Ryota Nakano

Ryota Nakano

Ph.D. Student at Auburn Univ.

About me

I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University. I am affiliated with the STAR Lab led by Dr. Toshi Hirabayashi. I obtained my B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from The University of Alabama in Huntsville in 2019. I am currently a NASA FINESST fellow.

My current research looks at structural, thermophysical, and dynamical evolutions of various objects in the Solar System – from a few tens of meter small asteroids to larger bodies such as the Moon. I am also working on NASA’s first planetary defense mission, DART. My previous research includes development and testing of electric propulsion devices for small satellites as well as modeling of aerodynamics and flight dynamics of small flapping-wing vehicles for Mars exploration.

Research Interests

My research interests centered on the field of planetary science and astrodynamics, and in particular, formation and evolution processes of small bodies in the Solar System.

I have been establishing unique techniques to better understand small bodies’ structural conditions and dynamical evolutions due to, for example, shape deformation or thermal imbalance (known as the Yarkovsky and YORP effects). I also investigate trajectory design and optimization for interplanetary space exploration missions.

Keywords: Planetary science; Astrodynamics; Small bodies; Structural modeling; Thermophysical modeling; Spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C); Trajectory design; Optimization; Electric propulsion

News

2022
  • March: Awarded supplemental travel grant from AAS to attend AAS 53rd Division on Dynamical Astronomy in Manhattan, NY.
  • March: Submitted a conference abstract titled "A new binary-YORP effect model combining full two rigid body dynamics and three-dimensional thermophysical evolution" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to AAS 53rd Division on Dynamical Astronomy. Accepted for in-person presentation!
  • January: Submitted a journal paper titled "NASA/Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART): Mutual Orbital Period Change Due to Reshaping in the Near-Earth Binary Asteroid System (65803) Didymos" by Nakano R. and 8 authors to PSJ!
  • January: Submitted a journal paper titled "Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART): Structural and dynamic interactions between asteroidal elements of Binary Asteroid (65803) Didymos" by Hirabayashi M. and 13 authors (Nakano R., the 4th author) to PSJ!
  • January: Submitted a journal paper titled "Predictions for the Dynamical States of the Didymos System Before and After the Planned DART Impact" by Richardson D.C., and 35 authors (Nakano R., the 25th author) to PSJ!
  • January: Jackson P.M., Nakano R., Kim Y., and Hirabayashi M., "Active Main-Belt Asteroid (6478) Gault - Constraint on Its Cohesive Strength and the Fate of Ejected Particles in the Solar System" is now available online!
  • January: Presented a poster titled "Dimorphos' reshaping-induced orbital period change after the DART impact" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. at the 53rd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC2022), The Woodland, TX.
2021
  • December: A journal paper titled "Active Main-Belt Asteroid (6478) Gault - Constraint on Its Cohesive Strength and the Fate of Ejected Particles in the Solar System" by Jackson P.M., Nakano R., Kim Y., and Hirabayashi M. is accepted for publication in PSJ!
  • November: Visited Vandenberg Space Force Base to see the DART spacecraft (launch) by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket!
  • October: Submitted a conference abstract titled "Finite Element Thermophysical Model for the Yarkovsky and YORP Investigations - The YORP Effect's Insensitivity to Small Topographic Features" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting 2021 (AGUFM2021). Accepted for presentation!
  • July: Presented a poster titled "Finite Element Modeling Approach Thermophysical Model to Characterize Irregularly Shaped Bodies’ Temperature Variation" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. at the NASA Exploration Science Forum 2021 (NESF2021).
  • July: My FINESST award was featured on the university website!
  • July: Submitted a journal paper titled "Active Main-Belt Asteroid (6478) Gault - Constraint on Its Cohesive Strength and the Fate of Ejected Particles in the Solar System" by Jackson P.M., Nakano R., Kim Y., and Hirabayashi M. to PSJ!
  • June: I am selected for the Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology, FINESST. Total of $135,000 funding support for the investigation of binary asteroids' dynamical evolution due to Binary-YORP effect.
  • June: Submitted an extended abstract titled "Time-Optimal and Fuel-Optimal Trajectories for Asteroid Landing via Indirect Optimization" by Nakano R., Taheri E., and Hirabayashi M. to the AIAA SciTech Forum 2022 (SciTech2022). Accepted for presentation!
  • May: Submitted a conference abstract titled "Investigation of the YORP effect on asteroid (162173) Ryugu - An application of FEM approach thermophysical model" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to the Europlanet Science Congress 2021 (EPSC2021). Accepted for presentation!
  • March: I passed my Qualifying Exam!
  • February: Presented a poster titled "Finite Element Modeling Approach to Characterize Temperature Variations of Irregularly Shaped Bodies" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. at the 52nd Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC2021).
  • January: Submitted a conference abstract titled "NASA/Double Asteroid Redirection Test: Orbital perturbation by the ejecta collision driven reshaping of Didymos after the impact event" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to the 7th IAA Planetary Defense Conference (PDC2021). Accepted for presentation!
2020
  • December: Presented a poster titled "Dimorphos’ orbital perturbation induced by shape modification of Didymos after the DART impact" by Nakano R., Hirabayashi M., and 10 authors at AGU Fall Meeting 2020 (AGUFM2020)!
  • July: Hirabayashi M., Nakano R., and 15 other authors, "Spin-driven evolution of asteroids’ top-shapes at fast and slow spins as seen from (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu" is now available online!
  • June: A journal paper titled "Spin-driven evolution of asteroids’ top-shapes at fast and slow spins as seen from (101955) Bennu and (162173) Ryugu" by Hirabayashi M., Nakano R., and 15 authors is accepted for publication in Icarus!
  • July: Presented a poster titled "Mass-shedding Activities of Asteroid (3200) Phaethon Enhanced by Its Rotation" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. at NASA Exploration Science Forum 2020 (NESF2020). Awarded 1st place for the student poster competition!
  • May: Submitted a conference abstract titled "Mass-shedding Activities of Asteroid (3200) Phaethon Enhanced by Its Rotation - Its Implication to Asteroid Pairs" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to the Europlanet Science Congress 2020 (EPSC2020). Accepted for presentation!
  • March: Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M., "Mass-shedding Activities of Asteroid (3200) Phaethon Enhanced by Its Rotation" is now available online!
  • March: A journal paper titled "Mass-shedding Activities of Asteroid (3200) Phaethon Enhanced by Its Rotation" is accepted for publication in ApJL!
  • January: Submitted a journal paper titled "Mass-shedding Activities of Asteroid (3200) Phaethon Enhanced by Its Rotation" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to ApJL.
  • January: Submitted a conference abstract titled "MASS SHEDDING ACTIVITIES OF ASTEROID (3200) PHAETHON ENHANCED BY ITS ROTATION" by Nakano R. and Hirabayashi M. to the 51st Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (LPSC2020), The Woodland, TX. Accepted for presentation! (Cancelled due to COVID19 outbreak)
2019
  • August: Started my Ph.D. program in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Auburn University and joined the STAR Lab led by Dr. Toshi Hirabayashi!
  • May: Graduated from The University of Alabama in Huntsville with highest honor. I would like to thank my undergraduate research advisors, Dr. Gabe Xu and Dr. Chang-kwon Kang, whose guidance and support were invaluable to me during my 3 years at UAH!