User:Vladimir Pletser

Vladimir Pletser (born 28 February 1956) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vladimir_Pletser

Bachelor in Engineering Sciences (B.Sc.) (1976); Civil Engineering in Mechanics, spec. Dynamics and Systems (1979); Master Degree in Sciences (M.Sc.), spec. Geophysics (1980); Doctorate in Sciences (Ph.D.), spec. Astrophysics (1990), Catholic University of Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
Selected as Laboratory Specialist Candidate Astronaut by Belgium for the ESA Columbus programme (1991)

Since April 2018, Director of Space Training Operations at Blue Abyss, United Kingdom, proposing a new approach for astronaut training.

From April 2016 to March 2018, Visiting Professor - Scientific Adviser at the Technology and Engineering Center for Space Utilization (CSU) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China, supported by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorship for Senior International Scientists (Grant No. 2016VMA042).

From 1985 to February 2016, Senior Physicist-Engineer, Payloads and Platforms Division; Human Space Flight and Operations Directorate, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESTEC), European Space Agency (ESA)
1) Technical development and experiment coordination of microgravity payloads flown on:
- International Space Station (Dexterous Manipulation Payload (DEX) in Columbus (Mar. 2017); Zeolite Solution Crystallization Diagnostics Facility (ZSCDF) foreseen for Columbus (cancelled); Protein Crystallization Diagnostics Facility (PCDF) in Columbus (Feb. 2009); Zeogrid and Nanoslab for zeolite experiments on Zvezda and Unity (Nov. 2002));
- Spacelab / Spacehab (Advanced Protein Crystallization Facility (APCF) 5th flight on STS-95 (Oct. 98); Bubble, Drop, Particle Unit (BDPU) 2nd flight on Spacelab LMS (June 96); Advanced Fluid Physics Module (AFPM) on Spacelab D2 (Apr. 1993));
- Russian satellites Foton (OmegaHab/AquaHab on Foton M3 (Sep. 2007); Fluid Physics Facility on Foton-12 (Sep. 1999);
- ESA aircraft parabolic flights (Microgravity Measurement Systems and Isolation Systems (1985-94); Microgravity Combustion facilities for first European microgravity combustion experiments (1986-87))
2) ESA aircraft parabolic flight programme: Project Manager and Experiment Coordinator of 1000 experiments on Airbus A310 (ESA/CNES/DLR), Airbus A300 (ESA/CNES), Caravelle (CNES), KC-135, DC-9 (NASA), IL-76 MDK (RKA), Falcon (CSA), including campaign organization, in-flight scientific, technical and operational support to microgravity experiments.

Academic Experience
Visiting Professor
- ESA/ELGRA Gravity-Related Research Summer School, ESA Academy, Redu, Belgium (2016,2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
- University Mapon of Kindu, Rep. Dem. Congo (2018, 2019)
- University of Lisbon, Instituto Superior Técnico, Lisbon, Portugal (2019)
- University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, School of Electrical Engineering, YanQi Campus, Huairou, China (2017, 2018)
- Beihang University and CSU Summer School, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China (2015, 2016, 2017)
- Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain (2016)
- Universite Libre des Pays des Grands Lacs (Free University of the Great Lake States), Goma, Rep. Dem. Congo, (2015)
- University of Kinshasa, School of Integrated Management of Forests and Tropical Territories (ERAIFT), Rep. Dem. Congo (2015)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Polytechnical School, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2014)
- University of Lille, Engineering School ISEN, France (2014)
- Technical University of Munich, Faculty of Astronautics, Germany (2013)
- Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Master in Aerospace Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain (2009, 2016)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2009)
- Free University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, The Netherlands (2009)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Faculty of Medicine, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2007)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Sciences, 3rd cycle in Physical Sciences, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (2006)
- Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Chemistry, Greece (2003)

Visiting Lecturer
- International Space University SSP16, Technion University, Haifa, Israel (2016)
- International Space University SSP14, Ecole de Technologies Supérieures (ETS), Montreal, Canada (2014)
- International Space University SSP13, Campus of Strasbourg, France (2013)
- International Space University SSP12, Florida Institute of Technology, Melbourne, USA (2012)
- International Space University SSP11, Technical University Graz, Austria (2011)
- International Space University, Master Science in Space Studies, ISU, Strasbourg, France (2010)
- University of Antwerp, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Belgium (1996)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dept. Material Sciences, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (1994)
- University of Antwerp, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Belgium (1993)
- University of Bujumbura, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Burundi (1993)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dept. of Mechanics, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (1991)
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (1988)

Assistant Professor
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium;
detached to the University of Kinshasa, Faculty of Sciences, Dept. of Physics, Congo (1982-85)

Research Engineer
- Catholic University of Louvain, Faculty of Agronomy, Dept. of Biometry, Belgium (1981-82)
- Research Engineer, Royal Meteorology Institute, Dept. of External Geophysics, Brussels, Belgium (1980-81)

Research subjects
- Chaotic non-linear dynamics in several fields, in particular for EEG data interpretation (1997-99)
- Ethno-mathematics: new mathematical interpretation of markings on the Ishango bone, the oldest (20 000 years) mathematical tool of mankind (1994-2000)
- Discrete mathematics: distribution and properties of classes of prime numbers, Generalized Mersenne prime numbers, generalization of Fermat's theorem, solutions of Pell’s equation, sums of consecutive squares and of consecutive cubes (since 1991)
- Astrophysics and Celestial Mechanics: planetary and satellite systems, non-randomness of exponential distance relations, hydrodynamics of planetary nebulae and accretion sites, nebular particle motion, quasi-static transition, forecast of Uranus and Neptune new satellites, rings position prior to discovery by Voyager 2 (subject of Ph.D. Thesis); Solar System cosmogony; hydrodynamics of forming proto-planetary and proto-satellite nebulae; quasi-commensurabilities between two and three bodies of the Solar System (1982-90)
- Applied Mathematics and statistics: Fast creation of orthogonal polynomials applied to regressions for multivariate data treatment (1981); Algorithms for linear programming Simplex method applied to problems with integer numbers (1982)
- Geophysics: ionospheric Doppler's effect analysis to evaluate vertical electronic content, algorithms for Transit satellite's orbit forecast (1980-81)
- Astrodynamics and spatial geodesy, modelling of non-gravitational forces, perturbations of CACTUS micro-accelerometer of 10^-11 g resolution, satellite attitude stability, satellite 3-frequency radio antenna design for Doppler effect study (1979-80)
- Aerospace Dynamics: dynamics of tethered satellites, stability analysis and simulation of deployment and retraction (1978-79); aerodynamic modelling and computer simulation of a glider landing (1977-78); magnetohydrodynamics of a cold induction plasma rocket engine (1977-78)

Publications (Total: 636 publications)
6 books; 11 chapter in books; 63 articles in refereed journals (Microgravity Sciences & Technology; Acta Astronautica; Advanced Space Research; J. of Cosmology; J. of Crystal Growth; Fibonacci Quarterly; Forma; Bull. American Soc. Astronomy; Earth, Moon & Planets; Bull. Roy. Belg. Soc. Astronomy); Author of 8th article in Top 25 Hottest Engineering Articles, ScienceDirect (2004); 138 articles in international conferences Proceedings (IAF-IAA, WSEAS, ELGRA, COSPAR, ESA, …); 23 articles on ArXiv, ResearchGate and BibNum; 64 new and 29 extended OEIS sequences; 74 other technical/scientific papers (Wikipedia; Spaceflight; Athena; International Mining; World Mining); 10 ESA Experiment Reports; 12 ESA Technical Reports; 18 articles in ESA publications; 40 ESA e-publications; 81 Technical Documents ; 31 book reviews in Bulletin Belgian Physical Society; Bulletin Royal Belgian Society of Astronomy; 8 Proceedings as Editor; 8 theses and academic works; 3 syllabi; 17 other publications.