News & Honors

• Mark Drela was elected a 2023 AIAA Honorary Fellow, and Brian Wardle was elected a 2023 AIAA Fellow. The three new Honorary Fellows and 28 new Fellows will be inducted at a ceremony on May 17 in Arlington, Va.

• David Miller has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering for his contributions in control technology for space-based telescope design, and leadership in cross-agency guidance of space technology. One of the highest professional distinctions for engineers, membership to the NAE is given to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to "engineering research, practice, or education."

• Luca Carlone has been selected as a 2023 Sloan Research Fellow. Sloan Fellowships are given to early-career scholars represent the most promising scientific researchers working today. Their achievements and potential place them among the next generation of scientific leaders in the U.S. and Canada.

• Kerri Cahoy and Sertac Karaman have been promoted to Full Professor as of July 1, 2023.

• Chuchu Fan has received two awards for her research on safe autonomous systems — the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Young Investigator Award and the National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award. Both are prestigious awards given to young faculty members.

• ESL Ph.D. candidate Chloé Gentgen was awarded MIT's Office of Graduate Education Robert B. Guenassia Award. 

• Daniel Erkel, a Ph.D. candidate in the ESL, won the Kennedy Summer Research Scholarship. Erkel plans to work on developing effective space strategies in Taiwan, South Korea and the United Kingdom. 

• Thomas G. Roberts was awarded a ThinkSwiss Research Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation in support of a visiting researcher position at the EPFL Space Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

• Lonnie Petersen was made senior editor for Experimental Physiology, a journal under The Physiological Society. Experimental Physiology focuses on publishing data from space, aviation and other extreme environments. 

• Nichole McGaa '24 has been named a 2023 Brooke Owens Fellow. She will intern at Blue Origin in Denver, Colo. this summer as part of her fellowship.

• Three graduate and two undergraduate students from AeroAstro have been awarded Matthew Isakowitz Fellowships: Ph.D. students Skylar Eiskowitz and Rashmi Ravishankar, Master’s student Clara Ma, and undergraduates Hillel Dei ’24 and Benjamin Rich ’24. 

• Zoltán Spakovszky, Edward Greitzer, Mark Drela, Jinwook Lee (alum) and Jérôme Talbotec (Safran) have received the ASME Gas Turbine Award for their paper "Effects of Surface Waviness on Fan Blade Boundary Layer Transition and Profile Loss — Part I: Methodology and Computational Results." The award will be presented at the ASME Turbo Expo in June.

• Zachary Cordero and the AMSL received a Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concepts Award (NIAC) for their proposal titled “Bend-Forming of Large Electrostatically Actuated Space Structures.”

• Danielle Wood was awarded a NASA Applied Sciences Grant to further work on the Decision Support System for Drought Response in Angola. The project is pursued in collaboration with the Angolan National Space Agency called GGPEN, which will take the lead to coordinate with public and private organizations in Angola that have responsibilities related to drought.

• Nancy Leveson gave an invited presentation on "Risk for Next Generation Nuclear Command, Control, and Communication" to the Science, Technology and Transformation Panel (ST&T) of the Strategic Advisory Group that advises the Commander of United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM).  

• Nancy Leveson gave the keynote address at the 2023 International Council on System Engineering (INCOSE) Workshop on Model Based System Engineering in L.A. She gave an invited tutorial on System Safety at the same workshop.

• Danielle Wood and Minoo Rathnasabapathy (Media Lab) participated in the U.S.-Africa Space Forum as part of the U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit held in Washington D.C. from Dec. 13 — 15.

• The Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets is celebrating its 60th anniversary this year. Editor-in-Chief Olivier de Weck and Deputy Editor Russell Cummings (U.S. Air Force Academy) recently published an editorial commemorating the anniversary.

Research

Rashmi Ravishankar, Elaf Almahmoud, Olivier de Weck and Abdulelah Habib (Center for Complex Engineering Systems) had an article published in Remote Sensing. "Capacity Estimation of Solar Farms Using Deep Learning on High-Resolution Satellite Imagery" provides a method with >95% accuracy to characterize solar farms from high resolution satellite imagery using deep learning, and providing energy production capacity estimation with an average error around 4%.

Ethan Rolland, Olivier de Weck and Maha Haji (Cornell University) had a paper published in the Journal of Field Robotics. "Autonomous control of a prototype solar-powered offshore autonomous underwater vehicle servicing platform via a low-cost embedded architecture" describes the design, implementation and field-testing of a low-cost autonomous control system on the Platform for Expanding Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV) exploRation to Longer ranges (PEARL). PEARL is a floating, solar-powered platform designed as a servicing station for AUVs. This paper describes the field testing of a prototype system currently without the ability to dock and recharge AUVs.

Figure: Three-dimensional CAD model of PEARL 1:2 Froude-scale prototype.

Thomas G. Roberts published a paper, "Mitigating Noncooperative RPOs in Geosynchronous Orbit” in the Æther Journal of Strategic Airpower & Spacepower earlier this year. The paper was co-authored by Kaitlyn Johnson (Center for Strategic and International Studies) and Brian Weeden (Secure World Foundation). 

Charles Dawson, Chuchu Fan and Sicun Gao's (UC San Diego) survey paper has been accepted for publication with IEEE Transactions on Robotics. "Safe Control with Learned Certificates: A Survey of Neural Lyapunov, Barrier, and Contraction methods" covers recent advances at the intersection of control theory and machine learning.

Over the past several years, researchers across the world have begun developing tools that allow for the certification of the safety properties of learned controllers. These methods pair learned controllers with "certificates" — data-driven proofs that the controller will satisfy a given safety property. Building off of their experience working with these certificates in REALM, the survey paper introduces the theory, history, and practical aspects of certificate learning for control. 

REALM recently had two articles accepted for the 2023 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.

"Enforcing safety for vision-based controllers via Control Barrier Functions and Neural Radiance Fields" by Mukun Tong, Charles Dawson and Chuchu Fan seeks to prove the safety of a visual-feedback controller by leveraging recent advances in neural radiance fields (NeRFs), which learn implicit representations of 3D scenes and can render images from previously-unseen camera perspectives, to provide single-step visual foresight for a CBF-based controller, where the CBFs possess a discrete-time nature.

"Density Planner: Minimizing Collision Risk in Motion Planning with Dynamic Obstacles using Density-based Reachability"

Laura Lützow, Yue Meng, Andres Chavez Armijos and Chuchu Fan

Since conservative motion planners are not guaranteed to find a safe control strategy in a crowded, uncertain environment, this paper proposes a density-based method. Their approach uses a neural network and the Liouville equation to learn the density evolution for a system with an uncertain initial state. By applying a gradient-based optimization procedure, they can plan for feasible and probably safe trajectories to minimize the collision risk.

Andrea D’Ambrosio, Simone Servadio, Peng Mun Siew and Richard Linares had a paper published in the Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. "Novel Source–Sink Model for Space Environment Evolution with Orbit Capacity Assessment" analyzes the long-term evolution of the lower earth orbit (LEO) anthropogenic space objects population with the goal of estimating LEO orbital capacity, using a new a new probabilistic source–sink model.

Carmen Guerra-Garcia and the Aerospace Plasma Group contributed to a publication in the Journal of Propulsion and Power led by the Reacting Gas-Dynamics Lab in MechE and in collaboration with FGC Plasma Solutions, Inc. "Control of Large-Amplitude Combustion Oscillations Using Nanosecond Repetitively Pulsed Plasmas" shows advancements in using plasma actuators to suppress combustion dynamics in practical combustion systems. This could lead to emissions reductions from commercial aviation and land-based power production

Danielle Wood and Ufuoma Ovienmhada presented at the 2022 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting in December.

"Applications of the Environment-Vulnerability-Decision-Technology (EVDT) Integrated Analysis Framework to support Biodiversity Management in West Africa" presentation demonstrates that the EVDT Integrated Analysis Framework and the development of decision support tools in Benin and Ghana provide insights relevant to the biodiversity management challenges.

"The Environment-Vulnerability-Decision-Technology Modeling Framework Applied to Environmental Justice Activism in Carceral Landscapes" uses Space Enabled's EVDT modeling framework to study exposure to extreme weather events in carceral landscapes to (1) understand how environmental injustices are brought on through the existence of prisons and (2) understand opportunities for earth observation (EO) to support environmental justice campaigns for incarcerated people.

Olivier de Weck, and Sheng-Hung Lee and Joseph F. Coughlin from the MIT AgeLab wrote an article titled "Applying a system engineering approach to the early stage of product design" in Embracing the Future: Creative Industries for Environment and Advanced Society 5.0 in a Post-Pandemic Era. The purpose of the study is to equip product designers with a holistic system view by applying a system engineering approach, Object-Process Methodology (OPM) pairing with a design thinking process, to the early stage of the product development.

Zeyad Awwad and Olivier de Weck, and Abdulaziz Alharbi and Abdulelah Habib from the Center for Complex Engineering Systems had an article published in Applied Energy. "Economical sizing and multi-azimuth layout optimization of grid-connected rooftop photovoltaic systems using Mixed-Integer Programming" presents a mixed-integer programming (MIP) model to address limitations (maximizing energy generation and neglecting practical aspects, or vice versa) for PV systems installed on flat rooftops.

Lena Marie Downes and Jonathan How, with Ted Steiner and Rebecca Russell from Draper, had a paper accepted to IEEE's 2023 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA). The paper, “Wide-Area Geolocalization with a Limited Field of View Camera,” presents Restricted FOV Wide-Area Geolocalization (ReWAG), a cross-view geolocalization approach that generalizes WAG for use with standard, non-panoramic ground cameras by creating pose-aware embeddings and providing a strategy to incorporate particle pose into the Siamese network. 

Conferences

AIAA SciTech 2023

Washington, D.C.

Wesley Harris delivered the 2023 AIAA Durand Lecture at SciTech. The Durand lecture is presented for notable achievements by a scientific or technical leader whose contributions have led directly to the understanding and application of the science and technology of aeronautics and astronautics for the betterment of humankind.

ACDL

"An Integrated Design Environment for the Engineering Sketch Pad"

John Dannenhoffer (Syracuse University) and Robert Haimes

"A Parametric Design Process Based On Optimization-Guided Incremental Design Decisions"

Dongjoon Lee, Cody Karcher, Robert Haimes, Marshall C. Galbraith and John Dannenhoffer

"High-Fidelity Discontinuous Galerkin Method for Physics-Based Space Weather Modeling"

Jordi Vila-Pérez, Cuong Nguyen and Jaime Peraire

"Implicit Large eddy simulation of hypersonic boundary-layer transition for a flared cone"

Cuong Nguyen, Sebastien Terrana and Jaime Peraire

"Shock capturing for discontinuous Galerkin approximations of hypersonic non-equilibrium flow"

Robert L. Van Heyningen, Cuong Nguyen and Jaime Peraire

"Sonic Boom Propagation using an Output-based Adaptive, Higher-order Finite Element Method"

David L. Darmofal, Steven Allmaras and Marshall Galbraith

Aerospace Plasma Group

"Addressing the Lightning Protection Needs of Novel Aircraft"

Carmen Guerra-Garcia, Samuel Austin, Jaime Peraire and Cuong Nguyen

"Influence of Airflow on Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges"

Carmen Guerra-Garcia, Colin A. Pavan, Sankarsh Rao and Raphaël J. Dijoud

"Modeling Flame Speed Modification by Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges to Inform Experimental Design"

Colin A. Pavan and Carmen Guerra-Garcia

"Numerical model of the initiation and propagation of a radial flame front by NRP discharge"

Raphaël J. Dijoud and Carmen Guerra-Garcia

AMSL

"Compressive Behavior of Isogrid Columns Fabricated with Bend-Forming"

Harsh G. Bhundiya, Fabien Royer and Zachary Cordero

2022 AIAA Spacecraft Structures Best Paper award (pictured)

"Electrostatically Actuated Thin-Shell Space Structures"

Fabien Royer, John Z. Zhang, Kaleb Overby, Elizabeth Y. Zhu, Harsh Bhundiya, Jeffrey Lang and Zachary C. Cordero

"Demonstration of an Electrostatically Actuated Mesh Reflector Antenna with Bend-Forming"

Harsh G. Bhundiya, John Z. Zhang, Kaleb Overby, Fabien Royer, Jeffrey Lang, Zachary C. Cordero, William Moulder, Sungeun K. Jeon and Mark J. Silver

"Frictional Ignition of Metals in High Pressure Oxygen: A Critical Reassessment of NASA Test Data"

Andres Garcia Jimenez and Zachary C. Cordero

ARCLab

"A Koopman-Operator Control Optimization for Relative Motion in Space"

Simone Servadio, Roberto Armellin (University of Auckland) and Richard Linares

"A Method For Generating Closely Packed Orbital Shells And The Implication On Orbital Capacity"

Miles Lifson, David Arnas (Purdue University), Martin Avendaño (Universidad Complutense de Madrid) and Richard Linares

ESL

"Mach 3.5 Compression Corner Control Using Micro-Vortex Generators"

Daniel C. Gochenaur, Rhys D. Williams (University of Cambridge), Kshitij Sabnis (University of Cambridge) and Holger Babinsky (University of Cambridge)

ICAT

"A Multidisciplinary Analysis of a Stratospheric Airborne Climate Observatory System for Key Climate Risk Areas"

Annick Dewald and R J. Hansman

ISN

"A Discontinuous-Galerkin, Lagrangian Therm-chemo-mechanical Material Response Solver for the Analysis of Ablative Thermal Protection Systems"

Christopher T. Quinn, Daniel N. Pickard and Raul Radovitzky

Won Lockheed Martin Student Paper Award in Structures

"Hybrid Discontinuous Galerkin Process Zone Model for Thermal Stress Induced Fractures and Fracture Reduced Heat Transfer"

Daniel N. Pickard, Christopher T. Quinn and Raul Radovitzky

nectslab

"Enhanced Manufacturing of Complex Shape Composites with Nano-Porous Networks"

Carina Xiaochen Li, Carlos Catalano, Carolina Furtado, Estelle Kalfon-Cohen, Shannon Cassady, Jeonyoon Lee, Seth Kessler and Brian L. Wardle

"Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube/Bismaleimide Nanocomposite Laminates with Ultrahigh Nanofiber Volume Fraction"

Chloe Curtis-Smith (University of Oxford), Marianna Rogers, Jingyao Dai, Erick Gonzalez, Carina Xiaochen Li, Yuying Lin, Ashley L. Kaiser, Jeonyoon Lee and Brian Wardle

"Fabrication and Characterization of Carbon Nanotube/Silicon Carbide Nanocomposite Laminates"

Jingyao Dai, Luiz Acauan, Shaan Jagani, Palak Patel, Veera Panova and Brian L. Wardle

"Out of Autoclave Manufacturing of Void-free Woven Aerospace-grade Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic Composite Laminates Using Capillary Effects of Aerogel Nanoporous Networks"

Jingyao Dai, Alisa Webb, Jeonyoon Lee, Lauren Randaccio (Aerogel Technologies LLC), Justin Griffin (Aerogel Technologies LLC), Steven A. Steiner (Aerogel Technologies LLC) and Brian L. Wardle

SPL

"Angular Properties of Ionic Liquid Electrospray Emitters"

Madeleine Schroeder, Ximo Gallud Cidoncha, Amelia Bruno, Oliver Jia-Richards (University of Michigan) and Paulo Lozano

SPARKLab

"Vision-Based Terrain Relative Navigation on High Altitude Balloon and Sub-Orbital Rocket"

Dominic R. Maggio, Courtney Mario (Draper), Brett Streetman (Draper), Ted Steiner (Draper) and Luca Carlone

SSL

"Flexible Design for an in-Space Assembled Telescope"

Rosemary Davidson and David W. Miller

AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting

Austin, Tex.

Students from ARCLab and the SSL traveled to the 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting in Austin, Tex. to present their work.

"An Investigation On Space Debris Of Unknown Origin Using Proper Elements And Neural Networks"

Di Wu and Aaron Rosengren

"Applications of Reflective Control Devices for Position and Attitude Control in the Sun-Earth Lagrange Points"

Alejandro Cabrales Hernandez

"Computation of Quasi-periodic Orbits in the Zonal Harmonics Problem"

Julia Pasiecznik, Celina Pasiecznik, Miles Lifson and Richard Linares

"Monte Carlo Methods To Model The Evolution Of The Low Earth Orbit Population"

Daniel Jang, Davide Gusmini, Peng Mun Siew, Andrea D'Ambrosio, Simone Servadio, Pablo Machuca and Richard Linares

"Optimal Target Selection for an Active Debris Removal Mission"

Simone Servadio, Theo St. Francis, Nihal Simha, Davide Gusmini, Daniel Jang, Andrea D'Ambrosio and Richard Linares

"The Effects Of Raising And Decay In Orbital Capacity Models"

Davide Gusmini, Andrea D'Ambrosio, Simone Servadio, Peng Mun Siew, Richard Linares and Pierluigui Di Lizia

"Tracing Position in the Regime of the Restricted ThreeBody Problem to a Halo Orbit"

Hailee Hettrick, Begum Cannataro and David Miller