When
Thursday, November 20, 2025 at 4:00 p.m.
Ran Dai
Professor
School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
Purdue University
"Smart Decision-Making for Autonomous Systems in Space Exploration Missions"
AME Lecture Hall, Room S202 | Zoom link
Abstract: Many autonomous systems benefit from efficient operations and advanced autonomy levels in space exploration missions, such as human missions to Mars and on-orbit servicing, assembly and manufacturing (OSAM) missions. Due to dynamic operating environments, complex system behaviors and strict mission constraints, it is challenging to realize full autonomy with capabilities of fuel or energy-efficient operations. Without human intervention, real-time decision-making, including both motion planning and logic/reasoning decisions, plays a critical role in assuring the reliability and performance of such a system toward mission success.
This talk will present our work on developing sophisticated modeling approaches, scalable optimization algorithms and machine learning based optimal control methods that collectively contribute to advanced decision-making strategies for efficient autonomous systems in space exploration missions. The discussion will highlight applications in two distinct types of autonomous systems. This first concerns space vehicle real-time guidance for Mars entry, powered descent and landing mission, where onboard propellant is limited and high precision landing is required. The second focuses on origami-inspired deployable systems for OSAM, where systems automatically adapt their shape/functionality to mission needs. The seminar will articulate our overarching goal: to achieve a high level of autonomy for these systems, enabling them to navigate dynamic environments, complex operational scenarios and stringent mission constraints effectively.
Bio: Ran Dai is a professor in the School of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Purdue University. Before joining Purdue, she was the Netjets Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. She received her BS degree in Automation Science from Beihang University and her MS and PhD degrees in aerospace engineering from Auburn University. After graduation, she worked as an engineer in an automotive technology company, Dynamic Research, Inc., and then joined the University of Washington as a postdoctoral fellow. Dai's research focuses on control of autonomous systems, numerical optimization, networked dynamical systems and space robotics. She is an associate fellow of AIAA and a recipient of the NSF Career Award and NASA Early Faculty Career Award. Dai is serving as an associate editor of the Journal of Guidance, Navigation, and Control and IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems.