- The Strategist - https://www.aspistrategist.org.au -
NASA: project costs no longer heading for the moon
Posted By Andrew Davies on May 7, 2014 @ 14:30
NASA's total portfolio of major projects saw cost and schedule growth that remains low compared to GAO’s first review of the portfolio. Some projects in this year’s portfolio launched within their cost and schedule baselines…
NASA projects have continued to make progress in maturing technologies prior to the preliminary design review, which GAO’s past work has shown is important to decrease the likelihood of cost and schedule growth. This year, 63% of projects met this standard, up from only 29% in 2010. For example, in preparation for its upcoming confirmation review, one project has matured all 10 of its critical technologies.
… the agency has also increased its focus on design stability. …over the past several years projects have consistently reported higher percentages of drawings releasable at the critical design review and lower percentages of drawing growth after that time
… in 2013, two projects experienced significant issues immediately after being confirmed, indicating that neither project had completed an adequate assessment of risk.
Average launch delay (months) with JWST | Average launch delay (months) without JWST | Average cost growth (%) with JWST | Average cost growth (%) without JWST | |
2009 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 |
2010 | 11 | 12 | 13.4 | 13.6 |
2011 | 8 | 9 | 14.6 | 17.8 |
2012 | 11 | 8 | 46.5 | 14.6 |
2013 | 8 | 4 | 46.4 | 3.9 |
2014 | 6.5 | 3 | 37.8 | 3.0 |
Article printed from The Strategist: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au
URL to article: https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/nasa-project-costs-no-longer-heading-for-the-moon/
[1] Image: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/3952766831_6f13ebbe7f_z.jpg
[2] annual review of NASA's portfolio of large scale projects: http://gao.gov/products/GAO-14-338SP
[3] mega-project heavy Defence Capability Plan: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/mega-fauna-and-the-dcp/
[4] 'not because they are easy but because they are hard': http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm
[5] pick a number, add five, and double it: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/pick-a-number-now-add-five-and-double-it/
[6] systems engineering methodology: http://scowen.asu.edu/Reference%20Documents/NASA_SE_Handbook_2007.pdf
[7] re-design and production overlap: http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/what-do-the-awd-problems-tell-us-about-the-future-submarine/
[8] James Webb Space Telescope: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/
[9] NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasamarshall/3952766831/in/photolist-ahLS8A-7vp7d1-9fEiwG-a71Lfd-72hXSg-7JkuD7-7zbMrc-aggeD2-mGaNxg-aMeHai-6H4KpB-eQSRqB-6xxerB-8zi98F-9pa7R9-ckugNE-agj3pS-8zidac-akwA89-d9C6RY-8zmcuA-6yZhZQ-bjtzsk-arHJND-fZieCr-d9BM9o-jeoaSU-9iHZVd-8zmozo-6Vufi4-fNWQTQ-d9BUUE-7HfkzK-6xxFQF-ciPgLb-6yZ6XA-bfmKza-6x3Pa5-9seGoN-6wYMED-979b7h-hKF6oN-d9BSQW-6xBMmo-btF5rE-6yVaBg-akv9D3-6xxEmt-aHyY8B-6yYRgs