1、Lessons Learned Entry: 1856Lesson Info:a71 Lesson Number: 1856a71 Submitting Organization: JPLa71 Submitted by: David Oberhettingera71 POC Name: Dr. Mario Acunaa71 POC Email: mario.acunanasa.gova71 POC Phone: 301-286-7258Subject: Challenges to Successful International Spaceflight Projects Abstract:
2、The challenges of coordinating highly technical work within teams and between teams are often magnified by cultural and language differences. According to the Senior Chief Engineer of JAXA, the record of successful NASA/JAXA collaborations over the past two decades is attributed primarily to mutual
3、respect and sensitivity for each others culture. Key GEOTAIL project personnel recommend specific measures to build trust within the cross-cultural team and to mitigate the risk of miscommunication.Description of Driving Event: International partnership and cooperation is essential to NASAs mission.
4、 For example, more than 5,000 people from 17 countries have participated in the JPL-led Cassini/Huygens mission, which arrived at Saturn in 2004. NASA anticipates depending on Russia to ferry all astronauts and materials to the International Space Station for a 5-year period following the retirement
5、 of the Space Shuttle, unless commercial launch/orbital services companies can handle a portion. Ambitious plans for space utilization and exploration suggest that multinational partnerships will continue to offer advantages to the partners. However, the challenges of coordinating highly technical w
6、ork within teams and between teams are often magnified by cultural and language differences. In the case of the Huygens probe, for example, the European Space Agency (ESA) misinterpreted an ambiguously phrased requirement specifying the memory location of probe science data (Reference (1). Dr. Toshi
7、fumi Mukai, the Senior Chief Engineer of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency Provided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-(JAXA) recently discussed lessons learned from U.S.-Japan space science collaboration (Reference (2). Almost all JAXA scie
8、nce spaceflight missions are U.S. or European partnerships that take advantage of complementary resources (e.g. workforce, infrastructure) and technologies. GEOTAIL, a satellite launched in 1992 to study the Earths magnetosphere, is a typical joint mission: JAXA provided the spacecraft and about two
9、-thirds of the scientific instruments, and NASA provided the rest of the instruments, a launch vehicle, and tracking support. For this and other missions, however, cultural differences were a major hurdle for the participants: 1. Language (probably the most significant difference)2. Decision making
10、styles and procedures3. Formality of Japanese documentation4. Formality of Japanese meetings5. Transoceanic communications6. The respective funding systems7. Legal issues (cross-waiver of liability, export control, etc.)For example, English was the language standard on GEOTAIL, but few Japanese part
11、icipants spoke English fluently, and even fewer Americans were conversant in Japanese. Even knowing some shared terminology, differing idioms and sentence structure could at times make accurate communication difficult. To illustrate, word order in English is Subject-Verb-Object, with the subject gen
12、erally required, but with word order in longer sentences being relatively flexible. The basic Japanese sentence, in contrast, is strictly Topic/Subject-Object-Verb, with the implicit topic and/or subject frequently omitted. Along with other differences, such as the honorifics and extensive grammatic
13、al system used to express politeness and formality, this can contribute to misunderstandings. Despite these obstacles, NASA/JAXA collaborations over the past two decades have been very successful, and Dr. Mukai attributes it primarily to mutual esteem for each others culture. Overcoming these diffic
14、ulties require first that both parties clearly recognize the differences between the two cultures and traditions and how they affect teamwork. This recognition is a prerequisite to the mutual esteem and resultant trust that proved to be the critical project success factor. Despite the projects stand
15、ardization on the English language, both parties always recognized the high probability of misunderstanding at any given time. Repetition, paraphrasing, speed reduction, and frequent confirmation were practiced during communications. To gain an understanding of international engineering practices, m
16、ore than 200 JAXA engineers attended lectures given by Americans and Europeans at JAXA in 2007 on systems engineering and project management, and JAXA engineers have attended NASA courses. References: 1. “Consider Language Differences When Conveying Requirements to Foreign Partners,“ NASA Lesson Lea
17、rned No. 0608, NASA Engineering Network, January 21, 1999.2. Dr. Toshifumi Mukai, “Challenges to Successful International Projects,“ presentation at the Provided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-NASA Project Management Challenge 2008, Daytona B
18、each, FL, February 26-27, 2008.Lesson(s) Learned: Successful project management requires effective communication and negotiation to coordinate the activities of various project groups in advancement of shared goals. GEOTAIL lessons learned from the U.S. perspective, provided by Dr. Roger Anderson (G
19、EOTAIL Principal Investigator, University of Iowa), include: 1. By taking Japanese language lessons prior to working on the GEOTAIL project in Japan, American participants gained a better understanding of the problems faced by Japanese participants working in an English-speaking environment.2. Inter
20、national cooperation requires that neither side dictate requirements to the other, and that positions be enunciated in a diplomatic manner without making demands.3. The Japanese practice of seeking consensus and group decision making during spacecraft testing was contrary to what had been experience
21、d on joint U.S.-European projects.Recommendation(s): 1. International partnerships must seek the overall optimum- not the local optimum. The team members should openly recognize and honor each others culture and tradition. Achieving trust requires active measures to demonstrate sincerity, honesty, a
22、nd open mindedness, such as learning about Japanese customs. Americans should resist dictating the use of U.S. engineering processes, such as U.S. engineering standards and procurement practices, without recognizing that equivalent local procedures may prove equally effective.2. International partne
23、rs must recognize cultural and language differences and take steps to mitigate the risk of miscommunication, such as repetition, paraphrasing, speed reduction, use of graphics and other visual aids, as well as frequent confirmation when exchanging technical and programmatic information.Evidence of R
24、ecurrence Control Effectiveness: JPL has referenced this lesson learned as additional rationale and guidance supporting Paragraph 5.17.4 (“Management Practices: Risk Management“) in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory standard “Flight Project Practices, Rev. 6,“ JPL DocID 58032, March 6, 2006.Documents Re
25、lated to Lesson: N/AProvided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-Mission Directorate(s): a71 Space Operationsa71 Sciencea71 Exploration Systemsa71 Aeronautics ResearchAdditional Key Phrase(s): a71 Program Management.Affect of Cultural factors on l
26、ong-term human and robotic missionsa71 Program Management.International partner coordinationa71 Program Management.Risk managementa71 Additional Categories.External Relationsa71 Additional Categories.Policy & Planninga71 Additional Categories.Procurement, Small Business & Industrial RelationsAdditional Info: a71 Project: GEOTAILApproval Info: a71 Approval Date: 2008-06-27a71 Approval Name: mbella71 Approval Organization: HQProvided by IHSNot for ResaleNo reproduction or networking permitted without license from IHS-,-,-
