Publications

D. Tscholl, Y. K. Nakka, B. Gunter. FastBridge: closing the model-based realization gap in safety filters on 3D Gaussian Splatting for fast quadrotor flight.

Preprint (arXiv), 2026.   [arXiv]

V. Griffo, Y. K. Nakka. Terrain-adaptive grouser wheel for optimal planetary exploration: design and experimental investigation.

Preprint (arXiv), 2026.   [arXiv]

T. Dokania, Y. K. Nakka. Maximal Controlled Invariant-MPC: enhancing feasibility and reducing conservatism through a terminal CBF constraint in safety-critical control.

Preprint (arXiv), 2026.   [arXiv]

T. Dokania, Y. K. Nakka. Exact and approximate convex reformulation of linear stochastic optimal control with chance constraints.

IEEE Control Systems Letters, 2026 (accepted).   [arXiv]

A. Gupta, Y. K. Nakka. Global task-aware fault detection and identification for on-orbit multi-spacecraft collaborative inspection.

Preprint (arXiv), 2025.   [arXiv]

X. Shi, Y. K. Nakka. Nonlinear controller design for a quadrotor with an inverted pendulum.

Preprint (arXiv), 2023.   [arXiv]

A. Gupta, A. Bhardwaj, Y. K. Nakka, C. Choi, A. Rahmani. Information-driven fault detection and identification for multi-agent spacecraft systems: collaborative on-orbit inspection mission.

Book chapter — Advances in Intelligent Fault-Tolerant Aerospace Systems and Applications (Progress in Astronautics and Aeronautics), AIAA, pp. 113–152, 2026.   [DOI]   [arXiv]

T. S. Vaquero, G. Daddi, R. Thakker, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. EELS: autonomous snake-like robot with task and motion planning capabilities for ice world exploration.

Science Robotics, 9(88):eadh8332, 2024.   [DOI]

H. Tsukamoto, S.-J. Chung, B. Donitz, M. Ingham, D. Mages, Y. K. Nakka. Neural-Rendezvous: learning-based robust guidance and control to encounter interstellar objects.

Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 2024.

Y. K. Nakka and S.-J. Chung. Trajectory optimization of chance-constrained nonlinear stochastic systems for motion planning under uncertainty.

IEEE Transactions on Robotics, 39(1):203–222, 2023.   [DOI]

Y. K. Nakka, W. Hönig, C. Choi, A. Harvard, A. Rahmani, S.-J. Chung. Information-based guidance and control architecture for multi-spacecraft on-orbit inspection: algorithm and experiments.

Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 45(7):1184–1201, 2022.   [DOI]

Y. K. Nakka, A. Liu, G. Shi, A. Anandkumar, Y. Yue, S.-J. Chung. Chance-constrained trajectory optimization for safe exploration and learning of nonlinear systems.

IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 6(2):389–396, 2021.   [DOI]

R. C. Foust, E. S. Lupu, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, F. Y. Hadaegh. Autonomous in-orbit satellite assembly from a modular heterogeneous swarm.

Acta Astronautica, 169:191–205, 2020.   [DOI]

Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, J. T. Allison, J. B. Aldrich, O. S. Alvarez-Salazar. Nonlinear attitude control of a spacecraft with distributed actuation of solar arrays.

Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, 42(3):458–475, 2019.   [DOI]

C. M. Chilan, D. R. Herber, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, J. T. Allison, J. B. Aldrich, O. S. Alvarez-Salazar. Co-design of strain-actuated solar arrays for spacecraft precision pointing and jitter reduction.

AIAA Journal, 55(9):3180–3195, 2017.   [DOI]

D. Tscholl, Y. K. Nakka, B. Gunter. Perception-integrated safety-critical control via analytic collision cone barrier functions on 3D Gaussian Splatting.

American Control Conference, 2026 (accepted).   [arXiv]

M. C. Wijayatunga, C. Buonagura, S. Bandyopadhyay, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. Assessing the feasibility of ion beam-based asteroid deflection for planetary defense.

AIAA SciTech Forum, 2025.

V. Griffo, Y. K. Nakka. GROVER: a variable-height grouser wheel for enhanced terrain adaptability.

RSS Workshop on Space Robotics, 2025. — Best Paper Award

S. Bandyopadhyay, Y. K. Nakka, L. Fesq, S. Ardito. Design and development of MuSCAT: Multi-Spacecraft Concept and Autonomy Tool.

AIAA Aviation Forum and ASCEND, p. 4805, 2024.   [PDF]

H. El-Kebir, M. Ornik, Y. K. Nakka, C. Choi, A. Rahmani. Robust detection and identification of simultaneous sensor and actuator faults.

IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2024.

J.-P. de la Croix, F. Rossi, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. Multi-agent autonomy for space exploration on the CADRE lunar technology demonstration.

IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2024.

M. Paton, R. Rieber, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. 2023 EELS field tests at Athabasca Glacier as an icy moon analog environment.

IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2024.

R. Thakker, M. Paton, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. To boldly go where no robots have gone before — Part 4: NEO autonomy for robustly exploring unknown, extreme environments with versatile robots.

AIAA SciTech Forum, 2024.

R. Thakker, M. Paton, …, Y. K. Nakka, et al. EELS: towards autonomous mobility in extreme environments with a novel large-scale screw-driven snake robot.

IEEE/RSJ IROS, 2023.   [DOI] — Best Paper Award finalist (SSRR)

A. Gupta, Y. K. Nakka, C. Choi, A. Rahmani. Global task-aware fault detection and identification for on-orbit multi-spacecraft collaborative inspection.

AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, 2023.

C. Choi, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, A. Rahmani. Resilient multi-agent collaborative spacecraft inspection.

IEEE Aerospace Conference, 2023.

T. Gutierrez, N. Coulter, H. Moncayo, Y. K. Nakka, C. Choi, A. Rahmani. Distributed health management for resilient multi-agent collaborative spacecraft inspection.

AIAA SciTech Forum, 2023.

D. Neamati, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung. Learning-based methods to model small-body gravity fields for proximity operations: safety and robustness.

AIAA SciTech Forum, p. 2271, 2022.

Y. K. Nakka, W. Hönig, C. Choi, A. Harvard, A. Rahmani, S.-J. Chung. Information-based guidance and control architecture for multi-spacecraft on-orbit inspection.

AIAA SciTech Forum, 2021.   [DOI] — Best Student Paper Award

Y. K. Nakka and S.-J. Chung. Trajectory optimization for chance-constrained nonlinear stochastic systems.

IEEE Conference on Decision and Control (CDC), pp. 3811–3818, 2019.   [DOI]

K. Matsuka, E. S. Lupu, Y. K. Nakka, R. C. Foust, S.-J. Chung, F. Y. Hadaegh. Distributed multi-target relative pose estimation for cooperative spacecraft swarm.

11th Int. Workshop on Satellite Constellations and Formation Flying, 2019. — Best Paper Award

R. C. Foust, E. S. Lupu, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, F. Y. Hadaegh. Ultra-soft electromagnetic docking with applications to in-orbit assembly.

69th International Astronautical Congress, 2018.

Y. K. Nakka, R. C. Foust, E. S. Lupu, D. B. Elliott, I. S. Crowell, S.-J. Chung, F. Y. Hadaegh. A six degree-of-freedom spacecraft dynamics simulator for formation control research.

AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, 2018.

R. C. Foust, Y. K. Nakka, A. Saxena, S.-J. Chung, F. Y. Hadaegh. Automated rendezvous and docking using tethered formation flight.

9th Int. Workshop on Satellite Constellations and Formation Flying, 2017.

C. M. Chilan, D. R. Herber, Y. K. Nakka, S.-J. Chung, J. T. Allison, J. B. Aldrich, O. S. Alvarez-Salazar. Co-design of strain-actuated solar arrays for spacecraft precision pointing and jitter reduction.

57th AIAA/ASCE/AHS/ASC Structures, Structural Dynamics, and Materials Conference, p. 0162, 2016.

Y. K. Nakka, M. R. D. Shashank, S. Adhikari, N. Surendran, V. K. Hariharan, M. R. Thyagaraj, G. V. C. Rajan, K. V. Govinda. Static test fixture for spacecraft handling systems.

Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing, Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 2014.

Y. K. Nakka, M. Velayudhan, N. Surendran, V. K. Hariharan, M. R. Thyagaraj, G. V. C. Rajan, K. V. Govinda. Launch vehicle interface: constraints on spacecraft mechanical configuration.

Workshop on Futuristic Aerospace Vehicles Integration and Testing, Research Centre Imarat, Hyderabad, 2014.