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The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) was the top ranked large space mission in the 2010 New Worlds, New Horizons decadal survey, and it was formed by merging the science programs of 3 different mission concepts, including the…
This paper presents the design, development, and application of a novel space simulation environment for rapidly prototyping and testing flight software for distributed space systems. The environment combines the flexibility, determinism,…
Fast catching of free-flying objects is difficult because of short reaction time, impact uncertainty, and kinodynamic constraints. We use reinforcement learning in simulation to collect successful catching trajectories and learn a…
Inspired by birds flying through cluttered environments such as dense forests, this paper studies the theoretical foundations of a novel motion planning problem: high-speed navigation through a randomly-generated obstacle field when only…
Spectrometers based on the magnetic adiabatic collimation followed by an electrostatic filter (MAC-E-filter) principle combine high angular acceptance with an excellent energy resolution. These features make MAC-E-filters very valuable for…
The millimeter/sub-millimeter (mm/sub-mm) sky remains a rich but under-explored frontier for transient and variable phenomena. A wide-field, high-sensitivity instrument with a large aperture and degree-scale field of view would open this…
Conventional formation methods typically rely on fixed hierarchical structures, such as predetermined leaders or predefined formation shapes. These rigid hierarchies can render formations cumbersome and inflexible in complex environments,…
A technique that allows a Formation-Enforcing Control (FEC) derived from graph rigidity theory to interface with a realistic relative localization system onboard lightweight Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) is proposed in this paper. The…
LOFAR, the "low-frequency array", will be one of the first in a new generation of radio telescopes and Square Kilometer Array (SKA) pathfinders that are highly flexible in capability because they are largely software driven. LOFAR will not…
Space-borne quantum technologies, particularly those based on atom interferometry, are heralding a new era of strategic and robust space exploration. The unique conditions of space, characterized by low noise and low gravity environments,…
This paper investigates the robust nonlinear close formation control problem. It aims to achieve precise position control at dynamic flight operation for a follower aircraft under the aerodynamic impact due to the trailing vortices…
Using the effective field theory framework for extended objects we describe the evolution of spinning compact objects in the late inspiral of the coalescence of a binary, before the plunge and merger, by including leading order corrections…
This paper presents a data-driven optimal control policy for a micro flapping wing unmanned aerial vehicle. First, a set of optimal trajectories are computed off-line based on a geometric formulation of dynamics that captures the nonlinear…
Optically active spin defects in solids are promising platforms for quantum technologies. Here, we present a first-principles framework to investigate intersystem crossing processes, which represent crucial steps in the optical…
The Astronomy and Astrophysics Decadal Survey's highest recommended space mission was a Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) to efficiently conduct three kinds of studies: dark energy surveys, exoplanet surveys, and guest surveys.…
Star formation is a multi-scale problem, and only global simulations that account for the connection from the molecular cloud scale gas flow to the accreting protostar can reflect the observed complexity of protostellar systems.…
Asteroseismology provides us with a unique opportunity to improve our understanding of stellar structure and evolution. Recent developments, including the first systematic studies of solar-like pulsators, have boosted the impact of this…
A key challenge for starshades is formation flying. To successfully image exoplanets, the telescope boresight and starshade must be aligned to ~1 m at separations of tens of thousands of kilometers. This challenge has two parts: first, the…
Fixed-wing aerial vehicles provide an efficient way to navigate long distances or cover large areas for environmental monitoring applications. By design, they also require large open spaces due to limited maneuverability. However, strict…
FLARE (First Light And Reionization Explorer) is a space mission that will be submitted to ESA (M5 call). Its primary goal (about 80% of lifetime) is to identify and study galaxies that dwell in the universe before the end of the…