Space is hard. Inevitably, problems may occur. We can all learn valuable lessons from past events to ensure the safety and success of current and future programs. Enjoy reading and learning from a selection of such events. This booklet produced by the Johnson Space Center Knowledge Management Office contains numerous lesson learned from NASA missions and projects.
Every year as we get back in the saddle, our Remembrance Day signals us to think back to the tragic events of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia as well as the context surrounding them. We’re accountable for learning from not just what went wrong, but how we recovered. As an example, read these rules recorded by Wayne Hale, former NASA Flight Director and Space Shuttle Program Manager. By actually applying such lessons from the past to your current work, our actions can honor our lost crews beyond silent reflection.
Case Study–A few minutes after the Shuttle Endeavour reached orbit for STS-126 on Nov. 14, 2008, mission control noticed that the shuttle did not automatically transfer two communications processes from launch to orbit configuration. Primary communications continued to use S-band frequencies after they should have transferred to the more powerful Ku-band. The link between the shuttle and its payload — the Payload Signal Processor (PSP)–remained configured for a radio link rather than switching.
The course is for all NASA personnel and defines the basic knowledge, types, factors and consequences behind organizational silence; identifies organizational silence conditions; and describes tactics and steps to combat organizational silence.
This course was developed to provide NASA employees with an overview of intent of the Technical Authority program/initiative and management structure designed to ensure checks and balances between decision-making authorities.
This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the Ariane 5 failure, which occurred on June 4, 1996. Arianespace, the world’s first commercial launch provider, developed and operated the Ariane family of launch vehicles on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA). Ariane 5 Flight 501 was the first flight for the Ariane 5 launch vehicle series. It launched from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The vehicle self-destructed 37 seconds after lift-off.
This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the Extravehicular Activity (EVA) suit water intrusion close call which occurred on July 16, 2013. Two U.S. crew members aboard the International Space Station had to terminate an EVA when one of them reported water inside his helmet. A summary of the events leading up to the accident, a discussion of the underlying and proximate causes, root causes, and lessons learned by NASA are presented by Chris Hansen, Chairman – Mishap Investigation Board and Manager, Extravehicular Activity Office at Johnson Space Center.
This course provides an overview of the mission of Exploration Flight Test 1 (EFT-1), the first orbital flight test article of the NASA Orion Multi-Purpose-Crew Vehicle Program. It focuses on the test philosophy conducted prior to EFT-1 mission to prepare the recovery team, the EFT-1 at-sea mission recovery efforts, and lessons learned from the testing.
This course is designed to provide you with an overview of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-N Prime mishap that occurred in 2003. The mishap involved damage to the satellite during pre-flight ground processing.
