DEFINITION:

Mission Operations and Safety technology candidates manage space missions, usually from the point of launch through the end of the mission (i.e., the ‘start-to-finish’ development and delivery of highly complex robotic and human spaceflight operations).

(Source: NASA TA7.5)

SUBDOMAINS:

1. Crew Training: Crew training for deep space, long-duration missions will be improved with immersive virtual reality and “real-time,” context-sensitive training. TA 11.3.4, Simulation-Based Training and Decision Support Systems, addresses crew-training needs for the purposes of Human Exploration Destination Systems.
2. Planetary Protection: Planetary protection is a potentially significant challenge for human exploration. These technologies address threats to the Earth-Moon system from returning astronauts, hardware, and extraterrestrial samples.
3. Integrated Flight Operations Systems: Integrated flight operations for long-duration, deep space missions will require striking complex balances between ground and space operations, with a shift toward increasing crew autonomy that will benefit from autonomous systems and comprehensive, highly integrated operational systems.
4. Integrated Risk Assessment Tools: Integrated risk assessment tools for deep space, long-duration missions will help identify and analyze risks reducing threats to crew and missions.