With better than 20 years' experience, the von Braun team preached and practiced that rocketand launch pad must be mated on the drawing board, if they were to be compatible at the launching. The new rocket went hand in hand with its launching facility. Moonport (NASA SP-4204) C. D. Benson & W. B. Faherty 1978This paper presents a structured approach for achieving a compatible Ground Systt:m (GS) and Flight System (FS) architecture that is affordable, productive and sustainable. This paper is an extension of the paper titled "Approach to an Affordable and Productive Space Transportation System" by McCleskey et al. 1 This paper integrates systems engineering concepts and operationally efficient propulsion system concepts into a structured framework for achieving GS and FS compatibility in the mid-term and long-term time frames. It also presents a functional and quantitative relationship for assessing system compatibility called the Architecture Complexity Index (ACI). This paper: (1) focuses on systems engineering fundamentals as it applies to improving GS and FS compatibility; (2) establishes mid-term and long-term spaceport goals; (3) presents an overview of transitioning a spaceport to an airport model; (4) establishes a framework for defining a ground system architecture; (5) presents the ACI concept; (6) demonstrates the approach by presenting a comparison of different GS architectures; and (7) presents a discussion on the benefits of using this approach with a focus on commonality. https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=20120015508 2018-05-10T11:17:35+00:00ZII. Introduction T he traditional approach to developing ground systems architecture begins with the development of the flight system (FS) architecture followed by the ground systems (GS) architecture with a heavy emphasis on achieving flight performance requirements and meeting non-recurring budgets. This approach, heavily utilized since the 1960's, yields space transportation systems that are neither affordable nor sustainableY This paper presents a structured systems engineering approach for achieving a compatible ground system and flight system architecture that is affordable and sustainable while achieving mission performance requirements. The approach integrates space flight systems engineering concepts and operationally efficient propulsion system concepts into a framework for assessing space transportation system complexity and affordability. It presents key architectural decisions that yield the identification of required ground system services. The ground services information is then used to establish a functional and quantitative assessment that measures the overall complexity. This measure is called the Architecture Complexity Index (ACI). The ACI was derived from the Launch Operational Index (LOI) as described in the Operationally Efficient Propulsion Systems Study (OEPSS). 4 This paper addresses the following five problems when developing affordable space transportation system architecture: P-1: There are no structured and reliable ap...

This paper contributes a framework for dealing with complex, technical program transitions. This paper offers a framework of strategic management tools. Tools such as scenario planning, organisational roadmaps, objectives and measures are integrated into a systematic planning process. Using the KSC response to the new NASA vision for space exploration, this paper offers a framework of strategy tools that leads from initial analysis to the business plan. An engineering manager can use this paper to follow a simple set of steps and tools to help manage strategy for an organisational transformation.

This paper contributes a framework for dealing with complex, technical program transitions. This paper offers a framework of strategic management tools. Tools such as scenario planning, organizational roadmaps, objectives, and measures are integrated into a systematic planning process. Using the KSC response to the new NASA Vision for Space Exploration, this paper offers a framework of strategy tools that leads from initial analysis to the business plan. An engineering manager can use this paper to follow a simple set of steps and tools to help manage strategy for an organizational transformation.