Risk of Injury from Dynamic Loads: Record 15 (MRL No. 64)-BASELINE

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Risk of Injury from Dynamic Loads: Record 15 (MRL No. 64)-BASELINE

B. Granderson / J. Somers

With the retirement of the Shuttle, future spacecraft systems may include launch-abort systems and parachute-assisted, capsule landings. Because of these design features, dynamic loads transmitted to the human may result in higher forces than currently experienced during spaceflight. The current standards and requirements do not adequately document the acceptable limits of forces and/or direction of force vectors which can be transmitted to the human without causing injury. Injuries may impair or prevent a crew-member from unassisted evacuation of the spaceflight vehicle after landing. Development of Agency-level human health and performance standards appropriate to occupant protection from dynamic loads as well as development of the method(s) of meeting those standards in the design, development, and operation of mission systems would reduce the likelihood of this risk so that crew injury or Loss of Crew (LOC) may be avoided or reduced. In addition, the Columbia Crew Survival Investigation Report cited inadequate upper body restraint and protection as a potential lethal event and recommended that future spacecraft suits and seat restraints should use state-of-the-art technology in an integrated solution to minimize crew injury and maximize crew survival in off-nominal acceleration environments (L2-4/L3-4) and should incorporate comformal helmets and neck restraint designs similar to those used in professional auto racing (L2-7).