Space projects push boundaries, aiming to give teams a better understanding of our own planet and to explore what’s beyond. But these efforts are full of complexity, with evolving risks, new innovations, long timelines and fluctuations in funding. We discuss this with:
Kenneth Harris II, PhD, senior project engineer, The Aerospace Corporation, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, USA: The 2020 Future 50 leader discusses how the increasing number of crewed missions—and missions closer to Earth’s orbit—have changed the risk landscape for space projects, how he and his teams manage fast-paced change and tech innovations throughout years-long initiatives, what he sees as the top project management challenge for project professionals in the space sector, and how impact, curiosity and exposure have driven him throughout his career as a space project leader.
Kay Lingenauber, project manager and system engineer, Institute of Planetary Research at the German Aerospace Center, Berlin: Lingenauber discusses how he and an international team created the Ganymede Laser Altimeter, or GALA, over 15 years, how he and the team managed changing resources and technology with a fixed launch date, good practices for collaborating with institutes and agencies across the globe, and his advice for other project professionals managing initiatives with plenty of complexity.
Key themes
[02:30] More crewed missions—and more missions closer to Earth—are changing the risk landscape
[05:51] Managing fast-paced change and innovation with years-long timelines
[09:56] Top project management challenges in space projects: Collaboration with new and established agencies and contending with tight budgets
[14:17] Creating GALA, an instrument now headed for Jupiter’s moons
[16:34] Leaning into adaptability and problem-solving in space projects
[18:21] Boosting collaboration through requirements management, trust-building and transparency
Job Skills—Time Management
Career Development—Professional Networking Pro-Tips
Job Skills—Fast-Paced Problem Solving
Transformation—The Future of Manufacturing
Career Development—Moving to a New Market Sector
Leadership—Managing Multigenerational Teams
Social Responsibility—Promoting Gender Equality
Transformation—Artificial Intelligence
Career Development—In-Demand Skills and Sectors
Job Skills—Cultivating Creativity
Transformation—Navigating Mergers and Acquisitions
Lessons Learned—The Value of Knowledge Transfer
Talent Management—How to Fill the Project Talent Gap
Transformation—How to Manage Complexity
Leadership—New Skills for an Age of Flux
A Radical Mindshift—Managing Bleeding Edge Projects
Crisis Mode—Emergency Management and Response
The Greater Good—Lessons from Governments and NGOs
The Need for Speed—Delivering Rapid Response Projects
The Long Haul—Future-Proofing Infrastructure
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