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Space Mission Concept Development Using Concept Maturity LevelsOver the past five years, pre-project formulation experts at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) has developed and implemented a method for measuring and communicating the maturity of space mission concepts. Mission concept development teams use this method, and associated tools, prior to concepts entering their Formulation Phases (Phase A/B). The organizing structure is Concept Maturity Level (CML), which is a classification system for characterizing the various levels of a concept's maturity. The key strength of CMLs is the ability to evolve mission concepts guided by an incremental set of assessment needs. The CML definitions have been expanded into a matrix form to identify the breadth and depth of analysis needed for a concept to reach a specific level of maturity. This matrix enables improved assessment and communication by addressing the fundamental dimensions (e.g., science objectives, mission design, technical risk, project organization, cost, export compliance, etc.) associated with mission concept evolution. JPL's collaborative engineering, dedicated concept development, and proposal teams all use these and other CML-appropriate design tools to advance their mission concept designs. This paper focuses on mission concept's early Pre-Phase A represented by CMLs 1- 4. The scope was limited due to the fact that CMLs 5 and 6 are already well defined based on the requirements documented in specific Announcement of Opportunities (AO) and Concept Study Report (CSR) guidelines, respectively, for competitive missions; and by NASA's Procedural Requirements NPR 7120.5E document for Projects in their Formulation Phase.
Document ID
20150007816
Acquisition Source
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Document Type
Conference Paper
External Source(s)
Authors
Wessen, Randii R.
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Borden, Chester
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Ziemer, John
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Kwok, Johnny
(Jet Propulsion Lab., California Inst. of Tech. Pasadena, CA, United States)
Date Acquired
May 8, 2015
Publication Date
September 10, 2013
Subject Category
Lunar And Planetary Science And Exploration
Meeting Information
Meeting: AIAA Space 2013 Conference and Exposition
Location: San Diego, CA
Country: United States
Start Date: September 10, 2013
End Date: September 12, 2013
Sponsors: American Inst. of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Concept Maturity Levels (CMLs)

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