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At least 1,117 records · Page 62
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1995

The effects of Crew Resource Mangement (CRM) training in airline maintenance: Results following three years' experience

This report describes three years' evaluation of the effects of one airline's Crew Resources Management (CRM) training operation for maintenance. This evaluation focuses on the post-training attitudes of maintenance managers' and technical support professionals, their reported behaviors, and the safety, efficiency and dependable maintenance performance of their units. The results reveal a strong positive effect of the training. The overall program represents the use of CRM training as a long-term commitment to improving performance through effective communication at all levels in airline maintenance operations. The initial findings described in our previous progress reports are reinforced and elaborated here. The current results benefit from the entire pre-post training survey, which now represents total attendance of all managers and staff professionals. Additionally there are now full results from the two-month, six-month, and 12-month follow-up questionnaires, together with as many as 33 months of post-training performance data, using several indicators. In this present report, we examine participants' attitudes, their reported behaviors following the training, the performance of their work units, and the relationships among these variables. Attitudes include those measured immediately before and after the training as well as participants' attitudes months after their training. Performance includes measures, by work units, of on-time flight departures, on-schedule maintenance releases, occupational and aircraft safety, and efficient labor costs. We report changes in these performance measures following training, as well their relationships with the training participants' attitudes. Highlights of results from this training program include increased safety and improved costs associated with positive attitudes about the use of more assertive communication, and the improved management of stress. Improved on-time performance is also related to those improved attitudes, as well as favorable attitudes about participative management.

Taylor, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1996

Uncertainties that flight crews and dispatchers must consider when calculating the fuel needed for a flight

In 1993, fuel accounted for approximately 15 percent of an airline's expenses. Fuel consumption increases as fuel reserves increase because of the added weight to the aircraft. Calculating fuel reserves is a function of Federal Aviation Regulations, airline company policy, and factors that impact or are impacted by fuel usage enroute. This research studied how pilots and dispatchers determined the fuel needed for a flight and identified areas where improvements in methods may yield measurable fuel savings by (1) listing the uncertainties that contribute to adding contingency fuel, (2) obtaining the pilots' and dispatchers' perspective on how often each uncertainty occurred, and (3) obtaining pilots' and dispatchers' perspective on the fuel used for each occurrence. This study found that for the majority of the time, pilots felt that dispatchers included enough fuel. As for the uncertainties that flight crews and dispatchers account for, air traffic control accounts for 28% and weather uncertainties account for 58 percent. If improvements can be made in these two areas, a great potential exists to decrease the reserve required, and therefore, fuel usage without jeopardizing safety.

Trujillo, Anna C.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Accumulation and Physiological Function in the Launch and Entry and Advanced Crew Escape Suits

The Launch and Entry Suit (LES) and Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) are worn by astronauts for launch and entry. Previous work by Waligora, et al., 1992, Waligora and Gilbert, 1992, and Dalrymple 1996, have found that carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation in the LES/ACES helmet may be problematic. CO2 accumulation is important because high inspired levels of CO2 reduce physical function and pose a safety hazard (e.g. levels of CO2 accumulation of 3.6% in the Extravehicular Mobility Unit are sufficient to terminate Extra Vehicular Activities). My task was to design a suitable test protocol for determining the important physiological aspects of LES/ACES use. Three basic issues arose. First was the determination of the astronaut's CO2 inspiration during visor-down use at rest and during walking at 3.5 mph. A sub-issue was the impact of a pneumotach on CO2 since it has been previously observed that when the Aerosport pneumotach was used, performance seemed improved, which might be attributable to a lowered respiration rate when using the pneumotach. The second issue was the energy costs of waLking in the LES/ACES with various G-suit inflation levels, since G-suit inflation increases metabolic costs and metabolic costs influence the C02 production in the LES/ACES helmet. Since G-suit inflation improves orthostatic tolerance after space flight, but likely increases the energy costs of walking, the balance between G-suit inflation and C02 accumulation is an important safety consideration. The third issue which arose from pilot work was the substantial reduction in physical function after a 10 min visor-down period prior to walk.

Bishop, Phillip↗
NASA NTRS1997

International Space Station (ISS) Accommodation of a Single US Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV)

The following report was generated to give the International Space Station (ISS) Program some additional insight into the operations and issues associated with accommodating a single U.S. developed Assured Crew Return Vehicle (ACRV). During the generation of this report, changes in both the ISS and ACRV programs were factored into the analysis with the realization that most of the work performed will eventually need to be repeated once the two programs become more integrated. No significant issues associated with the ISS accommodating the ACRV were uncovered. Kinematic analysis of ACRV installation showed that there are viable methods of using Shuttle and Station robotic manipulators. Separation analysis demonstrated that the ACRV departure path clears the Station structure for all likely contingency scenarios. The payload bay packaging analysis identified trades that can be made between payload bay location, Shuttle Remote Manipulator System (SRMS) reach and eventual designs of de-orbit stages and docking adapters.

Mazanek, Daniel D.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Multimodal Perception and Multicriterion Control of Nested Systems: Constraints on Crew Members During Space Vehicle Abort, Entry, and Landing - 2

This report reviews the operational demands made of a Shuttle pilot or commander within the context of a proven empirical methodology for describing human sensorimotor performance and whole-body coordination in mechanically and perceptually complex environments. The conclusions of this review pertain to a) methods for improving our understanding of the psychophysics and biomechanics of visual/manual control and whole-body coordination in space vehicle cockpits; b) the application of scientific knowledge about human perception and performance in dynamic inertial conditions to the development of technology, procedures, and training for personnel in space vehicle cockpits; c) recommendations for mitigation of safety and reliability concerns about human performance in space vehicle cockpits; and d) in-flight evaluation of flight crew performance during nominal and off-nominal launch and reentry scenarios.

Riccio, Gary E.↗
NASA NTRS1997

Cultural Variability in Crew Communication

In this study we examined what linguistic strategies pilots use when they have to challenge the actions of a colleague, and how their communications balance the need for informativeness with the need for assuring the other's cooperation. Two strategies emerged for captains. They either gave commands or they made suggestions that referred to actions of the crew. Both strategies explicitly state what action should be taken but they differ in their social implications. Commands are direct insofar as they entail a strong obligation for the listener to comply with the speaker' s request. Suggestions are less direct in this respect. However, by using the collegial "Let's do," speakers appeal to the solidarity between themselves and their listeners and seek compliance in this way. Commands, in contrast, are inherently authoritative and imply an asymmetry in status. Speakers by giving a command, express their belief that they are socially more powerful than their listeners and that they are thus licensed to command. That is, speakers seek listener compliance by appeal to their status. Status-based commands were more frequent among male captains than among female captains. Female captains instead were likely to shift the motivation for their commands away from their status to some objective necessity by referring to some problem or goal It remains to be seen, however, how captains' strategies were affected by the severity of a problem situation. Results in a preliminary study involving only male participants, suggests that pilots increased the directness of their utterances in situations that they perceived to be risky. Thus the observation that male captains used complex communications half of the time while female captains did so 75% of the time, could indicate that male captains were more likely than female captains to change their strategies with the severity of situations. Both male and female first officers in this study were less direct than captains. The most common strategy of first officers was to point to some problem or to remind the captain of a given goal. What corrective action should be taken and by whom was not explicitly stated but implied and left to the captain. In their other strategies, permission seeking and confirmation-seeking questions, first officers were more explicit about a corrective action. In the first case, they volunteered to do some course of action but left the final decision to the captain. In the latter case, they inquired or confirmed whether the captain wanted some action. Although all three strategies seek the compliance of the listener by appeal to his authority, there are important differences: By asking permission seeking and confirmation-seeking questions, first officers specify the action for which they want the captain's compliance. Compliance, however, is not demanded but requested. By alerting to a problem or to a goal, in contrast, first of officers seek the captain's compliance only with their assessment of the situation but not with a particular course of action. That is, they place the captain under no explicit obligation to initiate a corrective action but do so only indirectly by assuming that a course of action is self-evident once the problem has been acknowledged.

Fischer, Ute↗
NASA NTRS1998

Thermal Vacuum Testing of the Crew and Equipment Translation Aid for the International Space Station

The Crew and Equipment Translation Aid (CETA) is a human powered cart that will aid astronauts in conducting extra-vehicular activity (EVA) maintenance on the International Space Station (ISS). There are two critical EVA tasks relevant to the successful operation of the CETA. These are the removal of the launch restraint bolts during its initial deployment from the Space Shuttle payload bay and the manual deceleration of the cart, its two onboard astronauts, and a payload. To validate the launch restraint and braking system designs, the hardware engineers needed to verify their performance in an environment similar to that in which it will be used. This environment includes the vacuum of low earth orbit and temperatures as low as -11O F and as high as +200 F. The desire for quantitative data, as opposed to subjective information which could be provided by a suited astronaut, coupled with test scheduling conflicts resulted in an unmanned testing scenario. Accommodating these test objectives in an unmanned test required a solution that would provide remotely actuated thermal vacuum compatible torque sources of up to 25 ft-lbs at four horizontally oriented and four vertically oriented bolts, a variable input force of up to 125 lbs at the four brake actuators, and thermal vacuum compatible torque and force sensors. The test objectives were successfully met in both the thermal Chamber H and the thermal vacuum Chamber B at NASA's Johnson Space Center.

Blanco, Raul A.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Battery Systems for X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) and Deorbit Propulsion Stage (DPS)

A 28V 32 Ah cell Li/MnO2 and a 28V NiMH battery systems for the Deorbit Propulsion Stage (DPS) and the X-38 Crew Return Vehicle (CRV) are developed in Friwo-Silforkraft, Germany with the following objectives and approach: Provide safe battery designs for lowest volume and cost, and within schedule; Take advantage of less complex requests for V201 vs OPS CRV to simplify design and reduce cost; Use only existing commercial cell designs as building blocks for larger battery; Derive battery designs from the ASTRO-SPAS design which is the largest lithium battery design with Shuttle flight experience; Place maximum amount of battery energy on DPS; DPS battery is non rechargeable; and CRV batteries are rechargeable. This paper contains the following sections: a brief introduction on CRV requirements, CRV advantages over Soyuz, and X-38 programs; Battery objectives and approach; Battery requirements and groundrules (performance, on-orbit operation, etc); Design trades, solutions, redundancy plan, and margins; Envelope, size, and mass; Interfaces (structural, electrical & thermal); and Deviation from OPS CRV.

Darcy, Eric↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Frederick "Rick" Sturckow

Frederick Sturckow discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also disscusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Nancy Currie

Nancy Currie discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also disscusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Sergei Krikalev

Sergei Krikalev discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also discusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Robert Cabana

Commander Robert D. Cabana discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also disscusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Jim Newman

Jim Newman discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also discusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1998

STS-88 Crew Interview: Jerry Ross

Jerry Ross discusses the seven-day mission that will be highlighted by the mating of the U.S.-built Node 1 station element to the Functional Energy Block (FGB) which will already be in orbit, and two spacewalks to connect power and data transmission cables between the Node and the FGB. Node 1 will be the first Space Station hardware delivered by the Space Shuttle. He also disscusses the assembly sequence. The crew will conduct a series of rendezvous maneuvers similar to those conducted on other Shuttle missions to reach the orbiting FGB. Once the two elements are docked, Ross and Newman will conduct two scheduled spacewalks to connect power and data cables between the Node, PMAs and the FGB. The day following the spacewalks, Endeavour will undock from the two components, completing the first Space Station assembly mission.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 FD Highlights and Crew Activities Report: Flight Day 03

On this third day of the STS-96 Discovery mission, the flight crew, Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette, and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev are seen executing the very first docking with the International Space Station. Also shown are views of the docking taken from both the Unity and Discovery. Final preparation for the mission's space walk is also presented. Jernigan and Barry check the tools and the emergency rescue backpacks they will need for their space walk. Ochoa and Jernigan perform leak and pressurization checks and open the hatch to the Unity module. Ochoa and Takarev store docking targets and lights and check the hatch seals in the narrow passageway. Rominger and Husband remove and store four electronic boxes around the Unity module.

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NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 FD Highlights and Crew Activities Report: Flight Day 02

On this second day of the STS-96 Discovery mission, the flight crew, Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette, and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev are seen preparing for the docking with the International Space Station (Unity and Zarya modules). Ochoa and Payette open the tunnel and hatches leading to the SPACEHAB module in the payload bay. Payette and Tokarev place equipment in the module to create space in Discovery's cabin. Jernigan, Barry, Payette and Husband test three spacesuits. Ochoa and Payette also test a 50-foot robot arm. And Jernigan and Ochoa extend the outer ring of Discovery's Orbiter Docking System.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

STS-96 FD Highlights and Crew Activities Report: Flight Day 06

On this sixth day of the STS-96 Discovery mission, the flight crew, Commander Kent V. Rominger, Pilot Rick D. Husband, and Mission Specialists Ellen Ochoa, Tamara E. Jernigan, Daniel T. Barry, Julie Payette, and Valery Ivanovich Tokarev are seen performing logistics transfer activities within the Discovery/International Space Station orbiting complex. Ochoa, Jernigan, Husband and Barry devote a significant part of their day to the transfer of bags of different sizes and shapes from the SPACEHAB module in Discovery's cargo bay to resting places inside the International Space Station. Payette and Tokarev complete the maintenance on the storage batteries. Barry and Tokarev complete installation of the remaining sound mufflers over the fans in Zarya. Barry then measures the sound levels at different positions inside the module. Rominger and Tokarev conduct a news conference with Russian reporters from the Mission Control Center in Moscow.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1999

Cultural Variability in Crew Discourse

Four studies were conducted to determine features of effective crew communication in response to errors during flight. Study One examined whether US captains and first officers use different communication strategies to correct errors and problems on the flight deck, and whether their communications are affected by the two situation variables, level of risk and degree of face-threat involved in challenging an error. Study Two was the cross-cultural extension of Study One and involved pilots from three European countries. Study Three compared communication strategies of female and male air carrier pilots who were matched in terms of years and type of aircraft experience. The final study assessed the effectiveness of the communication strategies observed in Study One.

Fischer, Ute↗