Seminar: Update on SPDO Activities and a Personal Perspective on System Engineering in the Service of Astronomy

Dr. Tim Stevenson 

SPDO System Engineer

Tim Stevenson, the SPDO System Engineer, will provide an update on the immediate past and the near future of SPDO activities with an emphasis on Concept Reviews and the ongoing requirements work. Tim will also explain the approach being taken at the system level of SKA to ensure that the best possible observatory will be built - in an heroic attempt to please all of the people all of the time. He will, in particular, highlight the drawbacks of an entirely conventional approach in this context and illustrate these with examples drawn from his experience.

Biography: Tim has contributed to physical science and technology research in an engineering capacity for 33 years, initially in renewable energy but for the last 29 years, in the service of as- tronomy and space science. He has worked and/or taught at 5 Universities, the European Space Agency, a prime contractor and two SMEs, in European, American, Russian, Indian and Chinese led international programmes. The SKA is his first proper job.