Dr Christie Maddock

Senior Lecturer

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

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Personal statement

Dr Maddock is an expert in mathematical modelling and system design optimisation for transatmospheric flight vehicles, including spaceplane-based launch systems. 

Dr Maddock received her undergraduate honours degree in 2002 in Aerospace Engineering with a concentration in Electronics and Systems from Carleton University in Canada. Her thesis was on the design of an optical inter-satellite link for a LEO-GEO data relay satellite system.

Her doctoral research was conducted at the University of Glasgow on the dynamics, navigation and control of a spacecraft formation of solar concentrators in the proximity of an asteroid. The research investigated a method for asteroid deflection/manipulation using a formation of spacecraft in proximity to the asteroid, equipped with a solar light concentrator, either mirrors/lens or lasers. By directing a high temperature spot beam into the surface of the asteroid, the regolith will sublimate and produce a low-thrust jet which will alter the orbital trajectory of the asteroid.  

Prior to obtaining her PhD, Dr Maddock worked for the Canadian Spectrum Engineering Division analysing and designing future communications satellites, and sitting on a number of working parties within the Radiocommunications bureau of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). In particular, she was a member of the Canadian Delegation, and Chair for the ITU-R Working Party 4B on performance, availability, air interfaces and earth-station equipment of satellite systems in the FSS, BSS and MSS.

 

 

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Area of Expertise

  • Access to space systems
  • Multi-disciplinary design optimsation, trajectory optimisation and optimal control
  • Atmospheric flight dynamics and control 
  • Spacecraft formation flying
  • Modelling and simulation of engineering systems
  • Evaluation and analysis of trajectory design for air/space vehicles
  • Design and analysis of proximal motion dynamics, open and closed loop control
  • Space and satellite telecommunications
  • Analysis and/or the development and simulation of software models
  • Consultation on the regulatory process for satellite frequency and orbital location
 

Prize And Awards

Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellowship
Recipient
1/9/2017
Sir Arthur C Clarke Award for Space Achievement (Academic Study/Research)
Recipient
1/6/2015
Celebrate HER (Women+ in Leadership) Award Nomination
Recipient
13/2/2023
William Wilson Scott Award
Recipient
1/2/2010
Highly Commended Award Winner
Recipient
30/9/2009
Highly commended Award Winner
Recipient
2009

More prizes and awards

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Publications

Direct solution of multi-objective optimal control problems applied to spaceplane mission design
Ricciardi Lorenzo A, Maddock Christie Alisa, Vasile Massimiliano
Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics Vol 42, pp. 30-46 (2019)
https://doi.org/10.2514/1.G003839
Implementing life cycle sustainability assessment for improved space mission design
Wilson Andrew R, Vasile Massimiliano, Maddock Christie, Baker Keith
Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management Vol 19, pp. 1002-1022 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1002/ieam.4722
Multi-stage multi-fidelity information correction for artificial neural network based meta-modelling
Parsonage Ben, Maddock Christie
2020 IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence IEEE Symposium Series on Computational Intelligence, pp. 950-957 (2021)
https://doi.org/10.1109/SSCI47803.2020.9308255
Domain randomisation and CNN-based keypoint-regressing pose initialisation for relative navigation with uncooperative finite-symmetric spacecraft targets using monocular camera images
Kajak Karl Martin, Maddock Christie, Frei Heike, Schwenk Kurt
Advances in Space Research Vol 72, pp. 2824-2844 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2023.02.024
A multi-fidelity model management framework for multi-objective aerospace design optimisation
Parsonage Ben, Maddock Christie
Frontiers in Aerospace Engineering Vol 2 (2023)
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpace.2023.1046177
Multi-fidelity and multi-disciplinary approach for the accurate simulation of atmospheric re-entry
Peddakotla Sai Abhishek, Morgado Fábio, Thillaithevan Dilaksan, O'Driscoll Danielle, Santer Matthew, Maddock Christie, Vasile Massimiliano, Fossati Marco
73rd International Astronautical Congress 2022 (2022)

More publications

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Teaching

I am currently lecturer for the following courses:

Dynamics & Control 16361 (Dynamics 3 ME305, Measurement, Instrumentation & Control 16318)

The course covers topics on kinematics and kinetics of rigid bodies, mechanical vibrations in the first semester, while the second semester looks at control systems engineering, methods for analysing and altering the performance of dynamics systems, and designing controllers. Elements of numerical modelling and simulation is woven throughout the year. 

Applied Mechanics and Machine Design EO402 (Applied Mechanics module)

The module on applied mechanics covers general motion of rigid bodies including forces & accelerations, energy methods and impulse & momentum. Free and forced vibrations of mass-spring-damper systems are also studied. 

 

Administration

Adviser of Studies, Year 3 Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (2020/21--)
Adviser of Studies, Year 3 Electrical & Mechanical Engineering (2019/20)

 
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Professional Activities

Variable-size design space optimisation for aerospace applications
Examiner
29/6/2021
Women in Aerospace Europe (WiA-E) Working Group on Skills Gap in Aerospace (External organisation)
Member
6/2021
Stardust-R Global Virtual Workshop II: Space Traffic Management and Resilient Space Environment
Organiser
13/9/2021
Design Optimisation of Complex Space Systems Under Epistemic Uncertainty
Examiner
4/3/2024
AIAA Science and Technology Forem and Exposition
Participant
8/1/2024
RAeS Specialist Group Conference: High-Speed Aerodynamics - Towards Hypersonic Flight
Invited speaker
17/10/2023

More professional activities

Projects

Assessment of a very high power cargo transportation system to Mars
Maddock, Christie (Principal Investigator) Minisci, Edmondo (Co-investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Co-investigator) Ricciardi, Lorenzo Angelo (Research Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2020 - 15-Jan-2020
Uncertainty Treatment and OPtimisation in Aerospace Engineering (UTOPIAE) (H2020 MCSA ETN)
Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator) Akartunali, Kerem (Co-investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator) Minisci, Edmondo (Co-investigator) Revie, Matthew (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2017 - 31-Jan-2020
AI for Space Operations, Safety and Sustainability (A14S3)
Vasile, Massimiliano (Principal Investigator) Clemente, Carmine (Co-investigator) Feng, Jinglang (Co-investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator) Marshall, Stephen (Co-investigator) Murray, Paul (Co-investigator) Riccardi, Annalisa (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2024 - 31-Jan-2025
INtegration and Digital demonstration of low-emission aIrcraft technoloGies and airport Operations (INDIGO) (Horizon Europe CL5)
Fossati, Marco (Principal Investigator) Jones, Catherine (Co-investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2026
ASTRAIOS Analysis of Skills, Training, Research, and Innovation Opportunities in Space (Horizon-CL4-SPACE)
Maddock, Christie (Principal Investigator) Feng, Jinglang (Co-investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2025
Data-driven aErothermal and thermomeChanical mOdelling for Destructive re-Entry
Fossati, Marco (Principal Investigator) Maddock, Christie (Co-investigator) Vasile, Massimiliano (Co-investigator)
01-Jan-2022 - 31-Jan-2025

More projects

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Contact

Dr Christie Maddock
Senior Lecturer
Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Email: christie.maddock@strath.ac.uk
Tel: 574 5058