Critical Knowledge Insight

The complexity of the recovery operations for the Orion spacecraft created useful lessons on partnerships between two government agencies.

Capturing and transferring knowledge in a program is critical.

A project culture open to discussing tough questions can help with mission success.

High-level goals were established to allow flexibility and innovation in the design of the Commercial Orbital Transportation Systems (COTS).

Co-location can help increase effectiveness for a project team during a complex mission.

NASA’s understanding of the effects of prolonged weightlessness on the human body has been greatly influenced by the Gallaudet Eleven, a group of deaf men from Gallaudet College who volunteered to be part of a research study.

What lessons could you learn from a low-cost, short-schedule mission?

The use of common hardware can help to mitigate a number of issues with obtaining spacecraft replacement parts.

Having in-house expertise can be a great advantage to help with problem solving in the manufacturing process when materials are no longer commercially available.