Aeronautics and Astronautics
Showing 101-200 of 217 Results
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Nicolas Lee
Senior Lecturer of Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioNicolas Lee is currently a Senior Lecturer in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University and specializes in teaching hands-on design skills. Previously, Nicolas was a research engineer studying hypervelocity impact plasma, meteor radar observations, and mission concepts using deployable structures and CubeSat technologies. Nicolas was a Ph.D. student at Stanford focused on meteoroid impact effects on spacecraft, and a W. M. Keck Institute for Space Studies postdoctoral scholar in aerospace at Caltech researching technologies for robotically assembled space telecopes, membrane structures for space solar power applications, and small satellite high voltage electronics.
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Sangjoon Lee
Postdoctoral Scholar, Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioSangjoon "Joon" Lee is a postdoctoral scholar at the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was a CTR Fellowship recipient at the Center for Turbulence Research (CTR) from October 2024 to December 2025. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a Designated Emphasis in Computational and Data Science and Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His expertise is grounded in fluid mechanics and computational science, covering areas such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), heat transfer analyses, vortex/turbulence physics and instabilities, numerical algorithms, and data-driven hydro-/aerodynamic design optimization.
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Tonghun Lee
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioProfessor Lee's research group is focused on investigating the fundamental physics relevant to next generation aerospace propulsion systems and space entry technologies. Areas of interest include hypersonic propulsion systems, hybrid chemical and electrical propulsion systems, compact UAV propulsion technologies, integration of sustainable aviation fuels, and application of advanced laser & optical diagnostics. His work aims to improve fundamental understanding of high-speed reacting flows while advancing technologies for more efficient and environmentally responsible aerospace systems.
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Sanjiva Lele
Edward C. Wells Professor of the School of Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering
BioProfessor Lele's research combines numerical simulations with modeling to study fundamental unsteady flow phemonema, turbulence, flow instabilities, and flow-generated sound. Recent projects include shock-turbulent boundary layer interactions, supersonic jet noise, wind turbine aeroacoustics, wind farm modeling, aircraft contrails, multi-material mixing and multi-phase flows involving cavitation. He is also interested in developing high-fidelity computational methods for engineering applications.
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Samuel Low
Ph.D. Student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, admitted Winter 2023
Ph.D. Minor, Electrical EngineeringBioSamuel Low is a Ph.D. candidate in the Stanford Space Rendezvous Laboratory, advised by Professor Simone D'Amico. Sam graduated from Stanford with an M.S. in Aeronautics and Astronautics (2023) and from the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) with a B.Sc. in Engineering Product Development (2018). His broad interests are in the guidance, navigation, control and autonomy of distributed space systems, such as formations and swarm satellites. His research focus is on enabling precise and robust state estimation between distributed spacecraft, centered on sensor/data fusion with carrier phase differential GNSS, with immediate applications to flight missions such as the VISORS and SWARM-EX missions. He had worked previously in DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, on space mission design and on developing navigation algorithms for Singapore's first formation flying satellite mission. He received the DSO Postgraduate Fellowship (2021), the Tan Kah Kee Postgraduate Scholarship (2021), the DSO SOAR Scholarship (2017), and the Asian Leadership Program Scholarship (2015-2018) jointly awarded by SUTD and Zhejiang University. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, painting, and outdoor activities.
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Ryuta Moriyasu
Visiting Scholar, Aeronautics and Astronautics
Affiliate, Center for Automotive Research at Stanford (CARS)BioVisiting Scholar at Autonomous Systems Lab. | Ph.D. in Informatics | Safe and reliable control design with AI-based modeling
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Sabrina Nicacio
Masters Student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, admitted Autumn 2025
BioSabrina Nicacio is a Knight-Hennessy Scholar and graduate student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, specializing in Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC). She earned her B.S.E. in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University with a Minor in Robotics and Intelligent Systems.
Sabrina has delivered technical results across leading aerospace institutions—designing flight hardware for Starship launch operations at SpaceX, developing multi-robot navigation algorithms for NASA JPL’s CADRE lunar mission at Stanford, and improving heat treatment processes for 3D-printed turbine blades at MIT. Her senior thesis at Princeton introduced a fuel-optimal reconfiguration framework for satellite swarms, applying convex optimization to orbital dynamics.
Sabrina is focused on building scalable, autonomous systems for spacecraft coordination and precision navigation. Her work reflects a deep technical foundation and a drive to solve mission-critical challenges in spaceflight. -
Pablo Nuñez Martinez
Masters Student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, admitted Autumn 2025
BioPablo Nuñez Martínez is a first-year M.S. student in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. He earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Tecnológico de Monterrey, where he graduated with academic honors and founded ELYOS Racing Team, a student initiative dedicated to designing ultra-efficient vehicles. Under his leadership, ELYOS raised over $100,000 USD in sponsorships, placed 4th at the Shell Eco-marathon Americas in both 2024 and 2025, and achieved major aerodynamic and structural advances through CFD-driven optimization and composite lightweighting. He also contributed to McGill Formula Electric in Montréal, where he worked on aerodynamics and chassis design, developing composite monocoque concepts, CFD-based downforce devices, and optimization codes for laminate theory using genetic algorithms.
Pablo’s academic and research interests include aerodynamics, lightweight structures, advanced composite materials, and spacecraft systems. He is particularly interested in the development of next-generation aerospace vehicles that integrate aerodynamic efficiency, adaptability, and sustainability. His long-term goal is to contribute to the design of innovative space systems and sustainable technologies that push the boundaries of aerospace engineering. -
Bradford Parkinson
Edward C. Wells Professor in the School of Engineering, Emeritus
BioProfessor Bradford Parkinson was the Chief Architect for GPS, and led the original advocacy for the system in 1973 as an Air Force Colonel. Gaining approval, he became the first Director of the GPS Joint Program Office and led the original development of spacecraft, Master Control Station and 8 types of User Equipment. He continued leadership of the Program through the extensive test validation Program, including being the Launch Commander for the first GPS satellite launches. This original deployment of GPS demonstrated comfortable margins against all PNT (Positioning, Navigation, and Timing) requirements.
Earlier in his career, he was a key developer of a modernized AC-130 Gunship, introduction of which included 160 hours of combat missions. He was an instructor at the USAF Test Pilot School. In addition he led the Department of Astronautics and Computer Science at the US Air Force Academy. He retired from the US Air Force as a Colonel.
He was appointed a Professor at Stanford University in 1984, after six years of experience in industry. At Stanford University, he led the development of many innovative applications of GPS, including:
1.Commercial aircraft (Boeing 737) blind landing using GPS alone,
2.Fully automatic GPS control of Farm Tractors on a rough field to an accuracy of 2 inches,
3.Pioneering the augmentation to GPS (WAAS) that allows any user to achieve accuracies of 2 feet and very high levels of integrity assurance.
He has been the CEO of two companies, and serves on many boards. He is the editor/author of the AIAA Award winning 2 Volumes: “GPS Theory and Applications” and is author or coauthor of over 80 technical papers.
Among his many awards is the Draper Prize of the National Academy of Engineering, considered by some to be the “Engineering Nobel”. -
M Elisabeth Pate-Cornell
Burton J. and DeeDee McMurtry Professor in the School of Engineering and Professor, by courtesy, of Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioDr. Marie-Elisabeth Paté-Cornell is the Burt and Deedee McMurtry Professor in the School of Engineering, and a Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University (2000-2011). Previously, she was the Professor and Chair of the Stanford Department of Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management and an Assistant Professor of Civil Engineering at MIT. Her specialty is engineering risk analysis with application to complex systems (seismic risk, space systems, medical procedures and devices, offshore oil platforms, cyber security, etc.). Her earlier research has focused on the optimization of warning systems and the explicit inclusion of human and organizational factors in the analysis of systems’ failure risks. Her more recent work is on the use of game theory in risk analysis with applications that have included counterterrorism and cyber security.
She is a member of the National Academy of Engineering where she chairs the section of Interdisciplinary Engineering and Special Fields, of the French Académie des Technologies, and of the NASA Advisory Council. She is co-chair of the committee of the National Academies (NASEM) on risk analysis methods for nuclear war and nuclear terrorism. She is a Fellow (and past president) of the Society for Risk Analysis and of the Institute for Operations Research and Management Science. She is the author of more than one hundred publications, with several best paper awards, and the co-editor of a book on Perspectives on Complex Global Problems (2016). She was a member of the Board of Advisors of the Naval Postgraduate School, which she chaired from 2004 to 2006, and of the Navy War College. Dr. Paté-Cornell was also a member of the President’s (Foreign) Intelligence Advisory Board (2001-2008), of the board of the Aerospace Corporation (2004-2013) of Draper Laboratory (2009-2016), and of InQtel (2006-2017). She was awarded the Frank Ramsey Medal of the Decision Analysis Society, the 2021 IEEE Ramo medal in Systems Engineering and Science, and the 2022 PICMET Award for Leadership in Technology Management. She is a Fellow (and past president) of the Society for Risk Analysis and of the Institute for Management Science and Operations Research, and a Distinguished Vising Scientist of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is the author of more than one hundred publications, for which she got several best paper awards, and the co-editor of a book on Perspectives on Complex Global Problems (2016). She holds a BS in Mathematics and Physics, Marseille (France), an Engineering degree (Applied Math/CS) from the Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble (France), an MS in Operations Research and a PhD in Engineering-Economic Systems, both from Stanford University.
She and her late husband, Dr. Allin Cornell had two children, Philip Cornell (born 1981) and Ariane Cornell (1984). She is married to Admiral James O. Ellis Jr. (US Navy, Ret.). -
Marco Pavone
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy and Associate Professor, by courtesy, of Electrical Engineering & of Computer Science
BioDr. Marco Pavone is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, where he directs the Autonomous Systems Laboratory and the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford. He is also a Distinguished Research Scientist at NVIDIA where he leads autonomous vehicle research. Before joining Stanford, he was a Research Technologist within the Robotics Section at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He received a Ph.D. degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2010. His main research interests are in the development of methodologies for the analysis, design, and control of autonomous systems, with an emphasis on self-driving cars, autonomous aerospace vehicles, and future mobility systems. He is a recipient of a number of awards, including a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers from President Barack Obama, an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award, a National Science Foundation Early Career (CAREER) Award, a NASA Early Career Faculty Award, and an Early-Career Spotlight Award from the Robotics Science and Systems Foundation. He was identified by the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) as one of America's 20 most highly promising investigators under the age of 40. His work has been recognized with best paper nominations or awards at a number of venues, including the European Conference on Computer Vision, the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation, the European Control Conference, the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Transportation Systems, the Field and Service Robotics Conference, the Robotics: Science and Systems Conference, and the INFORMS Annual Meeting.
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Robert Phelts
Research Engineer
BioR. Eric Phelts is a research engineer in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University. His research involves signal monitoring techniques and analysis for SBAS, GBAS, and ARAIM.
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J David Powell
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics and of Mechanical Engineering, Emeritus
BioEDUCATION:
1960 - B.S. Mechanical Engineering, M.I.T.
1966 - M.S. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Stanford
1970 - Ph.D. Aeronautics & Astronautics, Stanford
EXPERIENCE:
1960-1961 - Engine Design and Testing Engineer at Outboard Marine Corp.
1961-1967 – Engineer at Lockheed in the field of Aerospace Guidance and Control
1967-1968 – Engineer at Analytical Mechanics Associates
1968-1970 – Engineer, Systems Control, Inc. Parameter ID of aircraft models from flight data, automatic generation of approach paths for Air Traffic Control. Attended Stanford University specializing in control systems.
1971 – 1998 – Member of the Stanford Faculty in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department. His research has included spacecraft pointing, space tether dynamics and control, internal combustion engine control, the design of aerospace digital flight control systems, GPS-based attitude determination augmented with inertial sensors, and the use of GPS for air and land vehicle surveillance and navigation. He taught courses in aerospace control including radio and inertial navigation, optimization and digital implementations and is a coauthor of two of the leading control textbooks. He is also an author or coauthor on over 100 papers.
1998 – present – Emeritus faculty carrying out research in Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford Univ. Recent focus of research is the use of GPS-based attitude determination augmented with inertial sensors, applications of the FAA’s WAAS for enhanced pilot displays, flight inspection of aircraft landing systems, and the use of WAAS and new displays to enable closer spacing of parallel runways.
SOCIETY MEMBERSHIPS
AIAA (Fellow), ASME (Fellow), SAE, IEEE, ION
CONSULTANT TO: (over past several years)
Seagull Technology
Sequoia Instruments
Engine Control and Monitoring
Transparent Networks
Pratt and Whitney (Technical Advisory Committee)
Sensor Platforms
OTHER RECENT ACTIVITIES
Co-Founder, CEO, and Director of GyroSat Corp. 1999 – 2000
Director of Sequoia Instruments, 2001 – 2005
Aircraft owner and licensed instrument pilot
National Research Council Panel member for the review of NASA airspace activities, 2003
Board of Directors, Mechanics Bank, Richmond, CA., 2003 – 2015
Board of Directors, ExactBid, Inc. 2014-present. -
Yash Rampuria
Masters Student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, admitted Autumn 2025
BioI am an MS student, pursuing robotics at Stanford University. I am particularly interested in AI applications to autonomous mobility. My work at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay has spanned the intersection of computer vision, SLAM and controls for self-driving, drones and healthcare. I have served as the CTO of Autonomous systems at IIT Bombay Racing Driverless, leading a team of 100+ students in building self-driving race cars for Formula Student, United Kingdom.
Leading multiple teams throughout my education has allowed me to hone my teamwork and management skills, while staying deeply involved in engineering and technology. -
Stephen Rock
Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Emeritus
BioProfessor Rock's research interests include the application of advanced control and modeling techniques for robotic and vehicle systems (aerospace and underwater). He directs the Aerospace Robotics Laboratory in which students are involved in experimental programs designed to extend the state-of-the-art in robotic control. Areas of emphasis include planning and navigation techniques (GPS and vision-based) for autonomous vehicles; aerodynamic modeling and control for aggressive flight systems; underwater remotely-operated vehicle control; precision end-point control of manipulators in the presence of flexibility and uncertainty; and cooperative control of multiple manipulators and multiple robots. Professor Rock teaches several courses in dynamics and control.
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Maria Sakovsky
Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioMaria Sakovsky's work focuses on the use of shape adaptation to realize space structures with reconfigurable geometry, stiffness, and even non-mechanical performance (e.g., electromagnetic, optical). Particular focus is placed on the mechanics of thin fiber reinforced composite structures, the interplay between composite material properties and structural geometry, as well as embedded functionality and actuation of lightweight structures. The work has led to applications in deployable space structures, reconfigurable antennas, and soft robotics.
Maria Sakovsky received her BSc in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Toronto. Following this, she completed her MSc and PhD in Space Engineering at Caltech, where she developed a deployable satellite antenna based on origami concepts utilizing elastomer composites. She concurrently worked with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory on developing cryogenically rated thin-ply composite antennas for deep space missions. She was awarded the ETH Zurich Postdoctoral Fellowship in 2018 as well as the DARPA Young Faculty Award in 2024. -
Debbie Senesky
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, of Electrical Engineering and Senior Fellow at the Precourt Institute for Energy
BioDebbie G. Senesky is an Associate Professor at Stanford University in the Aeronautics and Astronautics Department and the Electrical Engineering Department. In addition, she is the Principal Investigator of the EXtreme Environment Microsystems Laboratory (XLab). Her research interests include the development of nanomaterials for extreme harsh environments, high-temperature electronics for Venus exploration, and microgravity synthesis of nanomaterials. In the past, she has held positions at GE Sensing (formerly known as NovaSensor), GE Global Research Center, and Hewlett Packard. She received the B.S. degree (2001) in mechanical engineering from the University of Southern California. She received the M.S. degree (2004) and Ph.D. degree (2007) in mechanical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. Prof. Senesky is the Site Director of nano@stanford. She is currently the co-editor of two technical journals: IEEE Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems and Sensors. In recognition of her research, she received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) in 2025, Emerging Leader Abie Award from AnitaB.org in 2018, Early Faculty Career Award from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 2012, Gabilan Faculty Fellowship Award in 2012, and Sloan Ph.D. Fellowship from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in 2004.
Prof. Senesky's career path and research has been featured by Scientific American, Seeker, People Behind the Science podcast, The Future of Everything radio show, Space.com, and NPR's Tell Me More program. More information about Prof. Senesky can be found at https://xlab.stanford.edu and on Instagram (@astrodebs). -
Charles Shao
Affiliate, Stanford Center For Position, Navigation and Time (SCPNT)
BioA seasoned entrepreneur and senior executive with multiple start-up enterprises in Silicon Valley and China. As co-founder, vp engineering, CTO of Easyway Company Limited, design and implement a Chinese high-speed rail passenger transit service system. As a founding team member, start-up EPIN Technologies, Inc., ServGate Technologies, Inc., NetScreen Technologies, Inc. between 1996 ~ 2006.
Research fellow and deputy director, center for high-speed rail technology (CHRT), Tsinghua University. Managed R&D projects for China's high-speed rail system since 2006; Initiated “Introduction for High-Speed Rail Technologies” class at California State University, Bakersfield.
Venture partner of TEEC Angel Fund in Palo Alto. General partner of TSVC fund.
BSEE, MSEE, Lecturer/Assistant Professor at Tsinghua University following with visiting scholar at University of California San Diego during 1980 ~ 1993. First prize winner of Rail Technologies Awards by China Railway Society. -
Lauren Simitz
Ph.D. Student in Aeronautics and Astronautics, admitted Autumn 2021
BioHi there! I'm an aerospace engineer, chemist, and geoscientist striving to both protect our world and advance technologies to explore new ones. Sustainability, teaching, and DEI are just as strong of passions, in and outside of the aerospace sector.
My work in industry (Chevron, SpaceX, Benchmark, Boeing) and academia catalyzed my interest in advancing sustainable, safe propulsion and energy systems. As a Stanford PhD candidate in the Hypersonics, Propulsion, and Energy Laboratory (HyPEL) working under Professor Ronald Hanson, I employ fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and chemical kinetics to experimentally probe combustion behavior. -
Jakob Thumm
Postdoctoral Scholar, Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioJakob is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research aims to improve the safety, efficiency, and acceptance of autonomous robots by combining formal methods and machine learning. Jakob focuses on developing algorithms that enable robots to efficiently act in dynamic environments while guaranteeing safety at all times. He is particularly interested in allowing robots to safely work together with humans.
Prior to joining Stanford, Jakob earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the Technical University of Munich. His doctoral thesis is titled ``Establishing Safe and Preference-Aligned Human-Robot Collaboration in Autonomous Manipulation'' and passed with highest distinctions. Jakob received his M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Mechatronics from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, researching the intersection of system modelling and machine learning.
Outside the lab, Jakob is a passionate runner and volunteer at Sutro Stewards, where he maintains hiking trails in the heart of San Francisco. -
Stephen Tsai
Professor (Research) of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Emeritus
BioProfessor Tsai's research interest is in the development of design methodology of composite materials and structures. As an emerging technology, composite materials offer unique performances for structures that combine light weight with durability. Keys to the successful utilization of composite materials are predictability in performance and cost effective design of anisotropic, laminated structures. Current emphasis is placed on the understanding of failure modes, and computer simulation for design and cost estimation.
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Luca Vialetto
Postdoctoral Scholar, Aeronautics and Astronautics
BioLuca Vialetto earned his master's degree in physics at the University of Padua (Italy) in 2017, with honour. His doctoral studies were conducted at the Dutch Institute for Fundamental Energy Research (Eindhoven, the Netherlands), with focus on computational modeling of plasmas for conversion of CO2 into chemicals. He obtained the PhD in Applied Physics in November 2021 at the Eindhoven University of Technology, with honour. After that, he was employed as a postdoctoral researcher at Kiel University (Germany). Luca's research interests include plasma physics and chemistry, data driven models, and high performance computing. He is the recipient of the 2021 Student Award for Excellence given at the 74th Gaseous Electronics Conference and of the 2023 Rutherford Plasma Physics Communication Prize given by IOP.
