Case Studies

Case studies illustrate the kinds of decisions and dilemmas managers face every day, and as such provide an effective learning tool for project management.

Due to the dynamic and complex environment of projects, a great deal of project management knowledge is tacit and hard to formalize. A case study captures the complex nature of a project and identifies key decision points, allowing the reader an inside look at the project from a practitioner’s point of view.

• Going to Extremes NEEMO Case Study

• OCO-2: A Second Chance to Fly

• Seven Axioms of Good Engineering: Development of a Case Study-Based Course for NASA

• Knowledge Legacy – From the X-15 to the Space Shuttle

• Columbia’s Last Mission

• The Deepwater Horizon Accident – Lessons for NASA

• Weathering the Storm: Lessons from Hurricane Ike

• Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite

• STS-119 Flow Control Valve Issue

• The Cassini-Huygens Mission

• Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator

• Redesigning COBE

• Launching New Horizons: The RP-1 Tank Decision

• Gravity Probe B

• Space-to-Space Communications System

• Viking Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometer

• TIMED

• EOSDIS

• Vegetation Canopy Lidar

• Miniature Seeker Technology Integration (PDF)

• Advanced General Aviation Technology Experiment (PDF)

• High-Speed Research Program (PDF)

• Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (PDF)

Goddard Space Flight Center

The Office of the Chief Knowledge Officer (OCKO) at the Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a collection of case studies to enhance learning at workshops, training, retreats and conferences.

Catalog of Case Studies

Orbital Debris Management and Risk Mitigation

APPEL’s Orbital Debris Management and Risk Mitigation (ODM) training course provides mission-critical knowledge that helps NASA missions implement the agency’s overarching strategic goals and the U.S. National Space Policy goals for sustainability in space. The iBook supplements the existing course taught by Mr. Nicholas L. Johnson, Chief Scientist in the Orbital Debris Program Office at Johnson Space Center.

Learn more and download a copy of the book

Shared Voyage: Learning and Unlearning from Remarkable Projects

Shared Voyage is about four remarkable projects: the Advanced Composition Explorer (NASA), the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (U.S. Air Force), the Pathfinder Solar-Powered Airplane (NASA), and the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (U.S. Air Force.)

Download the the PDF version of the book