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HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT SAFETY

HUMAN SPACEFLIGHT SAFETY

The Independent Safety Office (TEC-QI) is responsible for Human Spaceflight Safety in various space programmes as follows:

International Space Station

The Independent Safety Office (TEC-QI) role in the ESA ISS programme is:

ESA ISS Safety Lead function
Technical authority for the safety review and certification of ISS Payloads, experiments, sub-system hardware and operations
Operating the ESA Safety Review Panel (ESRP) under delegation from the NASA safety authority for ISS: the Multilateral Safety and Mission Assurance C ontrol Board (MS&MACB)

The International Space Station ISS (Credits: Courtesy of ESA)

ESA astronaut Luca Parmitano taking experiment photos on ISS (Credits: Courtesy of ESA)

The commercial US Crew Vehicles (USCV) currently under development are the SpaceX Crew Dragon and the Boeing CST-100 Starliner. In order to ensure shared and continued access to the ISS, crew rotation (including ESA astronauts) will be achieved on both Soyuz and USCVs. A cadence of two USCVs and two Soyuz missions will be planned per year, with each mission lasting approximately six months. There will be an increase of up to 11 crew on-orbit during the USCV direct handover periods while Soyuz is also docked to ISS.

The new commercial crew vehicles SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing Starliner CST-100 follow a safety certification which is processed by the NASA Safety Review Panel.

In order to provide the International Partners ( IPs) with visibility on the new commercial crew vehicles, NASA has provided redacted Hazard Reports (HRs) to the IPs (in compliance with Export Control Regulations).

The Independent Safety Office is responsible to evaluate these redacted USCV Hazard Reports and compile a safety assessment which will be one of the inputs to support the ESA decision to give the go ahead for ESA personnel (astronauts) to fly in the SpaceX Crew Dragon and Boeing CST-100 Starliner.

MORE ABOUT the International Space Station

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International Space Station safety responsibility

NASA is responsible for the overall integrated safety of the International Space Station (ISS).

The NASA ISS Safety Review Panel (ISRP), originally established in 1977, is an “internal committee to assist the Manager, Space Shuttle Program, and the Manager, International Space Station Program, in the responsibility for payload and experiment integration/safety as delegated by Headquarters" (JSC Policy Charter – JPC 1152.4L).

In particular:

Assists in the interpretation of safety requirements and provides recommendations for implementation

Conducts Flight Safety Reviews (FSRs)

Evaluates modifications with impact on safety

Evaluates safety analysis, reports and waivers

Assures resolution of payload safety issues

Independent Safety Office (TEC-QI)

NASA has delegated Safety Review and Certification authority to the ESA Safety Review Panel (ESRP) for ESA developed or ESA sponsored payloads/systems operated within the Columbus or US elements of the ISS (including external facilities), in accordance with the NASA-ESA Safety Panels Charters and ISS Safety Requirements SSP 51721 and SSP 30599.

Introduction to ESA Safety Review Panel

Details about the ESA Safety Review Panel can be found in the following presentation.

ISS Safety Review Process

It is a phased process to assess design and operations of the ISS <End Items> to the safety requirements established in SSP 51721.

<End Items> Providers submit to the ESA Safety Review Panel (ESRP) a safety analysis (Flight Safety Data Package) to:

Identify all hazards and hazard causes
Evaluate all hazard controls
Establish safety verification and on-orbit verification/reverification methods.

ISS Safety Review Process

Phases

Phase 0 TIM (optional, depending on <End Items> complexity): purpose is to assist the <End Items> Providers identifying hazards, hazard causes, and applicable safety requirements early in the development of the hardware.
Phase I: purpose is to obtain ESRP approval of the safety analysis that reflects the preliminary design and operations scenario of the <End Item>.
Phase II: purpose is to obtain ESRP approval of the updated Flight Safety Data Package that reflects the CDR-level design and operations scenario of the <End Item>.
Phase III: purpose is to obtain ESRP approval of the Flight Safety Data Package and safety compliance data that reflects the safety verification findings. The focus of this review is to assess safety verification testing and analysis results.

Common ESA practice is to integrate Safety Reviews in the schedule of the development Project Review cycle (PDR, CDR, FAR).

The safety review process for ISS is described in SSP 30599.

ISS Safety Review Process

more information

ESA ISS Safety webpage - customer support ESA ISS Safety webpage

Registration to ESA ISS Safety webpage:

The ESA ISS Safety Website contains safety requirements, forms, templates, FAQs, and it is accessible to ISS hardware developers.

To register, write a request via email to: iss.safety@esa.int

Once you receive the password, you can log-in here: https://tec.esa.int/sites/act-I83sDY/Pages/Home.aspx

The developer is encouraged to use it for e.g. the compilation of the standard hazard report.

VIDEO – 20 YEARS OF ESA ON THE ISS

WATCH

US Crew Vehicles

SpaceX Crew Dragon approaching ISS (Credits: Courtesy of ESA)

Gateway (Lunar)

TEC-QI operates the Gateway ESA Safety Review Panel (GESRP) under delegation from the ESA Gateway Control Board for ESA´s Lunar Gateway elements:

International Habitat (iHAB)
ESPRIT Refueling Module Element (ERM)
ESPRIT HALO Communication System (HLCS)
Payloads

ORION

TEC-QI is co-chairing the Joint Safety & Engineering Safety Review Panel (JSERP) for safety reviews related to ORION´s European Service Module (ESM).