Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and Engineering Systems

Olivier de Weck was born in Switzerland and holds degrees in industrial engineering from ETH Zurich (1993) and aerospace systems engineering from MIT (2001). Before joining MIT he was a liaison engineer and later engineering program manager on the F/A-18 aircraft program at McDonnell Douglas (1993-1997).

His research interests, teaching emphasis and professional experience is mainly in two areas:

Systems Engineering for Changeability and Commonality
Many engineering systems of the past were designed with only immediate use in mind as well as in relative isolation from broader considerations of context and uncertainty. This has contributed to "lock-in", i.e. the inability to adapt to new circumstances despite better architectures and technologies being known, and has led to some spectacular technical and business failures. Research in changeability acknowledges that systems need to change over time, such as growing in terms of capacity, infusing of new technologies or adaptation to shifting customer needs and regulations. Changeability research traces the evolution and change over time of existing technical systems (such as complex electro-mechanical products, airline networks etc....), formalizes patterns of change propagation and develops methods and tools for finding where and how to embed flexibility in design and how to value such flexibility, e.g. as real options. Commonality is another strategic aspect in engineering design where systems and products are no longer designed as individuals, but the need for customization and efficiency drives considerations of commonality, reuse and platform architectures. website: http://strategic.mit.edu

Space Exploration Logistics
Traditionally both manned and unmanned space exploration missions were considered as individual undertakings, largely disconnected in space and time. The return of human explorers to the Moon as a stepping stone to Mars under tight budget constraints challenges this notion. Increasingly space exploration and other space-related enterprises such as Earth observation are no longer viewed as individual missions but as campaigns. Prof. de Weck's research is helping NASA and others establish principles, methods and tools (such as SpaceNet) to plan, simulate and visualize the future as an interplanetary supply chain. In such a supply chain innovative strategies (pre-positioning, carry-along, resupply, and orbital depots) are carefully matched with new technologies (space tugs, reconfigurable spares, and RFID-enabled asset management) to maximize scientific exploration, while minimizing the cost and risk of future exploration campaigns.
website: http://spacelogistics.mit.edu

Prof. de Weck is an Associate Fellow of AIAA, winner of the 2006 Frank E. Perkins award for excellence in graduate advising and recipient of the 2007 AIAA MDO TC outstanding service award. He won two best paper awards at the 2004 INCOSE Systems Engineering Conference, held the Robert Noyce Career Development Professorship from 2002-2005, and co-advised the best MIT System Design and Management thesis in 2005. He has over 100 journal and conference publications in the area of systems engineering and space systems design for exploration and communications. His research has been funded by GM, NASA, BP, JPL, ArvinMeritor, DARPA/AFRL and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Prof. de Weck is a member of the International Council on Systems Engineering (INCOSE) and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). He served as the General Chair for the 2nd AIAA MDO Specialist Conference in May 2006. He serves as a faculty mentor to a number of student teams. In his spare time he enjoys his family, traveling, skiing, good food and wine as well as reading about the past and future of exploration on Earth and beyond.

Updated June 2007

News and announcements:

MIT and Cambridge University to co-sponsor CMI engineering change workshops for industry and academia (March 26, 2008)

Japan’s Keio University launches Graduate School of System Design and Management (January 3, 2008)

AIAA committee presents de Weck with outstanding service award (May 17, 2007)

Engineers create SpaceNet--the supply chain (March 28, 2007)

Olivier de Weck named Associate Editor, Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets (December 17, 2006)

Prof. de Weck elected AIAA Associate Fellow (September 21, 2006)

Prof. Olivier de Weck Receives Promotion (June 6, 2006)

Prof. de Weck honored with Frank E. Perkins Award (May 24, 2006)

Prof. de Weck to serve as 2006 AIAA MDO conference general chair (February 22, 2006)

Massimo Usan Wins SDM’s First Best Thesis Award (December 16, 2005)

MIT Researchers Visit Mars on Earth (November 20, 2005)

Rhodes, Frey Honored at INCOSE Symposium ESD plays major role in event (July 22, 2005)

It Came from Outer Space - Efficiently (June 24, 2005)

Prof. Olivier L. de Weck: MIT Faculty Newsletter (May 30, 2005)

ESD Professors Receive NASA Funding for Interplanetary Supply Chain Management Research (May 12, 2005)

Prof. Olivier de Weck to serve as Technical Chair of the 1st AIAA Multidisciplinary Design Optimization Conference (April 12, 2005)

Prof. de Weck speaks at MITRE (March 28, 2005)

INCOSE Gives Three Best Paper Awards to MIT (August 13, 2004)

Olivier de Weck Appointed to Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professorship (September 21, 2003)