I am a PhD candidate in the Space Systems Optimization Group (SSOG) at Georgia Tech, supervised by Professor Koki Ho. The overarching theme of my research interest is decision making - this includes:
- strategic decisions for designing in-space infrastructures or designing space missions and multi-mission campaigns, and
- operational decisions for operating spacecraft (or fleet of spacecraft) to perform its mission, autonomously or semi-autonomously.
In effect, my research lies at the intersection of Space Logistics, Astrodynamics, and Guidance, Navigation & Control (GNC).
Prior to my PhD, I completed my alma mater at Imperial College London with a Master’s in aeronautical engineering (MEng) and a year abroad at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In the past, I have worked on the design of low-energy transfers to low-lunar orbits as part of the mission analysis team at ispace, GNC on cislunar libration point orbit missions at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL), and G&C for rendez-vous with geostationary satellite at Infinite Orbits.
In my free time, I took part in the 11th and 12th editions of the Global Trajectory Optimisation Competition (GTOC) as part of the Advanced Concepts Team at ESTEC, finishing up on the second and fourth place, respectively. In my non-research-oriented free time, I enjoy shooting film photographs, playing tennis, and reading.
Research keywords: Astrodynamics, GNC, Optimal Control, Location Problems, Routing Problems, Scheduling Problems
Featured research work
- Facility Location Problem for On-Orbit Servicing Depot (Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets)
- Optimization-Based Station-Keeping on Libration Point Orbits (AAS Astrodynamics Specialist Conference)
- Horizon-Based Optical Navigation for NRHO (74th International Astronautical Congress)
Recent Invited Talks
Education
- Ph.D in Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2021 - present
- Year Abroad in Aerospace Engineering, University of California - Los Angeles, 2018 - 2019
- MEng in Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College London, 2016 - 2020
Work experience
- Flight Dynamics Intern, Infinite Orbits, Toulouse, France (2024/05 - 2024/08)
- Formulated concepts of operations for far-range rendez-vous in GEO
- Developed guidance logic for semi-autonomous and ground-based rendez-vous transfers
- Spacecraft GNC Intern, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Cambridge, MA (2023/05 - 2023/08)
- Developed GNC stack for autonomous navigation and control in cislunar space
- Developed synthetic imaging tool for horion-based optical navigation
- Mission Analysis Intern, ispace, inc., Tokyo, Japan (2020/05 - 2020/12)
- Led preliminary design and characterization of low-energy transfers to the Moon in three- and four-body models
- Conducted review activities for critical design review (CDR) of mission analysis team
- Mission Analysis Intern, ispace, inc., Tokyo, Japan (2019/08 - 2019/09)
- Developed Python interface between JPL’s astrodynamics library MONTE and visualization Cosmographia
Publications
Please see here
Projects
- Glocal Trajectory Optimisation Competition (GTOC) 12, 2023/06 - 2023/07
- Participated as part of ESA’s Advanced Concepts Team & Friends, 4th place overall
- Caltech Space Challenge, 2022/03
- One-week competition to design a sample return mission to Titan
- Conducted Mission analysis and trajectory design in both interplanetary and Saturnian systems
- Glocal Trajectory Optimisation Competition (GTOC) 11, 2021/11
- Participated as part of Team 6. ESA ACT & Friends, 2nd place overall
Contact
- Email: yuri.shimane{at}gatech.edu