Standardization - A method of reducing auxiliary propulsion systems costs

This paper deals with the efforts of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to take advantage of the economies made possible by the Space Shuttle by reducing the costs of acquiring and flying payloads for the Shuttle. Specifically, the paper addresses the route that NASA's Low Cost Systems Office is following in order to reduce the cost of auxiliary propulsion systems. This approach emphasizes the establishment of standard hardware items, which will be used on as many spacecraft as possible. The method by which a standard is selected and how it is maintained as a standard are discussed. The process by which the 5 Newton hydrazine thruster was adopted is described, as a typical example.