The safety of any space system requires a deliberate and interdisciplinary integration of the flight hardware design with the design of its operations throughout the entire lifecycle of the system. This chapter introduces the subsequent chapters that more thoroughly address safety issues associated with the operations of space vehicles, from the design of the infrastructure on ground, through launch, on-orbit, and re-entry operations. This chapter begins with a discussion of safety and risk management at the conceptual level, including several fundamental goals and definitions. The balance of the chapter describes several seminal events and lays the foundation for a graduate level education in space operations safety.
This chapter introduces the concepts of Space Nuclear Power Systems (SNPSs), describes the history and nature of these ingenious energy-generating machines. The basic principles of the Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) and the recently developed Stirling Radioisotope Generator (SRG) are explored and an account of their application in several extra-terrestrial missions is presented. Nuclear fission power as a promising alternative for future outer planet and extra-solar explorations is discussed. The flight safety review and launch approval processes for U.S., as well as the failures and accidents for U.S. and U.S.S.R. (Russian) nuclear powered space missions since 1961 are presented chronologically. A comprehensive probabilistic consequence analysis of all conceivable potential hazards associated with nuclear powered space flights is set out. The chapter concludes with how SNPSs must be designed with the built-in safety features to minimize accidents and to prevent radiation exposure.
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