William Gerstenmaier on Lessons Learned from Large NASA Projects
William H. Gerstenmaier, former Associate Administrator for the Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, provides strategic direction for NASA’s human exploration of space and programmatic direction for the International Space Station, Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft.
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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.
