Public-Private Partnerships: The Future of Space Exploration

In 2010, NASA will retire the space shuttle. Which leaves one to wonder how the agency plans to continue to supply the International Space Station (ISS). Wonder no more - NASA, through its Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program, awarded Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a $1.6 billion contract to send unmanned cargo flights to the ISS. That buys NASA a minimum 12 flights of SpaceX's Falcon 9 spacecraft, with a contractual option to order additional missions - a potential total of $3.1 billion. While this seems to be a hefty price tag, NASA is benefiting from SpaceX's setbacks, lessons learned and investments that it took to develop Falcon 9 (it was originally planned to debut in 2007). As this September 2009 Popular Mechanics article describes, the ambitious SpaceX team is not easily discouraged.

The first test launch of the Falcon 9 may occur as soon as February 2nd. Three more demonstrations / test launches will follow, with Falcon 9's first flight to the ISS scheduled between May through November 2010. If all goes well, the Falcon 9 will haul 20 tons of cargo to the ISS by 2016. An earlier model of Falcon 9, Falcon 1, was listed as one of Popular Science's Best of What's New innovations for 2009. With the Falcon 9 carrying cargo loads, NASA is freed up to focus on accomplishing manned missions to the Moon and possibly Mars.

PM in Photos: Bogota Colombia

Centro Bacatá is a project that just recieved approval to go forward, and has a planned completion date in 2012. The building will be located in Colombia's capitol city, Bogota, will stand at 140 metres tall, and is slated to cost roughly $62 million. The multi-use complex will be home to a hotel, apartments, offices, and retail space.

Photo Copyright Holder - Alonso Balaguer

Rwanda: Clean Water Project

The October 2009 edition of PMI's PM Network Magazine highlights a project that is bringing self-sustaining water treatment plants to rural Rwanda. I am enthusiastic about this project because it is unique in both its technical and organizational approaches. The project is being conducted by The Manna Energy Foundation, which is installing more than 400 of its systems at secondary school locations.

Technically, the project is utilizing cutting edge sciences that cut down on the energy and funding needed to maintain the systems. Solar power provides the energy needed to run the systems, cell phone technology allows the team to monitor the systems from remote locations, and lasers are used to purify the water. The mechanism used for purifying water is drawn directly from processes used on the International Space Station to provide drinking water for the astronauts aboard. (Yet another of the multitude of everyday earthly benefits as a result of space exploration, but I digress.)

Organizationally, this project differs from most humanitarian development projects in that the water treatment systems generate continuing income through the award and sale of carbon credits. Usually projects of this nature are reliant upon one-time donor financing, causing the focus to be on the initial roll-out of the facility, instead of self-sustainment and the continuing operation of the facility. It is hoped that the revenue generated from the carbon credits will provide a built-in incentive to keep the water purifying systems running, and also fund other related projects, particularly human waste biogas generators.

This video, created by Manna, gives an overview of the project and drives home the compelling need for clean water world-wide.

PM in Photos: Space Exploration

This summer NASA's Engineering and Safety Center successfully tested MLAS (Max Launch Abort System). MLAS is one of the prototypes being evaluated as an option to provide a mechanism that will propel spacecraft and crew to safety should a rocket fail in future piloted spacecraft missions.

Photo Credits: NASA/Sean Smith

What can YOU do?

Today the Campaign for Disability Employment is launching the "What Can YOU Do?" campaign and web site. The purpose of the campaign is to draw attention to the value and talent that people with disabilities add to the workplace. I am extra excited about this because my good friend Mat McCollough is starring in the campaign's PSA video and is the face of the website's front page.

A recent article in The Economist highlighted a successful effort at the Mexico City international airport that employs wheelchair bound workers. Despite this and other efforts to advance the cause of disabled rights in Mexico, "employment among the disabled, who represent nearly 10% of Mexico’s population, is less than half that of the rest of society, according to the National Council for People with Disabilities."

As project managers, what can WE do? Having managed diverse project teams, I know firsthand that diversity adds depth and increased value to the work experience of all. However, this doesn't happen on its own, project managers have to make an active and continued effort to team-build and build team cohesion.

PM in Photos: Wuhan, China

A construction worker at a skyscraper building site in Wuhan, China. Photo Credit: AFP

Streetcar Project: H St. NE, Washington DC

The H St. NE corridor in Washington DC is one of those areas that seems to have changed every time you drive through it. It is going through a major revitalization effort, including a streetcar system that will provide a much needed transportation option. Currently, H St. NE resembles a war zone as the street has been ripped up all summer, with traffic squeaking by through concrete barricades. I've been following this project because I am excited to see the revitalization of my city and I am fascinated by mass transportation projects. While I am encouraged that there is some project documentation available, the DC Dept. of Transportation provides info such as project schedules, status reports and photos, there are two estimates missing that should make any PM recoil: total cost of the project and date of roll-out. Tracks have been purchased and are being laid ($13M+) , the street cars have been purchased ($25M), but critical decisions are yet to be made - like what power source will be used? There aren't a lot of options (overhead power lines are banned by Federal Law and in ground methods available are either costly or come fraught with risk because they are untested or unreliable designs). Other decisions that haven't been made are how and where the streetcars will turn around and where they will be housed and maintained. These are no minor decision points for a project well underway, and with on-again, off-again support. Needless to say, this project is behind schedule and has cost over runs to the tune of at least $860,000.

Proper project planning aside, this project leads me to one of my "favorite" PM conundrums. We are taught by classic PM principles that sunk costs are not a reason alone to continue with a project. Yet, once a project gets this far, and stakeholders this entrenched, it seems like the option to end the project is not an option at all, even though the end results will be many times more costly, troublesome and time consuming if the project were put out of its misery.

Soon, the tracks will be completed, and every minute the street cars sit idle costs the taxpayers money. I wonder if there is any predetermined point at which the city will terminate the project - or will this project go on and on despite any degree of schedule and budget slippage? I sincerely hope this project is successful. I am very much in favor of mass transportation and I think the H St. NE area is an exciting place to be and holds a lot promise. I just can't help but cringe from the PM sidelines.

Welcome!

This blog is the first step in what I hope are several directions. First and foremost, this blog hopes to be a conversation about project management, as it is applied in a myriad of settings: from mundane everyday life to grandiose aspirations - both here on earth and in the cosmos. I hope you will visit often and enjoy my topics of conversation.