this video shows the combined lessons
learned of crew interior access to the
Apollo shuttle and constellation
spacecraft at the pad using mock-ups and
design visualization tools it is
possible to identify costly issues with
the pad interface early in the
development cycle green screen video was
generated of tests performed by the
flight and emergency crew and especially
build crew access our mock-up it was
then combined with 3d models to
visualize the scenarios at the pad crew
access to manned spacecraft is normally
established at the pad after roll up an
environmental chamber commonly called a
white room is needed to protect the
vehicle cleanliness here's the shuttle
white room interface the orbiter crew
access arm interface relies on the
geometry of the integrated stack and
presses an inflatable dock seal against
the side of the vehicle the orbiter skin
is relatively durable incapable of
absorbing surface friction associated
with the inflatable dog seal here's how
Apollo managed the interface Apollo's
interface used a remotely operated clamp
that removed any gaps for the crew to
step over during an escape
crew access arm connection in the case
of this vehicle the seal is mechanically
attached to the spacecraft no threaded
fasteners should be required during
launch countdown or crew egress any
steps required to build this interface
must also account for fall hazards
weather and relative movement of the
vehicle and white room often this task
has to be performed during a scrub
turnaround where the launch has been
canceled due to inclement weather and
the crew cannot leave until access is
established access to service panels
needs to be accounted for in the
interface design the crew access arm
design provides environmental protection
to the interior of the spacecraft if
needed several types of requirements
have driven previous designs including
spacecraft cleanliness levels humidity
that can cause condensation on critical
components precipitation which is a
particular concern at the spacecraft CIA
interface seal during high winds and
inclement weather oxygen deficiency in
confined spaces that may result from
spacecraft purges the crew access arm
should remotely attached to the vehicle
structure during Apollo a strong
interface was achieved by attaching a
compliant portion of the crew access arm
directly to the spacecraft structure a
remotely operated clamp located on the
roof of the crew access on white room
engage the vehicle at the base of the
launch escape system relative motion was
absorbed within the crew access arm
rather than at the interface the
remotely operated clamp also permitted
firing room personnel to connect to the
vehicle during an emergency while the
crew focused on hatch operations a key
factor that needs to be resolved early
in the design process is how the crew
access arm will attach to the spacecraft
itself in general the goal of attaching
the vehicle to the crew access arm is to
eliminate the relative motion between
the two assemblies and allow a better
chance of achieving the desired
environmental seal at the inner
face however this must be done without
damaging or adding mass to the vehicle
crew ingress access and the vehicle
should be designed to minimize any
damage or contamination to hatch seals
or mechanisms in this case a diving
board is used crew access for manned
spacecraft is a secondary concern for
designers compared to on-orbit vehicle
performance however the components
impacted by crew egress are substantial
and include the crew hatch the outer
surfaces the launch abort system and all
crew equipment that could impede escape
assisted emergency egress the vehicle
and pad designs need to support rapid
removal of crew that are incapacitated
during emergency egress hatch size must
not only accommodate crew and cargo but
rescue and breathing equipment used by
emergency personnel the ability of a
crew to rapidly exit their spacecraft
and escape the pad emergency is perhaps
the strongest driver in the crew access
arm design crews should be oriented with
their heads toward the hatch if possible
to allow for quick extraction
in some cases special equipment is
required to assist the rescue team the
vehicle geometry impairs extraction of
injured crew events such as the Apollo 1
pad fire elevate the importance of a
coordinated solution that allows the
crew to get out of the vehicle rapidly
without penalizing on-orbit capability
several design details can significantly
improve emergency extraction times such
as rapid release flight crew equipment
suits with handles built in and cabin
layouts to provide emergency personnel
with working volume around the crew
seats flight suits and breathing
apparatus worn by the emergency rescue
personnel should be considered when
planning minimum space requirements of
interior compartments to ensure no
obstacles impede the crew careful
attention must also be paid to the
egress route in order to remove
incapacitated or injured crew from the
crew compartment and away from the
vehicle support equipment must be
designed to minimize interference with
the spacecraft
unassisted emergency egress in
situations where the crew must egress
without assistance handrails and
footholds are critical for quickly
crossing the gap between the vehicle and
white room tools should not be required
to enable crew egress the limited
mobility within a crew suit increases
the need for mobility aids within the
vehicle and at the edge of the white
room this egress method and landing are
the two primary driving cases for
placement of handles around the hatch
area vehicle perch design should
minimize over pressure required at the
crew access arm vehicle interface purged
areas of the spacecraft must include a
recovery plan for loss of perch in other
words what happens if the perch is lost
or the mission is scrubbed the kse
mock-up team has presented a series of
design considerations or crew
compartment access this area is right
for new and innovative approaches
particularly if the workers that will be
using the hardware and the emergency
personnel to protect the crew are
involved early in the design process
contact NASA Kennedy Space Center or the
personnel below for further information