How to build (the next) space telescope

The next NASA flagship space telescope will likely be based in the UVOIR wavelengths. What will it take to build this groundbreaking collection of instruments to do transformational astrophysics? Here I'll present some exciting developments - including new coatings used for reflective surfaces and gratings, and a variety of detector technology that opens up new opportunities at extended wavelengths and resolutions. We'll talk about the trades between these novel technologies, and more tested approaches - and how that risk gets balanced during long term planning. I will also discuss some smaller scale space telescope projects that demonstrate different approaches and provide precursor paths for the next big thing (in space), including a soon to be proposed small mission explorer named DISCO.