They never told me about this in engineering school: lessons from the front line

摘要

This paper contains lessons the author has gleaned from over 30 years of experience building optical systems. The author's experience includes tactical lasers, laser damage measurements, space based astronomical observatories such as Chandra, James Webb Space Telescope as well as future technologies such as the starshade. These lessons cover engineering as art, discipline and profession. Each lesson is illustrated by an anecdote from the author's career.