Architecting Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to be resilient to uncertainties

David W. Miller; Rhonda M. Morgan; Olivier L. de Weck

doi:10.1117/12.3018535

23 August 2024 Architecting Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to be resilient to uncertainties

David W. Miller, Rhonda M. Morgan, Olivier L. de Weck

Proceedings Volume 13099, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy XI; 1309919 (2024) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018535
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2024, Yokohama, Japan

Abstract

Decisions made early in a mission design, when information is sparse, define most of the downstream development cost. This becomes particularly problematic when uncertainties will not be revealed until later in the design life cycle. A resilient architecture is one that is adaptable to uncertainty, permitting cost-effective architectural changes as uncertainties reveal themselves. A framework is proposed for designing a resilient architecture for NASA’s Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO). Uncertainties include knowledge of exo-Earth targets prior to launch, needed spectral bands to mitigate ambiguity in habitability, and performance limits of starlight suppression technologies. Precursor science and technology advancements drive architecture definition more than the converse. In essence, it is better to plan for, then react to, uncertainty.

Conference Presentation

Citation Download Citation

David W. Miller, Rhonda M. Morgan, and Olivier L. de Weck "Architecting Habitable Worlds Observatory (HWO) to be resilient to uncertainties", Proc. SPIE 13099, Modeling, Systems Engineering, and Project Management for Astronomy XI, 1309919 (23 August 2024); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3018535

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