Papers
3
Total Citations
46
H-Index
2
About
N. Morales is a leading figure in the development of autonomous robotic observatories for planetary science and space situational awareness. Their foundational work established a pioneering robotic observatory in southwestern Spain, integrating high-sensitivity CCD video cameras and automated Schmidt-Cassegrain telescopes to simultaneously detect meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere and impact flashes on the Moon’s surface. This dual-purpose system, detailed in their most-cited 2009 paper (42 citations), has significantly advanced our ability to monitor near-Earth objects and lunar impact events in real time. More recently, Morales has extended this expertise to support human and robotic lunar exploration, contributing to the flight testing of Astrobotic’s hazard detection LiDAR system for safe lunar landings. Their research also encompasses rapid-response optical follow-up of Gamma-Ray Bursts using the 1.23 m CAHA telescope, demonstrating a commitment to time-domain astronomy. By bridging ground-based meteor observing with cutting-edge sensor systems for planetary landers, Morales’s work directly informs the design of autonomous navigation and hazard avoidance technologies critical for future lunar missions.
Research Focus
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