The analysis and control of risk during a major design change to the international space station project

Following a major cost reduction exercise by NASA in 1994 and the introduction of the Russian Space Agency as an additional partner in the redesign which then became known as the “International Space Station Alpha (ISSA)”, the operational orbital inclination was changed to 51.6", to conform with that of the Russian MIR space station. This change resulted in a substantial redefinition in the environmental hazard regimes to which ISSA would be subjected. A decision was taken to progress the existing design, optimised for operation at 28.5", while analysing the potential impact of the more rigorous environmental hazards and assessing the risks inherent during operation at 51.6" orbital inclination. For any risk management function to perform effectively, the development of a full range of options, together with consideration of both qualitative and quantitative aspects, must be properly considered to lie within the system engineering domain