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Expecting the Unexpected
Expecting the Unexpected

By Taralyn Frasqueri-Molina   Even a genius team can never anticipate every possible risk that might occur on a project. Before unexpected risks rear their ugly heads, create a mitigation plan for dealing with the risk of not knowing what could happen.

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FASTSAT’
FAST Learning

By Matthew Kohut   “Fast” is the word that best describes Tom Simon’s experience working at Marshall Space Flight Center on the Fast, Affordable, Science and Technology Satellite (FASTSAT), a microsatellite designed to carry six small experiments into space.

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An engineer looks on as the stacked STEREO spacecraft undergo a spin balance test. Photo Credit: NASA
Fixing a Troubled Project

By Nick Chrissotimos   The three main areas that can lead a project down a slippery slope are team dynamics, technical development issues, or those things outside the project’s control—external support, problems, or direction.

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A Lexan box (left) from the original candle experiment and a wire-mesh box later used on Mir.
Human Spaceflight and Science

By Howard Ross   Intentionally igniting a fire inside the Space Shuttle might seem like a bad idea, but done safely and correctly, it could answer all sorts of seemingly simple questions, such as, “Would a candle burn in zero gravity?”

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Elevation of Ulyxis Rupes created using a digital terrain model obtained from the high-resolution stereo camera on ESA’s Mars Express spacecraft.
From Masters with Masters: Rob Manning and Rudi Schmidt

In February 2011, Academy of Program/Project and Engineering Leadership Director Ed Hoffman sat down with Rudi Schmidt, from the European Space Agency (ESA), and NASA’s Rob Manning at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as part of the Academy’s Masters with Masters series.

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Knowledge Web
Weaving a Knowledge Web

By ASK Editorial Staff   In March 2011, some two dozen representatives from space agencies and related organizations around the world meet in the top-floor conference room of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Paris headquarters.

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Forged in the Stars (Jay O’Callahan)

On October 7, 2010, award-winning storyteller Jay O’Callahan presented a captivating story about NASA entitled Forged in the Stars: A NASA Story, at the NASA Headquarters Auditorium. Compellingly told through the viewpoints of three main characters and a wonderful supporting cast—all portrayed by O’Callahan—his performance of a “love letter” to NASA has been received with […]

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International Partnerships for Space Exploration
International Partnerships for Space Exploration

By Kathy Laurini   The year is 2050. The vicinity around Earth has become a vibrant economic sphere. Physical sciences and medical research in space are driving innovations that enable companies to offer new products that improve our quality of life.

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Steven Smith
Interview with Steven Smith

By Don Cohen   As a NASA astronaut, Steven Smith has flown on four shuttle missions and taken seven spacewalks to carry out Hubble telescope repairs and install the S-Zero Truss in the International Space Station (ISS).

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