31 Jan Assignment Expectations

Question
Module 1 – Case

PROJECT SELECTION AND INITIATION

Case Assignment

The Apollo Project, which placed men on the Moon, began in 1963 and ended in 1972. Remarkably, no human being has set foot on Lunar soil since Apollo 17, which returned to Earth in December 1972. The project remains a unique chapter in human history; audacious, heroic, and so implausible, given the technology of its day, that some people still believe that it all took place on a Hollywood sound stage.

In this Case, we will examine the early days of the project. Please write an essay answering the following questions:

Apollo 11: Neil Armstrong on the Moon

Credit: NASA

Assignment Expectations

Q1. Where did the project come from? Give a brief description of the circumstances out of which the project arose.

Q2. Discuss the project constraints (cost, scope, etc.) in a rough, qualitative way. Since the project sponsor was the richest, most powerful country on Earth, it is clear that many of the constraints were largely irrelevant. However, which constraints could have been “show stoppers,” and under what conditions?

Q3. Barron and Barron (2012) discusses four major areas of expertise that are required for the successful completion of any project. Which of these was most crucial to the success of the Apollo project? Why?

Resources for this Case are listed on the Background Information page. These are starting points; feel free to search the Web for additional information, and use whatever you think is useful. Be sure to provide citations and references for everything you use, including materials linked to this course.