Experiences in Improving Flight Software Development Processes

In 2001, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) initiated a software process improvement effort. In 2004, JPL began the Multimission System Architecture Platform (MSAP) project and designated it as part of this effort. In 2007, JPL´s Engineering and Science Directorate, which controls the MSAP project´s technical development, achieved CMMI Staged Maturity Level 3.1 This article describes the impacts of the CMMI rating and the JPL process improvement effort on the MSAP project´s software engineering and assurance organizations.