Seminars

The exploration of asteroids and other small Solar System bodies is a key objective of future space missions, motivated by scientific discovery, planetary defense, and resource utilization. Close-proximity operations around these objects remain highly challenging due to uncertain dynamics, irregular gravity fields, and communication delays that limit real-time human intervention. Increased onboard autonomy is therefore essential. This talk presents an approach toward fully autonomous guidance and navigation for spacecraft operating in the vicinity of asteroids. First, advances in vision-based navigation are discussed, emphasizing the combination of onboard image processing with physical motion models to improve state estimation. This enables a spacecraft to autonomously construct a consistent representation of its environment under significant uncertainty. The talk then introduces an autonomous guidance framework that moves beyond ground-defined trajectories toward goal-oriented decision-making. By incorporating uncertainty and future outcomes, the spacecraft can plan exploratory paths that balance scientific objectives with operational safety.
Prospects for validation through simulation and future experimental testing are discussed, highlighting the role of such architectures in enabling safe and resilient exploration of small Solar System bodies.