Constellation Major Technical Challenges of 2007

This paper discusses the identification and progress toward resolution of the two of the most significant technical challenges the Constellation Program faced during 2007. Constellation is NASA's program to implement the human exploration of the Moon, Mars, and beyond. This paper is written from the perspective of the Program Systems Engineer, also known at the Chief Architect, who happens to be from the robotic community of NASA. This paper will briefly provide some background on the Constellation program and describe the Office of the Program Systems Engineer, created to lead major cross program technical issues and to lead the development of the program architecture to the moon and beyond. The paper will focus on two of the major technical challenges of the year. The first is understanding and establishing adequate performance and mass margin for the initial low earth orbit capability, targeted to support ISS, the second is the lunar capability to establish an outpost(s) on the moon including the core elements of the lunar transportation architecture. Other interesting challenges will also be discussed briefly including some parallels and differences between human and robotic cultural approaches to problem solving and systems engineering.