Development of the System for Anomaly and Failure Detection Program

This paper outlines the development of a real-time engine failure detection system for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) that is more sophisticated than the present redline methodology. The evolution of the real time failure detection system, called the System for Anomaly and Failure Detection (SAFD), is discussed along with some of the driving forces that have shaped its development activity. This paper also discusses the SAFD platform, which consists of the computer hardware and the operating system.