This summer, we worked on the design of a small, high-powered satellite. This involved developing a system to handle 100 W of power, thermal simulation of the spacecraft, and developing a database of components.
Complexity in its capacity to lengthen schedules, expand budgets, and jeopardize safety, finds its worst nightmare when systems thinking takes the reins. On call from former NASA administrator Michael D. Griffin, communication and elegant design rests as prime points upon which to improve aerospace system development. Utilizing quantifiable metrics for personal interaction known as “thinking talents”, we can build a bridge to high-reliability-organizations to support larger and more complex goals without the added cost of failure. Communication, and its ability to be modelled mathematically, has just become a new field to enhance the next century of complexity in aerospace engineering.
