Leila Freitag

Leila Freitag is a graduate student in mechanical engineering whose research has spanned autonomous robotic assembly of satellites and the use of diffractive optics for space-based lidar systems. As a MathWorks Fellow, Leila will develop MATLAB-based simulation frameworks to evaluate the performance of deployable diffractive optics in lidar instruments. These thin membrane optics are a promising technology that could enable large-aperture, low-SWaP (size, weight, and power) mission architectures, but also introduce unique challenges such as deployment and thermal deformations in orbit. Leila’s model simulates the propagation of a laser beam through the atmosphere, where it interacts with clouds and aerosols, estimating the magnitude of the backscattered signal expected at the detector after passing through the optic. By accounting for solar background noise and measurement resolution, her approach generates signal-to-noise ratios to guide mission design. She will validate these simulations with ground-based lidar measurements using a diffractive optic at NASA. Her contributions could enable large-aperture instruments for remote sensing on small satellites, a capability previously limited to much larger spacecraft.