Future MDA, NASA, and military job loss (Huntsville: cost of, safe)

[Yoo Shin]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

Best wishes for your next career move. I recalled at one time every managers fear the most is being invited to a "VAR-party", that is where executive management conducts a "variance analysis review", and the only reason you were invited is to explain why your program is below a certain CPI and SPI of your earned value. Your career upward mobility is greatly dependent on "not" being invited to these reviews.

But somewhere along things changed. It became "okay" to greatly miss your CPI and SPI. Eventually significant program cost overruns led to cancellations by the government, but these PMs just get reassigned to screw up another program.

Last 10 years, Boeing's business model focused on being a largescale-system-integrator (LSI) and literally gave away any jobs that involve design or manufactur anything. So programs like the FCS, GMD, etc., become the model as we don't design anything or build anything, we'll just "integrate" everything. As result, it lays off many of world best & brightest engineers/scientists because when you don't design anything, you don't need the "know-how".

EXACTLY.

The culture has shifted quite a bit also, especially since the merger, with a strong emphasis of Business Operations controlling (IMO) too much of the baseline and having too much input into techinical or engineering decisions.

[macwell]

December 17, 2009
Exclusive: Obama Backs New Launcher and Bigger NASA Budget : ScienceInsider

[tammie2]

NASA, Private Industry Duel Over Next-Gen Space Shuttles - Sphere News

Does this upcoming decision mean anything for NASA locally?

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by tammie2

NASA, Private Industry Duel Over Next-Gen Space Shuttles - Sphere News

Does this upcoming decision mean anything for NASA locally?

Speculation is a dangerous game. There're plenty of opinions on this issue if you just google on this topic.

Opinions are just that. They are like u-know-what, everybody has one

The reality is that, there's plenty of industry involvement on the design (& subsequent manufacturing) of Ares I rocket and the Orion crew capsule already. If the Obama administration decided that NASA should change its course, there is still a need to design a different man-rated launch vehicle. In either case, the NASA in Huntsville (the Marshall Space Flight Center, MSFC) will still be heavily involved in the design, regardless of the new procurement approach. So from a job perspective, there's probably not going to be a lot of changes. MSFC is following this closely and have plan A, B, C, etc., in place already. Senator Shelby & Sessions are on board to "protect" NASA jobs in Alabama. It will be intersting to see what Parker Griffin's role will be now that he switched party and lost a valuable seat that oversees (& influence) NASA's budget.

SpaceX quoted in your link is considered a "space cowboy" company who barely got its first un-manned rocket launched. It is far from being able to be compared with the "big boys", e.g., Boeing/ LockMart, etc., in launching un-manned national security (big $$$) satellites, let alone on designing a man-rated launch vehicle capable of carrying astronauts. It has come a long way from its first launch failure (not to put dissimilar metals together in a salt-water environment -- causes corrosion), but it still has a long way to go before being considered a "credible" launch services provider. I toured their factory and talked to one of the VP back in 2002, as we were considering using them for a payload launch. They claimed back then that they will be ready by 2003 for launch. We disagreed. They did not have a successful launch until 2006 on its 3rd vehicle, if I recalled correctly.

[tammie2]

Thanks. I was just curious. It seemed like a bad idea, but that is above my pay-grade, so no one asks my opinion I saw the article and was astonished, I couldn't believe it was an idea that was even being considered.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by HB2HSV

If the Obama administration decided that NASA should change its course, there is still a need to design a different man-rated launch vehicle. In either case, the NASA in Huntsville (the Marshall Space Flight Center, MSFC) will still be heavily involved in the design, regardless of the new procurement approach.

Is there more than one set of man rated rockets/orbitors/capsules NASA is considering? I keep hearing about Space-X (they're in Hawthorne), but I also keep hearing about the big contractors too. Either way, I would think the work passes through Huntsville regardless of the location of the contractor (Hawthorne, Houston, Florida, etc).

[HB2HSV]

Originally Posted by Charles

Is there more than one set of man rated rockets/orbitors/capsules NASA is considering? I keep hearing about Space-X (they're in Hawthorne), but I also keep hearing about the big contractors too. Either way, I would think the work passes through Huntsville regardless of the location of the contractor (Hawthorne, Houston, Florida, etc).

I think the nation is struggling with a fundamental question -- does the nation need to spend the money to explore space in the first place? Back in the days of Von Braun, we were in a military power race against Russia (and space is a part of that race). In the day of space shuttle, we were in the race of cold war against Russia & China. Today, we are in wars against Al Queda, who has no plans to go to space.

Assuming the administration gives a green light on the continue pursuits of human exploration in space, there are a number of paths this can take and depending on which path, it could affect the jobs at NASA. What is NASA's role & involvement on Human Space Exploration? In the days of Von Braun, NASA is very hands-on in design & build everything. But that was then, and today's political & business environment has changed quite a bit. This debate ranges from NASA does everything to NASA does nothing and let the "commercial market" to do everything. Then there's an extreme view of why build any Space Shuttle replacement? Let's just buy tickets on Russian's launches.

Where you stand on this debate will most likely be determined by how various options affect your job and your family. Since none of us get paid the big bucks for making this decision, we all just have to wait for the POTUS announcement.

[DvlsAdvc8]

That's a good post HB. I completely agree with your assessment. I honestly am completely undecided on the role of NASA. I find myself supportive more because I'm a fan of science.

[Made_it_To_the_Metroplex]

Just saw online that the administration is discontinuing future manned moon missions...

[jkratze1]

Originally Posted by UpstateBooster

Just saw online that the administration is discontinuing future manned moon missions...

Well there goes our dominance in space exploration plus over 9 Billion wasted on Constellation this past decade.