Published Research Papers

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The ACHIEVED ACADEMY: accessible space education initiative launched by the Space Generation Advisory Council

Mrs. Maria Casanovas Crespo, Mr. Bram de Winter, Ms Rashika Sugganahalli Natesh Babu et. al - IAC-23,E1,IP,4,x76567 - 74th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 2-6 October, 2023. Baku, Azerbaijan

Space Exploration Project Group (SPEG) of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) has decided to launch a Space Mission Design Training Program to support young students and professionals in acquiring knowledge and experience that can help them start their careers in the space sector. This ”Academy” would become part of the Assembly for Concepts in Human Interplanetary Exploration with Various Extraterrestrial Designations (ACHIEVED) Research Team.

The objective is to develop and manage a free (no cost paid by the participants) and open (available for everyone with an internet connection and a laptop) educational program around the subjects and disciplines needed to design space exploration missions. This work results from the efforts made by the ACHIEVED Academy Leadership Team under the guidance of the Space Exploration Project Group (SEPG) of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC).


Keywords: Space Systems Engineering, Education outreach, Space for all.

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IRIS mission: tackling the problem of climate change by monitoring water areas' pollution

Alessio Bocci.., Rashika Sugganahalli Natesh Babu, et al - GLOC 2023 - T, IP, x74940, IAF Global Space Conference on Climate Change (GLOC 2023), Oslo, Norway, 23-25 May 2023.

This work focuses on leveraging the IRIS (Imaging of Pollution tRaces In the Seas) technology, a hyperspectral orbital camera, to address climate change issues. IRIS detects and monitors litter, like plastic and oil spills, in the Mediterranean Sea with high-resolution imaging. It aims to expand the utility of IRIS by identifying climate change hotspots in the Mediterranean region based on temperature measurements. Rising temperatures are linked to plastic decomposition and greenhouse gas release. The study involves optimizing satellite constellation design, exploring innovative image utilization techniques, and refining mechanisms for identifying pollution-temperature correlations. Ultimately, this work seeks to enhance IRIS's role in combatting climate change through improved environmental monitoring.

Keywords: water pollution, contaminants detection, plastic detection, temperature measurements, climate change.

Picture: Instrument architecture drawing.

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ARGO: a planetary defense mission to test gravity traction techniques

Alessio Boccia.., Rashika Sugganahalli NB, Michèle Lavagna et. al - IAC-21-A3.4B.4.x67075 - 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 25-29 October 2021

ARGO: a planetary defense mission to test gravity traction techniques is a research output of the intensive project work carried out in the capacity of the Space Mission Design and Analysis course. Asteroid Redirection with Gravity tractoring and Observation (ARGO) is a preliminary mission design in the framework of the planetary protection topics; the 162000 (1990 OS) binary Near-Earth Asteroid system is selected as a well-suited training environment to assess the gravity tractor (GT) technique effectiveness for potential Earth impact hazard mitigation, here applied on the secondary system. As a secondary goal, the mission would also scientifically characterize the system. The characterization aims to map gravitational harmonics, shape, and orbital characteristics of the binary system along with spectroscopic, thermal inertia, and volatile studies. Characterization of the system was highly necessary to design the spacecraft considering all the safety and risk factors. ADCS and Telecommunication subsystems were designed phase-wise, which was a clever decision to have authority over power requirements during occultation periods. According to simulations, ARGO can operate a 15 % change in the semi-major axis of the moonlet’s orbit over a three-year span, thereby demonstrating the GT technology within a reasonable time frame. Model-based system engineering and requirements development were adapted in the development of this work strictly adhering to INCOSE Systems Engineering, ECSS, and CCSDS standards.

Keywords: Binary system, electric propulsion, gravity tractoring, low thrust transfer, near Earth asteroid, planetary protection.

Picture: Sun-Asteroid-Moon position impact.

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PoliSpace: a student approach for enabling the growth of the Italian space workforce

Francesco Ventre, Rashika Sugganahalli Natesh Babu et. al - IAC-21-A3.4B.4.x67075 - 72nd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 25-29 October 2021

The Italian education system is strongly focused on the theoretical side of an individual's education, often resulting in limited access to practical activities for undergraduate and graduate students. Moreover, the ongoing pandemic forced students to take education programs virtually. To combat these issues, a group of students from Politecnico di Milano conceived the idea to create a framework linking University students with companies and faculty researchers, building projects to encourage collaboration between their University and worldwide firms and institutions. The aim is to develop and deploy Politecnico di Milano’s first indigenous and student-built satellite. Envisioned ideas and predictions were presented at IAC, 2021 as a conference paper.


Keywords: Italian space workforce, Education outreach, Satellite development.

Picture: Organization structure

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Key Projects - Research

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Master Thesis - Automatic Mass Balancing of 3 DOF Attitude Testbed Simulator Using System Identification.


I constructed a parameter estimation framework using the gray-box model and executed sensor fusion with high efficiency, employing the Least-Square approach and Kalman Filters. Additionally, I formulated an estimation algorithm utilizing the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF).
Furthermore, I designed and implemented an adaptive control algorithm that leveraged a Lyapunov function for the real-time automatic balancing of the simulator testbed. This innovation effectively eliminated the center of mass offset from the center of rotation.
As a result of these efforts, I enhanced the control authority, especially in scenarios involving multiple masses. This optimization led to a significant reduction in system response time by 4 seconds in transverse axes, thus providing strong justification for the utilization of 8 Non-captive motors.


Keywords: Hardware-in-loop (HIL), LQR, Adaptive Control, Kalman filter, UKF, EKF; Lyapunov function. Tools: MATLAB & Simulink, LaTeX, GitHub

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Bachelor Thesis - Modelling of Media Correction and Atmospheric Drag for Orbit Determination.

I conducted a rigorous statistical analysis of data to evaluate the effectiveness of the prevailing GPS media correction algorithms, specifically the Klobuchar model and the NeQuick model.

Furthermore, I engineered an algorithm rooted in Least-Square estimation to mitigate GPS communication delay attributed to Ionosphere and atmospheric drag. This novel algorithm demonstrated a remarkable 30% increase in efficiency compared to the existing Klobuchar coefficients.

In addition, I established a C++ framework on the Linux platform to implement the Jacchia 1971 density model. This framework facilitated real-time estimation of atmospheric density and drag acceleration. Consequently, it substantially enhanced the precision of satellite position prediction.

Keywords: GPS Satellite, Perturbations, Least Square, Data Analysis; Tools: MATLAB, C++, Microsoft office package, Linux

Picture: Contraction of satellite orbit

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