Bosanac, Natasha

Research

research overview

Research interests include developing new strategies for spacecraft trajectory analysis, design, and prediction within chaotic multi-body gravitational systems. To achieve this goal, we use interdisciplinary techniques such as dynamical systems theory, data mining, machine learning, and path-planning.

keywords

Spacecraft Trajectory Design and Optimization, Dynamical Systems Theory, Mission Design, CubeSats, Reinforcement Learning, Unsupervised Learning, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Path Planning

Publications

selected publications

chapter
- Astrodynamics Network AstroNet-II. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings. 2016
conference proceeding
- Clustering Approach To Identifying Low Lunar Frozen Orbits In A High-Fidelity Model 2023
- Data-Driven Categorization of Spacecraft Motion with Uncertainty in the Earth-Moon System 2023
- Data-Driven Summary of Natural Spacecraft Trajectories in the Earth-Moon System 2023
- Rapid Trajectory Design In Multi-Body Systems Using Sampling-Based Kinodynamic Planning 2023
- Adaptive Roadmap Generation for Trajectory Design in the Earth-Moon System 2023
- Motion Primitive Approach to Spacecraft Trajectory Design in a Multi-body System.. 34. 2023
- Designing Spatial Transfers in Multi-Body Systems using Roadmap Generation 2022
- 'Incorporating Observation Uncertainty into Reinforcement Learning-Based Spacecraft Guidance Schemes 2022
- Characterizing Natural Relative Motion of Formations on Invariant Tori in Multi-Body Systems 2022
- Exploring the Low-Thrust Transfer Design Space in an Ephemeris Model via Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning 2022
- Incorporating Observation Uncertainty into Reinforcement Learning-Based Spacecraft Guidance Schemes 2022
- Patterns of Life and Maneuver Detection for Cislunar Trajectory Maintenance 2021
- A Preliminary Exploration of Path Planning for Initial Guess Construction in Multi-Body Systems 2021
- Impulsive Control of Formations near Invariant Tori via Local Toroidal Coordinates 2021
- Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning for Low-Thrust Transfer Design between Libration Point Orbits 2021
- Reinforcement Learning for Reconfiguration Maneuver Design in Multi-Body Systems, 2021
- Using Motion Primitives to Design Libration Point Orbit Transfers in the Earth-Moon System 2021
- Exploring Transfers between Earth-Moon Halo Orbits via Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning. IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. 2021
- Designing Impulsive Station-Keeping Maneuvers Near a Sun-Earth L2 Halo Orbit via Reinforcement Learning 2021
- Spacecraft Formation Control Near a Periodic Orbit Using Geometric Relative Coordinates 2021
- Unsupervised Learning to Aid Visualization of Higher-Dimensional Poincarè Maps in Multi-Body Trajectory Design 2020
- Geometric Relative Orbital Element Set for Motion Near a Periodic Orbit with Oscillatory Modes 2020
- Motion Primitives Summarizing Periodic Orbits and Natural Transport Mechanisms in the Earth-Moon System 2020
- Technical Implementation of the Circular Restricted Three-Body Model in STK Astrogator 2020
- Transitions Between Quasi-Periodic Orbits Near Resonances in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem 2020
- Using Multi-Objective Deep Reinforcement Learning to Uncover a Pareto Front in Multi-Body Trajectory Design 2020
- Applications of Clustering to Higher-Dimensional Poincaré Maps in Multi-Body Systems 2020
- Apprenticeship Learning for Maneuver Design in Multi-Body Systems 2020
- Using Reinforcement Learning to Design a Low-Thrust Approach into a Periodic Orbit in a Multi-Body System 2020
- Accessing Highly Out-of-Ecliptic Science Orbits via Low-Energy, Low-Thrust Transport Mechanisms 2019
- Constructing a Set of Motion Primitives in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem via Clustering 2019
- Trajectory Design for a Solar Polar Observing Constellation 2019
- A DATA MINING APPROACH TO USING POINCARE MAPS IN MULTI-BODY TRAJECTORY DESIGN STRATEGIES. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 3249-3262. 2019
- DESIGNING LOW-THRUST ENABLED TRAJECTORIES FOR A HELIOPHYSICS SMALLSAT MISSION TO SUN-EARTH L5. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 2519-2538. 2019
- EXPLORING THE LOW-THRUST TRAJECTORY DESIGN SPACE FOR SMALLSAT MISSIONS TO THE SUN-EARTH TRIANGULAR EQUILIBRIUM POINTS. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 2539-2558. 2019
- BOUNDED MOTIONS NEAR RESONANT ORBITS IN THE EARTH MOON AND SUN-EARTH SYSTEMS. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 455-474. 2018
- A Low-Thrust-Enabled SmallSat Heliophysics Mission to Sun-Earth L5. IEEE Aerospace Conference Proceedings. 2018
- Trajectory design for a cislunar CubeSat leveraging dynamical systems techniques: The Lunar IceCube mission. Acta Astronautica. 283-296. 2018
- Trajectory Design and Station- Keeping Analysis for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope Mission 2017
- THE LUNAR ICECUBE MISSION CHALLENGE: ATTAINING SCIENCE ORBIT PARAMETERS FROM A CONSTRAINED APPROACH TRAJECTORY. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 3159-3178. 2017
- An Interactive Trajectory Design Environment Leveraging Dynamical Structures in Multi-Body Regimes 2016
- Trajectory Design Tools for Libration and Cislunar Environments 2016
- THE LUNAR ICECUBE MISSION DESIGN: CONSTRUCTION OF FEASIBLE TRANSFER TRAJECTORIES WITH A CONSTRAINED DEPARTURE. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 1369-1387. 2016
- A natural autonomous force added in the restricted problem and explored via stability analysis and discrete variational mechanics. Astrophysics and Space Science: an international journal of astronomy, astrophysics and space science. 2016
- Rapid Trajectory Design in the Earth-Moon Ephemeris System via an Interactive Catalog of Periodic and Quasi-Periodic Orbits 2015
- Leveraging Discrete Variational Mechanics to Explore the Effect of an Autonomous Three-Body Interaction Added to the Restricted Problem. Astrophysics and Space Science Proceedings. 1-16. 2015
- A NATURAL AUTONOMOUS FORCE ADDED IN THE RESTRICTED PROBLEM AND EXPLORED VIA STABILITY ANALYSIS AND DISCRETE VARIATIONAL MECHANICS. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 167-186. 2015
- A Framework for Efficient Trajectory Comparisons in the Earth-Moon Design Space 2014
- An Earth-Moon System Trajectory Design Reference Catalog 2014
- Manned Sample Return Mission to Phobos: a Technology Demonstration for Human Exploration of Mars 2014
- Stability of Orbits Near Large Mass Ratio Binary Systems 2014
- Evaluating International Collaboration for Human Exploration Beyond LEO 2014
- EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF A THREE-BODY INTERACTION ADDED TO THE GRAVITATIONAL POTENTIAL FUNCTION IN THE RESTRICTED THREE-BODY PROBLEM. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 1829-1848. 2013
- A General Purpose Astronomy Small Satellite: an approach to low-cost space telescope design using space-qualified ground telescopes. Proceedings of SPIE. 2010
- TITAN TRAJECTORY DESIGN USING INVARIANT MANIFOLDS AND RESONANT GRAVITY ASSISTS. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 1057-+. 2010
journal article
- Motion Primitive Approach to Spacecraft Trajectory Design in a Multi-body System. Journal of the Astronautical Sciences. 2023
- Motion Primitive Approach to Spacecraft Trajectory Design in a Multi-Body System 2023
- Computing Natural Transitions Between Tori Near Resonances in the Earth-Moon System. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics: devoted to the technology of dynamics and control. 443-454. 2023
- Designing Low-Thrust Transfers near Earth-Moon L₂ via Multi-Objective Reinforcement Learning. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 634-647. 2023
- Designing Sun-Earth L2 Halo Orbit Stationkeeping Maneuvers via Reinforcement Learning. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics: devoted to the technology of dynamics and control. 301-311. 2023
- Describing relative motion near periodic orbits via local toroidal coordinates. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. 2022
- Constructing motion primitive sets to summarize periodic orbit families and hyperbolic invariant manifolds in a multi-body system. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. 2022
- Applying data mining techniques to higher-dimensional Poincare maps in the circular restricted three-body problem. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. 2021
- Designing Low-Thrust Transfers to High-Inclination Science Orbits via Hybrid Optimization. Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets. 1339-1351. 2021
- Designing Low-Thrust Trajectories for a SmallSat Mission to Sun-Earth L5. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics: devoted to the technology of dynamics and control. 1854-1864. 2020
- Data-Mining Approach to Poincare Maps in Multi-Body Trajectory Design. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics: devoted to the technology of dynamics and control. 1190-1200. 2020
- Trajectory Design for the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope Mission. Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics: devoted to the technology of dynamics and control. 1899-1911. 2019
- TRAJECTORY DESIGN FOR A CISLUNAR CUBESAT LEVERAGING DYNAMICAL SYSTEMS TECHNIQUES: THE LUNAR ICECUBE MISSION. Advances in the Astronautical Sciences. 1483-1502. 2017
- Rapid trajectory design in the Earth Moon ephemeris system via an interactive catalog of periodic and quasi-periodic orbits. Acta Astronautica. 439-455. 2016
- A Natural Autonomous Force Added in the Restricted Problem and Explored via Stability Analysis and Discrete Variational Mechanics. Astrophysics and Space Science: an international journal of astronomy, astrophysics and space science. 2016
- An Earth-Moon system trajectory design reference catalog. Acta Astronautica. 341-353. 2015
- Stability of orbits near large mass ratio binary systems. Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy. 27-52. 2015

Teaching

courses taught

ASEN 2003 - Aerospace 3: Introduction to Dynamics and Systems
Primary Instructor - Spring 2022
Introduces the principles of particle and planar rigid body dynamics, systems, and controls. Topics include kinematics, kinetics, momentum and energy methods, system modeling, and simple feedback control. Class includes experimental and design laboratory exercises for aerospace applications of dynamic principles.
ASEN 3200 - Orbital Mechanics/Attitude Dynamics and Control
Primary Instructor - Spring 2018 / Spring 2019 / Spring 2020 / Fall 2022
Presents the fundamentals of orbital mechanics, 3D rigid body dynamics and satellite attitude dynamics and controls.
ASEN 3700 - Orbital Mechanics/Attitude Dynamics and Control
Primary Instructor - Spring 2024
Presents the fundamentals of orbital mechanics, 3D rigid body dynamics and satellite attitude dynamics and controls.
ASEN 3801 - Aerospace Vehicles Dynamics and Controls Lab
Primary Instructor - Spring 2024
Emphasizes applications of engineering dynamics and control principles for modeling, simulating, designing, analyzing, and evaluating aerospace vehicle systems. Experimental and computational focus on problems in aircraft flight stabilization and spacecraft attitude control.
ASEN 5050 - Space Flight Dynamics
Primary Instructor - Fall 2018 / Fall 2019 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Fall 2024
Includes celestial mechanics, space navigation, and orbit determination; trajectory design and mission analysis trajectory requirements; and orbital transfer and rendezvous. Recommended prerequisite: ASEN 3200 or ASEN 3700 or instructor consent required. Degree credit not granted for this course and ASEN 5052.
ASEN 6060 - Advanced Astrodynamics
Primary Instructor - Fall 2020 / Fall 2021 / Fall 2022 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024
Covers Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalisms for astrodynamics problems, the computation and characterization of space trajectories in highly dynamic environments, computation of periodic orbits, stability analysis of orbital motion, and development of analytical theories for dynamics. Recommended prerequisite: ASEN 5050 or equivalent or instructor consent required.
ASEN 6949 - Master's Candidate for Degree
Primary Instructor - Summer 2021 / Spring 2022
Registration intended for students preparing for a thesis defense, final examination, culminating activity, or completion of degree.
ASEN 6950 - Master's Thesis
Primary Instructor - Fall 2019 / Fall 2020 / Spring 2021 / Fall 2021 / Spring 2022 / Fall 2022 / Spring 2023 / Fall 2023 / Spring 2024 / Fall 2024

Background

education and training

Ph.D., Purdue University 2016
M.S., Purdue University 2012
B.S., Massachusetts Institute of Technology 2010

awards and honors

Young Investigator Program (YIP), conferred by Air Force Office of Scientific Research, 2024
Rocky Mountain Section Young Engineer of the Year, conferred by American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2023

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Positions

Research Areas

Research

research overview

keywords

Publications

selected publications

chapter

conference proceeding

journal article

Teaching

courses taught

Background

education and training

awards and honors

International Activities

geographic focus

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