2|SSME Advanced Health Management System|With the use of a new management system, the ability to monitor the health of the Space Shuttle Main Engines (SSMEs) during flight will be greatly improved. The system includes optical and vibration sensors working together with new computer logic. The system will look for signs of impending engine failure, "seeing" trouble before it causes harm, and if necessary, will produce immediate commands to take action, including safely shutting down an engine.|none|The system significantly reduces the risk of catastrophic engine failure and increases the ability to take corrective action by improving the ability to recognize unusual or unsafe engine performance.
3|Electric Auxiliary Power Unit|Aside from the main engines and solid rockets, the highest risk equipment on the Space Shuttles are the Auxiliary Power Units. These power generators use highly toxic rocket fuel. <br><br>Taking advantage of advances in electric automobile research, electric motors and batteries will replace the volatile, toxic fuel and high-speed turbo machinery used to generate the mechanical power needed to operate the ShuttleÆs hydraulic and flight control systems.|none|Electric motors and batteries increase reliability by elminating the use of mechanical parts operating at high speeds with the highly toxic and volatile liquid hydrazine fuel. This upgrade also increases the safety of personnel by eliminating the need for special precautions and equipment to handle the liquid hydrazine fuel.
4|Long Life Alkaline Fuel Cell|By modifying the existing fuel cell design, including material changes to internal components, the operational life of a fuel cell will be nearly doubled. The new design will incorporate a new monitoring feature that will provide more information on the performance of the fuel cell.|none|The new design and monitoring feature improve maintainability by increasing the operational time of a fuel cell, thereby extending the time between overhauls.
6|Main Landing Gear Tire & Wheel|By using a new design and a rubber compound material, stronger, more wear-resistant tires, and an improved wheel design to accommodate the new tires, will be developed. These tires and wheels will be capable of withstanding higher loads and landing speeds.|none|The new design and rubber compound material reduce the risk of potential tire failure during the critical phases of touchdown, landing and rollout.
7|External Tank Friction Stir Welding|With the use of a solid state welding technique, stronger, more durable welds can be made on the external tank. The technique increases the overall structural integrity of the tank and significantly reduces the amount of weld defects and repairs.|none|The welding technique reduces the risk of potential structural failure of the external tank and decreases production time and costs.
10|Orbiter Cockpit/Avionics|The Multifunction Electronic Display System (MEDS) or "glass cockpit," which first flew on Atlantis on STS-101, set the stage for the next generation cockpit improvement.<br><br>Through advanced, state-of-the-art data management and display improvements, the Shuttle´s new "glass cockpit" will become a "smart cockpit." New displays and software will provide more data and better organized Orbiter and payload information to the Shuttle commander and pilot. <br><br>The new displays will not fly the Shuttle, but they will do much of the deductive reasoning required for a pilot to respond to a problem.|none|The "smart cockpit" improves crew efficiency and awareness in critical flight situations by providing information in a manner that will assist the crew to quickly and easily locate the root cause of a problem and take appropriate corrective action.
11|Space Shuttle Main Engine Block III|The redesign of the engine nozzle eliminates hundreds of welds and cooling tubes that can leak and create a dangerous, flammable environment. Additionally, the engine combustion chamber will be enlarged to maintain engine thrust and reduce the internal high-pressure level experienced by critical components.|none|The engine upgrades significantly increase safety and engine reliability.
12|SRB Thrust Vector Control/APU |The Solid Rocket Booster hydraulic steering systems are powered by Auxiliary Power Units (APUs), which, like the Orbiter APUs, use highly toxic rocket fuel.<br><br>Future improvements include a redesign of several valves, filters and seals in the Thrust Vector Control (steering) system to enhance their reliability. In addition, the current APU will be replaced by a safer, non-toxic system.|none|The upgrades increase reliability and safety by eliminating the use of volatile liquid hydrazine fuel. It also eliminates the need for special precautions and equipment necessary to handle the fuel.
13|Reusable Solid Rocket Motor - Propellant Grain|By making changes in the manufacturing process, the shape of the solid rocket propellant used inside the motor casings can be modified during construction rather than later in the critical phase of assembly.|none|The upgrade provides safer operation of the motor and increases safety of personnel by eliminating the need to reshape the propellant in a hazardous environment.
14|Solid Rocket Booster Altitude Switch Assembly|After their solid propellant is depleted, the twin Solid Rocket Boosters (SRBs) are separated from the external fuel tank and begin their descent to the ocean below.<br><br>New, more reliable altitude sensors will replace the current system used to initiate a sequence of events that occur to recover the SRBs following their separation from the Orbiter.|none|New altitude sensors reduce the risk of the dangerous, premature release of the SRB parachutes. Additionally, the design of the new system increases the ability to more easily make repairs, if necessary.
15|Micrometeoroid Orbital Debris|By shielding critical surface areas of the Orbiter, greater protection will be provided to prevent space particles from potentially puncturing and damaging the Orbiter. Additionally, modifications to the design of the Orbiter cooling system will allow the crew to isolate portions of the system damaged by particle impacts. By isolating portions of the system, the undamaged portions can continue to operate and the mission can proceed.|none|Shielding surface areas of the Orbiter reduces the risk of serious damage to the Orbiter structures and surfaces during flight and reentry. Modifications to the Orbiter cooling system decrease the likelihood of terminating a mission early if the cooling system is damaged by particle impact. This upgrade also reduces the number of post-flight repairs needed for the Orbiter.
16|Modular Memory Unit|The replacement of current tape recording systems with new solid state recorders consolidates critical flight data from several recording systems into one specialized system.|none|One specialized system increases reliability of the data recording system by using solid state technology that eliminates the use of mechanical parts, reduces the weight and power consumption of the system, and provides greater data storage capacity and faster data retrieval.
17|Nozzle to Case J-Leg Insulation Design|By redesigning the configuration of the insulation, the potential for hot gas intrusion through the nozzle to the case joint of the Solid Rocket Boosters will be minimized.|none|This upgrade increases flight safety because it reduces the risk of hot gas flowing past insulation, and contacting and eroding seals. This upgrade also simplifies the current labor-intensive and process-sensitive installation procedure.
