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Hire Yrithu T.

Canada

USD 50 /hr

PhD Aerospace Engineer specializing in GNC, adaptive control, and AI-driven estimation for spacecraft and UAV systems

Profile Summary

I'm a PhD-trained aerospace engineer specializing in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC), orbital mechanics, and applied AI/ML for spacecraft and autonomous systems. My work covers the full pipeline: building first-principles dynamics models, designing and tuning control systems, and developing adaptive, neural-network-based estimators for operating in uncertain, disturbance-rich environments. My research background centers on GNC for cislunar spacecraft trajectory estimation and control under the NASA Artemis program, where I developed a real-time neuro-adaptive estimation algorithm that improved spacecraft state estimation accuracy by up to four orders of magnitude by characterizing unmodeled environmental dynamics due to solar radiation pressure, gravitational perturbations, lunar ephemeris errors. I also developed and validated a neuro-adaptive controller for real-time correction of trajectory in low-thrust transfer scenarios. I have also collaborated with research teams on UAV controls and other advanced control system applications beyond the aerospace domain. On the applied/hardware side, I've contributed to multiple stages of UAV development, including aerodynamic testing, GPS/IMU sensor fusion for state estimation, and field testing; designed a sub-750W electric propulsion dynamometer with a data acquisition, sensor interface, and GUI in Python; and executed structured hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, and created technical reports for various clients. I build high-fidelity simulation environments in MATLAB/Simulink, apply Monte Carlo methods for probabilistic validation, and have led an independently-funded research program on AI-driven satellite swarm autonomy. I'm currently available for consulting on control system design and tuning, dynamics modeling, simulation environment development, state estimation, and applied AI/ML for spacecraft, UAV, and other autonomous systems. I'm also happy to support research-based engagements, including literature review, experimental design, data analysis, and technical writing, for academic or industry teams needing an extra set of hands.

Subject Matter Expertise

• ☆ Aerospace Engineering
• ☆ Astronautics
• ☆ Aeronautics
• ☆ Engineering Education

Services

• Writing
• Research
• Consulting
• Data & AI
• Product Development

Writing Technical Writing

Research Gap Analysis, Scientific and Technical Research, Systematic Literature Review

Consulting Scientific and Technical Consulting

Data & AI Algorithm Design-ML, Data Processing

Product Development Prototyping

Work Experience

ASSISTANT PROFESSOR

Western Michigan University

August 2024 - May 2026

Graduate Research Assisstant

Wichita State University

January 2017 - May 2024

Education

PhD in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Wichita State University - United States

August 2019 - May 2024

MS in Aerospace Engineering

Wichita State University - United States

August 2016 - December 2018

Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering and Mechanics

University of Minnesota - Twin Cities

September 2013 - May 2016

Certifications

• Certification details not provided.

Publications

CONFERENCE PAPER

Priyanka Thakur, Yrithu T. Pillay, John Watkins, Edwin Sawan (2025). Type-2 Fuzzy Logic Control of Blood Glucose Regulation in Type-1 Diabetic Patients .

Priyanka Thakur, Yrithu T. Pillay, John Watkins, Edwin Sawan (2024). Type-l Fuzzy Controller for Blood Glucose Regulation in Type-l Diabetic Patients .

Yrithu Thulaseedharan Pillay, Matthew Chace, James Steck, John Watkins, Atri Dutta(2024). Neuro-adaptive Model Reference Tracking Controller for Cislunar Missions . AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum.

Messick, Kyle, Dutta, Atri, Yrithu, Pillay, Steck, James(2022). Application and Analysis of Neural Networks for Unmodeled Dynamics in the Circular Restricted Three Body Problem. International Astronautical Congress. (IAC-22-C1-IPB-4-x69591).

Neural Network for Predicting Unmodelled Dynamics in Multi-Revolution Transfers in Cis-lunar Missions @inproceedings{Yrithu_2022,author={Yrithu Thulaseedharan Pillay and Matthew Chace and and James Steck and Atri Dutta},title={Neural Network for Predicting Unmodelled Dynamics in Multi-Revolution Transfers in Cis-lunar Missions},booktitle={2021 AAS/ AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference},chapter={},pages={},year={Aug. 2022},doi={}}. 2021 AAS/ AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.

Modified State Observer for Characterization of Unmodeled Dynamics in Cis-lunar Missions @inproceedings{Yrithu_2021,author={Yrithu Thulaseedharan Pillay and Matthew Chace and Kyle Messick and James Steck and Atri Dutta},title={Modified State Observer for Characterization of Unmodeled Dynamics in Cis-lunar Missions},booktitle={2021 AAS/ AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference},chapter={},pages={},year={Aug. 2021},doi={}}. 2021 AAS/ AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Conference.