Abstract:The fundamental difference between a space science mission and other space missions is their output. For space missions that aimed to provide services and space applications, their outputs are clearly defined, such as telecommunication, navigation, TV broadcasting, weather forecast, ocean status monitoring and forecasts, land use and planning, etc. For space science mission, the outputs are expected to be discoveries and verification of new nature laws that may produce new scientific knowledge for the human beings. For this reason, the evaluation of the success of a space science mission is laid on its science outputs. This paper discusses the management considerations to ensure and maximize the science outputs of a space science mission covering the whole life cycle of a mission from strategic planning to science output evaluation. In particular, three main points are proposed on how to evaluate the science outputs of a space science mission.