Small change or big bang? The shift from legacy to new space project planning

Traditionally, space organisations have considered space projects a means to deliver specific outputs against a predefined mission scope. This is the so-called “outcome-based perspective” of which “landing the first man on the Moon” is an exemplary case. However, this conceptualisation is outdated and inadequate in the context of the New Space Economy; the outcome-based perspective cannot describe the value that can be created and captured by commercial space projects. This requires a paradigm shift in planning new space projects, a topic that has so far received little attention among scholars and practitioners. To this end, we answer the question: “How does project planning differ between legacy and new space projects?“. Based on 40 interviews with managers developing legacy and new space projects, we provide a conceptual framework to understand the differences between planning legacy and new space projects, highlighting the key dimensions of scope, actors, measurement, time, governance and risk. We explain why it occurs, leveraging the modern and better-suited “value-based perspective”, rooted in the mainstream literature on complex project value and value theory. This research extends the body of knowledge on the planning and development of new commercial space projects toward space sustainability. It offers practical insights to managers in the industry and to officers in space agencies to develop new space projects that generate long-term economic, social and environmental value.