&IA/QA-D**
**Lead, Launch Services Program Independent Assessment**

## SH&IA Launch Vehicle Flight Readiness Assessment Process

- Agenda
- Organization
- Background
- Review Three Tier Approach
- SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept
- Back-up
- SH&IA Flight Readiness Assessment Team
- ELV Minimum Requirements/Attributes Map

## JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER

**SPACEPORT**
**ENGINEERING**
**AND **
**TECHNOLOGY**

**LAUNCH**
** ****SERVICES **
**Program**

**SPACEPORT**
**SERVICES**

**JOHN F. KENNEDY SPACE CENTER**
**(KSC)**

**WORKFORCE **
**AND DIVERSITY**
**MANAGEMENT**
**OFFICE**

**PROCUREMENT**
**OFFICE**

**EXTERNAL **
**RELATIONS**
**AND BUSINESS**
**DEVELOPMENT**
**OFFICE**

**SHUTTLE**
**PROCESSING**

**INTERNATIONAL **
**SPACE**
**STATION/PAYLOAD**
**PROCESSING**

**SAFETY, HEALTH**
**AND**
**INDEPENDENT**
**ASSESSMENT**

**CHIEF**
**COUNSEL**
**OFFICE**

**OFFICE OF CHIEF**
**FINANCIAL**
**OFFICER**

**CAPE CANAVERAL**
** ****SPACEPORT**
**MANAGEMENT **
**OFFICE**

**SPACE SHUTTLE**
**PROGRAM**
** ****LAUNCH**
**INTEGRATION**
**OFFICE**

**OFFICE OF **
**INSPECTOR**
**GENERAL**

**CENTERWIDE **
**MANAGEMENT**
**COUNCILS/BOARDS**

**EXECUTIVE STAFF OFFICE**

**EQUAL OPPORTUNITY OFFICE**

** **

- 3

## Background

- NASA directives and standards confirm the need for and outline the NASA Launch Services approach to Mission Assurance and Risk Mitigation documented in
- NPD 8610.23, “Technical Oversight of Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Launch Services“
- NPD 8610.24, “Expendable Launch Vehicle (ELV) Launch Services Prelaunch Reviews“
- NPD 8610.7, “Launch Services Risk Mitigation Policy for NASA-Owned or NASA-Sponsored Payloads“
- NASA-STD-8709.2, “NASA Safety and Mission Assurance Roles and Responsibilities for Expendable Launch Vehicle Services”
- NPD 87001A, NASA Policy for Safety and Mission Success
- NASA Policy requires IA of Program activities in performing its mission assurance tasks
- Assessment of Launch and Flight readiness
- Conduct Integrated Mission Assurance Review (IMAR)
- Independent certification of flight readiness
- LRR  CoFR signature for S/C and LV delegated by NASA Safety & Mission Assurance to KSC/Safety Health & Independent Assessment (SH&IA)
- Evaluation of preparations & processing, open work, and anomalies
- Evaluation of wisdom of judgments
- Address issues independent of Launch Services Program
- Evaluate Risk

## Background cont’d

- The resultant approach to mission assurance is a structured and comprehensive process that is achieved by a three-tiered system of activities
- The participants are:
- Launch Service Provider
- NASA Launch Services Program
- SH&IA

## Roles in the Three-Tiered Approach to Mission Assurance and Independent Assessment

- IA of Launch Services Program
- Evaluate ELV processes and activities
- Conduct Independent Flight Readiness

**Launch Services Program**
- Contract and Financial Management
- Develop Government Requirements
- Government Knowledgeable Buyer
- Processes for Mission Assurance
- Program Assessments of the LSP and processes
- KSC objective assessments and judgments on flight worthiness
- Final NASA launch approval

- Responsible for Supplying Launch Service including Mission Assurance

- Launch Services Program Mission Assurance and Assessment of Launch Service Provider

- NASA Independent Assessment of the Launch Services Program & LSP

**Launch Service Provider**
- Safety (Flight and Ground)
- Planning, Requirements Implementation and Integration Processes
- Mission Assurance Processes
- Corporate Independent Reviews

## SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept

- SH&IA Flight Readiness Assessment Process
- Major components
- Cognizance
- Enables continuous observation and evaluation
- Independent Assessment
- Independent Compliance Audits
- Key Provisions
- Provides an integrated review process that independently evaluates the NASA Launch Services Program and Launch Service Providers (LSPs) throughout the mission lifecycle
- Provides timely independent feedback to the NASA Launch Services Program on potential issues/concerns
- allowing resolution to occur in sufficient time to minimize impacts to cost, schedule or technical performance
- Allows independent evaluation of the Launch Services Program and the LSP’s “wisdom of judgment”
- Utilizes major existing reviews (e.g. CDVLRR, MRR, IMAR , FRR, LRR) to report assessment results and readiness to launch

- The Flight Readiness Assessment Process is managed by the Safety Health & Independent Assessment Directorate
- Responsible for leading and managing the efforts of the overall Flight Readiness Independent Assessment Team (IAT)
- Serves as Point-of-Contact for NASA, Launch Services Program management and Spacecraft community
- Ensures consistency of:
- Communication
- Assessment approach
- Assessment process implementation
- Development/documentation of associated reports and results

- SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)

- In support of the Flight Readiness Assessment Process, the SH&IA IAT will:
- Assign a NASA Assessment Engineer (AE) to each mission responsible for:
- Leading/coordinating/integrating the efforts and activities of the individuals (i.e., mission specific IAT) engaged in mission assessment planning and implementation
- Acquiring the necessary insight and performing the required review and evaluation (e.g., maintaining overall mission cognizance, assessing/evaluating (technically and programmatically) the processes, operations, activities and associated decisions of the Launch Services Program and the Launch Service Provider)...*wisdom of judgment*
- AEs serve as the focal point for the assigned mission assessment
- Coordinate and communicate with appropriate Launch Services Program elements and SH&IA management
- Develop and maintain _interfaces_ with the associated Spacecraft Independent Review Teams and appropriate Spacecraft mission representatives

- SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)

## SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)

- Typically, mission assessment activities will start at Launch Service Authorization To Proceed (ATP) and will continue throughout the life of the mission (Ref. Page 11, Launch Services Program Mission Milestone Assessment Template)
- AEs will, with support from their mission specific IAT:
- Develop detailed mission specific Flight Readiness Assessment Implementation Plans and schedules
- Utilize SH&IA’s assessment requirements/attributes guideline as a basis for mission assessment activities
- Consider mission unique assessment requirements/attributes recommended by the Spacecraft independent mission review team(s)
- Lead/execute/perform in-depth Independent Assessments per the Implementation Plan
- AEs will develop and coordinate the independent mission evaluation supporting the Flight Readiness/CoFR signature and present _as required_ at the major reviews such as: the CDLVRR, MRR, IMAR, FRR and LRR

## SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)Launch Services Program Mission Milestone Assessment Template

- ATP Authority to Proceed
- MRR Mission Readiness Review
- MIWG/GOWG Mission Integration/Ground Ops Working Group
- CDLVLRR Center Director Launch Vehicle Readiness Review

- Launch

- L-3 years

- LRR

- Launch Service
- ATP

-  S/C PDR

- Kick-off MIWG

- MIWG/GOWG

- L-2 years

- L-1 year

- S/C Pre-environ
- Review

- S/C Pre-ship
- Review

- S/C
- Arrival

- MIWG/GOWG

- MIWG/GOWG

- MIWG/GOWG

- MIWG/GOWG

- L-(4 - 6) WEEKS

- CDLVRR

- S/C MRR

- Vehicle RR

- Launch

- Mission
- Rehearsal
- /LMCM

- FRR

- IMAR

- MSN
- Turn-on
- PDM/PRCB

- MIWG/GOWG

- MIWG/GOWG

-       GOR

**Note: This template represents the “life-cycle” of a typical ELV mission (launch services)**

- SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)Launch Services Program Mission Milestone Assessment Template

- L- (30 –24) months

**Start of IAT Activity**

## SH&IA Flight Readiness Process Basic Concept (Cont.)

- A similar Space Shuttle and International Space Station Flight Readiness Independent Assessment Process is being developed and implemented at KSC/SH&IA
- Incorporates lessons learned from the Launch Vehicle Flight Readiness Assessment Process
- Benefits from the recent collaborative efforts of the Human Space Flight Independent Assessment Function

## 

Back-up Charts

- Back-up Charts

## SH&IA Flight Readiness Independent Assessment Team 

- _SH&IA Assessments Division_
- Chief/Eddie Lebron
- Lead, Independent Assessment/Rick Boutin
- Lead, Flight Readiness Assessment Engineers
- Raoul Caimi
- Chien Nguyen
- Steve Ernest
- Sam Meeks
- Ken Newton
- Joni Richards
- Assessment Engineers
- Systems Management Engineers
- Safety & Mission Assurance Engineers
- Process Management Engineers
- Support
- Linda Ackroyd
- Brenda Willis

- _The Aerospace Corporation_
- Lead, KSC Support/Dr. Ed Ruth
- Back-up/Fred Peinemann
- Phil Plemmons/local SH&IA-KSC Interface
- Lead, Assessment Engineers
- Jim  Gazur Delta II/DeltaIII
- Rick Francis/Delta II/DeltaIII
- Jim Gin/Titan/Pegasus
- Joseph Hough/Delta II
- Bill Sutton/Titan
- Glen Binegar/Atlas
- Chester Orciuch/Pegasus

- _Senior SH&IA Management_
- SH&IA Director/Oscar Toledo (Acting)
- SH&IA Associate Director of S&MA/Bert Garrido
- SH&IA Associate Director of System Mgmt./Oscar Toledo

- _Additional Participants_
- Subject Matter Experts/Consultants

## ELV Minimum Requirements/Attributes Map

## Minimum Requirements to be satisfied for Independent Certification of Flight Readiness & Guidelines to be considered during assessment implementation

*Note: Double click on the “Red X” below to open the Word attachment*