Space acquisition on the mend

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...nguage=printer

Report Says Air Force's Space Programs Improved
By Renae Merle
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 25, 2004; Page E02
[EXCERPTS]

The Air Force's management of its space programs has
improved during the past year but some systems, including an
early warning missile contract, will continue to need special
attention, according to an advisory panel review released
yesterday.

The review by the Task Force on Acquisition of National
Security Space Programs updates a 2003 report that determined
that a decade of underfunding and unrealistic cost estimates
had helped lead to "significant, systemic problems" with the
nation's space programs, many of which faced technical problems,
fell behind schedule and went over budget.

Since the original report was issued, the government's primary
focus has returned to making sure the programs are successful
instead of keeping costs low, and improvements have been made
in obtaining independent cost estimates, according to a summary
of the review. "We were quite pleased with the progress we
observed," said A. Thomas Young, chairman of the task force.

[snip]

The space task force found that while action had been taken
on most of its recommendations, more needed to be done. Most
programs still lack enough money set aside in reserve to cover
unexpected costs, according to the review. The inadequate
reserves prevent "timely resolution of problems that emerge
on every development program," resulting in higher costs and
missed deadlines, the review said.

The task force also found that Boeing's spy satellite program,
known as the Future Imagery Architecture, and Lockheed
Martin's Space-Based Infrared-High satellite program, an early
warning system for incoming missiles, will continue to need
special attention. Both programs were developed in the 1990s
when budget cuts encouraged ill-fated acquisition reform,
Young said. There were "a lot of problems inherited from the
flawed policies and practices with unintended consequences of
the '90s," he said.

Last year's report found that as originally structured the
spy satellite program was "not executable" and was underfunded
and technically flawed. "The Task Force found that progress on
the . . . program was more positive than expected," the review
said. But the restructured program "could still have issues
requiring special attention and the program needs to be
carefully monitored."

The panel also noted improvements in Lockheed's satellite
program after last year's report found it lacked experienced
personnel. Still, the latest review said Lockheed's "optimistic
test program and software development schedules are a worry"
and could have an impact on the project's success.

In a statement, Lockheed said its satellite program was
conceived at a time when cost and schedule drove decisions.
"Unfortunately, those procurement policies led to some
challenging problems for a very complex program that uses
some extremely unique technologies," spokesman Thomas J.
Jurkowsky said in a statement.