Safety assessment report for the Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment, Apollo 17, October 30, 1972

106 Pages·2014·29.38 MB·English

by  M. L. Raines

MSC-07472
• NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
•
SAFETY ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR THE
LUNAR SEISMIC PROFILING
EXPERIMENT
APOLLO 17
OCTOBER 30, 1972
MANNED SPACECRAFT CENTER
HOUSTON,TEXAS
MSC-07472
SAFETY ASSESSMENT REPORT
FOR THE
LUNAR SEISMIC PROFILING ·
EXPERIMENT
APOLLO 17
OCTOBER 30, 1972
bY ~
Approved
M. L. Raines
Director, Safety, Reliability,
and Quality· Assurance
ABSTRACT
This document contains the MSC Safety Office assessment of the Lunar
Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) which is a part of the Apollo 17
lunar surface experiments package. This report provides a description
of the experiment hardware, the lunar surface procedures for its
deployment, the tests accomplished in demonstrating its safety, and .
the safety assessment of the integrated system.
i i
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Title Sheet. i
Abstract ii
Table of Contents iii
List of Illustra'tions vi
References viii
Acronyms ix
1.0 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 Purpose and Scope 1
2.0 CONCLUSIONS 1
3.0 LSPE DESCRIPTION 2
3. 1 Experiment Hardware 2
3.1.1 Central Electronics 2
3.1.2 LSPE Transmit Antenna 3
3.1.3 Geophone Array 5
3.1.4 Explosive Packages 7
3.1.4.1 Antenna 7
3.1.4.2 Electronics 7
3.1.4.3 Thermal Battery 10
3.1.4.4 End Detonating Cartridge 10
3.1.4.5 Safe Arm Slide 10
Mechanical Timers 14
3.1.4.6
3.1.4.7 Safety Pull Pi ns 19
Hexanitrostilbene II (HNS II) . 21
3.1.4.8
iii
Page
3.2 Lunar Module Storage 23
3.3 Surface Transportation 23
L~nar
3.4 LSPE Deployment 28
3.5 LSPE System Operation 33
4.0 SAFETY ASSESSMENT 36
4. 1 Predeployment of Explosive Packages 40
4.2 Explosive Package Deployment 43
4.3 Post Explosive Package Deployment 45
4.4 ALSEP Central Station LSPE Astronaut 49
Switch
5.0 TESTI·NG 51
5. 1 Mechanical Timer Testing 52
5.2 Safe-Arm Slide Testing 55
5.3 High Explosive Block Environment Testing 57
5.4 Explosive Package Radio Frequency 59
Interference Testing
5.5 2 Mil Mylar Dust Shield Testing 60
5.6 Field Tests 62
6.0 FAULT TREE ANALYSIS 64
iv
Page
APPENDIX A Apollq Lunar Surface Experiment Package A-l
Central Station Lunar Seismic Profiling
Experiment Astronaut Switch
APPENDIX B LSPE Explosive Package Deployment and 8-1
Subsequent LRV Traverses
APPENDIX C Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment Field C-l
Test Program Area Control Plan (Revision A)
v
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Title Number
Transmitter Coded Pulses 3 ..1 .1-1 4
ALSEP Deployment Site 3.1.3-1 6
Explosive Package 3.1.4-1 8
Block Diagram of Explosive Package ·3.1.4-2 9
Thermal Battery 3.1.4-3 11
Safe/Arm Slide 3.1.4-4 12
Safe/Arm Timer 3.1.4-5 15
Thermal Battery Timer 3.1.4-6 16
Power Train-Typical Mechanical 3.1.4-7 · 17
Escapement Movement
Safe/Arm Slide Pull Pin Assembly 3.1.4-8
20
Scientific Equipment Stowage 3.2-1 24
Array E Subpackage No. 1 3.2-2 25
Explosive Package Transport Module 3.2-3 26
Lunar Roving Vehicle Stowage 3.3-1 27
Apollo 17 LRV Traverses 3.4-1 30
Explosive Package Deployment Locations 3.4-2 31
LSPE Associated Events . 3.4-3
32
Lunar Seismic Profiling Explosive · 3.5-1 35
Package Firing Logic
Summary of Safety Features in Effect 4.0-1 37
During Each Mission Phase
vi
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (Continued)
. Number ·Page
Title
Failures which must occur,and 4.1-1 ' 42
Conditions which must be met
to cause premature EP
Detonation Before Deployment
Eail ur.es v/hi ch must occur and .4 .2-1 44
Conditions which must be met
to cause premature EP
Detonation During Deployment
Failures which must occur and 4.3-1 46
Conditions which must be met
to cause premature EP
Detonation After Deployment
Possible Schemes for Avoiding 4.3-2 47
Charge Deployed on EVA I
48
CSM Location at LSPE Explosive 4.3-3
Package Detonations
Overbanking Condition 5. 1-1 53
Setup for 2 Mil Mylar Dust Shield 5.5-1 61
Test
66
Lunar Seismic Profiling Explosive 6.0-1
Package Fault Tree
Fault Tree Worst Case Failures 6.0-2 72
During Explosive Package Transport
73
Fault Tree Worst Case Failures 6.0-3
During Explosive Package Deployment
74
Fault Tree Worst Case Failures 6.0-4.
Following Explosive Package
Deployment
vii
REFERENCES
1. LSP Timer Overbanking on the Lunar Surface ATM 1038
(Bendix. Aerospace)
2. LSP Operational Hazard Analysis ATM 1058
(Bendix Aerospace)
3. Final Report-Lunar Seismic Profiling ATR-303/
Experiment Explosive Package EED/RFI BSR-'3'230
Design Verification Test
(Bendix Aerospace)
4. Preliminary Test Evaluation on LSPE ATM 1099
Hazard Analysis
(Bendix Aerospace)
5. Lunar Seismic Profiling Experiment Specification AL 900131
(Bendix Aerospace)
6. Specification for Thermal Battery Lunar AL 900332
Seismic Profiling Experiment
(Bendix Aerospace)
7. Progress Report on Explosives for Lunar No Number
Seismic Profiling Experiment (LSPE) for
NASA, Manned Spacecraft Center
(Released Monthly) - Naval Ordnance Labs
8. Annual Report On Investigation of High NOLTR 68;"135
and Low Temperature Resistant Explosives
Devices
(Naval Ordnance Laboratory, November 1968)
9. IIHeat Resistant Explosive for Space
Applications" Pages 1216 through 1219 of
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets,
Vol. 5 No. 10 October 10, 1968
10. Apollo 17 Preliminary Lunar Surface Procedures. No Number
Volume 1. Nominal Plans. September 7, 1972
11. Apollo 17 Preliminary Flight- Plan No Number
August 28, 1972
viii
ACRONY~1S
A/D Analog to Digital
AIRME Apollo Initiator Resistance Measuring Equipment
ALSEP Apollo Lunar Surface Experiment Pacakge
ASE Active Seismic Experiment
CDR Commander
CSM Command Service Module
E&SA Electronics and Safe/Arm Assembly
EDC End Detonating Cartridge
EED Electro Explosive Device
EMU Extravehicular Mobility U~it
EP Explosive Package
EVA , Extravehicular Activities
GET Ground Elapsed Time
HE High Explosive
HNS Hexanitrostilbene
LM Lunar Module
LMP Lunar Module Pilot
LRV Lunar Roving Vehicle
LSPE Lunar Sei~mic Profiling Experiment
MHz <Mega Hertz (Megacycles per Second)
Mfd Mi crofa rrad
NM Mill imeter
MSFN Manned Space Flight Network
NOL Naval Ordnance Laboratory
PETN Pentaerythrite Tetranitrate
RF Radio Frequency
RFI Radio Frequency Interference
TNT Trini,trotoluene
TB Thermal Battery
S/A Safe/Arm
VDC Voltage, Direct Current
UHT Universal Hand Tool
WSTF White Sands Test Facility
ix