Aerospace Engineering Commons^™

Space Launch Operations And The Lean Aerospace Initiative, Troy L. Endicott

Theses and Dissertations

This study analyzes current expendable launch procedures and identifies truly lean, value-added steps in launch operation enterprises as they relate to the Lean Aerospace Initiative (LAI). LAI and the concepts of lean thinning are discussed and followed by a review of current and future launch system requirements and their opportunities for lean practices. The study also discusses in detail current Delta II expendable launch processing operations and presents results in a case study that show how lean principles have helped the Delta II launch team drastically reduce on-pad time, restructure its testing philosophy, and streamline its operations flow. Many of …