Case Catalog
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration A Catalog of NASA-Related Case Studies Compiled by the Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA Contact Dr. Edward W. Rogers Chief Knowledge Officer Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Version 1.5 Publication Date: August 23, 2010 Cover Image: NFIRE, Credit: NASA ALPHABETICAL INDEX Case Title Length Subject Focus Page AGATE: The Turning Point for project management; revitalizing industry 35 General Aviation 1 Atlas Centaur-67: Go or No Go for launch decision 3 2 Launch? Building the Team: The Ares I-X expertise; facilities renovation; large scale 10 3 Upper Stage Simulator fabrication; staffing; retraining shuttle accident; decision-making; Columbia's Final Mission 33 4 communication; crisis management; Columbia’s Final Mission (Multimedia beliefs, crisis communication, crisis prevention, n/a 5 Case) group behavior, group dynamics, managerial skills Cover Blown - The WIRE Spacecraft on-orbit failure; test-as-you-fly; peer reviews 4 6 Mishap R&D environment vs. operational environment; Earth Observing System Data 35 developers vs. users; instability of requirements; 7 Information System (EOSDIS) acquisition strategy Fender Bender - DART's Automated navigational system error; on-orbit failure 4 8 Collision shuttle accident; decision-making; risk Final Voyage of the Challenger 35 9 management design and material issues; quality control; Fire in the Cockpit - The Apollo 1 4 emergency preparedness; budget and schedule 10 Tragedy pressures; complacency Goddard Space Flight Center: 20+ organizational learning 11 Building A Learning Organization 12 GOES-N: Long and Winding Road to managing fixed-price contract; technical role in 8 12 Launch launch decision; managing exigencies schedule pressures; launch decisions; risk Gravity Probe B 11 13 management; risk mitigation HMS Thetis and Apollo XIII 21 disaster management 14 Hubble Space Telescope: Systems systems engineering 69 15 Engineering Case Study IBEX: Managing Logistical Exigencies 1 logistics, communication 16 budget; schedule; science; team; project IMAGE n/a 17 management International Project Management: on-orbit failure,; telemetry; international 14 18 The Cassini-Huygens Mission collaboration; ITAR Launching New Horizons: The RP-1 governance model; independent technical 16 19 Tank Decision authority; transparent decision making Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA i Case Title Length Subject Focus Page risk mgt., communication, culture conflict, new Launching the Vasa 8 technology, requirements issues, cost-schedule 20 mgt. Lewis Spins out of Control 4 ―faster, better, cheaper‖ (FBC); on-orbit failure 21 risk management, communication, organizational Lifting NOAA-N Prime 4 22 silence, contractor issues Lost in Translation - The Mars Climate spacecraft trajectory; ground software 4 23 Orbiter Mishap Lost in Space: A Case Study in Engineering problem solving; ―faster, better, 8 24 Engineering Problem Solving cheaper‖ (FBC) Managing Knowledge and Learning at knowledge management; organizational learning NASA and the Jet Propulsion 30 25 Laboratory (JPL) Mechanical Systems Engineering culture conflict, contracts, contractors, 4 26 Support Contract Re-Compete communication M.S.T.I.: Optimizing the Whole systems engineering across a project 27 System 27 NASA After Challenger: Restoring an disaster management, media relations, 18 28 Image management communication NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid redesign; managing change n/a 29 Rendezvous) Pegasus XL-HESSI: Last-Minute launch decision, communication, risk mgt. 8 30 Decisions in Flight-Based Launch Redesigning the Cosmic Background launch vehicle; redesign; matrix management; 10 31 Explorer (COBE) mass; co-location; test-as-you-fly Searching for Life on Mars: The instrument development; project management Development of the Viking Gas 8 32 Chronomatograph Mass Spectrometer software anomaly; "test as you fly"; anomaly Shuttle Software Anomaly 4 33 documentation behavior; human resources management; Space Shuttle 6 organizational behavior; organizational structure; 34 quantitative analysis Space-to-Space communications schedule pressures; testing; space 6 35 System communications; in-house development Super Lightweight Tank: A Risk risk management Management Case Study in Mass 44 36 Reduction ST5 - Miniaturized Space Technology 4 distributed project; communication 37 STEREO: Organizational Cultures in organization, institutional culture clash, 5 38 Conflict communication, testing, schedule-cost mgt. Stormy Weather: Lightning Strike on Shuttle launch; decision-making n/a 39 the Launch Pad Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA ii Case Title Length Subject Focus Page Super Lightweight Tank: A Risk risk management, risk mitigation, risk assessment Management Case Study in Mass 44 40 Reduction TDRSS: Fixed-Cost versus Cost-Plus cost-plus versus fixed-cost contracting, contractor 7 41 Contracting issues, cost-schedule mgt., culture conflicts The CALIPSO Mission: Project interagency communication, roles, relationships; Management in the "PI Mode": Who's 10 ITAR and international partnerships 42 in Charge? The CEV Seat: Seeking a Semi- contractor, requirements, engineering, schedule, 7 43 Custom Fit in an Off-the-Rack World review, learning The Dart Mission: Changing communication, contractors, engineering, Environment, Shifting Priorities, Hard 6 instrumentation, ITAR, LV, politics, project 44 Decisions management, roles, technical, technology, testing The Million Mile Rescue - SOHO Lost in space recovery; extending the mission; ground 4 43 in Space operations The NFIRE Launch: Beating the choosing your biggest worry; launch decision Sophomore Slump at the Wallops 7 making 45 Range communication, organizational silence, The Pursuit of Images of Columbia 4 46 hierarchical barriers The Tour Not Taken - NASA's Comet on-orbit failure; team integration; faulty design 4 47 Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) Thermosphere Ionosphere programmatic challenges; mission requirements; Mesosphere Energetics and center buy-in; managing expectations; lines of 21 48 Dynamics Project (TIMED) Case authority; rules of engagement; complex Study relationships; personality conflicts weak project management & institutional Vegetation Canopy Lidar 12 49 oversight; "faster, better, cheaper" mandate; geographically Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) 16 50 dispersed teams; communications; INDEX BY CASE LENGTH Case Title Length Subject Focus Page IMAGE n/a budget; schedule; science; team; project 17 management NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid n/a redesign; managing change 29 Rendezvous) Stormy Weather: Lightning Strike on n/a shuttle launch; decision-making 38 the Launch Pad Columbia’s Final Mission n/a beliefs, crisis communication, crisis prevention, 5 (Multimedia Case) group behavior, group dynamics, managerial skills IBEX: Managing Logistical 1 logistics, communication 16 Exigencies Atlas Centaur-67: Go or No Go for 3 launch decision 2 Launch? Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA iii Case Title Length Subject Focus Page Cover Blown - The WIRE 4 on-orbit failure; test-as-you-fly; peer reviews 6 Spacecraft Mishap Fender Bender - DART's Automated 4 navigational system error; on-orbit failure 8 Collision Fire in the Cockpit - The Apollo 1 4 design and material issues; quality control; Tragedy emergency preparedness; budget and schedule 10 pressures; complacency Lewis Spins out of Control 4 ―faster, better, cheaper‖ (FBC); on-orbit failure 21 Lifting NOAA-N Prime 4 risk management, communication, organizational 22 silence, contractor issues Lost in Translation - The Mars 4 spacecraft trajectory; ground software 23 Climate Orbiter Mishap Mechanical Systems Engineering 4 culture conflict, contracts, contractors, 26 Support Contract Re-Compete communication Shuttle Software Anomaly 4 software anomaly; "test as you fly"; anomaly 33 documentation ST5 - Miniaturized Space 4 distributed project; communication 36 Technology The Million Mile Rescue - SOHO 4 in space recovery; extending the mission; ground 43 Lost in Space operations The Pursuit of Images of Columbia 4 communication, organizational silence, hierarchical 45 barriers The Tour Not Taken - NASA's 4 on-orbit failure; team integration; faulty design 46 Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) STEREO: Organizational Cultures in 5 organization, institutional culture clash, 37 Conflict communication, testing, schedule-cost mgt. Space-to-Space communications 6 schedule pressures; testing; space communications; 35 System in-house development The Dart Mission: Changing 6 communication, contractors, engineering, Environment, Shifting Priorities, instrumentation, ITAR, LV, politics, project 42 Hard Decisions management, roles, technical, technology, testing Space Shuttle 6 behavior; human resources management; organizational behavior; organizational structure; 34 quantitative analysis The NFIRE Launch: Beating the 7 choosing your biggest worry; launch decision making Sophomore Slump at the Wallops 44 Range TDRSS: Fixed-Cost versus Cost- 7 cost-plus versus fixed-cost contracting, contractor 39 Plus Contracting issues, cost-schedule mgt., culture conflicts The CEV Seat: Seeking a Semi- 7 contractor, requirements, engineering, schedule, 41 Custom Fit in an Off-the-Rack World review, learning GOES-N: Long and Winding Road 8 managing fixed-price contract; technical role in 12 to Launch launch decision; managing exigencies Launching the Vasa 8 risk