Marcos Fernandez-Tous

SpSt 509- Space Propulsion Systems.

SpSt 510- Hypersonic aerodynamics.

SpSt 511- Electric Space Propulsion.

SpSt 513- Nuclear space propulsion.

SpSt 570- Advanced topics in spoace studies: Air Breathing Engines.

SpSt 570- Advanced topics in space studies: Writing Proposals for STEM Grant Opportunities.

• Space propulsion (chemical, electric, nuclear).
• Air breathing engines.
• Hypersonic aerodynamics.
• Aerospace engineering.
• Aerospace structures.
• Thermal systems.
• Spacecraft reentry effect (ablative processes).

We also have a space propulsion lab, where we are building up two test stands, one for ablative thrusters and another for solid propulsion. The purpose is to improve diagnostic techniques for rockets.

[In process] Fernandez-Tous, M., & Guddanti, Sai S. (2024). In-space maintenance: A historical approach. The Journal of Space Safety Engineering

Fernandez-Tous, M., Nair, P., Guddanti, S. S., Vidhyadharan, S. (2025, November 24). AI is making spacecraft propulsion more efficient – and could even lead to nuclear-powered rockets. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/ai-is-making-spacecraft-propulsion-more-efficient-and-could-even-lead-to-nuclear-powered-rockets-268643 

Bhatnagar, T., Guddanti, S. S., & Fernandez-Tous, M. (2025). Current Status of Technologies to Monitor and Mitigate Thruster Plasma Effects on Spacecraft Systems. GLEX-25, 15.

Guddanti, S.-S., Fernandez-Tous, M., & Vidhyadharan Nair, S. (2025). Control System for Nuclear Thermal Propulsion: Analysis of Past and Present Techniques for Future Space Missions. GLEX-2025-3.3.1.X92316, 15.

Guddanti, S. S., del Canto Viterale, F., Fernandez-Tous, M., Gupta, P., de Leon, P., Urlacher, B., & Zhang, C. (2025). Geopolitical and Geo-economic Implications of Recent Advances  in Space Propulsion and Hypersonic Technologies. GLEX-2025-1.2.3.X92901, 15.

Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, December 12). NASA’s crew capsule had heat shield issues during Artemis I − an aerospace expert on these critical spacecraft components. The conversation. https://theconversation.com/nasas-crew-capsule-had-heat-shield-issues-during-artemis-i-an-aerospace-expert-on-these-critical-spacecraft-components-245615

[Presentation] Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, December 11). Geopolitical and Geo-economics Implications on Recent Advances in Space Propulsion and Hypersonic Technologies. Early Career Scholars Program (ECSP).

[Presentation] Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, December 11). Development of Advanced Propulsion and Orbit Management Technologies for the
Deployment and Operation of Constellation of Low Earth Orbit Satellites. Early Career Scholars Program (ECSP).

del Canto Viterale, F., Crisman, K., de Leon, P., Dodge, M., Fernandez-Tous, M., Fevig, R., Fieber-Beyer, S., & Kugler, D. (2024. October 14-18). Pioneering space education at the posgraduate level- the case of the Universsity of North Dakota. [Conference session]. 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Milan, Italy.

Guddanti, S. S., & Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, October 14-18) Propulsion system for Mars mission: alternatives and opportunities. [Conference session] 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Milan, Italy.

Dodge, Michael-S., Fernandez-Tous, M., & Nair, Preeti. (2024, October 14-18) Nuclear powered rockets: Legal issues and perspectives. [Conference session] 75th International Astronautical Congress (IAC), Milan, Italy.

[Presentation] Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, September 11). Effects of ablation processes in hypersonic reentry vehicles over the stratosphere. Future Aerospace Strategic Thinking (FAST). https://aerosol.atmos.und.edu/workshops.html 

Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024, June 27). The science behind splashdown − an aerospace engineer explains how NASA and SpaceX get spacecraft safely back on Earth. The conversation. https://theconversation.com/the-science-behind-splashdown-an-aerospace-engineer-explains-how-nasa-and-spacex-get-spacecraft-safely-back-on-earth-232786 Live at WAMV ((The Academic Minute: https://academicminute.org/2024/11/splashdown-a-rockets-cannonball/): 

Del Canto Viterale, F., & Fernandez-Tous, M. (2024). Electric Propulsion in Space: Technology and Geopolitics. Astropolitics, 1–30. https://doi.org/10.1080/14777622.2024.2379524

Fernandez-Tous, M. (2022, October 26-29). A Receiver-Only time Synchronization protocol for UAS. Simulation results. [Conference Session] 2022 IEEE 13th Annual Ubiquitous Commuting, Electronics and Mobile Communication Conference (UEMCON), virtual conference. Awarded best paper certificate in the session Robotics; Cloud networks.

Adjekum, D. K. & Fernandez-Tous, M. (2020). Assessing the relationship between organizational management factors and a resilient safety culture in a collegiate aviation progra, with Safety Management System (SMS). Safety Science, 131, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2020.104909

Adjekum, D. K., & Fernandez-Tous, M. (2020). Assessing cultural drivers of safety resilience in a collegiate aviation program. Collegiate Aviation Review International, 38(1), 122-147. Retrieved from http://ojs.library.okstate.eedu/osu/index.php/CARI/article/view8012/7386

Fulbright Specialist (2025-)

NSF I-CORPS Training (2025)

Daniel and JoEmily Nieuwsma Scholarship award, May 2019.

Member of Tripoli Rocketry Association (2022-2025).

Member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (2023).

RadioHam: Amateur Extra.

Ms.C. Aerospace Engineering (2001), Polytechnic University of Madrid.

Ph.D. Aerospace Sciences (2022), University of North Dakota.

LinkedIn profile here.

In this section, you will find inspiring readings as you travel through your program.

• Al-Khalili, Jim. (2020). The world according to physics. 0Princeton University Press.
• Bertoline, Gary R. (Ed.) (2024). The inclusive engineering mindset. American Sociwty for Engineering Education
• Bird, Kai & Sherwin, Martin J. (2005). American Prometheus. The triumph and tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer. Vintage Books.
• Canepa, Mark. (2019). Large and dangerous rocket ships. The history of high-power rocketry's ascent to the edges of outer space. Trafford Publishing.
• Carlson, W. Bernard. (2015). Tesla. Inventor of the electrical age. Princeton Press.
• Chemerinsky, Erwin, & Gillman, Howard. (2017). Free speech on campus. Yale University Press.
• Chertok, Boris. (2013). Rockets and people. (4 vol.). NASA.
• Clary, david A. (2003). Rocket man. Robert H. Goddard and the birth of the space age. Hyperion books.
• Collins, Michael. (2019). Carrying the fire. An astronaut's journey. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
• Conner, M. (2001). Hans von Ohain: Elegance in flight. AIAA
• Connors, Jack. (2010). The engines of Partt & Whiteny: A technical history. AIAA, Inc.
• de Chiara, Giuseppe, & Gorn, Michael H. (2018). Spacecraft. Quarto Publishing Group. 
• Dyson, George. (2002). Project Orion. The true story of the atomic spaceship. Henry Holt and company LLC.
• Eckardt, Dietrich. (2022). Jet Web. Connections in the development history of turbojet engines 1920-1950. Springer
• Emme, Eugene M. (Ed.). (1964). The history of rocket technology. Wayne State University Press.
• Ginger, Ray. (2007). The bending cross. A biography of Eugene V. Debs. Haymarket Boks.
• Hampton, Dan. (2018). Chasing the demon. A secret history of the quest for the sound barrier, and the band of American aces who conquered it. HarperCollins.
• Heppenheimer, T. A. (2018). Facing the heat barrier. A history of hypersonics. Dover publications.
• Jungk, Robert. (1970). Brighter than a thousand suns. A personal history of the atomic scientists. Harcourt Books.
• Kahn, Jeremy. (2024). Mastering AI. A survival guide to our superpowered future. Simon & Schuster.
• Kissinger, Henry, Schmidt, Eric, & Huttenlocker, Daniel. (2023). The age fof AI and our human future.  Little, Brown and Company.
• Kovalchik, Dan. (2024). Days of Delta thunder. Independenlty published.
• Kramer, Robert S. (2006). Rocketdyne: Powering humans into space. AIAA. 
• Krishnamurti.(1954). The first and last freedom. Harper & Row.
• Krishnamurti. (1981). Education & the significance of life. HarperSanFrancisco
• Leamnson, Robert. (1999). Thinking about teachig and learning. Developing habits of learning with first year college and university students. Stylus.
• Lindbergh, C. A. (1993). The Spirit of St. Louis. Minnesota Historic Scoiety Press.
• Linder, Kathryn E., & Hayes, Chrysanthemum Mattison (ed.) (2018). High-impact prctices in online education. Research and best preactices. Stylus.
• Macinnis, Peter. (2003). Rockets. Sulfur, Sputnik and scramjets. Allen & Unwin.
• McDonald, Allan J. & Hansen, James R. (2012). Truth, lies and O-rings: Inside the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. Univresity Press of Florida.
• McManus, Dean A. (2005). Learning the lectern. Cooperative learning and the critical first days of students working in groups.  Anker Publishung Company, Inc.
• Meadows, Donella H. (2008). Thinking in systems. a primer. Chelsea Green Pblishing Company.
• Mollick, Ethan (2024). Co-intelligence. Living and working with AI. PEnguin Random House LLC.
• Neufeld, Michael J. (2008). Von Braun. Dreamer of space, engineer of war. Vintage Books.
• Norris, Robert S. (2002). Racing for the bomb. Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
• Peebles, C. (2011). Eleven seconds into the unknown: A history of the Hyper-X program. American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics.
• Pendle, George. (2006). Strange angel. The otherwordly life of rocket scientist John Whiteside Parsons. Harcourt Books.
• Powell, Joel W. (1971). Go for launch. An innustrated history of Cape Canaveral. Apogeee books.
• Seife, C. (2000). Zero: the biography of a dangerous idea. Viking.
• Skinner, B. F. (1971). Beyond freedom and dignity. Bantam/Vintage Books.
• Stern, Alan & Grinspoon, David. (2019). Chasing New Horizons. Inside the epic first mmision to Pluto. Picador.
• Serber, Robert. (2020). The Los Alamos primer. The first lectures on how to build an atomic bomb. University California Press.
• Sinek, Simon. (2009). Start with WHY. How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Portfolio Penguin.
• Soojung-Kim Pang, Alex. (2021). Rest. Why you get more done when you work less. Basic books.
• Suarez, Daniel. Critical mass. (2023). Penguin Random House.
• Sutton, Richard S. & Barto, Andrew G. (1998).  Reinforcement learning. An introduction. The MIT Press.
• Tchaikovsky, Adrian. (2015). Children of time. Tor UK.
• Tchaikovsky, Adrian. (2019). Children of ruin. Tor UK.
• Tchaikovsky, Adrian. (2023). Children of memory. Tor UK.
• Vance, Ashley. (2017). Elon Musk. El creador de Tesla, PayPal y SpaceX que anticipa el futuro. Paidos Empresa. (Trad: Francisco López Martín).
• Vincenti, Walter G. (1993) What engineers know and how they know it. John Hopkins University Press.
• Wair, Andy (2022). Project Hail Mary. Ballantine Books.
• Washington, James M. (Ed.) (1986). The essential writings and speeches of Martin Luther King Jr. Harper SanFrancisco.
• Wiggins, Grant, & McTighe, Jay. (2005). Understanding by design. 2nd edition. ASCD.

When I heard the learn’d astronomer,

When the proofs, the figures, were ranged in columns before me,

When I was shown the charts and diagrams, to add, divide, and measure them,

When I sitting heard the astronomer where he lectured with much applause in the lecture-room,

How soon unaccountable I became tired and sick,

Till rising and gliding out I wander’d off by myself,

In the mystical moist night-air, and from time to time,

Look’d up in perfect silence at the stars.

Walt Whitman

My research lies at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Space Propulsion, and Hypersonic Aerodynamics.

We are currently witnessing a revolution in the development and deployment of AI tools across nearly every domain of human activity. Advances in natural language processing, machine perception, and autonomous decision-making are transforming industries while reshaping how we think about human cognition itself. This revolution inevitably extends to the aerospace sector, one of the most technologically demanding frontiers.

In space propulsion and hypersonic flight, many of the most pressing challenges remain unsolved: increasing propulsion efficiency, reducing transit times to the Moon, Mars, and beyond, improving reentry safety, and enabling long-duration, resilient operations. For example, we still lack a comprehensive model of ablative heat shields during atmospheric reentry or of the highly complex flow inside rotating detonation engines. Similarly, predicting plasma behavior in electric thrusters or developing robust in-space servicing concepts (such as repairable rocket engines) requires computational approaches beyond today’s capabilities. AI provides a powerful set of tools to accelerate solutions to these challenges.Machine learning, for instance, has already been applied to predict plasma plume behavior in Hall thrusters more efficiently than traditional computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Likewise, AI-driven surrogate models are now replacing costly CFD computations in hypersonic flow prediction and design optimization. My research aims to expand on these experiences and bring them more deeply into the field of space technology.

My current focus is on applying Reinforcement Learning (RL) to space propulsion systems. A promising case study is nuclear thermal and nuclear electric propulsion. While nuclear reactors offer enormous potential for interplanetary travel, they are inherently sensitive systems; instability could lead to catastrophic failure within seconds. RL-based control systems could enable reactors to autonomously respond to fluctuations, maintaining stability and robustness far beyond conventional approaches. Comparable opportunities exist in nuclear fusion propulsion, electric propulsion (e.g., cathodes, magnetic field shaping), and advanced chemical propulsion systems.

AI methods are also invaluable during the design phase of aerospace systems. Optimization techniques can help answer questions such as: What is the most effective flame-holder geometry for scramjets? What is the optimal heat-shield architecture for reentry vehicles operating at extreme temperatures? These are problems of immense complexity, where physics-based models remain incomplete and traditional computational approaches are insufficient. AI-driven optimization and hybrid physics-informed learning approaches can significantly shorten design cycles and expand the design space.

Beyond advancing technical capabilities, my research emphasizes a holistic perspective that situates aerospace technology within the broader ecosystem of space exploration. By bridging propulsion physics, AI methodologies, and systems engineering, I aim to create frameworks that not only push the frontiers of technology but also enable sustainable long-term exploration architectures.

My industry experience of nearly 20 years has shaped a practical, impact-driven approach to problem solving. Rather than focusing on incremental CFD model development—an area that is already well-saturated—I leverage the evolution of AI to open new high-risk, high-reward research directions and accelerate progress in propulsion technologies. As a faculty member, I seek to give students the tools and freedom to develop their skills in solving future challenges. We work in a highly collaborative, hands-on environment where research and education are deeply intertwined. Our project-based courses emphasize not only conceptual development but also implementation, with strong encouragement to translate ideas into prototypes and start-ups. In this way, students learn by doing while contributing to the advancement of space technology. Our vision is to prepare students for the next generation of challenges, grounded in both lessons from the past and the innovations of the future.

I consider teaching the cornerstone of my role as an assistant professor. My teaching is deeply connected to both my research and service, forming a triad that allows for an integrated approach to education. This philosophy aligns with my overarching goal: to prepare students for their future careers, whether in academia, industry, or beyond.

In the past, traditional lecturing was often applied as a one-size-fits-all method of instruction. Over the decades, new approaches emerged—such as project-based learning, rooted in Bloom’s taxonomy from the 1950s—that emphasized deeper understanding through applied work. Today, we find ourselves in a new paradigm: the best teaching method is the one that works for a given group of students. This requires educators to remain adaptable, continuously learning new tools (such as the rapid advances in artificial intelligence) and tailoring their methods to support diverse student populations.

Most of the courses I teach are engineering-based, such as space propulsion and hypersonic aerodynamics. When I joined the Department of Space Studies, I quickly realized that many students did not have the same STEM background typically assumed in these fields. This challenge reshaped my approach. Rather than emphasizing only equation development and problem-solving, I prioritize helping students gain a strong qualitative understanding of core concepts. I encourage them to interpret graphs, analyze real-world cases, and propose realistic solutions to technical challenges.

My classes are structured around a dialectic method: I see myself as a peer among students, facilitating discussions and debates while guiding the exploration of foundational principles and their applications. For example, in a course on air-breathing engines, students engage with current developments such as the P&W F135 and GE9X engines, as well as issues related to environmental regulations, hypersonic propulsion, and other modern challenges. While textbooks provide essential structure, I believe it is equally important to keep pace with the evolving industry landscape.

Several years ago, I was introduced to Innovation-Based Learning (IBL), an approach successfully implemented at UND’s Department of Biomedical Engineering by Dr. Ewert, Dr. Alvarez, and Dr. Striker. Research shows that motivation is central to learning, and IBL provides a framework to harness it. In my courses, students form teams and pursue projects in areas they are passionate about, with the expectation that their work should have tangible impact—whether through journal publications, conference presentations, patents, or even the launch of a start-up. I support them throughout this process, drawing on campus resources such as the Center for Innovation. This approach pushes students beyond the classroom, requiring them to engage with real-world stakeholders and challenges, while equipping them with the skills they will need in the aerospace and space industries. Importantly, IBL is flexible enough to include students with diverse interests, such as space law or astronomy, who can contribute through interdisciplinary projects that bridge technical and non-technical domains.

A critical component of my teaching is preparing students to use artificial intelligence tools effectively and ethically. These technologies are reshaping how we think, work, and solve problems. I encourage students to see AI not just as an aid, but as a catalyst for innovation—especially in high-risk, high-reward projects that may not have been possible before. I believe that the engineers and space professionals of tomorrow must be comfortable operating beyond their comfort zones, collaborating across disciplines, and working with people of diverse perspectives. Cultivating this adaptability is, in my view, one of the most important ways we can prepare students to succeed in an uncertain but exciting future.