Del Mar College Seminar 2010

8/9/2019 Del Mar College Seminar 2010

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Experiences of a NASAFlight Controller, Astronaut

Trainer, and Martian

Del Mar CollegeNatural Science Lecture Series

April 16, 2010

Stacy L. CusackNASAs Johnson Space Center


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NASAs Johnson Space Center

Spaceflight Training ManagementStacy L. Cusack Page 2

Overview

Background Information about ISS Keeping humans alive in space Jobs at NASA

Flight Controller Astronaut Trainer Station Training Lead

Travel for Work Travel to Mars

ISS vs. Mars What I learned on Mars


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Background

Bachelors Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Rutgers University

(State University of New Jersey)

Worked for 3 years as an Engineer in a small consulting firm doingHeating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) design in NJ

Moved to Houston, Texas to work for Barrios Technology A woman-owned small business and NASA sub-contractor

11 years at NASAs Johnson Space Center supporting InternationalSpace Station (ISS) Operations Environmental Control & Life Support Systems (ECLSS) Flight Controller

ECLSS Spaceflight Instructor (aka astronaut trainer)

Space Station Training Lead

Converted from a contractor to a Civil Servant

Masters Degree in Planetary Geology from University of Houston Clear Lake

Crewmember on two Mars analog missions as a volunteer for the MarsSociety


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International Space Station (ISS)

Permanently manned since November 20006 crewmembers living onboard ISS at this time


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ISS Flythrough Video

by Jeff Williams


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International Space Station (ISS)

United States Russia

Canada

Japan

Europe Belgium Denmark France Germany Italy Netherlands

Norway Spain Sweden Switzerland United Kingdom


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Interesting Facts about ISS

Interior volume is ~ 27,000 cubic feet

Apollo Lunar Module - 235 cu ft, proposed Altair lunar lander 1,120 cu ft, Shuttle - 2,475 cu ft

Average distance from Earth to ISS is 215 miles Distance to the Moon 240,000 miles, distance to Mars 140,000,000 miles

ISS solar arrays can generate up to 72 kW of power Average home needs solar panels which generate ~ 2 kW of power

It takes ~ 75 computers to run all the software to operate ISS

There are ~ 80 laptops onboard Used for commanding to equipment, reading procedures, logging medical data, and most

recently connecting to the internet and tweeting from space!

900 gallons of water for drinking, hygiene, and to generate oxygen

250 gallons of ammonia to reject heat from ISS equipment

700 lbs of oxygen and 400 lbs of nitrogen onboard to maintain the cabin

pressure at Earth equivalent pressure

88 smoke detectors for fire and smoke detection

1,600 gallons of fuel (propellant) for attitude control

~ 2,000 tools just on the US Segment for maintenance and repairs


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Keeping Humans Alive in Space

Humans need the following to live in space:

Water for drinking, hygiene, and food prep 6 crewmembers use about 3.5 gallons of water per day

Oxygen to breathe 11 lbs needed for 6 crewmembers

Oxygen and nitrogen to maintain cabin pressure Clean, well ventilated atmosphere free of particles and trace gasses

Off gassing from foam, packaging, new hardware, etc

Waste removal Food

Humans generate the following waste products: Carbon dioxide

CO2 becomes hazardous after 3.5 days without active scrubbing

Sweat (humidity/condensate) 6 crewmembers generate 2 gallons of sweat per day

Urine 6 crewmembers generate 2.4 gallons of urine per day

Solid Waste Hair/skin/trash/etc


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Closed Loop Life Support

Oxygen generator splits water molecules into hydrogen andoxygen

Oxygen is vented into the cabin for breathing Hydrogen goes to the Sabatier reactor

Sabatier reactor takes the CO2 and H2 and converts it intomethane (vented overboard) and water

WATER PROCESSOR

DistillateCondensate

Drinking water

Water

Oxygen

CABIN

CREW

URINE PROCESSOR

OXYGEN GENERATOR SABATIER

Urine

Carbon Dioxide

Hydrogen

Water

overboard

Methane

Urine and water

processors take urineand condensate (fromsweat) and turn theminto drinking water

Carbon dioxide scrubberremoves CO2 from theatmosphere


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Spacecraft Emergencies

Loss of cabin pressure

A hole in the pressure shell of only in diameter

requires the crew to evacuate ISS in 3 hours

Fire in the cabin or behind a rack

Toxic atmosphere

Ammonia from external loops

Leaking batteries

Urine concentrate

Solutions used in scientific experiments


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ECLSS Flight Controller

First job at NASA was as an Environmental Control & LifeSupport Systems (ECLSS) Officer Certified as a back room (Atmosphere Consumables Engineer) and

front room officer Split time between office work and working in Mission Control

Responsible for writing procedures and flight rules to operate

the life support systems on ISS When on console, operated thelife support systems Managed all of the consumables

water, oxygen, nitrogen, etc.

Worked 2000 hours in MissionControl

Also responsible for spacecraftemergencies


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Spaceflight Training Management

Stacy L. Cusack Page 12

ACE (back room) Officer

STS-97/4A STS-104/7ASTS-102/5A.1 STS-105/7A.1


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ECLSS (front room) Officer

STS-110/8A STS-117/13ASTS-112/9A STS-118/13A.1


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ECLSS Spaceflight Instructor

Second job at NASA was as an ECLSS Spaceflight Instructor Certified to run the life support systems in the ISS simulator, used totrain flight controllers and crewmembers

Certified to teach astronauts, cosmonauts, flight controllers, and otherNASA and International Partner personnel in the operations of ISS lifesupport systems

Taught 16 different lessons inmultiple environments Classroom

Part Task Trainer

ISS mockups Taught crewmembers how to

respond to ISS emergencies:fire, depress, toxic atmosphere


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Lead ECLSS Instructor

STS-121/ULF1.1 Expedition 15

Put photo with E15 here


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ECLSS Instructor ISS Simulator


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ECLSS Instructor ISS Mockups


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ECLSS Instructor Emergency Training


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Station Training Lead

Current job at NASA is as a Space Station Training Lead

Lead a team of instructors running ISS and ISS/Shuttle simulations tocertify flight controllers

Lead a team of instructors responsible for following an assigned crewfrom the start of training through flight to post flight debriefs

Lead numerous training

sessions for astronauts andcosmonauts Routine operations, aka A Day

in the Life of a Space Stationcrewmember

Malfunction scenarios: loss ofpower, loss of cooling, etc.

Emergency Scenarios

Develop training plans forfuture missions


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Station Training Lead

Expedition 20 STS-132/ULF-4HTV-1 (unmanned)

Put photo with 132 here


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Where I Work

Houston, TexasJohnson Space Center (JSC), Mission Control Center Houston (MCC-H)


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Travel for NASA

Huntsville, AlabamaMarshall Space Flight Center (MSFC),

Payload Operations Center (POC)


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Star City and Moscow, RussiaGagarin Cosmonaut Training Center (GCTC), Mission Control Moscow (TsUP)

Travel for NASA


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Oberpfaffenhofen, GermanyEuropean Space Agency (ESA), Columbus Control Center (COL-CC)

Travel for NASA


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Tsukuba, JapanJapanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Space Station Integrated Promotion Center (SSIPC)

Travel for NASA


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Mars Society Research Stations

The Mars Society An international nonprofit volunteer organization

Research on how to live & work on another planet

Mars Desert Research Station (MDRS) Located near the southern Utah town of Hanksville

Site is very isolated and has Mars-like appearance

and terrain Two week long simulations conducted from Novemberthrough May each year

Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) Located on Devon Island at 75 deg North in the

Canadian Arctic

Island is completely uninhabited and unvegetated Habitat is located on the edge of an impact crater

One month long simulations conducted during themonth of July during the Arctic summer


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Habitats and Mock Space Suits

8 m (26 feet)in diameter


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Habitat Layout First Floor

First Floor -

Two Airlocks

Work area (experiments& maintenance)

EVA prep & suit storage


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Habitat Layout Second Floor

Second Floor food prep, computer work area, common area, crew quarters


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Habitat Layout CQs and Loft

Crew Quarters, Loft (water and food storage)

Upper BunkLower Bunk


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Exterior Activities

Generator shack, fuel storage,

ATVs, drinking water source


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MDRS Crew 7

Completed a two week tour at MDRS in November 2002

Served as the Executive Officer, Habitat Capcom, and one of thegeologists on the crew

International crew was comprised of members from France,Belgium, United Kingdom, and the United States

Crew Background geologist/author, rocket propulsion system

engineer, NASA flight controller, teacher, BBC news editor, andfull time student

Age range 22 to 55

Completed 24 EVAs


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MDRS Crew 7 Experiments

Ground Penetrating Radar

Cliff Reconnaissance Vehicle

GreenHabwater recycling


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FMARS Crew 12

Completed a 5 week mission at FMARS in July 2009

Served as the EVA Lead, Capcom, and one of the geologists onthe crew

All American crew

Crew Background mining geologist, engineer, NASA traininglead, elementary school teacher, NASA flight controller, NOAA

geophysicist Age range 26 to 69

Completed 16 EVAs


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FMARS Crew 12 Experiments

UnmannedAerial Vehicle

Seismic Station

Time-domain ElectromagneticGroundwater Survey

Omega EnvoyRover


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ISS vs. Mars Operations

International Space Station

Food, supplies, and spare parts arewell stocked Regularly resupplied by cargo vehicles Many redundancies in critical systems and

extensive set of tools and supplies forrepairs

Communications between Earth andISS is almost instantaneous andcontinuous Ground team controls almost all systems

Mission Control team responsibilities: Performs all troubleshooting that does not

require an immediate response

Assists the crew during emergencies andfailures Responsible for day-to-day and long term

planning, as well as prioritizing mission andscience objectives

Mars Missions

Food, supplies, and spare parts will belimited due to storage space Resupply will be very infrequent, at best Crew has to be very skilled in troubleshooting

and creative repair techniques with whateveris on hand

Round trip communications time

between Earth and Mars averagesaround 20 minutes Ground system control is not an option

Mission Support team responsibilities: Assist the crew with complex troubleshooting

which does not require a quick turnaround

May perform long term planning


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ISS vs. Mars Operations

International Space Station

Crew responsibilities: Executes the daily plan created by Mission

Control Maintains real-time situational awareness to

assist the ground team Responds to spacecraft emergencies

Mission Commander of an ISSmission: Responsible only for looking out for fellow

crewmembers and taking charge duringfailures and emergency response

Not required to develop the daily plan ofactivities

Not required to decide science and missionpriorities

Mars Missions

Crew responsibilities: Crew has to be autonomous due to the

communications time lag Required to perform troubleshooting

without the real-time assistance of groundsupport teams

Responsible for day-to-day planning andprioritizing mission and science objectives

Mission Commander of a Marsmission: Balance daily activities, science objectives,

and mission priorities Prevent unnecessary crew fatigue and

maintain crew cohesion Promote crew consensus on decisions

without dictating


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ISS vs. Mars EVAs

EVAs on Mars will be completely different from ISS EVAs

ISS EVAs are performed by running through step-by-step procedurespracticed extensively on Earth

EVAs on Mars will require crews to modify their plans regularly based onsurface conditions, weather, and field observations

Mars crews will need tools to help them plan a safe and efficient route to adestination of interest, they wont be able to practice traverses in advance

Mars crews will not be able to rely on the ground for real-time troubleshootingor monitoring (metabolic rates, oxygen usage, battery time, etc.)


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What I Learned on Mars

Traveling long distances will require a rover But, if your rover breaks down, you cant call AAA!

Try changing a spark plug while wearing a space suit

Working in an space suit can be a challenge!

Picking up rocks and pressing buttons with bulky gloves Reading equipment displays through a helmet

Kneeling down on a rocky surface with a heavy back pack

And, getting back up to a standing position

Rock hammers, chisels, & sample bags are a must

But you really dont want to put a hole in your suit


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Unlike ISS, there is no quick way home from Mars

ISS crewmembers always have the option to evacuate ISS inan emergency (fire, depress, toxic, or medical)

Mars crews will have to deal with the emergency and takeaction to keep their habitat livable and the crew healthy

Medical supplies and medical support on Mars willbe limited (due to launch cost and distance)

ISS is well stocked with medical supplies ISS Flight Surgeons are always available to assist in real time

An incapacitated ISS crewmember can return to Earth

A Mars crewmember has to be treated on Mars


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ISS crews have their day carefully planned down to the minute

Sufficient time is allotted for sleep, exercise, off duty, medical & family conferences, etc. Keeps the crew healthy from a physical and psychological perspective

Mars crews will have to take an active role in managing their day Communications delays may reduce the effectiveness of medical & family conferences Without a detailed daily plan, the risk of burnout may be greater Balancing work load and maintaining morale will be a challenge

Leadership style and crew dynamics are critical factors for mission success Interpersonal conflicts can negate technical ability Crew cohesion is required for efficiency, morale, and mission success


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For More Information

Stacys Twitter page:

http://twitter.com/martian1113

Stacys Facebook page:

http://www.facebook.com/martian1113

FMARS Crew 12 Website:

http://www.fmars2009.org/

http://www.youtube.com/user/FMARS2009Crew

MDRS Crew 7 Website:

http://desert.marssociety.org/fs02/crew07/

Cosmopif (French space website):

http://www.cosmopif.com/invites/invit_cusack_s.htm

Women of Space:

Cool Careers on theFinal Frontierby Laura S. Woodmansee

NASA Astronauts Twitter page:

http://twitter.com/nasa_astronauts

NASA Cooperative (Co-op) Education Program:http://coop.jsc.nasa.gov/

NASA Johnson Space Center:http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.html

The Mars Society Website:http://www.marssociety.org/
http://twitter.com/martian1113http://www.facebook.com/martian1113http://www.fmars2009.org/http://www.youtube.com/user/FMARS2009Crewhttp://desert.marssociety.org/fs02/crew07/http://www.cosmopif.com/invites/invit_cusack_s.htmhttp://twitter.com/martian1113http://coop.jsc.nasa.gov/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.htmlhttp://www.marssociety.org/http://twitter.com/martian1113http://www.marssociety.org/http://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/home/index.htmlhttp://coop.jsc.nasa.gov/http://twitter.com/martian1113http://twitter.com/martian1113http://www.cosmopif.com/invites/invit_cusack_s.htmhttp://desert.marssociety.org/fs02/crew07/http://www.youtube.com/user/FMARS2009Crewhttp://www.fmars2009.org/http://www.facebook.com/martian1113http://twitter.com/martian1113


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References

All Mars analog photos taken by MDRS 7 and FMARS 12 Crewmembers:Stacy Cusack, Hilary Bowden, Kristine Ferrone, Charles Frankel, Christy Garvin, Vernon Kramer,Joseph Palaia, Pierre-Emmanuel Paulis, Derek Shannon, Brian Shiro, and Alain Souchier

Habitat locations map modified from: http://www.marsonearth.org/about/devon.html

Habitat floor plan from: https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369

Earth to Mars time delay from: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/

ISS, FCR-1, Apollo, flame in space, and EMU photos: http://www.nasa.gov/

ISS Flythrough Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4NqcP61prc

ISS Participants Map, Apollo & Altair lunar lander volumes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki

Consumables usage information from ECLSS Weekly Consumables Status and VIPER(Vehicle Integrated Performance, Environments, and Resources) analyses

ISS Interesting Facts collected from the ULF-4 Training Team Joe Fronczek, EverettBolduc, Clark Smithson, Jessica Cornwall, Chris Savoie, Jeff Montgomery
http://www.marsonearth.org/about/devon.htmlhttps://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/http://www.nasa.gov/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4NqcP61prchttp://en.wikipedia.org/wikihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wikihttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4NqcP61prchttp://www.nasa.gov/http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369https://shop.sae.org/technical/papers/2004-01-2369http://www.marsonearth.org/about/devon.html

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