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Orion Shield Project Analysis

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The Orion Shield Project Analysis
Shruti Patel
University of Maryland University College
AMBA640

Executive Summary
Any and every project or program requires a plan to be implemented and documented to ensure its success. The Orion Shield Project is an example of a project without such a plan in place, and an inexperience manager as lead. Gary Allison was impulsively appointed to the position of Project Manager for the Orion Shield Project by Henry Larsen, the Director of Operations. This paper will analyze the the technical, ethical, contractual/legal, and program management related issues that Gary Allison encountered while managing the Orion Shield project. The paper will outline the history and specifics of the project but it will mainly focus on the actions and reactions of Mr. Allison, and what steps he could have taken to result in a different outcome for the project. Gary’s lack of management experience and lack of ethical judgement led to a failed project mission, which could have been easily avoided.

Introduction
The Orion Shield Project has the mission to improve the structural capabilities of NASA’s Shuttle Launch booster by 3 years. Research found that the Booster showed signs of fatigue failure after six years in the field, where as the desired and originally specified time was nine years. This project was by NASA to find/create new materials that can support a longer life in the field for the Shuttle Launch Booster.
Since the DoD/NASA contracting criteria changed recently, companies that win the Research and Development (R&D) and Qualification phases of a program, are proposed to have a competitive edge when the Production contract is finally awarded, the SEC decided to employ a new company strategy, to bid on the Research and Development phase of a program. As a result, the SEC competed for a subcontract for the R&D Phase I of the

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