About
About
Dr. Marshall H. Kaplan
Dr. Kaplan is an aerospace technology and capture consultant, patent evaluation and expert witness, aircraft/spacecraft anomaly investigator. He has performed many aerospace concept due diligence investigations. He has extensive experience in cases of patent infringement, aviation accident reconstruction, launch vehicle and spacecraft anomaly and collision investigation, aerospace systems evaluations, patent ex parte challenges, new aerospace systems evaluations, and aerospace systems contract disputes.
Education
PhD – Aero and Astro Sciences, Stanford University;
MS – Aero and Astro Engineering, MIT;
BS– Aeronautical Engineering, Wayne State Univ.
Deposed and testified in federal court several times.
Additional Information
Summary of Expert witness experience:
- Over 30 years of expert witness experience
- Principal patent witness on several satellite technology infringement cases
- Successfully carried out an important reusable launch vehicle ex parte patent challenge
- Served in aircraft accident and MRO compliant cases
- Deposed many times in multi-hundred-million-dollar cases
- Testified in Federal District Court
- Served as a technical consultant in a major technology export violation case
Dr. Marshall H. Kaplan is a highly respected aerospace engineer, consultant, and expert witness with over 30 years of experience in aerospace technology, forensic analysis, and litigation support. He specializes in patent evaluations, aviation and space anomaly investigations, and contract disputes, providing expert guidance in complex legal and technical matters.
Dr. Kaplan holds a Ph.D. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Sciences from Stanford University, along with degrees from MIT and Wayne State University. He served as a tenured professor at Penn State and has been a chief engineer on multiple launch vehicle programs. As a senior advisor to NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense, he has contributed to critical aerospace projects and advanced space technologies.
A multi-engine, instrument-rated pilot with over 4,000 flight hours, Dr. Kaplan possesses deep expertise in aircraft systems, spacecraft dynamics, orbital mechanics, and propulsion. His expert witness experience includes patent infringement cases, aviation accident reconstructions, launch vehicle failures, and high-stakes federal litigation. He has been deposed in multi-million-dollar cases and has testified in Federal District Court.
Dr. Kaplan is a Fellow of both the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the American Astronautical Society. He has authored multiple books, including Modern Spacecraft Dynamics and Control and SPACE SHUTTLE: America’s Wings to the Future, and holds several aerospace-related patents. His extensive background makes him a trusted authority in aerospace consulting, forensic investigations, and expert testimony.
Books
Modern Spacecraft Dynamics and Control, M. H. Kaplan
SPACE SHUTTLE: America’s Wings to the Future, M. H. Kaplan
Acquiring Major Systems Contracts: Bidding Methods and Winning Strategies, M. H. Kaplan
Patent Examples
Attitude Acquisition Maneuver for a Bias Momentum Spacecraft
Apparatus and Methods for Orbital Debris Removal
Apparatus and Methods for Creating Artificial Geosynchronous Orbits