Designing a new, large, complex observatory: learning the strategic lesson of newness from our experience on the James Webb Space Telescope

Abstract

We formulate the lessons Northrop Grumman personnel have learned from their work on development of the James Webb Space Telescope. These lessons are strategic in nature and bear on the common behavior during development of all large complex systems, such as astrophysics missions, also known colloquially as Flagships. To justify the expense, a Flagship must be a large leap in scientific capability, demanding new architectures and technologies coupled with an intolerance to risk. We define “The Problem of Newness” based on our experience and data from Webb’s development. This unseen hand was present during Webb, and it is only in retrospect that we have been able to define it and present it as a lesson for the future. Future missions, Flagships in particular, should recognize the challenge of newness as a natural consequence of development and take steps to minimize its impact.