My assumption is that "perform risk reduction" means "try things out to make sure they will work when we use them later". For instance, now they have more confi

My assumption is that "perform risk reduction" means "try things out to make sure they will work when we use them later". For instance, now they have more confidence that they can leave the spaceship orbiting for two years without something breaking. Kind of like Apollo 8 (fly around the moon without landing) was risk reduction for Apollo 11 (land on the moon).