Status Report

NASA JSC: Space Based Reliability Methodology

By SpaceRef Editor
January 13, 2014
Filed under , ,

Synopsis – Jan 10, 2014

Statement of Interest Form – Posted on Jan 10, 2014 

General Information

    Solicitation Number: NNJ14ZBH006L

    Posted Date: Jan 10, 2014

    FedBizOpps Posted Date: Jan 10, 2014

    Recovery and Reinvestment Act Action: No

    Original Response Date: Mar 17, 2014

    Current Response Date: Apr 11, 2014

    Classification Code: A — Research and Development

    NAICS Code: 541712

 

Contracting Office Address

NASA/Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Houston Texas, 77058-3696, Mail Code: BH

Description

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) is seeking parties interested in collaborative development and mature technologies required for NASA’s future missions and to enhance life on Earth. JSC is looking to partner on the development of broadly applicable technologies as a means to accelerate technology development and strengthen commercialization of federally-funded research and development.

Purpose:

NASA JSC seeks partners to better understand limitations and potential performance shaping factors (PSF) for a space-based Human Reliability Analysis (HRA) method. Cognitive Reliability and Error Analysis Method (CREAM) is a bi-directional analysis method that is used for both performance prediction and accident analysis. Unlike first generation error analysis methods such as Technique for Human Error Rate Prediction (THERP), CREAM represents a second generation tool allowing for better analysis by abandoning the hierarchical structure of previous methods and providing better separation between objective and subjective error. Assistance with breaking apart the current ground based PSFs and recombining with the additional long duration, space-based PSFs is needed.

Technology:

NASA JSC’s current HRA methodology, as well as all other methods currently available, is based on ground data sources. The Space Shuttle Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) was used to assess all known risk contributors, such as human/crew reliability, in support of the program’s risk-informed decision-making process.

The Shuttle PRA used a combination of HRA techniques. Once the human actions were identified, the majority of them were initially quantified with an analysis methodology that is essentially based on the THERP, as described in NUREG/CR-1278, “Handbook of Human Reliability Analysis with Emphasis on Nuclear Power Plant Applications.” The initial THERP-like quantification serves as a screening analysis to identify the risk-dominant human errors. The risk-dominant human errors are then evaluated in further detail using the extended CREAM.

For future space programs with 200 to 900 day missions, crew fatigue, low gravity physiological effects, and crew health may become more significant factors in assessing human reliability; thus, the need to expand the capability of the current ground-based HRA techniques.

The technology is in early development, i.e., Technology Readiness Level TRL-1.

R&D Status:

The current toolset includes both the CREAM and the THERP HRA approaches. Both of these approaches are based on humans tested on the ground. As human space missions head to Mars and asteroids, mission durations will last 400 to 900 days, which is much longer than any mission performed to-date. It is believed that long duration missions in low gravity can result in fatigue and physiological effects on human crews, which can impact their reliability of performing human actions; thus, the importance for the vehicles and mission training to better account for these effects on the crew.

Intellectual Property (IP):

This Partner relationship may produce new IP that could be jointly owned by NASA and the partner or may become the property of the partner.

This announcement is not to be construed as a Request for Proposal and is not a commitment by the government, nor will the government pay for any information provided. Since this is an Announcement, no evaluation letters or results will be issued to the respondents.

Please submit the attached Statement of Interest Form to Mark Dillard

To view all Co-Development and Partnering Opportunities with the NASA Johnson Space Center please visit our website http://1.usa.gov/1bL99AF

Point of Contact

    Name: Mark A. Dillard

    Title: Lead Partnership Development Office Integration

    Phone: 281-244-8460

    Fax: 281-483-4146

    Email: mark.a.dillard@nasa.gov

 

    Name: Dana Altmon-Cary

    Title: Contracting Officer   

Phone: 281-483-8228    F

ax: 281-483-4066   

Email: dana.altmon-cary-1@nasa.gov

SpaceRef staff editor.