[image-51]Name: Richard J. Lynch
Title: James Webb Space Telescope Spacecraft Manager
Formal Job Classification: Engineer
Organization: Code 443, James Webb Space Telescope Project, Flight Projects Directorate

James Webb Space Telescope Spacecraft Manager Richard J. Lynch  relies on teamwork to get the job done.

What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard? How do you help support Goddard’s mission?

It’s my job to make sure that all the different parts of the spacecraft are built properly and come together. The spacecraft has a lot of functions. It provides the power, communications with Earth, pointing control for the telescope, structural support for the telescope, the propulsion systems to make slight adjustments to the telescope’s position and the thermal control to keep everything cool from the heat of the sun. We have different teams for each of these elements.

The Webb Telescope is an observatory that will look at light coming to us from the earliest moments of the creation of the universe. We will launch in October 2018.

What is the hardest part of your job?

Keeping track of everything. You can’t miss even the smallest thing because it could end up becoming something big later. I have to be very organized.

How do teamwork and collaboration help keep everything on track?

I cannot keep track of everything without delegating. Teamwork and collaboration are critical. We have weekly “interchange” meetings with every team member. I have about ten subsystems, each with five to seven people. We meet with each of those subsystems for about half an hour, once a week. If there are problems, we pay much more attention and spend more time together figuring it out.

And of course I get lots and lots of email. I get in early just so I can review all the email that came in overnight to decide what is most important for me to do each morning.

What do you do when you encounter a problem?

We first try to understand what the problem is and then break it down into smaller parts. We call this decomposing the problem. We explore options for each of those parts and then assemble a solution. I try to focus on the technical issue and just get to the facts. I try to leave the emotion out of it. I’m dealing mostly with engineers, so they’re happy when you talk about facts.

Where are you located?

I’m working on-site with the Webb Telescope contractor Northrop Grumman. My office is in Redondo Beach, California just south of the Los Angeles Airport. I return to Goddard at least once a month for meetings. I’ve been located on-site for about a year and will remain there through launch.

Why did you become an engineer?

When I was ten, my family went on vacation to Kennedy Space Center. Ever since, I’ve wanted to work for NASA. I bought a book on the space shuttle, which I still have in my office. I like taking things apart and putting them back together. I was always building stuff as a kid.

How did your education and work history prepare you to be a spacecraft manager?

I have a bachelor’s in aeroastro engineering, which is about broad structures, prolusions and dynamics. I have a master’s in electrical engineering, which deals with communications and power. I have a second mater’s in information systems management, which involves data processing and compression. These three degrees cover all the major functions of a spacecraft.

I worked many years as a systems engineer, so I understand how systems work. I have a little bit of knowledge in each area, but I rely on experts for depth of knowledge.

What is your next career goal?

I’d love to work on a manned mission to Mars. That’s my dream.

In addition to the Webb Telescope, what was one of the coolest things you’ve done?

The Lunar Prospector was fun because there were only seven of us on the team. It took three years from start to launch. The Lunar Prospector went to the moon and found water. All of us put our signatures on a small piece of paper that we put inside the spacecraft. When the spacecraft deliberately crashed into the moon, our signatures landed there too. So, my name is on the moon.

As a manager, what is the most important lesson you’ve learned?

When you assemble a good team of people who are the best at what they do, and you trust their judgment, you can’t go wrong.

Who is the most interesting, inspiring or amazing person you have met or worked with at Goddard? 

Phil Sabelhaus, the previous Webb Telescope manager, inspired me and is one of my mentors. He is very good at understanding problems, coming up with solutions and, most of all, getting it done. He is brilliant at doing what needs to be done.

Is there something surprising about your hobbies that people do not generally know?

I enjoy wood working. I’ve made a coffee table, a bookshelf and lots of little figurines.

I also collect first-edition science fiction books. I have about 200 now. One of my prize books is Isaac Asimov’s “Foundation.” He is my favorite author.

What is your favorite vacation spot?

Paris is my favorite city in the world. I’ve been there eight times. I love walking around that city. You can’t get lost there because within a block or two there is always a metro station and then you know where you are. I love the architecture and the lights. It’s also very clean.

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