1. Preparing for an
NPR 7120.5D
Life-Cycle Review
Randall L. Taylor
GRAIL Project Acquisition Manager/
Review Captain
Jet Propulsion Laboratory
California Institute of Technology
NASA PM Challenge 2009
February 24–25, 2009
This document has been reviewed for export control and it does NOT contain controlled technical data.
Copyright 2009 California Institute of Technology . Government sponsorship acknowledged.

2. Agenda
• The GRAIL mission
• Preparing for a NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR)
7120.5D Preliminary Design Review (PDR)
– Organization
– Pre-PDR reviews
– Gate products
– Presentation materials
– IT and logistics
– Standing Review Board (SRB) coordination
• Summary
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3. The GRAIL Mission
• The Gravity Recovery And Interior Laboratory (GRAIL)
mission was selected by NASA as a Discovery Program
project
• The NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) utilized the
competed missions (Announcement of Opportunity) process
– GRAIL was one of three proposals selected to perform Phase A
concept studies
– GRAIL was the single proposal selected to perform Phase B
preliminary design
• GRAIL is PI-led (Dr. Maria T. Zuber, MIT) and JPL-managed
• Key development dates:
– Jan. 2008: Start of Phase B
– Apr. 2008: Project Mission System Review (PMSR)
– Nov. 2008: Project PDR
– Jan. 2009: Confirmation Review/Key Decision Point (KDP)-C
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4. The GRAIL Mission (cont.)
• Science objectives: • Science measurements and payload:
– Determine structure and interior of – Ka-band ranging system (with
Moon, from crust to core GRACE heritage) measures relative
– Understand thermal evolution of Moon velocity of CM of 2 spacecraft
– Extend knowledge to other terrestrial – DSN used for absolute position
planets determination
• Mission outline: • Mission management:
– Twin S/C launched on a – MIT: PI, SRS contract for E/PO
Delta 7920H-10
– 9-month mission; launch in Sep 2011 – GSFC: DPI, gravity science modeling
and data analysis
– Low altitude, 50-km polar orbit
– JPL: PM, SE, MA, MO & GDS,
– 90-day primary mapping mission
Payload, LM spacecraft system
– Spacecraft operate at ~200 km contract, data processing
separation
– Extensive science data analysis
– E/PO MoonKam cameras engage
public
– Heritage: GRACE-like mission concept
– Heritage: S/C from LM: XSS-11
– Design concept requires no new
technology
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5. The GRAIL Mission (cont.)
Watkins
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6. PDR Preparation: Organization
• The project established a review preparation team with key roles:
– Review Captain
• Team Leader
• Lead for gate products and presentation materials instructions, guidelines,
interpretations, content review
• Supported by project schedule analyst
– Documentation Lead
• Lead for gate products and presentation materials formatting, editing, production
• Supported by other technical writers and reproduction contractor
– Information Systems Lead
• Lead for file formats, data repositories, access privileges
• Supported by project librarian, CM engineer, and export technical representative
– Logistics Lead
• Lead for review site selection, arrangements, equipment, attendee support services
• Supported at the actual review by high-potential volunteers (who wanted to observe
a project review)
• The team employed a detailed preparation schedule to make sure all
actions were identified, assigned, and completed on time
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7. PDR Preparation: Schedule
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8. PDR Preparation: Schedule (cont.)
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9. Pre-PDR Reviews
• NPR 7120.5D requires, at time of Project PDR, a project Integrated Baseline
– Technical, schedule, cost
– Includes “a series of in-depth assessments of selected critical work elements of the
WBS…”
• GRAIL employed a disciplined process to establish requirements
• As proposed, GRAIL conducted a battery of Inheritance Reviews (IRs)
(May–June 2008)
– 13 element IRs covered all spacecraft subsystems and all instrument assemblies
– Top-level assessment at Flight System IR (July 2008)
– Added additional IR for alternative avionics approach (Aug. 2008)
• As proposed, GRAIL conducted a battery of pre-PDR reviews
(Aug.–Oct. 2008)
– 20 element PDRs/Technical Interchange Meetings (TIMs) covered all spacecraft
subsystems and all instrument assemblies; also covered requirements, V&V, and
mission design and navigation
– Top-level assessment of the instrument at Payload PDR (Nov. 2008)
• All reviews had board reports, Recommendations for Action (RFAs), and project
responses
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10. Pre-PDR Reviews: Schedule
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11. Gate Products
• NPR 7120.5D and NPR 7123.1 specify gate products as entrance criteria for the
review/deliverables to support the KDP
• In addition to the NASA gate products, JPL Flight Project Practices require additional gate
products
• Gate product content and format are not always clear
– GRAIL Review Captain was a member of NPR 7120.5D writing team
– He and JPL Project Support Office provided instructions and made interpretations as required
– In many cases NASA or JPL templates exist (e.g., NASA 7120.5D template for Project Plan, JPL
template for Project Acquisition Plan)
– In other cases NASA or JPL instructions exist (e.g., NASA Safety Standard instructions for orbital
debris assessment)
– Also available were examples from other projects (e.g., Juno project’s Science Data Management
Plan)
• Product generation instructions were issued
• GRAIL developed a detailed tracking matrix to ensure all gate products were identified,
assigned, reviewed, and signed in a timely manner
– NASA gate products—required to be delivered to the SRB in advance of the PDR – Priority #1
• Some require JPL Process Owner review
– JPL gate products requiring JPL process owner review – Priority #2
– Other JPL gate products—Priority #3
• Review Captain determined methods for project internal review
• Documentation Lead provided GRAIL-formatted document shells, and her team provided
custom graphics, technical editing, etc. as requested by the authors
• Logistics Lead coordinated signatures, both on-site and remotely from a nationally
distributed team
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12. Gate Products (cont.)
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13. Gate Products (cont.)
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14. Presentation Materials
• GRAIL took a thoughtful approach to defining the PDR agenda
– Tell the GRAIL story—each day of the review had a theme:
• Day 1: What is GRAIL?
• Day 2: What will fly?
• Day 3: What supports it?
• Day 4: SRB deliberations (and supplementary project presentations)
• The project employed an Outline Review well in advance
• To make decisions early—no text slides allowed!
– Presenters brought in stub slides (title, key points, identification of
photos/tables/graphics/video clips/etc.)
– Resulted in moving material between presentations; moving material to
backup (or primary); revising flow of presentations (delta Agenda); adjusted
time allocations; identified slide types for standardization
• Slide generation instructions were issued
• Later the project employed a Dry Run
– Included a Do-Over Day
• Finalization instructions were issued
– Followed by mini-team scrub (including export compliance)
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15. IT and Logistics
• IT needs to be designed-in from the beginning
– Engineering environment for project work (e.g., project library, Product Data
Management System, electronic conferencing, etc.)
– Access controls (including participation of Foreign Persons)
• For the PDR, identify the equipment (with backups) and the operators
– Cover project needs, SRB needs, and attendee needs
• Logistics must start early
– Key decision: Review on-base or off? (Book early)
– Arrange facility, equipment, technical support, administrative support
– Key decision: Who should and should not attend?
• Include precautions for Foreign Persons
• There are a large number of “little things” that all must be done or the
problems won’t be little: Have a checklist
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16. SRB Coordination
• The NPR 7120.5B SRB process is a work in progress
– 7120.5D provides the concept and the deliverables
• The SRB Handbook provides some how-tos
– The Decision Authorities and the SRB Chairperson and Review Manager (RM) have
significant leeway regarding “how” and “when”
• Absolutely critical: start the Board establishment process six months in advance
of the first life-cycle review (GRAIL did not and was significantly impacted)
• Almost as critical: start the draft Terms of Reference (ToR) while the nominations
are being processed
– Key elements to negotiate: scope of review (any special assessments), pre-review
documentation deliveries (including schedule), participation of SRB members in project-
internal reviews
• Establish regular communication with the SRB Chairperson and RM
– Set up the repository for project deliveries to the SRB
– How you deal with the SRB before the review makes your first impression
• There is great value in holding a Kickoff Meeting with the SRB prior to the life-
cycle review
– Especially important to convey the project paradigm, key issues and concerns, heritage
status, and readiness for the review (i.e., entrance criteria)
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17. Summary
• “Haste makes waste”: Beginning late on preparations for a life-cycle
review is asking for trouble
• Although the SRB process is evolving, the essentials of preparing for a
life-cycle review are clear
– Establish a review organization with clear roles and responsibilities
– Identify all required activities and have a detailed schedule
– Determine how to handle pre-PDR reviews, gate products, presentation
materials, IT, and logistics
– Establish the SRB, and your relationship with it, early and clearly
• Leverage institutional resources and learn from other projects
• More information is available in the IEEE paper “Reducing NPR 7120.5D
to Practice: Preparing for a Life-Cycle Review”
• You may request a copy from the author: Randall.L.Taylor@jpl.nasa.gov
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18. Backup Slides
• NPR 7120.5D Gate Products
• NPR 7120.5D Control Plans
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19. NPR 7120.5D Gate Products
Pre–Ph. A Phase A Phase B
Products Applicability GRAIL Submittal
KDP A KDP B KDP C
Headquarters and Program Products
1. FAD Approved Applicable SMD selection letter
2. Program Requirements on the Project
Draft Baseline Update Applicable Program-Level Requirements Appendix (PLRA)
(from the Program Plan)
3. ASM Minutes Baseline N/A Waived in 7120 for competed missions
Enviro Assmt
4. NEPA compliance documentation or EIS (if Applicable Request for inclusion in Routine Payload E.A.
reqd)
5. Interagency and International Per SMD, no international agreement required for French
Baseline N/A
Agreements Co-Investigator
Project Technical Products
1. Mission Concept Report Preliminary Baseline Applicable Concept Study Report
2. System Level Requirements Preliminary Baseline Applicable Level-2 requirements; five sets of Level-3 reqts
Project PDR presentation materials; 20 sets of pre-PDR
3. Preliminary Design Report Baseline Applicable
review presentation materials
4. Missions Operations Concept Preliminary Baseline Applicable Mission Operations Concept Document
5. Technology Readiness Assmt Report Baseline Applicable Technology Readiness Assessment Report
6. Missile System Prelaunch Safety Pkg Preliminary Applicable Missile System Prelaunch Safety Package
7. Detailed Design Report Not Due
8. As-Built H/W and S/W Documentation Not Due
9. Verification and Validation Report Not Due
10. Operations Handbook Not Due
11. Orbital Debris Assessment Initial Preliminary Applicable Orbital Debris Assessment Report
12. Mission Report Not Due
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20. NPR 7120.5D Gate Products (cont.)
Pre–Ph. A Phase A Phase B
Products Applicability GRAIL Submittal
KDP A KDP B KDP C
Project Planning, Cost, and Schedule Products
1. Work Agreements for next phase Baseline Baseline Applicable Work agreements approval status report
WBS/WBS Dictionary; Integrated Master Schedule;
Project Cost Estimate; Project Workforce Estimate;
2. Integrated Baseline Draft Preliminary Baseline Applicable
technical baseline contained in the Preliminary Design
Report submittal
3. Project Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Project Plan
4. CADRe Preliminary Baseline Applicable CADRe
Planetary
5. Planetary Protection Plan Protection Baseline Applicable Planetary Protection categorization letter
Certification
Baseline
(msn has
6. Nuclear Safety Launch Approval Plan N/A No nuclear materials on GRAIL
nuclear
materials)
7. Baseline Business Case Analysis for
Preliminary Baseline N/A No infrastructure investment by GRAIL
Infrastructure
8. Range Safety Risk Mgmt Plan Preliminary N/A Per KSC, this is only applicable to vehicle programs
9. Systems Decommissioning/Disposal Plan Not Due
KDP Readiness Products
1. Standing Review Bd (SRB) Rept Final Final Final Post-PDR
2. Proj Mgr Recommendation (includes resp
Final Final Final Post-PDR
to SRB Rept, as appl)
3. CMC Recommendation Final Final Final Post-PDR
4. Program Manager Recommendation Final Final Final Post-PDR
5. MD-PMC Recommendation
Final Final Final N/A GRAIL is Category II project
(for Category I projects only)
6. Governing PMC Recommendation Final Final Final Post-PDR
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21. NPR 7120.5D Control Plans
Pre–Phase A Phase A5 Phase B
NPR 7120.5D Project Plan—Control Plans Applicability GRAIL Submittal
KDP A KDP B KDP C
1. Technical, Schedule, and Cost Control Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Technical, Schedule, and Cost Control Plan
2. Safety and Mission Assurance Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Systems Safety Plan; Mission Assurance Plan
3. Risk Management Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Project Risk Management Plan
4. Acquisition Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Project Acquisition Plan
5. Technology Development Plan Baseline N/A No new technology on GRAIL
6. Systems Engineering Management Plan Baseline Applicable Systems Engineering Implementation Plan
7. Software Management Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Project Software Management Plan
8. Review Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Project Review Plan
9. Mission Operations Plan Preliminary Applicable Mission Operations Plan
10. Environmental Management Plan Baseline Applicable Environmental Management Plan
11. Logistics Plan Preliminary Applicable Logistics Plan
12. Science Data Management Plan Preliminary Applicable Science Data Management Plan
13. Information & Configuration Management Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Information & Configuration Management Plan
14. Security Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Security Plan
15. Export Control Plan Preliminary Baseline Applicable Export Control Plan
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