Complex Systems at NASA – help from Natural Systems
Abstract: NASA has been studying engineering of elegant systems through the Systems Engineering Research Consortium the past 4 years. This research has considered complex systems and complex adaptive systems in terms of definition and properties. A working definition has been suggested for use in Consortium discussions and a set of properties is being collected from current literature and active research results. The question of complex systems and complex adaptive systems being a result of human engineering or occurring naturally has been discussed. In working through these discussions, many examples of the properties of these systems are found in nature. Nature provides the current best source understanding these difficult to understand and intricate systems. In modeling complex systems, the examples found in biology and zoology provide important clues for statistical analysis of large populations (data sets). This presentation will summarize these discussions and the current influence natural systems have on understanding how to systems engineer elegant systems.
Bio: Michael D. Watson is in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) Chief Engineers Office System Engineering Management Office. He is responsible for definition of elegant product focused system engineering and the definition of agency system engineering training. He is also currently supporting SLS in the Chief Engineers Office and has served as the Space Launch System (SLS) Lead Discipline Engineer for Operations Engineering. He started his career with NASA developing International Space Station (ISS) Payload Training Complex and the ISS Payload Data Services System (PDSS). He also worked to develop remote operations support capabilities for the Spacelab Program installing Remote Operations Centers and services in the United States, Europe, and Japan. He subsequently served as Chief of the Optics Branch responsible for the fabrication of large x-ray telescope mirrors, diffractive optics, telescope systems. He served as Chief of the Integrated Systems Health Management (ISHM) and Sensors Branch and led a NASA team defining Vehicle Management System capabilities for human missions to Mars. His branch work included the definition of ISHM capabilities for the Ares family of launch vehicles. He graduated with a BSEE from the University of Kentucky in 1987 and obtained his MSE in Electrical and Computer Engineering (1996) and Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering (2005) from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
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