Seminars

Abstract: Tracking resident space objects (RSOs) in cislunar space is essential as the region between Earth and the Moon becomes increasingly congested with satellites, lunar missions, and potential debris. Unlike Earth orbit, where well-established tracking infrastructure exists, cislunar space presents unique challenges due to its vast volume, complex gravitational dynamics, and limited sensing coverage. The gravitational influences of both the Earth and the Moon create highly nonlinear and less predictable trajectories, making traditional Earth-orbit tracking methods inadequate. Furthermore, the long distances involved mean that ground-based radar and optical systems struggle to provide consistent and precise tracking data. This leads to significant uncertainties in the position and velocity of objects, increasing the risk of collisions or loss of mission-critical assets. Effective tracking in this region requires new approaches, such as space-based sensors and advanced estimation algorithms, to overcome gaps in detection and account for the unique dynamics of cislunar space. Developing these capabilities will be crucial for maintaining space safety and situational awareness in this expanding frontier. This presentation will describe some of the key technical challenges in tracking cislunar RSOs and present some new approaches to address them.

Bio: Raktim Bhattacharya received his B.Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology in Aerospace Engineering, followed by an M.S. and Ph.D. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Minnesota. After that, he was a postdoctoral scholar at Caltech in the Department of Control and Dynamical Systems. After Caltech, he joined United Technologies Research Center as a research scientist. Following that, he joined the Aerospace Engineering department of Texas A&M University in 2005 and is currently a full professor. His research interests include robust control and estimation, nonlinear dynamics, and uncertainty quantification.