Team

Members of STAR Group (2024-2025). 

Members of STAR Group (2023-2024). 

Members of STAR Group (2022-2023). 

Director of STAR Research Group

Principal Investigator

Dr. David Canales Garcia (canaled4@erau.edu)

David Canales Garcia started his professional career at the Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain, where he earned his BSc and MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering. He also completed an MSc degree in Astrophysics, Particle Physics, and Cosmology at the University of Barcelona. His most notable professional experience in the space industry was working for Satlantis LLC as a space technology engineer, where he contributed to developing Earth-observation cameras for micro-satellites. He earned his Ph.D. in Astrodynamics and Space Applications as a member of the multi-body dynamics research group at Purdue University, under the supervision of NAE member Dr. Kathleen C. Howell. Dr. Canales is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU), where he founded the Space Trajectories and Applications Research (STAR) group. He also serves as the ERAU representative to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). His research interests include astrodynamics in multi-body regimes, cislunar operations, space policy, space weather, astrophysics, and applied mathematics.

Graduate Researchers

PhD Student: Franco Criscola (criscolf@my.erau.edu)

Franco Criscola was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and moved to Weston, Florida when he was 15 years old. He became interested in space during his senior year of high school when SpaceX started reaching the news, but his passion for Astrodynamics didn’t begin blooming until the first course he took in his junior year of college. He is particularly interested in extra-terrestrial trajectory design, especially interplanetary missions. He hopes his research will give him the tools he needs to become proficient in this topic.
Research Focus: Study of quasi-periodic motion in the vicinity of L4 for studying Cislunar space environment, as well as optimal transfers to such region of study.
Graduated with ERAU MSc thesis in STAR: Development of a Constellation Simulator for a 5G-IoT Mission Planning System.

PhD Student: Seur Gi Jo (jos2@my.erau.edu)

Seur Gi Jo is a Ph.D. student in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. His research focuses on understanding chaotic behavior in multi-body regimes through the application of knot theory and universal templates, as well as developing dynamics and control strategies for spacecraft rendezvous, proximity operations, and landing in the cislunar region. He graduated from the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy and has been serving in the Republic of Korea Air Force since 2010. Currently, he holds the rank of Major and has accumulated approximately 1,200 flight hours as an F-16 fighter pilot.  
Research Focus: Study of chaos in multi-body regimes through the application of knot theory and universal templates. Additionally, expert in control applications in STAR.

PhD Student: Annika Anderson (andera59@my.erau.edu)

Annika Anderson is a graduate student in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Her research interests include spacecraft dynamics, particularly coupled dynamics between orbit and attitude. Currently, her work largely centers on the circular restricted full three-body problem (CRF3BP), a novel dynamical framework capable of modeling spacecraft in the Cislunar region (and other three body problems) as a rigid body. Annika is the Social and Community Building Lead of STAR group.
Research Focus: Study of higher-fidelity rigid body dynamics in the Cislunar regime.

PhD Student: Brian Baker-McEvilly (bakermcb@my.erau.edu)

Brian Baker-McEvilly is pursuing his PhD in Aerospace Engineering with a focus in dynamics and control at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida. His current projects include constellation design in the Earth-Moon system to observe objects traversing Cislunar space and finding maneuvers that are able to avoid optical detection between key sections of Cislunar space. His other research interests include attitude dynamics, control, estimation, and trajectory design. Brian is the Technology and Resource Management Lead of STAR group.
Research Focus: Three-body constellation design for space-based surveillance across the Cislunar realm.

PhD Student: Luis E. Mendoza Zambrano (mendol10@my.erau.edu)

Luis is a PhD aerospace engineering student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University under the advising of Dr. David Canales and Dr. Riccardo Bevilacqua. Luis completed his MSc is aerospace engineering working on integral concurrent learning for Solar sailing   applications shortly after pursuing his BSc in Aerospace and Mechanical engineering      from University of Florida. During the spring of 2024, Luis served as an instructor for AE 313 Space Mechanics. 

Research Focus: Study of Solar sailing adaptive-optimal control for Lunar occultations in the framework of the circular restricted three-body problem.

MSc Student: Joseph Anderson (andej138@my.erau.edu)

Joseph Anderson is pursuing his BSc and MSc in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science. His research interests include spacecraft controls and trajectory planning, as well as machine learning applications for automated space domain awareness. 
Research Focus: Project leader of the development of an augmented reality framework for Cislunar trajectory design and surveillance.

MSc Student: Renata Jancsik (jancsikr@my.erau.edu)

Renata Jancsik is a first year Masters's student, originally from Budapest, Hungary. She is pursuing her degree in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Dynamics and Control at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. She is eager about researching techniques for 3D-printing using lunar regolith within the Cislunar region.
Research Focus: Implementation of Lunar dynamics for the autonomous 3D printing of Cislunar regolith.

MSc Student: Justin Schmitt (schmitj9@my.erau.edu)

Justin Schmitt is pursuing his MSc in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University after graduating with a BSc in Aerospace Engineering and a minor in Applied Mathematics. He is interested in researching trajectory design and spacecraft guidance and control. He is excited to learn more about astrodynamics and hopes that research will provide knowledge and experience with mission design.
Research Focus: Study of Cislunar LiDAR and optical navigation.

BSc Students 

Kya Sedelmeyer (sedelmek@my.erau.edu)

Kya Sedelmeyer is a Master's student in Aerospace Engineering focusing on dynamics and control at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida. Born and raised in Jacksonville Florida, she was enthused by NASA's shuttle launches from a young age and became passionate about space exploration. After obtaining her bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering her research interests have become more focused on space trajectory design using Machine Learning and Augmented Reality. 
Research Focus: Cislunar trajectory design using machine learning and augmented reality. 

Mauro Palomo (palomom1@my.erau.edu)

Mauro Palomo is a senior pursuing a BSc in Aerospace Engineering with a focus in propulsion. He plans to continue his education at Embry-Riddle with an MSc in Aerodynamics and Propulsion.
Research Focus: Cislunar trajectory design using machine learning and augmented reality. Also exploring how state-of-the-art propulsion methods can enhance orbital transfer efficiency.


BSc Student: Andrew Ewalt (ewalta@my.erau.edu)

Andrew Ewalt is currently a senior pursing his BSc in Aerospace Engineering following the astronautics track at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is interested in learning more about spacecraft guidance control and spacecraft missions along with their cost effectiveness.
Research Focus: Creating a complexity model for Cislunar Lunar missions with the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee while also assisting with the augmented reality for Cislunar trajectory design.


BSc Student: Serena Elijah (elijahs@my.erau.edu)

Serena is a senior BSc in Aerospace Engineering, originally from Nigeria. She is a class of 2025 Rising Stars in Aerospace for AIAA Scitech. Serena has interests in space commercialization especially shortening travel time for interplanetary travel. 
Research Focus: Creating a complexity model for Cislunar Lunar missions with the AIAA Space Systems Technical Committee.


Alumni (MSc)

MSc Student: Marta Lopez Castro (lopezcam@my.erau.edu)

Marta Lopez is a Master’s student from Spain. Her major is Aerospace Engineering in the field of Navigation and Aerospace Systems. She studied her BSc at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid and is currently enrolled in a Double Degree Program for Universidad Europea de Madrid and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University. She is eager to start researching on near-Earth asteroid trajectories.  
Research Focus: Study of spacecraft fragmentation in the Cislunar realm.

First Post-Graduation Job: Capgemini, Madrid, Spain

Alumni (BSc)

2024: Jesika Geliga, Zachariah Hudson, Lynette Ramirez, Vikas Patel.

2023: Sebastian Doroba, Kamden Kuykendall, Annika Gilliam

Mentorship for Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) by National Science Foundation: