Skip to content
MIT Portugal
  • About
    • Overview
    • People
    • Area Leaders
    • Resources
    • Documents and Reports
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Education
    • Overview
    • 2023 Call for PhD Grants
  • Industry
    • Overview
    • Affiliates
    • Getting Involved
    • Host an MIT Student
  • Innovation
    • MIT Portugal Innovation Workshop 2025
    • MIT Portugal Innovation Workshop Reunion 2025
  • Research
    • Overview
      • Climate Science & Climate Change
      • Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space
      • Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
      • Sustainable Cities
    • Competitive Calls
      • 2025 Call for Seed Grant Proposals
    • Funded Projects
      • 2024 @PT Call for Exploratory Proposals
      • 2024 Seed Projects
      • Flagship Projects
      • 2021 Exploratory Projects
  • Idea Sprints
  • Annual Conference
    • Annual Conference 2024
  • News + Events
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • Graphic Identity
    • Media Gallery
  • About
    • Overview
    • People
    • Area Leaders
    • Resources
    • Documents and Reports
    • Careers
    • Contact Us
  • Education
    • Overview
    • 2023 Call for PhD Grants
  • Industry
    • Overview
    • Affiliates
    • Getting Involved
    • Host an MIT Student
  • Innovation
    • MIT Portugal Innovation Workshop 2025
    • MIT Portugal Innovation Workshop Reunion 2025
  • Research
    • Overview
      • Climate Science & Climate Change
      • Earth Systems: Oceans to Near Space
      • Digital Transformation in Manufacturing
      • Sustainable Cities
    • Competitive Calls
      • 2025 Call for Seed Grant Proposals
    • Funded Projects
      • 2024 @PT Call for Exploratory Proposals
      • 2024 Seed Projects
      • Flagship Projects
      • 2021 Exploratory Projects
  • Idea Sprints
  • Annual Conference
    • Annual Conference 2024
  • News + Events
    • Overview
    • News
    • Events
    • Graphic Identity
    • Media Gallery

News + Events

February 18, 2020 | NEWS

MIT Portugal Seedling Project Team starts a ground testing campaign at NASA Ames with Astrobee free-flyer robot

Three team members from the MIT-Portugal seedling project ReSwarm – Monica Ekal (PhD student at Institute for Systems and Robotics (ISR) from Instituto Superior Técnico (IST)), Keenan Albee (PhD student, Space Systems Lab (SSL) at MIT), and Bryce Doerr (Postdoc, SSL at MIT) – have recently conducted a one week campaign at NASA Ames performing ground testing with the NASA Astrobee free-flyer robot.

They were among the first research teams (other than NASA’s internal team) using this ground testing facility, and the first to deploy a Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) algorithm on this robot, showing remarkable robot maneuverability. The experiments focused on the simultaneous inertial parameter estimation and trajectory optimization of a free-flying robot while transporting a load. This research leads to a broad range of applications, including satellite servicing, space debris mitigation, and in-space assembly of large structures. The ReSwarm project is coordinated by Rebecca Masterson from MIT and Rodrigo Ventura from ISR/IST.

https://mitportugal.org/app/uploads/Ames1.mp4

Facebook-f Instagram Linkedin-in Twitter Youtube Flickr

MIT Portugal Program
Universidade do Minho
Campus de Azurém,
4804 – 533 Guimarães
Portugal
info@mitportugal.org

MIT Portugal Program
77 Massachusetts Ave.
Building 33-326 
Cambridge, MA 02139
mitportugal@mit.edu

FCT logo