Solar Sailcraft Uncertainty

I wrote my Master's thesis on uncertainty modeling for solar sailcraft in the near-Earth environment under the supervision of the brillian solar sailing researchers Dr. Jeannete Heiligers and Livio Carzana at the Delft University of Technology.

 

This research employed a complex method of stochastic process uncertainty analysis to study the effect of uncertain attitude on solar sailcraft. Results were produced in collaboration with the ACS3 NASA mission.

 

Results were presented at the 6th International Symposium on Space Sailing, with a corresponding publication in the proceedings

Small Body Gravitational Models

During my fourth year of undegraduate studies I was awarded the "Collaboration" grant to conduct research at the Aerospace Engineering department of my university

 

I collaborated with Dr. Manuel Sanjurjo Rivo and Dr. Pablo Machuca on a trade-off analysis of existing gravity models for small bodies, and in the proposal of a new approach

 

The main conclusions of our work can be seen on the slideshow to the left!

 

Given the high accuracy of the original gravity model we propose, I was invited to present our findings as a technical presenter at the International Astronautical Conference in Dubai, with a corresponding publication in the proceedings

MOLTO-AST

Writing an undegraduate thesis was a requirement for the completion of my Bachelor's. I chose to focus my research for this thesis on developing trajectory optimizers for missions around small bodies

 

The algorithm developed, named Multi-Objective Low Thrust Trajectory Optimizer for Asteroids (MOLTO-AST), allows users to perform fast preliminary mission design

 

More details on the tool can be seen on the slideshow to the right!

 

I wrote this thesis with the help of Dr. Manuel Sanjurjo Rivo and Dr. Pablo Machuca, and upon completion, I was evaluated with the highest possible grade

Human Rights in Space

I firmly believe that the exploration of the cosmos should be done peacefully and for the benefit of humankind

 

As a reflection of these beliefs, I wrote an article for the European Space Policy Institute on the dangers of private activity in space in relation to fundamental human rights violations

 

The article is available here