SPECIAL SEMINAR: Remote Sensing from Space: Filling Gaps with Enabling Technologies

Abstract:

Space-based remote sensing, as applied to the Earth and its atmosphere, has played a crucial role in the advances in oceanography and meteorology. There are a few issues to be addressed, however, for enhanced sustainability and capability of remote sensing missions. First, satellite constellations for Earth observation have been launched in a rather simple or ad-hoc style, lacking deployment strategies to reduce costs and increase returns. Second, the target of remote sensing has mostly been the Earth. Third, there is currently no literature on the long-term effects of electric propulsion in air/space-based remote sensing (or mobility) platforms.

In this seminar, Dr. Paek will introduce his work on the above-mentioned issues in remote sensing from space. He will first talk about a satellite constellation concept with reconfigurable orbits, along with its deployment strategy. As the second topic, he will discuss the utility of in-situ remote sensing for asteroid hazard mitigation. Lastly, his latest work on the long-term performance of battery-electric aircraft is presented. Areas of future research and collaboration are drawn from these topics, providing the audience with complementary perspectives at a systems level as well as component/base technology levels.

Bio:

Sung Wook Paek received the B.S. (2010) in aerospace engineering and electrical engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. He received his M.S. (2012) and Ph.D. (2016) in aeronautics and astronautics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology under the advisement of Professor Olivier de Weck. As a member of the Space Systems Laboratory, he worked on the MicroMAS-1 (Micro-sized Microwave Atmospheric Satellite) project for three years from its conceptualization phase until the engineering model phase. Dr. Paek’s experience in mentoring students for CASTOR (Cathode Anode Satellite Thruster for Orbital Reposition) and ExoplanetSat projects, as well as his constellation design experience, had shaped his research interests.

Dr. Paek has been with the energy division of Samsung SDI Co., Ltd. for three years where he specializes in the modeling and simulation of rechargeable battery systems. His team won a bronze prize in the 2019 Samsung Best Paper Award competition for developing algorithms to estimate internal states and detect faults in lithium-ion batteries.