Management of Electronic Systems in Space Vehicles

The following is a condensation of a panel discussion which took place at the 1966 Aerospace Systems Conference, Thursday, July 14, 1966, in Seattle, Wash. The panel moderator was Frank Gardiner, at present the Manager of Space Programs at RCA, serving as a representative of the electronics industry in the discussion. Panelists were George H. Stoner, Vice President and General Manager of the space division of Boeing, serving as representative of prime contractors and vehicle integrators; Col. Marion B. Gibson, the Director of the Defense Communication Satellite System Program at the Space Systems Command of the U.S. Air Force in Los Angeles, representing the point of view of the government in the discussion. The overall objective of the panel discussion was to provide some indications or suggestions as to how all levels of organization should operate in order to provide the best electronic products for space vehicles at the least possible expense. As the discussion was held in open sesstion, with questions received from the audience, any mention of classified information was avoided. The discussion was divided into five phases, roughly corresponding to the stages in the life of an electronic system. These phases were 1) the phase in which research of an applied nature, though not as yet directed toward a specific mission, is being done on specific electronic products; 2) the phase in which there is a specific mission in mind.