By Dr Matteo Ceriotti is a Lecturer in Space Systems Engineering at the University of Glasgow, and was part of the 2014 cohort of Crucibilists.
Matteo’s main research interests are in space mission analysis and trajectory design, orbital dynamics, trajectory optimisation, and spacecraft autonomy.
Current Research
Current research explores future spacecraft hybrid propulsion technology, including solar sail/solar electric propulsion and high-thrust/low-thrust propulsion. New mission concepts that are possible exclusively using hybrid propulsion, or take great benefit from it, are investigated, as well as the dynamics of these new systems. In addition, new optimisation techniques are specifically developed for fast and reliable design of hybrid propulsion trajectories. This also requires a multi-disciplinary, multi-objective approach, as the hybrid trajectory design is tightly coupled with the propulsion system design.
Advanced propulsion systems can also be employed for constellations of large, lightweight spacecraft. This includes formation flying on large-amplitude, libration-point orbits in the Sun-Earth and Earth-Moon systems and displaced orbits around small bodies (asteroids and comets). Due to the high area-to-mass ratio of each spacecraft, formation and attitude control is performed through the use of photo-chromic materials and change of shape. Smart and autonomous reconfiguration of the formation is also investigated, in order to accomplish different mission goals. Applications include: solar collection (for Earth or for supporting future missions to other bodies), asteroid deflection or exploitation, space weather monitoring and Earth observation.
Expertise
Matteo’s expertise is mainly in orbital dynamics and spacecraft trajectory design.
His recent work focused on dynamics, design and control of novel, highly non-Keplerian orbits for future Earth observation and telecommunication platforms. Within this topic, he also investigated a novel spacecraft propulsion technique, combining solar sail and solar electric propulsion: orbital dynamics and system design were studied and applied to design novel missions for continuous Earth polar coverage.
More recently, he started studying the coupled orbit-attitude dynamics of shape-changing, high area-to-mass ratio spacecraft, with the aim of developing new propellant-less control methods based on photo-chromic materials.
He has extended experience with global and local optimisation techniques and tools, with particular focus on their application to the trajectory design problem. Has developed specific algorithms for global optimisation of multiple gravity assist trajectories.
Matteo also contributed to the European Student Moon Orbiter (ESMO) mission as a mission analyst and participated to several Global Trajectory Optimization Competitions (GTOCs).
For more information on Matteo, see his webpage at the University of Glasgow.