Anticipatory Design for Critical Products

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The importance of thoughtful product design is evident when examining the contrasting outcomes of the Mercury 8 mission and the Apollo 1 Command Module fire. On July 21, 1961, during the Mercury 8 mission, astronaut Gus Grissom experienced a premature activation of the outward-opening hatch upon water landing, leading to the spacecraft's rapid flooding and sinking. Grissom's capsule, Liberty Bell 7, sank after the successful splashdown in the Atlantic, and Grissom came close to drowning. This incident prompted a design change to an inward-opening hatch to prevent similar occurrences. 

This design decision was made for several reasons, including:

However, on January 27, 1967, this inward-opening design contributed to the tragic deaths of astronauts Gus Grissom, Ed White, and Roger Chaffee during the Apollo 1 Command Module fire. The inward-opening hatch could not be opened quickly due to increased cabin pressure from the fire, trapping the crew inside. This tragedy led to the adoption of an outward-opening, quick-release hatch in subsequent Apollo missions. 

From a design principle perspective, this oversight could have been averted by adhering to  anticipatory design methodology that anticipates potential failure modes and prioritizes user safety under all conditions when considering a redesign of the hatch after the Mercury 8 capsule, Liberty Bell 7 mishap that prompted moving from outward-opening hatch to an inward-opening hatch. 

October 18,. 1966. The Apollo 1 prime crew members for the first manned Apollo Mission (204) prepare to enter their spacecraft inside the altitude chamber at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Entering the hatch is astronaut Virgil I. Grissom, commander; behind him is astronaut Roger B. Chaffee, lunar module pilot; standing at the left with chamber technicians is astronaut Edward H. White II, command module pilot.

Anticipatory design is a proactive approach that aims to foresee and address potential challenges and user needs before they arise, ensuring products are safe, functional, and user-friendly. Several specific techniques and principles from the literature can guide this approach:

By integrating these principles and techniques, designers can create products that not only meet current needs but are also resilient and adaptable to future challenges. This proactive approach helps prevent reactive measures after issues arise, ultimately leading to safer and more reliable products.

Conclusion

Incorporating human factors engineering, rigorous testing under emergency scenarios in all environments, and iterative feedback loops could have revealed the critical flaw in the inward-opening hatch design when it was proposed for Apollo 1. By ensuring that product designs are robust and versatile enough to handle unexpected situations, designers can create safer and more reliable systems, thereby preventing reactive measures after a disaster. This principle is crucial not only in aerospace engineering but in all fields where human safety is important.

Further read