Why an Architecture for NASA Mars Customer Engagement?
There are two important, and new, reasons. The combination presents you with the opportunity to make a real contribution to the space program! Reason No. 1: New Mars Mission Program At a press conference held at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on October 26, 2000, a decision was announced to establish a high-level effort within NASA to develop an “mission architecture”2 for its recently announced 20-year Mars Exploration Program. Reason No. 2: Mission-Mandatory Customer Engagement In the recently-adopted 2000 Strategic Plan of NASA’s Human Exploration & Development Strategic Enterprise, Customer Engagement was made a mandatory element of space mission planning.3 This new development involves the expansion of NASA’s long-standing practice of deriving Mars mission design requirements from science and human exploration goals. NASA mission planners are now to consider Customer Engagement goals as a third source of equal stature to the other two. Your Proposal In deciding to compete, your
