An Agile Systems Engineering Analysis of a University CubeSat Project Organization

Abstract

University CubeSat projects become popular in recent decades, and face challenges that include both technical and sociotechnical aspects. However, these teams often lack the infrastructure and resources for having effective systems engineering or project management which are beneficial for addressing these challenges and developing complex systems, such as satellites. In this paper we present the results of an exploratory case study of a university CubeSat team developing an Earth Observation satellite. The Agile Decision Guidance method was applied to pinpoint parts of the project organization that could benefit from agile methods in three specific areas: customer problem space, solution space, and product development space. The results drew attention to areas such as; stakeholder management, knowledge and information management, and the support environment, that could benefit from an agile approach. We outline some of the plans to move forward and how the team responded to the analysis. We also discuss if the method was appropriate for academic small satellite organizations and adaptations of the method made during the assessment.