Standard Spacecraft Procurement Analysis: A Case Study in NASA-DOD coordination in Space Programs
Abstract
This document examines organizational and procurement issues surrounding NASA-DoD cooperation for a specific case study--DoD use of NASA standard spacecraft. Space shuttle operation, as the U.S. standard launch vehicle for both NASA and DoD payloads, refocuses attention on NASA-DoD cooperation. Use of standard spacecraft designs offers reduced operational costs, but intensifies the difficulty of determining agency needs and responsibilities while retaining mission responsiveness. A modified system- impact-assessment approach compares total costs of alternative procurement options and applies both sensitivity and a fortiori analyses to manage uncertainty. Principal conclusions are: use of a new standard spacecraft design, rather than any original NASA or DoD designs, provides the basis for minimizing the cost of the Air Force Test Program; factors essential to NASA-DoD cooperation are a common subset of missions, a common organization responsibility, and an extensive period of time to develop the organizational mechanics; and the successful NASA-DoD cooperation model is not easily transferred to other situations.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1980
- Accession Number
- ADA091420
Entities
People
- Elwyn D. Harris
Organizations
- RAND Corporation