SWOT Analysis of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Coast2Coast Consultants

College of Integrative Sciences and Arts, Arizona State University

OGL355: Leading Organizational Innovation and Change

Dr. B

November 5, 2020
 SWOT Analysis of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

This purpose of this document is to help the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(NASA) better understand their current situation in the industry. As a group of independent experts,

Coast2Coast Consultants offers some unique insights we hope NASA will find useful as we discuss

the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the organization today. We begin with an

introduction of our SWOT analysis and have compiled a table of what we believe are the four most

important factors for each category . We then go into detail regarding each of NASA’s strengths,

weaknesses, opportunities, and threats facing the organization today.

SWOT Analysis

The purpose of performing a SWOT analysis is to formulate a strategic plan to use the

information gathered to improve upon goods and services. The process for conducting the

analysis requires collecting internal and external data, some of which we have control over.

When we evaluate strengths, we are seeking information concerning resources, capabilities, and

assets (Coulter, 2013, p. 93). Weaknesses include deficiencies that prevent an organization from

succeeding and competing with industry rivals. Opportunities are represented by any positive

trends that can improve their performance. Consequently, a threat is anything that will hinder an

organization's performance (Coulter, 2013, p. 57).

Strengths Weaknesses

 Intellectual property through  Limitations of government

experience bureaucracy
 Leadership in global  Dependency on government funding
partnerships/collaboration  Inability to maintain/replace
 Influence as founder of ISS corporate knowledge
 Expansion of education and outreach  Lack of talent vs. private industry
programs
 Opportunities Threats

 Partner/collaborate with private  Loss or reduction of government

industry funding
 Diversify budget/funding  Possibility of international space
 Define/align goals with private conflict
industry  Influence of public perception
 Enhance brand name  Limitations of government policies

Strengths

One of NASA’s greatest strengths is the intellectual property they have obtained over 62

years of experience. When we think about NASA’s experience and tenure in the industry, we are

reminded of a quote from Thomas Edison:

I have not failed 10,000 times. I have not failed once. I have succeeded in proving that

those 10,000 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I

will find the way that will work. (Furr, 2011)

 Since NASA’s inception in 1958, they have collected years of knowledge and experience

relating to rocket science, and what it takes to make space travel possible (Wilson, 2018). It is

through their intellectual property that NASA is able to share this knowledge with other

organizations to ensure their success and the continued advancement of space exploration into

the 21 century. During the early years of Project Mercury, NASA’s goal was determining
st

whether humans could survive space (Wilson, 2018). With confirmation, they moved on to

Project Gemini whose goals included sending two astronauts to the moon and the effects of

longer space flights (Wilson, 2018). The success of these two projects allowed NASA to share

their findings with other space programs and it is this pioneering ability that benefits not only
NASA, but the private industry of space exploration today. By sharing the trials and tribulations

of these early programs, NASA is helping other organizations ensure they do not endure the

same struggles, defeats, and loss of human life to achieve their goals. It is why we put NASA’s

62 years of gathering their intellectual property as their greatest strength.

Another core strength of NASA is their ability to collaborate with other organizations.

This can be seen in the achievements of the International Space Station (ISS), of which NASA is

a founding member (ISS National Laboratory, n.d.). Since the initial segment launch on

November 20, 1998, by Russia and then December 4, 1998, by the U.S., the European Space

Agency (ESA) and Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) had launched their

modules. This resonates as a strength because of their ability to bring one-time competitors,

Russia during the Cold War era and Japan during the World War II era, together with other allied

countries like the European Union to collaborate for the betterment of the human population.

To further expand on their collaboration strength, the U.S. research space is now

available to commercial and academic use. Collaboration with U.S. academic programs enhances

the opportunity for NASA to share its knowledge and inspire the next generation of NASA

engineers or astronauts. In our opinion, the strength to pull countries together to collaborate goes

in conjunction with the knowledge of the construction of the international space station.

Weaknesses 

One of the biggest weaknesses for NASA and any government organization is the

bureaucracy and red tape that exist within it. NASA’s highest position of Administrator is

nominated by the president and must be approved by both the Senate and Congress. NASA’s

current Administrator, Jim Bridenstine, was nominated by President Trump and assumed his

position on April 23, 2018 (Koren, 2018). The short-term, fickle nature of the position can make
it difficult to get things done. While Bridenstine has set lofty goals for the organization, it begs

the question of whether the Administrator serves the goals of humanity or those of their party?

The bureaucracy that exists within the NASA organization also contributes to their inability to

maintain and replace corporate knowledge. Before Bridenstine, NASA experienced a 15-month

gap in leadership, the largest ever, after President Obama left office in January of 2017. The

Obama nominee, Charles Bolden, stepped down from his position when the new administration

was sworn in (Koren, 2018).

Their dependency on government funding is another one of NASA’s weaknesses. The

goals of the organization, space missions, and scientific research are often restrained by the

budget and congressional approval. NASA has big plans for the future, and in support of those

goals, President Trump increased its budget for fiscal year (FY) 2020 to $22.629 billion. While

this is a 5.3 percent increase from FY 2019, it could all be subject to change if we see a new

administration take office in 2021 (Society, 2020).

Perhaps the best example of NASA’s weaknesses comes from 2011 when President

Obama proposed a five-year freeze on space agency spending (Santini, 2011). The proposal

came at a time when NASA was winding down its space shuttle program and the nation was

recovering from the financial crisis of 2008. Obama’s budget proposal called for a push in many

of the commercial partnerships we see NASA forming today. His intention was to develop

reliable access to the ISS and lessen our dependence on Russian spacecraft. When asked about

the proposal, John Logsdon, an independent consultant to the Obama administration said, “it

should not compromise what NASA wants to do but it certainly would slow it down” (Santini,

2011). Regardless of political beliefs, this example illustrates how NASA’s direction can change

from one administration to the next. It also shows how NASA is weakened by government
bureaucracy and funding, both of which play a role in its ability to acquire talent and maintain

corporate knowledge as we see in the private sector.

Opportunities

By far, the biggest opportunity outside the organization today lies in NASA’s ability to

partner and collaborate with other nations and the private sector. We will get to witness this

collaboration come to fruition in the coming weeks as NASA and SpaceX send a multinational

crew to the International Space Station. The launch is scheduled for November 14, 2020, where

three NASA astronauts and one from JAXA will be the first participants in NASA’s Commercial

Crew Program (CCP). The CCP has raised the bar for American ingenuity with a goal of safe,

reliable, cost-effective access to the ISS and low-Earth orbit (Heiney, 2019).

Collaboration cannot happen without defining and sharing certain goals. When it was

announced that NASA would be returning to the moon, this time to stay, many American

companies came on board. SpaceX, Boeing, Blue Origin, and the Sierra Nevada Corporation to

name a few, have aligned with NASA’s goals and the CCP, and are committed to making these

goals a reality in the near future (Lockney, 2020). Through these shared goals and partnerships,

industry leaders can continue to stimulate the economy and expand our nation’s knowledge and

capabilities.

The second greatest opportunity for NASA is diversifying its budget and securing other

sources of funding. Although largely reliant on the federal budget and congressional approval,

NASA does make money by developing and commercializing technology. These spin-off

products are of great benefit to many industries including but not limited to health and medicine,

transportation, public safety, and computer technology (NASA CASI, 2002, pp. 55-148). By

continuing to capitalize on these opportunities in the private sector, NASA can shore up one of
its weaknesses and the limitations of government funding. By partnering with other

organizations and capitalizing on ways of diversifying its budget, NASA can secure its spot as an

industry leader for the foreseeable future. Seizing the opportunities ahead of them will allow

NASA to enhance its brand, stay relevant in the eye of the public, and justify spending to the

congressional voters.

Threats

 Government funding can be considered the largest threat to NASA’s objectives and

missions. Over the years, cuts in NASA’s budget have negatively impacted its programs. After

the Space Shuttle project was approved in 1972, cutbacks resulted in NASA delivering a “scaled-

down version” of the original plans (Ihor & Fedor, 1994). From a different angle, limitations of

the federal budget would reduce staffing potential and access to vital resources. Limited access

to technology hinders advancement possibilities for NASA in achieving set missions such as

returning to the moon or its Mars Exploration Program. Ashwin Vasavada, a project scientist

involved with the Curiosity rover on Mars, discussed the potential of budget and the possible end

of one of the mission's two objectives (Wall, 2020). From this perspective, a loss or reduction in

government funding threatens the sustainability of NASA’s goals and overall mission success.

Although rivalry has declined due to collaboration, the possibility of international space

conflict still exists. Russia’s Roscosmos and the China National Space Administration (CNSA)

are of great concern to NASA and the United States. Russia and China’s existence has grown in

space, hindering “U.S. and allied military effectiveness” (Defense Intelligence Agency, 2019, p.

3). Both nations are working to disrupt the United States and allied military defense by

destroying our space capabilities (Sheffield, 2020). Russia’s space surveillance network poses a

large threat to NASA’s satellites as it is “capable of searching, tracking, and characterizing

satellites in all Earth orbit” (DIA, 2019, p. 28). In 2016, American defense officials reported

Russia had launched a missile capable of “destroying satellites in orbit” (Business Insider UK,

2016). At the time, NASA had more than a dozen satellites in Earth’s orbit (May, 2014). With

space being recognized as important to modern warfare, the potential for international conflict

ultimately poses a threat to NASA’s overall progress as capabilities are targeted by competitors.

Conclusion

The results of our SWOT analysis have highlighted NASA's strengths and weaknesses.

We also identified several opportunities and threats facing the organization today. Their

strengths are drawn from their years of experience in space exploration and intellectual property

obtained along the way. NASA shines as a leader in collaboration with its partnerships and

innovations. As such, opportunities are found in partnerships and budding relationships within

the private sector. NASA’s focus on research and discovery has provided them unique

opportunities. The knowledge gained from their research has benefited multiple industries across

the global economy. Weaknesses are found within NASA’s infrastructure and their dependency

on federal funding. Government funding is not just a weakness for NASA. A reduced budget

also poses a threat, jeopardizing future missions and objectives. Additionally, international space

agencies are also threats with the potential to destroy NASA satellites in orbit. We hope our

analysis of these internal and external factors will help guide priorities for strategic planning.

Each team member must update the names of those on the team and provide initials,

confirming and agreeing to “SWOT” stated above.

APPROVAL: (sign off with initials by 12pm AZ time 11/5/2020) - plan to submit by 1-2pm
11/5/2020

Michael Thomson My Nguyen - Anastasia Mohamed Darien Nieves James Esparcia

- MT MN - ACM - DN - JE
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