Prashant Patel
Research Staff Member, Institute for Defense Analyses

Abstract:
Space is undergoing a rejuvenation as it is an important focus of commercial activity and investment, there are national security interests, and civil authorities are grappling with increasing exploration and management challenges. I will discuss how continuous maneuver in space is now possible using electric propulsion and advanced algorithms. This has important implications for constellation design, space traffic management, and other issues. As part of the talk, I will highlight how my Michigan education and the community directly contributed to helping me solve national security issues.

Speaker Bio:
Dr. Patel is a Research Staff Member at the Institute for Defense Analyses. He has contributed to a wide range of topics including nuclear forces, interest-based targeting, space, industrial base studies, trade studies, and many other interesting and cool topics. He has worked with numerous agencies including the Department of Defense, Veteran’s Affairs, Department of Energy, and the Intelligence Community. Dr. Patel earned his BSE in Aerospace Engineering, MEng in Space System, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.