Space Grant University 5 December 2015 Space Grant University Part 1 How to Start your Project...

Space Grant University April 18, 2023

Space Grant University Part 1

How to Start your Project

Updated: January 30, 2007

Colorado Space Grant Consortium 2


Installment 1

• Team Leads and Program Management• Requirement Development from a Project level

– A high level look at Mission goals to low level requirement development

– How to start your project and lead your team– Lessons learned from SG and from Industry



Program Manager / Team Lead

• What do they do?

– Main responsibilities of a PM/TL: • Budget • Mission direction • Schedule • Risk management• Team motivator

– Oversee and direct the development of requirements, development of functional and program specifications, testing, implementation and documentation.

– Work with the Team and Customer to identify the technical approach to be used and the deliverables to be furnished at the completion of the project



Program Manager / Team Lead

• What do they do? (cont)

– Schedule and assign resources to ensure that applications satisfy users’ needs and are completed within agreed upon time parameters

– Provide Goals and help the team achieve those goals through tracking.

– Monitor the status of the technical resources and program level tasks

– Manage and oversee the system development process including systems analysis, technical design, coding, testing, and turnover to production of the application

– Develop and maintain technical documentation; compile documentation for design changes.



How might a PM/TL build a team?

• Inspire and take time to build cohesion within the team• Hopefully all students at SG want to be here so most of the time,

when schedules are not met it is due to class or they are trying to build the skills.– Find out what they need to succeed

• Commend great work publicly. Make positive examples routine in meetings. Have people show off what they have done.– Establishes a baseline for what is expected.

• Many Antidotes about what makes a good manager– "She looks me in the eye when speaking to me, and sets up times to sit

down and explain new projects and procedures. She also encourages me to ask any questions I have, saying she'd rather I double-check and have a great product than not ask and send the client bad quality."

– Many other antidotes in a Washington Post article.



Organization within the team

• Team leads should assign tasks and manage due dates to support the overall program.

• This will significantly help to alleviate PM/SE stress and prevent micro-management.

• One person should have one focus or goal.– When people get their hands in too many cross team

tasks, it is hard to understand the amount of work required and who is doing what. This leads to a logistical nightmare!

– Short crisis reassignment might be necessary.



PI

C. Koehler

Co-I

J. Forbes

Co-I

S. Palo

Management

M. Pilinski

Advisors: C. Koehler, S. Palo

Systems Engineering

M. Grusin

Advisor: C. Koehler, L. Curtis

AccelerometerE. Dickey

M. EdwardsAdvisor: S. Palo

ADCSB. Young

Advisor: T. HoldenP. Axelrad

COMMD. Loucks

Advisor: J.WhiteE. Keuster

EPSM. Grusin

Mass SpectrometerM. Pilinski

Advisors: F. Herrero, J. Forbes

C&DHB. Gilles

Advisor: S. Palo

Structures & Sep.B. Davis, C. KuhnsAdvisors: P. Dukas, AJ

Hoyt, B. Helgesen

SoftwareV. Singh

Advisor: S. Palo

DESIGN TEAM

ThermalB. Davis, C. Kuhns

Advisors: B. Poley



Keys to Success as a PM/TL

Organized mission and requirements approach• Thought processes, logical planning, and team buy-in

Good systems engineering practices• Set up a good foundation early

Personnel management• Know your strengths and weaknesses

Technical challenges can be time-consuming – but poor project management can absolutely devastate your schedule!

It is far more likely that your program will fail due to management problems than due to a technical/engineering roadblocks!



Keys to Success as a PM/TL• Maintain a list of what needs to be done.

• Insure your Team Leads maintain a list and due dates.

• Keep teams accountable. •Let your team leads manage their work•Many task are inter-team dependent and a little slip on one team can effect others

• Make a good schedule•Provide contingency time•Account for testing and WTFHH

• Maintain a list of top Risks. Technical, personnel, resource issues which jeopardize the project



Project Reviews

• Reviews– CoDR– PDR– CDR– LRR– Flight Operations should be apart of every review and is typically

forgotten.

• Use the checklist for what should be covered at these milestones.

• Insure you meet all steps before proceeding.• Plan on time to address review findings in your schedule.



Organized Requirements

Mission Statement

Mission Goals & Requirements

Science goals Mission objectivesWhy is access to space required?

System Requirements / Operations Plan

Subsystem Requirements Operational Requirements

• Clear, specific statement describing goals & objectives• Does NOT necessarily require justification• Should not, in general, specify requirements

• Clear, specific statements describing mission products & methods• Define minimum success and preferred goals• In general, should drive (but not specify) system requirements

How

?W

hy?



Mission StatementsPoor MS (too general):The purpose of Program X is to learn about magnetic-molecular chemistry effects in the upper atmosphere by using microsatellites

Good MS:The purpose of Program X is to investigate the effect of Earth’s magnetic field on molecular chemical reactions in the upper ionosphere; this will be achieved by taking data on orbit with a novel dual-band antenna sensing device, after which the data will be returned to the ground for processing.

Poor MS (too specific):Chemical reactions between oxygenated molecules in the upper atmosphere are theorized to have a strong effect on weather patterns over large bodies of water such as the oceans. As such, the purpose of Program X is to investigate the effect of Earth’s magnetic field on atomic oxygen and ozone reactions in the F1 and F2 layers of the ionosphere; this will be achieved by taking data with a novel dual-band antenna sensing device attached to a microsatellite not to exceed 50 cm cubed in size and 50 kg in mass. The data must be returned to the ground within 12 hours of capture so that it can be processed using the revolutionary “Technique B”.



Mission Goals and Requirements“Good” Examples:• At least one complete continuous orbit of payload data, taken from the F2 region

of the ionosphere, must be returned to the ground• In order to collect valid data, the payload must be pointed to within 30 degrees of

the satellite radial vector• The camera payload must capture at least one daytime image of the US west

coast; the goal is to create an image archive map of the entire US.• The formation flying experiment must be repeatable at least 3 times over an

experimental period of two weeks• At least 50% of the tether payload must be deployed; the goal is 95%

“Bad” examples:• Data must be returned to the ground promptly• The camera payload must capture at least one image• A magnetic torque rod control system must de-tumble the satellite within 3 hours• The goal is to deploy the Solar Array wing.

VagueOperationally vague – is an image of “black space” OK?

Likely a system requirement

Only a goal – no “minimum success” identified. Is half deployed good?



Systems Design Process

Component Requirements

Mission design

System requirementsInternal and External

Subsystem requirements

Operational requirements

Operational Constraints

Orbital environment

Operations plan

Interface requirements• electrical• mechanical• software

Directly support mission requirements & goals

Supports system requirements

Defines design details

Bottom Line:• Standardized top-down thinking process• Can justify & defend decisions (know the

assumptions!!)• ALL team members must “buy in”• Write a formal requirements document!!



Interface Control• Harness & Connectors• Structural connections• Software protocols & signal processing

Systems Engineering Practices

Acquisition strategies• Beg• Borrow• Steal• Purchase

Documentation Organization• Materials Lists• CAD drawings• Safety documents• Interface controls• Configuration management

Set up a plan for each of these EARLY!

Identify design drivers• Cost• Schedule• Performance

“Risk reduction” strategies

Design Budgets• Power• Memory/data• Communications• Mass• $$$• Other resources



Functional Block Diagrams

• Functional Block Diagrams



Typical Review Template

• TREADS Review



Getting Started – Warnings!

Program set-up: don’t “spin your wheels”• Agree to a mission statement and requirements quickly (easier if you have

pre-determined science objectives)• Think small and simple to start – this will be difficult enough as is• Assess team skills early

Beware of:• Summer breaks• Post-vacation malaise• Exam weeks

Common engineering “effort pits”• CPU interfacing• Writing and testing software• Debugging electronics• Communications electronics (design AND fabrication)• Thermal analysis• Trying to organize a poor documentation plan

Guess what – you are already behind!!

!



Miscellaneous Thoughts• Do you have good lab management processes?

• Where are you going to build your satellite?

• How do you plan to conduct mission ops?

• Are students aware of the local acquisition processes?

• How will you objectively review your work internally? Peer Reviews?

• “Documentation” means taking pictures, too!!!

• Bigger teams require better management skills

• Email is a horrible way to communicate, especially complex actions or assignments.



References

• The Washington Post http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/17/AR2005061700446.html

• MIS DEVELOPMENT METHODOLOGY https://mis.vanderbilt.edu/METHODOLOGY/RolesandResponsibilites.doc

• Brian Engberg AFRL/VSSV UNP Program Management Tips [email protected]



Wise words by a great Manager

Your Reality begins with your Attitude

Your Attitude influences your Perception

Your Perception establishes your Actions

Attitude Makes a Difference

Space Grant University 5 December 2015 Space Grant University Part 1 How to Start your Project...

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