How many times have you asked a question and then found an entire project spins around and launches into a new direction? We believe this is the power of data, creativity and ingenuity. In this innovation case study on NASA, transformation happens when the right question is asked. And all it takes is a sense of curiosity – and a little courage.
What Sparked It?
When Pete Worden became Director at NASA Ames, he posed a challenge to his team: radically reduce the cost and complexity of space missions.
Instead of starting with fixed requirements, his team asked a new kind of question – could a single, modular design work for radically different missions like lunar orbit, asteroid rendezvous, and surface landing?
Where Curiosity Met Context
Traditionally, NASA designs one-of-a-kind spacecraft for each mission. But Worden’s team flipped that model on its head. Inspired by off-the-shelf thinking and military R&D speed. They formed a “skunk works” team of hands-on, multidisciplinary engineers, ready to tackle a new challenge. The team included Air Force veterans and makers who loved hands-on hobbies – they were people who built race cars and crafted their own tools in their own time.
Engineers prepare the Hover Test Vehicle for ground tests.
Photo Credit: NASA
Chasing the Unknown
The team built in parallel: orbiters and landers. As the designs evolved, a modular concept emerged – shared components that could be reconfigured into different spacecraft formats.
By using advanced composites and body-mounted solar panels, they achieved both structural integrity and operational flexibility. Integration timelines dropped, and mission adaptability soared.
What Happened Next?
Their “Common Bus” modular spacecraft became a breakthrough in low-cost, high-agility design. It wasn’t tailored to a single mission – it was built to serve many.
This innovation paved the way for more cost-effective launches and inspired a new way of thinking at NASA about designing for reuse, adaptability, and speed.
Read the full case study here.
A modular mindset turned an impossible timeline into a flexible future.
Ready to ask your question?
If you’ve got a challenge that seems too complex or constrained, maybe it’s time to flip the question. Let’s explore your ‘what if?’ together.
