A NASA mission leader's tips for being a good manager

"As the crickets chirped at 2 A.M. near Kennedy Space Center, a large team of scientists was puzzling over data tracking the temperature of a rocket component. A cold-gas thruster, which would help position NASA's Psyche spacecraft to communicate with Earth after launch, wasn't working properly. And with just 12 days to go before liftoff, the anomaly placed the entire $1.2-billion mission in jeopardy."

"Faced with such a high stress situation, it would be understandable for the scientists to lose their cool, but the storm of emotion never came. Everyone listened, everyone made suggestions, everyone joined one or more subteams testing every possible solution, working around the clock. The spacecraft ultimately launched as planned and is now approaching the halfway mark of its six-year-long voyage to reach the asteroid 16 Psyche."

"Once it arrives in 2029, it will spend nearly two years studying this mysterious space rock, which, based on telescopic observations, appears to be made mainly of metal. Elkins-Tanton is a professor of planetary science at Arizona State University and the Psyche mission's principal investigator."

"The same project management techniques required to pull off an interplanetary mission, she realized, can also be valuable in myriad other endeavors right here on Earth. As Elkins-Tanton looks forward to the discoveries that Psyche will yield, she is also reflec"

A cold-gas thruster used to help position NASA’s Psyche spacecraft for Earth communication failed to work properly near Kennedy Space Center. With only 12 days before liftoff, the issue threatened the $1.2-billion mission. Despite high stress, the team avoided emotional breakdown and instead followed structured collaboration. Everyone listened, offered suggestions, and joined subteams that tested possible solutions around the clock. The spacecraft launched as planned and began a six-year voyage toward asteroid 16 Psyche. After arrival in 2029, it will study the metal-rich asteroid for nearly two years, using the mission’s success to demonstrate how project management techniques can support performance under pressure beyond spaceflight.

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