Reducing Space Mission Cost

Reducing Space Mission Cost is the first complete treatment of the technology, process, and problems in the most critical areas of modern spaceflight. The demand to reduce cost is unrelenting. This pioneering book addresses all aspects of this problem, including: Technology and processes for reducing cost Cost reduction in mission engineering, spacecraft design, manufacture, launch, and operations Implementation methods and problems The price of reducing cost 10 detailed case studies of what works in practice in: Science missions Interplanetary probes Communications spacecraft Test and Applications missions Beginning on the inside front cover, this book provides real cost data on a variety of missions, systems, and subsystems. According to the authors: `Reducing mission cost is hard enough if you know what the real costs are, and virtually impossible if you don’t.’ This book challenges traditional methods, yet recognizes that all space programs are run to minimize cost within the rules under which they are built and flown. It provides practical recipes for reducing cost in both new and ongoing missions and discusses what works, what government can do to help, and what methods intended to reduce cost may be counterproductive and unintentionally increase cost. As shown on the inside rear cover, the case studies described in the book have reduced total mission cost by 80% to more than 90% with respect to projections by traditional cost methods. This book is a follow-on to the now standard text and reference, Space Mission Analysis and Design, also edited by Drs. Wertz and Larson. It is required reading for professionals, students, and managers in astronautics or space sciences and managers or scientists involved in space experiments. This book shows that reducing space mission cost, without reducing reliability, is as possible as it is important for the future of space exploration.