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 Polytechnic University of Catalonia, Spain, where he studied his BSc and MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering. He also pursued a MSc degree in Astrophysics, Particle Physics and Cosmology from University of Barcelona. His most remarkable professional experience in the space industry was when he started working for Satlantis LLC as a space technology engineer with the aim of developing Earth-observation cameras for micro-satellites.  He graduated from his Ph.D. in Astrodynamics and Space Applications in the multi-body dynamics research group under the supervision of Dr. Kathleen C. Howell in Purdue University. 
Dr. Canales is currently an Assistant Professor in the department of Aerospace Engineering of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU). He is also the ERAU representative to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). 
His expertise encompasses astrodynamics in multi-body regimes, Cislunar surveillance, astronomy, orbit determination, applied mathematics, as well as many different space applications, such as telecommunications, signal processing and mission planning. 

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 master’s student in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is researching on the predictive control for spacecraft rendezvous, and for its experimental validation, he is building spacecraft simulators based on Air-bearings. He graduated from the Republic of Korea Air Force Academy and he has been serving in the Republic of Korea Air Force since 2010. Now, His rank is Major and he has about 1,200 flying 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 BSc and MSc in Aerospace Engineering as well as a minor in Applied Mathematics at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida, as apart of the Accelerated Master’s Program. His research interests include attitude dynamics, control, astrodynamics, and trajectory design. Brian is the Technology and Resource Management Lead of STAR group.
Research Focus: Study of space-based tracking and navigation for surveillance purpose in 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 fourth year bachelor's student, originally from Budapest, Hungary. She is perusing her degree in Aerospace Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with a goal to enroll into the master's program to study dynamics and controls. 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: Edison Martinez (martie14@my.erau.edu)

Edison Martinez is a Master’s student from Ecuador. He is pursuing his major in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on Dynamics and Control at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He graduated from Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas ESPE, where he obtained his BSc degree in Electronic Engineering, with a minor in Automation and Control. His research interests include astrodynamics, spacecraft control and development of software systems related to space applications.
Research Focus: Development of the software architecture and backend for the Cislunar augmented reality prototype.

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)



Mauro Palomo (palomom1@my.erau.edu)



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: