Navigation, Guidance, Control and Dynamics Commons^™

Investigation Of Bio-Inspired Design Tools In Satellites, Spoorti Nanjamma

Discovery Day - Daytona Beach

This study investigates the application of Biologically Inspired Design (BID) tools within student-led satellite design teams, with the goal of enhancing early-stage systems engineering practices. As CubeSat missions become increasingly complex and resource-constrained, there is a need for approaches that support innovative yet structured problem-solving. While BID has shown promise in other engineering domains, its practical integration into satellite design, remains limited. To address this gap, three interactive workshops were developed and implemented with a Embry-Riddle Aeronautical university CubeSat team – Project COMET. The first workshop focused on functional decomposition, guiding students to express subsystem behavior in verb–noun form and …

Noise-Optimized Routes For Air Taxi, Waleed Raza

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Community noise is a primary barrier to the public acceptance and deployment of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) air taxi operations. This dissertation develops a coupled siting, routing, and noise optimization framework that links vertiport placement to its downstream acoustic consequences, demonstrated through a Daytona Beach case study. Candidate vertiports are screened and selected using accessibility, safety, demand, and feasibility criteria, and the selected sites form a directed network of 20 routes. Each trajectory is evaluated with a physics-based acoustic pipeline reporting Lmax, SEL, and EPNL at school, hospital, and residential receptors, showing that received exposure …

Optimal Integrated Cfd-Gnc Model For Drag-Based Reentry Dynamics, Sebastian Lopez

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This research focuses on optimizing the control of a drag-maneuvering, Starship-class re-entry vehicle by closely integrating high-fidelity aerodynamic data derived from Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, specifically using StarCCM+. The aerodynamic models, tailored to the unique geometry of a drag-maneuvering body, are seamlessly incorporated into a guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) framework. This integration enables closed-loop CFD simulations with real-time control feedback, allowing for direct analysis and optimization of vehicle stability, trajectory, and control demands throughout the re-entry process.

Building upon the work of Gaglio and Bevilacqua, this advanced CFD-GNC model introduces high-order aerodynamic effects, such as aerodynamic moments and …

System Integration And Validation Of The Cal Poly Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator Mk. Iv, Bricen S. Rigby

Master's Theses

The Cal Poly Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics Simulator (SADS) is an ongoing project that seeks to enable the simulation and validation of sensors, actuators, and control logic related to spacecraft attitude control. The SADS platform rests atop a spher- ical air-bearing device which allows for nearly frictionless rotation in all three axes. The orientation of the platform is controlled by four reaction wheels arranged in a pyramidal configuration. Over the past few years, there have been significant updates to the reaction wheel subsystem, as well as requests for a more capable central com- puter. Therefore, a new system architecture for the …

Nozzle Erosion Reconstruction Model For Data Analysis In Rocket Engines And Correlation With Chamber Pressure, Ryan J. Thibaudeau, Stephen A. Whitmore

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Student Publications and Presentations

Graphite nozzles remain the dominant choice for small hybrid and solid rocket motors operating on laboratory and university budgets, owing to their low cost, ease of machining, and rapid turnaround during iterative design campaigns. These same programs, however, must contend with the fact that graphite erodes through coupled thermochemical and mechanical mechanisms when exposed to the oxidizing species generated by high-energy propellant combustion, and the resulting throat-area growth fundamentally alters the time histories of chamber pressure, thrust, and delivered specific impulse. This paper presents a nozzle-erosion reconstruction model that extracts the time-resolved throat area from coupled thrust and chamber-pressure measurements …

Development Of A Free-Floating Space Robotic Simulator, Truman: Terrestrial Robotic Unit For Multibody Analysis And Navigation, Jackson W. Cordova

Master's Theses

This work describes the development of a 3 Degree-of-Freedom (DOF) robotic manipulator for use on a free-floating planar air-bearing vehicle. The system developed aims to serve as a foundation for future space robotics research at the California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly)’s Space Robotics Laboratory. Systems doc- umentation describes conceptual operation and architecture of the proposed system: Terrestrial Robotic Unit for Multibody Analysis and Navigation (TRUMAN). The key operation of TRUMAN is to study a self launch maneuver of a free-floating ve- hicle including 4 distinct phases: launch off a fixed rail, coast, reorientation using manipulator motion, and capture of …

Spaceotter: A Floating Spacecraft Simulator Air Bearing Vehicle For Hardware-In-The-Loop Experiments And Research, Alexander Debartolo

Master's Theses

Growing interest in nanosatellites has increased demand for accessible ground-testing methods, which have historically been expensive and restricted. Floating Spacecraft Simulators (FSS), built around Air Bearing Vehicles (ABVs), address this gap by approximating a zero-gravity, friction-minimized environment suitable for testing spacecraft control systems, robotics, and propulsion on the ground.

This thesis presents the design, realization, and initial performance characterization of the Space Optically Tracked Testbed for Experiments and Research (SpaceOTTER) ABV, developed for the Cal Poly Space Robotics Lab. SpaceOTTER is the first step toward emulating the 3 degree of freedom (3-DOF) planar dynamics of a simulated spacecraft and is …

Hamster: Hybrid-Actuated Mobile Spherical Terrain Exploration Rover, Winnie Gao

Master's Theses

The expansion of space exploration to increasingly challenging planetary environments requires mobility systems capable of extreme traversal capabilities and operational reliability. This thesis presents the design, development, and testing of a low-cost Hybrid-Actuated Mobile Spherical Terrain Exploration Rover (HAMSTER) intended for use on a planetary surface exploration mission. HAMSTER uses a pendulum-based actuation method for steering and an actuated internal shaft to propel the vehicle forward. The internal structure includes a two-tiered central case composed of the navigation control module, accelerometer, motor controller, primary DC motor, battery, voltage regulators, Raspberry Pi, pendulum servo motor, and drive shafts. Additive manufacturing through …

Evaluating Runtime Monitoring For Reinforcement Learning-Based Flight Control, Andrew Zubyk

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

Ensuring safety in adaptive flight controls systems is an ongoing challenge in aviation, especially as advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML) trend upwards. Reinforcement learning is becoming more common in aerospace applications due to the ability to improve these models through training.  While models such as reinforcement learning enable controllers to learn complex behaviors from interaction with the environment, their unpredictability in novel or disturbed conditions raises severe concerns in safety-critical domains. This research investigates the integration of runtime monitoring, a real-time assurance technique, with reinforcement learning-based flight controllers to ensure safety and reliability during flight. By supervising …

Students For The Exploration And Development Of Space (Seds) Air Brake Subsystem: High-Altitude Autonomous Apogee Modulator System For High-Powered Rockets (Haamshr), Camden J. Maclean, Matthew Wharton, Nick Revis, Colin Guido

Honors Theses and Capstones

The objective of this project was to research, design, fabricate, and analyze an autonomous apogee modulation air brake system for the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Students for Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) high-powered rocket as competitors in the Friends of Amateur Rocketry – Oxidizers Uninhibited Tournament (FAR-OUT) competition.

This air brake system would be developed with considerations for full autonomy, structural reliability, and repeatable deployment. The design would also be easily integrated into the existing high-powered rocket airframe and mechanically simple to increase reliability and practical functionality. The final design would be evaluated using finite element analysis simulation …

Understanding Policy Transfer Under Decomposition And Coordination: Sequential Reinforcement Learning With Relaxation-Based Feasibility Control, Aannand Lal

All Theses

This thesis investigates how decomposition and coordination (D&C) choices influence exploration, learning, and transfer in reinforcement learning (RL) based design frameworks. A unified methodology is developed to evaluate generality under decomposition and to demonstrate sequential coordination on a representative physical task. The generality study holds the underlying physics constant while varying problem presentation - specifically scalarization weights, objective orientations, and feasibility handling. A train-evaluate matrix is constructed in which each trained policy is assessed across all alternative decompositions. Set-based diagnostics quantify generality through exact-match identity, Jaccard similarity of distinct feasible states, total feasible coverage, and Pareto-front quality. Results show that …

Orbital Maneuvers And Interplanetary Trajectory Design Via Reinforcement Learning, Roberto Cuéllar Rangel

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

This dissertation investigates the application of reinforcement learning (RL) to the design and optimization of low-thrust spacecraft trajectories, with an emphasis on autonomy, adaptability, and robustness in the presence of system uncertainties and unmodeled perturbations. Classical approaches to low-thrust trajectory design are predominantly grounded in optimal control theory, which relies on the availability of precise dynamical models and often requires problem-specific reformulation and solver tuning. While optimal control methods offer high accuracy under deterministic conditions, their sensitivity to stochastic disturbances and computational limitations in highly nonlinear or uncertain environments pose significant challenges for future autonomous space missions.

To address these …

Towards Visual Inertial Navigation With Fixed Tetrahedral Targets, Joao Leonardo Silva Cotta

Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation presents a robust method for 6DoF position estimation under impaired visual conditions utilizing a minimum 4-point Perspective-n-Point (P4P) solver designed for tetrahedral targets. Using SO(3) × R 3 instead of SE(3), the method uses a Lie group-based formulation to discriminate between rotation and translation, thereby enabling computationally efficient, resource-conscious op- optimization while preserving correct geometric behavior. Designed using the contemporary C++17 library ShomerTarget, the solver is analytically formulated and assessed under pragmatic robotic conditions. Particularly in low-light and high-dynamic environments, experiments on embedded systems, UAVs, and NASA’s Astrobee show that the proposed solver attains enhanced accuracy compared to …

Choosing Robust Leadership: Encompassing The Best-Of-N Model And Swarm Intelligence Optimization For Heterogeneous Multiple Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Systems, Kudamuhandiramlage Harith Kolitha Warnakulasooriya

Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum Presentations

Presentation slides for a presentation given at the 1st annual Shelby Hall Graduate Research Forum at the University of South Alabama.

Simulation-To-Hardware Validation Of Mpc For Binary Thruster 2d Cubesat Control, Aevar Amundinusarson Oefjoerd

Theses and Dissertations--Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Small satellites must execute precise, fuel-limited maneuvers under strict actuation and operational constraints. Model Predictive Control (MPC) is a suitable approach because it optimizes future actions while explicitly enforcing these limits. This work evaluates (1) whether MPC can operate in real time using binary (on/off), asymmetric thrusters, and (2) whether a high-fidelity digital twin can be used to tune and validate the controller prior to hardware testing.

An MPC framework was implemented on a planar satellite prototype that floats on air bearings, operates at 16.7 Hz (60 ms period), and uses eight binary thrusters exhibiting up to 13.2% variation in …

Parameter Estimation Of A 100 Seater Simulated Passenger Aircraft, Michael James Winston

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Virtual flight test aircraft provide good opportunities to test new parameter estimation methods. However, good estimates for the parameters in VIRTTAC Castor, a virtual test aircraft, are unavailable. This thesis uses two well-established time domain methods, the Output Error Method and the Filter Error Method, to estimate the parameters of VIRTTAC Castor. Three standard maneuvers were used: Elevator 3-2-1-1, Rudder Doublet, and Aileron Multi-Step. The parameters were estimated across three different flight conditions: weight, altitude and air speed, which resulted in 27 tests for each maneuver. All parameters, and standard deviations estimated are included in the appendix as a table.

An Operational Field Study: A Comparison Of Piloting Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles And Uncrewed Aircraft Systems, David Thirtyacre, Joseph Cerreta, Pete Miller, Kimberly Luthi, Jolee Thirtyacre

Publications

and operations, the ability to cross-train personnel in both Uncrewed Underwater Vehicles and Small Uncrewed Aircraft System operations has become a focal point for efficiency and workforce optimization. This study presents a comparative analysis of the operational and human factor considerations involved in piloting mini UUV and sUASs, highlighting the key similarities and differences in control methods, environmental influences, navigation, emergency procedures, and situational awareness. A qualitative experimental field study was conducted between July 2024 and October 2024, involving real-world deployments of both systems in maritime and aerial environments. Findings indicated that while UUV and sUAS operators relied on remote …

Theory And Algorithms To Learn, Propagate, And Exploit Uncertainty For Stochastic Optimal Control Of Dynamical Systems, Vignesh Sivaramakrishnan

Electrical and Computer Engineering ETDs

Non-Gaussian uncertainty frequently arises in learning and control problems involving stochastic dynamical systems, particularly in autonomous vehicles, UAVs, satellites, and robotics. In this dissertation, we propose a new framework that leverages characteristic functions that provides a frequency-domain representation of random variables. The dissertation is structured into three key areas. First, we address model-based stochastic optimal control for linear systems with non-Gaussian noise, demonstrating that characteristic functions can be used to enforce chance constraints and control systems toward desired distributions. Second, we explore data-driven stochastic control, utilizing empirical characteristic functions to handle systems with unknown disturbances. In addition, we derive several …

Exploring The Feasibility Of The Resonance Corridor Method For Post Mission Disposal Of High-Leo Constellations, Payton G. Porter

Master's Theses

In the upcoming decade, the proliferation of high-LEO constellations is expected to exceed 20,000 objects, yet comprehensive Post Mission Disposal (PMD) strategies for these constellations are currently lacking. With the inherent challenges of efficiently deorbiting satellites from High-LEO orbits, there arises an urgent need to explore innovative approaches. Building upon insights garnered from the ReDSHIFT project and anticipating the proliferation of high-LEO constellations such as OneWeb, TeleSat, and GuoWang, this thesis delves into the potential viability of the Resonance Corridor Method for PMD. The investigation encompasses key metrics, including deorbit timelines and $\Delta v$ requirements to meet regulatory standards or …

Optimizing Multi-Agent Network For Target Localization Through Mutual Information Maximization, Bibek Adhikari

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Theses - Archive

A multi-agent network is a system comprising multiple interacting agents that coexist collaboratively within a networked, autonomous environment. The thesis addresses the target localization problem using a multi-rover network, described as autonomous agents, using an information-theoretic distributed control framework. The objective of the mission, through the integration of the particle filter representation of the posterior probability distribution of the target state and the observable, is to compute control input to arrange agents’ locations, maximizing the mutual information between the target’s position and sensor measurements. Consequently, the method leads to future observation which minimizes the future uncertainty of the target state. …

External Runtime Execution Monitoring Of A Cyber Physical System Via Trace Interfaces, Peter Vaughan Truslow

Theses and Dissertations

In the past two decades, Unmanned Aerial Systems have progressed from expensive military hardware or one-off custom builds, to include off-the-shelf drones that can be purchased for a rather affordable price and flown by nearly anyone. As the technology and performance have improved, the door is opened to applications that require operation in environments where the consequences for failure are high, such as operating in the navigable airspace or in urban environments, or with human passengers. This requires a great deal of trust in the reliability and integrity of the control systems of the aircraft. A method of monitoring the …

Testing And Implementation Of Attitude Determination & Control System For Arksat-1 Cubesatellite, Cassandra Sands

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

ARKSAT-1 is a CubeSatellite (CubeSat) developed at the University of Arkansas and launched to the International Space Station on SpaceX mission SPX-27 launching from Kennedy Space Center as part of the NASA’s 8th CubeSat Launch Initiative CSLI-8. ARKSAT-1’s payload features a high-powered LED, the Solid State Inflatable Balloon (SSIB) deorbiting system applicable to small satellites, and a series of InfraRed and Visible cameras. To point the LED or take images of desired observational targets, the spacecraft will need to be able to determine its orientation within its orbit, as well as rotate. This will be achieved through the use of …

Kwad - Ksu All Weather Autonomous Drone, Nick Farinacci, Sebastian Gomez, Stewart Baker, Ed Sheridan

Symposium of Student Scholars

"KWAD" or "KSU all-Weather Autonomous Drone" project was sponsored by Ultool, LLC to the KSU Research and Service Foundation to create a lightweight drone capable of capturing HD video during all-weather operations. The conditions of all-weather operation include rainfall of one inch per hour and wind speeds of up to twenty miles per hour. In addition, a global minimum structural safety factor of two is required to ensure the system's integrity in extreme weather conditions. Potential mission profiles include autonomous aerial delivery, topological mapping in high moisture areas, security surveillance, search and rescue operations, emergency transportation of medical supplies, and …

Design And Implementation Of A Launching Method For Free To Oscillate Dynamic Stability Testing, Kristen M. Carey

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Magnetic Suspension and Balance Systems (MSBS) allow for static, forced oscillation and free to oscillate dynamic stability testing in a wind tunnel without the need for a physical support. The objectives of study are to assist in the application of the free to oscillate testing method in an MSBS to determine dynamic stability characteristics for various re-entry capsule designs.

This thesis discusses the development and testing of a launching method called the grabber for use in the MSBS Subsonic Wind Tunnel at NASA Langley Research Center. Aerodynamic tests were run to support the use of this method and compare the …

Crazyflie 2.1 Quadcopter Nonlinear System Identification, Nhat V. Nguyen, Hope Storro, John Plimpton

2023 Symposium

Quadcopters (quad) are used widely in many industries with crucial applications such as infrastructure inspection or package delivery. The Crazyflie 2.1 quad from Bitcraze provides an excellent platform for research and development. In this project, our goal is to perform system identification on the Crazyflie to propose a complete model. A gray box method is explored, which includes leveraging the parameters that are already known, to develop a set of equations. Through theory, simulations, and measurements, a complete quadcopter model is developed.

Distributed Control Of Servicing Satellite Fleet Using Horizon Simulation Framework, Scott Plantenga

Master's Theses

On-orbit satellite servicing is critical to maximizing space utilization and sustainability and is of growing interest for commercial, civil, and defense applications. Reliance on astronauts or anchored robotic arms for the servicing of next-generation large, complex space structures operating beyond Low Earth Orbit is impractical. Substantial literature has investigated the mission design and analysis of robotic servicing missions that utilize a single servicing satellite to approach and service a single target satellite. This motivates the present research to investigate a fleet of servicing satellites performing several operations for a large, central space structure.

This research leverages a distributed control approach, …

Missile Modeling And Simulation Of Nominal And Abnormal Scenarios Resulting From External Damage, James Manuel Floyd Iii

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

This thesis presents the development of a six-degree-of-freedom flight simulation environment for missiles and the application thereof to investigate the flight performance of missiles when exposed to external damage. The simulation environment was designed to provide a realistic representation of missile flight dynamics including aerodynamic effects, flight control systems, and self-guidance. The simulation environment was designed to be modular, expandable, and include realistic models of external damage to the missile body obtained by adversarial counteraction.

The primary objective of this research was to examine missile flight performance when subjected to unspecified external damage, including changes in trajectory, stability, and controllability, …

Assessing The Performance Of A Particle Swarm Optimization Mobility Algorithm In A Hybrid Wi-Fi/Lora Flying Ad Hoc Network, William David Paredes

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Research on Flying Ad-Hoc Networks (FANETs) has increased due to the availability of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and the electronic components that control and connect them. Many applications, such as 3D mapping, construction inspection, or emergency response operations could benefit from an application and adaptation of swarm intelligence-based deployments of multiple UAVs. Such groups of cooperating UAVs, through the use of local rules, could be seen as network nodes establishing an ad-hoc network for communication purposes.

One FANET application is to provide communication coverage over an area where communication infrastructure is unavailable. A crucial part of a FANET implementation is …

To The Moon: Strategic Competition In The Cislunar Region, Shawn M. Willis

Faculty Publications

China’s advancing space capabilities, particularly in the cislunar region, call for increased cislunar space domain awareness on the part of the United States. US military and civilian decisionmakers must take into account the full scope of China’s cislunar plans and capabilities as the military builds space strategies and future force designs. The United States must also increase near-term investments that support more robust cislunar space domain awareness.

On-Board Artificial Intelligence For Failure Detection And Safe Trajectory Generation, Eduardo Morillo

Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses

The use of autonomous flight vehicles has recently increased due to their versatility and capability of carrying out different type of missions in a wide range of flight conditions. Adequate commanded trajectory generation and modification, as well as high-performance trajectory tracking control laws have been an essential focus of researchers given that integration into the National Air Space (NAS) is becoming a primary need. However, the operational safety of these systems can be easily affected if abnormal flight conditions are present, thereby compromising the nominal bounds of design of the system's flight envelop and trajectory following. This thesis focuses on …