Session
Poster Session 1
Location
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
Abstract
The AggieSat Laboratory (AGSL) is a student-driven laboratory with 17 years of space systems experience and flight heritage. As AGSL prepares to launch several space systems over the next three years, reflecting on lessons learned from past projects is critical to improving future reliability and execution. This survey analyzes communication dynamics in past CubeSat and ISS payload projects, specifically within the high-stress phases of Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) and Mission Operations, where a combination of young engineers and high-stakes decision-making can often lead to compounding, avoidable technical anomalies.
This survey identifies specific interpersonal strategies to mitigate human error, including implementing blame-free problem-solving conversations, reducing “backdoor” communication to avoid information fragmentation, and standardized communication protocols to confirm understanding. Recommended implementation approaches to improve the effectiveness of team communication include low-friction online tools (e.g., Discord), accessible formal documentation (shift logs and descriptive assembly notes), and two-person verbal confirmation systems during active commanding. Prioritizing clear, direct communication is imperative for ensuring the spacecraft's safety while fostering healthy team dynamics.
Document Type
Event
Included in
The Base Got Hit: Interpersonal Communication Strategies in High-Stress Space Projects
Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City, UT
The AggieSat Laboratory (AGSL) is a student-driven laboratory with 17 years of space systems experience and flight heritage. As AGSL prepares to launch several space systems over the next three years, reflecting on lessons learned from past projects is critical to improving future reliability and execution. This survey analyzes communication dynamics in past CubeSat and ISS payload projects, specifically within the high-stress phases of Assembly, Integration, and Test (AI&T) and Mission Operations, where a combination of young engineers and high-stakes decision-making can often lead to compounding, avoidable technical anomalies.
This survey identifies specific interpersonal strategies to mitigate human error, including implementing blame-free problem-solving conversations, reducing “backdoor” communication to avoid information fragmentation, and standardized communication protocols to confirm understanding. Recommended implementation approaches to improve the effectiveness of team communication include low-friction online tools (e.g., Discord), accessible formal documentation (shift logs and descriptive assembly notes), and two-person verbal confirmation systems during active commanding. Prioritizing clear, direct communication is imperative for ensuring the spacecraft's safety while fostering healthy team dynamics.
