Pivotal Transitions – Historical and Today

The goal of this paper is to enable readers to better “design” successful transitions that move Science and Technology or Research and Development (S&T/R&D) technologies and systems into operational capabilities for users. Transitions from S&T/R&D into acquisition and operations are challenging and critical to providing capabilities to end users. Two historical examples, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Disaster Monitoring Constellation (DMC), are explored. Two current examples are also explored, including one from Operationally Responsive Space (ORS) which is in the early stages of transition. While transitions are necessary, transition periods are inherently challenging and dynamically changing situations. These situations must be carefully managed and led in order to succeed. Characteristics, approaches, and incentives that foster effective transitions are discussed. Understanding the transition process and the communities involved allows one to maximize the chance of successfully moving an S&T/R&D development into an operational capability supporting end users.