Yehia Abdel-Aziz
Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG)
Egypt
Professor Yehia Abdel-Aziz is a Full Professor of Space Flight Dynamics and Control at the Space Research Laboratory of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics (NRIAG), Egypt. He is a leading expert in spacecraft dynamics and control, Space Situational Awareness (SSA), and Space Traffic Management (STM), and has established numerous strategic partnerships with industrial and academic institutions to advance regional SSA capabilities.
A recognized figure in both regional and international space communities, Prof. Abdel-Aziz has played a key role in bridging academic research with operational space applications. He is an active member of international committees dedicated to space-debris risk assessment, monitoring, mitigation, and remediation. He also contributes significantly to Egypt’s national space efforts through education, research, and innovation, and has supervised multiple projects focused on understanding space debris and its impact on the orbital environment.
At NRIAG, he has led several major scientific and technical initiatives. He served as Head of the Space Research Laboratory (2016–2019) and directed research, development, and strategic planning activities in space technology. He is the founder of Egypt’s first Optical Satellite Tracking Station (OSTS), established at NRIAG in March 2021, which provides observations of satellites and debris across all orbital regimes from LEO to HEO.
Prof. Abdel-Aziz also founded the Spacecraft Charging Laboratory (2010) and the Atomic Oxygen Laboratory (2022), both dedicated to studying satellite–environment interactions and material degradation in space. He served as Co-Principal Investigator for the Egyptian National Alliance of Space Industry (2017–2020) and chaired the Scientific Committee of the Space Plasma Nanosatellite Experiment Mission (SPNEx) from 2021 to 2023.
His leadership roles in national scientific bodies include Vice President of the National Egyptian Committee for Astronomy and Space Sciences (2019–2022) and Secretary General of the National Committee for Space Research (COSPAR) from 2005 to 2009.
He currently leads two specialized research teams: Spacecraft charging and space-environment interactions with satellite subsystems and Orbital and attitude control of spacecraft Prof. Abdel-Aziz earned his M.Sc. in Attitude Dynamics of Spacecraft (1998) and his Ph.D. in Orbital Dynamics and Control from Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland (2002). He has been a visiting scholar at several renowned institutions, including: Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan, UNESP, Brazil, CETP, Paris, France, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Moscow, Russia, and University of Trieste, Italy.
He has published more than 50 research papers in reputable journals. His research interests include:
Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Space debris monitoring and mitigation, Attitude dynamics and control of spacecraft, Orbital mechanics and formation flying, Spacecraft charging and discharging, and Ground testing of space-environment effects on satellite materials and solar arrays.
A recognized figure in both regional and international space communities, Prof. Abdel-Aziz has played a key role in bridging academic research with operational space applications. He is an active member of international committees dedicated to space-debris risk assessment, monitoring, mitigation, and remediation. He also contributes significantly to Egypt’s national space efforts through education, research, and innovation, and has supervised multiple projects focused on understanding space debris and its impact on the orbital environment.
At NRIAG, he has led several major scientific and technical initiatives. He served as Head of the Space Research Laboratory (2016–2019) and directed research, development, and strategic planning activities in space technology. He is the founder of Egypt’s first Optical Satellite Tracking Station (OSTS), established at NRIAG in March 2021, which provides observations of satellites and debris across all orbital regimes from LEO to HEO.
Prof. Abdel-Aziz also founded the Spacecraft Charging Laboratory (2010) and the Atomic Oxygen Laboratory (2022), both dedicated to studying satellite–environment interactions and material degradation in space. He served as Co-Principal Investigator for the Egyptian National Alliance of Space Industry (2017–2020) and chaired the Scientific Committee of the Space Plasma Nanosatellite Experiment Mission (SPNEx) from 2021 to 2023.
His leadership roles in national scientific bodies include Vice President of the National Egyptian Committee for Astronomy and Space Sciences (2019–2022) and Secretary General of the National Committee for Space Research (COSPAR) from 2005 to 2009.
He currently leads two specialized research teams: Spacecraft charging and space-environment interactions with satellite subsystems and Orbital and attitude control of spacecraft Prof. Abdel-Aziz earned his M.Sc. in Attitude Dynamics of Spacecraft (1998) and his Ph.D. in Orbital Dynamics and Control from Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland (2002). He has been a visiting scholar at several renowned institutions, including: Kyushu Institute of Technology (Kyutech), Japan, UNESP, Brazil, CETP, Paris, France, Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, Moscow, Russia, and University of Trieste, Italy.
He has published more than 50 research papers in reputable journals. His research interests include:
Space Situational Awareness (SSA), Space debris monitoring and mitigation, Attitude dynamics and control of spacecraft, Orbital mechanics and formation flying, Spacecraft charging and discharging, and Ground testing of space-environment effects on satellite materials and solar arrays.
