NASA Kennedy Space Center Swamp Works: Innovation Methods for Advanced Research & Technology DevelopmentKennedy Space Center’s (KSC) Swamp Works, provides government and commercial space ventures with the technologies required for working and living on the surfaces of the Moon or other planets and bodies in our solar system. The Swamp Works team establishes agile, innovative and cost effective exploration mission solutions through leveraging of partnerships across NASA, industry and academia. Concepts start small and build up efficiently, with lean development processes and a hands on approach. Testing is performed in early stages to drive design improvements and progressively increase Technology Readiness Levels (TRL).
Swamp Works provides concepts, architecture studies and trades, designs, data, technology development, technology demonstration hardware, flight hardware, testing, flight support and knowledge in support of the development of surface systems.
This paper will summarize the state of the art in innovation methods, and it will compare the various other methods to how innovation is accomplished at the NASA KSC Swamp Works.
Since 2013, Swamp Works has developed a wide variety of technologies, and has demonstrated viable methods for innovation while also collaborating with other government agencies, industry and academia to support space exploration. These methods focus on agile design, test, build iterations where each cycle of prototyping results in improved knowledge and designs. Failures are tole rated in the early stages of these iterations, since the overall development cycle is shorter more efficient and cost effective by retiring risk early in the cycle. Momentum is maintained and the development teams remain highly motivated by the high level of team work, technical excellence, engagement and creative freedom.
Document ID
20230004158
Acquisition Source
Kennedy Space Center
Document Type
Conference Paper
Authors
Robert P Mueller (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Jason Schuler (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Andrew J Nick (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Jonathan D Smith (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
James Mantovani (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Nathan Gelino (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Greg Clements (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Akosua Taylor (Kennedy Space Center Merritt Island, Florida, United States)
Laurent Sibille (Engineering Research and Consulting Huntsville, Alabama, United States)
Matthew Nugent (Engineering Research and Consulting Huntsville, Alabama, United States)
Date Acquired
March 29, 2023
Publication Date
October 23, 2023
Subject Category
Administration and Management
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA ASCEND Conference and Exposition
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Country: US
Start Date: October 23, 2023
End Date: October 25, 2023
Sponsors: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Funding Number(s)
OTHER: SW00001
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Public Use Permitted.
Technical Review
NASA Peer Committee
Keywords
Robotic MiningIn Situ Resource UtilizationRegolithMoonMarsAsteroidsDustInnovationResearch & Technology Development