NASA Watch

From: MILLER, C R. (RICK) (JSC-MS2)
Sent: Friday, November 27, 1998 10:58 AM
To: lots.and.lots.of.people@jsc.nasa.gov
Subject: FW: Another Shuttle-Mir mission??

Importance: High

All,

Please have a look at this assessment request. Please send any comments/questions/observations directly to MS2/Bobby Brown, but include me on your distribution.

Here's some of my own comments/questions (some thermal/ECLS and some not):

1. Where is the Phase 1 air interchange duct? If hatch openings and crew interchange are part of the mission, the duct must be located on Mir or relaunched, if it's still available.

2. Is any Orbiter-to-Mir potable/technical water transfer being considered for the mission?

3. Recommend that all activities necessary for safe DM return be accomplished by the Mir crew prior to separation of the DM from Mir. The idea of these activities is to eliminate any and all requirements for the Orbiter crew to ingress the DM after Mir undocking while the DM is still installed on the ODS. Such activities would include, but not limited to:

a. Ensure DM internal cargo/systems configurations are well defined, as they relate to DM mass and CG.

b. Ensure DM internal cargo/systems are adequately secured so as to prevent CG shifting.

c. Ensure that DM internal cargo/systems configurations are compatible with proper functioning of the DM NPRV's.

d. Prior to final Mir crew departure from the DM, verify DM hatch seal integrity for both DM hatches.

e. Prior to final Mir crew departure from the DM, uncap the NPRV's (three, I believe).

f. Prior to Orbiter arrival at Mir for DM removal, the Mir crew needs to restore the DM outer mold line to a configuration compatible with DM restow in the payload bay (with respect to obstructions and clearances).

4. Develop a plan for postundocked Orbiter attitudes/durations that will restore Orbiter and DM temperatures and gradients to benign thermal conditions prior to the restow attempt. Depending on the Beta angle and other specifics of the docked mission, the thermal conditions of both the DM and the Orbiter structure may be extreme at undocking.

5. If any postundocking scenario requires the Orbiter crew to ingress the DM while it's still installed on the ODS, then all the equipment needed for and services supporting ingress needs to be manifested or met:

a. The air interchange duct needs to be available
b. Power/data interface needs to be in place
c. etc.

6. If safe return of the DM is the only postundocked mission objective, then from a thermal/ECLS point of view there may not be a need to require a power or data interface either with the DM on the ODS or with the DM restowed in the payload bay (via the ROEU). If these interfaces can be determined to not be necessary, then the mission may become less complicated.

7. All of the contingency EVA scenarios associated with this mission need to be identified, and all the EVA tools and training need to be manifested and in place.

Thanks for your inputs.

MS2/Rick Miller

(281) 483-1229

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