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NASA Human Systems Integration (HSI) Practitioner's Guide (NASA/SP-2015-3709)

Source: NASA (US Government work, public domain) | Chapters: 9

When to use

Use this skill when planning, scoping, or executing HSI within a NASA systems engineering lifecycle — from first concept studies through decommissioning. It answers "when do I do what", "what products are due at which milestone", and "how do I scale HSI to my program size." It is the practitioner's process companion, not a human factors design reference; for specific ergonomic or human performance standards, consult NASA-STD-3001 and the HIDH directly.

Prerequisites: none — plain Markdown; no MCP server, API key, or licence tier needed at runtime.

How to Use This Skill

• Without arguments — load the core frameworks below and the HSI lifecycle overview.
• With a topic — ask about ConOps, function allocation, HSI Plan, HITL testing, crew time KPP, COTS screening, V&V pre-declaration, lessons learned; I read the relevant chapter.
• With a phase — ask about "Pre-Phase A", "Phase B", "Phase D", "Phase E"; I provide the HSI activities and milestone deliverables for that phase.
• With a chapter — ask for ch01 through ch09.

Supporting files: glossary.md, patterns.md, cheatsheet.md.

Core Frameworks & Mental Models

1. Four HSI Key Concepts (Ch 1)

1. System = hardware + software + human — all three sub-systems have equal standing.
2. All personnel, all lifecycle — users, operators, maintainers, trainers, logistics, ground control.
3. Integration and collaboration — HSI resolves cross-domain conflicts before program management must engage.
4. Early is mandatory — LCC is locked in during early phases; Pre-Phase A HSI yields the greatest cost savings.

2. NASA HSI Domains (Ch 1)

Domain	Core Focus
Human Factors Engineering (HFE)	Capabilities/limitations → hardware/software design
Operations Resources	Flight and ground crew operations planning
Maintainability and Supportability	Maintenance design, logistics, spares
Habitability and Environment	Living/working conditions, health, environment
Safety	Hazard controls, human rating, survivability
Training	Instructional design, training resource minimisation

3. HSI in the Systems Engineering Engine (Ch 3)

HSI runs in lock-step with the 17 NASA SEE processes (NPR 7123.1B). Key mapping:

• SEE 1–4 (Design): ConOps, function allocation, requirements, HITL-informed design
• SEE 5–9 (Realization): Prototyping, integration, HITL V&V, operations transition
• SEE 10–17 (Management): HSI plan, risk management, metrics, milestone reviews

4. Lifecycle Phase HSI Activities Summary

Phase	Gate	Primary HSI Actions
Pre-Phase A	MCR	ConOps draft; function allocation; MOEs; HSI planning initiated
Phase A	SRR/SDR	ConOps baseline; HSI team formed; requirements baseline; MOPs/TPMs
Phase B	PDR	HITL intensified; requirements refined; V&V framework established
Phase C	CDR/PRR/SIR	Design finalised; production/training plans; V&V activities maturing
Phase D	TRR/SAR/ORR/FRR	V&V closure; Human Rating Certification Package; operational products
Phase E	PLAR/CERR/PFAR/DR	In-mission monitoring; lessons learned; sustaining engineering
Phase F	DRR	Decommissioning support; final knowledge archiving

5. HSI Metrics Cascade

MOE (stakeholder satisfaction criterion, Pre-Phase A) → MOP (engineering-level measure, Phase A) → TPM (tracked margin, Phase A through Phase E) → KPP (program-level threshold/objective, e.g. crew time ≤40%/≤35%)

6. HSI Scaling (Ch 7)

Scale	Safety	Human Involvement	Plan Format
Large	Category I / human-rated / life-sustaining	Tight coupling; crew "lives in the product"	Standalone HSI Plan
Medium	Category II / modest risk	Moderate coupling; crew essential	HSI in SEMP
Small	Category III / low risk	Loose coupling; some automation	Project documents

Rule: Scale by safety and human involvement, NOT by budget.

7. HSI Plan Structure (Ch 8, Ch 9)

1. Introduction (Purpose, Scope, Definitions)
2. Applicable Documents
3. HSI Objectives (System Description + HSI Relevance)
4. HSI Strategy (Summary + Domains)
5. HSI Requirements, Organisation, and Risk Management
6. HSI Implementation (Activities, Products, Update Schedule)

8. Three Technical Authorities (Ch 2)

• ETA (OCE) → NPR 7123.1B; engineering design oversight
• SMA TA (OSMA) → NPR 8705.2B; safety and human-rating mandate
• HMTA (OCHMO) → NASA-STD-3001; health and medical standards

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Chapter Index

#	Section	Key content
ch01	Introduction to HSI	Four key concepts, HSI domains, HFE/HCD/HSI distinctions, LCC motivation
ch02	Implementing HSI	Three TAs (ETA/SMA/HMTA), control boards, IPT collaboration, HSI tools
ch03	HSI in the SEE Engine	17 SEE processes, Product Maturity Matrix, ConOps, function allocation, MOE→MOP→TPM
ch04	Pre-Phase A and Phase A	MCR/SRR/SDR deliverables, HITL mockups, function allocation, HSI team formation
ch05	Phases B and C	PDR/CDR activities, HITL intensification, V&V pre-declaration, design finalisation
ch06	Phases D, E, and F	V&V closure, Human Rating Certification Package, operational monitoring, lessons learned
ch07	Products, Scaling, Tailoring	Three-tier scaling, COTS assessment, crew time KPP, Agile integration
ch08	HSI Plan Writing and Execution	HSI Plan structure, ConOps development, SME integration, requirements derivation, metrics
ch09	Appendices: Plan, Checklist, Cases	Appendix A annotated outline, Appendix B checklist, Appendix C case studies (F-22, Shuttle, ISS, Constellation)

Topic Index

• ConOps development → ch03, ch04, ch08
• COTS screening → ch07
• Crew time KPP → ch07, ch08
• Function allocation → ch03, ch04, ch08
• HITL testing → ch03, ch04, ch05, ch06
• HSI Plan writing → ch08, ch09
• HSI scaling and tailoring → ch07
• HSI team formation → ch02, ch04
• Lifecycle milestone deliverables → ch03, ch04, ch05, ch06
• LCC and cost avoidance → ch01, ch07, ch08
• Metrics (MOE/MOP/TPM/KPP) → ch03, ch08
• Phase D V&V closure → ch06
• Pre-declaration → ch05, ch06
• Requirements development → ch08
• SME integration → ch02, ch08
• Technical authorities → ch02
• Training domain → ch01, ch08

Supporting Files

• glossary.md — ~50 terms with chapter references, from CDR to V&V
• patterns.md — 13 reusable when/how/trade-off patterns for HSI practice
• cheatsheet.md — decision rules, milestone map, tells-and-smells, four key concepts

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Scope & Limits

This skill covers the NASA HSI process and management framework as documented in NASA/SP-2015-3709: HSI lifecycle phases, SEE integration, product maturity, scaling, HSI Plan structure, metrics, V&V strategy, and program case studies. It does not cover the detailed engineering design standards in NASA-STD-3001 (human factors design requirements for space systems), the HIDH human performance data, or specific HFE analysis methodologies beyond what the Practitioner's Guide itself describes. This is a US Government public domain work (NASA); no copyright restriction applies.