Space Shuttle Transition and Retirement – Introduction
This playlist provides broadly applicable engineering, programmatic, and logistics management lessons learned derived from the Space Shuttle Program (SSP) Transition and Retirement (T&R) Program. While the SSP T&R is unique in many respects (e.g., closing-out a program that spanned 30 years), the lessons learned are in most cases largely transferrable to programs, projects, or organizations in change – any kind of transition, merger, fly-out, program cancellation, or end-of-program scenario. At a minimum, the SSP T&R experience (and this monograph) will assist organizations by providing a framework to successfully plan and implement change. An important feature of the SSP T&R story is the interaction between Space Shuttle Program culture and NASA institutional or functional management cultures and domains of expertise. The monograph chronicles the interactions, dependencies, challenges, and evolution of success between the SSP, Agency functional managers, and external stakeholders.
Related Resources
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Houston, we had a problem…and we learned from it!Space is hard. Inevitably, problems may occur. We can all learn valuable lessons from past events to ensure the safety and success of current and future programs. Enjoy reading and learning from a selection of such events. This booklet produced by the Johnson Space Center Knowledge Management Office contains numerous lesson learned from NASA missions and projects.
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Apollo 1-Challenger-ColumbiaEvery year as we get back in the saddle, our Remembrance Day signals us to think back to the tragic events of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia as well as the context surrounding them. We’re accountable for learning from not just what went wrong, but how we recovered. As an example, read these rules recorded by Wayne Hale, former NASA Flight Director and Space Shuttle Program Manager. By actually applying such lessons from the past to your current work, our actions can honor our lost crews beyond silent reflection.
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Shuttle Software AnomalyCase Study–A few minutes after the Shuttle Endeavour reached orbit for STS-126 on Nov. 14, 2008, mission control noticed that the shuttle did not automatically transfer two communications processes from launch to orbit configuration. Primary communications continued to use S-band frequencies after they should have transferred to the more powerful Ku-band. The link between the shuttle and its payload — the Payload Signal Processor (PSP)–remained configured for a radio link rather than switching.
