How the FP&A team helped NASA’s Orion spacecraft fly by the moon

A recent CNBC article describes how NASA’s Orion spacecraft accomplished a mission milestone by flying by the moon. 

Many kids dream of becoming an Astronaut when they grow up. The continued exploration of outer space continues to be a vision shared by humanity.  When we imagine life many years from now, most of us assume humans will live on the moon, Mars, and space stations. 

The good news for FP&A professionals is that they can make a big contribution to helping humankind achieve this dream. While you may not suit up for a trip on the next rocket launch, you can be a critical part of the team that makes that possible. 

No, not as a rocket scientist. That would take a whole different set of skills. 

Any voyage to outer space requires the participation of an FP&A team, or it simply will not be possible. 

The complexity of projects managed by the likes of NASA and its suppliers requires accurate forecasts, budgets, plans, and reports. Staying within budget and driving efficiency across costing, labor, manufacturing, and supply management are incredibly important to helping these missions succeed. 

NASA has a position open on LinkedIn jobs for a Cost Engineer I. They describe this role as belonging to the Engineering Cost Estimation Group. In many other industries, Costing is performed by the FP&A team.

The Engineering Cost Estimation group uses analogous, parametric, and grassroots methods to create competitive mission proposals, support key technical trades, and help decision-makers strategize the future of robotic space exploration.

Keep reading about the NASA Artemis 1 mission and the Orion spacecraft below. 

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