Most people are not aware of all the safety analysis that occurs before and during a space shuttle mission. Scientists and engineers work tirelessly to ensure that the crew and shuttle are safe at all times.

The Shuttle Program’s Orbital Project Office at Johnson Space Center has a key group of engineers that support shuttle safety operations. In 2006, this project office selected Dr. Kelly Carney (from Glenn Research Center) to join their engineering staff as the Stress, Loads and Dynamics (SLD) NASA Subsystem Engineer (NSE).

Dr. Carney has 25 years of engineering experience, including the support of space station, Shuttle Centaur, Cassini/Titan Centaur and NASA’s recent Return to Flight activities. As a subsystem engineer, he and his contractor counterparts on the SLD Board review all stress, loads and dynamics analysis to ensure that the structure of the shuttle orbiter remains safe throughout flight.

During shuttle missions, Dr. Carney has the opportunity to be on hand in the Mission Evaluation and Debris Assessment Room, which is in the Mission Control Center building at Johnson Space Center. He works with the Damage Assessment Team that performs various analyses to determine if any observed damage would endanger the orbiter’s structure during flight. If there is any damage to the orbiter that must be repaired, the team will perform further assessments, design and test a repair, and finally help the shuttle crew implement the repair.

Damage to the shuttle orbiter is mainly caused by debris, which is present throughout the ascent. There is no way to avoid this risk factor, so the Damage Assessment Team must work hard to analyze its effects. Depending on the situation, the team may work 18-hour days to support the shuttle mission. According to Dr. Carney, the team’s motto is "Somnus est non an bene," which means "Sleep is not an option.

During STS-117, Dr. Carney led one of the structural test teams that was formed when damage to the shuttle’s thermal blanket was discovered. This team helped test the repair that brought Space Shuttle Atlantis home safely. However, sometimes the team determines that a small amount of damage is negligible and will not impact the safety of the shuttle or crew. In this case, a repair is not used.

Reaction time is very limited in some situations, especially if damage to the orbiter is severe. There might not be enough time to review, verify and test a proposed repair procedure. Therefore, unique methods of analysis must be quickly implemented and reviewed. “You have to get it right the first time,” said Dr. Carney.