Projects

The Four Pillars of Our Research

The Stanford's Space Rendezvous Lab (SLAB) is built on four pillars of research which feed one another in closed loop to accomplish our mission. These pillars expose the students to the full spectrum of the developmental cycle of a space mission with a focus on fundamental research and algorithms related to multi-agent GN&C for distributed space systems.

An overview of the spectrum of work in SLAB

Overview of Our Projects

Our work lies at the intersection of Astrodynamics, Guidance/Navigation/Control (GN&C), Environment Characterization and Decision Making to enable future Distributed Space Systems (DSS). These include but are not limited to: spacecraft formation-flying, rendezvous and docking, swarms, and fractionated space architectures. Our work will help humanity address fundamental questions of space science, technology, exploration, and sustainability. Check out more of our projects in the link below!

Flight Missions

StarFOX: A Formation-Flying Optical Experiment on the NASA Starling Mission

Optical Experiments and Angles-Only Relative Navigation Algorithm Development

Space Weather Atmospheric Reconfigurable Multiscale Experiment (SWARM-EX)

Guidance, Navigation and Control Algorithm Design and Development for SWARM-EX

AI for Space

SPN: Spacecraft Networks for Pose Estimations and 3D Model Abstraction

Integration of Machine Learning and GN&C Algorithms for Robust Pose Tracking of Non-cooperative Target in Space

Machine Learning Datasets for Computer Vision in Space

Generation of monocular optical imagery datasets for autonomous pose estimation of noncooperative spacecraft

Flight-Ready Software

ARTMS: Angles-only Absolute and Relative Trajectory Measurement System

State Estimation of Uncooperative Spacecraft with Angles-Only Measurements

RPO kit: Autonomous GNC Software for Proximity Operations

End-to-End Autonomous Spacecraft GNC

S3 - Digital and Robotic Twinning for Spacecraft Autonomy

Development of Software Libraries in Support of GNC Development in Multi-Satellite Systems

New Models for Relative Astrodynamics in Distributed Space Systems

Development and Validation of New Theoretic Relative Astrodynamics Models for Future Multi-Satellite Missions

Future Mission Concepts

Miniaturized Distributed Occulter-Telescope Mission (mDOT)

Mission and System Design for the Miniaturized Distributed Occulter-Telescope Mission (mDOT)

GNC architecture design for Cislunar Swarming

Towards high-precision swarming in chaotic dynamical systems