National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Small Business Innovation Research 2002 Program Solicitations

TOPIC H1 Systems Integration, Analysis and Modeling

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H1.01 Process & Human Factors Engineering Technologies
H1.02 Systems Architecture and Infrastructure Modeling

The goal of this topic is to enable the optimization of investments made in technology for human/robotic exploration and development of space. This includes identification and refinement of advanced system and architecture concepts that may dramatically increase the safety and reliability -- and reduce the cost -- of ambitious future human exploration missions and campaigns beyond Earth orbit. This topic also encompasses establishing a foundation of relationships with the science community and potential commercial or international partners for future exploration activities. Specific objectives of this topic involve the development and validation of innovative new analysis/modeling tools and techniques for 1) conducting advanced concepts studies to create/identify innovative new approaches to human exploration and the development of space, 2) Conducting detailed, end-to-end architecture studies incorporating the most promising new systems and infrastructure concepts, and 3) Defining and refining strategic research and technology road maps to provide ongoing guidance to technology development efforts.

H1.01 Process & Human Factors Engineering Technologies
Lead Center: KSC
Participating Center(s): ARC

Spacecraft launch and payload processing systems have many unique aspects which require development of innovative processes or industrial engineering (IE) technologies in order to obtain the substantial benefits derived from applying IE principles in other industries. Process/Industrial Engineering is a technical discipline emphasizing the interfaces between people, processes, and hardware/software systems in a specific work environment. Process/industrial engineering is devoted to the science of process improvement and optimization of operational phases of complex systems. The Space Shuttle is NASA's first major program with a long-term operational phase. All major current and potential future human space flight programs (the International Space Station, X-vehicles, and extended human exploration) are also projected to have lengthy operational phases. Payload processing activities emphasize repeatable processes and improved customer satisfaction. Therefore, the strategic importance of IE technologies to NASA is rapidly increasing. Advanced spaceport technologies for designing, improving, and managing processes are needed to support spacecraft ground processing at KSC. Process/industrial engineering technologies should support NASA's goal of achieving safe, reliable, and low cost space access. Proposals should also identify potential applications for enhancing the operational phases of new NASA programs and aviation depot maintenance processes. Proposals may address the development of new concepts, methodologies, processes, and/or software support systems which advance the state-of-the-art in one or any combination of the following general areas of interest: operations research; process simulation modeling; statistical process control; planning and scheduling systems; project management risk analysis; decision analysis; cost-benefit analysis; task/work methods analysis; work measurement; human factors engineering; ergonomics; performance metrics; and management information systems. Specific interests for the 2002 solicitation include, but are not limited to, those listed below:

• Simulation tools that assist engineers in process or product design and development while reducing human error risk factors to include the elimination of system safety & efficiency bottlenecks.
• Development of project management tools that identify project or system risk factors while assessing cost and schedule impacts.
• Toolkits for advanced task/methods analysis and procedure design technologies (including process failure modes and effects analyses) for complex, long-duration, and infrequent spacecraft test and checkout activities.
• Development of computer-based training for writing human-centered procedures.
• Development of evaluation methods and metrics for procedure re-design.
• Advanced technologies for generating and delivering effective test and checkout procedures.
• Knowledge-based tools and methods for providing highly effective just-in-time task level training in the operational environment.
• Knowledge-based systems engineering tools for predicting operational technician traps and recommending effective design alternatives.
• Tools to measure and improve human-computer interaction with computer consoles and portable data collection devices.
• Advanced operations research and human factors engineering tools for optimizing utilization of scarce resources and minimizing the potential for human error during depot-level maintenance of reusable launch vehicles and aircraft, expendable launch vehicle test and checkout activities, and payload processing activities.
• Advanced statistical quality control techniques for ensuring high quality, affordable manufacturing and maintenance of unique spacecraft hardware. Automated statistical quality control algorithms that can be applied to data streams generated by space vehicle and ground hardware/software health monitoring systems.
• Advanced modeling and simulation capability for aerospace systems and processes. Capability to assess the effects on operations of proposed changes to designs, processes, or both. Proposed changes could be technological, procedural or both. Effects include but are not limited to changes in task times, resource requirements, such as direct and indirect costs, or both. Advanced capabilities applicable to conceptual, preliminary, early design and detailed design phases of proposed changes.
• Operations research technologies enabling seamless integration of airports and spaceports of the future.

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H1.02 Systems Architecture and Infrastructure Modeling
Lead Center: MSFC
Participating Center(s): JSC

This subtopic focuses on the development of innovative computer based tools that can effectively evaluate and analyze competing technologies for future HEDS requirements from a systems point-of-view. These tools should include state-of-the-art breakthroughs and beyond. The tools should be adaptable to various NASA missions as well as to the non-space community. This subtopic should act as a building block to ultimately achieving an end-to-end evaluation tool that identifies the technology development that is required. This will reduce program cost and schedule while increasing the safety and reliability of future missions. The tools developed and matured under this subtopic should embrace the direction that advanced programming has been heading such as virtual reality, neural networks and fuzzy logic. Specific areas of interest include:

• A general purpose concept analysis and design optimization tool that provides the capability to evaluate or optimize a hierarchical system design based on user defined goals, parameters and criteria.
• Graphical user interfaces (GUI) for depicting the hierarchical structure, relationships between systems and friendly user interfaces.
• Automate the input of data or the transfer of output data to other software tools.
• Optimization requirements including user defined goals and interactive changes to design parameters.
• Biologically inspired design optimization algorithms such as automated reasoning, genetic algorithms and neural networks.
• Modeling structure that can accommodate systems and subsystems with their technology options. The model structure should be mission generic, yet capable of capturing HEDS systems elements for assessing specific mission concepts. For example, the model should be capable of assessing the impact of specifying that a particular technology option be used for all elements in a mission architecture, including vehicle, surface and orbital infrastructure subsystems.
• Interfaces for interchange of data, or sharing of capabilities between models, or concurrent execution. This includes the development of standards for subsystem models, and modification or design of hooks within existing models for input/output transfer and use of a common technology database.
• Common databases with technology performance and cost data. The tools should have the capability to ensure that common data is being used appropriately in all models.
• The tools should link the models and databases into a system to allow for trade studies, sensitivity analysis and identify the required technologies that need to be developed.
• Tools with the capability to perform system and technology sensitivities in order to identify mission architecture impacts.
• Tools that model technology performance, analyze competing technologies and then identify promising exploration concepts, architectures, and metrics to focus technology development.

In addition, this subtopic focuses on developing innovative computer based tools that can evaluate and analyze competing technologies from a systems point-of-view and will allow the proposers to have a product suitable for marketing by the end of phase III. The tools should be applicable to a number of different industries.

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