EuroGNC is one of the leading European conferences dedicated to guidance, navigation and control, with a strong applied focus on aeronautics and space systems. Since 2024, the Marc Pélegrin Best Paper Award in Automatic Control Applied to Aerospace Vehicles has recognised the most outstanding scientific contribution presented at the conference.
The finalist paper, titled “Fast and Accurate Relative Orbit Determination via Angles-Only Batch Unscented Filtering”, was authored by Alessandro Scalvini together with Giacomo Borelli and Gabriella Gaias.
The research focuses on autonomous rendezvous and proximity operations, proposing a novel batch filtering approach for angles-only relative orbit determination. The method is designed to improve the robustness and accuracy of orbit estimation in challenging low-Earth-orbit scenarios, including conditions characterised by significant differential drag.
The proposed batch unscented filter also demonstrates strong potential for onboard implementation, thanks to its limited computational and memory requirements, making it particularly promising for future autonomous space missions.
This recognition highlights the excellence of the research carried out at the Department of Aerospace Science and Technology in the field of autonomous space navigation and advanced aerospace control systems.
Congratulations to Alessandro Scalvini and to co-authors Giacomo Borelli and Gabriella Gaias on this prestigious achievement.
