Joachim Beek

2021-present JSC Senior Discipline Expert for Fracture Control
As JSC Fracture Control lead, I am responsible for integrating fracture control activities across all JSC spaceflight programs by

• advising Engineering management on emerging technologies and implementing solutions to NASA capability gaps
• reviewing and adjudicating Design and Construction requirements for NASA spaceflight programs and its domestic and international partners
• as the JSC Fracture Control Board chair, coordinating multiple disciplines (Fracture, M&P, Propulsion, Structures, ECLSS, NDE, Safety, etc) to resolve critical fracture control issues and to advise Center and Agency management
• as co-chair of the NASA Fracture Control Methodology Panel, coordinating and formulating fracture control strategies across NASA Centers and international partners to ensure that fracture control implementation, issue resolution, and addressing emerging technologies are consistent across NASA

2014-present: Fracture Control System Manager for the Commercial Crew Program (CCP)
I lead systems engineering and technical integration activities for fracture control verification over the complete life cycle of the CCP commercial partner hardware by

• reviewing and approving certification data covering design, development, testing, verification, operations, and anomaly resolution
• integrating fracture control activities across a broad range of technical disciplines (Fracture, M&P, Propulsion, Structures, ECLSS, NDE, Safety, etc)
• providing anomaly risk identification, assessment, and resolution options to senior Engineering and Program Management boards

2004-present: NASA Project Manager for NASGRO

I coordinate development activities for NASGRO, the NASA-created fracture analysis software package that has become the de facto world-wide standard analysis tool for aerospace and non-aerospace industries, by

• managing the Space Act Agreement under which NASA JSC and Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) now jointly develop NASGRO
• coordinating NASGRO design and development activities between JSC and SwRI to address analysis needs for NASA and its commercial partners, the European Space Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense, and the NASGRO Industrial Consortium

As a member of the NASGRO development team I

• developed computational solutions for fatigue and fracture mechanics analysis for NASGRO
• developed and implemented a Boundary Element Method computer program for fracture mechanics modeling and stress analysis
• compiled and maintained a fracture mechanics database
• presented computational fracture mechanics solutions and analytical results at technical conferences and ASTM meetings

As a member of the NASGRO development team I

• developed computational solutions for fatigue and fracture mechanics analysis for NASGRO
• developed and implemented a Boundary Element Method computer program for fracture mechanics modeling and stress analysis
• compiled and maintained a fracture mechanics database
• presented computational fracture mechanics solutions and analytical results at technical conferences and ASTM meetings