MSAE Project & Thesis Reports: 2017
Spring 2017
Daniel Aguilar
Design of a mission to Mars using electric propulsion for small spacecraft [pdf]
Advisor: Marcus Murbach, NASA Ames RC
Marcus Bautista
Deployable traffic control dirigible conceptual design
Ted Bohrer
Development of a subsonic sounding rocket for research flights of variable payloads
[pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Periklis Papadopoulos
Joseph Burces
Experimental investigation of low density ablative insulator materials for rocket
combustion chambers
Advisor: Greg Zilliac, NASA Ames RC
Pardha Chadalavada
Tuning of control systems using simulated annealing algorithm
Advisor: Dr. Kamran Turkoglu
Nishith Gorla
Nathaniel Grady
Design of an all-electric general aviation airplane, using plausible future battery
technology
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Benjamin Jacobo
Xiran Lu
Graciela Manzanares
Empirical prediction of a Clark Y-14 airfoil low-speed lift and drag increments due
to high-lift devices
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Jeffrey Meadows
Ionization within a plasma for the purpose of investigating space propulsion and the
VASIMR plasma rocket engine [pdf]
Advisor: Marcus Murbach, NASA Ames RC
Christopher Mendez
Gustavo Moreno
Astrodynamic calculations and 3-D model of a VASIMR engine powered spacecraft for
the accelerated transportation of small spacecraft to Mars [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Kamran Turkoglu
Dhathri H. Somavarapu
A parallel processing and diversified-hidden-gene-based genetic algorithm framework
for fuel-optimal tragectory design for interplanetary spacecraft missions [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Kamran Turkoglu
Duong Tan
Summer 2017
Tara Samuels
Real-time stall speed indicator in any flight condition Advisor: Prof. Jeanine Hunter
Thomas Shu
A holistic approach to emergency communications systems and rapid response [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Periklis Papadopoulos
Fall 2017
Brian Andrade
Design of a next generation military, heavy-lift air transport [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Hilal Annous
Hilicopter: the design of a two-passenger, general aviation, VTOL, electric aircraft
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Theodore Hendriks
Max Jeng
Aerothermodynamic and TPS sizing of skip re-entry and aerocapture vehicles [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Periklis Papadopoulos
Zaid Karajeh
Perturbations in lower uranian orbit review [pdf]
Advisor: Prof. Jeanine Hunter
Jared Sagaga
Analysis on plasma sheath formation and its effects on radio communications [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Sebastian Smith
CubeSat de-orbit point targeting using drag modulations [pdf]
Advisor: Marcus Murbach, NASA Ames RC
Bruno Sotelo
High-fidelity grid generation investigations of a low-density supersonic decelerator
[pdf]
Advisor: Periklis Papadopoulos
Andrew Torricelli
Development of CR3BP, ER3BP and n-body orbit simulations using matlab [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Jeanine Hunter
Veera Vadaparthi
Design of a narrow body, medium range, jet transport aircraft [pdf]
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
Alyssa Villanueva
Design of a long range, hydrogen-powered, transport aircraft
Advisor: Dr. Nikos J. Mourtos
