Chapter 8: Mastering Link Dependency and Constraints

Every mission into space is a project, due to its unique objectives and challenges. Imagine that you are the Project Manager of such a space mission. Your schedule will be highly realistic and reflect the dynamics of the mission's execution. You will be required to cater to special sequencing requirements and hard dates on the timeline. Let's consider some examples of such tasks: only after a new solar battery has been plugged in should the older one be removed. Otherwise, the power could go down and jeopardize the entire mission. This is an example of a special task sequencing requirement. Similarly, within a certain precise date, certain mission experiments should be terminated, and other new ones initiated. This is an example of a special date constraint.

Microsoft Project provides tools and features to reflect such realism in your schedule, as we will explore in depth in this chapter. But the cost of high realism...