Richard Zappulla
Papers
5
Total Citations
164
H-Index
5
About
Richard Zappulla is a researcher specializing in spacecraft guidance, autonomous systems, and on-orbit servicing technologies, with a particular focus on the challenging problem of capturing tumbling resident space objects (RSOs) using spacecraft equipped with robotic manipulators. His work sits at the intersection of convex optimization, robotics, and astrodynamics — a combination that has produced highly practical algorithms for next-generation space operations. Zappulla's most significant contribution is the development of convex-programming-based guidance algorithms capable of directing a spacecraft-manipulator system to autonomously capture uncooperative, tumbling objects in orbit — a problem with critical implications for space debris removal and satellite servicing. His most-cited work (2018, 68 citations) demonstrated that convex programming's deterministic convergence properties make it well-suited for onboard, real-time implementation. Complementing this theoretical work, his laboratory experiments (2017, 60 citations) validated these algorithms on hardware-in-the-loop test beds using spacecraft simulators operating in reduced-gravity environments, bridging the gap between simulation and physical demonstration. With over 160 cumulative citations across five key publications, Zappulla has established himself as a meaningful contributor to autonomous rendezvous and capture technology — research increasingly vital as the space community confronts the growing orbital debris challenge.
Research Focus
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