# Ansh Pathak - Aerospace research · US patent

> US patent holder for SWEEP, a space-debris capture platform presented at AAS 248. Seven papers and preprints, and a flight simulator validated to 1.5% against a Boeing 737-800.

Heritage High School, Frisco, TX. Contact: pathakansh10@gmail.com. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ansh-pathak1/ | GitHub: https://github.com/abc000cool | Email: mailto:pathakansh10@gmail.com

Complete site content in one file: https://www.anshpathak.us/llms-full.txt

## Research (7 papers and preprints)

- [Space Debris Mitigation](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/space-debris-mitigation) (2025, AAS 248 - Pasadena, CA): SWEEP, a US-patented spacecraft that captures orbital debris, compacts it into dense pellets, and fires them out of orbit from electromagnetic railguns - using the recoil to maneuver. Presented at AAS 248.
- [Traffic Optimization Through Fluid Dynamics](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/traffic-fluid-dynamics) (2026, Pending): Treats traffic as fluid flow, using Navier-Stokes modeling to find bottlenecks and predict congestion waves in real time, then issues adaptive speed guidance that dissipates them faster than passive routing.
- [Probabilistic Optimization of Continuous-Morphing Airfoil Geometries via Gaussian Process Surrogates and QAOA-Based Discrete Sampling](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/morphing-airfoil-qaoa) (2025, Pending): Pairs Gaussian-process surrogate models with a quantum sampler (QAOA) to search morphing-airfoil shapes. The best design, checked in XFOIL, cut drag 9.3% and raised lift 37% over a NACA 2412 baseline.
- [Which Error Sources Dominate Hybrid Quantum–Classical Inertial Navigation? A Sobol’ Variance Decomposition Across Atmospheric GNSS-Denied and Cislunar Regimes](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/hybrid-quantum-classical-inertial-navigation) (2026, Preprint): An open-source simulator of a cold-atom and classical hybrid navigator. Across 27,648 runs it holds a median 7.6 m after five minutes of GNSS jamming - 4.9× tighter than classical-only - and shows which error sources dominate.
- [The Joint Pareto Envelope of Heliocentric Circular Displaced Non-Keplerian Orbits Under the McInnes Optical Sail Force Model](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/solar-sail-displaced-nko) (2026, Preprint): Maps which solar-sail orbits stay reachable once a realistic optical sail replaces the ideal reflector: required lightness rises a median 1.23×, and a 55.5° thrust-cone ceiling removes 4.9% of the Earth-synchronous family.
- [Rao Revisited: A Reproducible Pareto Atlas of Supersonic Nozzle Contours via the Method of Characteristics with Compressible Boundary-Layer Correction](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/nozzlemoc) (2026, Preprint · Open dataset): nozzlemoc, an open, tested Method-of-Characteristics reference implementation for supersonic rocket-nozzle design with a DOI-archived paper and dataset. It matches the textbook benchmark to 0.011%, reproduces the 1952 NACA Mach-10 nozzle, and finds a near-universal 0.550 turning ratio.
- [A Wave-Count Stability Atlas for the Koch–Kurosaka–Knowlen–Kutz Rotating Detonation Engine Analog](https://www.anshpathak.us/research/rde-wave-count-atlas) (2026, Preprint · Open dataset): A rotating detonation engine picks its own wave count - push more propellant in and it jumps from 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 waves. 5,856 GPU simulations build the first two-parameter regime map of the standard reduced-order model, checked against engine data from six laboratories.

## Projects

- [STRATOS](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/stratos) (ISM Original Work): Subsonic flight-performance simulator, validated to 1.5% against Boeing 737-800 stall speed
- [Propulsion Studio](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/propulsion-studio) (Aerospace Design Platform): Assemble any of 9+ propulsion families and read live thrust, specific impulse, and thermal load
- [PORKCHOP](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/porkchop) (Trajectory Design Tool): Lambert-solver Δv maps and multi-flyby Grand Tours, checked against Voyager 2 flyby dates and Perseverance C3
- [SWEEP](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/sweep) (US-Patented Spacecraft Design): US-patented platform that captures orbital debris, compacts it into pellets, and fires them out of orbit - the recoil doubles as thrust
- [FlowState](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/flowstate) (IGSI Research Initiative): Navier-Stokes traffic modeling that predicts congestion waves in real time and issues speed guidance to dissipate them
- [The Resonance Foundation](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/the-resonance-foundation) (501(c)(3) Nonprofit): A 501(c)(3) I founded - music education and performances reaching thousands across DFW
- [Data Science Libraries](https://www.anshpathak.us/projects/data-science-libraries) (Open Source): R libraries used internationally on Quarto-based data-science teaching templates

## Awards

- NASA TAS Moonshot - 1st Place (Aerospace): First place in the NASA TAS Moonshot challenge.
- Bhagavad Gita Memorizer & World Record Participant (Achievement): Memorized 800+ verses - 10,000+ Sanskrit words - of the Srimad Bhagavad Gita across a year of 30-40 hour weeks. Guinness World Records title holder for 'Largest simultaneous Hindu text recital', which took 2+ years of preparation.
- FIRST Robotics Awards (Robotics): FIRST Impact Award and Engineering Inspiration Award with Team 6369, plus the Autonomous Award twice. Two-time FIRST World Championship qualifier and Texas State qualifier; won the FIT Belton, Amarillo, and San Antonio competitions.
- AIME Qualifier (Mathematics): Scored 118.5/150 on the AMC 12 to qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), then 7/15 on the AIME - the top 1% of all AMC competitors.
- Heritage HS Wind Ensemble & Drumline (Music): 1st place at the 2025 International Percussion Ensemble competition, performed at PASIC50 in Indianapolis. Outstanding Snare Line at the 2025 North Texas Drumline Contest, and contest winner in 2024. Three-time All-Region selection; currently on snare, at 40+ hours a week during peak season.
- Business Professionals of America (BPA) (Leadership): 2026-27 Chapter President. Regional Champion in 2025 and 2026 (1st place, two-time State qualifier) and a two-time National Torch Award recipient. Top 10 finalist at the 2026 National Leadership Conference.
- Conrad Challenge Innovator (Innovation): 2026 Conrad Challenge Innovator.
- HHS Computer Science Club (Academics): Scored Top 50 across Texas in 10th Grade & 5A Divisions.
- HHS Math Honors Society (Mathematics): 1st Place General Math Team at UIL District Meet 2024-25.
- Heritage High School Key Club (Leadership): Secretary with over 150 members and various events throughout the year.

## Experience

- STEM Instructor, STEMTree (Jan 2025 – Present, Teaching)
- Big Future Ambassador, The College Board (Aug 2025 – Present, Leadership)
- Teen Court Attorney & Juror, City of Allen (Jan 2025 – Jan 2026, Community Service)
- AI Intern and STEM Instructor, iCode School Franchise (Mar 2024 – Oct 2024, Internship)

## Independent Study & Mentorship (ISM)

[Independent Study & Mentorship](https://www.anshpathak.us/ism): I spent my ISM year building STRATOS, a flight-performance simulator, under Dr. Giuseppe Cataldo, Assistant Chief for Technology at NASA Goddard - alongside five research assessments on quantum aerospace, CFD, autonomous flight, and supersonic versus subsonic flight, plus interviews with engineers at Lockheed Martin, NASA, and an aerospace startup. ISM is a competitive Frisco ISD elective that lets juniors and seniors study one career field independently through research, professional interviews, and mentorship.