NASA Case Study Catalog
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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 Updated as of September 2011 Contact Dr. Edward W. Rogers Chief Knowledge Officer Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer Goddard Space Flight Center NASA Version 1.8 Publication Date: September 2011 Disclaimer: This document links to many Web sites created and maintained by public and/or private organizations other than NASA. NASA provides links to these sites as a service to our readers. The presence of a link is not a NASA endorsement of the site. When users follow a link to an outside Web site, they are leaving NASA and are subject to the privacy and security policies of the owners/sponsors of the outside Web site(s). NASA is not responsible for the information collection practices of non-NASA sites. Cover Image: The TacSat-2 launches from Wallops Flight Facility. Credit: NASA ALPHABETICAL INDEX Case Title Length Subject Focus Page ABCs of OCI: Know You Don’t 4 Contract management; Decision making 1 AGATE: The Turning Point for Project management; Revitalizing industry 35 2 General Aviation Atlas Centaur-67: Go or No Go for Launch decision 3 3 Launch? Building the Team: The Ares I-X Expertise; Facilities renovation; Large scale 10 4 Upper Stage Simulator fabrication; Staffing; Retraining Collaborative Problem-Solving: The Problem-solving; Collaboration 13 5 STS-119 Flow Control Valve Issue Shuttle accident; Decision making; Columbia's Final Mission 33 6 Communication; Crisis management; Beliefs; Crisis communication; Crisis prevention; Columbia’s Final Mission (Multimedia n/a Group behavior; Group dynamics; Managerial 7 Case) skills Communication Aberration 4 Hubble; Communication; Risk management 8 Cover Blown - The WIRE Spacecraft On-orbit failure; Test-as-you-fly; Peer reviews 4 9 Mishap R&D environment vs. operational environment; Earth Observing System Data 35 Developers vs. users; Instability of requirements; 10 Information System (EOSDIS) Acquisition strategy Fender Bender - DART's Automated Navigational system error; On-orbit failure 4 11 Collision Shuttle accident; Decision making; Risk Final Voyage of the Challenger 35 12 management Design and material issues; Quality control; Fire in the Cockpit - The Apollo 1 4 Emergency preparedness; Budget and schedule 13 Tragedy pressures; Complacency Goddard Space Flight Center: 20+ Organizational learning 14 Building A Learning Organization 12 GOES-N: Long and Winding Road to Managing fixed-price contract; Technical role in 8 15 Launch launch decision; Managing exigencies Schedule pressures; Launch decisions; Risk Gravity Probe B 11 16 management; Risk mitigation Hit the Bricks 4 Launch facilities; Safety; KSC; Space Shuttle 17 HMS Thetis and Apollo XIII 21 Disaster management 18 Hubble Space Telescope: Systems Systems engineering 69 19 Engineering Case Study IBEX: Managing Logistical Exigencies 1 Logistics; Communication 20 Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA i Case Title Length Subject Focus Page Budget; Schedule; Science; Team; Project IMAGE n/a 21 management International Project Management: On-orbit failure; Telemetry; International 14 22 The Cassini-Huygens Mission collaboration; ITAR International Space Station: Systems Systems engineering; Partnerships 105 23 Engineering Case Study Launching New Horizons: The RP-1 Governance model; Independent technical 16 24 Tank Decision authority; Transparent decision making Risk management; Communication, Launching the Vasa 6 Organizational culture; Technologies, 25 Requirements, Schedules, Budgeting; Accidents Launch decision; Safety, Organizational culture; Lessons from the Challenger Launch 13 Risk management; decision making; engineering 26 Decision design Lewis Spins out of Control 4 ―Faster, better, cheaper‖ (FBC); On-orbit failure 27 Risk management; Communication; Lifting NOAA-N Prime 4 28 Organizational culture; Contract management Lost in Translation - The Mars Climate Spacecraft trajectory; Ground software 4 29 Orbiter Mishap Lost in Space: A Case Study in Engineering problem solving; ―Faster, better, 8 30 Engineering Problem Solving cheaper‖ (FBC) Lunar Crater Observation and Risk management; Communication, Project 8 31 Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) management Managing Knowledge and Learning at Knowledge management; Organizational learning NASA and the Jet Propulsion 30 32 Laboratory (JPL) Mechanical Systems Engineering Organizational culture; Communication; Contract 4 33 Support Contract Re-Compete management Failure; Investigation; Contract management; Risk Mission to Mars 4 34 management M.S.T.I.: Optimizing the Whole Systems engineering across a project 27 35 System NASA After Challenger: Restoring an Disaster management; Media relations; 18 36 Image Management communication NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Redesign; Managing change n/a 37 Rendezvous) NOAA-N Prime Case Study 38 Safety; Risk management; Accidents 38 Pegasus XL-HESSI: Last-Minute Decision making; Communication; Risk 8 39 Decisions in Flight-Based Launch Management Redesigning the Cosmic Background Launch vehicle; Redesign; Matrix management; 10 40 Explorer (COBE) Mass; Co-location; Test-as-you-fly Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA ii Case Title Length Subject Focus Page Searching for Life on Mars: The Instrument development; Project management Development of the Viking Gas 8 41 Chronomatograph Mass Spectrometer Software anomaly; "Test as you fly"; Anomaly Shuttle Software Anomaly 4 42 documentation Sitting on the Fence: Launching a Launch vehicle; Decision making; Safety; Failure; 10 43 Balloon in the Outback Accidents Skin in the Game: Questioning Contract management; Decision making 4 44 Organizational Conflict of Interest Behavior; Human resources management; Space Shuttle 6 Organizational behavior; Organizational structure; 45 Quantitative analysis Space-to-Space communications Schedule pressures; Testing; Space 6 46 System communications; In-house development Spektr of Failure 4 Hubble; Communication; Risk management 47 ST5 - Miniaturized Space Technology 4 Communication 48 STEREO: Organizational Cultures in Organizational culture; Communication; Tests; 5 49 Conflict Schedules; Budgeting Stormy Weather: Lightning Strike on Shuttle launch; Decision-making n/a 50 the Launch Pad Super Lightweight Tank: A Risk Risk management; Risk mitigation: Risk Management Case Study in Mass 44 assessment 51 Reduction TDRSS: Fixed-Cost versus Cost-Plus Contract management; Organizational culture; 7 52 Contracting Schedules; Budgeting TDRSS K, L: Working with a Fixed Contract management; Requirements 6 53 Price Contract The CALIPSO Mission: Project Interagency communication; Roles; Relationships; Management in the "PI Mode": Who's 9 ITAR and international partnerships 54 in Charge? The CEV Seat: Seeking a Semi- Contract management; Requirements; 7 55 Custom Fit in an Off-the-Rack World Engineering; Schedule; Review; Learning Communication; Contract management; The Dart Mission: Changing Engineering; Instruments; ITAR; Launch vehicles; Environment, Shifting Priorities, Hard 6 5 Politics; Project management; Roles; 6 Decisions Technologies; Tests The Million Mile Rescue - SOHO Lost In space recovery; Extending the mission; Ground 4 57 in Space operations The NFIRE Launch: Beating the Choosing your biggest worry; Launch decision Sophomore Slump at the Wallops 7 making 58 Range Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA iii Case Title Length Subject Focus Page Communication; Organizational silence; The Pursuit of Images of Columbia 6 59 Accidents; Hierarchical barriers; Safety The Tour Not Taken - NASA's Comet On-orbit failure; Team integration; Faulty design 4 60 Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) Thermosphere Ionosphere Programmatic challenges; Mission requirements; Mesosphere Energetics and Center buy-in; Managing expectations; Lines of 21 61 Dynamics Project (TIMED) Case authority; Rules of engagement; Complex Study relationships; Personality conflicts Vegetation Canopy Lidar 12 Weak project management; Institutional oversight; 62 Contract management; Risk management; Wait, Wait, Don’t Launch 4 63 Decision making "Faster, better, cheaper" mandate; Geographically Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) 16 64 dispersed teams; Communications; Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer, Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA iv INDEX BY CASE LENGTH Case Title Length Page IMAGE n/a 21 NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) n/a 37 Stormy Weather: Lightning Strike on the Launch Pad n/a 50 Columbia’s Final Mission (Multimedia Case) n/a 6 IBEX: Managing Logistical Exigencies 1 20 Atlas Centaur-67: Go or No Go for Launch? 3 3 ABCs of OCI: Know You Don’t 4 1 Communication Aberration 4 8 Cover Blown - The WIRE Spacecraft Mishap 4 9 Fender Bender - DART's Automated Collision 4 11 Fire in the Cockpit - The Apollo 1 Tragedy 4 13 Hit the Bricks 4 17 Lewis Spins out of Control 4 27 Lifting NOAA-N Prime 4 28 Lost in Translation - The Mars Climate Orbiter Mishap 4 29 Mechanical Systems Engineering Support Contract Re-Compete 4 33 Mission to Mars 4 34 Shuttle Software Anomaly 4 42 Skin in the Game: Questioning Organizational Conflict of Interest 4 44 Spektr of Failure 4 47 ST5 - Miniaturized Space Technology 4 48 The Million Mile Rescue - SOHO Lost in Space 4 57 The Tour Not Taken - NASA's Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) 4 60 Wait, Wait, Don’t Launch 4 63 STEREO: Organizational Cultures in Conflict 5 49 The Pursuit of Images of Columbia 6