Reusable Space Vehicle Ground Operations Baseline Conceptual Model

Abstract

Modeling efforts for future space operation vehicles at the United States Air Force Research Labs Air Vehicles Directorate have been focused towards the in flight mission. To better serve the research and development effort, a simulation of the ground operations is required allowing for trade-offs within turnaround operations and between the components that drive those procedures. However, before a simulation can be developed a conceptual model must be generated to guide the model building process. This research provides a baseline conceptual model for reusable space vehicles based on the space shuttle as the only operational vehicle of its kind. The model is built utilizing the Integrated Definition (IDEF) methodology, specifically IDEF3. IDEF3 is focused towards process-viewpoint diagramming and layout. The model is developed using the hierarchical development capabilities of the IDEF3 methodology and is broken into modules allowing for greater reuse and usability. This model captures the scheduled maintenance performed to turnaround the space shuttle for the next launch but does not contain every activity. The idea was to capture the baseline activities that may be found in future Reusable Space Vehicles and provide a description of what happens at Kennedy Space Center when preparing the space shuttle for the next launch.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 01, 2004
Accession Number
ADA422942

Entities

People

  • Dennis R. Maynard
  • Patricia Pettit

Organizations

  • Air Force Institute of Technology

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Aircrafts
  • Army Procurement
  • Business Administration
  • Carbon Carbon Composites
  • Maintenance
  • Management Personnel
  • Manufacturing
  • Material Degradation Processes
  • Materials Laboratories
  • Materials Processing
  • Materials Testing
  • Organizational Structure
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Space Shuttles
  • Space Transportation
  • Spacecraft

Readers

  • Aerospace Engineering.
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Software Engineering.

Technology Areas

  • Space