The National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) Risk Reduction Approach

The NPOESS Program manages system development risk with a proven, effective process that identifies and assesses each risk, develops mitigation plans, and with frequent reviews, monitors the progress towards eliminating risk. This end-to-end approach focuses on maximizing the operational value of the NPOESS constellation with acceptable risks to program cost, schedule, and performance. For example, the sensors and architecture supporting the NPOESS mission are based on prior scientific and operational heritage of existing NOAA, DoD, and NASA environmental remote sensing missions. The program includes early technology demonstration projects -- the joint NASA/NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP), the NPOESS Airborne Sounder Testbed (NAST), Svalbard Initial Mission Recovery (SIMR), and the WindSat-Coriolis mission. Schedule risk is mitigated with early system integration and test activities utilizing high-fidelity tools such as the Flight Vehicle Simulator (FVS), sensor Engineering Development Units (EDUs), and the Electrical Engineering Model Test Bed (EEMTB). These and other examples will be presented and discussed.