Why is so Little Attention Paid to the Centralization of Data?

The complexities of current space programs result in similar databases used across a widely distributed team. A centralized database can be an excellent way to streamline data interfaces between the distributed users. This centralization often results in confusion about the process by which data is collected and distributed, increases cost, and without proper architecture can introduce unnecessary risk. Some areas of concern that could be remedied are the number of distinct entities developing data handling processes and introducing distinct boundaries within the data flow that align accountability and data fidelity. We propose a data flow architecture that enables seamless data import and export. The first step involves examining which kinds of teams (who) are involved with what types of data and the required format. In our process all contributors seamlessly provide data (what) into a centralized repository (where) based on satellite development phases (when). All users would then export data from a centralized repository in the format they require (how). And this would be independent of the location and number of providers / users. We would distinguish between the distinct areas of data manipulation to clear up the lines of responsibility and increase the fidelity of the data. First, the data must be stored in a way that relationships between information are created. The scary "schema" word applies here and is nothing more than a complicated and blank spreadsheet. Second, the data must be provided from some official source of information, including all the complexities of a particular type of data. Third is data control, whereby data is controlled from unauthorized update, verified to conform to the data input requirements with uniformity across provider inputs, increasing in fidelity as the project matures, and exported in conformance with the data exchange requirements.