Sandeep Singh | Faculty

Sandeep Singh | Faculty
Sandeep Singh
Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
Assistant Professor
JEC 2040
sandes5@rpi.edu
518-276-2625
About
Research
Teaching
Recognition
Publications
Professional Service
About
Professor Sandeep Singh joined the Mechanical, Aerospace, and Nuclear Engineering department at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute as a tenure-track Assistant Professor in July 2022. He received his Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in 2022, where his thesis focused on leveraging manifolds and manifold-analogues to generate efficient, ephemeris-driven, piecewise optimal trajectories with eclipse consciousness. Professor Singh was also a graduate fellow during Summer 2020 at Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, where he spent the previous summer as an intern. During his doctoral studies, he was awarded several fellowships as well as the John V. Breakwell Award conferred by the American Astronautical Society.
Before starting his doctoral studies, he was employed as a Scientist at Space Applications Center, Indian Space Research Organization, where he served as Program Manager for Mechanical Design of the ASTROSAT mission. He also supported efforts for optical assembly design and was responsible for developing innovative, low-risk, space-qualification testing methods like the Force Limited Vibration Testing for fragile remote sensing payloads.
He actively serves as a referee for several international journals and conferences and has published several journal articles and conference papers. His work is funded by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) and NASA NYSG.
He serves as a member of the AIAA Astrodynamics Technical Committee and is the RPI representative to the Universities Space Research Association (USRA).
Education & Training
Ph.D. Texas A&M University, 2022
Scientist/Engineer, Space Applications Center, Indian Space Research Organization, 2013-2017
B.Tech. Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology, 2013
Research
Research conducted in the
Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory (ASCLab)
is in the following areas:
Spacecraft Trajectory Design and Optimization
Space Domain Awareness
- Constellation Design and Characterization in cislunar space
Guidance, Navigation, and Control
- Terrain Relative Navigation, Autonomous Deep Space Guidance
Manifold Theory and Chaotic Dynamics
- Aiding Trajectory Design for Interplanetary Spacecraft
Computer Vision
- Multi-View Stereo Algorithms, Optimal Sensor Placement
Primary Research Focus
Optimal Trajectory Design for Spacecraft, Autonomous Guidance and Sensor Fusion Technology
Research Groups
Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory (ASCLab), Learn more at: asclabrpi.com
Research Centers
Center for Materials, Devices, and Integrated Systems (CMDIS)
Teaching
ENGR 2090, Engineering Dynamics; MANE 4100, Spaceflight Mechanics; MANE 6961 Advanced Spaceflight Mechanics
Recognition
Awards & Honors
2024 OVPR Research Catalyst Grant Recipient
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Class of 1951 Outstanding Teaching Award
, 2024
John V. Breakwell Award
, American Astronautical Society (AAS), 2021
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA -
JPL Graduate Fellowship
, 2020 and 2019
Graduate Excellence Fellowship
, Texas A&M University, Fall & Spring 2019; Fall & Spring 2020; Summer 2021
HEEP Fellowship
, Texas A&M University, Summer 2018
Publications
Google Scholar
Research Gate
Journal Publications:
Chan.C.*, Singh, S. K. (2026). Constraint-Aware Constellation Design and Trade-off Characterization for RSO Tracking in Cislunar Space.
Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets
Accepted
Alvarado, K. I.*, Earl, H.
, Singh, S. K. (2026). Resilient Maneuver Detection through Modal Innovation Analysis in the Circular Restricted Three-Body Problem.
The
Journal of the Astronautical Sciences
Under Revision
Alvarado, K.I.*; Singh, S.K. Exploring the Design Space of Low-Thrust Transfers with Ballistic Terminal Coast Segments in Cis-Lunar Space.
Aerospace
2025,
12
, 217. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace12030217
Kim, I.*, Singh, S.K. 3D point cloud denoising via Gaussian processes regression.
Vis Comput
(2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00371-025-04049-7
Kim, I.*, Singh, S.
Probabilistic regression for autonomous terrain relative navigation via multi-modal feature learning
Scientific Reports
14, 29966 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-81377-z.
Alvarado K.I.*, Singh S.K.,
Exploration and Maintenance of Homeomorphic Orbit Revs in the Elliptic Restricted Three-Body Problem
Aerospace
. 2024; 11(5):407. https://doi.org/10.3390/aerospace11050407
Singh, S.K., Junkins, J.L.
Stochastic learning and extremal-field map based autonomous guidance of low-thrust spacecraft.
Scientific Reports
12
, 17774 (2022).
Singh, S.K., Junkins, J. L., Majji, M., Taheri, E. (2022).
Rapid accessibility evaluation for ballistic lunar capture via manifolds: A Gaussian process regression application.
Astrodynamics
, 1-23.
Singh, S.K., Anderson, B.D., Taheri, E. & Junkins, J.
Low-Thrust Transfers to Southern L2 Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbits Facilitated by Invariant Manifolds.
Journal of Optimization Theory & Applications
DOI
McElreath, J., Majji, M., Singh, S.K., Junkins, J. L. (2021).
Optimal Bi-Impulse Orbital Transfers: Station Keeping Applications.
Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics
, 1-10,
DOI
Singh, S.K., Anderson, D.B., Taheri, E. & Junkins, J.
Eclipse-Conscious Transfers to Lunar Gateway Using Ephemeris-Driven Terminal Coast Arcs
Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics
, 1-17,
DOI
Singh, S.K., Anderson, D.B., Taheri, E. & Junkins, J. (2021).
Exploiting Manifolds of L1 Halo Orbits for End-to-End Earth-Moon Low-Thrust Trajectory Design
Acta Astronautica
, 183, 255-272.
Singh, S.K., Woollands, R., Taheri, E., & Junkins, J. (2020).
Feasibility of quasi-frozen, near-polar and extremely low-altitude lunar orbits
Acta Astronautica
, 166, 450-468.
Sahu, R., Patel, V., Singh, S.K., Munjal, B S,
Structural optimization of a space mirror to selectively constrain optical aberrations
Structural and Multi-Disciplinary optimization
, Springer Publication, Article 1616, DOI: 10.1007/s00158-016-1616-x.
Singh, S.K., Sahu, R.,
Constrained Optimisation of Passive Tuned Mass Damper using simulated annealing and artificial neural network
Journal of Mechanical Engineering
, SSME, Volume 11, ISSN:2249 -0531.
Conference Publications:
Blender, S., Singh, S.K.,
AAS 25-524 Uncertainty-Aware Guidance for Continuous Thrust Transfers Using Gradient Boosting and Temporal Convolutional Networks
2025 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Boston, MA.
Alvarado, K.,  Earl, H., Singh, S.K.,
AAS 25-774 Cislunar Space Object Maneuver Identification through Innovation in Reduced Order Modal Space
2025 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Boston, MA.
Chan, C., Singh, S.K.,
AAS 25-906 Heuristics-Informed Optimization for Constellation Design: Tracking Trajectories in Cislunar Space
2025 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Boston, MA.
Nguyen, N., Kim, I., Singh, S.K.,
AAS 25 -749 Multi-Modal Deep Learning for Terrain Relative Navigation near Lunar South Pole
2025 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Boston, MA.
Alvarado, K.,  Singh, S.K.,
AAS 24-209 MANIFOLD DRIVEN CONTINUOUS-THRUST TRANSFERS BETWEEN L1 AND L2 PERIODIC ORBITS IN CIS-LUNAR SPACE
2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Broomfield, CO.
Kim, I.,  Singh, S.K., Probabilistic Regression for Autonomous Terrain Relative Navigation via Multi-Modal Feature Learning,
2024 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Broomfield, CO.
Kim, I., & Singh, S. (2024, February). Novel Random Consensus - Bayesian Regression based Point Cloud Denoising.
46th Rocky Mountain AAS GN&C Conference, Breckenridge, Colorado.
Rolen, A., & Singh, S. (2023, October). Autonomous Navigation via a Cascading CNN Framework Leveraging Synthetic Terrain Images.
In International Symposium on Visual Computing (pp. 529-540). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Kim, I., & Singh, S. (2023, October). Bayesian Fusion Inspired 3D Reconstruction via LiDAR-Stereo Camera Pair.
In International Symposium on Visual Computing (pp. 299-310). Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland.
Alvarado, Kevin, Singh, Sandeep Kumar, AAS 23-131 Orbit Maintenance via Homeomorphic, Periodic Orbit Revs in the Elliptical Restricted Three Body Problem,
AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Big Sky, Montana, August 2023.
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Anderson, Brian, Taheri, Ehsan, Junkins, John, AAS 21-547 Eclipse-Conscious Transfers to Lunar Gateway Using Ephemeris-Driven Terminal Coast Arcs,
Proceedings of the 2021 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference, Big Sky, Montana
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Anderson, Brian, Taheri, Ehsan, Junkins, John, AAS 20-565 Low-Thrust Transfers to Candidate Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbits facilitated by Invariant Manifolds,
Proceedings of the 2020 AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Virtual Lake Tahoe Conference
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Anderson, Brian, Taheri, Ehsan, Junkins, John, AAS 20-014 Low-Thrust Earth-Moon Transfers via Manifolds of a Halo orbit in the Cis-Lunar Space,
Proceedings of the 3rd Annual AAS Guidance, Navigation and Control Conference, Breckenridge, Colorado.
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Woollands, Robyn, Taheri, Ehsan, Junkins, John, AAS 19-510 Feasibility study of Quasi-Frozen, Near-Polar and Extremely Low-Altitude Lunar Orbits,
Advances in Astronautical Sciences (168), ISBN: ISBN 978-0-87703-660-9, pp. 1291-1311, 2019, Univelt.
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Taheri, Ehsan, Junkins, John, AAS 18-331
A Hybrid Optimal Control Method for Time-Optimal Slewing Maneuvers of Flexible Spacecraft
Advances in Astronautical Sciences (167),
ISBN: 978-0-87703-657-9, pp. 2659-2679, 2019, Univelt.
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, Taheri, Ehsan, Woollands, Robyn, Junkins John,
IAC C.1.1.11 Mission Design for Close-Range Lunar Mapping by Quasi-Frozen Orbits,
presented at
70th International Astronautical Congress, Washington DC,
October 2019.
Singh, Sandeep Kumar, et al.
Analytical Evaluation of Design Margins for Force Limited Vibration Testing of Electro-optical Payloads.,
Procedia Engineering 114 (2015): 369-376.
The following is a selection of recent publications in Scopus. Sandeep Singh has 18 indexed publications in the subjects of Engineering, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Mathematics.
3D point cloud denoising via Gaussian processes regression
Ickbum Kim, Sandeep K. Singh
Visual Computer
, 41
, 2025
, pp.10481-10496
Exploring the Design Space of Low-Thrust Transfers with Ballistic Terminal Coast Segments in Cis-Lunar Space
Kevin I. Alvarado, Sandeep K. Singh
Aerospace
, 12
, 2025
Correction: 3D point cloud denoising via Gaussian processes regression (The Visual Computer, (2025), 41, 12, (10481-10496), 10.1007/s00371-025-04049-7)
Ickbum Kim, Sandeep K. Singh
Visual Computer
, 41
, 2025
, pp.12979-12980
Probabilistic regression for autonomous terrain relative navigation via multi-modal feature learning
Ickbum Kim, Sandeep Singh
Scientific Reports
, 14
, 2024
Stochastic learning and extremal-field map based autonomous guidance of low-thrust spacecraft
Sandeep K. Singh, John L. Junkins
Scientific Reports
, 12
, 2022
Rapid accessibility evaluation for ballistic lunar capture via manifolds: A Gaussian process regression application
Sandeep K. Singh, John L. Junkins, Manoranjan Majji, Ehsan Taheri
Astrodynamics
, 6
, 2022
, pp.375-397
Low-Thrust Transfers to Southern L2 Near-Rectilinear Halo Orbits Facilitated by Invariant Manifolds
Sandeep K. Singh, Brian D. Anderson, Ehsan Taheri, John L. Junkins
Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications
, 191
, 2021
, pp.517-544
Exploiting manifolds of L1 halo orbits for end-to-end Earth–Moon low-thrust trajectory design
Sandeep K. Singh, Brian D. Anderson, Ehsan Taheri, John L. Junkins
Acta Astronautica
, 183
, 2021
, pp.255-272
LOW-THRUST TRANSFERS TO CANDIDATE NEAR-RECTILINEAR HALO ORBITS FACILITATED BY INVARIANT MANIFOLDS
Sandeep K. Singh, Brian D. Anderson, Ehsan Taheri, John L. Junkins
Advances in the Astronautical Sciences
, 175
, 2021
, pp.4721-4740
Optimal bi-impulse orbital transfers: Station keeping applications
James McElreath, Manoranjan Majji, Sandeep Kumar Singh, John L. Junkins
Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics
, 44
, 2021
, pp.2057-2066
View All Scopus Publications
Professional Service
1. Editorial Board Member, Discover Space, Springer
2. AIAA Astrodynamics Technical Committee Member
3. COI Representative from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute to the Universities Space Research Association