14 TROUBLESHOOTER AND LEADER

When I was deciding on a career, I made a choice. I decided to study systems rather than the fine details of one technology. I first studied a complex technical system as a young aerospace engineer at Douglas Aircraft in the late 1950s. We were building Nike Zeus ballistic interceptor missiles, which flew at a supersonic speed of Mach 8.5 and acceleration up to 20G. The speed and stress were off the charts—far beyond anything previously attempted. It was a huge program, and we were suffering flight failures every week. I led a group in charge of failure analysis. To understand flight failures and recommend design changes, we needed to understand the entire system. That meant understanding how intense shock, heat, and vibration interacted with the aerodynamic structures, electronics, and controls.