Current NIA Graduate Student: Ran Zhang
Graduate Student: Ran Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate, North Carolina A&T
Research Project: Innovative Guidance and Control of Spacecraft
University Advisor: Prof. David Song, Electrical Engineering, North Carolina A&T

Future human space exploration calls for innovative structural design and control technologies for spacecrafts. The performance of the flight vehicles is directly linked to its effective guidance and control, which must be addressed throughout design, including detailed aerodynamics and propulsion. The challenge to the design of flight vehicle attitude control system is that the vehicle operates under the wide range of environments, from the sea-level atmosphere to the near vacuum of space. The resultant system dynamics of the vehicle are highly nonlinear and strongly coupled with uncertainties and disturbances. This work investigates an innovative approach to adjusting spacecraft’s orientation through the driving forces to achieve safe and reliable maneuvers of flight vehicles

100 Exploration Way, Hampton, VA 23666 | (757) 325-6700 | Directions
© 2008 National Institute of Aerospace