Under significant funding from the European Space Agency, Prof. Ulrich’s Spacecraft Robotics and Control Lab initiated a collaborative research project with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Specifically, the project titled Data-Driven Robust Guidance Algorithms to Approach a Tumbling Space Debris investigates stochastic real-time path planning techniques to dock with an uncooperative target in space using various machine learning methods. This 3-year project leverages Prof. Ulrich’s research team expertise in the areas of machine learning and path planning for spacecraft proximity operations and DLR’s cutting-edge experience with spacecraft rendezvous and docking techniques.
Courtney Bashnick, currently a PhD student at Carleton’s Spacecraft Robotics and Control Lab, will lead the technical development activities as part of her PhD thesis.