[Other -- Poster ]
Historical Remembrances of the Chandra X-ray Observatory: How
Partnerships Created Success
Robert Burke, Northrop Grumman
As the astronomy community plans for new ventures in space,
we’re forced to find creative solutions to operate within the ever
increasing fiscal constraints of the current economic environment. The
Chandra X-ray Observatory program offers an example of how missions can
be successfully developed within manageable budget constraints. The ten
year anniversary offers us the chance to look back at the Chandra team's
special partnership between scientists, managers, and industry that led
to our success.Chandra experienced many of the challenges common to major observatories:
state-of-the-art technical requirements, budget-induced slips, and
restructurings. Yet the Chandra team achieved excellent performance for
dramatically lower cost. In fact, Chandra completed its prime mission
for billions of dollars less than originally planned. In 1992, NASA MSFC and Northrop Grumman (then TRW) together led a major
restructure that saved approximately $3.4B in program cost, while we
improved the imaging capability and observing efficiency of Chandra.
This was accomplished by a combination of team-work, systems engineering,
advanced technology insertion, and effective approaches for program
implementation, combined with a high performance culture that aligned
goals and focused on mission success. Northrop Grumman is proud of our role in supporting the NASA Marshall
Space Flight Center and our academic partners in advancing the frontiers
of x-ray astronomy and scientific discovery with Chandra. As Chandra
continues its extended mission, the observatory continues to provide
superb scientific performance.