Principal Investigator
Sungmoon Choi, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) | 2026.08 – Present
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
New Mexico State University
Email: sungmoon[at]nmsu.edu
Office: Jett 236, NMSU
Education
- Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering (Minor: Computer Science) — Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2026.05
- M.S., Aerospace Engineering — Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 2025.12
- M.S., Astronomy — Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea, 2020.02
- B.S., Mechanical Engineering — Pusan National University, Busan, Korea, 2016.08
Biography & Research Overview
Dr. Sungmoon Choi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at New Mexico State University (NMSU, 2026.08–Present) and the Director of the AeroAstro Intelligent Mechanics Lab (AIM Lab). He earned his Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Computer Science from Iowa State University as a recipient of the Korean Government Scholarship Program for Study Overseas. During his doctoral studies, he served as a research intern at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) from June 2023 to December 2025. He also holds an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University, an M.S. in Astronomy from Yonsei University in South Korea, and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Pusan National University in South Korea. His research lies at the intersection of astrodynamics, space mission design, trajectory optimization, orbit determination and space navigation, spacecraft Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GNC), and AI/ML applications.
Ph.D. Students
Ph.D. Students
We are actively recruiting passionate graduate students in astrodynamics, trajectory optimization, space navigation, and AI/ML. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Sungmoon Choi.
M.S. Students
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Nathan Troutman — New Mexico State University2026.08 – PresentNathan Troutman is a part-time master’s student at New Mexico State University. During most of his undergraduate studies and into his master’s degree, he worked with the NMSU NanoSat Lab. During that time, he helped develop a Simulink-based simulator for rendezvous and proximity operations (RPO) satellite formations, analyzed available delta-V based on reaction wheel momentum for the VISORS CubeSat mission, and worked on a magnetorquer-only attitude controller for the INCA-2 CubeSat mission. He also participated in the first ever Mission Concept Program at AFRL’s University Nanosatellite Program. As part of an NMSU team, he helped design a CubeSat mission concept focused on demonstrating electromagnetic docking between two spacecraft.
M.S. Students
We are actively recruiting passionate graduate students in astrodynamics, trajectory optimization, space navigation, and AI/ML. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr. Sungmoon Choi.
Undergraduate Students
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Joey (Sunghyun) Heo — Olin College of Engineering2026.11 – PresentJoey is currently an undergraduate student majoring in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Olin College of Engineering. He is particularly interested in dynamics, controls, autonomy, and robotics, especially for aerospace applications. Much of his previous work has been hands-on, including rocket flight dynamics and trajectory analysis, thrust-vector-controlled vehicles, embedded flight software, and guidance and control for autonomous vehicles. More recently, he has developed an interest in reentry dynamics, optimal control, and autonomous guidance. He is excited to learn more about the research conducted at AIM Lab and contribute to its ongoing projects.
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Carlos Velasco Aviles — New Mexico State University2026.10 – PresentCarlos is currently pursuing his bachelor's degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at New Mexico State University. He has a strong interest in science, mathematics, and engineering and is always eager to learn and develop new skills. He is particularly interested in astrodynamics and dynamical systems and hopes to pursue graduate studies and a career in research. He is excited to work with Dr. Choi as part of the AIM Lab, where he hopes to gain valuable research experience.
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Marco Duarte — New Mexico State University2026.09 – PresentMarco Duarte is an undergraduate student attending New Mexico State University. He is double-majoring in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. He started working with Dr. Choi this fall to gain research experience and to further explore his interest in astrodynamics.
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Kameron Dunmar — New Mexico State University2026.09 – PresentKameron Dunmar is an undergraduate student in Aerospace Engineering at New Mexico State University. He joined AIM Lab in Fall 2026 and is excited to expand his knowledge, contribute meaningfully to the lab’s research, and continue building his research experience.
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Anibal Manriquez — New Mexico State University2026.08 – PresentAnibal Manriquez is an undergraduate student at New Mexico State University majoring in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with a minor in Chemistry. He joined Dr. Choi’s research group in Fall 2026 and plans to continue his research through a master’s degree at New Mexico State University, focusing on astrodynamics.
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Tishyo Roy — Iowa State University2025.09 – PresentTishyo Roy is an undergraduate student at Iowa State University majoring in Aerospace Engineering. He is currently applying the Extreme Theory of Functional Connections (X-TFC) to direct and indirect approaches for low-thrust trajectory optimization. His research combines physics-informed machine learning with optimal control and numerical optimization for spacecraft trajectory design. Outside of research, he enjoys playing soccer.
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Kimberly Larsen — Iowa State University2025.09 – 2026.05, 2026.08 - PresentKimberly Larsen is an undergraduate student at Iowa State University. Her recent research focuses on locating the collinear Lagrange points in the planar circular restricted three-body problem (PCR3BP) using Cauchy’s argument principle. This method determines the number of roots enclosed by a contour without requiring prior estimates of their locations and can directly recover a root when only one is enclosed. She applies this approach by varying the Jacobi constant and analyzing intersections of the zero-velocity curve (ZVC) with the x-axis to determine whether the curve is open or closed and how many roots lie within a selected contour. In addition to her research, Kimberly has gained industry experience through co-ops at Modus Engineering and Collins Aerospace, as well as a design engineering internship at Boeing working on the 737 MAX.
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Andrew Yi (NSF LAUNCH-SPACE Research Fellow) — University at Buffalo2026.06 – PresentAndrew earned his B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University at Buffalo. In Summer 2026, he conducted research through the NSF LAUNCH-SPACE program at Iowa State University, primarily based in the SPACE Lab under Prof. Simone Servadio and co-mentored by Prof. Sungmoon Choi (AIM Lab). His research focuses on robust deep-space navigation using four-body angles-only optical analysis, aiming to resolve sign ambiguities and improve estimation accuracy through redundant celestial body observations. His broader research interests lie in orbital mechanics and spacecraft control systems.
Former Undergraduate Researchers
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Mingeun Park (Currently Ph.D. Student @ University of Michigan) — Iowa State University2024.12 – Present
Mingeun earned dual B.S. degrees in Aerospace Engineering and Meteorology from Iowa State University, where he served as a Student Marshal at commencement. He has conducted research in AIM Lab under the advisement of Prof. Sungmoon Choi since 2024. Currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanics of Materials at the University of Michigan, he continues collaborative research with AIM Lab focusing on trajectory optimization and transfer orbit design in three-body problem regimes.
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Kevin Vo — University of Minnesota2026.06 – 2026.08Kevin is currently pursuing a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Minnesota. During summer 2026, he worked with Prof. Sungmoon Choi.
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Ethan Griesman — Iowa State University📍 First Stop: Systems Engineer @ Collins Aerospace🎓 B.S., Computer Engineering | Lab Research Period: 2026.04 – 2026.06
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Timothy Gibson — Iowa State University📍 First Stop: Manufacturing Equipment Engineer @ Honda🎓 B.S., Aerospace Engineering | Lab Research Period: 2025.02 – 2025.12
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Modi Mihir (Boeing Research Fellow) — Iowa State University📍 First Stop: Engineer @ JT4🎓 B.S., Aerospace Engineering | Lab Research Period: 2023.09 – 2024.06
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Samantha Austin (Boeing Research Fellow) — Iowa State University
2025.10 – 2025.12
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Nicholas Fang — Iowa State University
2025.02 – 2025.05
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Akshatra Sureshbabu — Iowa State University
2024.09 – 2025.09