The Reinvention of NASA

Since the Apollo program, NASA has faced funding cuts, competition from other nations for space leadership, and a radical restructuring of its operating environment due to the emergence of commercial space — all of which have forced the organization to change its ways of thinking and operating. So over the past few decades, NASA has evolved from being a hierarchical, closed system that develops its technologies internally, to an open network organization that embraces open innovation, agility, and collaboration. This evolution has spanned three phases, each focused on achieving different goals and characterized by particular technology strategies, cultural values, and ways of working with external parties. NASA demonstrates that substantial organizational change is possible, even amid barriers such as regulations and politics.