FCF CTUs deployed at Johnson. Right: Combustion Integrated Rack. Left: Fluids Integrated Rack.
NASA’s astronauts must engage in years of rigorous training prior to becoming crew members of an actual space flight. Aside from being equipped for the physical demands of space travel, they must be equipped to handle the complex equipment and experiments designed for use while in orbit. Crews preparing for future missions on the International Space Station are no exception. Astronauts bound for the space station will soon receive state-of-the-art training on NASA Glenn Research Center’s new Fluids and Combustion Facility (FCF) crew training units (CTUs). In spring 2005, the racks were delivered to the NASA Johnson Space Center and were added to the space station Mockup Training Facility’s Destiny science module. The racks are designed to simulate the actual FCF equipment so crew members will be able to successfully operate the flight hardware to study fluid physics and combustion science in microgravity while onboard the space station.
Glenn’s Mission Operation and Integration Projects Office has been managing the development of the CTUs for1 1/2 years. Hernandez Engineering Inc. designed and built the training racks. Glenn was responsible for the hardware requirements, the training rack integration, and the crew training. The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for verifying training hardware readiness and procedure verification, and Johnson handled the training facility setup, trainer integration, and operation of the space station Mockup Training Facility.
The CTUs are detailed, high-fidelity, yet lightweight, versions of the two-rack FCF flight hardware, which is composed of the Fluids Integration Rack and the Combustion Integration Rack. They are made from a variety of materials including aluminum, steel, composite, and plastic. Each component has been tested for safety, maintainability, and structural integrity to ensure that they will last for up to 15 years.
FCF CTU development team. Seated left to right: Dave Lamar, FCF training manager; Tony Johnson, FCF CTU project manager; and Jim Imburgia, FCF CTU technician. Standing left to right: Warren Holt, FCF CTU technician, and Tracy Neff, FCF CTU lead engineer.
The CTU design team’s work was especially important because it provided a means to validate the flight hardware design and to verify operational procedures early in the development process, which resulted in cost and schedule savings for the entire FCF program. Beginning in spring 2006, two crews per year will be trained on the CTUs in preparation for flights on the space station. Members of the FCF training team at Glenn will work with the astronauts at Johnson prior to launch.
Fluids Integration Rack CTU being transported to the Payload Development Laboratory II at Johnson.
Both training units are shown installed side-by-side in Payload Development Laboratory II. The rack doors open to display the Combustion Integrated Rack CTU interior.
Last updated: October 12, 2006
Responsible NASA Official:
Gynelle.C.Steele@nasa.gov
216-433-8258
Point of contact for NASA Glenn's Research & Technology reports:
Cynthia.L.Dreibelbis@nasa.gov
216-433-2912
SGT, Inc.
Web page curator:
Nancy.L.Obryan@nasa.gov
216-433-5793
Wyle Information Systems, LLC
