--- title: "Truman DeWalch — Simulation & Astrodynamics Engineer" description: "Truman DeWalch builds software for conjunction analysis, transfer planning, and mission design." url: "https://trumandewalch.dev/" route: "/" --- Virginia Tech · Aerospace Engineering # Truman DeWalch Aerospace Engineering Ph.D. Candidate · Conjunction Analysis, Transfer Planning, and Mission Software I build software for conjunction analysis, transfer planning, and mission design. - Python, Rust, and C++ tools for orbital analysis and conjunction studies - Led a 5-person systems team at The Aerospace Corporation - Built the reusable event bank behind published astrodynamics work [truman@vt.edu](mailto:truman@vt.edu) · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/truman-dewalch) · Blacksburg, VA [View Resume](https://trumandewalch.dev/resume) [Download PDF](https://trumandewalch.dev/Truman_DeWalch_Resume.pdf) [See Selected Work](https://trumandewalch.dev/#projects) Experience ## Selected Experience A mix of applied research, production-minded simulation software, and technical leadership in aerospace settings. May 2023 – Nov 2025 · Industry ### MTS Graduate Intern The Aerospace Corporation · Northern Virginia / Remote - Built a bistatic radar sensor model for an enterprise mission-analysis environment. - Led a 5-person systems engineering sub-team across mission architecture research deliverables. - Connected legacy tools so analysts could run high-level trade studies in one workflow. Sept 2023 – Present · Research ### Graduate Research Assistant — Just-in-Time Collision Avoidance Virginia Tech · Blacksburg, VA - Built Python, Rust, and C++ software for orbit determination and conjunction analysis. - Developed a mixed-fidelity workflow that keeps early screening fast and uses higher-fidelity propagation where dust-cloud geometry matters. - Compared optimizer families and deployer constellations under matched budgets, shared event evidence, and common scoring rules. - Created a reproducible 1,000-event LEO conjunction bank for evaluation, benchmarking, and publication work. Sept 2022 – Oct 2023 · Research ### Graduate Research Assistant — Eclipse Transient OD Virginia Tech · Blacksburg, VA - Designed a modular Python simulation architecture for eclipse-based autonomous navigation studies. - Built a statistical atmospheric model from real climate data and used it in the estimation workflow. - Applied Unscented Kalman Filters to estimate orbital state from eclipse-transient measurements. - Presented the resulting approach at AIAA SciTech 2024. May 2022 – Dec 2022 · Industry ### Graduate Student Intern TrustPoint GNSS · Northern Virginia - Created high-fidelity models of satellites, ground stations, and onboard clocks for GNSS simulation. - Implemented Extended Kalman Filters and Batch Least Squares for precise orbit tracking. - Integrated TDOA, FDOA, and geometric-range measurement models into the simulation engine. About ## What I Build Most of my work sits between astrodynamics research and the tools people actually use. At Virginia Tech, The Aerospace Corporation, and TrustPoint, I've built Python, Rust, and C++ systems for orbital analysis, led small technical teams, and published work in astrodynamics venues. - 01 ### Build the models Python, Rust, and C++ code for orbit determination, conjunction screening, and mission studies. - 02 ### Make them usable Turn research ideas into tools people can rerun, test, and trust. - 03 ### Lead the work Lead small technical teams and keep cross-functional projects moving. Work ## Selected Work If you want the technical version, these pages show how the modeling and trade-study work actually fits together. Simulation Framework ### [Simulated Space Environment](https://trumandewalch.dev/projects/simulated-space-environment) Propagation and analysis code for running orbital studies without rebuilding the stack every time. See Details → Dissertation Research ### [Just-in-Time Collision Avoidance](https://trumandewalch.dev/research/jit-collision-avoidance) Dissertation work on how a deployer architecture could respond to risky debris conjunctions. See Details → Optimization Framework ### [Constellation Optimization](https://trumandewalch.dev/research/constellation-optimization) Shared-evidence studies of how optimizer choice and constellation design change the trade space. See Details → Approach ## Methodology These are the pieces I keep fixed so the comparison stays honest across optimizers and constellation studies. 1. 01 ### Reusable event evidence Catalog-anchored hazardous-event set reused across optimizer and constellation studies 2. 02 ### Two-lane dynamics policy Screening stays analytical while released dust gets high-fidelity propagation 3. 03 ### Objective / gate separation Released dust is optimized while intercepted mass remains a strict feasibility gate 4. 04 ### Fair optimizer comparison Matched budgets, shared event draws, and common scoring keep comparisons interpretable Optimization ## Optimization Background My dissertation is a stochastic optimization problem end to end: population-based search over constellation designs, where every objective is a noisy Monte Carlo estimate and every candidate competes under a fixed evaluation budget. The machinery generalizes well beyond astrodynamics. 01 ### Search under noise Multi-objective evolutionary search over constellation design spaces, trading delta-v, released dust mass, and remediation success rate under probabilistic constraints. 02 ### Sample-efficient evaluation Objectives are Monte Carlo estimates on a budget, so runs use adaptive evaluation policies and early stopping to spend samples where they change decisions. 03 ### Benchmarks before conclusions A reproducible conjunction-event bank, built by surrogate sampling of the debris catalog, keeps optimizer comparisons on shared evidence and common scoring. 04 ### Fast objective functions Rust batch evaluators and mixed-fidelity propagation keep single evaluations cheap enough that large searches stay tractable on realistic physics. ### Where it applies #### Machine learning & AI The problem structure behind hyperparameter optimization and Hyperband-style schedulers: black-box search over noisy objectives with budgeted, racing-style early-stopped evaluation — plus the benchmark and evaluation-harness discipline ML teams rely on. #### Probabilistic modeling Sigma-point propagation, Gaussian mixtures, and divergence-based validation are shared vocabulary with probabilistic ML and uncertainty quantification. #### Engineering design Architecture trade studies — from sensor placement to constellation geometry — are design-space exploration under constraints: the same optimization loop in a different domain. Publications ## Publications Conference papers and presentations from the dissertation thread, including the papers where I was second author. If a direct link is missing, the citation search is the quickest way in. ### Lead-author work The papers where I led the framing, writing, and conference presentation. 2026 ### Stochastic Optimization Techniques for the Design of Just-In-Time Collision Avoidance Constellations DeWalch, T.; Fitzgerald, R. AIAA 2026-2595 · First author [Read Paper](https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2026-2595) Direct paper 2024 ### Enhancing Eclipse Transient Orbit Determination Methods with Statistical Atmospheric Models DeWalch, T.; Fitzgerald, R. AIAA-2024-0429 · First author [Read Paper](https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2024-0429) Direct paper 2024 ### Dispersion of Targeted Orbital Dust Clouds: Applications to Just-in-time Collision Avoidance DeWalch, T.; Fitzgerald, R. AAS 24-496 · First author [Find Citation](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Dispersion%20of%20Targeted%20Orbital%20Dust%20Clouds%3A%20Applications%20to%20Just-in-time%20Collision%20Avoidance) Citation search ### Collaborative work Closely related conference work where I contributed as second author. 2025 ### Statistical Evaluation of Dust-Based JCA Systems and Policies Fitzgerald, R.; DeWalch, T.; Payne, J.; Lutchmidat, A. AAS 25-770 · Second author [Find Citation](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Statistical%20Evaluation%20of%20Dust-Based%20JCA%20Systems%20and%20Policies) Citation search 2023 ### Orbit Determination via Eclipse Transient Timing: Improved Methods and Intensity Models Fitzgerald, R.; DeWalch, T. AAS/AIAA SFM · Second author [Find Citation](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=Orbit%20Determination%20via%20Eclipse%20Transient%20Timing%3A%20Improved%20Methods%20and%20Intensity%20Models) Citation search Skills ## Technical Snapshot A quick scan of the languages, methods, and tools I use most often. ### Programming Python NumPy, SciPy, scikit-learn · C++ · C · Rust · MATLAB · Fortran · Julia ### Technical Areas Kalman Filters UKF, EKF · Orbit Determination · Conjunction Analysis · Evolutionary Algorithms · Monte Carlo Simulation · Statistical Atmospheres · Uncertainty Propagation ### Core Tools Git · Linux · Unix · STK Level 3 Certified · Jira · Confluence · LaTeX Education ## Education ### Ph.D., Aerospace Engineering Aug 2022 – Sept 2026 (Expected) Virginia Tech Focus: High-fidelity OD, Conjunction Risk Modeling, Statistical Atmospheres. Advisor: Dr. Riley Fitzgerald. ### B.S., Aerospace Engineering Aug 2018 – May 2022 Virginia Tech **Certifications:** ✦ STK Level 3 Certified Leadership ## Leadership & Activities MV ### Rank Captain & Tuba Player Aug 2018 – Jan 2025 Marching Virginians - Led a section of 24 members, teaching music and marching fundamentals while managing logistics. - Organized and participated in service projects, including the "Hokies for the Hungry" food drive.