NASA Systems Engineering Handbook

by National Aeronautics and Space Administration

This handbook consists of six core chapters: (1) systems engineering fundamentals discussion, (2) the NASA program/project life cycles, (3) systems engineering processes to get from a concept to a design, (4) systems engineeringprocesses to get from a design to a final product, (5) crosscutting management processes in systems engineering, and (6) special topics relative to systems engineering. These core chapters are supplemented by appendices that provide outlines, examples, and further information to illustrate topics in the core chapters. The handbook makes extensive use of boxes and figures to define, refine, illustrate, and extend concepts in the core chapters without diverting the reader from the main information. The handbook provides top-level guidelines for good systems engineering practices; it is not intended in any way to be a directive. NASA/SP-2007-6105 Rev1 supersedes SP-6105, dated June 1995

358 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government responsible for the civil space program, aeronautics research, and space research.

Reviews

[Barack Liu · Rating 5 out of 5]

328-NASA System Engineering Handbook-NASA-Aeronautics-2007

Barack
2021/04/26

" NASA System Engineering Handbook ", first edition in 2007. It mainly discusses the content of six parts, the basic knowledge of system engineering, the life cycle of NASA procedures and projects, the system engineering process from concept to design, the system engineering process from design to final product, and the cross-sectional management of system engineering. And other topics related to systems engineering.

NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, was established in 1958. It is an independent agency under the federal government of the United States, mainly responsible for civil space programs and research in aerospace. Its purpose is For the Benefit of All. Since its inception, most American space exploration efforts have been led by NASA, including the Apollo mission to the moon, the Skylab space station, and later the space shuttle.

Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Fundamentals of Systems Engineering
3.0 NASA Program/Project Life Cycle
4.0 System Design
5.0 Product Realization
6.0 Crosscutting Technical Management
7.0 Special Topics

" Since its founding, the National Aeronautics, and Space
Administration (NASA) has been dedicated to the advancement
of aeronautics and space science. The NASA
The scientific and Technical Information (STI) program
plays a key part in helping NASA maintain this important
role. "

NASA’s influence is actually not limited to the aerospace field. It has also had a deep impact on some entrepreneurs, and these entrepreneurs have become leaders in their own fields.

" The handbook provides top-level guidelines for good
systems engineering practices; it is not intended in any
way to be a directive. ”

The theory and methods of systems engineering are valuable not only in the aerospace field but also in other engineering fields, even non-engineering fields.

" It provides a generic description
of Systems Engineering (SE) as it should be applied
throughout NASA. A goal of the handbook is to increase
awareness and consistency across the Agency and
advance the practice of SE. ”

Aerospace is one of the areas where precision is most needed. It is a combination of the most rigorous science and the most complex engineering. Its work, a spacecraft, must be precise enough to ensure the smooth completion of its mission.

" Systems engineering is a methodical, disciplined approach
for the design, realization, technical management,
operations, and retirement of a system. A “system”
is a construct or collection of different elements that together
produce results not obtainable by the elements
alone. ”

Human ingenuity is reflected in the top of these organic combinations of elements, combinations out locally, with power greater than the whole.

" Systems engineering is the art and science of developing
an operable system capable of meeting requirements
within often opposed constraints. Systems engineering
is a holistic, integrative discipline, wherein the
contributions of structural engineers, electrical engineers,
mechanism designers, power engineers, human
factors engineers and many more disciplines are evaluated
and balanced, one against another, to produce a coherent
whole that is not dominated by the perspective of
a single discipline. ”

The realization of a complex system requires the cooperation of experts in various fields and systems, and they can achieve their ultimate goal.

" Systems engineering seeks a safe and balanced design in
the face of opposing interests and multiple, sometimes
conflicting constraints. The systems engineer must develop
the skill and instinct for identifying and focusing
Efforts on assessments to optimize the overall design and not favor one system/subsystem at the expense
of another. "

A holistic view means that we must start from the whole, not just confine our eyes to a part, so as to lose sight of the other.

" There are three sets of common technical processes in
NPR 7123.1, NASA Systems Engineering Processes and
Requirements: system design, product realization, and
technical management. ”

With the advancement of a product's life cycle, the core tasks of each stage are also different, so the specific methods we take are different because of this, and we need to be flexible and adapt to local conditions.

" The systems engineer will usually play the key role in
leading the development of the system architecture, defining
and allocating requirements, evaluating design
tradeoffs, balancing technical risk between systems, defining
and assessing interfaces, providing oversight of
verification and validation activities, as well as many
other tasks. ”

The core of execution is the engineer. Whether the entire project can be carried out smoothly, the most important factor lies in people, not only in the quality of these participants themselves but also in how these participants are organized.

" In summary, the systems engineer is skilled in the art
and science of balancing organizational and technical interactions
in complex systems. ”

That is to say, systems engineers must not only be good at technology, but this level is actually an art to a degree. The so-called skill is close to Tao, maybe it is a realm that can only be reached after a certain depth of study?

" All other products in the system structure are realized by integration. Designers not only develop the design solutions to the products intended to perform the operational functions of the system but also establish requirements for the products and services that enable each operational/mission product in the system structure."

The first is design. After the entire framework and top-level design are made, it is then realized by engineering methods; at the same time, management is also involved in the process of experimentation. Only in this way can it be ensured that the problems can be adjusted and corrected in time so that they can get back on track as soon as possible.

[George Anderson]

OK belongs on the shelf as reference