Advanced Concepts Group (ACG) Overview - SpaceWorks ...

Advanced Concepts Group (ACG) Overview
05 March 2009
Dr. Brad St. Germain
Director, Advanced Concepts Group | SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) | brad.stgermain@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8010
Mr. Jon Wallace
Senior Project Engineer | SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) | jon.wallace@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8008
Mr. Kevin Feld
Project Engineer | SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) | kevin.feld@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8005
Mr. William J.D. Escher
Senior Technical Fellow | SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI) | william.escher@sei.aero
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SPACEWORKS ENGINEERING, INC. (SEI)
Dr. John R. Olds, P.E.
CEO
SEI Affiliates
Dr. Leroy Chiao
Mr. Derek Webber
Mr. Carl Ehrlich
Mr. Rich Reinert
Legal Counsel
Mr. John Yates
Morris, Manning & Martin, LLP
Melinda S. Olds
CFO
• Accounts Receivable & Payable
• External Accounting - Dave Pierce (FMS)
• External Compliance - Scott Butler (Beason&Nalley)
• External Benefits - Nancy Fogerty
• External Payroll - Payroll1 Atlanta
SpaceWorks Commercial
Mr. A.C. Charania
President
SpaceWorks Engineering
Dr. John E. Bradford
President
SpaceWorks Software
Dr. John E. Bradford
President
• Amaresh Kollipara (Associate)
• Sarah Lee (Manager of Software Sales)
Advanced Concepts Group (ACG)
Dr. Brad St. Germain
Director of Advanced Concepts
Engineering Economics Group (EEG)
Mr. Dominic DePasquale
Director of Engineering Economics
Space Media Group (SMG)
Mr. Mark Elwood
Director of Space Media
• Bill Escher (Sr. Technical Fellow)
• Jon Wallace (Sr. Project Engineer)
• Kevin Feld (Project Engineer)
• Michael Kelly (Operations Engineer)
• Jeff Whitfield (Systems Engineer, part-time)
• Christopher Cho (Student Intern)
• External Graphics and Illustration Specialists
• External Website Developers
Firm Organization Chart 05.12.2008
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- The Advanced Concepts Group (ACG) provides conceptual and
preliminary analysis and technical assessment of advanced space
systems.
- The ACG specializes in delivering high value end-to-end analysis packages
to our customers engaged in preliminary aerospace vehicle concept
development, design space exploration, analysis of technical alternatives,
independent concept review, or marketing of new technologies or initiatives.
- Past experience includes conceptual and preliminary level modeling of a
broad range of future space transportation and aerospace infrastructure
concepts.
- Technical assessments may include analysis of concept weights, ascent and
entry trajectories, propulsion, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) drawings,
aerodynamics, thermal protection requirements, abort assessments, and
subsystem definition and sizing.
- The ACG performs both traditional deterministic and probabilistic analyses
to explicitly evaluate system risk through uncertainty in key design
variables.
A B O U T
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REDTOP-Pro
Rocket Engine Performance Analysis
Sentry
Thermal Protection System (TPS) Analysis
NASCART-GT
Cartesian-grid based flow solver
SAMPLE ACG TOOLS AND MODELS:
- POST/POST-II (Program to Optimize Simulated Trajectories)
- Bullseye (Interplanetary trajectory analysis)
- APAS (Aerodynamic Preliminary Analysis System)
- NASCART-GT (Solution adaptive, Cartesian-grid based flow solver)
- REDTOP-Lite/REDTOP-Pro (Rocket Engine Design Tool for Optimal Performance)
- Sentry (Thermal protection system analysis)
- AFWAT (Air Force Weight Analysis Tool)
- PHX ModelCenter (Model integration framework)
- Solid Edge (CAD modeling and integration)
- OptWorks (Non-gradient based optimization)
- ProbWorks (Probabilistic analysis)
SELECT RECENT PROJECTS:
-Ares V Uncertainty Analysis for NASA’s Project Constellation [2007-2008]
Contract sponsored by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)
-Modeling and Simulation Techniques for Exploration Systems [2007-2008]
Contract sponsored by NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC)
-AFRL FAST Vision Vehicle Studies [2008]
Contract sponsored by Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)
-Development and Implementation of the Hero Modeling Environment [2006-2008]
Contract sponsored by Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)
-Systems Engineering and Design for SpaceWorks Foresight Spacecraft [2007]
Lunar and Planetary Society Apophis Mission Design Competition first place winner
-Lunar Lander Concept Design and Trajectory Simulation [2005-2007]
Various Government and Commercial Customers
-Innovative Concept Development of Reusable Launch Vehicles Using Combined-Cycle
Propulsion for Military Applications [2003-2006]
Contract sponsored by Air Force Research Lab (AFRL)
E X P E R I E N C E
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Concept Definition
Concept definition and refinement, supported by
detailed discipline-specific engineering assessment.
Studies are conducted in a collaborative design
environment, with interrelated disciplines interacting
in a fully coupled manner. Results include converged
and optimized system designs including detailed
performance assessments and subsystem sizing
Example Study: Military Space Access Vehicle Design
Architecture Design
Systems integration, optimization, CONOPS
definition, and trade studies supporting end-to-end
mission analysis.
The ACG applies systems engineering best practices
to develop mission architectures and perform
associated metrics assessments.
Example Study: Lunar Exploration Architecture Study
S E L E C T
C A P A B I L I T I E S
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Probabilistic Analysis
Mitigating future impacts of design uncertainty
through stochastic simulation methods.
ACG personnel are experienced with probabilistic
design and analysis techniques and the group’s
software toolset has been assembled with this
capability in mind. Analysis results can be presented
with appropriate certainty levels based on input
distribution data.
Example Study: Ares V Performance Uncertainty Assessment
Technology Prioritization
Providing decision-makers with an understanding of
the impacts of technology developments on future
designs.
The ACG offers the TechSim prioritization process to
establish quantitative sensitivities of Figures of Merit
(FOMs) with respect to changes in technology
performance metrics. The TechSim process can be
run deterministically or probabilistically depending on
customer requirements.
Example Study: Lunar Exploration Technologies
S E L E C T
C A P A B I L I T I E S
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Interplanetary Missions
Analysis and design for missions beyond the Earthmoon
system.
Equipped with internally-developed and industry
tools, the ACG is able to examine and optimize
departure and arrival conditions, design spacecraft
subsystems, and assess other aspects for this type
of mission. Specific experience to date includes
missions to Mars, Jupiter, Pluto, and near-Earth
objects (NEOs).
Example Study: Radio Tagging Mission to NEO Apophis
Tool Development
Software to facilitate analysis of aerospace system
and subsystem performance.
Together with SpaceWorks Engineering’s Software
Division, the ACG develops analysis software
specialized to the needs of our clients. Multiple
programming languages (Java, C++, Visual Basic,
Fortran, etc.) are employed to develop a range of
software from rocket engine design codes to
interplanetary trajectory simulators.
Example Study: REDTOP-Pro Rocket Engine Design Tool
S E L E C T
C A P A B I L I T I E S
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Hero: A Collaborative Multidisciplinary and Multifidelity Design
Framework for Launch Systems
Hero is a collaborative, automated engineering environment for the analysis of vehicles and
missiles with air-breathing and/or rocket propulsion systems and can be used to support a variety of
missions from space-access to global reach/strike
System interface and integration environment utilizes Phoenix Integration’s PHX ModelCenter© and
Analysis Server products
Provides easy setup and analysis in areas of propulsion, aerodynamics, aeroheating, trajectory
simulation, and thermal protection system design using a variety of industry standard tools, SEI
COTS tools, and Hero-specific modules
Automates closure process and provides standardization for vehicle modeling. Capable of multifidelity
analysis across a range of disciplines
Example Study: Vision Vehicle Concept
S E L E C T
C A P A B I L I T I E S
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- SpaceWorks Engineering’s ACG analysts have provided these services
to federal government and aerospace prime contractor customers for a
variety of space applications including NASA’s lunar exploration
architecture, future expendable launch vehicles, new reusable launch
systems, new launch facilities, in-space transportation elements, space
infrastructure (habitats, propellant depots, rovers), and deep-space
missions.
- The ACG works closely with SpaceWorks Engineering’s Engineering
Economics Group and may additionally assist the SpaceWorks
Commercial division with technical analysis for entrepreneurial
commercial clients.
C L I E N T S
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DR. BRAD ST. GERMAIN
Director of Advanced Concepts Group
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI)
brad.st.germain@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8010
Dr. St. Germain has managed and supported a wide range of space systems and architecture design activities for SEI’s
government and commercial clients. He has a strong background in aerospace systems design, with specific disciplinary
expertise in space vehicle trajectory simulation, weight estimation and propulsion analysis.
Recent work at SEI has focused on the design of various lunar exploration concepts for several customers. This work involved
the end-to-end simulation of lunar exploration architectures including sizing Earth-to-Orbit vehicles, in-space stages, and the
assessment of overall architecture costs and reliability. Other recent projects at SEI include evaluation of a small payload Earthto-Orbit
launch vehicle and the development of both an in-space trajectory analysis tool and a parametric space vehicle weight
estimation tool.
While at the Space Systems Design Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology, he developed an optimization technique for the
performance and powerhead configuration of liquid rocket engines (Ph.D. Thesis), and led various conceptual level launch
vehicle and space systems design projects. Dr. St. Germain also has work experience obtained through positions at Pratt &
Whitney Space Propulsion, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, and NASA Langley Research Center.
Dr. St. Germain holds Doctoral and Masters Degrees in Aerospace Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology, along
with a minor in Mathematics. He also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Louisiana State
University. Dr. St. Germain is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the AIAA Space
Transportation Technical Committee (STTC).
S T A F F
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MR. JON WALLACE
Senior Project Engineer
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI)
jon.wallace@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8008
MR. KEVIN FELD
Project Engineer
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI)
kevin.feld@sei.aero | 1+770.379.8005
Mr. Jon. G. Wallace is a Senior Project Engineer at SpaceWorks
Engineering, Inc. (SEI). Mr. Wallace has a background in conceptual design
and analysis of advanced space systems, architectures, and missions.
Other recent experience includes performing lunar lander system design
trade studies in support of NASA and military spaceplane concept design
studies for the U.S. Air Force.
Mr. Wallace has recently been involved in several activities supporting
NASA’s Project Constellation, including work with both government and
commercial partners. These projects have comprised lunar exploration
architecture studies, investigation of advanced chemical in-space propulsion
concepts, and examination of present and future opportunities for economic
development of space. He has also performed lunar descent trajectory
analyses for NASA to support the design of attitude control systems for
future crewed landers.
His prior experience includes design, simulation, and CAD layout for several
rocket and air-breathing Earth-to-orbit launch systems for the U.S. Air
Force. As part of this project, Mr. Wallace led the multidisciplinary design
process for SEI’s ARES Hybrid-OS two-stage launch system.
Mr. Kevin Feld is a Project Engineer in the Advanced Concepts Group at
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI). Mr. Feld is a recent addition to SEI’s
staff and adds experience in interplanetary mission design and solid rocket
motor development. His interplanetary mission design experience includes
subsystem development and propulsion, trajectory, and communications
trade studies. Through an internship with a solid rocket manufacturer, Mr.
Feld applied his abilities in engineering analysis to develop software for the
optimization of solid rocket motors and to create a user interface for rocket
ballistics software.
Mr. Feld is a member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA) and was a member of EnCouncil, the engineering
school council at Washington University in St. Louis. He is an active
supporter of community events, leading the construction of a student-built
façade for a carnival benefiting the St. Louis community, as well as
supporting fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Children’s Miracle
Network, and St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering with
high honor from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Mr. Wallace is a
member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
S T A F F
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MR. WILLIAM J.D. ESCHER
Senior Technical Fellow
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI)
william.escher@sei.aero | 1+256.895.6674
DR. LEROY CHIAO
SEI Affiliate
Mr. William J.D. Escher is Senior Technical Fellow at SpaceWorks
Engineering, Inc. (SEI). Mr. Escher has 50 years experience working in the
aerospace industry divided among nearly equal tenures in the government,
industry, and self-employed arenas. He has had a long-term involvement with
space transportation and related propulsion developments that stretch back
to the United State' first attempts to place scientific satellites in orbit during
Project Vanguard run by the Naval Research Laboratory. Mr. Escher has also
held positions at multiple NASA field centers as well as at NASA
Headquarters, Rocketdyne, The Marquardt Corporation, Kaiser-Marquardt,
and Astronautics Corporation of American. Additionally, Mr. Escher spent
fifteen years as a self-employed consultant in the areas of terrestrial energy
systems and environmental betterment technology.
Just prior to joining SEI, Mr. Escher served as a senior systems engineer in
the Applied Technologies Group of Science Applications International Corp.
(SAIC) in Huntsville, Alabama. At SAIC, he applied his expertise in
airbreathing/rocket-based combined-cycle propulsion to the development of
propulsion technology databases and advanced space transportation system
assessments.
At Cornell University, while undertaking mechanical engineering studies, Mr.
Escher served as the president and experimental committee chairman of the
Cornell Rocket Society. He is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of
Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), a long-term member of SAE
International, and a founding participant in the Space Propulsion Synergy
Team (SPST).
S T A F F
Dr. Chiao is an affiliate and technical advisor to SpaceWorks Engineering,
Inc. (SEI). Astronaut Leroy Chiao (or Jiao Lizhong in Chinese pinyin), left
NASA in 2005 following a successful fifteen-year career with the agency. A
veteran of four space missions, Dr. Chiao most recently served as
Commander of Expedition 10 aboard the International Space Station (ISS).
He has logged over 229 days in space - over 36 hours of which were spent
in Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA, or spacewalks). A native English speaker,
Dr. Chiao also speaks Russian and Mandarin Chinese. He has worked
closely with Japanese, Russian, and European astronauts and their
affiliated space agencies. He is a specialist in all facets of US and Russian
EVA hardware and operations, and is EVA-certified in US and Russian
spacesuits, tools, and training programs. A fully trained Space Shuttle
Mission Specialist and Space Station Commander, Dr. Chiao is also a fullycertified
copilot of the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. As an instrument-rated
pilot, Dr. Chiao has logged over 2,600 flight hours in a variety of aircraft and
spacecraft.
A F F I L I A T E
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MR. CARL F. EHRLICH
SEI Affiliate
MR. RICHARD P. REINERT
SEI Affiliate
Mr. Carl F. Ehrlich, Jr. is an affiliate and technical advisor to SpaceWorks
Engineering, Inc. (SEI). He has over 40 years of active experience in the
aerospace industry, having retired from a successful 25 year career at Boeing
North American (formerly: Rockwell International). Prior to that, he was
employed at the Lockheed-California and Douglas Aircraft Companies for a
total, of 15 years. He served with the United States Air Force in the Air
Attaché Office of the American Embassy in Teheran, Iran.
Mr. Richard P. Reinert is an affiliate and technical advisor to SpaceWorks
Engineering, Inc. (SEI) in the areas of mission and spacecraft design. Mr.
Reinert is currently the Manager and Chief Engineer of R P Reinert &
Associates consulting, LLC in Colorado. He retired from a successful 24
year career at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp last year. Previous
experience included six years each at Boeing and Hughes Aircraft and 4
years at the Lockheed-California Company.
During his active career, Mr. Ehrlich managed and participated in a wide
range of advanced space transportation projects ranging from the 10-
Passenger Orbital Carrier and Ten Ton Orbital Carrier studies in 1963-5 for
NASA/MSFC, to the management of the Highly Reusable Space
Transportation study for NASA/MSFC in 1997.
Since his retirement in 1998, Mr. Ehrlich has consulted with a number of
aerospace companies focused on the development of operational concepts
for advanced reusable launch and entry vehicle systems.
He is an Associate Fellow with the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA) and is currently a member and treasurer of the AIAA
Space Transportation Technical Committee, a member of the AIAA Space
Logistics Technical Committee, and Vice Chair for Membership and
Treasurer for the AIAA San Fernando Pacific Section Executive Council.
Mr. Ehrlich has earned degrees from Stanford University in 1957 (Bachelor of
Science in Aerodynamics) and the University of Southern California in 1967
(Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering).
A F F I L I A T E S
While serving at these four companies, Mr. Reinert has supported
aerospace projects ranging from civil aircraft to planetary spacecraft in key
design lead positions. At Boeing Aerospace he was manager of a
DOE/NASA study that defined a practical approach to space disposal of
nuclear waste, and supported concept definition of solar power satellites
and advanced space transportation systems. At Ball he led successful
proposal efforts for the SDIO Relay Mirror Experiment (RME), the Canadian
Space Agency RADARSAT spacecraft, and the NASA Deep Impact
Discovery Mission. His most recent assignments at Ball involved leading
mission and system design of spacecraft concepts aimed at characterization
and mitigation of hazards due to Near Earth Objects and in studies and
hardware development involving attitude control of solar sails.
Mr. Reinert earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics
from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968 and attended the
Graduate School of Mechanical Engineering at Loyola Marymount
University in Los Angeles in the seventies.
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SELECTED PAPERS:
- Bradford, J. E., Olds, J. R., Wallace, J. G., "Concept Assessment of a Hydrocarbon Fueled RBCC-Powered Military Spaceplane," 54th Joint Army-Navy-
NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Propulsion Meeting (JPM) and 5th Modeling and Simulation / 3rd Liquid Propulsion / 2nd Spacecraft Propulsion Joint
Subcommittee Meeting, Denver, Colorado, May 14-18, 2007.
- Bradford, J. E., Olds, J. R., Wallace, J. G., "A Two-Stage Spacelift Concept Using Air-Breathing Propulsion and Falcon-Derived Hardware," 54th Joint
Army-Navy-NASA-Air Force (JANNAF) Propulsion Meeting (JPM) and 5th Modeling and Simulation / 3rd Liquid Propulsion / 2nd Spacecraft Propulsion Joint
Subcommittee Meeting, Denver, Colorado, May 14-18, 2007.
- Bradford, J. E., Olds, J. R., "Thermal Protection System Sizing and Selection for RLVs Using the Sentry Code," AIAA-2006-4605, 42nd
AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Sacramento, California, July 9-12, 2006.
- Charania, A., St. Germain, B., Wallace, J. G., Olds, J. R., "REACTIONN: A Nuclear Electric Propulsion Mission Concept to the Outer Solar System,"
AIAA-2004-3982, 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, July 11-14, 2004.
- Escher, W. J. D., "The Hypersonic ETO Space Transporter as an Enabling Element for Acquiring Commercial Human-rated Space Transportation
Capabilities," AIAA-2006-8056, 14th AIAA/AHI Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference, Canberra, Australia, November 6-9,
2006.
- St. Germain, B., Charania, A., Olds, J. R., "A Stochastic Process for Prioritizing Lunar Exploration Technologies," AIAA-2005-6607, Space 2005, Long
Beach, California, August 30 - September 1, 2005.
- St. Germain, B., Olds, J. R., Bradford, J. E., Charania, A., DePasquale, D., Schaffer, M., and Wallace, J. G., "Utilizing Lunar Architecture Transportation
Elements for Mars Exploration," AIAA-2007-6136, Space 2007, Long Beach, California, September 18 - 20, 2007.
- Wallace, J. G., Bradford, J. E., Charania, A., Escher, W. J. D., Eklund, D., "Concept Study of an ARES Hybrid-OS Launch System," AIAA-2006-8057, 14th
AIAA/AHI Space Planes and Hypersonic Systems and Technologies Conference, Canberra, Australia, November 6-9, 2006.
- Wallace, J. G., St. Germain, B., Charania, A., "Probabilistic Examination of Lunar Landers," AIAA-2005-6734, Space 2005, Long Beach, California, August
30 - September 1, 2005.
B I B L I O G R A P H Y
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Business Address:
SpaceWorks Engineering, Inc. (SEI)
1200 Ashwood Parkway
Suite 506
Atlanta, GA 30338 U.S.A.
Phone: 1+770.379.8000
Fax: 1+770.379.8001
Internet:
WWW: www.sei.aero
E-mail: info@sei.aero
w w w . s e i . a e r o
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