Crosslink Fall 2006 Contributors

Significant Trends in Materials Research

Wei H. Kao (middle) is Director for the Materials Science Department, Laboratory Operations. He has more than 33 years of experience in the analysis, characterization, and assessment of materials and material processing technologies. For the past 25 years with Aerospace, he has conducted research and provided technical support to numerous national space programs and other government agencies on the design, fabrication, analysis, and testing of advanced materials. He obtained his Ph.D. in materials science from Michigan State University. He is an Associate Fellow of AIAA (wei.h.kao@aero.org).

Russell A. Lipeles (right) joined the Aerospace Chemistry and Physics Laboratory in 1979. He became manager of the Polymers and Composites Section in the Space Materials Laboratory in 1995 and the Associate Director of the Materials Science Department in 2004. His technical interests include the physical properties of polymers, adhesives, elastomers, conducting polymers, fiber-polymer matrix composites, and nanocomposites as well as atomic-force microscopy of polymeric surfaces. He has a Ph.D. in chemistry from UCLA (russell.a.lipeles@aero.org).

Woonsup Park (left) is Section Manager, Metals and Ceramics, Materials Science Department. He is an expert in structural materials for launch vehicles and spacecraft, leading independent research in advanced structural materials and providing program support in materials and processing issues. He joined Aerospace in 1992 after working for McDonnell Douglas and Rockwell International developing high-temperature structural materials for the National Aerospace Plane program. He received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (woonsup.park@aero.org).

Explosive Ordnance for Space Systems

Selma Goldstein is Manager of the Explosive Ordnance Office, Environmental Test and Ordnance Department. She provides support to multiple programs relating to explosive ordnance requirements, testing, and application assessments. She is one of the charter members and past chair of the Energetic Components and Systems Technical Committee of AIAA and chaired the industrywide team that developed a new standard for use of explosive devices in space. She obtained her ordnance experience at the Los Alamos National Laboratory and at SPARTA before joining Aerospace in 1990. She received her Ph.D. in engineering from Yale University (selma.goldstein@aero.org).

Space Vehicle Mechanisms and
Smooth Moves: Tribology in Action

Brian W. Gore (middle) is Manager of the Mechanisms Section, where he specializes in the design evaluation and dynamic analysis of moving mechanical assemblies, deployable spacecraft structures, and separation systems. Since joining Aerospace in 1989, he has supported a vast array of SMC, NRO, NASA, and commercial programs. He was a coauthor of the recently released AIAA standard, "Moving Mechanical Assemblies for Space and Launch Vehicles." He holds an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California (brian.gore@aero.org).

Paul D. Fleischauer (not pictured) retired as Principal Director of the Space Materials Laboratory, Laboratory Operations, in 2004. He joined Aerospace in 1969 and managed the Tribology Section for 17 years. During that time, numerous problems with moving mechanical assemblies were resolved and new technologies were inserted into programs. He received the Aerospace Trustees Award in 1991 for work in the field of solid lubrication of space mechanisms. He has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from the University of Southern California (paul.d.fleischauer@aero.org).

Michael R. Hilton (left), guest editor for this issue of Crosslink, is Director of the Mechanical Systems Department. His expertise extends to tribology, materials characterization and processing, and ball bearings as applied to space and launch vehicles. Since joining Aerospace in 1988, he has supported many governmental and commercial space and launch vehicle programs. He was a coauthor of 39 technical publications in the fields of tribology, materials, and failure investigation. He holds a Ph.D. in materials science from the University of California at Berkeley (michael.r.hilton@aero.org).

Stephen V. Didziulis (right) is Director, Micro- and Nano-Technology Department, Space Materials Laboratory, Laboratory Operations. Since joining Aerospace in 1988, he has conducted and managed numerous research programs in surface science and tribology and has provided extensive support to SMC and NRO program offices in the area of moving mechanical assemblies, including momentum/reaction wheels, gimbals, solar-array drives, actuators, and deployment devices. He has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry from Stanford University (stephen.v.didziulis@aero.org).

Holding It All Together: Space Structures

Eric K. Hall is Director, Structures Department, Structural Mechanics Subdivision, Vehicle Systems Division. During his 15 years at Aerospace, he has supported numerous SMC and NRO programs via the application of structural design, analysis, and test methodologies. He has also served on several national teams chartered with establishing the future direction of advanced programs. He received a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology (eric.k.hall@aero.org).

Predicting Mass Growth on Space Programs

Richard T. Sugiyama, Engineering Specialist, Mechanical Systems Department, has more than 25 years of experience in satellite mass properties engineering. He came to Aerospace in 2004 and is now lead investigator for the Aerospace satellite weight growth studies project, which began in 2002. He participated in the preparation of TOR-2005(8583)-3970, "Mass Properties Control Standard For Space Vehicles." He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from San Diego State College (richard.t.sugiyama@aero.org).

Louis L. Yang is Senior Project Leader in the Mechanical Systems Department, where he leads activities related to space and launch vehicle mass properties, weight growth, and the development of databases and standards related to these disciplines. He has conducted mass properties and weight growth studies for numerous space programs. He has written a chapter on mass properties for the NSS Systems Engineering Handbook and is leading an effort to develop a new Air Force standard for mass properties and weight control. He has an M.S in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California (louis.l.yang@aero.org).

Mechanical Failure of Electronic Assemblies

Enold Pierre-Louis is Manager of the Electronic Assemblies Section in the Mechanical Systems Department. He mainly provides support in the area of stress analysis, design and life risk assessment, and accelerated test development related to the structural integrity and survivability of electronic components for launch vehicles and spacecraft. He has been at Aerospace for 25 years. He holds an M.S. in mechanical engineering from UCLA (enold.pierre-louis@aero.org).

The Art and Science of Nondestructive Evaluation

Eric C. Johnson (right) is Director of the Materials Processing and Evaluation Department, Space Materials Laboratory. He joined Aerospace in 1987, and over the years has provided research and support to numerous programs in the area of nondestructive evaluation. He has twice received the President's Distinguished Achievement Award—in 2002, for his work in developing a flash thermography method for inspecting satellite solar panels, and again in 2005, for his work in developing nondestructive evaluation methods for composite solid rocket motor nozzles. He holds a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois (eric.c.johnson@aero.org).

Oscar Esquivel (left) is Research Scientist in the Materials Processing and Evaluation Department, Space Materials Laboratory. He joined Aerospace in 1984 after receiving his Ph.D. in materials science from the University of Southern California. His areas of research and program support have included materials survivability against laser weapon threats as well as spacecraft applications of nondestructive evaluation. He received the President's Distinguished Achievement Award in 2002 for his work in developing a flash thermography method for inspecting satellite solar panels (oscar.esquivel@aero.org).

To Fall 2006 Table of Contents