Agile Rocket Development
May 30, 2007 | By Raymond T. Hightower
Advances in computer science have led to agile software development. The result: Shorter development cycles and better software. Now the “agile” movement is taking hold in other fields. Even rocket science.
Tired of the Internet
Elton Musk sold his first Internet company, Zap2, to Compaq for $370 million. EBay bought his second Internet company, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. At that point Musk was “tired of the Internet” and ready to try something new.
Rocket Science
The June 2007 issue of Wired Magazine contains a great article about Musk and his team at Space Exploration Technology. SpaceX’s goal is to build reusable space vehicles at a fraction of their current cost. Musk’s prior startups were software-focused. He had never built hardware before, and this new industry is rocket science.
Of course, even rocket science isn’t rocket science if you’re a rocket scientist. So Musk hired rocket scientists… some of the best aerospace minds he could find from Boeing, Lockheed, and NASA. These engineers left their comfortable, secure jobs to join SpaceX and try something bold. Reflecting on the day he was hired, one SpaceX engineer remarked, “I figured if I didn’t do it, I’d kick myself when I was old.”
Camrys vs. Race Cars
In the earliest days of space exploration, every piece of equipment had to be custom-made and high performance. SpaceX’s vehicles will focus on simplicity and utility. The Wired article offers a good metaphor for comparison. If we think of a NASA space vehicle as a racecar, think of a SpaceX product as a reliable Toyota Camry.
Agile Software Development
The Agile Manifesto outlines several principles for creating software quickly and well. Here are a few:
- Deliver working software frequently… with a preference to a shorter timescale.
- Build projects around motivated individuals. Give them the environment and support they need, and trust them to get the job done.
- At regular intervals, the team reflects on how to become more effective, then tunes and adjusts its behavior accordingly.
Agile Rocket Science
I don’t know whether the SpaceX team has read the Agile Manifesto, but they certainly practice its points! For example, on the day of a failed launch, the team determined that the solution to the problem was to drain all of the fuel from the rocket (detanking) and refill it from scratch. They accomplished the feat in less than twenty minutes. Representatives of the Defense Department, on site to observe the test, were amazed at the team’s turnaround time.That’s agile. How can you apply agile processes in your business?