Timothy Sands

Teaching Interests

Formal responsibilities include a suite of courses teaching complimentary skills necessary for robotic space systems, while two of the courses (analytic optimization and adaptive & learning systems) have broader application to a very large set of technical problems:

1) The course called Space Robotics teaches basic dynamics, materials and structural properties, and automatic control including structural interaction.  The course is offered at the senior undergraduate level and also the professional level, tailored to working professionals in the space industry. The course is cross listed as mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE 4816/5816) and systems engineering (SYSEN 5816). Students may also pursue this course by enrolling in MAE 6910 Independent Study and an MEng Project is also available by enrolling in MAE 6900 Special Investigations in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. 

2) The course called Astronautic Optimization teaches students how space robots can maneuver with minimal fuel usage to grasp & grapple; and repair/refuel/resupply operational spacecraft. The course is offered at the professional level tailored to working professionals in the space industry and also at the doctoral level. The course is cross listed as mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE 5830/6830) and systems engineering (SYSEN 5830/6830) and an MEng Project is also available by enrolling in MAE 6900 Special Investigations in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. 

3) The course called Adaptive and Learning Systems teaches students how to design any kind of system (including but not necessarily space robots) that autonomously adapts to dynamically changing situations by either “adapting” or alternatively “learning”. Such skills are essential for autonomous space robots to interact with systems of unknown properties that are sometimes uncooperative. This broad, professional writing course allows students to bring any nature of system of their choice to the class (including from their thesis/dissertation/MEng project).  During the four-month semester, the students write four professional manuscripts, rather than do homework and take tests. The course is offered at the professional level tailored to working professionals in the space industry and also at the doctoral level. The course is cross listed as mechanical and aerospace engineering (MAE 5280/6280) and systems engineering (SYSEN 5280/6280) and an MEng Project is also available by enrolling in MAE 6900 Special Investigations in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.  

4) Students pursuing the professional master’s degree, the Master of Engineering (MEng) will notice graduate research projects complimenting the three courses listed above, permitting students to spend 1-2 semesters deeply dive into the topics of those courses with matching names: Space Robotics, Astronautic Optimization, and Adaptive and Learning Systems. A fourth available project emphases defensive maneuvers in space without using propellant.

All these courses have been designed to accommodate students of disparate backgrounds to contribute to the state of knowledge, and they are taught with my unique teaching style that blends the learning methods of the military with those of traditional academia. You will be challenged, but you will do well (see the list below of student-authored publications).

In service to the university and my colleagues, I remain interested in developing a new course in Defense Space Systems Engineering, while other courses of interest include MAE 4730/5730 Intermediate Dynamics, MAE 4780/5870 Feedback Control Systems, MAE 6060 Spacecraft Attitude Dynamics, Estimation, and Control, MAE 6760 Model Based Estimation, MAE 6780 Multivariable Control Theory, and MAE 6850 Hamiltonian Dynamics.

Service Interests

My goal is to make Cornell astronautics known particularly throughout the defense department as well as the commercial space enterprise including Varda Space Industries, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and others. I seek to align my personal research interests with student learning, actual spaceflight, and especially job placement visibility for students. Having already performed years of university service at very senior levels, I henceforth focus solely on student successes as Professor of the Practice.