Welcome the the first week of "The Need for Systems Engineering". This week, we will define what we mean when we say system, a system of systems, and systems engineering. We will draw from publicly available systems engineering handbooks used by NASA and the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify the role system engineering serves in complex engineering processes, the interdisciplinary role of a systems engineer, and the lifecycle of a system.

In this module, we will examine how complex system design program is initiated based on establishing a need. It is best to study how the needed capability is currently provided and why this leaves a capability gap. We will then proceed with defining the system by writing requirements as well as identifying its functions.

In this module, we will examine two space craft accidents and how Systems Engineering could have potentially been used to avoid the mishap.

There is an important symbiotic relationship between Systems Engineering and Test Engineering. Those two disciplines often report to the same functional manager because they are so tightly coupled. This module will introduce some important test considerations.

In this module, we will reflect back on the topics that have been covered during the first Module of this Specialization on Systems Engineering by highlighting a few of the main concepts. I will introduce you to the topic of Model Based Systems Engineering (MBSE) and conclude by explaining how Systems Engineering is put to use in a large, complex design effort.