Near Costing as a Template for Future Small Spacecraft Missions

On February 17, 1996, NASA solidified its “faster, better, cheaper” guidelines for low cost planetary missions with the successful launch of the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft. A guide for future small spacecraft missions has now been established. NEAR, the first mission in NASA’s Discovery Program for “faster, better, cheaper” planetary exploration and the first asteroid orbiter ever was designed and built at The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). The design emphasizes simplicity, reliability, and low cost. Discovery Program criteria include a cost ceiling of $150 million (FY 92 dollars) on spacecraft development to launch plus 30 days and a maximum 36 month development cycle. NEAR was developed and launched in 27 months for approximately $108 million (FY 92 dollars); $3.6 million was actually returned to NASA following launch — the NEAR under-run. The cost criterion, with reference to NEAR, is the focus of this paper. This paper will discuss the NEAR program cost from the beginning of Phase C/D (December 1993) to launch plus 30 days (March 1996). The NEAR work breakdown structure (WBS) will be presented and each of its 29 cost centers will be discussed in detail with regard to their total cost, manpower required, engineering and fabrication shop hours required, and subcontract cost (with a brief description of the major subcontracts). In addition to the utilization of the WBS, showing the cost make up of each cost center, several other graphs and charts will be presented to show these same cost areas (total cost, manpower, shop hours, and subcontracts) in relation to the phases (design 1 and fabrication, integration and test, launch support, etc.) in which they were expended. Also incorporated in this paper will be discussions on some key cost control techniques—some tried and proven in past programs, and others fairly new to JHU/APL—regarding technical services and subcontract support. With NASA and its Discovery Program bringing the “faster, better, cheaper” mind-set to the forefront, more pressure is being placed on private and public organizations to find ways to reduce costs of future space systems and to actually achieve the originally estimated cost at the end of the project. The information in this paper will be presented in a way that will be useful as a template or starting point for future small spacecraft programs. Introduction In 1992 the National Aeronautics Space Administration (NASA), in an effort to reduce the cost of space science missions, introduced the Discovery Program. The Discovery Program would focus on low-cost satellites (under $150 million in $92), short development time-lines (36 month development phase), and better science and technology. For these qualities and the long and successful track record of The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), NASA selected JHU/APL to design, develop, and manage the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) program, the first of its Discovery, low-cost planetary missions. JHU/APL has been developing low cost satellites, with short development time-lines and better science and technology since the 1950’s. Following the invention of the Transit Navy Navigation Satellite System, the Laboratory’s Space Department history has continued to deliver firsts in space exploration and related technologies at low costs and within specified schedules. These accomplishments can be attributed to the fact that the Space Department’s “principle focus is to manage the end product of a project which involves delivering a specific technical product, for a specific cost and within a specific schedule.” Over the past 30 years the Space Department has delivered 57 low-cost, short development time-line spacecrafts and over 100 instruments with a reliability record exceeding 95%. In recent history, the Space Department has had seven highly successful satellite launches with program durations ranging from 13 to 36 months, all being completed for their original estimated cost or below. Some of the more recent programs, with similar schedules and cost constraints to the criteria placed on the NEAR Program, include the Delta 180 and the Delta 181, AMPTE, and Polar BEAR. Scope This paper presents a history of the NEAR development phase (phase C/D) costing. This information is being made available with the expectation of providing future small satellite project managers with some fiscal guidance with reference to the costing activities they will encounter. The NEAR work breakdown structure (WBS) will be presented and each of its 29 cost centers will be discussed in detail with regard to their total cost, manpower, engineering and fabrication shop hours, and subcontract cost (with a brief description of the major subcontracts). In addition to the utilization of the WBS, showing the cost make up of each cost center, several other graphs and charts will be presented to show these same cost areas (total cost, manpower, shop hours, and subcontracts) in relation to the phases (design and fabrication, integration and test, launch support, etc.) in which they were expended. 2 Also incorporated in this paper will be discussion on some key cost control techniques (some tried and proven in past programs, and others fairly new to JHU/APL) regarding technical services and subcontract support. Overview of the NEAR Mission NEAR was given congressional approval in the fall of 1993 and began the development phase in December 1993. NEAR is designed to help address global interest and concerns about comets and asteroids. The NEAR mission will make the first quantitative and comprehensive measurements of an asteroid. The spacecraft is equipped with five facility class science instruments that will perform these tasks. The NEAR spacecraft’s three year journey to the asteroid Eros began on February 17, 1996 after a successful launch on a Delta II rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The 27 month development phase, prior to launch, was well within the 36 month limit permitted under the Discovery mission guidelines. Along with the shortened development phase came a reduced price tag. Originally estimated to cost $112 million (in FY92 dollars), the actual Phase C/D, from December 1993 through launch plus 30 days (March 1996), was approximately $108.4 million (in FY92 dollars), a $3.6 million savings for NASA. This final development cost will be presented and discussed in detail in the same format as that of the NEAR Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) shown in Figure 1. NEAR Organization Figure 2 represents the NEAR organizational structure, showing the areas of accountability from NASA to JHU/APL. This organization maps the NEAR WBS and cost centers, a cost control technique which empowers lead engineers Technical services can be defined as detailed board design, detail enclosure design, board fabrication, board assembly, board encapsulation, and mechanical fabrication. Figure 1. NEAR Work Breakdown Structure Reliability and Quality Assurance Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) Subsystem Development Spacecraft Development Program Management Instrument Development Navigation System Power Subsystem