scope:

Purpose

This document establishes requirements and guidance for the design and fabrication of ground systems (GS), which includes ground support equipment (GSE) and ground support systems (GSS), to provide uniform methods and processes for the design and development of robust, safe, reliable, maintainable, supportable, and cost-effective GS in support of space flight and institutional programs and projects. This standards manual is intended to supplement the minimum requirements of NASA-STD-5005 by applying more site-specific, stringent, restrictive, or demanding requirements applicable to the specific Kennedy Space Center (KSC) environment and to ensure compatibility with existing systems. This standards manual also provides requirements for GSS which are not covered by NASA-STD-5005.

Applicability

This document applies to all GS designed for use at KSC and design projects managed by KSC for other launch, landing, and recovery locations. This document may be invoked by a program or project for testing facilities, laboratories, flight hardware manufacturing facilities, or other applications. The applicability of KSC-DE-512-SM relative to other building codes, NASA, KSC, and industry design standards is shown in Figure 1.

a. This standards manual applies to all new and modified GS for programs and projects assigned to KSC. The Program may specify the use of this standards manual to other applications (e.g. test hardware or facility projects).

b. KSC-DE-512-SM establishes minimum design requirements for GS, as defined herein, for NASA programs and projects assigned to KSC. This standards manual is intended to establish uniform engineering best practices and methods in the design, analysis, documentation, procurement, fabrication, assembly, test, and installation of GS to support KSC operations.

c. This standards manual is required for use by KSC design entities and their support contractors and may be cited in contracts, projects, and other documents as necessary to provide a technical requirement.

d. Rationale and guidance are provided in italic text after the requirement where more definition is needed.

e. The requirements of this standards manual are optional for hardware used only at manufacturing, development, or test sites but are mandatory for hardware used at launch, landing, and retrieval sites.

f. A program may invoke additional requirements that differ from the requirements stated herein. These requirements will be evaluated and approved for use by the KSC Engineering Technical Authority. See KSC-PLN-5400 and 1.3.

g. The Program may elect to manufacture GS or components of GS to NASA flight hardware requirements if the design meets Programmatic functional requirements. The requirements of this document are satisfied by the requirements of NASA flight hardware design and manufacturing standards. NASA and KSC safety requirements for GS are not intrinsically satisfied by NASA flight hardware standards and must be addressed in full.

It would not normally be cost effective to design ground equipment to flight hardware standards. There are certain cases where it would be advantageous. One is when existing flight hardware is available to be used as GS. Another, where a structural interface with flight hardware requires the lower flight hardware safety factors for dimensional compatibility. When designing GS to flight hardware standards, ALL flight hardware requirements are applicable. This includes A-basis material properties, bonded storage of materials, material traceability, testing, fracture control, etc.

h. KSC Directorates are responsible for invoking this standards manual for the design and development of GS. KSC Directorates have responsibilities described as follows:

• KSC Engineering and KSC Safety and Mission Assurance (S&MA) have the responsibility to determine categories or types of GS (e.g., critical vs. noncritical) and any additional requirements resulting from these categories or types.

• The KSC Authority Having Jurisdiction has the responsibility and authority to define hazardous areas and approve designs that provide equipment to these areas.

i. This standards manual applies to the following:

• GSE,

• GSS,

• facility GSS,

• special test equipment (STE),

• selection and qualification of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) equipment, and

• modifications to commercial off-the-shelf (i.e., modified off-the-shelf [MOTS]).

j. NASA-STD-5005 may be applied by the governing program for GSE provided by entities other than KSC.

k. This standards manual does not apply to the following:

• flight hardware,

• tools (standard shop),

• facilities and utilities (in-house and architect and engineering [A&E] firms), or

• design and fabrication of COTS equipment (the application and usage of COTS equipment in GSE designs must meet the requirements of this standard).

KSC-DE-512-SM does not cover the design and fabrication of tools, facilities and utilities, or COTS equipment. However, other KSC standards and industry standards may apply to these designs.

The Technical Authority determines the classification of equipment listed in 1.2.i, 1.2.j., and 1.2.k.

Tailoring and Waivers

Individual provisions of this standards manual should be and are intended to be tailored (i.e., modified or deleted) to meet specific program and project needs. All tailoring is required to be evaluated for use by the KSC Engineering Technical Authority (see KSC-PLN-5400). Waivers to institutional requirements will follow the process in KDP-KSC-P-1865.

Use of Shall, May, Should, and Will

In this standards manual, the auxiliary verb "shall" denotes mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) that are verified. "May" denotes discretionary privilege or permission. "Should" denotes a good practice that is recommended but is not required. The terms "must" and "will" denote an expected outcome, a requirement levied by others, or a requirement that does not have mandated verification. When this standards manual is placed on a contract, the "will" statements in this standards manual are equivalent to "shall" statements for the purposes of the contract.

Requirements denoted by "shall" require formal evidence for closure. "Will" is a formal requirement which is verified during design reviews and certification meetings, but does not require formal documented evidence tied to that requirement.