Kean Professor Receives Nearly $900,000 from NASA to Improve Space Rover Navigation
Kean University Associate Professor Moitrayee Chatterjee, Ph.D., has received a two-year award of nearly $900,000 from NASA to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology that could help autonomous rovers navigate the moon, Mars and beyond while expanding research opportunities for Kean students.
The award, made through NASA’s MUREP Space Technology Artemis Research (M-STAR) program, will strengthen Kean’s growing collaboration with NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and support research into safer, more reliable navigation technologies for future space missions.
The initiative builds on an earlier NASA-funded collaboration that established student mentoring opportunities and connections with NASA scientists and technologists.
“We already had foundation to build upon after receiving a startup award from NASA previously,” said Chatterjee, who joined Kean as part of its recent merger with New Jersey City University. “This project builds on that capability, and now we want to address the next phase of the research.”
Administered by NASA’s Office of STEM Engagement, the M-STAR program strengthens the research capabilities of minority-serving institutions, expands faculty and student participation in aerospace research and helps institutions compete for future federal and commercial research funding.
Chatterjee, a faculty member in Kean’s Department of Computer Science and Technology, will lead the project in collaboration with NASA Goddard’s Dr. J. Russell Carpenter. Together, they will develop an artificial intelligence-based system designed to help autonomous rovers assess unfamiliar terrain and make safer navigation decisions.
On the surface of the moon or Mars, a rover must recognize potential hazards, such as ditches, unstable ground and terrain that could cause its wheels to slip or sink. The research will combine visual information with rover-terrain interaction forces such as slope, slip and collision to train AI models that will assess the surroundings, account for uncertainty and plan safer routes. The goal is a navigation system that can adapt to different terrains while maintaining safety and reliable performance.
“When we think of NASA, we think of outer space,” Chatterjee said. “It may seem out of this world, literally, but space exploration relies on technologies that are developed here on Earth. From AI and computing to engineering and autonomous systems, we need to understand how these capabilities are built from the ground up and how we can prepare our students to advance them.”
Student involvement is central to the project. Funding will provide stipends for two graduate students and two undergraduate students, along with dedicated time for Chatterjee to conduct research and mentor students in aerospace AI.
“This grant creates an exceptional opportunity for Kean students to apply their classroom learning to research that could help shape the future of space exploration,” said Patricia Morreale, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Computer Science and Technology. “By working alongside faculty and NASA researchers, our students will gain valuable hands-on experience in that can open doors to careers in aerospace and other high-demand technology fields."
Graduate students will take technical leadership roles, contributing to research design, experimentation and evaluation. Undergraduate students will gain hands-on experience with coding, machine learning, software development and project management. Students will also have opportunities to present their findings, participate in research challenges and attend international conferences and regional symposia.
The team will also place at least one participating student each year in an internship at a NASA center, giving students direct exposure to NASA research and potential career pathways in aerospace technology.
The project will also integrate aerospace AI topics into Kean’s graduate and advanced undergraduate curriculum. Chatterjee and Carpenter will mentor the research participants, develop specialized course content, with opportunities for NASA experts to share their knowledge through guest lectures and other educational activities.
The project is expected to produce a validated safety architecture relevant to NASA rover platforms and at least two peer-reviewed publications with student-led authorship. The research is also expected to expand aerospace AI coursework and lay the groundwork for additional NASA research funding.
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