Structured methods for identifying and correcting potential human errors in space operations

Human performance plays a significant role in the development and operation of any complex system, and human errors are significant contributors to degraded performance, incidents, and accidents for technologies as diverse as medical systems, commercial aircraft, offshore oil platforms, nuclear powe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta astronautica 1998-08, Vol.43 (3), p.211-222
Main Authors: Nelson, William R., Haney, Lon N., Ostrom, Lee T., Richards, Robert E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accidents, Aviation - prevention & control
Accidents, Aviation - psychology
Aerospace Medicine
Aviation - instrumentation
Aviation - organization & administration
Decision Making
Equipment Design
Ergonomics
Humans
Maintenance
Models, Psychological
Safety Management - methods
Software
Space Flight - instrumentation
Space Flight - organization & administration
Space life sciences
Task Performance and Analysis
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Summary:Human performance plays a significant role in the development and operation of any complex system, and human errors are significant contributors to degraded performance, incidents, and accidents for technologies as diverse as medical systems, commercial aircraft, offshore oil platforms, nuclear power plants, and space systems. To date, serious accidents attributed to human error have fortunately been rare in space operations. However, as flight rates go up and the duration of space missions increases, the accident rate could increase unless proactive action is taken to identify and correct potential human errors in space operations. The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) has developed and applied structured methods of human error analysis to identify potential human errors, assess their effects on system performance, and develop strategies to prevent the errors or mitigate their consequences. These methods are being applied in NASA-sponsored programs to the domain of commercial aviation, focusing on airplane maintenance and air traffic management. The application of human error analysis to space operations could contribute to minimize the risks associated with human error in the design and operation of future space systems.
ISSN:0094-5765
1879-2030
DOI:10.1016/S0094-5765(98)00155-6