One Small Step for Space Acquisition Doctrine
FIGURE 8. INPUT FOR TENET ALIGNMENT
Tenet: "Build Smaller Satellites, Smaller Ground Systems, and Minimize Non-Recurring Engineering"
Build smaller satellites in order to shorten development timelines from many years to just a couple. Use existing technology and designs to minimize non-recurring engineering and shorten development schedules. This will have the additional benefit of accelerating technology refresh as well. Acquire ground and software intensive systems in smaller more manageable pieces that can be delivered faster. Question 7: How does your organization approach the design and development of technology (e.g., use of Commercial off-the-shelf (COTS), modularity, small distributed systems, Kanban, etc.)? What are the benefits to using this approach? 1. My most recent organization used less developed systems (TRL-6 or TRL-7) and found early utility. The capabilities did not require significant investment (e.g., an advanced GPS or a large ground system). 2. The organization uses a variety of approaches, some traditional (e.g., Systems Engineering "v-Approach" to requirements decomposition and verification), others more innovative (e.g., agile, modular and open systems). The main underlying theme across all approaches is a strong foundation in technical expertise by the government staff, including engineering domain knowledge by the lower level program office staff and an appreciation for technical complexity and detail at senior levels. This cuts down on technical challenges risks being "swept under the rug" and ignored until they are a fait accompli (issues), or worse, insurmountable. Ethics and Trustworthiness Participant safety and anonymity were prioritized in the survey's implementation. Survey questions were carefully vetted to protect participant identity as part of the Institutional Review Board (IRB) process, and the survey platform collected no personally identifiable information, such as computer IP addresses. Participants received no monetary or other forms of compensation and were not coerced in any way. The survey questions were developed using objective criteria and professional experience to prevent any appearance of bias. Survey data were secured using a password-protected computer, which was only accessed by the researcher, and data destruction followed the IRB- approved guidelines. Finally, the Johns Hopkins University IRB approved the study on March 9, 2024. Limitations IRB Process. Due to time sensitivities, an ‘exempt’ status was chosen as the desired IRB path. While this option reduced the approval timeline (four weeks), it limited the dissemination of the survey. Only personal networks (e.g., personal email, LinkedIn, social media, etc.) could be used to communicate with potential survey candidates. Higher levels of IRB
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Defense ARJ, Summer 2025, Vol. 32 No. 2: 132—193
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