I am a PhD student in the Space Systems Optimization Group (SSOG) at Georgia Tech, supervised by Professor Koki Ho. My research interest lies at the intersection of space logistics and astrodynamics, drawing optimization techniques from operations research to design and optimize space-based assets under astrodynamics and/or operational considerations.
Before starting my Ph.D., 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, as well on cislunar GNC at Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories (MERL).
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-astrodynamics-oriented free time, I enjoy shooting film photographs, playing tennis, and reading. I am quite omnivorous about music, and depending on my mood will listen to anything from Brahms to The Blue Hearts.
Research keywords: astrodynamics/gnc, optimal control, location problems, routing problems
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
- Spacecraft GNC Intern, Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, 2023/05 - 2023/08, 2024/01 - 2024/05
- 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., 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., 2019/08 - 2019/09
- Developed Python interface between JPL’s astrodynamics library MONTE and visualization software 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