INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SPACE SAFETY Space Safety © Issue 8 Summer 2013 Magazine

The Pedestrian Cause of a Spectacular Crash

Water-filled Helmet Ends EVA: The Close Call of

Space Walker: The Story of Jerry Ross Space Safety Summer Magazine 2013

Index

3 Rising Up, Aiming Down 14 Moving Towards a Ghana Space Agency 17 Under : A Brief History of Pressure Suits - Part 3 20 Space Walker: The Story of Astronaut Jerry Ross 24 Assessing the Aviation Risk from Space Debris and Meteoroids 4 Water-filled Helmet Ends EVA: The Close Call of Luca Parmitano 8 Space Situational Awareness 26 - A Sharing for the 21st Century 28 , an Intimate and Fantastical Voyage into the

6 The Pedestrian Cause of a Spectacular Crash 11 The Nixon Administration 30 Announcing the Journal of 7 Gil's Corner and Shuttle Safety - Part 1 Space Safety Engineering

Summer Space Safety 2013 Magazine© Issue 8 Space Safety Magazine INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION Editor-in-Chief Editorial Board and FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF Koninklijke Bibliotheek, SPACE SAFETY Andrea Gini Scientific Committee n. 12042639 19/12/2012 Tommaso Sgobba ISSN: 2214-0379 Managing Editor Michael Listner Merryl Azriel Joseph Pelton IAASS www.spacesafetymagazine.com International Association [email protected] Deputy Editor Executive Secretary for the Advancement of Phillip Keane Maria Fischer Space Safety Postbus 127 www.iaass.org 2200AC Noordwijk Deputy Manager The Netherlands Carmen Victoria Felix News Editor Matteo Emanuelli The Space Safety Magazine is a joint publication of the ISSF Copy Editor International Association for International Caitlin DeLatte Advancement of Space Safety Space Safety (IAASS) and the International Foundation Creative Director Space Safety Foundation (ISSF) www.spacesafetyfoundation.org Kristhian Mason

Cover pictures: Artist conception of the various elements, both space and ground based, of a space situational awareness system. – Credits: ESA Central Region of the Milky Way - Credits: NASA, ESA, SSC, CXC, and STScI

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Rising Up, Aiming Down

that had been installed upside down. The paper trail led to a technician respon- sible for the assembly of the hardware. The improper installation apparently re- quired some considerable physical effort in a location difficult to access. The tech- nician’s supervisor and a quality control specialist, who were supposed to check upon completion of the installation, both signed the assembly log to indicate that they had done so. The investigation team identified deficiencies in the instal- lation instructions and in the mechanical design of the hardware. How is it possible that a technician fails to perform an operation that has been repeated successfully hundreds of times over several decades? Rus- sian technicians and engineers need to abandon their traditional attitude of seeking and maintaining jealous own- Assembly of a Proton . – Credits: Pavel Kolotilov, Wikimedia ership of technical knowledge, and of guarding their mastership – the “secrets n the past two years, almost at regular created a 40 by 25 meter crater with a of their trade” – as a safe-conduct and a intervals, we received recurrent news depth of up to five meters. personal asset. Iabout the failure of a Russian rocket The broader cause of this and, indeed, Knowledge must be managed and launch. A few weeks ago, on July 2, a all Russian rocket failures of recent years transferred by means of specifications three-stage Proton-M took off from Bai- is the frequent inadequacy and disparity and procedures which are maintained konour Cosmodrome. The rocket started of the quality control system of the myr- through an effective system of non- veering off course right after leaving the iad companies involved in the manufac- conformances, reporting, and corrective pad, deviating from the vertical path in turing of space hardware. It is a problem actions. Furthermore, critical process various directions and then plunging to that will require a vast cultural revolution procedures need to be revalidated by the ground nose first less than 40 sec- to resolve. means of modern techniques like Pro- onds after liftoff. The fragmenting and The Russians started paying attention cess FMEA (Failure Mode and Effects still thrusting vehicle crashed approxi- to quality as early as 1961 when a decree Analysis), to ensure that effective means mately 2.5km from the . The on “measures to improve military tech- of human error prevention are in place. immediate safety concern was the 600 nology” laid the basis for institution of Re-establishing independent military tons of fuel: unsymmetrical dimethylhy- quality control by the military to improve inspection of space hardware is not drazine, a toxic chemical compound that the reliability of space systems. The core the right answer to the quality can be absorbed through the skin, and of their approach, however, was a cap- problems of the Russian space indus- dinitrogen tetroxide, an inhalation and illary network of technical surveillance try. Inspection is not prevention, and contact causing edema and skin activities performed by military inspec- PREVENTION is the essence of modern burns. Toxic clouds began drifting over tors. This was exactly the opposite of QUALITY CONTROL! the Kazakh plains following the crash. what was being done in the same years The Cosmodrome was evacuated and in the US, where military inspections the inhabitants of Baikonour were in- were basically dismantled in favor of the structed not to leave their homes, to de- institution of independent quality assur- activate air conditioners, and tightly close ance services by manufacturers, with all doors and windows to avoid intake of emphasis on prevention. In 2009 the in- contaminated air. In the following days a dependent military oversight of Russian total area of 13,100m3 had to be treated launcher production was disbanded with detoxifying chemical and each company had to establish its The rocket slammed into the ground un- own quality assurance capability. der full thrust, thus creating a catastroph- The Proton’s failure was caused by Tommaso Sgobba ic risk for launch personnel. The impact some critical angular velocity sensors IAASS President

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By Merryl Azriel Water-filled Helmet Ends EVA: The Close Call of Luca Parmitano

hose watching the live feed of EVA-23 from outside the Interna- Ttional Space Station (ISS) on July 16 may be forgiven for not realizing that they were watching the worst Extravehic- ular Activity (EVA) accident in ISS history. The calm, professional response of both those on and in Mission Control be- lied the gravity of the situation as astro- naut Luca Parmitano, on just his second spacewalk, faced mortal danger when a substantial leak filled his helmet with wa- ter. In the unforgiving vacuum of space, removal of his helmet would have meant an even quicker death than or choking on the inexorably building water climbing over his face. Progression of the Incident “How much can I sweat, though?” Parmitano asks when considering possible sources of the fluid in his helmet just before the EVA was terminated. – Credits: NASA VA-23 began at 11:57 AM UTC, 13 Eminutes ahead of schedule, with Mission Control didn’t think the cooling and converged on Chris Cassidy and Luca Par- system was likely; the astronauts consid- him with towels. There was water every- mitano heading out of the Quest . ered bodily fluids. By 1:05 PM, it didn’t where. Parmitano emerged looking very They split up, with each astronaut’s first matter what it was: Mission Control made shaken, as well he might. In a press con- two tasks going well. At 12:47 PM UTC, the call to terminate the EVA. “There is ference a few hours later, lead spacewalk Parmitano reported feeling wet on the some [water] in my eyes, and some in my officer Karina Eversley reported that if back of his head. He continued his work, nose,” Parmitano said before losing the the situation had warranted they could aware that this wasn’t the first time an ability to communicate entirely. “It feels have expedited reentry even further; astronaut encountered this issue. One like a lot of water.” With Cassidy’s help, but there is no question that this was particular suit used on three EVAs dur- Parmitano made his way back to the air- a close call. ing STS-129 and STS-130 manifested lock. At 1:17 PM Parmitano’s eyes, ears, reduced audio quality when the wearer and nose were covered in water and his felt dampness around the ear cups; yet, mouth was only free because he kept Investigation and post-EVA analysis in those cases found drinking. Unable to speak, Parmitano let no water in the affected area and the is- Cassidy know he was ok by squeezing his Repercussions sue was attributed to condensation. But hand – and waited as Cassidy cleaned up by 12:54 PM it became clear that Parmi- the equipment. fter taking some deep breaths, tano’s issue went well beyond conden- After a slightly expedited repressuriza- Athe ISS crew got to work examin- sation. After visual assessment, Cassidy tion procedure, the internal hatch opened ing Parmitano’s Extravehicular Mobility reported seeing approximately 500 ml at 1:37 PM. The rest of the ISS crew waited Unity (EMU), designated 3011, for the of water centered at the back of Parmi- just inside to help with Parmitano’s expe- most likely culprits. They were able to tano’s head, but creeping forward. Sus- dited doffing procedure. At 1:38 PM astro- quickly rule out some suspects, but the pecting the drink bag may be to blame, naut Karen Nyberg got Parmitano’s helmet leak, probably located somewhere in Parmitano eliminated that source by the off and cosmonauts the primary life support system (PLSS) simple expedient of drinking the bag dry. backpack, proved difficult to find. Soon He also drank water that had accumu- enough, the crew had to go back to their lated on the visor - it tasted a bit off, but It feels like a day jobs, the mystery still undiscovered. that was to be expected due to the visor’s “ But they’ve been running a few tests in anti-fog coating. lot of water„ between times and NASA has two teams Alas, the water buildup continued – working on the ground: an Anomaly clearly the drink bag was not the source. L. Parmitano during EVA-23 Resolution Team (ART) to help trace 

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I don’t ever “remember seeing a problem like this„ J. Ross the physical failure and a Mishap Inves- tigation Board to derive lessons learned and prevent future recurrence. Neither team has announced any findings yet, although NASASpaceflight.com reported that the ART fingered the T2 port that vents into the helmet as the most likely Chris Cassidy explains where the leak occurred in Parmitano’s helmet. – Credits: NASA source of the leak. The T2 is the junc- ture just before the water line is routed EVA-23 was intended to be the final US Mike Fincke’s 14 minute abort when he through the helmet, where it is designed EVA until 2015. However, with several lost pressurization in his primary to cool the air that is blown into the top tasks remaining, including preparation tank during ISS in 2004. One rear of the helmet to keep the astronaut for the new Russian module sched- must look to the earliest days of EVA to cool and ventilated; that incoming air uled to be installed at the end of 2013, identify another incident close to the se- vent was the entry point for the water sooner or later EVA-23 tasks will have verity of Parmitano’s July 16 mishap. that plagued Parmitano. When tested to be completed. Although initially reluctant to do so, on orbit, the T2 line showed external NASA finally decided that EMU 3011 is accumulation of droplets, although not going to need some specialized work and the high volume stream that might have The Path they booked its passage back to Earth been expected. on the upcoming SpaceX Dragon flight in While the investigation remains un- Forward January 2014. Dragon is the only substan- derway, any routine EVA activity involv- tive downmass capability available to ISS, ing the EMUs is on hold out of concern don’t ever remember seeing a problem so it is not possible to take measures any that EMU 3011 may not be the only suit I like this in the past and I don’t know sooner. According to NASASpaceflight. with this problem. This is considered to that anyone else will remember one ei- com, a special rack is being constructed be unlikely given the history of the suit, ther,” seven-time astronaut and EVA to hold the suit on its return journey. and in a real emergency the astronauts specialist (now retired) Jerry Ross told Removal of the suit will have the un- would probably be permitted to don the Space Safety Magazine. The incident re- fortunate effect of leaving ISS without a other suits. sulted in the shortest EVA since astronaut medium-sized Hard Upper Torso (HUT) unit. While other elements of the suit may be adjusted to individual astronauts’ siz- es, the HUT only comes in three sizes and mismatches with HUT size preclude an astronaut from qualifying to perform EVAs. Longer term responses to this incident have yet to be defined. The Mishap In- vestigation Board is certain to develop a response procedure to be enacted if such an incident should occur again. They might also reexamine the shelf life of the EMU – currently set at 25 EVAs or six years – and consider training procedures for such an occurrence. It might even be prudent to make more extensive use of the PLSS in EVA testing and training on Earth. Currently, the PLSS is used only in vacuum chamber tests. It seems unlikely that there will be any fault found to be associated with this oc- currence; it is simply another reminder that however routine space activities might appear to have become, space remains Pneumo-Hydraulic schematic of the PLSS. The arrow indicates the port most likely to be at an unforgiving habitat requiring prepara- fault for the EVA-23 leak. – Credits: NASA tion and constant vigilance to survive.

5 Space Safety News Summer Magazine 2013

By Merryl Azriel The Pedestrian Cause of a Spectacular Crash

t 2:38 AM GMT on July 2nd 2013, a routine launch of three naviga- All three yaw angular velocity Ation out of Baikonour Cosmodrome turned decidedly atypical sensors in the rocket had been when the rocket took a nosedive into the launch site seconds after takeoff. installed upside down The crash has been repeatedly de- scribed as “spectacular,” and it’s hard to stay away from the adjective. A television sion is still looking into possible causes checking too closely, since an arrow on crew expecting to capture live footage and ramifications. each sensor that was supposed to point of the launch instead found themselves These factors were quickly overtaken upward, instead pointed downward in rapidly adjusting their viewing angle as as candidates for the primary cause of the rotated installation position. How- the rocket hewed left, right, and then the failure by one finding: all three yaw ever, Lopatin noted that there was some over, shedding fairing and nose cone angular velocity sensors in the rocket room for interpretation in the instruction in its fiery, rocket-accelerated return to had been installed upside down. Alek- manual and there was no corresponding the ground. sandr Lopatin, chair of the investigation arrow in the mounting plate with which to The immediate aftermath entailed committee, confirmed this root cause match the one on the sensor. There are evacuation of the Cosmodrome, where in a press conference on July 18. Lopa- pins on one end of the sensor intended the Proton’s 600 tons of toxic fuel was tin reported that the faulty installation to ensure correct installation, but experi- feeding orange flames at the site of the had taken place on November 16, 2011 menting investigators found that these crash. Announcements went out to resi- before some of the most recent qual- could be forced into the wrong position dents of the three nearest towns to stay ity controls had been put in place. As is with a little effort. inside with windows closed and air con- common throughout the Russian rocket The commission plans to recommend ditioners off to prevent inhalation of high- assembly process, no photographic or photographic documentation through- ly hazardous fuel vapors. By a combina- video documentation was taken of the out the rocket assembly process, a step tion of adherence to safety procedures installation. Two supervisors signed off that has recently been implemented for and sheer good luck, no one was injured on the installation, apparently without Breeze-M manufacture in response  in the initial crash or its aftermath and a combination of rain and the fire quickly dissipated the gaseous clouds of fuel. Looking for a Culprit n time-honored fashion, the next stag- Ies of the incident involved rampant speculation and the formation of an in- vestigation commission. Given the epi- demic of quality-related failures coming out of Russian space in the past three years, statements from government of- ficials were characteristically harsh, promising criminal prosecution and poly- graph tests for the engineers involved in Proton’s manufacture. Initial speculation focused on the 0.4 second premature separation of the rocket from ground system cabling and an apparent 1,200°C spike in one engine – indica- tive of a fire – at the time of liftoff. Nei- ther of these factors have yet been ac- counted for and as of the time this article Confused by upside down sensors, a Proton-M launched on July 2 was airborne for only goes to press, the investigation commis- seconds before it crashed back to the ground. – Credits: Vesti.ru,

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to the multiple failures of that upper stage in recent years. Proton-Ms in storage The commission plans to have been inspected for a similar defi- ciency, but all appear to have their angular recommend photographic velocity sensors properly installed. There is currently no method other than visual documentation throughout the check to determine whether these sen- sors have been correctly installed: color- assembly process coded cables work in either direction and angular velocity of a rocket at rest is zero, whether upside down or right side up. look back to the early days of Proton’s de- to find alternative launchers for their sat- It was initially thought that environ- velopment to find an analogous first stage ellites, itself may be feeling the mental cleanup of the toxic propellants failure of this persistent launcher. impact of this crash for some months to would require shutting down the Cosmo- In 1969, in the Proton’s 17th flight, a come. If unable to loft their Express-AT1 drome for up to three months, but soil, missing hydraulic lock plug allowed oxi- and Express-AT2 satellites in the next water, and air sample testing seemed dizer to leak into a pump shaft. The re- few months, broadcasting during the to allay fears of rampant contamination. sult was ignition of the shaft and failure Sochi-hosted winter Olympics could be Some personnel were back onsite within of one engine that brought down the compromised. Already, cable channels days, and although over 13,000m2 were entire craft 30 seconds after launch. By have gone dark throughout much of the treated with a hydrogen peroxide and 1977, however, the Proton’s reliability country due to an orientation issue with iron complexonate to neutralize rating was considered to be 90%. To- the operational Express-MD1’s antennae. the contaminants, officials reported that date 388 flights have been undertaken “This particular issue with Proton can none of their samples tested above safe by this launcher, of which 23 have failed. be probably resolved quickly,” Rus- levels of nitrogen tetroxide or unsymmet- Of those failures, five occurred within the sianSpaceWeb’s Anatoly Zak recently rical dimethylhydrazine (UMDH). Within a past three years. told Space Safety Magazine. “It is crazy couple weeks, all non-Proton launches The July 2nd flight did not use the near- that in the age of digital cameras and were put back on schedule. The first ubiquitous Breeze-M, but a new upgrade iPhones, they still do not have photo- post-crash launch took place on July 27 to the Block DM. This was the second graphic and video documentation of all with the takeoff of the M-20M attempt to test out the Block DM-03, the assembly procedures.” Whether the les- cargo ship headed for the International first having exploded due to over-fueling sons from this crash will be applied to Space Station. Proton is scheduled for a in 2010. the broader Russian space industry is a return to flight in September. While commercial operators scramble question only time can answer. From Reliability to Uncertainty Gil’s Corner he Proton rocket is one of the lon- Tgest operating and most reliable heavy launch vehicles, rivalled only by the family. The first Proton, devel- oped from intercontinental ballistic mis- siles, was launched in 1965. It has seen several upgrades since that time that im- proved fuel consumption, reduced mass, increased payload capacity, and consoli- dated production under Khrunichev. The latest variant, Proton-M Enhanced, has been operational since 2007. There have been several mission fail- ures of Proton-lofted spacecraft in recent years, feeding into the general manufac- turing quality crisis of the Russian Fed- eration’s space program. These failures, however, have generally been attribut- able to the booster attached to Proton-M, most commonly the Breeze-M. A Septem- ber 2007 launch was an exception, when a pyrotechnic firing cable failed to discon- nect the Proton’s first stage before the second stage commenced firing. In that Navigational confusion. Credits: Gilles Labruyere instance, the rocket crashed over 600km Gilles is Principal Mechanical Engineer of the Aeolus at ESA, and previously of Envisat. away from the Cosmodrome. One must He has been drawing space related cartoons since 1994.

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By Mr. Davis Florick, Col. Lina Cashin, Space Situational Mr. Robert A. Sims, Mr. Jason Sturch, Awareness Sharing and Maj. C. Patrick Dozier for the 21st Century

s space becomes more congest- ed, maintaining a timely and ac- No single nation has the resources Acurate picture of space activities simultaneously becomes both more im- necessary to precisely track portant and difficult. With an ever-increas- ing number of space-faring entities comes all orbiting space objects the expectation of the utmost protection for their satellites. This only increases the workload for operators at satellite opera- USSTRATCOM has worked with multiple be in excess of 100,000. Despite their tion centers around the world. As a leader foreign entities, commercial and govern- small size, these pieces can harm satel- in space, international partners expect mental, in updating the Conjunction Sum- lites and degrade operations. The long- the US government to head the effort mary Messages (CSM) currently used for term cumulative effect of debris in space in protecting each and every asset. The notification of a predicted on-orbit close is becoming one of the greatest greatest example of this is the collision approach. The updated format was jointly space faring entities must contend with. between the US Iridium LLC and Russian developed with these partners to ensure As an increasing number of objects fill the Federation Cosmos satellites. The net re- a universal approach to Space Situational low Earth orbit (LEO) regime there is a risk sult of the incident was more than 2,000 Awareness (SSA); and such practices will that a tipping point exists where too much additional pieces of debris. Considering be applied to formatting more data and clustering exists, creating collisions and that there are roughly 100,000 objects or- products as we move further down the debris and thereby making LEO nearly un- biting Earth, it becomes clear that there road towards greater integration. usable. It is imperative to share as much is a cumulative effect to such collisions. Today, the US Department of Defense actionable information as possible with It cannot be emphasized enough that as (DoD) publicly releases data on tens of other space-faring parties, consistent with the number of assets orbiting Earth in- thousands of objects. Of these, only about our national security interests. creases the danger of and effects of colli- 1,100 of them are satellites performing To that end, SSA data sharing is intend- sions also increases. an active mission the bulk of the orbit- ed to improve safety and transparency in ing population is debris, rocket bodies, space. Due to the responsible sharing of and retired or inoperable payloads, many information with like-minded partners in- Addressing of which cannot maneuver. Additionally, cluding foreign governments, private in- there is still an indeterminate amount of dustries, and intergovernmental organiza- Global Needs small debris for which we cannot gener- tions, the space community is becoming ate reliable orbital estimates. While these increasingly cognizant of its environment. he United States has an extensive objects are smaller than a pebble, NASA SSA sharing has become not only a mech- Tnetwork of space surveillance sen- estimates the total number of objects to anism to exchange data, but also a  sors; however, no single nation has the resources and full accesses to the geo- graphic locations necessary to precisely track all orbiting space objects. To meet this challenge, the US is implementing a new approach to the exchange of in- formation regarding space objects. This approach empowers others in the space community to make more informed deci- sions regarding their assets, thereby re- ducing the dangers of miscommunication, mishaps, misperception, and mistrust. In a time when barriers to entry in the space environment are decreasing, it is benefi- cial to reevaluate the utility of data sharing and its effects on safety. Such changes should occur gradually, however, to allow other governments, international organizations, and private industries to mature their space situational awareness capabilities in a deliberate fashion. As US Strategic Command Headquarters Gen. Curtis E. LeMay Building. an example of international cooperation, Credits: USSTRATCOM

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On the left, the main menu of Space-Track.org. On the right, a catalog of space objects ordered by date, with Sputnik 1 and its rocket booster on top. Credits: USSTRATCOM

Transparency and Confidence Building Measure (TCBM) which has resulted in the Today, the US DoD creation of underlying norms of behav- ior for many leading space entities. In a publicly releases data on relatively short period, great strides have been made in releasing US information. tens of thousands of objects But greater potential for opportunities to share information exists. Using a dynamic approach to SSA information sharing has helped make it possible for other space- faring entities to further develop their body of knowledge for space expertise. USSTRATCOM’s SSA Sharing Program he 2009 collision of the Iridium and TCosmos satellites generated the driv- ing behind many of the current US space data sharing policies. In 2009, Con- gress passed legislation authorizing the sharing of SSA data outside the US gov- ernment. In 2010 and 2011 respectively, President Obama signed the National and the Secretary of Defense and Director of National Intelligence jointly signed the National Security Space Strat- egy. These two documents further the im- portance of the responsible use of space, spaceflight safety, and US leadership. The SSA sharing program is one way to do that. USSTRATCOM’s SSA sharing pro- gram is designed to reduce the chances of future satellite collisions and improve the sustainability of the space environ- ment. Prior to USSTRATCOM assuming this mission, many budget and human resource challenges needed to be met. The Space Fence program is one initiative USSTRATCOM is undertaking to improve space The first step for USSTRATCOM was  situational awareness. – Credits: Lockheed Martin

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Second, Space-Track.org is the next SSA data sharing is intended level of support. For any interested person or entity, USSTRATCOM offers this web- to improve safety site as a source of basic satellite catalog products. Anyone wishing to access the and transparency in space site must acknowledge a user agreement and submit a web-based request for an account. To date, over 88,000 total us- to focus on identifying information neces- First, in practice, the Joint Space Op- ers from 185 countries have registered sary for satellite and launch operators to erations Center (JSpOC) seeks to iden- for an account. Considering that there conduct responsible space operations. tify close approaches for active payloads are only 195 countries in the world today, Within that context, different categories of in Earth orbit with any known object. As USSTRATCOM is very proud of our global support exist, from basic support to highly the DoD conduit for SSA information the outreach efforts. tailored information for owner/operators. JSpOC is the operational epicenter for all Third, advanced services are designed There are three levels of SSA support bilateral and multilateral space informa- to support safe spaceflight operations services that comprise the program. The tion sharing. On average, 20‑30 close ap- during launch, on-orbit, and decay or re- first is emergency notifications which alert proach notifications are sent per day. To entry operations. US law requires the DoD satellite operators to potential collisions. the greatest extent possible, the JSpOC to establish written agreements with sat- The second level is the USSTRATCOM- contacts the affected owner/operator with ellite owners and operators, launch pro- sponsored website, Space-Track.org, information regarding the predicted close viders, and country partners in order to which serves as an available repository of approach. The information provided is in permit advanced service data exchanges. basic satellite catalog information. Basic the form of a CSM. This information allows With agreements in place, entities may satellite catalog information includes po- the owner(s)/operator(s) to make informed request specific support for their opera- sitional data and background information and educated operational decisions to tions, and USSTRATCOM can provide (country of origin, launch date, etc.). The protect their assets and the space environ- this support, within resource constraints, third level includes specific advanced ser- ment. At no point does the JSpOC direct with the caveat that it is consistent with vices supporting safe space flight opera- another entity to conduct a maneuver to US national security interests. This infor- tions during launch, on-orbit, and decay or avoid a potential conjunction. USSTRAT- mation can be viewed in seven catego- reentry operations. This third level of ser- COM products are merely advisory. Once ries including: Conjunction Assessment, vices is available to commercial and gov- a CSM has been provided to an affected Launch Support, Deorbit and Reentry ernmental satellite and launch operators. operator, the JSpOC offers to evaluate any Support, Disposal/End-of-Life Support, Together, these support services increase potential maneuver to avoid a second po- Collision Avoidance, Anomaly Resolution, the safety, security, and sustainability of tential conjunction in the process of avoid- and Electromagnetic Interference Inves- the space domain through an enhanced ing the first conjunction. To give an idea of tigation. These agreements help develop understanding of satellite positional infor- global reach, of the 1,100 active payloads relationships between the JSpOC, com- mation. However, without a better under- in orbit today, the JSpOC currently has mercial firms’ operations centers, and standing of the three levels of SSA sup- sufficient contact information to provide partner nations’ space operations centers port it is impossible to fully comprehend emergency notifications to the operators worldwide. By exercising this valuable this enterprise. of more than 98% of those payloads. exchange of orbital data, USSTRATCOM works to preserve the ability for all nations to use and explore space, and provide a safer and more responsible environment. In summary, as a global leader in space, the US is creating a safer more stable space environment through the respon- sible exchange of actionable information via the SSA sharing program. By sharing this information, USSTRATCOM is reduc- ing the possibility for miscommunication, mishaps, and mistrust. The Command has recognized and is addressing many of the problems that led to incidents such as the Iridium-Cosmos collision and have turned the with the SSA sharing program. There is now an established process to improve the safety and reliability of space today and for future generations.

Opinions expressed are those of the au- Artist conception of the various elements, both space and ground based, of a space situ- thors and do not necessarily reflect the ational awareness system. – Credits: ESA views of the USSTRATCOM team.

10 Space Safety Focus Summer Magazine 2013 The Nixon Administration By Joseph N. Pelton and Shuttle Safety Part 1

any people know that the ini- million for FY 1974 year and a $1.1 bil- tial design of the Space Shut- Space safety was lion for FY 1975. Proposed options that Mtle was a matter of dispute would have achieved these cuts were between the NASA engineers and offi- virtually absent the downsizing of the Shuttle, cancel- cials on one hand and the Nixon White ling Apollo 16, 17, and 18, closing some House and the budget hawks within from critical NASA Centers, and reducing interna- the Office of Management and Budget tional programs with the . (OMB) on the other. The final design, decision-making Few people know just how bruising after much negotiation, was a compro- and difficult that decision process ac- mise between cost and performance. discussions tually was. The White House objective NASA was able to keep a large 4.5 by was clearly to keep NASA expenditures 18 meter cargo area, but was convinced in the post-Apollo age under control. to use a solid fuel booster strap-on to the Space Transportation System (STS) OMB had both NASA programs and propel the shuttle into orbit. This com- – now popularly known as the Space Centers in their cross hairs. Documents bination of a solid booster with the liq- Shuttle. But there were key technical from the recently released private ar- uid fueled Shuttle orbiter was intended and management issues very much up chive of Nixon White House official to reduce cost but over time it proved in the air. What exactly would a Space Clay T. (Tom) Whitehead reveal that the to increase cost while adding major risk Shuttle entail in terms of technical de- program – like the 2006 elements. The exploding foam insula- sign? And how much would it cost? Hollywood comedy of the same name – tion that separated the Shuttle orbiter A historical review of the Nixon ad- might have gone down in history as the from the Solid Rocket Booster was of- ministration’s Shuttle decision four de- “Failure to Launch” program. ficially ruled the cause of the Columbia cades ago indicates that space safety failure. The Columbia failure led to a was virtually absent from the critical nearly three year suspension of Shuttle decision-making discussions. Efforts to Contradictory launches and added nearly $3 billion in cut costs dominated the discussion, costs to the Shuttle program and per- ultimately adversely affecting the de- Objectives haps billions more to the International sign integrity of the Shuttle, reducing Space Station due to the years of delay its safety. The OMB recommended cut- he Nixon White House had two con- while the Shuttle was grounded. ting NASA’s budget sharply. The cuts Ttradictory objectives in 1970 and Solid boosters have been effectively for fiscal year (FY) 1973 would have 1971. On one hand, they wanted to get used for heavy lift cargo but they are been $205 million, followed by a $400 what they considered to be wildly  questionable launch systems when hu- man crews are aboard. Once ignited, solid boosters cannot be shut down, a condition that precludes effective astro- naut escape capability. In many ways the “flawed design” of the Shuttle can be traced back to the initial decisions with regard to Space Shuttle design in the 1969 to 1972 time period. After Apollo: What Next? n the United States, 1972 was a Ipresidential election year and the big space question at the time was “What comes after Apollo?” President Nixon wanted to sustain an American lead in the space race against the Soviet Union, but did not want to spend big bucks to do so. The answer that had President Nixon speaks with the crew, in quarantine after their historic mission. begun to evolve as early as 1969 was Credits: NASA

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thought to be less important once the Safety was Shuttle was available, and the Jet Pro- pulsion Lab, after several planetary mis- simply sions were over. Ames Research Center was slated for staff reductions and Wal- “assumed” in all lops and what is now known as Glenn Research Center went on the chopping the alternative block. Ultimately none of these cuts were made, but efforts to cut NASA designs funding in significant ways left few pro- grams safe from budgetary scrutiny. charged with policy authority over all science agencies. All of the key people worked with Top-Down NASA Administrator James Fletcher and NASA scientists and engineers to Decisions seek out a compromise design for a curtailed version of the STS on which nitially NASA had considered a pay- both President Nixon and White House Iload bay area for the Shuttle as long The original concept was to use the shuttle staff and NASA officials could agree. as 26 meters and its design was ini- as a staging ground for planetary explora- Different sized Shuttles were consid- tially based entirely on liquid fueled tion and to establish a space station. That ered. Versions that were all liquid fueled propulsion. Liquid fueled engines – as scope was narrowed when the requested and self-contained and other designs opposed to solid-fueled – can $24 billion budget came back as $6 billion. with a solid fuel booster were evaluated be instantly commanded to shut down Credits: NASA for performance and cost. Safety was and thus facilitate a crew escape capa- simply “assumed” in all the alternative bility. Relatively early in the tug of war expensive NASA spending on the Apol- designs. Finally, different and longer with OMB, NASA management agreed lo Program – a legacy from Presidents development periods were considered to add an external solid-fuel tank to Kennedy and Johnson – under control along with options like using the Titan reduce the development costs. Part of and to establish a “normal level” of III or Atlas for booster lift capability. The the dynamic in these considerations space expenditure. On the other hand, objective became to drive the cost of involved the advocates from west- the Nixon White House also wanted developing and building the Shuttle ern states who promoted Utah-based a new and exciting space initiative to down by $15-$16 billion to levels that Thiokol as the developer of the solid replace the popular , were under $9 billion. fuel booster. These states used profes- one that promised continued American The budgetary knives also targeted a sional lobbyists to actively intervene space leadership. shutdown of the Marshall Space Flight in the Shuttle discussions to promote This new space initiative from the Center, since conventional rockets were the use of the solid rocket booster.  Nixon Administration quickly became known as the Space Shuttle. It was conceived of as a “space truck” that would, at least in concept, offer low cost and reliable access to low Earth orbit. Advocates proceeded to promote this new initiative to provide competi- tive launch costs for commercial satel- lites and also allow projects like a space station or manned space missions in low Earth orbit to be undertaken at rea- sonable cost. The papers from the Whitehead ar- chive reveal a significant tug of war between ways to cut NASA’s “unreal- istically high spending” on the Apollo program and yet still initiate an excit- ing new space program. It appears that there were several officials in the Nixon White House and OMB who were des- ignated to sort out this difficult issue. Line responsibility fell to one of Nixon’s Presidential Assistants, Peter Flani- gan. Flanigan turned to the President’s Special Assistant Tom Whitehead, for- merly a Rand economist who had three On January 5, 1972, President Nixon announced the Shuttle Program. He is pictured here graduate degrees from MIT and was with NASA administrator James Fletcher later that day. – Credits: NASA

12 Space Safety Focus Summer Magazine 2013

The decision to include the solid rocket els and sensible technology, and still booster was clearly taken from the top OMB was builds for the future. Without burden- down and without consideration of the ing you with all the ins and outs of how implications for crew escape capabili- proposing we got from there to here, the debate ties or even the possible complications is now focused around two shuttles… that might, in fact, boost rather than economies in …I tend to believe the larger shuttle is reduce cost. the more prudent course…I suspect Other budgetary cuts that were advo- design based OMB will try to push fairly hard for cated by OMB in its recommendations the smaller version. NASA might buy for NASA were to undertake new space on engineering this as a last choice, but the impact development in a modular fashion, al- on their morale and that of the aero- lowing common use of these modules expertise it did space industry would be unnecessar- by NASA, the Department of Defense, ily negative.” and commercial entities with little or no not have It would appear that Whitehead’s ar- change. This could reduce spending guments carried the day. Just a month on manned space while allowing some later, President Nixon announced the increases for space applications and them to come up with a sound, forward- larger version of the Shuttle and two aeronautics. looking evolutionary space program for more Apollo flights. But the problem re- The concern of the White House the coming decade that would not lock mained that instead of the Shuttle being staff, specifically Flanigan, Whitehead, the President into excessively large designed from the “bottom up” based and Special Assistant to the President budgets now or in the future.” on systems and safety analysis, it was Jon Rose, was that in its eagerness to Whitehead’s memo – dated in De- designed from the top down with unre- contain the NASA budget OMB was cember 1971 just before the Shuttle alistic budget constraints and based on proposing economies in the design of was formally announced – largely ar- totally impossible performance expec- the shuttle based upon presumed en- gued the NASA position for a Shuttle tations. gineering expertise that it did not have. program that seemed reasonable and It was Whitehead who sought to be achievable: the voice of reason and prudent com- “…OMB and NASA have been This article is largely based on docu- promise. “We succeeded when we first bickering, principally about the space ments drawn from the Whitehead ar- came into office in averting NASA’s high shuttle. I held a series of meetings chive at the Library of Congress. In next flying plans for space stations and to bring the various Executive Office issue, we conclude with the ramifica- trips, and in bringing the budget down groups together and met with Jim tions of these early decisions on the di- to a more realistic level consistent with Fletcher, I hope to some constructive rection of the Shuttle program. the President’s wishes,” he wrote in a effect. …Jim has done what I believe memo to Flanigan. “It was, however, our to be an outstanding job of devising Dr. Joseph N. Pelton is on the Executive intention not to continue to erode NA- a space shuttle concept that is con- Board of the IAASS and former dean of SA’s budget indefinitely, but to induce sistent with reasonable budget lev- the International Space University.

John Young (pictured here while saluting the flag on Apollo 16’s first EVA) received the news about the approval of the Shuttle program while walking on the . He would later become Commander of the Space Shuttle inaugural flight. – Credits: NASA

13 Space Safety Law and Policy Summer Magazine 2013

By Hubert Foy Moving Towards a Ghana Space Agency

Ghana Space Science and Technology Cen- Ongoing construction of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute on the Ghana tre logo. – Credits: MESTI Atomic Energy Commission’s Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Science facility in Kwabenya, Accra. – Credits: AFRICSIS

n January 2016, Ghana will become Mills in his keynote message for the the 6th African country to have a program’s inauguration. Mr. Mills em- Strategic Inational space agency when the phasized that the bold initiative would Ghana Space Science and Technology not only take Ghana into the elite club Approach Institute becomes the Ghana Space of countries benefiting from space sci- Agency (GhSA). GhSA is intended to ence and technology, but will also fo- hana’s strategy to establishing lead the nation’s civilian space explo- cus on exploiting them for the benefit GGhSA is modelled on the experi- ration efforts, in accordance with the of humans. ence and success of regional space National Science, Technology and In- Professor Francis Allotey, the Chair- programs, particularly the South African novation Policy and Development Plan man of the Interim Committee of the National Space Agency (SANSA) and for 2011-2015. Ghana Space Science and Technology Nigeria’s National and The Hon. Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Min- Institute, an internationally respected Development Agency (NARSDA), which ister for the Ministry of Environment, mathematical physicist credited with have thrived despite regional con- Science, Technology, and Innovation establishing the “Allotey Formalism” straints. The Ghana Space Science and (MESTI) in Ghana, first conceived the based on his soft x-ray spectroscopy Technology Center and Institute were idea of a national space program in research, advises the Ghanaian govern- established to advance the country’s 2008 and inaugurated the Institute in ment by quoting the US rocket pioneer space endeavour agenda; to achieve May 2012. Ghana’s prosperity stems Robert H. Goddard: “Real progress is that goal, they were placed under the in part from its nuclear industry and its not a leap in the dark, but a succession Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, a future economic transformation will de- of logical steps.” He asserts that cre- center of excellence at the frontiers of pend, to some extent, on an advanced ation of the Institute’s predecessor, the nuclear science research, development, space industry. The aim is to establish Ghana Space Science and Technology and training for more than half a century. a center of excellence in space science Center, was the foundation phase and In addition to intellectual resource and technology to enable the economic one of several strategic steps towards , the Atomic Energy Com- transformation of Ghana through cut- a Ghana Space Agency. mission offers existing infrastructure ting-edge research, aerospace-industry “In the long term, the Agency is in- including a 30kW Miniature Neutron development, advanced scientific train- tended to be a generator of scientific- Source Reactor, an accelerator facility, ing, and satellite and application activity driven minds for Ghana, Africa, and the and a Gamma irradiation facility that are coordination. world,” asserts Allotey. In this context, important resources for training scien- “The expectation is that new jobs will it is expected that the scientific and tists and engineers for work in the aero- be created as new materials and min- technological space-related facilities space industry. It also provides colloca- erals are researched [leading to] the will increase Ghana’s economic capa- tion with the Commission-sponsored creation of whole new industries such bility so that it approaches those of the Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied as those related to the field of semi- most advanced countries in the world, Sciences (SNAS), facilitating coordina- conductors and electronic engineer- ultimately allowing Ghana to become a tion of experts and relevant intellec- ing,” said the late President John Atta spacefaring nation. tual resource development through 

14 Space Safety Law and Policy Summer Magazine 2013

Moving Towards a Ghana Space Agency

Professor Francis Allotey, Chairman of the Prof. B.J.B. Nyarko, Director-General, Hon. Ms. Sherry Ayittey, who first conceived Interim Committee of the Ghana Space Sci- GAEC. – Credits: AFRICSIS the idea of a Ghana Space Agency. ence and Technology Center. Credits: MESTI Credits: MESTI

university programs in mathematics, consortium of multinational institutions needs of national and private entities. science, and engineering — including the World Bank Group In- In addition, the Ghana Photographic ternational Finance Corporation and the Interpretation Center will be created British banking and financial services to analyze overhead photography and Getting Started organization HSBC — and through bi- produce interpretation reports, briefing lateral and multilateral agreements,” boards, and videotapes for national- t the beginning of 2013, develop- says Allotey. level consumers, as well as to provide Ament of GhSA advanced with cre- The next steps in the strategic ap- support for the military. ation of the intermediate Space Science proach of GhSA include undertaking and Technology Institute and its funding policy reforms and accelerating devel- through the national budget. The Insti- opment and integration of communica- Stepping back, tute will focus on training young aero- tions and Earth observation satellites space scientists and technologists and and applications in the socio-economic leaping forward conducting research in various aspects transformation of Ghana. Satellite com- of space science and astrophysics. munications offer a viable network in y looking back to how South Afri- Looking forward, the Agency is seek- areas where difficult terrain, climatic Bcan and Nigerian space agencies ing international technical collaboration conditions, or bodies of water separate developed from their economic, geo- with NASA, JAXA, SANSA, and NARS- territories, rendering impossible ter- graphical, and technological condi- DA to enhance effective takeoff of the restrial methods of transmissions such tions, GhSA can build on their success- Agency through technology transfer as fiber, coaxial cable, and microwave es and better chart its path forward. In and training in core space areas. networks. In the short term, the Agency this context, the staffing plan, training The progress towards GhSA to-date is will develop and implement information programs, projects, and activities of the a modest start for a governmental na- and communication technology plat- Institute aim to train the first generation tional space agency. Although Ghana forms to provide an affordable and cost of aerospace scientists, engineers, and may not be able to afford big NASA-style effective solution that meets the tele- technicians through regional and inter- or European Space Agency (ESA)-style communications, broadcast, maritime, national exchange programs. facilities, infrastructure and capacity de- defense, and security needs of Ghana. Allotey says that the first flagship velopment are two important and costly Earth observation satellites show how space project, the Ghana Radio Astron- elements to develop in the long term. nations can promote economic devel- omy Project, involved the conversion of “Over the period 2013-2024, Ghana opment in an environmentally sustain- an abandoned Vodafone Earth satellite Atomic Energy Commission and the able manner by putting a price on na- station at Kuntunse, near Accra, into a Ministry of Environment, Science, Tech- ture’s resources. The Agency’s strategy radio astronomy telescope. The station nology and Innovation is seeking US$5 in the medium term is to develop and was built in 1981 by the government billion financial support to model the implement a National Space Data In- of Ghana as the backbone of Ghana’s Agency’s infrastructure and develop frastructure as a unique repository and telecommunications at the time. The the nation’s space talents, from a global source for satellite images to serve the dish was abandoned in 2004 when 

15 Space Safety Law and Policy Summer Magazine 2013

The Ghana Radio Astronomy Project involved the conversion of an abandoned Vodafone Earth satellite station into a radio astronomy telescope. – Credits: GSSTI satellite-dish technology evolved. The radio astronomy hub in Hartebeesthoek, astronomy, macrophysics, and micro- conversion process started in mid-2012 which makes observations with partner physics,” says Professor B.J.B Nyarko, and is scheduled to last one year. Gha- telescopes across the world. Director-General of the Ghana Atomic naian and South African experts have According to Tom Muxlow of the Jo- Energy Commission. “In this way, argu- replaced worn out parts and made the drell Bank Centre for Astrophysics near ably, taxpayer’s money is all spent here equipment operational after nine years Manchester, UK, the GhSA radio astron- on Earth, in Ghana, and not being spent of inactivity. For the Institute and its pre- omy stands to benefit global VLBI sci- in space.” decessor, the conversion process has ence. The most powerful VLBI networks According to Nyarko, techniques de- been used to train newly employed staff are in the United States and Europe, but veloped to explore space including sat- and reorient skilled engineers and tech- equatorial skies are not as well covered; ellite communications, image process- nicians into space disciplines including this gap reduces the quality of images ing, and medical technology have the radio telescope engineering, configu- available to radio astronomers, poten- potential to revolutionize standards of ration management, African Very Long tially missing fine details such as faint living. “For example, communications Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) Network jets of plasma from the regions around satellites can be employed as a stra- techniques, radio frequency engineer- black holes. “The addition of a dedicat- tegic tool to improve delivery of equi- ing, software engineering, and mechan- ed array of African antennas observing table healthcare through Tele-Medicine ical engineering. the equatorial sky, by itself or in com- services and online education through After the successful conversion of the bination with global arrays, has the po- online services.” In this light, the Gha- dish at Kuntunse, Ghanaian scientists tential for a truly transformational step naian government can provide basic and engineers will use their knowledge in imaging quality,” Muxlow says. healthcare and education to all Ghana- and skills to lead the conversion of 16 ian citizens, not as a privilege, but as other antennae in Africa. The 17 con- a fundamental right, for the many who verted dishes will eventually comprise a Benefits lack the most basic services. network of radio telescopes — the Af- rican Very Long Baseline Interferometry hana’s space agency will promote Read more about the Ghana National (VLBI) Network. A VLBI facility can train Gthe use of existing national labo- Science, Technology and Innovation many geographically distant dishes on ratories like GAEC’s National Nuclear Policy and Development Plan that calls the same astronomical object, superim- Research Institute (NNRI) [and] provide for GhSA at http://bit.ly/ssm_ghana posing the signals they collect to give for the creation of new laboratories, that a much higher resolution image than a should, in collaboration with universi- Hubert Foy is founder and Director of solo telescope can achieve. At present, ties and other research institutions, lead the African Centre for Science and In- the only member of a VLBI network in Af- inquiries into the most relevant issues ternational Security in partnership with rica is a 26-meter dish at South Africa’s of science, such as the life sciences, the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission.

16 Space Safety Lessons Learned Summer Magazine 2013 Under Pressure: By Phillip Keane A Brief History of Pressure Suits Part 3

the pressure within the suit according The Future The Z-1 is the to altitude. It is hoped that the informa- tion gleaned from the jump will aid de- n the last issue, we looked at high first officially velopment of fighter pilot suits for use speed, high altitude aviation, the in the event of high-altitude bail out. Idawn of the space race, and the endorsed NASA pressure suits that kept the pilots and astronauts alive in those extreme envi- suit design ILC Dover: Still ronments. We also noted that pressure suit design is a long process, and that in 20 years Going Strong the state of the art of aerospace vehi- cles can often overtake that of pressure ince the design of the Space Shut- suits, meaning that pressure suit design ner ascended in a pressurized gondola Stle’s semi-rigid EMU (Extravehicular really hasn’t changed in over half a cen- and utilized a custom pressure suit Mobility Unit) suit in 1980, ILC Dover tury. In this chapter, we will look at the made by the David Clarke Company for has supplied an unbroken run of inno- future of pressure suit design. his descent. As skydivers require visual vative designs. In 1988, the company cues from their environment, the Red unveiled the developmental ILC Dover Bull suit featured mirrors and a heated Mk III, which featured a rear-entry sys- Spacediving visor to defog the screen from breath- tem for more rapid entry than the waist- induced condensation. The suit was entry EMU suit. The high operating ne of the better publicized devel- both flame retardant and offered ther- pressure (57 kPa) of the Mk III would Oopments in recent history came mal protection in the range of +37°C enable astronauts to transfer from a from the David Clarke Company that to -67°C. To aid stability, the suit con- pressurized air environment, such as a designed and manufactured the suit tained a drogue parachute and sensors space station, into an oxygen rich suit worn by Felix Baumgartner for the Red that would deploy the chute in the event without a pre-breathe required to avoid Bull Stratos project. On 14th October that its wearer lost consciousness. In the bends. The combination of hard and 2012, Baumgartner completed his his- addition to accelerometers and gyros soft materials enabled a wider range toric jump from 38.969 km and became for measuring linear and angular accel- of motions, including bending fully at the first man to break the sound barrier eration, pressure sensors were routed the knees, than early Apollo and EMU without the aid of an engine. Baumgart- through a controller which regulated suits. Despite the success of tests, this suit was never used in space, as NASA favored an even more flexible soft suit option. I-Suit esign features from the Mk III car- Dried over to the I-Suit. Development started in 1997, with the first genera- tion waist-entry suit being delivered the following year. The second generation featured improvements and included a rear-entry system, a redesigned helmet for greater visibility, and reduc- tion measures. A heads-up display was incorporated into the helmet and GPS functionality added. The I-Suit was de- veloped for planetary excursions, using fewer heavy bearings and more soft fabrics to minimize the weight. The I- Suit featured a pure oxygen system, water cooling, and was pres- Felix Baumgartner stands in his pressure suit right before his 14 October jump. surized to 29.6 kPa, which also allowed Credits: Red Bull Content Pool for greater mobility. 

17 Space Safety Lessons Learned Summer Magazine 2013

When contained in a tight-fitting outer NASA Z-Series garment, this expansion would provide a force perpendicular to the body sur- he Z-Series is the culmination of face. This effect was similar to that uti- Tthe previous efforts of ILC Dover. lized by the gas and fluid filled bladders The Z-1 was the first prototype in the in g-suits. Thus, the concept of the Me- Z-series, revealed in November 2012; it chanical Counterpressure Suit (MCP) is the first officially endorsed NASA suit was born. The system was developed design in 20 years. Z-1 is a full-pressure further as part of the X-20 DynaSoar design with power supply, CO2 scrub- project, but was abandoned in 1962 bers and thermal control. It features a when the suit was shown to be less mo- rear port intended to connect to a dock- bile than predicted. ing port on a Lunar or Martian ground The advantages of the MCP largely vehicle. This will prevent astronauts from stem from elimination of gas pressur- bringing contaminants such as abrasive ization. Contrary to popular belief, ex- lunar regolith or toxic Martian soil into posure to hard vacuum does not cause the vehicle. The port will enable astro- the body to explode but tends to make nauts to don the suit much faster than is the body and expand, and take on possible with current suit designs. With the appearance of a bodybuilder. The the suit at the same pressure (57.2 kPa) elastic fabrics of the MCP would apply and gas mixture as its connected ve- pressure to the body to counteract the hicle, there will be no need for the user swelling, keeping the astronaut alive. to pre-breathe oxygen before an excur- Additionally, due to the soft materials sion. ILC Dover has already won the used, if the astronaut were to get hit contract to design the Z-2. If all goes The ILC Dover Mk III is tested by Desert Re- by a micrometeoroid then the damage well, the best elements of both suits will search and Technology Studies (RATS) team would be localized to the impact area, be combined into the production level in Arizona Desert. – Credits: NASA and would not result in a rapid decom- Z-3, to be tested on the International pression as would be the case in a gas Space Station in 2017. configurations: an IVA soft-suit, similar pressure suit. in design to the ACES pressure suit, The development of improved fabrics which could be worn during launch spurred NASA engineer Paul Webb to Constellation Suit and reentry operations for protection in revisit the concept of the MCP, and in the case of cabin pressure loss and a 1968 he published an article in Aero- he Constellation Sys- hard shelled mode for EVA use, provid- that attracted positive Ttem (CSSS) concept was designed ing protection from micrometeoroids, attention from the industry. Now re- by Oceaneering, a company that pre- radiation, and abrasive lunar dust. The ferred to as the “Space Activity Suit,” viously specialized in deep-sea explo- suit was originally intended to be worn and described as an “elastic leotard for ration technologies. This was the first by the Orion capsule crew, but develop- ,” contracts were NASA award to a company outside the ment was axed along with the majority awarded for the development of the “big 3” suit makers. The CSSS has two of the Constellation Program. new suit. The Space Activity Suit was tested in vacuum chambers, with punc- ture holes up to 1mm in diameter and Mechanical showed no lasting harmful effects to the wearer, aside from a small blemish Counterpressure which faded quickly. The concept had been validated, Suits but due to problems with maintaining constant pressure over the joints in the arlier segments in this series ex- body, the program was dropped, and Eplored the design flaws that have research into MCPs all but stopped for traditional space suits, largely due to nearly thirty years.  pressurization needs. The gas envelope within the suit can cause a ballooning effect when worn in a vacuum environ- The advantages ment that restricts the wearer’s move- ment, as well as tiring astronauts due of the MCP to the extra effort required to perform each motion. largely stem In 1959, whilst working on the Mer- cury project, German born engineer from elimination Hans Mauch and his team noticed that The ILC Dover Z-1 prototype suit, which when a closed cell foam was subjected of gas NASA plans to test on the International to lower than ambient , the Space Station in 2017. – Credits: NASA cells within the foam would expand. pressurization

18 Space Safety Lessons Learned Summer Magazine 2013

objectives have been developed, prior Bio-Suit to cancellations. The biggest One thing is for sure: we can’t rely t is apparent that future visitors to on designs that are half a century old, challenge facing IMars will be involved in strenuous á la aviation pressure suits. Perhaps physical activities that require a more the biggest challenge facing suit de- suit design is the agile space suit than the current state sign is the lack of direction for crewed of the art allows. For this purpose, Prof. space programs. It is relatively easy to lack of direction Dava J. Newman at MIT has been work- design for a lunar mission when you ing on an updated version of the MCP, know where your destination is, but for crewed space aka the “Bio-Suit.” Like the MCP pre- designing for all scenarios without con- decessors, the Bio-Suit is also a skin- crete direction can be expensive and programs tight garment, but where the previous time consuming. versions were made from foam, the Bio-Suit uses a fabric woven into a 3D matrix. The lines visible on the exterior of the suit are elasticated, and follow lines of non-extension over the body. The matrix acts in compression and tension, exerting a constant mechani- cal pressure over the body, but unlike previous iterations, the Bio-Suit retains equal pressure over joints, even when they are bending. Professor Newman is an expert in the field of biomechan- ics, and in particular has extensive ex- perience in the use of computers for monitoring body movements, a criti- cal factor in overcoming the shortfalls of prior MCP suits. Similar to previous designs, the Bio-Suit can withstand small punctures without risk of rapid , and the punctures can be healed immediately with strips of elasticated fabric, providing the wearer time to return to the safety of a pressurized environment. Skin-tight space suits have been a staple since the early days of science fiction for various reasons, ranging from aesthetics to advanced mobility. Buck Rogers wore one in the early comic books, and a similar garment called the “walker” was used for exploration of the Martian surface in Kim Stanley Robin- son’s Mars Trilogy. In a lot of respects, the Bio-Suit seems to be making the transition from art into reality...or it was. Like most of the innovative designs in this chapter, development of the Bio- Suit has been put on hiatus. The Ideal Suit he ideal suit should be easy to don Tand doff and provide protection for intra- and extra-vehicular activities, both on planet and off. It should be lightweight and mobile, yet should of- fer protection against radiation, mi- crometeoroids, dust, and temperature The Bio-Suit was invented by MIT Professor Dava Newman (pictured here) designed by extremes. It seems like a tall order, but Guillermo Trotti (A.I.A., Trotti and Associates, Inc., Cambridge, MA) , and fabricated by Dai- the technologies to achieve all of these nese (Vicenza, Italy). – Credits: Donna Coveny

19 Space Safety Profile Summer Magazine 2013

By Merryl Azriel Space Walker: The Story of Astronaut Jerry Ross

“I stuck around for a long time„ along the way. Space Safety Magazine fore they happen. He can reach back sat down with Ross to discuss some of into his personal history to say: we tried those anecdotes and their implications. that, it didn’t work. He has many exam- ples of when that expertise prevented significant, even disastrous, mistakes The Importance from occurring on orbit. He recounts at the beginning of the International of Experience Space Station (ISS) program, man- agers decided not to perform thermal e asked Ross what exceptional vacuum testing on any components. Wquality he possessed that allowed “We advocated very strongly that that him to fly seven flights, the first to break was not the right thing,” Ross recalls for John Young’s record six flights. After all, us. The program gave him just enough at the peak of the Shuttle program there money to perform three vacuum cham- were hundreds of astronauts and astro- ber tests. “One of the very first pieces naut candidates waiting for their turns, of station hardware that I identified to and Ross’ EVA specialty was a popular test was the ammonia connector, the one. He described the advantages of fluid QDs that we used to hook up the his athleticism and passion, saying that ammonia lines all around the exte- wearing a spacesuit felt second nature rior of the station,” he says. He suited Jerry Ross’ account of his time as an astro- to him. But he also got in on the ground up and attempted to throw a handle naut. – Credits: Purdue University Press floor and, as he says, “I stuck around to close a valve while in the vacuum for a long time.” Many astronauts didn’t: chamber under conditions simulating n January 2012, Astronaut Jerry satisfied with one or two flights or dis- the extreme cold of space. The handle Ross retired from NASA after a 32 couraged by accidents and long down wouldn’t move. “The hardware provider Iyear career. He was there for the times, they left for other pursuits. engineers were sitting there in the con- first Shuttle flight, and the last. He One of the advantages of Ross’ three trol room outside,” Ross relates. “They broke the record for most decades of experience is that he can said ‘Oh it’ll move, just push the handle – seven – and became NASA’s Extra- spot hardware and EVA problems be- a little bit harder.’ I said ‘I’m push-  vehicular Activity (EVA) expert. He was one of two members of the Silver Team, a pair of spacewalking astronauts who were also grandfathers. After a full ca- reer doing the job he’d dreamed of from age ten, his vehicle was finally retired and it was his turn too. Suddenly con- fronted with a wide open calendar, free of the ever-changing Shuttle schedule that for three decades could yank him away from his family at a moment’s no- tice, Ross knew exactly what he had to do first: write it all down. One year later, Ross’ book, co-writ- ten with John Norberg, was released. “Spacewalker: My Journey in Space and Faith as NASA’s Record-Setting Frequent Flyer”, provides an unvar- nished account of Ross’ successful quest to become an astronaut and the curious, inspirational, alarming, and On the left, Ross’ original astronaut portrait from 1981. On the right, his final astronaut por- amusing encounters he experienced trait from 2002, featuring his seven mission patches. – Credits: NASA

20 Space Safety Profile Summer Magazine 2013

Had we not tested“ that on the ground, we may have lost the station because of that„ ing pretty hard now, you sure you want me to push harder?’ And he said ‘Yeah push harder.’ So I pushed a little hard- er and actually bent the handle. Had we not tested that on the ground, we would’ve got on orbit and would have had a real bad case on our hands. We would have had to completely rebuild fluid lines; we may have lost the station because of that.” For Ross, pictured here during STS-37, it was all about the EVA. – Credits: NASA Another time, Ross learned that the ISS program was not planning to per- as chief and had his staff search the form integrated fit checks on the ground records. “In less than half a day they The Role before launching ISS segments into or- came back with three or four great ex- bit. “All they were going to do was to amples of where the paperwork didn’t of Advocacy validate that the Interface Configuration get things right.” Program managers Documents (ICD) were compatible. And gave in, and Ross got his ground test- in NASA I said ‘Guys, we’ve done this before ing, where numerous problems were throughout the Shuttle program. We’ve identified and corrected. He’s proud ost of the things we had to go done fit checks, and we found a lot that the work he did made sure ISS Mback to the station program and of problems.’” Ross went back to the construction proceeded smoothly, with urge them to do, the managers really Astronaut EVA office where he served no major EVA hiccoughs. knew that they should be doing it; but they were being forced by schedule and especially by cost to try to do things in a streamlined fashion,” Ross explains. “We had to go back and demonstrate to them that there were reasons that we did this in the past and help kind of jog their conscience and help them to make the right decisions.” In “Spacewalker," he writes about how his advocacy green lighted development of Simplified Aid for EVA Rescue (SAFER), an upgrade to the retired Manned Maneuvering Units (MMU). SAFER was designed to allow an adrift astronaut to propel him- self back to the ship. During the Shuttle years, self-rescue was a low priority; af- ter all, the Shuttle could always fly over and pick up a drifting astronaut. Not so with ISS. Ross’ request for SAFER development was initially turned down, until he asked what the program man- ager would tell an astronaut’s spouse when said astronaut was drifting off Astronaut Jerry L. Ross, anchored to the foot restraint on the remote manipulator sys- with low oxygen and failing battery. tem, approaches the Assembly Concept for Construction of Erectable Space Structures “It was the right answer and it still is (ACCESS) device during STS-61B. – Credits: NASA the right answer,” Ross says now. 

21 Space Safety Profile Summer Magazine 2013

Astronauts train in the Neutral Laboratory, which was built due to Ross’ advocacy. – Credits: NASA

“In fact, I understand that they are in the process of building a follow We had to jog Routine up unit because the ones that are “ up there now are running out of their their conscience and Risk mission lifetime.” Without advocacy, many safety-re- and help them to here are other incidents that Ross lated needs just never get addressed. Trecounts in his book that ring alarm Every NASA program must compete make the right bells for the safety minded. There for the same pile of time, money, and was the time on EVA in STS-88 when attention. “We did that throughout the decisions„ communications were interrupted by entire career of the Shuttle and sta- a sports broadcast using an illegal tion,” says Ross. “That was one of my frequency, causing Ross and fellow biggest roles as a crewmember, iden- 30, 2012 spacewalk by astronauts Sunni spacewalker Jim Newman to halt work tifying the hardware that was needed Williams and Aki Hoshide during which until they passed the signal’s range. and the capabilities that were needed; a bolt got stuck during replacement of a Or the time on STS-27 when the Shut- forming a consensus within the EVA power unit. “I think it was an error, or a tle launched with a small leak in one community; and using that leverage to loss of knowledge that caused them to of its tires and the crew kept the bot- go advocate for and hopefully secure not do that task properly the first time,” tom of the orbiter oriented towards the the capability we needed.” Ross says. They should have driven Sun during flight to keep the pressure With the retirement of the Shuttle one bolt out completely before backing up. And after STS-27 when inspec- program and associated layoffs, and out the second bolt, he explains. “The tion showed the spot where a lucky the earlier exodus upon termination of first one to back out is like a locking bolt doubled layer of metal was all that the Constellation program, expertise in to securely hold the box in place. The kept the orbiter from a complete burn some tasks is getting scarce at NASA. other bolt is the one that is longer and through: over seven hundred thermal “We also lost a lot of early and midyear actually drives the electrical connectors protection tiles had been damaged and people from the agency because they on the back of the box into the recep- one was missing. have been frustrated with the lack of tacles on the station structure. That is Ross recounts in Spacewalker that definition of what we’re going to be do- how the hardware was designed to be after the loss of the Space Shuttle Chal- ing in the future,” says Ross. “That is a operated.” (Editor’s note: Space Safe- lenger on January 28, 1986, “all of us severe loss to the agency.” ty Magazine asked NASA’s Johnson in the Astronaut Office were shocked, Absence of that expertise is already Space Center to confirm this explana- disappointed, and mad.” Ross himself showing. We asked about the August tion; they did not respond.) still feels that officials at NASA’s 

22 Space Safety Profile Summer Magazine 2013

Ross, building ISS on his final EVA, STS-110. – Credits: NASA I had no problem talking to anyone at NASA “if I thought there was something wrong„

Marshall Space Center should have started to feel that the thermal protec- the program to end,” he wrote. In addi- been held legally accountable. “After tion systems were a little bit more ro- tion to the need for a vessel that could the accident, they were still doing bust than what we originally thought. explore beyond low Earth orbit, Ross things to try to conceal or cover up There was plenty of blame to be shared says he had a nagging feeling in the pit what had happened,” Ross says. by almost everybody in the agency of his stomach every flight after Colum- “That’s why I thought they should have on that one.” bia, asking himself if there was some been held criminally liable for what hazard they had missed. “On nearly ev- they’d done.” He was also upset that ery mission we found additional issues there had been people who were aware Post-Flight about which we were concerned. If the of the O-ring problem, but no one Shuttle had continued to fly, statisti- bothered to tell the astronauts. “Had oss’ last flight was STS-110 in cally it would have been just a matter we been more knowledgeable on that R2002. After Columbia, he knew of time until we lost another vehicle and we would have focused a lot more at- he’d never fly again. But he stayed at another crew.” tention on that and would have been NASA anyway, hoping to make it safer Ross doesn’t want to see the end much more critically involved in the for his friends to fly. “I had no problem of : he just wants review process.” talking to anyone at NASA if I thought it to be safer, and faster. He doesn’t Columbia was different; when STS- there was something wrong,” he wrote understand why NASA is funding four 107 was lost during reentry on Febru- in “Spacewalker.” “What were they go- different spacecraft – three commer- ary 1, 2003, the Astronaut Office was ing to do if they didn’t like what I had cial vessels along with Orion – instead well aware that foam was coming off to say? Tell me I couldn’t fly anymore?” of focusing on just one, and getting the External Tank on pretty much every He served in the newly formed NASA it completed. “There’re so many un- flight. “I think that we were subject to Engineering Safety Center (NESC) as knowns at this point, it’s frustrat- the same thing many of the managers Chief Astronaut during that time. ing,” says Ross, both for the folks still were,” Ross tells us, “that the hardware Ross recalls feeling relieved when at NASA and those watching – and survived some dings from foam coming Atlantis flew its last in July 2011. “As looking for something to cheer on – off, so therefore I guess we all kind of sad as I was to see that, it was time for from home.

23 Space Safety Editorial Summer Magazine 2013

By Matteo Emanuelli and Tommaso Sgobba Assessing the Aviation Risk from Space Debris and Meteoroids

he risk that an airplane is hit by a meteoroid or space debris, al- The disintegration of Columbia Tthough probably very remote, has never been precisely quantified. In 2007, was a watershed moment an aircraft from Chilean LAN Airlines flying from Santiago to Auckland, NZ in the history of reentry safety spotted burning objects falling from the sky in front of and behind the aircraft. The aircraft was not hit and the objects during reentry operations, particularly “Common Risk Criteria for the National were later identified as most likely being for the management of air traffic and Ranges,” published by the Range Com- meteors. In January 2012, uncontrolled space operations. manders Council (RCC), which provided reentry of Russia’s Phobos-Grunt re- Following the release of the final re- a vulnerability model for the commercial sulted in a request to EUROCONTROL port of the Columbia Accident Inves- transport class. to close the airspace above Europe for tigation Board (CAIB), the US Federal two hours. These are just two examples Aviation Administration (FAA) funded a of the risk that space debris and mete- more detailed aircraft risk analysis that Shuttle Hazard oroids may pose to aircraft. used records of actual aircraft activity Despite increasing efforts to accu- at the time of the accident. That study Area to Aircraft rately predict space debris reentry, the found that the probability of an impact exact time and location of reentry is still between Columbia debris and commer- Calculator very uncertain. Partially, this is due to cial aircraft in the vicinity was at least a skipping effect uncontrolled space- one in a thousand and the chance of an fter FAA executives were briefed craft experience as they enter the at- impact with a general aviation aircraft Aabout the potential for aircraft im- mosphere at a shallow angle due to was at least one in a hundred. The anal- pacts during the Columbia accident, the natural decay. The effect depends on ysis used the current models, which FAA established procedures to be used atmospheric variations of density and assumed that any impact anywhere on as a real-time tactical tool in the event winds, and is very difficult to predict. a commercial transport with debris of of a Columbia-like accident to identify The trajectory and the overall location mass above 300 grams would produce how to redirect aircraft around space of surviving fragments can be precisely a catastrophic accident: all people on vehicle debris. The tool developed predicted only when the bouncing ends board are killed. Those practices were for the purpose was called the Shuttle and atmospheric reentry starts, but by captured at that time in RCC 321-07 Hazard Area to Aircraft Calculator  then the time to impact with ground or to reach airspace becomes very short. All of these factors together mean that population centers, ships, and aircraft have very limited to no time to respond to incoming space debris. The Columbia Disaster he disintegration of the Shuttle Co- Tlumbia on February 1, 2003 was a watershed moment in the history of re- entry safety. It highlighted the need to select vehicle reentry trajectories that minimize the risk to ground popula- tions and the need to take measures to keep air traffic away from falling de- bris. The Columbia accident initiated a chain of events that demonstrated the A PAM-D rocket stage module crashed in an unpopulated area in the Saudi Arabian desert. need for a deliberate, integrated, and Between 10 and 40% of a spacecraft’s mass is destroyed by the extreme reentry conditions; international approach to public safety the remainder poses a threat to ground as well as air traffic. – Credits: NASA

24 Space Safety Editorial Summer Magazine 2013

The probability of an impact Assessing the Aviation Risk between Columbia debris from Space Debris and Meteoroids and a general aviation aircraft was one in a hundred

(SHAAC). SHAAC used a simplified and location of uncontrolled reentries Shuttle debris catalog to predict the may have errors of several thousand ki- size and location of the aircraft haz- lometers and are available only minutes ATV-1 Jules Verne on reentry as observed ard area, or debris footprint, for each before reentry. Consequently, air traffic from a DC-8 aircraft over the Pacific Ocean Shuttle state vector. Such a hazard area controllers cannot issue specific “No- in September 2008. – Credits: ESA depicts the extent of the airspace that tice To Airmen” (NOTAMs) on impend- could contain falling debris hazardous ing reentries. NOTAMs are effective only computed on an annual as well on an to aircraft if the Shuttle were to break when mission planners can provide a event basis. This risk should reflect the apart at the time, position, and veloc- specific time and location in advance, entire spectrum of reentering cataloged ity associated with the input state vec- as in the case of controlled reentries. space objects, ranging from 10cm to tor. In addition to a Shuttle trajectory In conclusion, air traffic is subjected to complete spacecraft and rocket upper file, SHAAC imported forecasted wind an annual total flux of reentering space stages, plus meteoroids. Furthermore, data from the National Oceanic and debris and meteoroids whose collision the risk needs to be assessed for each Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), risk is not generally controllable and has high density traffic region, namely Eu- incorporating an uncertainty factor to been never quantified. rope, the US, Japan, and East China, account for forecasting uncertainty. The and not as a worldwide average as is SHAAC output a set of four coordinate usually done for ground population risk. pairs for each hazard area that formed A New Risk To accomplish this goal, IAASS has a box surrounding the airspace contain- gathered a pool of industry, agency, ing the falling fragments. Assessment Tool and independent experts. The aim is to The procedures established after the develop a tool that will enable a more Shuttle Columbia accident to clear the he International Association for complete assessment of compliance air space are only feasible for non-de- Tthe Advancement of Space Safety with current safety requirements levied structive controlled reentries such as (IAASS), having realized that although by national authorities that will support those typically performed for crewed there are a number of methodologies tactical decisions by crisis manage- missions. But according to The Aero- and tools to assess the risk for public ment units of air traffic authorities and space Corporation, there are about 100 on the ground there is none for aviation will provide reference data for insurance large manmade space objects that re- risk, has determined that the risk for companies. The tool is intended to ex- enter the Earth’s atmosphere randomly aviation with its intrinsic higher poten- pand the capability of existing reentry each year. Current forecasts of the time tial for multiple casualties needs to be risk tools. Fragment modelling and characterization, such as ballistic co- efficient and number of debris, will be considered as inputs. To ensure a cer- tain flexibility the software will be able to import debris fragmentation data from different sources, including SCAR- AB (ESA) and ORSAT (US), and will sup- port automatic air traffic data collection and processing for periodic updates of air traffic density maps. After a preliminary phase, consist- ing of a comprehensive study involv- ing everything from fragmentation and aircraft vulnerability models to collision algorithms, air traffic density maps, and analysis of space objects flux, the project will move to the development phase. The kick-off will take place at a workshop in early October 2013 where the partners will gather under IAASS leadership to discuss the principal is- Visualization of global flight path data. The image clearly shows that Europe, the US, East sues that will need in-depth analysis China, and Japan are areas where the density of air traffic is heightened. – Credits Michael and to prepare the document that will Markieta/Arup finalize the statement of work.

25 Space Safety Media and Entertainment Summer Magazine 2013

By Siddharth Raval Chris Hadfield A Space Oddity

hen Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield blasted off for his Wthird space mission on 19th December 2012, little did we know that in the next five months he would rock the planet with his outreach activities. He became the first Canadian astronaut to command the International Space Sta- tion (ISS), a major accomplishment for Hadfield, who had already visited Rus- sian Space Station in November 1995 and the ISS in April 2001. Had- field’s duties on Expedition 35 included performing “ordinary” robotic operation tasks, operating Canadarm2, and taking part in two space walks, including one unplanned spacewalk to repair a danger- ous ammonium leak. But in addition to executing his challenging technical du- ties, Hadfield brought to the ISS some- thing more that turned out to be just as Hadfield playing on the International Space Station, a regular pastime. – Credits: NASA valuable: a new way to conduct outreach activities that made use, among other Nations orbiting together here.” The song done before in Space: recording a real things, of his talent for music. received huge appreciation, to Hadfield’s music video for his rendition of David evident satisfaction. “I want to commu- Bowie’s Space Oddity, while orbiting 370 nicate the incredible experience of be- km above Earth. Bowie’s classic takes The Space ing in space — what it’s like to launch on new life when recounted from the on a rocket and live on the International perspective of a space veteran that has Rockstar Space Station,” he said. just spent five months in space: “though A few months later, the song was per- I’ve flown one hundred thousand miles, n Christmas Eve 2012, just a few formed across Canada in a nation-wide I’m feeling very still, and before too long Odays into his mission, Hadfield wrote sing-along event. Afterwards, Hadfield I know it’s time to go.” This music video and performed “Jewel in the Night.” The spoke with curious students gathered at went viral, in just one day receiving more YouTube video of the performance, later the Ontario Science Center in Toronto. than 1.8 million views. edited with time-lapse images captured “I think music makes me a better astro- from the ISS, was viewed around the naut,” commented Hadfield. “The type of world. The lyrics, describing the beauty skills you develop in learning to play an The Social Media of Earth as seen from space, introduce a instrument, with the discipline, learning message of peace directed to everyone to play in a group, with the harmony, and Savvy Astronaut on planet Earth. “Love for the families then the fundamental skills that come that gather below, Love for the stranger along with handling those things togeth- adfield was titled as “perhaps the that you’ll never know, For those who are er — they’re applicable whether you’re Hmost social media savvy astronaut with you, who wander above.” an astronaut or really anybody trying to ever to leave Earth,” by Forbes after ac- On February 8, 2013, Hadfield per- do anything,” he told the eager crowd. cumulating a massive fan-following on formed I.S.S (Is Somebody Singing), an Just before leaving ISS, Hadfield did social media, including over 1,000,000 original song from aboard ISS accompa- yet another thing which had never been followers as of June 2013.  nied by The Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Rob- ertson performing on Earth along with a collegiate choir. The song describes What once was fueled by fear, the emotions connected to spaceflight “ and to the vision of “that ball of shiny now has fifteen Nations blue,” that “houses everybody anybody ever knew.” The final message is a re- orbiting together here„ flection on the space program, “what once was fueled by fear, now has fifteen From I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing)

26 Space Safety Media and Entertainment Summer Magazine 2013

[My mission] included millions “of people around the world„

what is going on in space and to mo- decided to retire from government ser- tivate the future generation to pursue vice after 35 years of serving our coun- STEM careers. “The purpose is to help try,” said Hadfield while announcing his people to understand what is possible on retirement during a Canadian Space the space station, and the things we are Agency press conference. “I didn’t say I doing,” Hadfield explained. don’t want to do this anymore, but every During one Reddit Ask Me Anything one of us is going to retire. This is just a () session, Hadfield was asked for natural part of the process.” advice for students and young people “[My mission] included millions of peo- considering a career in space science. ple around the world,” he added. “We, Hadfield’s response to this question hit as a combined force, reached a level of the heart of Australian cartoonist Gavin public involvement and public interest Aung Than, who made a cartoon depict- which was unprecedented.” ing the astronaut’s journey from child to Hadfield hasn’t decided on his fur- astronaut. “I wish someone had given ther plans but for the near future, he Hadfield looks through a floating ball of -wa me that advice when I was younger,” expects to make some public appear- ter, demonstrating refraction on the Inter- Than told the Huffington Post Canada. ances and continue working with stu- national Space Station. – Credits: NASA “I definitely experienced a few years of dents. With more than 140 educational drifting aimlessly through life having for- videos, 45,000 pictures, and numerous For the first six months of 2013, the ISS gotten what my passion was.” conferences, Hadfield has charmed was the talk of the town, in every town, space enthusiasts and students across and the credit goes to Commander Had- the world. Since he blasted off to ISS on field who updated Earthlings with tweets, Return to Earth his third trip, Hadfield became perhaps Google hangouts, and Facebook posts the most celebrated astronaut, reaching from Space. Hadfield posted more than &Resignation a spot beside Neil Armstrong, his hero 140 educational videos that included and inspiration. demonstrations on brushing teeth, cut- ommander Hadfield and his team re- ting nails, and even crying in space, re- Cturned to Earth on May 13th in their ceiving millions of views on social media. Soyuz spacecraft. On June 10 2013, For a gallery of the most significant Many astronauts have posted updates Chris Hadfield announced his retirement videos of Hadfield, visit http://bit.ly/ on social media, but what made Hadfield after a 35 year career in aerospace. “I’ve ssm_hadfield different was that he adapted his content to what his audience demanded. Rather than posting long lectures on life in space he made short videos. Hadfield reached out without being too serious or formal, as demonstrated by Nuts In Space, a 27 second video he posted of a can of nuts mixing it up in microgravity. He chatted with Star Trek's original Captain Kirk and a fellow Canadian, , just before the latest film of the series was released. In one of his best outreach efforts, Hadfield worked with Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage of Mythbusters to perform experiments designed by the two Earthlings and document the kind of activities astronauts perform in their free time. In one episode, Hadfield dem- onstrated Space Darts, a game that can only be played in space, and also built and tested a game proposed by Hyne- man and Savage. “Working with Adam and Jamie was fun!” wrote Hadfield in one of his tweets. Space Education and Outreach is im- An astronaut’s advice, delivered by Hadfield and illustrated by Gavin Aung Than. portant to increase public awareness of Credits: zenpencils.com

27 Space Safety Media and Entertainment Summer Magazine 2013 The Cosmonaut, By Matteo Emanuelli an Intimate and Fantastical Voyage into the Soviet Space Program

I fell in love with the space race, “ especially the Soviet part„

During their training, they are sur- 1966, and his successor, Mishin, was not rounded by the prominent figures of able to fix the rocket, which failed in four the Soviet space race, from Gagarin to consecutive launch attempts. Korolev, living the epic of that pioneer- After the American lunar landing of ing era, focused on reaching the Moon 1969, Stas joins Chelomei’s design bu- before the US. reau and takes active part in the Apol- Back in the 1960s “the reasons to lo-Soyuz mission of 1975, while Andrei go to the Moon were not scientific or continues his training for a mission that technological, although it served those could never happen. Here “The Cosmo- purposes too,” says Alcalá. While the naut” diverges from history, imagining US government funneled all its efforts Brezhnev, the new Soviet leader, giving through a single organization, the newly Chelomei the secret mandate to de- founded NASA, in the USSR the space velop his lunar rocket. Andrei is chosen program became an internal political for the mission, finally accomplishing his business, divided among four competing ultimate dream. design bureaus: Korolev’s OKB-1, Yan- “The Cosmonaut” raised €400,000 through gel’s OKB-586, Glushko’s OKB-456, and a crowdfunding campaign and it explores Chelomei’s OKB-52. While Korolev was Lost Cosmonauts new avenues of distribution. the main architect of the first successes Credits: Riot Cinema Collective of the Soviet space program, Chelomei he Cosmonaut” follows the his- managed to acquire the support of Ni- Ttory of the Soviet space program he Cosmonaut,” a crowdfunded kita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the quite accurately, giving a personal and film produced by the Riot Cin- Soviet Union’s Communist Party. Che- sometimes intimate point of view of the Tema Collective, is a fusion of sci- lomei loses political support, however, events. “Many of the stories that cosmo- ence fantasy and history inspired by the after Khrushchev’s fall in 1964, and the nauts told me are in the film,” Alcalá says. legends of the lost Soviet cosmonauts. lunar program was put in the hands of “I fell in love with the space race, espe- The film is set between 1967 and 1976, Korolev, who was developing the power- cially the Soviet part, and decided to tell and follows the life of three characters, ful but flawed rocket. Korolev died in my story in that period, with all those  Stas, Andrei, and Yulia, in the recently built Star City. They will be witnesses and actors of the successes and failures of the Soviet space program, fueled by passion and innovative technical ideas, but frustrated by political intrigues and power struggles. We contacted director Nicolás Alcalá to know more about this fascinating production. The Soviet Moon Race ndrei and Stas meet with Yulia, a Atelecommunication engineer, while they are training to become cosmonauts at Star City. They will both establish a deep friendship with Yulia, drifting to- From left to right, the director, Nicolás Alcalá, Leon Ockenden aka Stas, Katrine Lister aka wards love but never quite getting there. Yulia, and Max Wrottesley aka Andrei. – Credits: Daniel Mayrit

28 Space Safety Media and Entertainment Summer Magazine 2013

incredible achievements and conspira- cies and epic stories.” According to Alcalá, the inspiration for the movie came from stories and black legends about secret accidents and cos- monauts lost in space, never being able to return to Earth or dying during reen- try. “The idea of a human being, alone, 400,000 km away from home, knowing he is going to die, just blew my mind,” says Alcalá. The legend about lost cosmonauts in space was fueled by recordings made in the early 1960s by the Judica-Cordiglia brothers in Turin. Achille and Giovan Bat- tista Judica-Cordiglia were two amateur radio operators who intercepted sig- nals from various space missions, from Sputnik and the program to the Explorer-1 and Mercury, with amateur equipment. The brothers then set up their Stas alone in the Kolibri capsule. The model for the capsule was inspired by a science own experimental tracking station in a fiction model from the 1960s. – Credits: Miki Auvila disused German bunker from the Second World War on a hill near Turin, where they age in Russia in an era, maybe lost for- claimed to have captured radio com- People ever, where the focus was on extending munications from secret Soviet space “ the boundaries of what was possible for missions. Their recordings, from 1960 to got bored humans, and not only for technology. 1964, include an SOS Morse code alleg- “When that [era] ended, the next step edly sent by a spacecraft leaving Earth about space. was not Mars but just a lot of pretty in- orbit and an eerie recording of a female triguing scientific and technological stuff, cosmonaut dying during reentry. We need interesting only for scientists and tech- Although the veracity of these record- nological companies,” concludes Alcalá. ing has never been substantiated by evi- to turn it into “It was not about human beings con- dence from the USSR archives, opened quering the cosmos anymore, and I to the West after the collapse of the So- a human story think that is why people got bored about viet Union, the work of the Judica-Cordi- space. We need to turn it into a human glia brothers significantly contributed to again„ story again.” the atmosphere of mystery surrounding the Soviet space program. The recent Check out “The Cosmonaut” experience disclosure of the truth about Gagarin’s from the sixties than in something made for yourself at: death leaves the doubt that something by Chelomei.” http://en.cosmonautexperience.com/ more may be revealed in the future. What makes the difference in “The Cosmonaut” is the representation of Space as a state of mind characterized An Era by an overwhelming isolation, an inti- mate and fantastical voyage that wants Lost Forever to describe the condition of those men and women who dared to go beyond hu- lthough “The Cosmonaut” is clearly man limits for the sake of exploration, Aa movie about space, space is not leaving their loved ones behind on Earth. represented as it is usually done in Hol- The movie tries to answer the ques- lywood’s movies, full of explosions and tion: is it worthwhile to explore space “cowboy” dialogues. Most of the techni- and go beyond our cradle, when the risk cal details of the movie come from his- is never coming back? The answer is in- torical reconstructions, with a notable deed controversial. “There is a moment exception: “The UR700 in the film was at the end of the film where Andrei says inspired by the original designs of Che- he has had a dream where he asked Stas lomei, while the Kolibri capsule was one if it was worth it to have lost Yulia to walk of the few things that we have decided on the Moon,” says Alcalá. “He dreams to not be historically accurate and it is about Stas saying to him that it was not, nothing like the original LK700 mod- but that, for just a fraction of a second, Korolev’s powerful, but flawed, N1 Rocket ule,” Alcalá explains. “We made a de- he felt alive.” was meant to be the workhorse of the So- sign that might have existed but it was “The Cosmonaut” stands as a detailed viet Moon Race. All four launch attempts inspired more in science fiction models canvas of the early phases of the space ended in flames. – Credits: Russian Federation

29 Space Safety Announcement Summer Magazine 2013

By Tommaso Sgobba Announcing the Journal of Space Safety Engineering

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF SPACE SAFETY

JOURNAL of SPACE SAFETY ENGINEERING Journal of Space Safety Engineering. – Credits: Kristhian Mason

he International Association for man spaceflight industry is missing the of the IAASS starting in October 2013. the Advancement of Space Safe- opportunity to be kept widely informed JSSE will be published using an open Tty (IAASS) was established in the on safety lessons learned from the major access publication model, meaning aftermath of the Shuttle Columbia ac- international human spaceflight cooper- that all interested readers will be able to cident at the initiative of an international ative program, and is not much encour- freely access the journal online without group of space safety engineers and aged to share its own safety experiences the need for a subscription; authors are managers involved in the International and lessons learned. not charged and retain the copyrights to Space Station (ISS) program. The origi- To compensate for these reduced their work. JSSE will provide an authori- nal aim was to give voice to the “silent” communication pathways, the IAASS tative source of information in the field international human spaceflight safety has decided to supplement safety con- of space safety design, research, and engineering community. ferences and workshops with an ad- development. It will serve applied sci- In the eight years since, IAASS has ditional tool for scientific and technical entists, engineers, policy makers, and organized regular conferences and pro- communication: the Journal of Space safety advocates with a platform to de- fessional gatherings. While these were Safety Engineering. A journal can be an velop, promote, and coordinate the sci- initially centered on Shuttle and Interna- excellent additional tool for engaging ence, technology, and practice of space tional Space Station safety, the scope the interest of the academic community, safety. JSSE seeks to establish chan- grew to include participation of special- which in the past has not been much nels of communication among industry, ists from disciplines as varied as launch encouraged to support space safety academy, and government in the field of and reentry, orbital operations, nuclear engineering, research, and education. space safety. payloads, and more. Unfortunately, In this respect, the IAASS has published The journal has a distinguished Edito- growing travel limitations due to US two textbooks, Safety Design for Space rial Board with extensive qualifications, budget constraints have seriously dis- Systems (2009), and Safety Design for ensuring that the journal maintains high rupted participation of US government Space Operations (2013) to provide a scientific and technical standards and organizations to recent foreign confer- reference for university education. The has broad international coverage. ences, including that of IAASS. It is very Journal of Space Safety Engineering can sad to see the human spaceflight safety further build on those books by reporting community once again back in silent new developments, results of research, More information about submitting mode in the year of the 10th anniversary and operational experiences. papers for publication in the JSSE are of the Columbia Shuttle accident. Con- The Journal of Space Safety Engineer- available at http://iaass.space-safety. currently, the nascent commercial hu- ing (JSSE) will be a quarterly publication org/publications/journal/

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