Report of the PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION
on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident
Volume 4 Index
Hearings of the Presidential
Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident: February 6, 1986
to February 25, 1986
FEBRUARY 6, 1986 SESSION [part1 of
2]
[Ref. 2/6-59]
[106] DESIGN
- FAIL OPERATE/FAIL SAFE PHILOSOPHY
- CONTROLLER REDUNDANT COMPUTERS CONTROL MIXTURE RATIO AND
CHAMBER PRESSURE
- CONTROLLER INCLUDES SELF CHECK MONITORING CAPABILITY TO ENSURE
PROPER ENGINE OPERATION
- DESIGN FEATURES REDUNDANCY IN THE ENGINE CONTROL AND
MONITORING FUNCTIONS
- REDLINES ESTABLISHED BASED ON ANALYSIS AND GROUND TEST
EXPERIENCE
- ENGINE OPERATION DEMONSTRATED IN GROUND TEST/CERTIFICATION
PROGRAM
- OFF NOMINAL ENGINE PERFORMANCE DEMONSTRATED
- DEMONSTRATED ABORT MODES
- DEMONSTRATED OFF NOMINAL ENGINE SHUTDOWN MODES
- ENGINES ARE ACCEPTANCE TESTED (HOT FIRED) BEFORE VEHICLE
INSTALLATION
[Ref. 2/6-60]
SSME CERTIFlCATION
VALIDATION OF HARDWARE FOR FLIGHT
- DESIGNS VERIFIED BY GROUND CERTIFICATION PRIOR TO FLIGHT
- BASIC ENGINE CERTIFICATION- 10 MISSIONS
- 2 SAMPLES-2 CERT CYCLES 5000 SEC. EACH Ã
20 MISSIONS
- COMPONENT CHANGE CERTIFICATION
- 2 SAMPLES-1 CERT CYCLE 5000 SECS
- GROUND TEST (INCLUDE CERTIFICATION) PROGRAM DEVELOPS
PARAMETERS FOR
- MAINTENANCE
- INSPECTION
- REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT
- ENGINE GROUND LIFE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM (INCLUDING ENGINE
MAINTENANCE AND COMPONENT REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT DUE TO LIFE
LIMITS) LEADS THE FLIGHT PROGRAM BY A FACTOR OF 2 FOR ENGINE HOT
FIRE OPERATING TIME.
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