A systems-level performance history of get away specials after 25 Space Shuttle missions
This paper summarizes the results of a thorough performance study of Get Away Special (GAS) payloads that was conducted in 1986. During the study a complete list of standard and nonstandard GAS payloads vs. Shuttle mission was constructed, including specific titles for the experiments in each canister. A broad data base for each canister and each experiment was then compiled. Performance results were then obtained for all but a few experiments. The canisters and experiments were subsequently categorized according to the degree of experiment success. For those experiments that experienced failures or anomalies, several correlations and generalizations were extracted from individual subsystem performance data. Recommendations are made which may enhance the success and performance of future GAS payloads.