ABSTRACT
Systems engineering (SE) has proven to be an established sound practice; but it is not always
delivered effectively. A record of accomplishment of over 100 successful space launches between
the years 2000 and 2015 demonstrates the result of systems engineering practiced well. However,
recent US Government Accountability Office (GAO, 2008) and NASA (2007) studies of space
systems criticized significant budget and schedule overruns, some exceeding 100 percent. These
programs struggle with waste, poor coordination, unstable requirements, quality problems, and
management frustrations. Ironically, the early years of American aerospace programs were quite
lean and typified by small, collocated groups of enthusiastic engineers, little bureaucracy, and
projects that were completed in record time.
