Identifying and eliminating potential hazards, incorporating safety systems, performing systems analyses, and planning for future operations in space all serve to enhance the safety of crewmembers and ground personnel, to maximize the probability of mission success, to increase the integrity of payloads and experiment systems, and to provide the best possible equipment for current and next generation vehicles and space structures. As the maiden voyage of the Shuttle nears, efforts to ensure the safe return of the Orbiter and its crew are as prevalent as during initial design phases. And as the Spacelab design matures for a later Shuttle flight, analyses and testing continue to enhance crew safety and mission success.
In this paper, published documentation encompassing spaceflight safety developments for the July 1979 through June 1980 period is surveyed and typical reports summarized. Specific areas which are addressed include program guidelines and requirements, ground support and inflight crew operations, spacecraft hardware and components, and crew equipment and provisions.