Reducing Space Mission Cost is the first complete treatment of the technology, process, and problems in the most critical area 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

This book provides real cost data on a variety of missions, systems, and subsystems. The book also 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. The case studies described in the book have reduced total mission cost from 60% to 90% with respect to projections by traditional cost models.

This book is a follow-on to Space Mission Analysis and Design, also edited by Drs. Wertz and Larson. Both books are required reading for professionals, students, and managers in astronautics or space sciences and managers or scientists involved in space experiments. The book shows that reducing space mission cost, without reducing reliability is critical for the future of space exploration.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

Part I: Process Changes To Reduce Cost

1. Introduction
2. Process Changes to Reduce Cost
3. Technology for Reduced Cost Missions
4. Reducing Launch Cost
5. Reducing Spacecraft Cost
6. Reducing Mission Operations Cost
7. Design-to-Cost for Space Missions
8. Cost Modeling
9. Reliability Considerations
10. Implementation Strategies and Problems

Part II: Case Studies

11. Science Missions
12. Interplanetary Probes
13. Communications, Test, and Applications Missions