[ Thanks to Debra
for this link. ]
“Suppose you’re a rocket scientist, or, more precisely, a
satellite engineer with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). Your
assignment is to get an innovative scientific satellite into orbit
on schedule, under budget, and with novel functionality and
robustness. How do you do it?“Well, if you believe the Jason-1 ground-control systems team,
you do it the old-fashioned way: with disciplined teamwork (and
maybe a few technical advantages).“At least that’s the message from the Jason Telemetry Command
and Communications System (JTCCS) team. If you sit in on one of the
project seminar video recordings (see Resources later in this
article), you’ll see for yourself the JPL emphasis on project
management, good development processes, respect for individual
capabilities, small-group nimbleness, and other well-established
principles for getting the most from experienced professionals. The
result: software deliverables that may have saved hundreds of
thousands of dollars compared to the record of other teams. NASA
itself has already recognized JTCCS as a candidate for “Software of
the Year” and is considering re-use of its assets for other
ground-control jobs. The team achieved all this despite a number of
obstacles: a Java Virtual Machine (JVM) so poorly supported by its
vendor that it had to be abandoned, complementary projects that
were behind schedule, personnel difficulties, and more…”