01 / Research area
Space surveillance & tracking
Optical and radar observations support the detection, correlation and cataloging of objects in Earth orbit.
Alessandro Mignocchi / aerospace engineer & researcher
Making sense of Earth orbit.
Space surveillance and tracking through observation, orbital analysis, sensor tasking, and intelligent systems.
PhD candidate at Politecnico di Milano. Completed visiting PhD research at The University of Arizona.
Scroll to exploreNASA composite imagery · orbital paths illustrative
01 / Research perspective
From a sparse observation to a clearer picture.
Objects in orbit are understood through incomplete measurements. My research connects how sensors are tasked, how observations are associated, and what those measurements can reveal about an evolving orbital environment.
01ObserveMeasurements from optical and radar sensors
02InferOrbit, association, and uncertainty
03DecideWhere to observe next
02 / Research lens
Four connected ways of seeing orbit.
Each area addresses a different part of the same problem: observing objects, interpreting measurements, and choosing useful next actions.
02 / Research area
Sensor tasking & observability
Observation planning links finite sensor time with the information needed for catalog maintenance.
03 / Research area
Orbit analysis, uncertainty & fragmentation
Early measurements can help associate newly observed objects with a break-up and estimate when it occurred.
04 / Research area
AI for space applications
Machine learning, reinforcement learning and meta-reinforcement learning inform adaptive sensor scheduling. LLM-assisted scientific workflows remain an emerging research direction.
Conceptual graphics are not operational data or study results.
Explore all research areasObservation / inference / decision
Where should we look next? What can the measurements tell us?
03 / Selected work01 02 03 All documented projects
Research with a traceable record.
Selected projects connect sensor-network simulation with the analysis of objects following on-orbit fragmentation events.
BIRALES TOP 5
Modules for sensor assessment, tasking, and analysis of orbital fragmentation observations.
Explore project archiveSΞNSIT · sensor-network simulation
Simulation of optical and radar sensor networks for catalog build-up and maintenance.
Explore project archiveOn-orbit break-up forensics
A collaborative research project on characterizing and reconstructing orbital fragmentation events.
Explore project archiveObservation geometryIllustrative / not to scale
Sensor field of viewLine of sightObject on orbit
Alessandro MignocchiMilano — Tucson04 / About the researcher
Engineering foundations. Questions in orbit.
I am a PhD candidate in Aerospace Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. My work connects observation strategies, orbital analysis, and learning-based approaches to space surveillance and tracking.
Read my academic path05 / Academic path
Built through two research environments.
Degrees and current PhD researchPolitecnico
Politecnico
di Milano.
Ongoing
PhD candidate · Aerospace Engineering
2023
MSc · Space Engineering
2021
BSc · Aerospace Engineering
Completed visiting PhD researchThe University
The University
of Arizona.
October 2025 – March 2026 · Tucson, Arizona, USA
Research visit focused on reinforcement learning for sensor tasking in space surveillance and tracking.
Visiting PhD student · visit completed
06 / Selected record
Published work, linked to its source.
Selected journal articles and conference proceedings, each linked to a permanent publication record.
Featured publications01 — 03
Advanced Sensor Tasking Strategies for Space Object Cataloging
Aerospace · 13(1), 81
Early stage characterization of on-orbit fragmentation events
Acta Astronautica · 236, 32–46
Advanced sensor tasking strategies for space objects cataloging
11th European Conference for Aeronautics and Aerospace Sciences (EUCASS) · Conference proceedings
07 / Photographic archive
The instruments behind the questions.
Photographs of ground infrastructure, research environments, and the people who work across them.
Explore the photographic archive
08 / Looking ahead
Get in touch