Adaptive Optics Research Program at NPS

Brij N. Agrawal
Distinguished Professor
Director, Adaptive Optics Center of Excellence for National Security
Naval Postgraduate School
Monterey, CA 93940


This talk will give an overview of the adaptive optics research program at NPS.  The research program
includes optical beam jitter control, large aperture segmented space telescope surface control and
alignment, high energy beam control, and correcting optical beam aberration due to atmospheric
turbulence.  This talk will also discuss the objectives of recently established Adaptive Optics Center for
National Security at NPS.

Dr. Brij Agrawal is currently Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Astronautical
Engineering and Director of Adaptive Optics Center of Excellence for National Security. He also founded
Spacecraft Research Center (www.nps.edu/srdc/). He has developed research program in space system
design, acquisition, tracking, and pointing of flexible spacecraft and high energy lasers, jitter control,
adaptive optics, fine pointing control, and surface control of large segmented mirror telescope by using
adaptive optics.   Prior to joining NPS in 1989, he worked for twenty years for Communications Satellite
Corporation (COMSAT) and International Telecommunications Satellite Organization (INTELSAT) where he
conducted research in space systems, spacecraft attitude control, spacecraft structures, spacecraft system
designs.  Professor Agrawal has written first text book on spacecraft design “Design of Geosynchronous
Spacecraft”, has over 100 technical paper publication and has a patent for an attitude pointing error
correction system for geosynchronous satellites. He received Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering from
Syracuse University and MS in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University.  Professor Agrawal is a
Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a registered P. E. in the state of
Maryland.