MSc Physics · York University

I study formation-flying control for space-based exoplanet observatories.

I’m Aiden Weatherbee, a physics and space-systems researcher. I conceived MINI-X and now lead its formation-flying GNC and science-performance work as a five-spacecraft mid-infrared interferometer precursor at Sun–Earth L2.

Explore MINI-X View publications Research CV
Portrait of Aiden Weatherbee
Current focus End-to-end GNC verification and science-yield analysis for MINI-X
1st authorAAS/AIAA 2026
144architecture cases
14×lower position error
Co-authorLIFE science case

My research

My work connects exoplanet science to spacecraft dynamics and control.

Directly characterizing an Earth-like exoplanet requires more than a sensitive instrument. It requires multiple spacecraft to hold a precise geometry, reject starlight, and preserve an optical path while operating far from Earth.

My work connects the science case to those dynamics and control decisions: model the observatory, compare architectures, quantify error and propellant costs, and identify what must be demonstrated before a flagship mission can fly.

Featured research

MINI-X and LIFE.

All research outputs
Concept rendering of the MINI-X interferometer
Original conceptMSc thesisFirst-author paper

MINI-X: a formation-flying precursor to LIFE

I conceived and proposed MINI-X, recruited supervision in exoplanet science and spacecraft control, and lead the simulation, GNC, trade-study, and science-performance work. My 2026 paper reports the 144-case study of its five-spacecraft architecture.

22.68 → 1.65 mm 95th-percentile position error 3.41× propellant penalty identified
Read the case study

Research toolkit

Technical experience used across my projects.

My projects have included the following methods and systems.

01

Formation dynamics & GNC

Six-degree-of-freedom models, relative motion, controller design, state estimation, and actuator-level simulation.

02

Simulation & trade studies

Monte Carlo analysis, architecture comparisons, sensitivity studies, and reproducible scientific workflows.

03

Space robotics & vision

Real-time object detection, pose estimation, embedded compute, and proximity-operations sensing.

04

Astronomical instrumentation

Optical photometry, 21-cm radio hardware, calibration, and measurement-driven debugging.

05

Observatory data pipelines

FITS processing, aperture photometry, transit extraction, image processing, and research communication.

Selected projects

Other projects.

Differential exoplanet transit light curve produced from Aiden Weatherbee's observations

Observational astronomy · PHYS 3070

Exoplanet transit photometry

I built this project for PHYS 3070, Planets and Planetary Systems, a third-year course that I now TA and deliver lectures for. It includes my raw telescope observations and complete Python photometry notebook.

Data and notebook

Current research questions

Questions arising from my MINI-X work.

01

How should optical-performance requirements map to GNC requirements?

Relate detection and spectroscopy objectives to formation-position, pointing, and optical-path stability.

02

How should navigation and optical-path control be analyzed together?

Study the interaction between relative-state estimation, actuation, metrology, and null depth.

03

Which parts of LIFE formation flying can MINI-X demonstrate?

Identify the formation-flying and interferometry functions that a smaller precursor could test on orbit.

Talks & presentations

Recorded talks.

Full recordings of my research and public astronomy presentations.

Tools, tutorials & documentation

Resources I have made.

Complete gallery23 astronomy images and write-upsJWST, Hubble, and York Observatory imagery Interactive toolUltraviolet-to-infrared explorerCompare astronomical structure across 15 filters Full tutorialMAST image-editing processFITS download, Siril, PixInsight, GIMP, and Python cleaning Technical guideSpace mission documentationA practical systems-engineering reference and LaTeX source

Contact

I am applying for PhD research in spacecraft control and exoplanet instrumentation.

I’m interested in PhD opportunities and collaborations at the intersection of spacecraft autonomy, control, and exoplanet instrumentation.

Email Aiden Google Scholar GitHub