Logistics

Once the rocket proposal has been won, you have a set date and timeline, and are expected to meet it! NASA rightly isn't thrilled by groups that delay launches or don't meet their stated timeline, as this costs extra money and delays science for everybody. The goal is to provide your experiment on time, on spec, and, hopefully, under budget.

So, the name of the game and the continual subconscious thought for the next few years is logistics, which consists of an endless stream of specific and general questions.

What do you need to get this payload launched? Who can provide it? How much does it cost? Is it unique, or can you get it off the shelf? How long does it take to make or do? Are there other equally good, faster ways of doing it? What's your plan for testing, building, personnel, budget, and delivery? Have you accounted for all of the ways in which your plan could and will go wrong? Have you thought of everything?

Logistics is a constant flow of give and take, and of adapting to new situations as more facts and details emerge. It's about staying on your toes and keeping one step ahead of the game, taking into account everything you have and updating your plan and schedule constantly in order to get to where you need to be. It can be chaotic, challenging, full of surprises, and, at the end of the day, pretty fun!

Much of logistics is learned through trial by fire-- through experience, and messing up, and learning from it. I was fortunate to work with many others who had been through building a rocket before, and who gave me very helpful pieces of advice, which have now become part of the way I think and work in the lab.

In no particular order, I list some of what I have learned below.

-What's the tall pole? What's your biggest problem right now, and what can be pushed to the back burner for a bit?

-Immediately identify and order all long-lead time items. Sometimes no amount of money can fix a timing error, which can always be avoided!

-Better is the enemy of good enough. Identify what you need to get done, and how well you have to do it, and when you have done it, move on.

-If you can, order 3 extra. If it's cheap, order 10 extra. If you're cleaning a screw, clean five extra. Things break, get dropped, get lost, etc.

-Schedule, schedule, schedule. Make a Gantt chart early, and identify every single task you have in front of you and how long it will take.

-On that note, however long you think something will take, multiply by 3. That's a more realistic estimate.

-Phone calls are WAY faster than emails or websites. Call people to get things done fast.

-If you need to make sure someone is progressing on a task or part, visit them in person. In person works wonders.

-Don't bug machinists unless absolutely needed, and aim for a great working relationship. You want to stay on their good side for urgent situations.

-If a piece seems symmetric or could be confused, annotate it extensively and talk to the machinist. Measure pieces as soon as they come in.

-Stuff happens. Be prepared to adapt to the unexpected, the unforeseen, and the forgotten.

-Be proactive about potential problems. So much can be avoided by thinking things through thoroughly.

-Plan all procedures step by step, thoroughly. The small details, steps, and parts are the things you will forget.

-Take pictures of EVERYTHING, and take notes on EVERYTHING. You cannot take too many notes or pictures, and they will save you in the future.