Related papers: Gradient based reachability analysis for goal-orie…
Autonomous orbit determination via integration of epoch-differenced gravity gradients and starlight refraction is proposed in this paper for low-Earth-orbiting satellites operating in GPS-denied environments. The starlight refrac-tion can…
We demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of using a satellite-based sensor with visual and infrared focal plane arrays to search for NEAs with orbits largely interior to the Earth's orbit. Such a space-based system could detect…
This study proposes a new automated strategy for designing and optimizing three-dimensional interplanetary low-thrust (LT) trajectories. The method formulates the design as a hybrid optimal control problem and solves it using a two-step…
A new era of space exploration and exploitation is fast approaching. A multitude of spacecraft will flow in the future decades under the propulsive momentum of the new space economy. Yet, the flourishing proliferation of deep-space assets…
There are thousands of asteroids in near-Earth space and millions in the Main Belt. They are diverse in physical properties and composition and are time capsules of the early solar system. This makes them strategic locations for planetary…
The continuing monitoring and surveying of the nearby space to detect Near Earth Objects (NEOs) and Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) are essential because of the threats that this kind of objects impose on the future of our planet. We need more…
Deterministic methods for motion planning guarantee safety amidst uncertainty in obstacle locations by trying to restrict the robot from operating in any possible location that an obstacle could be in. Unfortunately, this can result in…
HERMES is a scientific mission composed of 3U nano-satellites dedicated to the detection and localization of high-energy astrophysical transients, with a distributed space architecture to form a constellation in Earth orbits. The space…
Autonomous exploration is an essential capability for mobile robots, as the majority of their applications require the ability to efficiently collect information about their surroundings. In the literature, there are several approaches,…
We revisit the incremental autonomous exploration problem proposed by Lim & Auer (2012). In this setting, the agent aims to learn a set of near-optimal goal-conditioned policies to reach the $L$-controllable states: states that are…
Active visual SLAM finds a wide array of applications in GNSS-Denied sub-terrain environments and outdoor environments for ground robots. To achieve robust localization and mapping accuracy, it is imperative to incorporate the perception…
Short-arc orbit determination is crucial when an asteroid is first discovered. In these cases usually the observations are so few that the differential correction procedure may not converge. We have developed an initial orbit computation…
We propose a new approach to Bayesian prior probability distributions (priors) that can improve orbital solutions for low-phase-coverage orbits, where data cover less than approximately 40% of an orbit. In instances of low phase coverage…
Local optimization presents a promising approach to expensive, high-dimensional black-box optimization by sidestepping the need to globally explore the search space. For objective functions whose gradient cannot be evaluated directly,…
We consider reachability in dynamical systems with discrete linear updates, but with fixed digital precision, i.e., such that values of the system are rounded at each step. Given a matrix $M \in \mathbb{Q}^{d \times d}$, an initial vector…
This paper presents an efficient gradient projection-based method for structural topological optimization problems characterized by a nonlinear objective function which is minimized over a feasible region defined by bilateral bounds and a…
Through multiple, small unmanned probes we can more efficiently capture an asteroid and return it to lunar orbit. The Asteroid Return and Exploration System (ARES) aims to make use of previously tested technology with the application of a…
Asteroids and comets are of strategic importance for science in an effort to understand the formation, evolution and composition of the Solar System. Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are of particular interest because of their accessibility from…
Reachability analysis aims at identifying states reachable by a system within a given time horizon. This task is known to be computationally expensive for linear hybrid systems. Reachability analysis works by iteratively applying continuous…
This paper presents an analysis of optimal impact strategies to deflect potentially dangerous asteroids. To compute the increase in the minimum orbit intersection distance of the asteroid due to an impact with a spacecraft, simple…