Jairus Hihn

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Jairus Hihn is a leading authority in the parametric cost modeling of deep space robotic missions, with a career dedicated to advancing cost estimation and process improvement methodologies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). His foundational work, "Parametric Cost Modeling of Space Missions Using the Develop New Projects (DNP) Implementation Process" (1999, 5 citations), established a parametric cost model that revolutionized how JPL estimates costs for future, deep space science missions, directly supporting the agency’s re-engineering efforts. Hihn also made significant contributions to software process improvement, as seen in his paper "Bootstrapping Process Improvement Metrics: CMMI Level 4 Process Improvement Metrics in a Level 3 World" (2011, 4 citations), where he addressed the challenge of effective measurement for organizations at CMMI Maturity Level 3, providing practical metrics for teams without consistent data. More recently, his innovative approach to modeling the VIPER rover’s software life cycle cost (2021, 2 citations) demonstrates his ongoing impact, as he tackled the unique cost estimation challenges of NASA’s first lunar prospecting mission for water ice. Hihn’s work has been instrumental in shaping cost engineering practices for high-stakes space exploration, earning him recognition as a key figure in parametric modeling and process metrics.