Riccardo Bevilacqua
Papers
4
Total Citations
128
H-Index
3
About
Riccardo Bevilacqua is a leading figure in autonomous spacecraft guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), with a particular focus on multi-vehicle proximity operations and orbital assembly. His pioneering work integrates theoretical control strategies—such as Linear Quadratic Regulators (LQR) and Artificial Potential Fields (APF)—with experimental validation, bridging the gap between simulation and real-world application. His most cited paper, "Development and experimentation of LQR/APF guidance and control for autonomous proximity maneuvers of multiple spacecraft" (2010, 87 citations), established a foundational framework for safe, autonomous spacecraft rendezvous and docking. Bevilacqua further advanced the field by introducing the use of differential drag under J2 perturbations for propellant-free orbital maneuvers, a concept explored in his 2008 work. His contributions extend to low-cost planetary exploration, notably through the Near Earth Object (NEO) Scout mission concept, which proposed a micro-satellite architecture for in-situ characterization of asteroids. His research has been supported by prestigious institutions, including a National Research Council Associateship at the Naval Postgraduate School. With a career defined by innovative, experimentally-verified solutions to complex spaceflight challenges, Bevilacqua remains a key influence in the development of autonomous multi-spacecraft systems.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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