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Vehicle Health Management and Ground Support System |
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Vehicle health management (VHM) is a key vehicle system requirement that will demonstrate an automated collection and paperless health decision, maintenance, and logistics system. VHM consists of the following elements: health management, the ground processing associated with the vehicle fleet, and the ground infrastructure health management. VHM is currently part of system health management (SHM) for the X-33/RLV (reusable launch vehicle) platform.
VHM monitors and records systems data on the X-33 including flight bus, vehicle maintenance status, and flight test instrumentation sensor data. The system employs 50 remote health nodes that collect the data from 1200 sensors located on the X-33. The information is stored aboard the vehicle and transmitted to the ground support system during flight via telemetry downlink.
The X-33 is a half-scale prototype of a single-stage-to-orbit RLV being developed under a cooperative independent research and development agreement between NASA and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, (Palmdale, California). The X-33 will demonstrate the technical feasibility of creating a fleet of RLVs that will significantly reduce the cost of access to space and the time between space flights. The X-33 VentureStar™ advanced technology demonstrator will uplink vehicle health commands and downlink vehicle data to and from the VentureStar ground station.
Other embedded systems:
Vehicle diagnostic management system
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