Analysis of launch site processing effectiveness for the Space Shuttle 26R payload

A trend analysis study performed on the problem reports (PRs) recorded during the US Space Shuttle 26R payload processing cycle at Kennedy Space Center is described. The study used defect flow analysis (DFA), which views the PRs as a population of events, and focuses on ways to understand the characteristics of the population as a whole rather than that of any one individual PR. The 26R payload was the tracking and data relay satellite (TDRS) and an associated inertial upper stage propulsion module. There were 344 PRs written on the flight and ground support equipment, of which 287 were reviewed and, via a criticality screening process, 112 were diagnosed in detail. These 112 PRs provide the basis for the analysis and findings reported