Foundations of Supply Chain Management for Space Application

Supply Chain Management (SCM) is a key piece of the framework for America’s space technology investment as the Nati onal Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the aerospace industry, and international partners embark on a bold new vision of human and robotic space exploration beyond Low Earth -Orbit (LEO). This type of investment is driven by the Agency’s need fo r cost efficient operational support associated with , processing and operating space vehicles and address many of the biggest operational challenge including extremely tight funding profiles, seamless program -to -program transition activities and the reduct ion of the time gap with human spaceflight capabilities in the post -Shuttle era. An investment of this magnitude is a multiyear task and must include new patterns of thought within the engineering community to respect the importance of SCM and the integrat ion of the material and information flow. Experience within the Department of Defense and commercial sectors which has shown that support cost reductions and or avoidances of upwards to 35% over business as usual are achievable. It is SCM that will ultim ately bring the solar system within the economic sphere of our society. Applying aspects of the high -volume, market demand driven SCM disciplines of the commercial industry to a low -volume, schedule driven aerospace environment is not only possible but vital to accurately estimate, plan, control and manage the non -recurring and recurring costs assoc iated with long -term operations and vehicle processing of space f light and ground support e quipment . Applying th ese discipline s is especially crucial during the early design, development, test an d engineering (DDT&E) phase of a new program. Upwards of 70 to 80% of the operational recurring costs , which include 90% of the indirect processing costs associated with Launch and Landing core activities, are influe nced as a result of this initial phase of the product lifecycle. Breakthroughs in the commercial field of SCM are giving top -level commercial industry operations and production managers the forecasting and integration capability needed to create a just -in time and on -demand rapid mobilization of manufacturing sources . Comparatively , as we turn our attention to very large space endeavors , delegation of sustainment activities from the P rogram to the Project O ffices , complicates the integration and forecastin g of material and information flows , and could prevent true integration from ever being achieved . Good collaborative forecasting, planning and realistic replenishment scheduling is essential to an effective SCM practice especially , when considering simulta neous non -serial activity of diverse new programs anticipated for future Lunar and Mars expeditions .