Key Personnel

Dr. Arya Majed

Chief, Loads & Dynamics

Technical Expertise

Coupled Loads Analysis (CLA); Nonlinear CLA; Nonlinear Simulations; Structural Dynamics; Multibody Dynamics; Liftoff pad separation; Nonlinear friction and contact; Shock and Random Vibrations; Variational CLAs; Fluid/Structure Coupled Simulations (VIV, FIV); Dynamic Substructuring; Component-Mode Synthesis; Dynamic testing; Test/Model Correlation; Structure/Controls Coupled Simulations; Forcing Functions Development; Prelaunch Stacking analyses; Cryogenic shrinkage analyses; Fatigue analysis and life estimation; Advanced methods development.

Technical Experiences (examples)

Strategic Defense Program LV/payload CLAs (DoD); Numerous Space Shuttle Program CLAs and Nonlinear CLAs; Orbital/Minotaur CLAs; Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) liftoff pad separation and ascent CLAs (NASA); Space Launch System prelaunch stacking/cryogenic shrinkage, rollout, and liftoff pad separation CLAs (NASA); Space Launch System pad separation with ICPS umbilical hose disconnect (multibody CLA); Frangible joint investigations – Taurus XL mission failures (NASA); Frangible joint modeling/simulations (NASA); Vibroacoustic Risk Reduction (VARR) project – improved random vibration mass attenuation and force limiting method (NASA); Simulations of JPL acoustic (NASA) and shock tests (JPL); Fast CLA methods (e.g., NASA's NTRC); Accelerance Decoupling – removing influence of ML from IMT (NASA); Flexible riser fatigue simulations and remanent life estimates; Mechanical Connector nonlinear simulations; Nonlinear fluid/structure simulations; Rotordynamic analyses of gas turbines, compressors, and motors; Numerous Independent Verifications (IVs); Numerous test and FEM correlations; Shock prediction simulations/methods.

Principal developer of nonlinear contact/friction methodology for Space Shuttle Program; Principal developer of a nonlinear solver for accelerated computation; Co-developer of nonlinear friction methodology; Co-developer of the Residual Flexibility Mixed-Boundary (RFMB) reduction method (used in NASTRAN); Co-developer of Accelerance Decoupling method (AD), Co-developer of NTRC Fast CLA; Co-developer of the Generalized Mass Attenuation method for random vibrations and force limiting; Co-developer of the Transient Finite Energy (TFE) Shock Prediction Method.

Education

• BS Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• MS Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern California, LA, CA
• PhD Mechanical Engineering, Rice University, Houston, TX

Ed Henkel

Chief Engineer

Technical Expertise

Coupled Loads Analysis (CLA), Nonlinear CLA, Nonlinear Simulations, Structural Dynamics, Multibody Dynamics, Component-Mode Synthesis, Dynamic testing, Test/Model Correlation, Forcing Functions Development, Prelaunch Stacking analyses, Cryogenic shrinkage analyses, liftoff pad separation, Advanced methods development.

Technical Experiences

FEM modeling STS Orbiter wing; Dynamic Math Model responsibility for Orbiter, ET and SRBs; Lead engineer Rockwell Cargo Integration loads and dynamics; Lead engineer/supervisor Rockwell Integration Support Contract (RISC), supporting DoD elements' STS integration, interfacing with associate DoD contractors, participating in numerous Independent Validation and Verification (IV&V) efforts with associate DoD contractors; Manager Rockwell Houston cargo loads and dynamics group (later Boeing).

Space Shuttle Program CLAs and Nonlinear CLAs; Orbital/Minotaur CLAs; Max Launch Abort System (MLAS) liftoff pad separation and ascent CLAs; Space Launch System (SLS) prelaunch stacking/cryogenic shrinkage, rollout, and liftoff pad separation CLAs; NESC Frangible joint investigations (Taurus XL mission failures); Frangible joint modeling/simulations; Vibroacoustic Risk Reduction (VARR) project – tasked to develop an improved random vibration mass attenuation method; Simulations of JPL acoustic and shock tests; nonlinear fluid/structure simulations.

Principal developer of Henkel-Mar pad separation method; Principal developer of nonlinear friction methodology for Space Shuttle Program; Co-developer of the Residual Flexibility Mixed-Boundary (RFMB) reduction method; Co-developer of Generalized Mass Attenuation (GMA) method for high fidelity random vibrations attenuation and force limiting predictions.

Education

• BS Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX
• MS Interdisciplinary Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX