Robert W. Moorehead, Director of Space Flight Systems, John H. Glenn Research Center

Robert W. Moorehead served as NASA’s chief investigator for the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986 and managed the Space Station Freedom program from 1989 to 1993. He has also held the title of NASA’s Chief Engineer, developing system architectures for the Space Shuttle’s replacement. He is currently Director of Space Flight Systems at the John H. Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio.

 
NASA Tech Briefs: What is the primary function of the Space Flight Systems Directorate at Glenn Research Center?

Robert W. Moorehead: The Space Flight Systems Directorate has responsibility to manage, conceptualize, develop, and integrate flight and ground systems in support of NASA's exploration and science objectives. Some of the larger efforts include responsibility for managing the work to build the Ares I Orion service module. We’re also building — right here at NASA Glenn — the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator in compliance with spaceflight hardware specifications. In addition, we support the Space Shuttle Program, as well as subsystem management and sustaining engineering for tasks in support of the International Space Station.

NTB: From 1989 to 1993, you served as program manager for the Space Station Freedom. Tell us about that project and your involvement with it.

Moorehead: As the Program Manager, I worked in conceptualizing and development of the space and ground portions of the Space Station Freedom. I led efforts where we looked at designs that had worked in the past and incorporated newer methods of generating power. I also wrote a book called “Shuttle Avionics” with John Hanaway that resulted largely from my Space Station management days.

Moorehead: We were working on schedule for completion by the year 2000 and hoping that the administrator was enlightened to that fact. This was frustrating because our team was on schedule and on cost for completion by 2000, but the Administrator didn’t see it that way.

NTB: In 1986 you served as chief investigator for the Space Shuttle Challenger accident. How difficult was that assignment, and what did you learn from it?

Moorehead: For almost 3 years our team spent 10-12 hour days analyzing the performance of all the Space Shuttle orbiter systems to find the anomaly. All Level II personnel at Johnson Space Center worked on different aspects of the Shuttle’s performance. I led the Engineering team which, as I recall, numbered 60-70 individuals. This was no more or less difficult than any other assignment I’ve undertaken at NASA. What we learned centered on the restructuring and streamlining of the Shuttle management organization, as well as non-managerial safety enhancements, Shuttle crew escape systems, and landing improvements.