Eagles Work to Optimize Spacecraft Operation in Latest Research Publications

New findings recently published by researchers at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University could have significant influence on the methods used to control the flight of vehicles in space.

Researchers working with Dr. Morad Nazari in his Dynamics and Control Systems Laboratory published their work in two different peer-reviewed journals, Acta Astronautica and the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications. Both journal articles listed as first author Dr. Brennan McCann, who earned his Ph.D. at Embry-Riddle in December 2023 and currently works at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

Referring to the Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications article, McCann said, “This has a lot of applications for things such as spacecraft path planning, guidance and trajectory optimization. We’ve applied these techniques to those types of scenarios in other conference publications, but this journal article lays the mathematical foundation necessary to enable those types of developments.”

Dr. Morad Nazari, associate professor of Aerospace Engineering, said the research, titled “Numerical Approaches for Constrained and Unconstrained, Static Optimization on the Special Euclidean Group,” could even apply beyond space operations, providing potential advancements in other fields, including underwater vehicles and autonomous systems.

Nazari said the research published in Acta Astronautica, titled “Mass Property Estimation on TSE(3) via Unscented Kalman Filter Using RCS Thrusters,” provides a “practical” solution to another significant challenge in space missions — estimating the mass properties of spacecraft. Embry-Riddle Ph.D. student Matthew Wittal, who works at the Kennedy Space Center, is also an author on the Acta Astronautica paper.

“This leads to more precise and reliable estimations,” Nazari said. “Accurate mass property estimation is crucial for different aspects of spacecraft operations, including stability, control and fuel efficiency.”

Such estimations come into play especially when a spacecraft’s mass properties change because of cargo distribution, such as when a vehicle undocks from the International Space Station, a spacecraft picks up space debris or when the OSIRIS-REx mission acquired a sample from the asteroid Bennu.

“The capability of providing an accurate estimation of the mass properties of a space vehicle that may undergo changes in mass properties during space operations can be useful in a multitude of scenarios,” said Marco Fagetti, who is earning his doctorate and is listed as an author on the Acta Astronautica paper. “If these changes are significant enough, they can have serious impacts on the motion and safety of the vehicle and overall success of the mission."

Fagetti expressed great enthusiasm for the research.

“This research serves as valuable foundation for many interesting avenues of future research and applications for operations in space,” he said. “It is very exciting to watch and contribute to the research’s progression from theoretical simulations to practical application someday in the future.”

Dr. Jeremy Ernst, vice president for research and doctoral programs at Embry-Riddle, extolled the value of the research — to space missions and students.

"The publications by Dr. Nazari and his team demonstrate our institution's research contributions and their potential space mission utility," Ernst said. "These are the types of impactful research opportunities that we aim to provide for Embry-Riddle students."

Posted In: Engineering | Research | Space