A project to design and build a satellite is no different from many other large-scale engineering projects. It involves managing a complex programme with many subcontractors and meeting a tight schedule under challenging financial constraints. With satellite programmes taking anywhere between a couple of years and a decade to complete and costs ranging from a few hundred million dollars to several billion, they could be likened to building a bridge or instal-lating a light-rail system. Satellites, like buildings, are unique. But satellites have to operate in the harsh thermal, vacuum and radiation environment of space, for up to 20 years, without a service call. This presents a special challenge to both design engineers and project managers.
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