A Conversation With: Bill Pickavance

Bill Pickavance is USA’s Vice President of Launch and Recovery Systems and oversees the day-to-day operations of the Space Shuttle Ground Operations and Solid Rocket Booster elements at KSC. He is also a Florida Site Executive, a role in which he serves as the senior USA representative to KSC customers and to the local community. The USA Update talked to Pickavance about the role of Launch and Recovery Systems in USA’s current and future business plans.

UPDATE: The creation of the Launch and Recovery Systems organization occurred last year as part of USA’s functional realignment. What functions comprise Launch and Recovery Systems?

PICKAVANCE: In order to posture USA for the future, Dick Covey realized that we needed to organize in such a way as to flexibly support current Shuttle work, as well as handle what comes with new business, with new contracts. We call these new organizations Capability Centers. Here, in Florida, we have the Launch and Recovery Systems Capability Center , made up of our Ground Operations folks, led by Mark Nappi, and our Solid Rocket Booster (SRB) team, led by Paul Gutierrez; and we are now positioned to provide support to this multicustomer environment. While our largest customer currently is the Space Shuttle Program, new work is coming from the Constellation Program, which is work that Anne Martt is bringing to the company, and, of course, there is all that the Business Development team is bringing in.

The next step, of course, is to look at how we gain efficiencies within each of these organizations, because we need to become a little bit leaner as we go forward to be competitive.

UPDATE: What is the role of Launch & Recovery Systems within USA – now and in the future?

PICKAVANCE: From a Launch and Recovery Systems standpoint, most of our work comes from the SPOC, or Space Program Operations Contract. We have a lesser percentage of work coming from our Constellation office and from Business Development.

An example of Constellation work that we are supporting is the Ares I-X test flight. Personnel from Launch and Recovery Systems are currently involved in the planning and will be executing the test flight. In addition, we have a letter contract with ATK, which has the Ares I first stage contract, to provide support. We just participated in the testing of the Ares I main parachute, which USA SRB folks designed and produced under the ATK contract.

Launch and Recovery Systems is also providing personnel to work on Orion in support of USA’s subcontract with Lockheed Martin. In fact, we just sent two of our Orbiter Processing Facility technicians to Denver for a month to work with Lockheed on avionics boxes that will be used during the Ares I-X test flight. We’ll be sending more technicians over the next several months to provide further support.

What this demonstrates is the flexible use of our workforce, which is critical as we go forward into the multicontract world.

UPDATE: What do you see as your biggest challenges in the next few years?

PICKAVANCE: The biggest challenge I see is keeping the right mixture of critical skills. The fact is, “people are us.”

We need to have them to do the work that is coming down the pike. In addition, when you have talent like we have, there will be other companies coming at them, trying to hire them. Our employees are the absolute lynchpin to the success of this company, and we need to retain them. Our strength is our people, and the senior leadership is well aware of this.

UPDATE:What have we learned from the Shuttle Program that will be useful as we go forward into the Constellation Program?

PICKAVANCE: Over the years, from Space Flight Operations Contract to SPOC, we’ve learned a lot regarding SRB and Ground Ops processing and operations. We’ve learned how to meet very challenging situations in a safe and efficient manner. And we’re constantly updating our procedures to continue improving our safety and efficiency.

We understand the facilities and equipment involved in launching, processing and recovery, and that knowledge has been put to excellent use in our response to NASA’s RFIs (Requests for Infor mation) regarding Constellation operations. The experience gained from the Space Shuttle Program is very valuable as we go forward into the Constellation Program.

UPDATE: How do you envision this organization in 2020?

PICKAVANCE: Well, we’re still evolving. Predominantly, we’re in the Shuttle business through 2010, of course. Then, we’ll be predominantly in the Constellation business subsequent to 2010. To predict today what we’ll look like in 2020 is difficult. We need to let it evolve. Launch and Recovery Systems needs to have an open mind about how we will be organized. As we learn more and more about what our customer needs will be and the systems we’ll be dealing with, we’ll continue to adapt and become more efficient. It’s really too soon to tell with any certainty. But, we have the right people, leadership and flexibility to meet any challenges.

In the meantime, there are efficiencies we’re developing in the here and now as we work in the current system.

UPDATE:How does the work that Launch and Recovery Systems accomplishes contribute to USA’s competitive edge in being the company of choice for the next era of space exploration?

PICKAVANCE: Our people and their performance give us the edge. We will continue to evolve the Capability Centers to accommodate the changes that come, and our flexibility – which our people have always demonstrated – will be key. The competitive edge also comes from our leadership, our professionalism and the love of the space business that our folks have.

Time and time again, when I go to audit outbriefs, when I go to VPP outbriefs, when I run into guests in the facilities or at the launches, it’s amazing how many of them make an effort to come up and say, “My word, you have such a wonder ful workforce – dedicated, loyal.” We had a tour here recently by several high-level military folks, three and four stars, and I received all kinds of e-mails afterward talking about that dedication and loyalty. They were amazed at the professionalism and leadership that they saw. They were extremely impressed by everything from the cleanliness of the facilities to the professionalism of the folks that talked with them and showed them around in the OPFs, the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Launch Control Center and at the pad. What a great business to be in, and a great bunch of people to work with.

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