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Space
Management Roadmap
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Bryan Gardner
Vision: Portfolio Commercial Manned Space Exploration: Create a self sustaining human presence outside of earth by establishing several space colonies capable of commercially interacting with each other. 2003 Take a space related engineering project from concept to full development and mature implementation. 2 years 2006 Top Tier graduate education in Business and Engineering. 2 Years 2008 Manage a multi-technology product from concept to profitability. 3 – 5 years 2012 +/- Manage a business operation profitably with multiple technological products in all phases of maturity; R & D, New Market, Mature Market, Commodity Market, Graveyard Market, Services. 3 – 5 years 2016 +/- Enter the Commercial Space Industry as a controlling manager of an existing company, start a division within an existing company, or gather a team and create a new company. Rationale: Space Exploration and Survival are extremely challenging in all aspects of engineering, logistical support, systems of systems, and finally in profitability. To achieve success, we must carry a comprehensive plan for both Engineering and Business Management combined to deal with all of these challenges. Why Engineering? Engineering is the indispensible core of any space program. Space exploration requires pushing the threshold of current technology across several fields simultaneously. Effective engineering of complex systems, integrating several fields of technology, and selecting between existing and developing technology, is the process toward successful access and survival in space. The spacecraft and space survival equipment necessary must be developed, and this requires good solid engineering. Why Business Management? A self sustaining space program requires many aspects of human organization. Effective management is necessary for technology development, as well as supporting an system of technologies. For a space program to be self sustaining, it must reliably serve the demands of a market as a participating business. All aspects of a space program must be managed as a business with the dual goals of creating a human space presence while generating profit. Why Engineering and Business Management combined? In space, there are no shortcuts around good engineering. In parallel, a space program is so comprehensively involved and expensive, effective managment for profitability is essential to its development and continuation. Some Space Entreprenuers nievely express the attitude "I can hire engineers." This is a grave mistake to any space related venture. It is easy to hire people with engineering degrees, but it is not so easy to recruit the right team of engineers who are both capable and motivated to own the projects they are working on. Without technically ambitious engineers who personally take ownership of their projects, a space program will never escape the inefficiency of NASA. Some Space Engineers unaware of the business and management challenges express the attitude "Investors are a dime a dozen. A billion dollars won't do any good if you can't design." Without understanding market dynamics, an effective engineer will never acquire the funding necessary to develop their projects, and miss opportunities for profitability. Engineering is the ability to create a system of technologies to achieve a defined purpose. Business Management is the ability to create a system of people to generate profitability. Just as a Chief Engineer must understand all technological aspects of their project, so must an Executive Manager understand all influential aspects of their business. Engineering is so critical to space systems, an executive manager must have an acute understanding of this aspect of their business. Management and Financing are so critical to a continuing space program, engineering teams must have ambitious business managers consistently aid their progress. |
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