Integrated System Health Management for Flexible Exploration

Long-duration robotic and manned space missions have a number of unique requirements for mission success. These include ultra-high reliability, safety, sustainability and affordability of launch vehicles and spacecraft. These requirements, in turn, are allocated among critical subsystems, such as engines, propellants, structures, software systems, thermal protection, power, avionics, life support, guidance, communication and navigation. In this vein, novel integrated system health management (ISHM) technologies that evolve with the system life-cycle, viz., concept-> design-> development-> production-> operations and training, are essential for meeting the requirements of safe and ultra-reliable, sustainable and affordable launch vehicles and spacecraft. NASA has been employing a number of reliability tools and methods, FMECA, FTA and PRA, for designing reliable and safe systems. However, the current methods are ad hoc, prone to errors and do not evolve with the system life-cycle. In response to these challenges, Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI) propose to develop an integrated system health management (ISHM) tool and a concomitant process for new heavy lift launch systems and exploration precursor robotic missions. The new risk and design analysis tool, when coupled with QSI's diagnostic and prognostic tools (QSI's Testability Engineering and Maintenance System (TEAMS) toolset) will simplify early-stage design of health management functionality during the development of space systems (e.g., safety and mission assurance analysis, failure modes, effects and criticality analysis, hazards analysis, functional models, fault propagation models, testability analysis, design for serviceability, sustainability and affordability). The TEAMS SW suite already hosts a number of these desired capabilities. Consequently, QSI proposes to introduce additional modeling and analytic capabilities to TEAMS and enhance the existing, so as to make it an enhanced support tool for ISHM.

NASA's current vision to enhance the level of autonomy for vehicle health management and mission planning makes the proposed effort worthy of funding from several branches within it. Clearly, establishing the technology and the software so that it readily operates as part of NASA's next generation Mission Control Technology allows NASA to utilize the continuous health assessment and mission satisfiability information from our tool for improved mission execution and reconfiguration while improving safety, mission success probability and reducing flight controller and crew workload.

Among the other agencies, DoD and Air-force and Navy are the most potential customer for the resulting technologies. Large scale military systems (systems of systems) such as NORAD, Space Command ground segments, the Joint Strike Fighter fleet, the Navy shipboard platforms, Submarine Commands and ballistic missile defense (BMD) systems can be potential areas to field the proposed technology. In addition, UAVs, UMGs and other unmanned submersible vehicle markets could also be potential target for the proposed technology. The product is also expected to be of commercial value to the manufacturers of DoD and military's remotely guided weapons and reconnaissance systems.

This is early/mid-stage (TRL 4) — the most realistic path in is NASA SBIR/STTR, which funds small businesses and research institutions to develop technology aligned with NASA's needs (equity-free, phased funding). Check whether a current SBIR/STTR solicitation topic overlaps with this project's technology area, or contact the project directly (above) to ask.

None of these are guaranteed paths for this specific project — TechPort itself doesn't have an "apply" button. Reaching out to the contact(s) above with a specific question is usually the fastest way to find out what's actually open.