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Double research experience for Ricardo
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Currently a doctoral student at DCAS, Ricardo LOZANO ORTEGA was supported by the Foundation for a 5-month internship at PURDUE University, Indiana and the University of San Diego. His research topic concerns trajectory generation and optimization for autonomous spacecraft under conditions of navigation and propulsion uncertainty.
He tells us all about it.
Why did you choose to do this research internship at 2 universities?
This experience was a unique opportunity to progress both academically and personally. Initially, the main reason for pursuing this exchange was the academic impact as part of my PhD. My visit consisted of two different stays with two different research objectives.
- The first took place at Purdue University’s prestigious College of Engineering – ranked among the top two aerospace engineering schools in the USA – to study robust optimal control with Professor Kenshiro Oguri.
- The second part of the visit to San Diego State University was devoted to the study of optical navigation for cislunar missions with Professor Pablo Machuca.
How did the research work go?
Ricardo Lozano Ortega
The weekly meetings with prof. Oguri were particularly fruitful, perfectly aligning my needs and ambitions. In addition, I was surprised by the good synergy I had with Oguri’s research group. Working alongside his PhD and Masters students encouraged interactions that led to the development of multiple ideas and concepts that were productive in both directions. At the end of the stay, my colleagues even suggested to the professor that he might like to offer me a postdoc position after I had finished my PhD. All in all, the objectives I had set myself during the first visit were achieved beyond expectations, resulting in the submission of a journal article, co-authored by my supervisors at ISAE-SUPAERO and Purdue.
After two productive months, it was time to start a new chapter in beautiful San Diego. I had collaborated with Professor Machuca in the past, so I could expect him to be easy to work with. In this case, I was joining a project that had already started with a student preparing her master’s thesis. Once again, I was surprised by how well our combined efforts worked out. Although this was a relatively new subject for me, I quickly learned the concepts needed to start adding value to the project. Under the close supervision and with the help of prof. Machuca, my colleague Emma and I have been accepted to present a paper at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Milan next October. .
What do you take away from this experience?
It didn‘t take me long to realize that this experience wasn’t just academic.
I worked and socialized with people from all over the world, which has been my greatest contact to date with people from other continents: USA, Korea, Japan, China, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador…
I could never have imagined how much I would learn from meeting such a diversity of people, discovering their cultures, habits, languages, histories or even their politics.
As a Spaniard, I was delighted to meet so many Spanish speakers.
I had the chance to enjoy the richness of my language.
As an English speaker, I’ve been able to improve in different contexts and states, where accents and expressions are equally varied.
I was lucky enough to enjoy unique experiences such as St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago, with the famous Green River Dying and parades, or the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse at the awe-inspiring Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Traveling from Indiana to San Diego by car, I also had the chance to explore much of the country, crossing Missouri, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Arizona and California. It was the national and state parks that surprised and impressed me the most. The awe-inspiring views of the Grand Canyon, the wonderful colors of Antelope Canyon, the interesting origins of the Petrified Forest, wild bear sightings in Sequoia Park and Kings Canyon, and the unbeatable experience of hiking in Yosemite with its valleys, peaks and waterfalls.
All in all, this experience has boosted my research and motivated me enormously for my career. Two publications, dozens of contacts, knowledge and inspiration from many colleagues, I could never have expected such a result. This experience shaped part of my personality, because of the challenges involved in moving to another continent and launching ambitious projects, and encouraged me to pursue my development.
Any final words?
I’m looking forward to continuing to explore the world and the universe, both as a person and as a space engineer, so that I can give back all the gratitude I feel for the opportunities I’ve been given.
I’ll always be grateful for the opportunity I was given. Thanks to the donors, I’ve had an experience beyond my dreams: I’ve learned, appreciated and grown as a person and as a space engineer. I look forward to giving back to the community for all the support it has given me.
