Global Aerospace Corporation
Ben is a second year graduate student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science. He received a B.A. in physics from Connecticut College in 2009, with a research focus on photon emission from atomic collisions. He subsequently joined the hydrodynamics group at the Applied Physical Sciences Corporation in Groton, CT.
Ben’s graduate research is in the development of aeroelastic models for inflatable spacecraft including the NASA Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator (HIAD). He also enjoys working with undergraduates on their independent research projects in the wind tunnel laboratory. He is currently funded by the James B. Duke Fellowship and the Teresa H. and Harry J. Johnson Scholarship.
Graduate Research Topics
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NASA Hypersonic Inflatable Aerodynamic Decelerator
- Determine the flutter boundary and LCOs of the thermal projection system, which is composed of multiple layers of insulating fabric and aerogel
- Develop structural models for the various HIAD components and couple them together to determine in-flight stability