Curveball planning question: how to approach getting a kite into space

You have been asked to get a kite into space. Walk the interviewer through how you would run this effort, from understanding the request, through the launch, to judging whether it succeeded. ```hint Test the premise Before planning any steps, pin down what the requester wants out of this, and check whether a kite, as it normally works, can do that where they want it to go. ``` ### Clarifying Questions - Why does the requester want a kite in space: a marketing moment, a science experiment, or a test of a new technology? - What counts as "space" here, and does the kite need to reach it once or stay there? - Does the kite have to fly the way kites do on Earth, or is being carried there enough? - What budget, timeline and regulatory limits apply, and does anything need to come back? ### What a Strong Answer Covers - Clarification of the goal and of what "space" and "kite" mean before committing to a plan - A check of whether the request is feasible as stated, and how that shapes the possible approaches - Approaches compared on cost, risk, time and fit with the goal, with one chosen - A phased plan with owners, approvals, milestones and cheaper tests that reduce risk before the launch - Success criteria agreed up front and how the result would be measured ### Follow-up Questions - If the requester insists that the kite must truly fly rather than be carried, how do you respond? - What is the cheapest test you could run first that would teach you the most? - How does this process carry over to launching a product when you are not sure it can work at all?