December 20, 2012
Sonia Hernandez has been selected as one of three recipients of the John V. Breakwell Student Travel Award.
The purpose of the award is to encourage and promote research activity in space flight mechanics and astrodynamics by providing financial support to students presenting papers at the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting and Astrodynamics Conference.
The award stipend of $1,000 will help offset the costs of traveling to the Space Flight Mechanics Meeting Conference in Kauai, Hawaii on February 10-14.
Hernandez will present her thesis research about designing trajectories for spacecraft to rendezvous with other spacecraft that she has worked on with her advisor, Dr. Maruthi Akella.
“If you have a spacecraft in low-earth orbit and you want it to dock with another one in a geosynchronous orbit, the idea is to design closed-loop guidance schemes that will let you dock with it, and get you there in the most optimal way,” Hernandez said.
The award is merit based. Students were required to submit their paper abstract, curriculum vita, an application and a letter of recommendation from their advisor. Students must also be members of the American Astronautical Society (AAS).
“This award is prestigious so I’m honored to receive it,” Hernandez said. “It’s rewarding to see the work I do pay off and it’s also very helpful to have the funding to travel.”
This is the second award Hernandez has received this semester. She also won the prestigious Amelia Earhart Fellowship.
