Project Nostradamus

❓THE PROBLEM❓

The increasing number of possible conjunction events generates an unmanageable number of CDMs for satellites operators. From the results obtained with the analysis of the data of the third challenge, and from our everyday working experiences, we know that there are different problems with this data. First of all, not all the sources report all the data. For example, some covariances in CSPOC's CDMs are missing. Then, the reported data is evaluated in very different ways, resulting in contrasting risk levels. This can create indecisions and doubts for the operators, possibly leading to unnecessary collision avoidance maneuvers, which are very costly for the satellites owners.

🔮OUR IDEA🔮

Nostradamus can leverage CDMs and data from different sources, like additional sensor networks, to optimize the threat assessment and mitigation for the clients' spacecrafts. It is divided into four different modules:

• The first module evaluates the reliability of the incoming CDMs and the additional data thanks to a machine learning framework, outputting the weights to be sent to the second module.
• The second module filters and fuses the input data based on the obtained levels of reliability.
• The third module predicts the future CDMs via ML. These predictions are then used to assess the future risk, facilitating and optimizing the optimal decision making and planning.
• The fourth module is engaged only if the risk is above a certain threshold. In this case Nostradamus will compute the collision avoidance maneuver with either a semi-analytical or a numerical method, based on the control subsystem of the client's satellite.

This can make the general decision making for the threat mitigation faster and more optimal. This leads to a better usage of the satellites propellant and thus to a longer operative lifetime. This has a double effect: making the clients save a lot of money and reducing the overall space debris problem.

🛡️🇪🇺🛡️OUR VISION OF THE FUTURE 🛡️🇪🇺🛡️

In the future, the objective is helping in the creation of an European threat assessment and mitigation infrastructure, which right now is very lacking and requires the out-sourcing of some services. This can be archived thanks to the collaboration with the different satellite owners, and with the already extablished European realities, like EU-SST for the CDMs and SSC for the sensor network.

The range of application for our software is very wide, ranging from the civil to the military application, leading to a large number of possible clients.

🛰️ THE TEAM 🛰️

Gaetano Calabrò (technical expert): with a MSc degree in Space Engineering, he is currently pursuing a PhD programme in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico of Milan, researching on advanced Orbit Determination techniques with Machine Learning and AI-driven technologies, with an additional focus on space threat identification and characterization.

Pietro Canal (technical expert): Space Engineering MSc graduate from Politecnico di Milano, with a thesis on Covariance Realism in the SST&SSA domain. Currently working as a GNC Engineer at the Space Systems Institute of DLR Bremen.

Vittoria Distefano (business expert): Doctor in business administration and economics with a thesis on "decision making and space economy: how the european space agency deals with uncertainty and makes strategic choices". Currently attending the MSc programme in management engineering at Politecnico di Milano.

Luca Giorcelli (technical expert): obtained his BSc degree in Aerospace Engineering and MSc degree in Space Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. He is now a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at PoliMi, researching GNC algorithms for proximity operations in highly non-linear dynamics, with a splash of reinforcement learning.

Federico Pagno (technical expert): after completing his MSc in Space Engineering at Politecnico of Milan, he is pursuing a PhD programme in Aerospace Engineering at the same faculty, exploring advanced launch and reentry monitoring techniques, involving the quantification of a collision risk and the tracking procedure in collaboration with national radar sensor providers.

Reach us through our LinkedIn profiles:

Our Business Expert! Vittoria Distefano 

Techical Expert: Gaetano Calabrò

Technical Expert: Federico Pagno

Technical Expert: Pietro Canal

Technical Expert: Luca Giorcelli