Space Grant University

Space Grant University Part 1 How to Start your Project

Updated: January 30, 2007 28 April 2020

Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Installment 1 • Team Leads and Program Management • Requirement Development from a Project level

– A high level look at Mission goals to low level requirement development – How to start your project and lead your team – Lessons learned from SG and from Industry Colorado Space Grant Consortium 2

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Program Manager / Team Lead

28 April 2020 • What do they do?

– Main responsibilities of a PM/TL: • Budget • Mission direction • Schedule • Risk management • Team motivator – Oversee and direct the development of requirements, development of functional and program specifications, testing, implementation and documentation. – Work with the Team and Customer to identify the technical approach to be used and the deliverables to be furnished at the completion of the project Colorado Space Grant Consortium 3

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Program Manager / Team Lead

28 April 2020 • What do they do? (cont) – Schedule and assign resources to ensure that applications satisfy users’ needs and are completed within agreed upon time parameters – Provide Goals and help the team achieve those goals through tracking.

– Monitor the status of the technical resources and program level tasks – Manage and oversee the system development process including systems analysis, technical design, coding, testing, and turnover to production of the application – Develop and maintain technical documentation; compile documentation for design changes. Colorado Space Grant Consortium 4

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How might a PM/TL build a team?

28 April 2020 • Inspire and take time to build cohesion within the team • Hopefully all students at SG want to be here so most of the time, when schedules are not met it is due to class or they are trying to build the skills.

– Find out what they need to succeed • Commend great work publicly. Make positive examples routine in meetings. Have people show off what they have done.

– Establishes a baseline for what is expected.

• Many Antidotes about what makes a good manager – "She looks me in the eye when speaking to me, and sets up times to

sit down and explain new projects and procedures

. She also encourages me to double-check and have a great product than not ask and send the client bad quality."

ask any questions

I have, saying she'd rather I – Many other antidotes in a Washington Post article.

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Organization within the team

28 April 2020

• Team leads should assign tasks and manage due dates to support the overall program.

• This will significantly help to alleviate PM/SE stress and prevent micro-management.

• One person should have one focus or goal.

– When people get their hands in too many cross team tasks, it is hard to understand the amount of work required and who is doing what. This leads to a logistical nightmare!

– Short crisis reassignment might be necessary.

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Co-I

J. Forbes

PI

C. Koehler 28 April 2020

Co-I

S. Palo

Management

M. Pilinski

Advisors: C. Koehler, S. Palo

Systems Engineering

M. Grusin

Advisor: C. Koehler, L. Curtis

DESIGN TEAM Accelerometer

E. Dickey M. Edwards

Advisor: S. Palo

Mass Spectrometer

M. Pilinski

Advisors: F. Herrero, J. Forbes

ADCS

B. Young

Advisor: T. Holden P. Axelrad

Structures & Sep.

B. Davis, C. Kuhns

Advisors: P. Dukas, AJ Hoyt, B. Helgesen

COMM

D. Loucks

Advisor: J.White

E. Keuster

Thermal

Advisors: B. Poley

C&DH

B. Gilles

Advisor: S. Palo

B. Davis, C. Kuhns

Software

V. Singh

Advisor: S. Palo

EPS

M. Grusin Colorado Space Grant Consortium 7

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Keys to Success as a PM/TL

28 April 2020 Organized mission and requirements approach • Thought processes, logical planning, and team buy-in Good systems engineering practices • Set up a good foundation early Personnel management • Know your strengths and weaknesses Technical challenges can be time-consuming – but poor project management can

absolutely devastate

your schedule!

It is far more likely that your

program will fail

due to management problems than due to a technical/engineering roadblocks!

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Keys to Success as a PM/TL

• Maintain a list of what needs to be done.

28 April 2020 • Insure your Team Leads maintain a list and due dates.

• Keep teams accountable. •Let your team leads manage their work •Many task are inter-team dependent and a little slip on one team can effect others • Make a good schedule •Provide contingency time •Account for testing and WTFHH • Maintain a list of top Risks. Technical, personnel, resource issues which jeopardize the project Colorado Space Grant Consortium 9

Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Project Reviews

• Reviews – CoDR – PDR – CDR – LRR – Flight Operations should be apart of every review and is typically forgotten.

• Use the checklist for what should be covered at these milestones.

• Insure you meet all steps before proceeding.

• Plan on time to address review findings in your schedule.

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Space Grant University 28 April 2020 Colorado Space Grant Consortium 11

Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Organized Requirements

Why is access to space required?

Science goals Mission objectives

Mission Statement

• Clear, specific statement describing goals & objectives • Does NOT necessarily require justification • Should not, in general, specify requirements Mission Goals & Requirements • Clear, specific statements describing mission products & methods • Define minimum success and preferred goals • In general, should drive (but not specify) system requirements System Requirements / Operations Plan Subsystem Requirements Operational Requirements Colorado Space Grant Consortium 12

Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Mission Statements

Poor MS (too general):

The purpose of Program X is to learn about magnetic-molecular chemistry effects in the upper atmosphere by using microsatellites

Good MS:

The purpose of Program X is to investigate the effect of Earth’s magnetic field on molecular chemical reactions in the upper ionosphere; this will be achieved by taking data on orbit with a novel dual-band antenna sensing device, after which the data will be returned to the ground for processing.

Poor MS (too specific):

Chemical reactions between oxygenated molecules in the upper atmosphere are theorized to have a strong effect on weather patterns over large bodies of water such as the oceans. As such, the purpose of Program X is to investigate the effect of Earth’s magnetic field on atomic oxygen and ozone reactions in the F1 and F2 layers of the ionosphere; this will be achieved by taking data with a novel dual-band antenna sensing device attached to a microsatellite not to exceed 50 cm cubed in size and 50 kg in mass. The data must be returned to the ground within 12 hours of capture so that it can be processed using the revolutionary “Technique B”.

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Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Mission Goals and Requirements

“Good” Examples:

• At least one complete continuous orbit of payload data, taken from the F2 region of the ionosphere, must be returned to the ground • In order to collect valid data, the payload must be pointed to within 30 degrees of the satellite radial vector • The camera payload must capture at least one daytime image of the US west coast; the goal is to create an image archive map of the entire US.

• The formation flying experiment must be repeatable at least 3 times over an experimental period of two weeks • At least 50% of the tether payload must be deployed; the goal is 95% Vague

“Bad” examples:

• Data must be returned to the ground promptly • The camera payload must capture at least one image • The goal is to deploy the Solar Array wing.

Operationally vague – is an image of “black space” OK?

• A magnetic torque rod control system must de-tumble the satellite within 3 hours Likely a system requirement Only a goal – no “minimum success” identified. Is half deployed good?

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Systems Design Process

Directly support mission requirements & goals System requirements

Internal and External

Operations plan 28 April 2020 Subsystem requirements Operational requirements Mission design Supports system requirements Component Requirements Operational Constraints Orbital Defines design details environment Interface requirements • electrical • mechanical • software Bottom Line: • Standardized top-down thinking process • Can justify & defend decisions

(know the assumptions!!)

• ALL team members must “buy in” •

Write a formal requirements document!!

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Space Grant University 28 April 2020

Systems Engineering Practices

Set up a plan for each of these • Power • Mass • $$$

EARLY!

Design Budgets • Memory/data • Communications • Other resources Interface Control • Harness & Connectors • Structural connections Documentation Organization • Materials Lists • CAD drawings • Safety documents • Interface controls • Configuration management Acquisition strategies • Beg • Borrow • Steal • Purchase • Software protocols & signal processing Identify design drivers • Cost • Schedule • Performance

“Risk reduction” strategies

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Functional Block Diagrams • Functional Block Diagrams

28 April 2020 Colorado Space Grant Consortium 17

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Typical Review Template • TREADS Review

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Getting Started – Warnings !

Guess what – you are already behind!!

28 April 2020 Program set up: don’t “spin your wheels” • Agree to a mission statement and requirements quickly (easier if you have pre-determined science objectives) • Think small and simple to start – this will be difficult enough as is • Assess team skills early Common engineering “effort pits” • CPU interfacing • Writing and testing software • Debugging electronics • Communications electronics (design AND fabrication) • Thermal analysis • Trying to organize a poor documentation plan

Beware

of: • Summer breaks • Exam weeks

!

• Post-vacation malaise Colorado Space Grant Consortium 19

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Miscellaneous Thoughts

• Do you have good lab management processes?

• Where are you going to build your satellite?

• How do you plan to conduct mission ops?

• Are students aware of the local acquisition processes?

• How will you

objectively

Reviews?

review your work internally? Peer • “Documentation” means taking pictures, too!!!

• Bigger teams require better management skills • Email is a horrible way to communicate, especially complex actions or assignments.

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Space Grant University 28 April 2020

References

•

The Washington Post

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/17/AR2005061700446.html

•

MIS DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY

https://mis.vanderbilt.edu/METHODOLOGY/RolesandResponsibilites.doc

• Brian Engberg

AFRL/VSSV [email protected]

UNP Program Management Tips Colorado Space Grant Consortium 21

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Wise words by a great Manager

28 April 2020

Your Reality begins with your Attitude Your Attitude influences your Perception Your Perception establishes your Actions Attitude Makes a Difference

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