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Here, Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield prepares to set up the ISERV in the Destiny module of the International Space Center. Credit: NASA
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Program Management of ISERV Design, Development, and Qualification Class D Hardware Integration

Specific events and obstacles encountered during the design and development of the ISERV payload provide the basis of an applicable program management lesson learned.

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Surface Mount Battery
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Button Battery Power Supply Issue

An issue with a button battery holder appears to be the cause of an unplanned reset of the Real-Time Clock on the International Space Station Urine Processing Assembly.

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Illustration of the Aquarius/Satélite de Aplicaciones Científicas (SAC)-D satellite observatory in space with Earth in the background. Credit: NASA
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: SAC-D DC/DC Converter On-orbit Failures Likely due to Over-testing Prior to Usage

An international Earth-observing mission to study the salinity of the ocean surface ended in 2015 when an essential part of the spacecraft’s power and attitude control system stopped operating due to over-testing prior to launch. 

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Electrical Short Circuits due to Tin Whiskers

An investigation into the cause of intermittent electrical shorts on the Cassini space probe over a six-year period determined they were most likely due to the presence of tin whiskers. 

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Cable Harness Wiring and Connector Anomalies Caused by Induced Damage in Human Spaceflight Vehicles

NASA has discovered wiring damage issues in every crewed vehicle system, but early indications suggest the new generation of vehicles appears to benefit from more simplified designs and lower technician traffic during integration.

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Incorporating Human Factors from the Beginning of a Program/Project

Employing qualified human factors personnel on a design team from the start of a program or project has proven to be successful and effective.

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Proximate Cause of the SMAP Radar Failure
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Proximate Cause of the SMAP Radar Failure

Testing and investigation identified an unexpected over-voltage condition as the proximate cause of failure of the radar instrument portion of the Soil Moisture Active Passive mission. 

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: End-to-End-Redundancy-Analysis
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: End-to-End Redundancy Analysis

Redundancy and failure analysis should extend beyond end items and the subsystem under design and consider potential failure scenarios for all relevant interfacing subsystems. 

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Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Best Practices for the Elemental Profiling of High-Purity Hydrazine
Spotlight on Lessons Learned: Best Practices for the Elemental Profiling of High-Purity Hydrazine

Best practices for conducting high-purity hydrazine elemental analysis processes must be followed to avoid sample contamination that could impact space missions.

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