Doug is all about diving deep into the world of autonomous flight, where he’s turned a passion for aerospace engineering into impact, leading projects that explore new frontiers. His journey is shaped by a hands-on approach, from tweaking designs to steering teams through the exciting challenges of making machines that soar on their own.
Currently working on turning Fusion Energy from science fiction to science fact.
CUGravity aimed to be the first successful demonstration of artificial gravity in space. A 3U configuration, the satellite will split into three sections in space and use magnetic torque coils to spin up to achieve and sustain Mars level gravity.
Worked in Professor Tal Shima's lab testing novel guidance and navigation algorithms.
Violet was designed to demonstrate rapid pointing or the ability to quickly change its orientation in space, a capability crucial for various satellite applications, including Earth observation, astronomical imaging, and responsive tasking for changing mission objectives. This high-agility feature allows satellites like Violet to capture images of multiple targets on Earth within a short timeframe, significantly enhancing the satellite's operational flexibility and efficiency.
The CUSat program was a student-led project that aimed to design, build, and launch a satellite as part of the University Nanosatellite Program, which is sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory. The mission involved using two satellites to inspect each other in space, providing valuable data on the condition and performance of satellites without requiring direct human intervention.
It launched on a Falcon 9 in 2013.
