Seminar - Spacecraft Drag: Mitigating Risks and Leveraging Opportunities - Oct. 24
Mark Moretto
Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, NC State
Friday, Oct. 24 | 10:40 A.M. | AERO 111
Abstract: Spacecraft drag is a significant perturbation that affects spacecraft in low Earth orbit (LEO) and at destinations throughout the Solar System. Drag modeling is complex due to uncertainties in both the spacecraft鈥檚 aerodynamic properties and stochastic atmospheric conditions. Historically, drag has been seen as a nuisance; however, it is increasingly being leveraged to promote spacecraft safety and maneuver without the use of fuel. Rigorous modeling and prediction of spacecraft drag is essential to maintaining the use of LEO, improving spacecraft safety and performance, and for exploring the Solar System.
The Moretto Group uses astrodynamics and estimation theory to address interdisciplinary problems across engineering, planetary science, economics, and space policy. This seminar will explore recent work in two radically different regimes of spacecraft drag 鈥 comets and LEO.听
Bio: Dr. Mark Moretto is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University. Prior to arriving at NC State, Dr. Moretto was a Postdoctoral Associate at the 抖阴传媒在线 from 2022-2024 where his research centered on space situational awareness and multi-object tracking. 听
Dr. Moretto received his PhD and MS in Aerospace Engineering Sciences from the 抖阴传媒在线 in 2022 and 2019, respectively. He received BS degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Astronomy from the University of Maryland in 2017.听
He has earned numerous accolades for his work including a Goldwater Scholarship (2016) and the National Young Astronomer Award (2013), as well as being named one of Astronomy Magazines 鈥25 Rising Stars鈥 in 2022, and one of Aviation Weeks 鈥20 Twenties鈥 in 2019.