Awards

2024 – Fellow, International Artificial Industry Alliance (AIIA), 22 September 2024.
2024 – 2023 Best Paper Award, Advances in Space Research, for “Vision-based navigation in low Earth orbit – using the stars and horizon as an alternative PNT,” 5 April 2024.
2021 – Fellow, Asia-Pacific Artificial Intelligence Association (AAIA), June 2021.
2020 – Member, International Academy of Astronautics. October 2020.
2019 – NASA Group Achievement Award to “Orion Optical Navigation Team,” for sustained superior performance in developing a new technology to support the safety-critical navigation backup for the Orion EM-1 mission, August 28, 2019.
2019 – Honorary member (Socio Onorario), Associazione Italiana di Aeronautica e Astronautica (AIDAA), September 9, 2019.
2019 – Plenary Lecture, XXV International Congress of the Italian Association of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Rome (Italy), September 9-12, 2019.
2019 – 2017 Best Paper Award, Journal Mathematics, March 2019. 2nd prize.
2018 – TEES Faculty Fellow Award, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, March 2018.
2017 – Lead member, winning team, Star-ID contest, by Advanced Concepts Team of European Space Agency, September 2107.
2017 – Plenary lecture, 57th Israel Annual Conference on Aerospace Sciences, Tel Aviv and Technion Campus (Israel). March 15-16, 2017.
2016 – Fellow, Institute of Electric and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) [Wiki] – for contributions to navigational aspects of space systems.
2015 – Dirk Brouwer Award (AAS) [Wiki] – for seminal contributions to the theory and practice of spacecraft orbital and rotational dynamics, particularly attitude determination and satellite constellation design.
2015 – Herbert H. Richardson Fellow Award, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, March 2015.
2015 – William Keeler Memorial Award, Engineering Outstanding Contribution Award, College of Engineering, Texas A&M University, March 2015.
2012 – Fellow, American Astronautical Society (AAS) – for outstanding contributions to astronautics.
2010 – Best Paper Award, Space Flight Mechanics Meeting Conference
2009 – Honorary Member, IEEE-AESS Space Systems Technical Panel
2008 – Associate Fellow, American Institute Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)
2008 – NASA Group Achievement Award – for outstanding accomplishment through development and validation in space of an advanced technology spacecraft attitude determination sensor.
2007 – IEEE Judith A. Resnik Award – for innovative designs of orbiting spacecraft constellations, and efficient algorithms for star identification and spacecraft attitude estimation.
2005 – IEEE Distinguished Speaker.
2003 – Spacecraft Technology Center Award – for activities related to the StarNav I payload (STS-107).
1989 – NASA Group Achievement Award – in recognition of dedication, expertise, and outstanding attitude displayed in the San Marco D/L Team, who greatly contributed to enhancing the international cooperative studies in the exploration of Earth Atmospheric Science.