Storms, Swarms and Space Junk: Bangladeshi Engineer Builds Intelligent Systems to Protect Earth and Space
Stillwater, Oklahoma From violent tornado winds near Earth to dangerous debris racing through orbit, Bangladeshi aerospace researcher Nafis Mohammad Nayeem is developing technologies designed to help machines detect hidden hazards, cooperate under uncertainty and act before disaster strikes.
After earning his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Military Institute of Science and Technology in Dhaka, Nayeem joined Oklahoma State University, where his NASA-funded master’s research under the WINDMAP project used coordinated drones to estimate tornado structure and map low-altitude winds. He also develops cutting-edge physics-informed artificial intelligence that combine flight equations with data to improve autonomous aircraft reliability in turbulence, noisy sensor conditions and GPS-degraded environments – capabilities with major value for civil aviation, disaster response, scientific exploration and national defense. Together, this work could strengthen severe-weather awareness while making autonomous aviation, emergency response, wildfire monitoring, precision agriculture and wind-energy operations safer, more efficient worldwide.
His research extends beyond the atmosphere. In a study of orbital-debris collection, Nayeem co-authored a concept using lightweight aerogel and onboard vision to capture small, fast-moving fragments that threaten satellites. Protecting spacecraft has enormous global significance because satellites underpin communications, navigation, weather forecasting, banking, scientific discovery and security operations. His research has been published in prominent American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics venues, including AIAA SCITECH and ASCEND, reflecting growing recognition within the international aerospace community.
Now pursuing his Ph.D. at Oklahoma State University with funding from the U.S. Office of Naval Research, Nayeem is advancing research in swarmed navigation—teams of autonomous vehicles capable of sharing incomplete information and continuing to operate in complex environments.
The unifying idea behind his work is simple but powerful: many small, intelligent machines can accomplish what one machine cannot. From saving lives during severe weather to protecting multibillion-dollar space infrastructure and strengthening resilient autonomous systems, Nayeem’s research demonstrates how aerospace engineering can serve humanity on Earth, in the sky and beyond.
