Jay Chaudhari

Jay Chaudhari

Biography

Jay Chaudhari is a rising sophomore at Georgia State University Perimeter College,
pursuing an Associate of Engineering. He plans to transfer to a four-year institution to major
in Aerospace Engineering, where he can engage in advanced research and pursue a career
in non-chemical propulsion, broadening his knowledge and enabling him to contribute to
society in a meaningful way. Jay’s curiosity for research began when he joined the CORE
research program at GSU, where he learned the fundamentals of research. Currently at MIT,
he is simulating the deployment of the STEP-1 satellite from ISS, its staging process, and
verifying S-band radio. This opportunity has led him to develop a deeper interest in pursuing a
research career that helps humanity transition to a multi-planetary species, as current chemical
propulsion systems are too heavy and slow for deep-space exploration. His exploratory
interests also align with his adventurous hobbies, such as wilderness hiking and cycling.

Orbital Simulation of the Deployment and Staging of the Staged Electrospray
Pathfinder 1 Satellite
Jay Chaudhari1, Dulani Withanage2, and Paulo Lozano2
1Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Georgia State Perimeter College
2Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Electrospray propulsion uses an extractor grid to produce electric fields that extract and accelerate
ions from a nonvolatile ionic liquid propellant, which generates thrust. The STEP-1 satellite is
a project used to demonstrate electrospray propulsion in low Earth orbit. Our first objective for
the simulation was to simulate the deployment of STEP-1 from the ISS and then determine the
time required for the satellite to reach a safe distance from the ISS before we fire the thrusters,
because premature firing could lead to re-contact with the ISS. After which, we generated a staging
simulation to help determine the altitude and time for each event in the mission. This helped us
determine the optimal time between mission sequences to successfully execute the mission. Free
Flyer, an astrodynamics software, is used in the simulation. Moreover, we need the simulation
data for the Trajectory Planning and Operations Officer because they will require an ephemeris file
of each stage firing’s resulting trajectory, after which they can approve execution. The impact of
this work will help carry out the mission without hazardous collisions with the ISS and will lead
mission control in planning the STEP-1 mission sequence.