Simon is a first-year PhD student in the MLDS Lab. He graduated in 2023 with a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from ETH Zurich, Switzerland, and in 2025 with an M.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from ISAE-SUPAERO, France. After spending his final master’s semester at UMD completing his thesis, he decided to join the MLDS Lab to pursue his PhD.

During his bachelor’s studies, Simon initially specialized in structures and composite materials before developing a strong interest in astrodynamics and machine learning during his master’s research. His work focused on trajectory optimization under state uncertainty in the CR3BP. At UMD, he investigated the use of conformal prediction with PINN-based gravity models to quantify output uncertainty for his master’s thesis. As part of his GRA, he is now exploring machine learning approaches to predict the characteristics of sub-centimeter debris particles from their corresponding soliton waves. Additionally, he is interested in applying machine learning to advanced astrodynamics problems.

Outside the lab, Simon enjoys outdoor adventures, challenging himself in various sports, traveling, and discovering new cuisines. One of his adventures famously left him stranded at a remote Norwegian bus stop during a rainstorm.