About Henry Pernicka

Education

  • Purdue University Main Campus, Doctor of Philosophy, 1990

Campus associations

Henry Pernicka

Curators distinguished teach p
Mechanical & Aerospace Engin
331 Toomey Hall

573-341-6749 | pernicka@mst.edu

Education

  • Purdue University Main Campus, Doctor of Philosophy, 1990

Campus associations

Biography

Academic Positions:

- Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Dean's Educator Scholar, Missouri University of Science and Technology, (2017-date)
- Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology (2001-2017)
- Selected as a Boeing A.D. Welliver Summer Faculty Fellow (2004-2014)
- Associate Professor of Aerospace Engineering, San José State University (1994-2001)
- Assistant Professor of Aerospace Engineering, San José State University (1990-1994)


Non-Academic Positions:

- Member of the Technical Staff, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Summer 1991 and 1992
- Configuration Engineer, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 1980-1983

Research

Research interests

Astrodynamics, orbital mechanics, spacecraft design, spacecraft mission design, satellite attitude dynamics, nonlinear analysis, dynamics and control, optimization.

Publications

Selected Publications
  • LeGrand, K., DeMars, K., and Pernicka, H., "Bearings-Only Initial Relative Orbit Determination," Journal of Guidance,
    Control, and Dynamics, accepted (Jan. 2015) for publication and to appear.
  • Malott, L., Palangpour, P., Pernicka, H.J. and Chellappan, S. "Small Spacecraft Software Modeling: A Petri Net-Based Approach," AIAA
    Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, Vol. 11, Special Section on
    Software Challenges in Aerospace (2014), pp. 679-690.
  • Searcy, J. and Pernicka, H., "Magnetometer-Only Attitude Determination Using Novel Two-Step Kalman
    Filter Approach," Journal of Guidance, Control, and Dynamics, Vol. 35, No. 6,
    November-December 2012.
  • Vignal, P. and Pernicka, H., "Low-Thrust Spacecraft Formation Keeping," Journal of Spacecraft and
    Rockets, Vol. 43, No. 2, March-April 2006, pp. 466-475.
  • Pernicka, H. and Coyle, D. J., "Orbit Determination at a Single Ground Station Using Range Rate Data,"
    The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences, Vol. 49, No. 2, April-June 2001.
Selected Conference Papers/Presentations
  • LeGrand, K., DeMars, K., and Pernicka, H., "Probabilistic Initial Relative Orbit Determination," Small Satellites Systems
    and Services Symposium (The 4S Symposium), Porto Petro, Majorca, Spain,
    May 2014.
  • Darling, J., DeMars, K., McCabe, J., and Pernicka, H., "Linear and Unscented Covariance Analysis for Spacecraft Close Proximity
    Relative Navigation," paper AAS 14-257, 24th AAS/AIAA Space Flight
    Mechanics Meeting, Santa Fe, New Mexico, January 26-30, 2014.
  • Darling, J., LeGrand, K., Pernicka, H., and Lovell, T.A., "Close Proximity Operations Using Stereoscopic Imaging," presented as
    paper AAS 13-415 at the 23rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight Mechanics Meeting,
    Lihue, Hawaii, February 10-14, 2013.
  • Mahajan, B., Pernicka, H., and, Darling, J., "Orbit Determination of an Uncooperative RSO Using a Stereo Vision-Based
    Sensor," presented as paper AAS 13-434 at the 23rd AAS/AIAA Space Flight
    Mechanics Meeting, Lihue, Hawaii, February 10-14, 2013.
  • Pahl, R., Tutza, C., Pernicka, H., and Rovey, J., "Design, Test, and Validation of a Refrigerant-Based Cold-Gas Propulsion
    System for Small Satellites," paper SSC10-VIII-6 at the 24st Annual
    AIAA/USU Conference on Small Satellites, Logan, Utah, Aug. 9-12, 2010.
  • Lee, D. and Pernicka, H., "Vision-Based Relative State Estimation Using the Unscented Kalman Filter,"
    AAS 09-166, AAS/AIAA Spaceflight Mechanics, Savannah, GA., 2009.
  • Dancer, M.W., Searcy, J.D., and Pernicka, H., "Orbit/Attitude Determination and Control for the UMR SAT Mission," SSC07-
    IX-6, AIAA/USU Conf. on Small Satellites, UT 2007.
  • Seubert, C., Pernicka, H., and Norgren, C., "Refrigerant-Based Propulsion System for Small Spacecraft," AIAA-2007-
    5131, Joint Propulsion Conf., Cincinnati, Ohio, July 8-11, 2007.
  • Dancer, M., Searcy, J., Pernicka, H., and Balakrishnan, S.N., "MR SAT Orbit Determination Using the ?-D Filter," AIAA-2006-6401,
    Astrodynamics Specialist Conf., CO, Aug. 2006.

Awards and recognition

Awards

Honors and Awards
  • Name the Missouri University of Science and Technology College of Engineering and Computing Inaugural 2017-2019 Dean's Educator Scholar March 2017
  • M-SAT research team placed first in AFRL Nanosat 8 competition Jan. 2015
  • President’s Recognition Award 2012, presented by the American Astronautical Society.
  • Missouri S&T Faculty Teaching Awards Feb. 2015 and Dec. 2011.
  • Missouri S&T Faculty Service Awards Feb. 2015 and Dec. 2011
  • Missouri S&T Academy of Mech. and Aerospace Engineers Excellence Award 2008 & 2009
  • ASEE Midwest Section Outstanding Teaching Award 2006 & 2007
  • Univ. of Missouri-Rolla School of Engineering Innovative Teaching Award Nov. 2004
  • Missouri University S&T Outstanding Teaching Awards 2012-2013, 2011-2012, 2009-2010, 2008-2009, 2007-20080, 2006-2007,
    2005-2006, 2004-2005 & 2003-2004
  • Awarded a Boeing Welliver Summer Faculty Fellowship Summer 2004
  • Named the (first) AIAA Foundation Professor June 2000
  • Received the Outstanding Achievement Award from AIAA Spring 1999
  • NASA's Group Achievement Award February 10, 1993

Accomplishments

Invited Lectures
  • "Design, Fabrication, and Test of a Microsatellite" at Truman State University, Oct. 6, 2010.
  • Invited to the panel discussion "Design/Build/Fly: Student Satellites" at the Great Midwestern Region Space Grant Meeting, University of
    Minnesota, September 16, 2010.
  • "Libration Point Constellation Design" at the Georgia Institute of Technology, Feb. 10, 2010.
  • "MR SAT: Spacecraft Design and Construction at the University of Missouri-Rolla" at Southwest Missouri State University, October 25, 2004.
  • "University-Level Small Satellite Design and Construction," at the University of Missouri-Columbia, February 28, 2002.
Synergistic Activities
  • Advisor for students that have placed first (twice), second, and third in international paper competitions at the Conference on Small Satellite in Logan, Utah since 2010.
  • Managing Editor, The Journal of the Astronautical Sciences July 1999-August 2012.
  • Advisor for students (“Miners in Space”) participating in NASA’s Reduced Gravity Student Flight Opportunities Program that has flown five times on NASA’s “Weightless Wonder.”
  • Reviewed 65 papers for archival journals January 2002-present.
  • Senior member of AIAA; member of AAS and ASEE.