Frank Shaker, PhD - NovaTek Senior Engineering Fellow

During his 45 years in the aerospace business Dr. Shaker has contributed to a number of spaceflight development projects in both technical and management roles. Early in his career he contributed significantly to the development of the Centaur high-energy, hydrogen-fueled upper stage. He established his leadership skills by directing a team that designed, analyzed, and produced the Plasma Interaction Experiment Spacecraft launched in 1977.

More recently, Dr. Shaker planned, organized, and directed a number of project teams involved in payload loads analysis, model verification and structural certification. During the early to middle 80's, Dr. Shaker made significant contributions to the Shuttle/Centaur project. He developed and successfully conducted loads analyses for Space Shuttle liftoff, ascent, and landing. He led the group of NASA engineers and contractors that developed the Shuttle/Centaur test analysis model that was required to verify the model used for predicting final flight loads. During the late 80's and early 90's, Dr. Shaker was instrumental in the development and implementation of a number of payload and launch vehicle structural dynamics efforts. He developed the guidelines for Space Station Freedom (SSF) on-orbit loads analysis procedures that involved three NASA field centers and a host of contracting organizations. Dr. Shaker also led several significant SSF LeRC loads and dynamics efforts that included: (1) development of a Photovoltaic (PV) solar array finite element model, (2) development of an on-orbit Space Shuttle thrust plume impingement response analysis for PV solar array, (3) development of a capability for predicting effects of the SSF control/structure interaction on the structural loads occurring during reboost and Space Shuttle docking, and (4) development of flight loads for three SSF payloads as well as the test verification requirements for those payloads. Dr. Shaker focused his technical and project management expertise on the payload integration of Expendable Launch Vehicles (ELV). He directed the successful development and application of the Atlas and Titan IV coupled loads analysis methodologies at NASA LeRC. These loads prediction capabilities include those necessary to analyze all phases of the Atlas and Titan IV flight environments. Dr. Shaker has contributed to the vibroacoustic efforts involving the prediction of internal structural loads as well as the development of qualification test levels for flight environments.

Finally, Dr. Shaker developed and directed the structural certification program for the Solar Dynamic Flight Demonstration Project. During this effort, Dr. Shaker's team had the primary responsibility for all phases of Space Shuttle structural certification. His engineering group also had the responsibility for the design support required to coordinate the US and Russian hardware developers who were faced with tremendous technical and programmatic challenges.