Jan 16 1985
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Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) announced completion of a study done by McDonnell Douglas under a 1983 contract that showed undeniable need for both humans and machines in space. MSFC was continuing to refine and validate the data.
In the human role in space (THURIS) study, engineers identified 37 generic tasks requiring human involvement ranging from removing and replacing protective coverings around spacecraft to surgically acquiring tissue samples. The study then established three criteria for allocation of tasks (performance time, relative cost, and technological risk), which became the basis for an objective method to allocate tasks and determine how much of each of the generic tasks would benefit from human involvement.
For each task, researchers rated man's participation from essential to not significant. For example, in a task entitled "compute data," man's role rated not significant. However, for the task "surgical manipulations", man's participation rated essential.
A second THURIS product was an analytical method to define how man should participate in space systems. The method objectively compared humans, machines, and systems requiring both humans and machines and consisted of a short, logical sequence of questions and a set of highly condensed supporting data covering performance times, relative costs for each man/machine combination, and technology availability data for the 37 generic activities.
"The study provided a set of fundamental data for planners that can be used as a guide for many future activities,' MSFC's Stephen Hall said. "To me . .. machines and automation allow man to proceed to greater challenges and achievements. . . The THURIS study found that there are tasks for which man is best, and tasks for which machines are best. For most activities, a mixture of both is the best guarantee of success." (MSFC Release 85-1)
Antisatellite System The U.S. Air Force couldn't decide whether the next test of the miniature homing vehicle antisatellite (ASAT) system should be against a target in space, Aerospace Daily reported. The Air Force was evaluating data from its November 13 ASAT test, in which the miniature homing vehicle MHV infrared sensor tracked a star, but had said that its next ASAT test would be flown against an instrumented target vehicle. Congressional limitations barred such a test until March 1 and until President Reagan had certified to Congress that the test was needed and wouldn't undercut the potential for negotiations with the USSR.
The previous day the magazine had discussed a House Republican research report recommending raising the limit of three U.S. ASAT tests against objects in space during that fiscal year. (A/D, Jan 16/85, 84; Jan 15/85, 73)
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