Rhea Space Activity

RSA Astrophysicist Nina Maric kicked off her expedition to Svalbard, Norway, deep in the Arctic Circle! She’s on a mission to study celestial-based navigation in one of the world’s harshest locales.

For example, the coldest temperature ever recorded in Svalbard was −46.3 °C (−51.3 °F) in March of 1986!

Follow the expedition’s progress live on the Horizons of Change website: https://horizonsofchange.org/

Over the next few weeks, we’ll share behind-the-scenes insights and the latest findings from her journey. Stay tuned!

Welcome to the RSA team, Alex Nelson!

Alex is the newest aerospace to join RSA. His primary role is developing the optical navigation software for our autonomous navigation product, the Jervis Autonomy Module.

He received his bachelor’s degree in engineering mechanics from The University of Wisconsin-Madison, focusing on . During this time, he received a minor in business and was awarded a Hilldale Fellowship for his contributions to research on corrosion-resistant alloys for use in molten salt nuclear reactors.

Alex completed his master’s degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Colorado Boulder and focused his education on astrodynamics and satellite navigation. He was involved in cube satellite development, serving as the chief engineer/project manager of the Radio and Laser Path Agnostic Communications Experiment (RALPHIE) and as the altitude determination and control systems lead for both the RALPHIE and MAXWELL projects.

What you may not know about Alex is that he:

🧀 Hails from the booming metropolis of Eland, Wisconsin (population 196)
👬 Has a mirror, identical twin
🦅 Achieved the rank of Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts of America
🏈🦡 Spent three years as a member of the Bucky Badger Mascot team at the University of Wisconsin
 
Please join us in welcoming Alex to the team in the comments below!

RSA’s resident robotics expert, Chris Dinelli, recently designed, manufactured, and optimized a semi-autonomous hybrid robotic vehicle to enhance mine emergency operations. This innovative system empowers mine emergency teams with crucial data, enabling them to navigate and map underground mines efficiently and safely.

Dinelli’s expertise extends beyond Earth. Looking to the future, he has also published research on deploying autonomous robots in some of the most challenging and unexplored landscapes in terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments 🌕

At RSA, Dinelli is the lead mechanical engineer for our autonomous navigation capability, the Jervis Autonomy Module.

Dinelli holds a Master’s of Engineering from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, specializing in mechatronic systems and robotics.

Check out Dinelli’s full publications on our website.