The new spaceera continues to disrupt the conventional space industry in scientific, technological and economic fronts. The outcome is a transformation from a limited monopsonic ecosystem toward an entrepreneurial mass market, resulting in revolutionary artifacts and techniques, such as miniaturized space platforms and fractionated spacecraft, which can be developed at considerably lower costs in a significantly faster pace. A key to such transformation is the invention of alternative methodologies and frameworks that allow for rapid system and mission design for sustainable operations in space. The talk will delve into the characterization of new space as well as its scientific and technological founding blocks to pave the road for the future research and development in the field. It will be argued that with the current trend not only can the curiosity-driven advancements turn into unimaginable space explorations, but we can also seek unlimited space resources for enhancing the prospects of human life both on Earth and in space.
Brief Bio:
Prof. M. Reza Emami is the Director of the Aerospace Mechatronics Group and Coordinator of the Aerospace and Design Laboratories at the University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies. He has also been the Founding Chair of Onboard Space Systems and Director of Asteroid Engineering Center at the Luleå University of Technology, Sweden, 2015-2020. He obtained his Ph.D. and postdoctoral fellowship in Robotics and Mechatronics from the University of Toronto, and worked in the industry as a Project Manager before joining the academia. His research focuses on concurrent engineering of multidisciplinary systems, such as spacecraft, robot manipulators and rovers. His current research includes: space systems miniaturization, space debris mitigation and remediation, concurrent base-arm control of free-flying space manipulators, satellite formation flying, asteroid redirection for exploration and mining, intelligent heterogeneous rover/satellite teams, reconfigurable manipulators, and legged locomotion for exploratory rovers. Prof. Emami is the Associate Editor of the International Journal of Advanced Robotic Systems as well as Frontiers in Space Technologies. He has been nominated for several teaching awards, including National Innovation for Technology Award and OPAS Award for Excellence in Teaching. He was also recognized by MathWorks as a Featured Professor in 2013 and 2003, and was in the list of University of Toronto's Miracle Workers in 2000.
