Manufacturing in Space: An Operations Management Nightmare

Abstract

Operations management (OM) involves the activities related to producing goods by transforming input into output. Operations managers typically organize the design of goods and manage the processes to ensure a quality product. Many of these processes also apply to the future production of goods in space. Space resources are enablers for space travel and life on other bodies, but they must be processed from raw material to a finished good that can be used. Using terrestrial OM processes, we can imagine the procedures and processes needed to operate production plants in space. Some critical issues will be interoperability, sustainability, and high-quality control, but many other OM factors must be considered and explored.