NASA/SP-2011-6127, NASA SPECIAL PUBLICATION: CONSTELLATION PROGRAM - LESSONS LEARNED (VOLUME 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) (20-MAY-2011)

NASA/SP-2011-6127, NASA SPECIAL PUBLICATION: CONSTELLATION PROGRAM - LESSONS LEARNED (VOLUME 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY) (20-MAY-2011)., The Constellation Program, as a national-level undertaking, had multiple purposes. These can and will be described from many points of view. To us Constellation was born of the charred debris, scattered in the Piney Woods of East Texas, that were reverently collected as the last remains of that delicate machine Columbia, she that failed to preserve the lives of our friends and colleagues due to our own very human errors. The painful acknowledgement of those errors became foundational principles for what later emerged as the nation’s new space exploration program: Constellation. For those of us who worked it, the program bound us by a common belief that America’s future lies in the Final Frontier; indeed that America must lead the way there. We joyfully dedicated our working lives and careers to building the ships that would sail those treacherous seas. We had prepared ourselves for this challenge, having learned from the best and honed our skills in the unique arena of human space flight. We were driven by the hope that America would one day step beyond the known, and were blessed when, for a moment, the national will bent towards our dreams. It was a privilege and an honor to have a hand in this endeavor. Perhaps our greatest shared joy and satisfaction came from the recognition that amid the inherent tumult of a program of this size and scope, we bore the challenges with teammates of superior skill and dedication. We understood that another generation would explore using what we had conceived and built. We rejoiced at our successes, but we also knew faults and failures. This, the summation of what we have learned, is our final expression of that cherished hope. To our families, we beg your forgiveness for the long hours away and too many distracted conversations. Thank you for indulging our passion. And, to our generational forebears in human space flight, our hope is that our efforts honor you.