SACRI Awarded Grant to Study Astronaut Safety

The board of directors of the Space Shuttle Children's Fund (SSCF) recently decided to commission the first independent study of human space flight safety for the space shuttle and the International Space Station. After a competitive process, the SSCF awarded a two-year, $300,000 grant to GW’s Space and Advanced Communications Research Institute (SACRI) to study the technical, policy, and standards aspects of safety and risk minimization for the United States shuttle programs and other future manned space programs. This is the largest award that the new SACRI group has received to date.

A team of investigators will interview space experts at NASA, other U.S. government agencies, aerospace companies, research institutes, and representatives of other space agencies around the world to identify ways to improve safety and reduce risks of future manned space missions. The investigation will examine ways to apply new developments in bio-technology, information technology and communications systems, robotics, ion propulsion, artificial intelligence, large-scale project management, modular construction, and anti-terrorist protection and escape capabilities to enhance the safety and productivity of future manned space efforts.

The team will be headed by Dr. Joseph Pelton, the director of SACRI and the former dean of the International Space University, and Professor John Logsdon, the director of the Space Policy Institute and a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. Other SACRI members who will work on the project include Dr. David Smith, Mr. Neil Helm, and Mr. Peter MacDoran. Justin Borodinsky, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering, and Cirog Vyas, a doctoral candidate at the Space Policy Institute, will support the project.

SACRI is a part of the SEAS Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Space Policy Institute is housed within GW’s Elliot School of International Affairs. The SSCF is a 501c3 charitable fund whose mission is to provide assistance to the children of astronauts lost in the Challenger, Columbia and any future space shuttle accident.