Photo of Roshan Thomas Eapen

Roshan Thomas Eapen

Assistant Professor

Affiliation(s):

  • Aerospace Engineering

427 ECoRE Building

reapen@psu.edu

814-863-7457

Research Website

Research Areas:

Astrodynamics; Vehicle Dynamics and Controls

Interest Areas:

Astrodynamics, Dynamical Systems Theory, Computational Vision, Satellite Rendezvous and Proximity Operations, Terrain Relative Navigation, Space Situational Awareness

 
 

 

Education

  • Bachelor of Technology, Aerospace Engineering, Karunya University, 2014
  • Master of Science, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Purdue University, 2017
  • Doctor of Philosophy, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, 2021

Publications

Journal Articles

  • Sharad Sharan, Roshan Thomas Eapen, Puneet Singla and Robert G Melton, 2026, "A Robust Indirect Approach for Minimum-Fuel Transits in the Earth-Moon System", Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, 73, (1)
  • Mackenzie E. Mangette and Roshan Thomas Eapen, 2026, "Exploration of direct transfer opportunities and loitering strategies for lunar surface access", Advances in Space Research, 77, (2), pp. 2165-2182
  • Sharad Sharan, Puneet Singla, Roshan Thomas Eapen and Robert G Melton, 2025, "Higher-Order Differential Correction Schemes for the Two-Point Boundary Value Problem", Journal of Guidance Control and Dynamics, 48, (7), pp. 1477-1491
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, David Schwab and Puneet Singla, 2024, "Characterizing Accuracy of Normal Forms to Study Trajectories in Cislunar Space", The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, 71, (2), pp. 16
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Sharad Sharan, Puneet Singla and Robert Melton, 2023, "Accurate Uncertainty Characterization of Impulsive Thrust Maneuvers in the Restricted Three Body Problem", The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, 70, (5), pp. 35
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Ramchander Rao Bhaskara and Manoranjan Majji, 2022, "Narpa: Navigation and rendering pipeline for astronautics", arXiv:2211.01566
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Kathleen C Howell and Kyle T Alfriend, 2021, "Momentum Maps and Transport Mechanisms in the Planar Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem.", Journal of Astronautical Sciences, 69, pp. 1263–1291
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Manoranjan Majji and Kyle T Alfriend, 2021, "Attitude dynamics of a rigid body in Keplerian motion", Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy, 133, (1), pp. 1--25
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Carolin Frueh, 2018, "Averaged solar radiation pressure modeling for high area-to-mass ratio objects in geosynchronous orbits", Advances in Space Research, 62, (1), pp. 127--141
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Ram Krishan Sharma, 2014, "A study of halo orbits at the Sun--Mars L1 Lagrangian point in the photogravitational restricted three-body problem", Astrophysics and Space Science, 352, (2), pp. 437--441
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Ram Krishan Sharma, 2014, "Mars interplanetary trajectory design via Lagrangian points", Astrophysics and Space science, 353, (1), pp. 65--71

Conference Proceedings

  • Carson Hunsberger, Roshan Thomas Eapen and Puneet Singla, 2026, "Designing Ballistic Connections between Cislunar Orbits Leveraging Hamiltonian Normal Forms"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Joseph Diamond, Michael Goodman, Peter Kent, Stephan Sawyer, Sasidhar Devabhaktuni, Jonathon Hope and Puneet Singla, 2025, "Rapid Classification of Near-Earth and Cislunar Objects using Electro-Optical Observations", Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), Kihei, HI, United States
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Joseph Diamond, Michael Goodman, Peter Kent, Jonathon Hope and Puneet Singla, 2025, "Multi-Order Single Shooting Scheme for Initial Orbit Determination for Cislunar Objects", Maui Economic Development Board (MEDB), Kihei, HI, United States
  • Audra W. Robinson and Roshan Thomas Eapen, 2025, "High-Fidelity Dynamics Modeling for NearEarth and Cislunar Space Incorporating Non-Conservative Effects"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, David Schwab and Puneet Singla, 2024, "Defining Admissible Maneuvers and Resulting Reachability Sets in the Three-Body Problem using Hamiltonian Normal Form Methods", International Astronautical Federation (IAF), Paris, France
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Joseph Murray, 2024, "CNN-based Optical Image Analysis for Satellite Component Detection"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Graeme Sutterlin, 2024, "Vision-based Terrain Relative Navigation for Planetary Landing"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Smriti Nanden Paul and Puneet Singla, 2024, "Sensor Tasking Strategies for Space-Based Observers in the Cislunar Environment"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Carson Hunsberger and Puneet Singla, 2024, "Characterization of Axisymmetric Rigid Bodies from Lightcurves via L1 Norm Minimization"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Amit Jain and Puneet Singla, 2023, "Sparse Approximate Hamilton-Jacobi Solutions for Optimal Feedback Control with Terminal Constraints", IEEE
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Manoranjan Majji and Ramchander Bhaskara, 2023, "Differentiable rendering for pose estimation in proximity operations"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, David Schwab and Puneet Singla, 2023, "Normal Form Methods to Define Admissible Control Regions in the Circular Restricted Three- Body Problem", 2023 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Zach Hall, David Schwab, Roshan Thomas Eapen and Puneet Singla, 2022, "Reachability-Based Approach for Search and Detection of Maneuvering Cislunar Objects", pp. 0853
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Scott P Geyer, Manoranjan Majji and John L Crassidis, 2021, "Relative navigation of uncooperative space bodies"
  • Andrew Verras, Roshan Thomas Eapen, Andrew B Simon, Manoranjan Majji, Ramchander Rao Bhaskara, Carolina I Restrepo and Ronney Lovelace, 2021, "Vision and Inertial Sensor Fusion for Terrain Relative Navigation", pp. 0646
  • Kathleen C Howell, Roshan Thomas Eapen and Kyle T Alfriend, 2020, "On the use of zero-momentum surfaces to identify transport opportunities to planar Lyapunov orbits", AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics Conference
  • R.T. Eapen, M Majji, K. T. Alfriend and Puneet Singla, 2020, "Semi-Analytic solutions to the Hamilton Jacobi Equation with Applications to Orbit Propagation in Perturbed Two-Body Regimes"
  • R.T. Eapen, M Majji and K. T. Alfriend, 2019, "Extended Phase-Space Realization for Attitude Dynamics of an Axisymmetric Body in Eccentric Orbit"
  • R.T. Eapen, M Majji and K. T. Alfriend, 2018, "Equilibria Associated with the Attitude Dynamics of a Rigid Body in Keplerian Motion"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Erin Cope and Puneet Singla, , "Semi-Analytical Rapid Orbit Determination Approach for Perturbed Two Body Problem"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Sharad Sharan, Puneet Singla and Robert Melton, , "Coordinate choice implications for uncertainty propagation in the CR3BP framework"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, David Schwab and Puneet Singla, , "Approximating Admissible Control onto the Cislunar Highways for Detection and Tracking of Spacecraft"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Madeline Mayer, Puneet Singla and David Schwab, , "Orbit Characterization and Determination Strategies in the CR3BP Framework"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Matthew Brownell and Puneet Singla, , "Time-Varying Perturbation Model Identification in the Neighborhood of CR3BP Periodic Orbits"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, David Schwab, Puneet Singla and Carson Hunsberger, , "Optimal Control of Cislunar Trajectories Leveraging Normal Form Methods", 2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Sharad Sharan, Puneet Singla and Robert G Melton, , "A Multi-Order Shooting Scheme Applied to Low-Thrust Trajectory Optimization", 2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Schwab David and Puneet Singla, , "Reachability Set Search for Lost Custody of Maneuvering Spacecraft Leveraging Normal Form Methods", 2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Mackenzie Mangette, , "Exploration of Transfer Opportunities to Low Lunar Orbits in the Cislunar Framework", 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Schwab David and Puneet Singla, , "Normal Form Methods to Characterize Trajectories in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem", 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Robert G Melton, Puneet Singla, Sharad Sharan and Amit Jain, , "Stochastic analysis of thrust uncertainties in the CR3BP", 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Amit Jain and Puneet Singla, , "Leveraging Hamiltonian Structure for Accurate Uncertainty Propagation", 33rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Mackenzie Mangette, , "Loitering Strategies Leveraging Higher-Order Gravity Expansions for Lunar Surface Access", 2023 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Mackenzie Mangette, Puneet Singla and Matthew Brownell, , "Data-Driven Modeling for Navigation in Cislunar Space", 2023 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Jack Li, , "Time-Frequency Analysis for Long-term Propagation in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem", 2023 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Graeme Sutterlin and Puneet Singla, , "Linear Visual Odometry for Autonomous Spacecraft Proximity Operations", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Amit Jain and Puneet Singla, , "A Hamilton-Jacobi Approach for Nonlinear Model Predictive Control in Applications with Navigational Uncertainty", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Evan Lantier, , "Frequency decomposition based KAM Tori Construction for Near-Earth and Cislunar orbits", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen and Mackenzie Magnetite, , "Optimal Control Problem Solving Using Semi-Analytic Hamilton-Jacobi Methods", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Sharad Sharan and Puneet Singla, , "Periodic Orbit Construction in the BCR4BP using Multi-Order Shooting", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Carson Hunsberger, Puneet Singla and David Schwab, , "Comparing Normal Form Representations for Station-Keeping Near Cislunar Libration Points", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Sharan and Puneet Singla, , "Application of Reweighted l1 Minimization to Lightcurve Inversion", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Taritri Bhattacharjee and Puneet Singla, , "Linear control law with guaranteed asymptotic stability for accurate trajectory tracking in Bi-Circular Restricted Four Body Problem (BCR4BP)", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Andrew Glenn and Puneet Singla, , "Quantifying State Error Growth and Consistency of Uncertainty Propagation Algorithms In Cislunar Spac", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Aden Funkhouser, Puneet Singla and Sharad Sharan, , "An Indirect Approach to Solve a Three-Dimensional Pursuit-Evasion War Game between Two Spacecraft", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, Vivek Verma, Puneet Singla and Kathleen Howell, , "Leveraging Momentum Maps for Construction of Pseudo-Constants of Motion in Dynamical Systems", Proceedings of the AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting

Other

  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, 2021, "Semi-Analytic Methods for Averaging and Rectification of Complex Dynamical Systems"
  • Roshan Thomas Eapen, 2017, "Averaged Solar Radiation Pressure Modeling for High Area-to-Mass Ratio Objects in Geostationary Space"

Research Projects

Honors and Awards

  • Heep Graduate Fellowship, Hagler Institude of Advanced Studies, June 2020 - May 2021
  • Aerospace Travel Grant, Aerospace Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, August 2018
  • J.N. Tata Scholar, The Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata Endowment for Higher Education of Indians, September 2015 - May 2017
  • Best Paper Award, 18 th National Space Science Symposium, Indian Space Research Organization., January 2014

Service

Service to Penn State:

Service to External Organizations:

  • Participation in or Service to Professional and Learned Societies, Secretary, Secretary, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, September 2023
  • Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Other, Treasurer, Spaceflight Mechanics Committee, American Astronautical Society, January 2023
  • Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Committee Member, Spaceflight Mechanics Technical Administrative Subcommittee, AAS, Technical Administrative Subcommittee, January 2022 - January 2027
  • Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Organizer, Spaceflight Mechanics Technical Administrative Subcommittee, Society of Engineering Science Annual Technical Meeting, October 2022 - October 2022
  • Organizing Conferences and Service on Conference Committees, Reviewer, Associate Editpr, American Control Conference 2022, September 2021