CV: System Engineer

Date of birth: 11 April 1981

Nationality: Dutch

Education

Sept ’06 – Sept ‘08           Design & technology of Instrumentation, PDEng

Professional Doctorate in Engineering

Eindhoven University of Technology - Stan Ackermans Institute

Sept ’99 – Dec ’05            Aerospace Engineering, MSc. (Honors degree)

                                                Chair of Space System Engineering, Delft University of Technology

                                                Thesis: Design & development of a tape-tether deployment system

Work experience

Nov ’08 – present            Bradford Engineering, Heerle, The Netherlands

                                                System Engineer, cold gas systems division

July ’08 – Sept ‘08            Momentive Performance Materials, Strongsville, Ohio, United States

                                                My tasks include:

·       Developing an encapsulation coating for Thermal Pyrolitic Graphite. This work includes a market survey on commercially available coating techniques and their compatibility with graphite, preparation of test samples (in cooperation with vendors), test verification, and selection of the best and most economic solution.

June ’07 – June ‘08          Bradford Engineering, Heerle, The Netherlands

My tasks included:

·       Developing a (conceptual) design of an airbag inflation system for the ExoMars planetary lander using the cool gas generator technology in cooperation with TNO.

·       Researching commercial off-the-shelf flow restrictor to replace (expensive) space-qualified flow restrictors (market survey, trade-off and selection). The best option was procured and functional tests were performed to verify performance.

·       Researching commercial heat spreaders to cool thermal hot-spots in space electronics (market survey, trade-off and selection). The best option was procured and integrated into a test-setup to verify applicability for space.

Jan ’06 – July ’06               Delta-Utec SRC, Leiden, The Netherlands

My tasks included (as part of the work on the 2^nd Young Engineering Satellite YES2):

·       Developing and executing re-entry capsule manufacturing strategy

·       Manufacturing capsules for testing (drop test, parabolic flight)

·       Testing of re-entry capsule release system and upgrading the design

·       Preparing manufacturing drawings for satellite metal parts

·       Writing documentation and cooperating with ESA and outside team member

Jan ’04 – May ‘04              EADS Space Transportation, Friedrichshafen, Germany

My tasks included:

·      Determining applicability of an X-ray diagnostic laboratory test set-up for integration into ISS. This included identifying possible show-stoppers and making a first layout of test setup in ISS standard rack.

·      Laboratory testing of a high-temperature sensors

Other technical experience

March ’06                            43^rd ESA Parabolic Flight Campaign

Verification of microgravity critical technologies of YES2

As part of a team of 4 persons, I was responsible for one of the two experiments, which was the testing of the re-entry capsule release and holding system. This included preparing and executing the experiment, and analyzing and reporting the results.

July ’05                                 8^th ESA Student Parabolic Flight Campaign

Verification of a tape tether deployment system using a cold gas thruster in a microgravity environment.

To demonstrate proof-of-concept of the tether deployment system, I put together a team of 4 persons, in which I was the project manager and technical lead. The project contained all the work from idea to realization (e.g. write proposal, arrange funding, design, manufacture, prepare and perform experiments, analyze and report results).

Publications

1.        Heijning, S.P.A., Zandbergen, B.T.C., Design of an electro-dynamic tape-tether deployment system, IAC.05.C4.6.02, 56^th International Astronautical Congress, Fukuoka, Japan

2.        Heijning, S.P.A., Zandbergen, B.T.C., Testing of a tether deployment system using a cold gas thruster, IAC-05-D4.3.10, 56^th International Astronautical Congress, Fukuoka, Japan

Personal skills

· Languages                 Dutch:                   Mother tongue

English:                 spoken: fluent                  written: fluent

German:              spoken: basic                     written: basic

· Computer                 Systems:              Windows, MS-DOS

Software:            Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio,                Matlab, Solidworks, Inventor

Honors & awards

· MSc. Honors degree, Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology

· ESA Scholarship to present at the IAC 2005, Fukuoka, Japan

· ESA Scholarship for ESA Student Parabolic Flight Campaign 2005