A Conversation With: Mark Nappi

Mark Nappi is USA’s Vice President, Launch and Recovery Systems (L&RS), and also serves as the Florida Site Executive. USA Update talked with Nappi about future challenges and opportunities for USA at Kennedy Space Center.

UPDATE: You’ve been Vice President of L&RS for almost a year. This organization emerged as part of USA’s functional realignment, and it continues to evolve. What’s your assessment of how the new organization is working?

NAPPI: Consolidation of like skills and organizations has been our focus. Some of these actually started about three years ago. Starting early and spreading the change out over time has had the advantage of allowing us to be methodical, with plenty of opportunity for the various organizations to have input into how the consolidation should take shape. The major consolidations at the Launch and Recovery Systems first-line level are essentially complete.

The bottom line is that I think the functional alignment is going well. The proof is in the customer feedback, which has been one of two responses: it’s been transparent, or it’s been beneficial. Both of those are good.

Under the new alignment, we are currently supporting the Space Shuttle Program, the Constellation Program and study work for new contracts, and we have been able to use the existing workforce to do all those things.

UPDATE: As NASA moves to a more center-centric model, what is the role of L&RS within USA, now and in the future?

NAPPI: Right now, we have three short-term goals. One, continue to execute in operations like we have and exceed customer expectations; two, absorb attrition as much as we possibly can; and three, shape the workforce for Constellation requirements.

Number three is both short and long term. Eventually, following Shuttle retirement, what is now L&RS would form the core of the new Constellation ground processing contract, known as the Exploration Ground Launch Services (EGLS) contract. This contract involves ground processing and operations for launch vehicles, spacecraft and payloads in support of the Constellation, International Space Station and the Launch Services programs. In addition, it includes support for the transition and retirement of legacy assets supporting both the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs.

In the future, each contract, for example, Orion or Ares I first stage, will essentially be self-sufficient contracts. Each of these contracts will be managed locally.

UPDATE: Including STS-127, there are eight Shuttle missions left on the manifest. What are the main challenges the team must overcome as we fly these final Shuttle missions?

NAPPI: Maintaining focus will be the biggest challenge. Handling everything on our plate and dealing with distractions, such as media reports and changing space policy. However, this workforce has proven to be very good at staying focused, and I’m confident that will continue.

UPDATE: How is the team performing?

NAPPI: The team’s performance is better than it’s ever been – the best it’s been in my 24 years in Space Shuttle processing. All of our performance metrics are better than ever, and our customer has noted this many times. It’s a credit to our workforce.

We just helped execute the very successful Hubble mission, which required parallel processing for the Launch-on-Need vehicle, and we did it twice – while handling Constellation work at the same time. That’s just one example of phenomenal performance by the team.

UPDATE: How do you see KSC’s future and USA’s role in that future?

NAPPI: Our performance today has been 10 years in the making for USA and 20 years in the making for the Shuttle Program. It’s the result of a joint effort by the workforce and the management team. KSC can leverage that. I believe USA’s experience is invaluable to KSC’s efforts going forward.

On the EGLS contract, USA can bring uninterrupted, high-performance service from the Shuttle Program through transition to Constellation. Our EGLS team, led by an operator, has the added value of two original equipment manufacturer contractors – Lockheed Martin and ATK – that allows us to easily shift from an operations environment to a design and development environment and back to an operations environment.

We can perform Constellation contract work while handling Shuttle Program work, and we can do it at a better cost because of the synergy between the two programs. We are doing that now and can continue to do it through transition.

UPDATE: What do you think USA’s biggest advantage is in terms of capturing and executing future business?

NAPPI: It’s the team of management and workforce and their performance and passion for the work that they do. All of our customers are ecstatic about our team. Once we get our foot in the door, we show them that we can do the work better than anyone else.

UPDATE: What are the overarching goals for USA at KSC?

NAPPI: Right now, we have to continue to fly the Shuttle safely and continue to meet NASA’s high expectations.

Long term, we need to capture business to allow an orderly transition of our workforce so they can keep doing the good work that they do. In addition to EGLS, we are pursuing other contracts, such as production contracts, information management contracts, and depot level manufacturing and servicing.

The changes we are making are aimed at reshaping the workforce to satisfy the needs of the customer as we transition. United Space Alliance, from the Chief Executive Office on down, is committed to evolving the company to meet the needs of the customer, as evidenced by the restructuring to fit the contracts that each center is awarding.

UPDATE: Anything else you’d like to add?

NAPPI: This is a very difficult time. We constantly read about our future in the media – some of it true, some of it not true. I’m impressed with how the workforce is handling it.

We will continue to provide communications to keep everyone informed, but the most important thing is to continue to execute our current assignments and mission. If we continue our excellent performance and achieve our new business goals, the transition between NASA programs will be much smoother and less disruptive to this team.

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