Smriti Nandan Paul

Dr. Smriti Nandan Paul is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology. She directs the Dynamics, Control, and Computer Vision for Space Sustainability and Missions (DCV-Space) group, focusing on astrodynamics, guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for space autonomy, space weather, and machine learning applications. Her work combines computational and experimental approaches for near-Earth and cislunar space environments.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University (2020)
• Dual Degree (B.S./M.S.) in Aerospace Engineering, IIT Bombay (2015)

Research Focus: Space domain awareness (SDA), space traffic management (STM), stochastic machine learning, computer vision for space missions, and GNC systems for sustainable space operations. Her group emphasizes applications in orbital mechanics, sensor tasking, and autonomous satellite systems.

Awards:

• Purdue AAE Teaching Scholarship (2019)
• AAE Teaching Fellowship (2020)
• AAE Teaching Assistant Award (2019)

Advising & Labs: Leads the DCV-Space group, which develops methodologies for space object tracking, drag coefficient modeling, and machine learning-driven solutions for space sustainability. Past roles include Visiting Assistant Professor at Purdue University and postdoctoral research at West Virginia University.