William E. Anderson, Ph.D.
Technology Innovation Director

Dr. William Anderson, a founding member of IN Space, brings considerable propulsion systems engineering and program management experience to the company and is responsible for many of the firm’s innovative concepts.

Dr. Anderson is also currently an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering. While teaching, Dr. Anderson pursues his interests in injectors, combustors, and nozzles; combined cycle propulsion; combustion instability; propellant development and characterization; liquid oxygen-based propulsion systems, and hydrogen peroxide-based propulsion systems.

Dr. Anderson earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Arizona State University in 1979 and a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona in 1984. He then went on to complete his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Pennsylvania State University in 1996.

After earning his Master’s degree, Dr. Anderson started his career by working as an engineer for Aerojet and Garret Engine Turbine Company. He worked primarily in the areas of combustor design analysis and testing, with an emphasis on injectors, combustion stability, afterburners, and combined cycle propulsion for high-speed missile applications.

In 1990, Dr. Anderson joined the research faculty at Penn State, where he was appointed the Assistant Director of the Propulsion Engineering Research Center, a multiple disciplinary center for research and education. In 1997, he joined the Orbital Sciences Corporation where he served as the Senior Principal Propulsion Engineer for Liquid Systems, and led a team responsible for the development of the first liquid upper stage ever developed at Orbital. Following his work with the Orbital Sciences Corporation he joined the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center and supported projects including the Space Shuttle Main Engine, International Space Station Propulsion Module, Integrated Powerhead Demonstrator, and the Space Launch Initiative.

Select Publications:

1. Long, M. R., Anderson, W. E, and Humble, R. W., “Bi-Centrifugal Swirl Injector Development for Nontoxic Hypergolic Bipropellants,” AIAA No. 2002-4026, Indianapolis, IN, July 8–10, 2002.
2. Mok, J. S., Helms, J., and Anderson, W., “Decomposition and Vaporization Studies of Hydrogen Peroxide,” AIAA No. 2002-4028, Indianapolis, IN, July 8–10, 2002.
3. Ross, R., Morgan, D., Crockett, D., Martinez, L., Anderson, W. E., and McNeal, C., “Upper Stage Flight Experiment 10K Engine Design and Test Results,” AIAA No. 2000-3558, Huntsville, AL, July 16–19, 2000.
4. Johnson, C., Anderson, W. E., and Ross, R., “Catalyst Bed Instability within the USFE H2O2/JP-8 Rocket Engine,” AIAA Paper No. 2000-3301, Huntsville, AL, July 16–19, 2000.
5. Anderson, W. E., McNeal, C., Crockett, D., Lewis, T., and Butler, K., “Peroxide Propulsion at the Turn of the Century,” Fourth International Symposium on Liquid Rocket Propulsion, Lampoldshausen, GERMANY, March 12–15, 2000.
6. Anderson, W. E., Miller, K. L., Ryan, H. M., Pal, S., Santoro, R. J., and Dressler, J. L., “Effects of Periodic Atomization on Combustion Instability in Liquid-Fueled Propulsion Systems,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 14, No. 11, pp. 818–825, September–October, 1998.
7. Anderson, W. E., and Santoro, R. J., “Combustion Instability in Liquid-Fueled Primary Stage Propulsion Systems,” Third International Symposium on Liquid Rocket Propulsion, Beijing, CHINA, August 11–13, 1997.
8. Ryan, H. M., Anderson, W. E., Pal, S., and Santoro, R. J., “Atomization Characteristics of Impinging Liquid Jets,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, Vol. 11, No. 1, pp. 135–145, January–February, 1995.
9. Anderson, W. E., “Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics,” AIAA, Liquid Rocket Engine Combustion Instability, co-edited with V. Yang, Vol. 169, Washington, DC, 1995.