NPR 8705.2, Human Rating Requirements for Space Systems was updated to reflect current agency policies. Revision C included changes to improve accountability throughout the Human-Rating certification process, clarification of the scope of human-systems integration analyses, clarifications regarding the failure tolerance requirement and more explicit involvement of the crew safety representatives.

Check out the November 2017 issue of Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN).

The Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) selected three new sites, all in Florida, to host All Sky Fireball Network cameras — Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Robinson Observatory at the University of Central Florida and the Beach Corrosion Facility at NASA Kennedy Space Center. Installation occurred in October.

The NASA Pressure Vessels and Systems Working Group developed updates to NASA-STD-8719.17, Requirements for Ground-Based Pressure Vessels and Pressurized Systems (PVS). With thousands of ground-based pressure systems across the agency storing substantial amounts of energy, it’s essential requirements for their safe and reliable operation remain current. 

The most recent EEE Parts Bulletin provides information on activities related to Electrical, Electronic and Electromechanical (EEE) parts that occurred at NASA between June and July 2017. 

Richard “Rick” Burt, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) director at Marshall Space Flight Center, has what he calls the “Fundamental Four”:

• Do the right things
• Do them right
• Do them now
• Own them

Multi-disciplinary physics-of-failure testing and simulations conducted on Printed Circuit Boards at Goddard Space Flight Center recently resulted in an industry standard update, which will lead to cost savings not only for NASA but for the electronics industry in general.

The August 2017 edition of the Orbital Debris Quarterly News (ODQN) is now available. The issue includes articles on the discovery of the earliest Delta rocket body fragmentation, space debris sensor updates, benefits of a high Low-Earth Orbit in-situ measurement mission, NASA requirements for debris assessment software reentry risk analysis and conference reports.

Earlier this year, the Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) presented three papers at the 7th European Conference on Space Debris in Germany, sharing findings and updates related to comparison studies on the damage caused by meteoroids versus Orbital Debris, meteor shower forecasting and NASA’s Meteoroid Engineering Model.