Increasing Knowledge Capture of Space Instrumentation Using Systems Engineering Model Architecture

The iterative product development in Los Alamos National Laboratory's (LANL) space instrumentation group requires knowledge of past, present, and anticipated future revisions of United States Nuclear Detonation Detection System (USNDS) projects. As experienced personnel leave and new personnel are introduced, a lack of sufficient knowledge retention introduces inefficiency in project development. This paper focuses on the issues of corporate knowledge loss due to personnel turnover and introduces a project model to be used both as a tool for increased knowledge retention and as an organizational method for new and existing researchers. Using detailed model-based systems engineering architecture and a V-Model life-cycle, we capture data developed during the project's decision-making process including major designs, costs, and risks.