EVA Operations —Inception, Verification and Program Implementation

The effectiveness of Extravehicular Activity (EVA) has been demonstrated for planned, contingency and emergency operations. The success and flexibility demonstrated by using EVA has prompted mission planners to take a second look at implementing EVA into their respective programs, not only as a contingency mechanism but also as the primary mode for completing mission objectives. This acceptance is becoming more prominent as the evolution of the Shuttle program brings with it an increase in scope and efficiency of EVA capabilities.

Incorporating EVA philosophy into payload programs need not impose undue constraints upon program management. If implemented from program start, the use of EVA operations can provide flexibility in task planning and induce cost savings over the span of most payload programs. This paper describes the process of implementing and following an EVA operations plan throughout the payload program.