Management dynamics of NASA''s human spaceflight programs

The public management dynamics of human spaceflight at NASA in the post-Apollo era—Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and the United States national vision for space exploration—are examined. A number of variables are applied to assess this. Public management processes are identified as a function of political accountability, organizational decision-making and cultures, and technical aspects directed at high reliability and safety of the large-scale, complex, and high-risk technologies that characterize NASA's human spaceflight programs. The findings indicate that these variables are causally linked to management outcomes through dynamics of centralized and decentralized organizational approaches. The success or failure of NASA's human spaceflight programs are linked to organizational management based on dynamics between centralized aspects of management, like controls over cost and schedule, and decentralized aspects, such as engineering authority over technical development.     

基于SCADA及以太网的大型空间环境模拟器集中控制系统

以往的空间环境模拟器大多采用分散独立控制的模式,导致多套设备并行试验时人力投入大、设备管理困难。针对这一问题,文章提出了一种基于SCADA（Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition,监控与资料搜集）系统和以太网的分布式集中控制系统。该系统采用B/S架构,将控制网络和企业局域网相结合,为操作用户和管理用户提供方便灵活的远程数据服务。系统对关键模块采用了必要的冗余设计,增加了可靠性和安全性。     

随机振动试验和噪声试验的有效性分析

文章首先从频率范围、输入能量、振动模态和传递路径等四个方面对随机振动试验和噪声试验的差异进行了详细分析;之后从内声场和结构传递振动两方面对组件级试验的有效性进行初步评估,着重讨论组件级振动试验项目的优化选择方法;通过综合考虑,对航天器系统级振动试验项目的选择提出了合理建议。     

航天型号项目成本估算方法研究与实现

介绍了国内外航天型号研制项目成本估算的研究现状,分析了航天型号研制项目成本估算的作用与特点。研究了参数成本估算法、工程成本估算法、类比成本估算法、外推成本估算法、仿真模型法和综合成本估算法等方法。给出了用综合成本估算法估算的风云四号气象卫星研制成本算例。     

Improved cost monitoring and control through the Earned Value Management System

As economic pressure and competition for budget among federal agencies has increased, there has been an increasing need for more granular data and robust management information systems. This is especially true for the execution of major civilian space programs. This need has resulted in new program management requirements being implemented in an attempt to limit cost and schedule growth. In particular, NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) 7120.5D requires the implementation of an Earned Value Management System (EVMS) compliant with the requirements of American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Electronic Industries Alliance Standard 748-B. The Radiation Belt Storm Probes (RBSP) program management team at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) made a decision to implement an EVMS on RBSP during Phase B—a year earlier than specified in the contractual Phase C reporting requirement as defined in the NPR. This decision was made so that the project would have the benefit of 12 months of training and hands-on implementation during Phase B. Although there were a number of technical and process hurdles encountered during Phase B and into Phase C, the system was working well when the Integrated Baseline Review (IBR) was held in August 2009. The IBR was a success because it met the review requirements. It was also clear to all IBR participants that the EVMS was providing value to the project management team. Although the IBR pointed out some areas of concern regarding process and ANSI compliance, the system had markedly improved the project's ability to monitor cost and schedule. This, in turn, allowed the project team to foresee problems in advance, formulate corrective actions, and implement course corrections without causing significant adverse impact to the project. Opponents of EVMS systems often communicate the unfavorable opinion that EVMS systems create unnecessary cost and administration. Although it is undeniable that EVMS implementation does not occur without cost, the cost is minimal in comparison to the benefits of successful implementation. This paper will focus on the implementation of EVMS on the RBSP project, explain EV processes and the implementation's cost, and analyze the benefits of EVMS to provide insight into cost/benefit considerations for other projects considering EVMS implementation. This paper will do this by focusing on the following points: (1) RBSP is the first full-up implementation of earned value management (EVM) at JHU/APL; (2) RBSP EVM started in Phase B; (3) RBSP EVM implementation has been working well in Phase C/D; (4) RBSP EVM implementation has been recognized by Goddard Space Flight Center and NASA Headquarters as successful; and (5) an assessment of the benefits of EVMS to the project management team and sponsor shows that the system's benefits outweigh the cost of implementation.     

An innovative approach for distributed and integrated resources planning for the Space Station Freedom

The widely distributed nature of the Space Station Freedom program, plus continuous multi-year operations will force program planners to develop innovative planning concepts. The traditional centralized planning operation will not be adequate. It will be replaced by multiple small planning centers working within guidelines issued by a central planning authority. Plans will not be optimized; rather, operating efficiency and user flexibility will be blended to satisfy program goals. The key to this new approach is the application of new planning methodologies and system development technologies to accommodate distributed resources that must be integrated. Resources will be distributed to the multiple planning entities in such a way that, when the several plans are built and then integrated, they will fit together with minimal modification. The plan itself will be an envelope schedule containing resource limits and constraint boundaries within which users will be free to make choices of the specific activities they will execute, up to the time of execution. Some level of margin within program guidelines will be built in to allow for variation and unforeseen change. This paper presents the authors' recommended planning approach and cites two NASA systems being developed that will utilize these resource distribution/integration planning concepts, methodologies and development technologies.     

A systems engineering environment for integrated satellite development

Space mission implementation faces a very dynamic environment with fast-paced information technology advancement and shrinking space budgets. A more focused use of decreasing public investments in space requires a cost reduction over their entire life cycle, up to the end of the useful life of a spacecraft. The anticipation of cost, schedule, risk and performance requirements from all over the product life cycle to the early stages of product development is generally recognised as a necessary condition to reduce life cycle cost. In order to cope with the intrinsic functional complexity of space products, such requirements engineering activity must be performed in a structured way within a systems engineering approach. This paper aims to describe how Cradle, a commercial systems engineering environment software package, can be used for integrated satellite development, taking into consideration functional and life cycle process requirements. Cradle has requirements management, system modelling, performance modelling, configuration management and document generation capabilities integrated in the same environment. Also, the paper provides some examples of application and highlights how Cradle can enhance the satellite development related activities performed by the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE).     

自动化测试系统在环境减灾-1A、1B卫星中的应用

在环境减灾-1A、1B（HJ-1A、1B）卫星的研制中,双星并行电性能综合测试是一个非常复杂和细致的过程,为此应用了卫星自动化测试系统,实现了测试信息的集中管理、测试数据的综合利用和测试流程的自动化,提高了测试工作的效率和质量。文章介绍HJ-1A、1B双星并行自动化综合测试系统,主要阐述测试实时数据库、自动化测试控制台、参数自动化监视软件等。     

技术成熟度对航天器研制进度的影响

利用回归分析法对过去的航天器研制进度(进度拖延)和技术成熟度的离散数据进行研究,求出表示进度拖延与技术成熟度之间关系的拟合函数(曲线);引入进度风险和进度余量的概念,对进度拖延按正态分布随机变量进行统计分析,给出了进度风险、进度余量和技术成熟度之间的关系曲线,可供航天器研制项目立项、评审、决策使用。     

小型热真空试验设备网络化集群测控技术

随着航天器部组件试验任务的日益增多,在人员少的情况下,高效率地完成型号任务的需求十分迫切。文章介绍了小型热真空试验设备网络化集群测控的方法与技术,以某小型热真空试验设备群为例,针对其接口复杂、数据量大、地理位置分散且要求集中管理的特点,详细阐述了采用混合B/S模式与C/S模式的网络化测控技术来实现小型热真空试验设备群集群测控的功能。该技术已在小型热真空试验设备的集群控制中得到了成功的应用。     

A space exploration strategy that promotes international and commercial participation

NASA has created a plan to implement the Flexible Path strategy, which utilizes a heavy lift launch vehicle to deliver crew and cargo to orbit. In this plan, NASA would develop much of the transportation architecture (launch vehicle, crew capsule, and in-space propulsion), leaving the other in-space elements open to commercial and international partnerships. This paper presents a space exploration strategy that reverses that philosophy, where commercial and international launch vehicles provide launch services. Utilizing a propellant depot to aggregate propellant on orbit, smaller launch vehicles are capable of delivering all of the mass necessary for space exploration. This strategy has benefits to the architecture in terms of cost, schedule, and reliability.     

基于模糊评价方法的航天器总装过程产品安全性评估模型研究

航天器在总装阶段发生的质量安全问题将会对航天器研制质量、进度、成本产生重大的影响。为提高航天器产品总装的安全风险控制能力,必须建立总装过程风险识别和安全防护的工程方法,对总装过程重要环节的安全性进行正确评价。通过运用模糊综合评价法与层次分析法构建航天器总装安全性评估模型,在专家打分的基础上,借助多级模糊综合判断和直接打分相接合的方法,分析确定各评价指标的权重,从而计算出关键活动的风险值。     

The impact of US export controls on the Canadian space industry

The International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) govern the export of defense-related technologies and services from the USA. In 1999 Canada's exemption to ITAR was suspended because of American objections over some Canadian companies retransferring US technology to third countries. This paper is a first attempt to quantify the impact of ITAR on the Canadian space industry. Thirty-two space-related companies were contacted and a total of nine responses were received, representative of around 60% of the Canadian space industry in terms of workforce and revenue. According to the results, the Canadian space industry has been relatively effective in meeting the challenges imposed by ITAR. However, these workarounds do not diminish its negative impacts, particularly with respect to cost and schedule. It is expected that ITAR will continue to affect the Canadian space industry, as no near-term relief from the current regulatory environment is on the horizon.     

航天国际合作项目进度风险管理研究

文章针对航天国际合作项目的发展趋势,对其管理模式进行了对比分析,指出新模式对项目计划和风险管理提出的新要求,对航天国际合作项目的工作分解结构、进度管理和风险管理的关联性进行了描述,提出基于风险管理的进度管理体系结构和将风险纳入计划管理体系的工作流程,并给出航天国际合作项目进度管理的有效解决方案。     

低成本固体火箭发动机技术研究

简述了国外低成本固体火箭技术研究背影和动向，分析了国外降低固体发动机成本的主要技术途径，着论述了低成本的固体推进剂原材料及推进剂生产工艺，低成本的喷管材料及喷管制造技术、低成本的固体自动化制造技术 。     

Technology readiness assessments: A retrospective

The development of new system capabilities typically depends upon the prior success of advanced technology research and development efforts. These systems developments inevitably face the three major challenges of any project: performance, schedule and budget. Done well, advanced technology programs can substantially reduce the uncertainty in all three of these dimensions of project management. Done poorly, or not at all, and new system developments suffer from cost overruns, schedule delays and the steady erosion of initial performance objectives. It is often critical for senior management to be able to determine which of these two paths is more likely—and to respond accordingly. The challenge for system and technology managers is to be able to make clear, well-documented assessments of technology readiness and risks, and to do so at key points in the life cycle of the program.In the mid 1970s, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduced the concept of “technology readiness levels” (TRLs) as a discipline-independent, programmatic figure of merit (FOM) to allow more effective assessment of, and communication regarding the maturity of new technologies. In 1995, the TRL scale was further strengthened by the articulation of the first definitions of each level, along with examples (J. Mankins, Technology readiness levels, A White Paper, NASA, Washington, DC, 1995. [1]). Since then, TRLs have been embraced by the U.S. Congress’ General Accountability Office (GAO), adopted by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and are being considered for use by numerous other organizations. Overall, the TRLs have proved to be highly effective in communicating the status of new technologies among sometimes diverse organizations.This paper will review the concept of “technology readiness assessments”, and provide a retrospective on the history of “TRLs” during the past 30 years. The paper will conclude with observations concerning prospective future directions for the important discipline of technology readiness assessments.     

Technology readiness and risk assessments: A new approach

Systems that depend upon the application of new technologies inevitably face three major challenges during development: performance, schedule and budget. Technology research and development (R&D) programs are typically advocated based on argument that these investments will substantially reduce the uncertainty in all three of these dimensions of project management. However, if early R&D is implemented poorly, then the new system developments that plan to employ the resulting advanced technologies will suffer from cost overruns, schedule delays and the steady erosion of initial performance objectives. It is often critical for senior management to be able to determine which of these two paths is more likely—and to respond accordingly. The challenge for system and technology managers is to be able to make clear, well-documented assessments of technology readiness and risks, and to do so at key points in the life cycle of the program.Several approaches have been used to evaluate technology maturity and risk in order to better anticipate later system development risks. The “technology readiness levels” (TRLs), developed by NASA, are one discipline-independent, programmatic figure of merit (FOM) that allows more effective assessment of, and communication regarding the maturity of new technologies. Another broadly used management tool is of the “risk matrix”, which depends upon a graphical representation of uncertainty and consequences. However, for the most part these various methodologies have had no explicit interrelationship.This paper will examine past uses of current methods to improve R&D outcomes and will highlight some of the limitations that can arise. In this context, a new concept for the integration of the TRL methodology, and the concept of the “risk matrix” will be described. The paper will conclude with observations concerning prospective future directions for the important new concept of integrated “technology readiness and risk assessments”.     

Market-based approaches for controlling space mission costs: the Cassini Resource Exchange

Using economic incentives to control costs is a new concept for space missions. The basic tenets of market-based approaches run counter to typical centralized management techniques often utilized for complex space missions. NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn used a market trading system to assist the Science Instrument Manager in guiding the development of the spacecraft's science payload. This system allowed science instrument teams to trade resources among themselves to best manage their resources (mass, power, data rate, and budget). Thus, Cassini Project management was no longer responsible for adjudicating and reallocating resources that result from instrument development problems. Instrument teams were responsible for directly managing their resources and if they ran into a development problem it was their responsibility to resolve their problem by descoping or through the use of a 'resource exchange.' Under the trading system, instrument cost growth was less than 1% and the total payload mass was under its allocation by 7%. This result is in stark contrast to the 50%–100% increases in these resources on past missions.     

Formation and economic effectiveness estimation of management-engineering systems for spacecraft development

Various management-engineering systems (MES) participate in the process of conducting research and development on the creation of space vehicles and systems. They display certain generality of structure, relationships and principles of control, that enables us to transfer principles of formation and control from one system onto another. The methods proposed for investigation permit one to formulate general and specific principles of MES formation and, inferring from the analysis of network schedule of design works, obtain the algorithmic structure of automated design of space system objects. In order to increase quality and effectiveness of design works we propose to conduct studies at different stages of research and development with the account of uncertainties occurred.     

Investigation Into Cost-Effective Propulsion System Options for Small Satellites

The paper summarizes research into cost-effective propulsion system options for small satellites. Research into the primary cost drivers for propulsion systems is discussed and a process for resolving them is advanced. From this analysis, a new paradigm for understanding the total cost of propulsion systems is defined that encompasses nine dimensions – mass, volume, time, power, system price, integration, logistics, safety and technical risk. This paradigm is used to characterize all near-term propulsion technology options. From this effort, hybrid rockets emerges as a promising but underdeveloped technology with great potential for cost-effective application. A dedicated research program was completed to characterize this potential. This research demonstrated that hybrid rockets offer a safe, reliable upper stage option that is a versatile, cost-effective alternative to solid rocket motors. Finally, an innovative technique was derived to parametrically combine the diverse cost dimensions into a useful, quantifiable figure of merit for mission and research planning. Overall, it is shown that the most cost-effective solution is found by weighing all options along the nine dimensions of the cost paradigm within the context of a specific mission.