How Spreadsheets Get Us to Mars and Beyond

Abstract

Spreadsheets, spreadsheets everywhere and nary a page of documentation. JPL is NASA's prime center for deep space missions. In all of our missions, spreadsheets have played a major role in managing parts lists, managing requirements, monitoring progress, planning budgets, developing the initial concept designs, and providing the backbone of our infrastructure. In this paper we will share our lessons learned in building various spreadsheet intensive systems and applications. Based on our experience in developing and using these various systems we will propose a number of exploratory ideas as to the dimensions of spreadsheet system complexity. In addition, we will share our approaches to documentation, review, and verification of these types of systems.