6/9/2026 Debra Levey Larson
Written by Debra Levey Larson
Poornadithya Chandramukhi, M.S. December ’25, received the Best Paper Award at the 2026 International Conference on Spacecraft Mission Operations in Bengaluru, India. It was awarded by the Indian Space Research Organisation.
Out of over 450 global submissions, Chandramukhi’s paper was one of just 22 selected for an oral presentation at the conference.
“As Earth's orbit becomes increasingly crowded with thousands of active satellites and fragments of debris, preventing catastrophic collisions has become an urgent operational constraint,” Chandramukhi said. “My work utilizes and compares the advanced heuristic optimization algorithms inspired by the natural flocking behavior of birds known as Particle Swarm Optimization and the genetic evolution known as Genetic Algorithm, to allow satellites to autonomously determine the optimal space trajectories to dodge incoming orbital threats.”
Chandramukhi said by evaluating complex safety constraints, these algorithms instantly calculate the quickest, most fuel-efficient path to slip away from danger.
“By comparing both of these frameworks, our results demonstrated that these nature-inspired algorithms consistently outperform traditional methods, providing a reliable, real-time blueprint to ensure future space exploration remains safe and entirely self-sufficient.”
Recalling his experience at the conference, Chandramukhi shared a chaotic moment following his presentation. After stepping outside the venue for a quick breath of fresh air, he heard his name being shouted from inside the hall and ran back into the auditorium just in time to be called up to the stage.
“I’d felt honored just to be in the room and I thought I was receiving a participation memento,” he said. “It wasn’t until I sat back down and read the certificate that it hit me that I’d won.”
The winning paper is titled “Heuristic Optimization Performance Comparison for Satellite Collision Avoidance: A Temporal Regime Analysis of NSGA-II and Particle Swarm Optimization.”
Chandramukhi said he is grateful for the rigorous guidance he received from his mentor and co-author Vicki Coverstone, director of the Laboratory for Advanced Space Systems at Illinois.
He is currently looking for job opportunities while establishing a startup in the field of collision avoidance and maneuver optimization for satellite systems.
“To be recognized by the giants at the Indian Space Research Organisation Telemetry, Tracking and Command network, the heart of Indian space operations, is the ultimate validation of this work,” Chandramukhi said. “I believe the future of space technology is autonomous, and I’m more driven than ever to bridge the gap between complex optimization and real-time mission safety.”