Yashwanth Kumar Nakka

Assistant Professor
Email Address
Office Building
ESM Building
Office Room Number
205
Biography

Dr. Yashwanth Nakka is the director of the Aerospace Robotics Laboratory at Georgia Tech. His research interests broadly include designing aerospace autonomous systems, spacecraft autonomy, planning (guidance) under uncertainty, and nonlinear dynamics and control. Earlier, he was a Robotics Technologist (2021-2024) at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, where he led the research and development planning, controls, and estimation tasks on CADRE, EELS, and DARPA LINC. He received a B. Tech. in aerospace engineering from the Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, India, in 2011, an M. Sc. degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, IL, USA, in 2016, and an M. Sc. degree and a Ph.D. in space engineering from California Institute of Technology, CA, USA, in 2017, and 2021, respectively. He was an engineer for the GSAT-15 and 16 missions at the Indian Space Research Organization from 2011 to 2014. He received the JPL CADRE Team Award for his work on multi-agent autonomy. He won the best student paper award at the 2021 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Guidance, Navigation, and Controls conference and the best paper award at the 11th International Workshop on Satellite Constellations and Formation Flying.
 

Education
  • Ph.D. in Space Engineering - California Institute of Technology 2017 - 2021 
  • M.S. in Space Engineering - California Institute of Technology 2016-2017 
  • M.S. in Aerospace Engineering - University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 2014-2016 
  • B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering - Indian Institute of Space Science Technology 2007 - 2011
Distinctions & Awards
  • NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory CADRE Team Award, 2024 
  • Best Student Paper Award at AIAA Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference, 2021 
  • David and Catherine Thompson Graduate Fellowship Fund for Space, 2020 
  • Best Paper Award at 11th International Workshop on Satellite Constellations and Formation Flying, 2019 
  • Keck Institute of Space Studies Affiliate, 2019
  • Excellent Reviewer Nomination, Journal of Guidance Control and Dynamics, 2018 
  • Darryl G. Greenmayer Fellowship Recipient, 2016 
  • Outstanding Performance Award, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), 2012 and 2013 
  • Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) Scholarship Recipient, 2007 - 2011