Vishala Arya

Vishala Arya is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, affiliated with the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR). She previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Scholar at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (2022–2024) and a Graduate Student Assistant at Texas A&M University's Department of Aerospace Engineering (2016–2022). Her expertise spans astrodynamics, trajectory optimization, and autonomous guidance systems for space missions.

Education:

• PhD in Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University (2022)
• MS in Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University (2018)
• BS in Mechanical Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology, Pilani, India (2014)

Research Interests: Dr. Arya focuses on advancing methodologies for space mission design, including robust trajectory optimization, autonomous guidance systems, and cooperative control of multi-agent spacecraft. Her work integrates multidisciplinary design optimization to enhance mission reliability and efficiency in complex environments.

Awards:

• NASA Honors Award for GRACE-FO team (2024)
• 12th International Global Trajectory Optimization Competition (GTOC) Winning Team (2023)
• Breakwell Award for Best Paper at AAS Space Flight Mechanics Conference (2021)

Advising & Grants: While no current advisees are listed, Dr. Arya’s research has been supported by grants tied to trajectory optimization and space systems design. Her awards reflect impactful contributions to GNC systems and mission planning.

Labs/Teams: Member of the Colorado Center for Astrodynamics Research (CCAR), leading research in space systems and mission architecture.