Space Systems Engineer (SSE) Dr Ross A. Henderson opened an engineering office in Cologne, W. Germany in July 1987 in response to a request from the Columbus Utilisation Project Group (CUPG) located at DFVLR (now DLR) Porz Wahn for assistance in the ESA studies in the Columbus Phase B2X concerned with User Requirements Analysis and Payload Accommodation Analysis. Experience gained as the Study Manager for several Spacelab Accommodation Studies for ESRO and subsequently ESA, in the mid 1970’s plus design studies for several Spacelab facilities, satellites and their payloads plus consultancies with the Microgravity Directorate were valuable in the conduct of this technical assistance. In addition, technical management of the development of large low Earth orbiting power systems and research communication satellites in the 1970’s and early 1980’s for NASA, ESA and the UK Department of Industry has provided experience in the operations and training of manned space and innovative orbiting systems.
During the period 1987 – 1991, support was given to the CUPG and the International Columbus User Support Organisation (USO) providing ESA study management of several studies, Station user requirements analysis resulting in a prototype Columbus payload database (CPDB) and requirements for the implementation of European User Support Centres. Additionally support was provided to the German Technological ministry, (BMFT) in the application of artificial intelligence to their space ground infrastructure. Service contracts were also carried out for the DLR Microgravity User Support Centre in the establishment of a Microgravity Database. This database is now the key information source for the European microgravity community.
ESA contracts with the Manned Space and Microgravity Directorate between 1992 through 1995 lead to the improvement and implementation of the CPDB. Direct assistance was provided to the utilisation department in establishing requirements for Columbus payload facilities, analytical integration of Columbus Laboratory payloads and system engineering analysis of a Columbus External Viewing Platform. This platform is now implemented as part of the ESA Station flight elements. ESA consultancies were also conducted for several Station and Spacelab payload and experiment facilities in this period.
Since 1973, Dr Ross A Henderson has been involved in the development and teaching of academic and industrial aeronautics and astronautics systems engineering courses at the University of Southampton in the UK. In the early 1980s an industrial space systems engineering course was developed and an academic degree course in systems engineering. The industrial course has been attended by several hundred practising engineers in European industry and ESA and is now offered by the University of Southampton to ESA staff. He has also acted as external examiner to students of the Department of Aeronautics/Astronautics (Milan).
From 1991 to the present day, SSE Dr Ross A Henderson has been involved in several direct ESA contracts to provide internal technical support to the European Astronaut Centre (EAC) in Cologne. This support has provided the instructional guidance and quality assurance to the training division as well as planning and training of the ESA Columbus instructors. Training coordination was provided for the Basic Training for the 1991 ESA astronaut corps, EuroMir missions and several ground simulations in preparation for long duration manned spaceflight. He is also a member of the Space Station Programme International Training Control Board (ITCB) in several working groups and a qualified Station instructor. SSE (as RSI) has also acted as subcontractor to several ESA International Space Station In Orbit Infrastructure and training contracts.
Recent tasks for the EAC have been the preparation for the Columbus training programme, supervision of ESA Young Graduate Trainees (YGTs) and visiting NASDA staff, the training of Columbus instructors and forward planning, finalisation of the implementation planning and setup of a quality assurance programme.
Currently tasks are being undertaken for ESA towards the development of an ESA Mission Analysis and Design Handbook (EMAD) which will capture the corporate knowledge throughout the agency in space engineering design and development analysis, methods, tools and spacecraft operations. In synergy systems engineering peer review, design and analysis and systems model configuration control is being provided to the ESTEC Concurrent Design Facility (CDF). The CDF being the focus of the internal assessment by ESA of current and future ESA spacecraft and missions including space science, Earth observations, planetary, human exploration and planetary missions, spacecraft and instruments. Supervision of several YGTs comprises a part of this activity.
Activities since 2000 at the CDF include also taking the Team Lead role in ESA internal assessment studies, in particular those pertaining to payload instruments for Earth Observations and planetary spacecraft, accommodation studies of external payloads to the International Space Station (ISS), International Science Working Groups (ISWG) for ISS internal payloads, advanced technology applications to EO, Planetary Exploration and Telecommunication platforms and ESA lunar exploration studies.
In addition, the preparation and conduct of internal ESA staff training courses in system engineering and concurrent design of space systems is another task performed at ESTEC together with membership of European Cooperation on Space Standards (ECSS) working groups in System Engineering and Engineering Design Model Data Exchange.
