Back to Top
Design of the Little Joe capsules began at Langley prior to the design of the Mercury capsule and was, therefore, a separate design. It was not designed to carry a man but the capsules did have to meet the weight and center of gravity requirements of Mercury and withstand the same aerodynamic loads during the path of lift-off. In comparison with the overall Mercury Project, Little Joe was a simple undertaking, The fact that an attempt was made to condense a normal two-year project into a six-month one with in-house labor turned it into a major undertaking for Langley.
Supplier Integration

Background A mission’s success often depends on the performance of our suppliers. In a very real sense, suppliers perform relative to how well they are integrated within the larger team.

Read More
Artist's conception of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO)
How to Say No

Put ‘N’ and ‘O’ together and you may just have the most powerful word in the English language. Since becoming a project manager, I have learned that using this word is often associated with project success.

Read More
Endeavour sits atop the Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (a modified 747) in Palmdale, California, where the orbiter was built, ready for delivery to NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida in May 1991. A little more than a year later, Endeavour launched on its maiden flight, STS-49, an extended mission that featured four spacewalks to repair a satellite.
Natural Relationship

Experience before age One of the team leads I worked with was a chief without braves.

Read More
Mentors Come in All Shapes and Sizes

I was a new engineer at one of NASA’s contractor sites, straight out of college and ready to conquer the Agency.

Read More