NASA Systems Engineering Handbook (SP-2007-6105) - Spacecraft and Satellite Fundamentals, Project Life Cycle, System Design, Product Realization, Technical Management, Contracts, Design Facilities

This is a print replica reproduction of NASA's Systems Engineering Handbook issued in 2007. In 1995, SP-6105 was initially published to bring the fundamental concepts and techniques of systems engineering to NASA personnel in a way that recognizes the nature of NASA systems and the NASA environment. This revision of SP-6105 maintains that original philosophy while updating the Agency’s systems engineering body of knowledge, providing guidance for insight into current best Agency practices, and aligning the handbook with the new Agency systems engineering policy.

The update of this handbook was twofold: a top-down compatibility with higher level Agency policy and a bottom-up infusion of guidance from the NASA practitioners in the field. The approach provided the opportunity to obtain best practices from across NASA and bridge the information to the established NASA systems engineering process. The attempt is to communicate principles of good practice as well as alternative approaches rather than specify a particular way to accomplish a task. The result embodied in this handbook is a top-level implementation approach on the practice of systems engineering unique to NASA. The material for updating this handbook was drawn from many different sources, including NASA procedural requirements, field center systems engineering handbooks and processes, as well as non-NASA systems engineering textbooks and guides.

This handbook consists of six core chapters: (1) systems engineering fundamentals discussion, (2) the NASA program/project life cycles, (3) systems engineering processes to get from a concept to a design, (4) systems engineering processes to get from a design to a final product, (5) crosscutting management processes in systems engineering, and (6) special topics relative to systems engineering. These core chapters are supplemented by appendices that provide outlines, examples, and further information to illustrate topics in the core chapters. The handbook makes extensive use of boxes and figures to define, refine, illustrate, and extend concepts in the core chapters without diverting the reader from the main information. The handbook provides top-level guidelines for good systems engineering practices.