Dave Burbank
Elaine M. Petro
Assistant Professor
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Contact Information
461 Upson Hall
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853
Elaine M. Petro
Assistant Professor
Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, College of Engineering
Expertise
Spacecraft propulsion; electric propulsion; plasma science; electrospray technology; solar system space mission design; small satellite technology
Current Research Interest
Investigating plume physics and chemistry for small satellite propulsion systems with novel propellants, including plume-spacecraft interactions, and conducting experiments to validate model predictions; architecture studies of technologies compatible with in-space refueling, currently focused on water as propellant; the application of electrospray technology to the search for life in the solar system
Distinction
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics 20 Twenties “Emerging Leader in Aerospace”
American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics Electric Propulsion Technical Committee, Elected Member
International Electric Propulsion Conference 2022, Technical Chair
Selected Publications
Petro, Elaine M., and Raymond J. Sedwick. “Survey of Moderate-Power Electric Propulsion Systems.” Journal of Spacecraft and Rockets 54, no. 3 (2017): 529–541.
Petro, Elaine, Amelia Bruno, Paulo Lozano, Louis E. Perna, and Dakota Freeman. “Characterization of the TILE Electrospray Emitters.” AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2020 Forum, AIAA 2020-3612 (Published online August 17, 2020).
Cornell Research Website Article
Propelling Future Space Exploration