A research group at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid conducting cutting-edge research for smart and sustainable aviation.

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Welcome to the Aerospace Control group at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M). We focus on the application of robust and advanced control techniques to aerospace systems, from aircraft to reusable launch vehicles as well as observation and exploration spacecraft.
The group is led by Dr. Andrés Marcos Esteban, who is a Beatriz Galindo Distinguished Senior Investigator. This is a personal award conferred by the Spanish Government to attract research talent to Spain. As such, Dr. Marcos has taken over the academia-industry UC3M-SENER aerospace chair and the directorship of its associated space lab ST3LLAR.

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Faculty

• Andrés Marcos Esteban
• Manuel Fernando Soler
• Manuel Sanjurjo
• Javier García Heras
• Gabriele Dessana

Post Doc

• Alejandro Cervantes
• Álvaro Moreno
• Diego Navarro Tapia

PhD Students

• Eduardo A. Endériz
• Amin Jafarimoghaddam
• Manuel Angel Sánchez
• Fateme Baneshi
• Aniel Jardines
• Abolfazl Simorgh
• Alfredo Escalante
• Iván Martínez
• Pelayo Vázquez
• Guillermo Escribano
• Pelayo Peñarroya
• Thomas Frekhaug
• Alison Ponche

ALARM

• A prototype of a global multi-hazard monitoring and early warning system for natural hazards in aviation. Horizon 2020. Call: H2020-SESAR-2019-2 (SESAR 2020 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH). May 2020 – Dec 2020. 2M€.  – Soler M.

Beatriz Galindo 2021

• Tecnologías emergentes de control robusto para ingeniería aeroespacial.  June 2021 – May 2026. 450K€. – Marcos Esteban A.
• Combined Heuristic and Statistical Methodologies Applied to Manoeuvre Detection in the SST Observation Correlation Process. – Sanjurjo M.

Cátedras

• Cátedra SUC3M-SENER Aeroespacial (https://st3llar.uc3m.es/) –  Marcos A.
• Cátedra UC3M-ISDEFE ESPACIO. – Sanjurjo M.

CSAT

• Centro de investigación e integración de tecnología espacial y nano/micro-SATélites (CSAT). November 2021 – December 2023. 1.5M€ – Andrés Marcos
• Diseño optimo de sistemas de cambio de actitud y orbita en misiones multi­objetivo con. micro­propulsion basada en motores de electrospray . – Sanjurjo M.

FlyATM4E

• Flying Air Traffic Management for the benefit of environment and climate.  Horizon 2020. Call: H2020-SESAR-2019-2 (SESAR 2020 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH). May 2020 – Dec 2020. 2M€ . – Soler M.

FMP-Met

• Meteorological uncertainty management for Flow Management Positions. Horizon 2020. Call: H2020-SESAR-2019-2 (SESAR 2020 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH). May 2020 – Dec 2020. 1 M€. – Soler M.

HYDROGENATING CM-UC3M

• Aviation and climate change: HYDROGEN-powered aircraft model design and climate-optimal aircraft operations using Artificial Intelligence.    – Soler M.

ISOBAR

• Artificial Intelligence Solutions to Meteo-Based DCB Imbalances for Network Operations Planning. Horizon 2020. Call: H2020-SESAR-2019-2 (SESAR 2020 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH). May 2020 – Dec 2020. 2M€.  –  Soler M.

MACON

• Integrated Multi-Actuator CONtrol System for Payloads LoS and Satellite. January 2020 – June 2023. 121K€ – Marcos Esteban A.

START

• A stable and resilient ATM by integrating robust airline operations into the network. Horizon 2020. Call: H2020-SESAR-2019-2 (SESAR 2020 EXPLORATORY RESEARCH). May 2020 – Dec 2020. 2M€. – Soler M.

• A pilot/dispatcher support tool based on the enhanced provision of thunderstorm forecasts considering its inherent uncertainty.  Eduardo Andrés Endériz (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M., Sanjurjo-Rivo M. & Kamgarpour M.
• Integrating Sustainable Aviation Fuel in Aircraft Trajectory Optimization for Mitigating Climate Impact. Adrián Zarzoso. Supervisors: María Cerezo & Manuel Soler.
• Improving Severe Weather Hazard Prediction for Aviation using Machine Learning. Iván Martínez. Supervisors: Aniel Jardines (Applied Innovative Methods) & Manuel Soler.
• Prediction of adverse weather events and climate impact using neural networks. Bûn-Kim San. Supervisor: Manuel Soler
• Artificial Neural Networks for the Prediction of Contrails and Aviation Induced Cloudiness. Irene Ortiz. Supervisors: Manuel Soler & Javier García-Heras
• Evaluation and Minimization of airlines operations climate impact by Trajectory Optimization. Remi Chevallier. Supervisors: Daniel Delahaye and Manuel Soler.
• H2-fuelled aircraft configuration and trajectory optimisation to reduce aeronautic environmental impact. Raúl Quibén. Supervisor: Manuel Soler & Rauno Cavallaro
• Network-wide Robust Climate Optimal Aircraft Trajectory Planning Fateme Baneshi (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M.
• Robust Aircraft Trajectory Optimization and its Extension to Arrival Sequencing Considering Weather Forecast Uncertainties. Shumpei Kamo. Advisor Prof.: Manuel Soler (UC3M). Supervisor: Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Hartmut Fricke (Dresden University).
• Implementation and analysis of climate models in a commercial flight planning optimization system. Development of a climate cost function and proposal of environmental policies for operators. Alejandra Martín Frías. Supervisors: Raimund Zopp (Flightkeys) & Manuel Soler (UC3M).
• Applying Deep Learning for Optical Navigation of Solar System Exploration and Earth Observation Missions Alfredo Escalante López (ongoing) Supervisors: Sanjurjo M.
• Automatic Maneuver Detection in the SST Observation Correlation Process Guillermo Escribano (ongoing) Supervisors: Sanjurjo M. & Siminski J. (ESA)
• Optimal Close-Operation Trajectories in Non-Conventional Dynamical Environments Thomas Aleksander Frekhaug (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M. & Sanjurjo-Rivo M.
• Innovative analytical/ metaheuristic techniques to solve complex trajectory optimization problems involving climate impacts. Amin Jafarimoghaddam (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M.
• Applying machine learning techniques to improve ATFM operations during convective weather
• Aniel Jardines (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M.
• Trajectory optimization Shumpei Kamo (ongoing) Supervisors: Fricke H., Rosenow J. &  Soler M.
• Intelligent Navigation and Control System for Minor Celestial Body Descent and Ascent Pelayo Peñarroya Rodríguez (ongoing) Supervisors: Centuori S. (Deimos Space SL) & Sanjurjo M.
• Integrated Multi-Actuator CONtrol design for Multi-Body Line-of-Sight Pointing of Space Missions Alison Ponche (ongoing) Supervisors: Ott T. (Airbus – Friedrichshafen) & Marcos Esteban A.
• Orbit Determination of space debris objects from the fusion of the information obtained by different sensors Manuel Angel Sánchez Piedra (ongoing) Supervisors: Catalán Morollón M. (Royal Institute and Observatory of the Spanish Navy) & Sanjurjo M.
• Aircraft Trajectory Optimization and Climate Change Abolfazl Simorgh (ongoing) Supervisors: Soler M.
• Autonomous Control of Flight Formation by Drag and Lift Maneuvers at LEO, with the support of GPS system Pelayo Vázquez Rodríguez (ongoing) Supervisors: Sanjurjo M.