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Olivier L. de Weck
Associate Professor of Aeronautics
and Astronautics and Engineering Systems
Associate Director, Engineering Systems Division
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 December 2008
News and announcements:
Olivier de Weck quoted in Boston
Globe article about Space Investment Summit (The Boston
Globe - October 1, 2009)
Prof. Newman and Prof. de Weck
featured in June IEEE Spectrum Special Issue on Mars: "What
to wear on Mars" and "What
to pack for Mars"
Olivier
de Weck receives INCOSE 2008 Outstanding Achievement Award
(May 2009)
Prof.
de Weck addresses swissnex delegation (April 10, 2009)
Prof.
de Weck to present keynote address at The First International
Symposium on Symbiotic, Safe and Secure System Design in
Japan (February 13, 2009)
ESD
Contributes to INSIGHT issue on Space Systems (January
30, 2009)
Smaling
and de Weck Win Systems Engineering's 2007 Best
Paper Award (June 24, 2008)
ESD
a strong presence at INCOSE 2008 in Utrecht (.pdf) (June
20, 2008)
Frey,
de Weck receive tenure (June 10, 2008)
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)
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