Parker Solar Probe's Approach to Mission Assurance

This reflective paper documents the successful approach to mission assurance management implemented by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL), NASA's mission implementer for the Parker Solar Probe (PSP) Mission. From initial requirements formulation through launch in August 2018, JHU/APL's approach to leading and managing this decade long mission assurance effort is explored. A discussion of Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA) within APL's Space Exploration Sector provides context to the paper. Implementation details of the PSP SMA approach including attributes such as responsibilities, requirements, consistency, and distributed leadership are highlighted as part of this paper. Hierarchical, Institutional, and Inter-Organizational relationships are viewed as a key driver that led to risk mitigation and overall project success.