Estimating Spares Requirements for Space Station Freedom Using the M-SPARE Model

Abstract

The Logistics Management Institute developed a methodology that estimates the optimal orbital replaceable unit (ORU) spares inventory for NASA's Space Station Freedom. NASA is using this methodology to select a spares inventory that maximize station availability, i.e., the probability that no critical system is inoperative for lack of an ORU spare over the resupply cycle. It is based upon a marginal analysis approach. Spares are ranked in order of decreasing benefit per cost (the improvement provided to station availability per dollar) and added, in that order, to the inventory until a target resource expenditure or availability is reached. The methodology also develops optimal spares inventories constrained by the spares weight the shuttle can carry, the spares volume the station can store, or a combination of resources. To implement our methodology, we developed the Multiple Spares Prioritization and Availability to Resource Evaluation (M-SPARE) model that operates on a personal computer. M-SPARE presents the maximum availability for an entire range of resource expenditures. The model also converts annual spares requirements over any period of the station's life into funding estimates for the next 9 years. In this guide, we describe the M-SPARE methodology, operation, and analytical capabilities.... Spares, Availability, Resource allocation, Multi-echelon, Space Station Freedom, Inventory modeling, Inventory systems, Sparing-to-availability, Budget.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA260878

Entities

People

  • Craig C. Sherbrooke
  • Robert C. Kline

Organizations

  • LMI

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Budget Estimates
  • Computers
  • Databases
  • Failure Mode And Effect Analysis
  • Hard Copy
  • Inventory
  • Lead Time
  • Logistics
  • Logistics Management
  • Maintenance
  • Personal Computers
  • Probability
  • Probability Distributions
  • Simulations
  • Spreadsheet Software
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Word Processors

Fields of Study

  • Engineering

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Computational Modeling and Simulation
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.

Technology Areas

  • Space