Attachment E
Optional Tasks
The statement of task (Attachment A) includes three tasks that the committee was directed to address only if time permitted. Because of the limited time available, the committee focused on the primary tasks, and it had little time to address the optional tasks. These tasks and the committee’s responses appear below.
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“The committee should define metrics that could be used to measure progress of the systems integration activity.” The committee did not have time to address this issue.
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“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?” Regardless of the systems integration approach selected, systems integration tasks related to the areas below (among others) should remain a government function:
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accident investigations
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approval of cross-contract system interfaces
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astronaut selection, training, and certification
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handling of extraterrestrial material (lunar and martian)
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high-level requirements definition
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interactions with other federal agencies
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international interfaces and agreements
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launch approval
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operations
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planetary protection and quarantine
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relations with the public, the Administration, and the Congress
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safety
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space medical and health issues
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top-level budget authority
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use of nuclear material (in partnership with the Department of Energy)
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radioisotope thermal generators
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reactors
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“What specific skills, if any, should be subcontracted back to the government if the systems integrator is not a government organization?” If the government is not the systems integrator, subcontracting work back to the government would increase the number of interfaces that would have to be managed. Therefore, rather than subcontracting work back to the government, it would be better for the government to reduce the scope of work of the nongovernmental systems integrator. Tasks that the government should retain are included in the list above.
