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Hi there,

 

I am a Tenured Professor at Riga Technical University in Latvia starting a new space technology group with the focus on space mission design, optical navigation and photorealistic modelling. I am also a Co-Founder of Nanocraft, a 3D space startup in Latvia, and Industry Liaison of the European Astrobiology Institute.

 

I developed in the field of space technology while working at UT Tartu Observatory in Estonia since 2012 where my primary focus has been the electric solar wind sail, or E-sail, and cubesat development. I have been a core team member of the first Estonian satellite ESTCube-1 and a leading co-founder of the ESTCube-2 mission and the ESTCube-LuNa mission concept. Together with the OPIC PI Mihkel Pajusalu, we brought the Comet Interceptor mission to Estonia as the first instrument contribution to an ESA science mission. I was the idea author, editor and writer of the Space Travel Blog. During 2022–2024, I was the Guest Editor of the Special Issue "Advances in CubeSat Sails and Tethers".

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During 2019–2021, I was a Postdoc at Aalto University in Finland, establishing Aalto's Comet Interceptor software development & simulation activities, working on Foresail-1 and Foresail-2 mission designs, and supervising students developing Space Imaging Simulator for Proximity Operations.

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During 2017–2018, I served at NASA Ames Research Center's Mission Design Division, advancing the Multi-Asteroid Touring concept and developing the orbit maintenance module for Trade-Space Analysis Tool for Constellations.

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In 2016, I received the IEEE Harry Rowe Mimno Award as the first author of the paper ESTCube-1 In-Orbit Experience and Lessons Learned.

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I received a PhD degree in Physics from the University of Tartu in 2015 on ESTCube-1 attitude determination & control. During PhD studies, I spent a year at the Finnish Meteorological Institute working together with Pekka Janhunen, the inventor of electric sail. I received BSc and MSc degrees in computer science from Ventspils University College, Latvia in 2009 and 2011. During master studies, I spent an exchange semester in Lund University, Sweden and did my thesis work in Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland.

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Cheers,
Andris Slavinskis

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Photo credit: A n d r ō  V i s u m u o t ā j ō

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