Wenhe Liao
Nanjing University of Science and Technology
Title: Design and Manufacturing of Ultra-Large Scale Lattice Structures
Abstract: Ultra-large-scale lattice structures have attracted increasing attention in aerospace, energy systems, and thermal management owing to their lightweight characteristics, high specific strength, high specific stiffness, and multifunctional integration capability. As structural size and geometric complexity continue to increase, conventional manufacturing approaches face substantial challenges in fabricating complex internal architectures, achieving integrated manufacturing, and maintaining dimensional stability in large-scale structures. This presentation focuses on the design and manufacturing of ultra-large-scale lattice structures. Key topics include complex lattice topology design, multi-scale lightweight optimization, and multifunctional integrated structural design strategies. Furthermore, based on the laser powder bed fusion process, critical issues and regulation mechanisms related to fabrication accuracy, manufacturing stability, thermal evolution, and defect control in ultra-large-scale lattice structures are discussed. Finally, representative engineering applications and future perspectives of ultra-large-scale lattice structures in high-performance equipment, advanced thermal management, and intelligent manufacturing are highlighted.
Bio: Prof. Wenhe Liao is a leading professor working at the School of Mechanical Engineering of Nanjing University of Science and Technology. He is a member of the Expert Committee of the Additive Manufacturing Alliance of China, a standing director of Chinese Society of Astronautics, a standing director of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has led the team to develop intelligent additive manufacturing technology integrating structural lightweight design, process optimization, online monitoring, manufacturing of 3D structural circuits. He has devoted to the construction of an intelligent AM system and its industrial application. To date, under his supervision, some hardware and software systems for AM have been developed together with the process parameter library, high efficiency AM process software, lightweight design software and molten pool monitoring system.
Lim Wee Seng
Nanyang Technological University (NTU)
Title: Mission Control at Scale: Ground Segment Operations in the Age of Mega-Constellations
Abstract:
Making a satellite is difficult. Operating one successfully
throughout its mission is even harder. In the coming decade,
satellite operators will no longer manage a handful of
spacecrafts, but entire constellations distributed across
multiple orbits and supported by networks of geographically
dispersed ground stations.
Future mission operators must rapidly understand the health,
status, priorities, and opportunities across dozens or even
hundreds of satellites while dynamically assigning tasks and
communication resources in real time. At the same time, with the
emergence of numerous launch providers and the rapid growth of
commercial constellations, we may soon see hundreds of thousands
of satellites operating in the crowded low Earth orbit
environment.
How does an operator decide when to execute a collision
avoidance manoeuvre without creating a new conjunction risk?
What information is truly needed to make the right decision, and
how should that information be presented? This talk explores the
future of ground station networks, mission control
architectures, AI-assisted operations, and decision-support
systems that will enable operators to safely and efficiently
manage the increasingly complex space environment.
Bio:
LIM Wee Seng is the Executive Director
of the Satellite Research Centre (SaRC) at
Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. He leads
NTU’s satellite programmes, overseeing the end-to-end design,
development, launch, and operations of more than 10 nano- and
microsatellites, supported by cumulative project funding
exceeding S$40 million.
In his current role, he is driving NTU Space initiatives such as
AI Space and in-orbit edge computing, supporting the transition
of satellites from traditional data acquisition platforms toward
more intelligent and autonomous systems. He works closely with
faculty and research teams on integrating onboard processing,
ground system intelligence, and space situational awareness
capabilities, enabling more responsive and informed in-orbit
operations. His work also supports the development of remote
sensing applications, translating satellite data into useful
insights for environmental monitoring, disaster response, and
urban analytics.
Prior to joining NTU, Mr Lim was a Senior Manager at Renesas,
where he led the microcontroller business unit, overseeing
product marketing and R&D in embedded systems. He drove
sustained commercial growth, achieving monthly sales exceeding
USD 10 million. Over his career, he has designed and managed the
development of more than 30 industry-grade products across
multiple technology domains.Mr Lim holds a Bachelor of
Engineering (Honours) in Electrical and Electronic Engineering
from NTU (1996).
Jian Lu
Center for Advanced Structural Materials, City University of
Hong Kong
Title: Recent Development of Advanced Material and Structure for Space Applications Via Biomimetic Design and Additive Manufacturing
Abstract: This presentation will feature our discovery of structural and functional materials for aerospace and mechanical systems. The material achieved by various additive manufacturing techniques and AI empowered design will be reported: newly developed ultrahigh specific strength alloys for reusable space launcher and structure, supra-nanostructured and Turing structured materials. The application of advanced materials on various areas will be discussed: 3D/4D printing of lightweight space materials and structure; additive manufacturing of complex shape high temperature resistant structure, lightweight highly efficient thermal management system, ultrahigh sensitivity SERS (Surface Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy) for space exploration; highly efficient catalysis for new hydrogen energy solution via circular splitting water and fuel cell system.
Bio: Prof. Sir. Jian LU is Chair Professor of Mechanical Engineering, former Vice President Research and Technology(VPRT) and Dean of the College of Engineering at the City University of Hong Kong. President of HK-MRS. Professor LU’s primary research interest is development of advanced materials and its integration in aerospace, energy, and mechanical systems. He was elected as an academician by the National Academy of Technologies of France in 2011 and Fellow of Hong Kong Academy of Engineering in 2012. He was elected as Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) in 2025 and he is an inventor of 90 granted patents in Europe, China and USA including 53 granted US patents. He published more than 650 journal papers including articles in Nature (cover story), Science, Nature Materials, Nature Chemistry, Nature Water, Nature Communications, Science Advances, PNAS and his research works are cited more than 60000 times with H-index of 111. He is listed by the Clarivate as Highly Cited Researcher for 2025. He received the French Knight of the National Order of Légion d’Honneur in 2017 and the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award from the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2018.
Hui Tang
The Hong Kong Polytechnical University
Title: Efficient-Sampling-Based Deep Active Optimization for Complex Aerodynamic Systems
Abstract:
To address the challenges of high experimental or computational costs in complex engineering problems, this study introduces the Deep Active Neural Tree Exploration (DANTE) architecture—a deep neural network surrogate-assisted active tree-search optimization framework—into aerodynamic shape optimization problems. The global optimum search capability of this architecture on high-dimensional, multi-peaked problems is validated. The test cases employed include the RAE 2822 airfoil with 20 design variables and the M6 wing with 36 design variables, with optimization objectives encompassing lift enhancement and drag reduction. To reduce computational cost and fully utilize existing data, high-fidelity Kriging models are established for different optimization objectives to predict the aerodynamic performance of new geometries. Compared with traditional Bayesian optimization, DANTE reduces the number of samples required to identify the global optimum by over 70%, significantly improving optimization efficiency. Furthermore, DANTE can rapidly bypass local optima while maintaining exploratory behavior in the vicinity of the global optimum. These substantial performance improvements highlight the strong potential of this method for practical engineering applications.Bio: Professor TANG Hui is now a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. His research spans various areas of fluid mechanics, with particular emphasis on flow control and fluid–structure interaction. He has published over 140 papers in renowned journals in the field, including 5 ESI highly cited papers. In 2024, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS). In 2025, he chaired the International Symposium on AI‑Empowered Fluid Mechanics in Hong Kong. He currently serves on the editorial boards of several journals, as Vice President of the Institute for Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems – Hong Kong (ILASS‑HK), as Secretary‑General of the Hong Kong Society of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (HKSTAM), and as Deputy Director of the Intelligent Fluid Mechanics Professional Group of the Chinese Society of Aerodynamics.
Nam Seo Goo
Konkuk University, Korea
Title: Thermal Protection Systems of Reusable Launch Vehicles
Abstract: This keynote speech outlines the concepts, types and design method of thermal protection systems (TPS) for reusable launch vehicles. A robust TPS is essential to protect reusable launch vehicles from severe aerodynamic heating encountered during atmospheric re-entry. While metallic TPS offers excellent thermal protection performance and structural stability, it has limitations when applied to the curved surfaces of re-entry vehicles, where aerodynamic design is critical. To overcome this drawbacks, flexible external insulation (FEI) was investigated to achieve design flexibility for curved structures while maintaining adequate thermal protection performance. For the practical application of FEI, it is necessary to establish a reliable thermal property database and to verify its thermal protection capability. This presentation describes the processes involved in the design and characterization of FEI
Bio: Dr. Nam Seo Goo graduated from department of Aeronautics Engineering of Seoul National University with honors in 1990 and subsequently earned his master and Ph. D degrees in department of Aerospace Engineering at the same university in 1992 and 1996, respectively. His Ph. D. degree was on the structural dynamics of aerospace systems. As soon as he got a Ph. D. degree, he entered the Agency for Defense Development as a senior researcher. He joined Department of Aerospace Engineering in Konkuk University, Seoul, Korea in 2002 and currently serves as a professor of Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. He was nominated as a Young Scientist by Korea Science & Engineering Foundation, in 2003 and received the First Prize for Outstanding Research Achievements from the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences in 2021. Additionally, in 2025, he the KSME Outstanding Research Award of Dynamics, Control and Robotics Division in 2025. He served as the division chair of Dyanmics, Control and Robot in the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers in 2022 and currently serves as the president of the Korean Society for Aeronautical & Space Sciences. His primary research interests are thermal protection system, structural dynamics of aerospace systems, smart structure and material, and opto-mechanics. He has published 88 papers in SCIE-indexed journals as the corresponding author.