Satellite System Safety Analysis Using STPA
Name
871340076-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
15.16 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
e46dec90c17a38057b360a9acd0eff82
Author(s)
Dunn, Nicholas Connor
Advisor(s)
Nancy G. Leveson and Mary E. Devenny.
Alternative Title
Satellite System Safety Analysis Using System-Theoretic Process Analysis
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Traditional hazard analysis techniques based on failure models of accident causality, such as the probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) method currently used at NASA, are inadequate for analyzing safety at the system level. System-Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP) shifts the focus of safety from preventing failures to that of a dynamic feedback control system that enforces behavioral constraints. System-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA), the hazard analysis method based on STAMP, was applied to the launch and mission phases of a NASA/JAXA Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) Core Observatory-based satellite. Exploiting the fact that nearly all satellites follow similar lifecycles and employ common functional architectures with relatively-decoupled, unique mission payloads, a template for future satellite STPA safety analyses was developed. The template seeks to aid and guide new STPA applications while reducing analysis time by providing the STPA analysis for many common satellite functions. Increasing pressure to reduce satellite mission costs has renewed interest in modular payloads. Traditional hazard analysis methods are dependent on the hardware used, so they must be redone for the entire system if the payload is changed. This repetition of work is time intensive and costly. STPA is the only hazard analysis method that may be performed early in development and without details of the system hardware implementation. Using the GPM-based satellite STPA analysis, the influence of the mission payload on safety at the system-level is considered. Five types of control action mismatch resulting from changing payloads were identified along with the corresponding additional STPA analysis required to ensure safety at the system level.
Description
Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2013.
CD-ROM contains 2 Excel spreadsheets.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 139-140).
Subjects
Aeronautics and Astronautics.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Terms of Use
M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.
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