Bianchi Christian

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LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/christian-bianchi-337219207

ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0577-8818

Ph.D. Course: Industrial Engineering

Curriculum: Aerospace Engineering

Cycle: XXXVII

Title of PhD Project: Analysis and Optimization of Space Trajectories with Innovative Propulsion Systems

Supervisors: Prof. Giovanni Mengali, Dr. Lorenzo Niccolai

Abstract of the PhD project:

My PhD research is aimed at designing optimal space trajectories that make use of innovative propulsion systems, such as solar sails. These devices are made of large and thin membranes covered with a reflective material that, once deployed in space, can harness solar radiation pressure to propel a spacecraft without the need of carrying any additional propellant on board, thus reducing the overall satellite mass and extending the mission lifetime. Despite the extremely low thrust they can provide, solar sails are able to gather relatively high speed in the long run due to the continuous flux of solar photons striking upon the membrane. Thanks to this ideally limitless velocity gain, these propellantless devices can enhance mission capabilities and allow for new mission scenarios that would not be feasible with conventional propulsion systems.

My activity is focused on the optimization of solar sail-based transfers both in heliocentric scenarios (e.g., V-infinity leveraging maneuvers for interplanetary missions) and in geocentric frameworks (e.g., active removal of space debris in low-Earth orbit). Part of my research is also dedicated to the robust optimization of sail trajectories in presence of uncertainties via reinforcement learning techniques.

Research Period Abroad

• 6-month research activity carried out at the University of Glasgow under the supervision of Dr. Matteo Ceriotti working on active space debris removal in low-Earth orbit using a solar sail, January – June 2023.

Teaching experience

• “Cultore della Materia” for the courses ‘‘Spaceflight Mechanics” and “Dinamica e Controllo di Veicoli Aerospaziali”, CdLM Aerospace Engineering (LM-20).
• Fondo Giovani 2023/2024, “Spaceflight Mechanics”, CdLM Aerospace Engineering (LM-20) (20 hours).
• Fondo Giovani 2022/2023, “Spaceflight Mechanics”, CdLM Aerospace Engineering (LM-20) (20 hours).

Publications (Journal Papers)

• Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., “Robust Solar Sail Trajectories using Proximal Policy Optimization”, submitted to Aerospace Science and Technology.
• Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., Ceriotti M., “Preliminary Design of a Space Debris Removal Mission in LEO using a Solar Sail”, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 73, Issue 8, pp. 4254-4268, April 2024, DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2024.01.024.

• Quarta A. A., Mengali G., Bianchi C., Niccolai L., “Rapid Capture Trajectories from Parabolic Orbit with Modulated Radial Thrust”, Advances in Space Research, Vol. 71, Issue 3, pp. 1700-1710, February 2023, DOI: 10.1016/j.asr.2022.09.065.                         

• Quarta A. A., Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., “Solar sail-based V-infinity leveraging missions from elliptic orbit”, Aerospace Science and Technology, Vol. 130, Article nr. 107922, November 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.ast.2022.107922.

• Quarta A. A., Mengali G., Niccolai L., Bianchi C., “Solar Sail Augmented Hohmann Transfer”, IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems, 59, Issue 2, pp. 2065-2071, April 2023, DOI: 10.1109/TAES.2022.3206727.

• Quarta A. A., Mengali G., Niccolai L., Bianchi C., “Solar sail optimal maneuvers for heliocentric orbit apse line rotation”, Acta Astronautica, 198, pp. 410-420, September 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.actaastro.2022.06.022.

• Quarta A. A., Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., “Optimal Leveraging Maneuvers using Grey Solar Sail”, Aerospace Science and Technology, Vol. 126, Article nr. 107619, July 2022. DOI: 10.1016/j.ast.2022.107619.

• Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., Quarta A. A., “Collinear Artificial Equilibrium Point Maintenance with a Wrinkled Solar Sail”, Aerospace Science and Technology, Vol. 119, Article nr. 107150, December 2021. DOI: 10.1016/j.ast.2021.107150.

Publications (Conference Papers)

• Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., “Solar sail-based deep space transfers using V-infinity leveraging maneuvers”, International Astronautical Congress (IAC), 2022.

• Bianchi C., Niccolai L., Mengali G., Ceriotti M., “Blended locally-optimal control laws for space debris removal in LEO using a solar sail”, International Symposium on Space Sailing (ISSS), 2023.

Conferences

• 6^th International Symposium on Space Sailing (ISSS2023), 05-09/06/2023, New York City, USA
• 73^rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC2022), 18-22/09/2022, Paris, France