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American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics

Team GenetriX: Venus Exploration Mission Design

🏆 1st Place Winner - AIAA Venus Exploration Competition at Georgia Tech Capstone Expo Fall 2023

About The Company

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics is a leading professional society for aerospace engineers. AIAA provides a platform for knowledge exchange, networking, and professional development through conferences, publications, and educational programs. It advocates for aerospace research, innovation, and policy fostering.

Duration Aug 2023 - May 2024
My Role Team Lead
Team Size 10 Engineers

Key Technologies

Aerospace:
Advanced Rocket Design EDL Mechanism Design SolidWorks modeling
Software:
Digital Twin Simulation Neural Network Optimization
Project Management:
Team Management Product lifecycle Stakeholder Analysis
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1The Mission & Innovation

Pioneering Venus atmospheric exploration through innovative aerospace engineering

The Challenge

  • Venus' extreme environment presents unique engineering challenges with 460°C surface temperatures and 90 bar pressure
  • Traditional exploration methods fail under Venus' harsh atmospheric conditions, requiring innovative approaches
  • Complex mission architecture demands integration of multiple subsystems with minimal failure tolerance
  • Need for cost-effective, long-duration atmospheric studies while maintaining scientific instrument functionality

Our Solution

  • Designed revolutionary Titanium Balloon Swarm system for distributed atmospheric sampling and redundancy
  • Developed a comprehensive Digital Twin to simulate and optimize all mission-critical subsystems in real-time
  • Implemented Neural Networks to predict optimal EDL (Entrance Decent Landing) trajectories considering heat shield aerodynamics, thermodynamics, and physics
  • Created strategic business pitch with lifecycle timeline demonstrating mission feasibility and ROI
📄

Read more about us!

Dive deep into our award-winning Venus exploration mission design. While we are waiting to be published by AIAA, you can read our technical paper and the article here:

View Technical Paper → View Article →
Mission Architecture Diagram
Complete GenetriX (RHEIA²) mission architecture overview

2Key Achievements & Impact

Transforming interplanetary exploration through innovative engineering solutions

1st
Place in Competition
87%
EDL Success Rate Improvement
10x
Better explorability and region mapping

Technical Deliverables

  • Digital Twin Platform: High-fidelity simulation environment integrating thermal, structural, and atmospheric models for real-time mission optimization. It runs on Python and C and can predict baloon landing point in real time. It also allows for monitoring Telecommunication with the orbit station and simulate outgassing (landing) of each individual baloon.
  • AI-Powered EDL System: Neural network prediction model for heat shield ablation and entrance aerodynamic performance
  • Strategic Mission Plan: Comprehensive business case with detailed cost analysis, risk mitigation strategies, and 10-year mission lifecycle roadmap
  • Team Leadership: Successfully coordinated 10 engineers across multiple disciplines, implementing agile project management for complex aerospace systems

Digital Twin EDL Simulation showcase

Demonstration of the operation of EDL (Entrance Decent Landing) simulation, Telemetry tracking, and surface landing

3Technology & Tools

Advanced technologies employed in the GenetriX mission design

Simulation & Modeling
Python
C++
Cantera
MATLAB/Simulink
Ansys STK
Aerospace Engineering
CAD/SolidWorks
Thermal Analysis
Orbital Mechanics
Atmospheric Modeling
Structural FEA
Systems Engineering
Project Management
Agile/Scrum
JIRA
Gantt Chart
Risk Analysis
Technical Documentation
Stakeholder Management