Diogo Merguizo Sanchez

Diogo Merguizo Sanchez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at the University of Oklahoma's College of Engineering. His research focuses on orbital mechanics, celestial mechanics, planetary mission design, and spacecraft dynamics. He holds a Ph.D. from the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE), an M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Physics from São Paulo State University (Unesp), Brazil. Prior to his current role, he served as a Postdoctoral Researcher at INPE (2015-2020) and an Exchange Visitor at Purdue University (2015-2016).

His academic journey includes teaching as a Math teacher at Colégio Cói (2021-2022) and collaborating research roles at INPE. He teaches advanced courses such as AME 4493/5493: Space Sciences & Astrodynamics and AME 4593/5593: Space Systems & Mission Design.

Research Interests:

• Orbital mechanics and astrodynamics
• Celestial mechanics
• Planetary mission design
• Spacecraft attitude and control
• Space vehicle guidance
• Dynamical systems theory
• Numerical Methods

Recent work explores dynamics around small bodies, asteroid binary systems, and spacecraft trajectories in Earth-Moon and planetary systems. His publications analyze orbital stability, solar radiation pressure effects, and proximity operations for near-Earth asteroids like Apophis. His research contributes to planetary defense strategies and mission design for celestial exploration.

Labs/Teams: While no specific labs are listed, his work aligns with OU's Aerospace Engineering research initiatives in space systems and astrodynamics.