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Systems Integration for Project Constellation: Letter Report (2004)

Chapter: Attachment A: Statement of Task

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Suggested Citation:"Attachment A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Systems Integration for Project Constellation: Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11104.
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Attachment A
Statement of Task

The Aeronautics and Space Engineering Board will assemble a study committee with approximately 12 members. The committee will hold one meeting lasting about four days and issue a letter report no later than September 15, 2004, that summarizes key aspects of its deliberations including findings and recommendations related to the following tasks:

  1. Define criteria for assessing the relative merits of the four systems integration options detailed in Task 2. These criteria should identify those attributes required for the successful execution of Project Constellation. The committee may wish to consider such items as the characteristic features of successful systems integration organizations/cultures and whether all these features must be present in a single organization.

  2. Evaluate the relative merits of the following options for performing the Project Constellation systems integration function:

    • government as prime integrator

    • one of the major hardware prime contractors is also integrator

    • an existing company (but not one of the Project Constellation prime contractors) is the integrator

    • government creates a new company to serve as integrator

  1. If and only if time permits:

    • The committee should define metrics that could be used to measure progress of the systems integration activity.

    • In completing this task, the committee should evaluate the scope of the Project Constellation systems integration function, as defined by NASA. What part of the scope, such as approval of interface requirements, should remain a government function, regardless of which systems integration approach may be selected?

    • What specific skills, if any, should be subcontracted back to the government if the systems integrator is not a government organization?

The committee shall consider whether NASA has overlooked any applicable approaches or options for performing the Project Constellation systems integration function. The committee’s deliberations will include the following factors/considerations:

  • The scope and complexity of the Project Constellation requirements (as they are presented by NASA).

  • The unique nature of the Project Constellation requirements.

  • The ability of the existing “industrial base” associated with the above integration options.

Suggested Citation:"Attachment A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Systems Integration for Project Constellation: Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11104.
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  • Legal constraints or regulations constraining any of the above options.

  • Funding constraints/limitations associated with Project Constellation.

  • Any other unique conditions identified by the committee.

To the extent that the study schedule permits, in performing this study the committee shall:

  • Consider the systems integration approaches associated with selected previous and ongoing major aerospace initiatives (International Space Station, Hubble Space Telescope, Joint Strike Fighter, 777/7E7 Programs, etc.) and their relative strengths and weaknesses as they relate to Project Constellation.

  • Consider the available capabilities that exist in government and industry to perform the Project Constellation systems integration function.

The scope of this project does not include the assessment of any particular technologies, system requirements, or system architectures; the capabilities of any specific organizations; the goals, feasibility, or budget of Project Constellation; or how NASA should be organized to carry out Project Constellation. Neither will the committee recommend which systems integration approach NASA should use.

Suggested Citation:"Attachment A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Systems Integration for Project Constellation: Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11104.
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Page 21
Suggested Citation:"Attachment A: Statement of Task." National Research Council. 2004. Systems Integration for Project Constellation: Letter Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11104.
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Page 22
Next: Attachment B: Committee Membership Roster and Biographies »
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With the announcement of the Vision for U.S. Space Exploration, NASA has formed a new Exploration Systems Enterprise charged with development of systems to be used in the exploration of the moon, Mars, and other destinations. A key component of that enterprise is Project Constellation which is responsible for all of the systems necessary for human exploration. It is essential that those systems be integrated effectively for the mission to succeed. To assist with this objective, NASA asked the NRC to assess the relative merits of seven approaches for systems integration. This letter report presents this assessment. It provides a list of 21 criteria for judging the capability of each of the approaches to succeed in this complex integration task, and ratings of how well each can fulfill those criteria

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