by Philippe COUILLARD, member and former president of the Academy
Throughout my career, I’ve been involved in a number of major projects. They were all in the space sector, and many of them involved technological innovations never before seen in Europe. These are what I call “first-of-a-kind” projects.
I was systems manager on the Ariane 1 launcher project, project manager for the SPOT 1 satellite, program manager (it sounds richer than project manager, but it’s the same thing!) for the Hermes spaceplane. I’ve also had a supervisory role on satellite projects: Telecom 1, TVSAT/TDF1, Turksat 1, which was my first experience of export sales… I contributed to the development of the cargo ship that served the international space station, the ATV (Automatic Transfert Vehicule), and as industrial prime contractor I negotiated the development contract for the M51 ballistic missile with the Délégation Générale de l’Armement.
All these activities have not only been fascinating, but have also given me a wealth of experience. This little guide has no other ambition than to share this experience with you, in order to help, as far as possible, future generations to do it even better. I’m well aware that each project has its own particular characteristics and constraints, but I’m convinced that there are also common features. I also know that techniques have evolved considerably, notably with the advent of digital technology (simulation tools, financial and scheduling management tools, etc.). But I have the weakness of believing that project management depends first and foremost on the people who undertake it and the organization they put in place to carry it out. That’s what I’m trying to bring out. I believe that this can be useful not only to project managers, but also to those who decide and finance them.
Image credit: CNES – Artist’s view of the SPOT 1 satellite in orbit.