A Case Study in NASA-DoD - The Black Vault

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V. NASA-DOD COOPERATION: ORGANIZATIONAL OBSERVATIONS
FROM THE CASE STUDY
In this section, the NASA and DoD organizational interactions that
occurred throughout the case study are discussed within the context
of the results of the cost-benefit analysis for each phase of the study.
Observations are made concerning the direction the Air Force and NASA
might take with regard to the Air Force decision on acquisition of a
standard spacecraft and how this direction might be influenced by the
economic analysis and organizational factors. Observations are also made
on the impact of the future dependence of the Air Force on NASA's space
shuttle for launching its payloads.
Finally, some of the organizational
factors that contributed to the successful completion of this case study
are discussed.
MOTIVATIONS FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE STANDARD SPACECRAFT STUDY
Although the procurement decision analyzed in the case study discussed
in Secs. III and IV was strictly that of the Air Force Space Test
Program Office, two program offices at the NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center became voluntarily involved to the extent that they shared in the
funding of the study and provided access to the details of their spacecraft
designs and costs. It was clear from the start of this study
that the NASA program offices were interested primarily in having their
respective spacecraft designs considered for the Air Force Space Test
Program missions and hoped that by cooperating in the study they could
best ensure that their designs were represented fairly. This allowed
them to argue their case at all of the progress reviews, thereby avoid-
Ing waiting until the study results were published before reacting to
the outcome.
The discussion of the behavior of the Air Force and NASA that follows
must be cast within the context outlined in Sec. II for NASA-DoD
cooperation in space. This context includes 15 years of operating experience
with the Space Council and AACD. This coordination machinery
has demonstrated the authority on a number of occasions to inquire into
a wide range of NASA-DoD activities to ensure that unnecessary duplication