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Erik Axdahl

Title: Aerospace Engineer

Dr. Erik L. Axdahl is a member of the Vehicle Analysis Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, in technical leadership roles to the Hypersonic Technology Project and other inter-agency efforts.  

Prior to rejoining the agency, Erik was chief engineer for high speed transportation at Virgin Galactic, with the vision to transform commercial air travel in high speed flight. Prior to joining Virgin Galactic, Erik served as a research aerospace engineer in the Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch at NASA Langley Research Center where he collaborated on national projects in support of hypersonic propulsion and vehicle development. 

Erik is a Senior Member of AIAA, a member of the AIAA High Speed Air Breathing Propulsion technical committee, and was previously that group’s technical discipline chair for AIAA Propulsion and Energy from 2017 to 2020.  Over the course of his career Erik has directly supervised 15 students during their professional development. 

Awards

  • NASA Group Achievement Award (2015, 2022)
  • Mentoring Award, NASA Langley Research Center (2018, 2022)
  • Alumnus, National Academy of Engineering EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium (2017)
  • NASA Langley Center Group Award (2016)

Professional Experience

  • Aerospace Engineer, Vehicle Analysis Branch, NASA Langley Research Center (2021 – Present)
  • Principal Engineer of Advanced Design, Advanced Design Group, Virgin Galactic (2020 – 2021)
  • Propulsion Specialist Engineer, Advanced Design Group, Virgin Galactic (2019 – 2020)
  • Research Aerospace Engineer, Hypersonic Airbreathing Propulsion Branch, NASA Langley Research Center (2020 – 2019)
  • Special Assistant to the Administrator, Office of the Administrator, NASA Headquarters (2014 – 2015)
  • Graduate Research Assistant, School of Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology (in residence at NASA Langley Research Center) (2007 – 2010) 
  • Space Grant Intern, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2007)
  • Langley Aerospace Research Summer Scholar, NASA Langley Research Center (2006)
  • Undergraduate Research Assistant, Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities (2005 – 2007)

Education

  • Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology
  • Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics (Summa Cum Laude and with Distinction), University of Minnesota – Twin Cities

Publications
Peer-Reviewed Conference Papers

  • Erik L. Axdahl, “Shifting data collection from a fixed to an adaptive sampling paradigm,” MODSIM World 2018

Full Conference Papers

  • Cody R. Ground, Tomasz G. Drozda, Karen F. Cabell, and Erik L. Axdahl, “Comparison of several global mixing performance metrics for high-speed fuel injectors.” AIAA SPACE 2018
  • Erik L. Axdahl and Lin Li, “Uninstalled performance predictions of a magnesium-fueled ramjet cycle in carbon dioxide atmospheres.” AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2018
  • (BEST PAPER) Robert A. Baurle and Erik L. Axdahl, “Uncertainty quantification of CFD data generated for a model scramjet isolator flow field.” JANNAF CS/APS/EPSS/PSHS/PIB Joint Subcommittee Meeting 2017
  • Tomasz G. Drozda, Erik L. Axdahl, and Karen F. Cabell, “Pre-test CFD for risk mitigation in the design and execution of the enhanced injection and mixing project at NASA Langley Research Center.” JANNAF CS/APS/EPSS/PSHS Joint Subcommittee Meeting 2014
  • Karen F. Cabell, Tomasz G. Drozda, Erik L. Axdahl, and Paul M. Danehy, “The enhanced injection and mixing project at NASA Langley.” JANNAF CS/APS/EPSS/PSHS Joint Subcommittee Meeting 2014
  • (INVITED) Erik Axdahl, Ajay Kumar, and Alan Wilhite, “Mitigation of autoignition due to premixing in a hypervelocity flow using active wall cooling.” 49th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit 2013
  • Erik Axdahl, Ajay Kumar, and Alan Wilhite, “Study of forebody injection and mixing with application to hypervelocity airbreathing propulsion.” 48th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit 2012
  • Erik Axdahl, Ajay Kumar, and Alan Wilhite, “Study of unsteady, sphere-driven, shock-induced combustion for application to hypervelocity airbreathing propulsion.” 47th Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit 2011
  • John Gaebler, Rafael Lugo, Erik Axdahl, Patrick Chai, Michael Grimes, Matthew Long, Robert Rowland, and Alan Wilhite, “Reusable lunar transportation architecture utilizing orbital propellant depots.” AIAA SPACE 2009
  • Erik Axdahl, Juan R. Cruz, Mark Schoenenberger, and Alan Wilhite, “Flight dynamics of an aeroshell using an attached inflatable aerodynamic decelerator.” 20th AIAA Aerodynamic Decelerator Systems Technology Conference and Seminar 2009

Conference Abstracts

  • Robert A. Baurle and Erik L. Axdahl, “A 2nd Order Uncertainty Quantification Framework Applied to a Turbulence Model Validation Effort,” DATAWorks 2019, Springfield, VA
  • Erik L. Axdahl, “Application of adaptive sampling to advance the meta modeling and uncertainty quantification process.” DATAWorks 2018, Springfield, VA

Technical Reports and Memoranda

  • Erik L. Axdahl, “An automated DAKOTA and VULCAN-CFD framework with application to supersonic facility nozzle flowpath optimization.” NASA-TM-218796, NASA, 2015

Dissertation

  • Erik L. Axdahl, “A study of premixed, shock-induced combustion with application to hypervelocity flight.” PhD thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2013

Oral Presentations and Lectures

  • (INVITED) Erik L. Axdahl, “High speed transportation challenges and opportunities” High Speed Aerospace Transportation Workshop 2022
  • (INVITED) Erik L. Axdahl, “Challenges and opportunities for the future of commercial high speed flight” FastForward Briefing 2020
  • (INVITED) Erik L. Axdahl, “The commercialization of speed”, National Academy of Engineering Transportation Review Board 2020
  • (INVITED) Erik L. Axdahl, “The commercialization of speed”, AIAA SciTech Forum360 2020
  • Erik L. Axdahl, “Scramjet school”, AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019
  • Erik L. Axdahl, “Scramjet school”, AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2018
  • Erik L. Axdahl, “The history and future of hypersonic flight at NASA Langley,” NASA Langley Research Center 100th Anniversary Open House 2017
  • Erik L. Axdahl, “NASA Langley Research Center presents past, present, future of aeronautics — hypersonics,” CNU LifeLong Learning Society Lecture, 2017

Poster Session

  • (INVITED) Erik L. Axdahl, “Access to space with hypersonic airbreathing propulsion.” National Academy of Engineering EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium 2017

Hobbies/Interests
Beekeeping