Developing software for modern observatories brings its own challenges. Work on the design and architecture of the software may begin several years before the observatory or its instruments have been fully designed, and certainly long before they have been fully developed and commissioned.

Key parts of the observation control software may be expected to work reliably for the next 20 to 30 years or even longer.

How do experienced teams, who have worked with different telescopes and observatories, manage some of the issues that stem from the inherent unpredictability of technology, changing requirements, and the operational environment over such a long-time frame.

What lessons have been learnt from designing and building the software of the current generation of observatories, telescopes, and instruments and how are these being applied to the next generation of facilities currently in progress?

The list below reflects some of the possible shared challenges for discussion, it is expected that others may emerge during the other sessions:

Living with changing requirements - such as user needs, operational necessities, and the integration of modern technologies, while managing hardware and software obsolescence.

Evolving standards and regulations including a changing security threat landscape.

Long term maintenance and support – best practices for knowledge transfer and maintaining a healthy codebase.

Designing for the unknown – building software for a massively complex project that is itself evolving and may change radically between conceptualization and when it becomes operational.

External economic, financial, political, and environmental factors.