CHAPTER 1 SYSTEMS: INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION PLANNING—A ROADMAP TO GETTING IT ALL DONE 2 Building both the pyramids and the International Space Station presented significant logistical challenges that required careful planning. Clockwise from upper left: the pyramids of Giza, the completed space station, Mission Control, a graphic showing the construction of the pyramids. More than 4,500 years ago, Egyptian pharaoh Khufu and his architects stood upon the Giza plateau near modern-day Cairo and contemplated the building of what was at the time, and is still considered to be, one of the most immense undertakings of humankind: the building of the great pyramids of Giza. Foremost in their minds was the scale and complexity of the task, and the organization, choreography, and supply of the vast number of architects and laborers needed to complete the job. Thus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world was completed over a period of 20 years through careful planning and execution, as well as by establishing a reliable supply chain of food and materials. It has been argued that the scale, size, and complexity of the International Space Station (ISS) along with the distributed international workforce of engineers, managers, technicians, and scientists is this era’s equivalent to the pyramids. As a result of careful long- and short-range planning and a well-developed logistics plan, the ISS has served as a continuously occupied human outpost and research laboratory in low-Earth orbit since November 2000. Unlike the pyramids, however, the ISS has evolved significantly during and subsequent to its construction, adapting to catastrophe (e.g., Space Shuttle Columbia) or political goals. This chapter focuses on both long- and short-range planning. Any activity that occurs on the ISS—whether it be running a science experiment or performing a spacewalk—takes years of planning and preparation. The ISS Program office first lays out high-level priorities and plans years in advance. When will a supply mission launch? Who will the crew members be? Will the astronauts stay on orbit for 6 months or a year? When will spacewalks be needed? More and more details are worked out as the time for a mission approaches. A robust planning process also allows for change, whether it is due to a failure or problem, or simply a change in priorities. During any given week, hundreds of activities are performed, each with its own resource needs (e.g., power, sample bags), constraints (e.g., needing the same