Eric Anthony Comstock

Aerospace Engineering PhD Candidate

Georgia Institute of Technology

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering, Fall, 2024. Broad and deep experience in aerospace research in multiple domains which include high enthalpy/high fidelity hypersonic computational fluid dynamics, numerical algorithm development, magnetohydrodynamics, and plasma dynamics. Current graduate research involves using analytical and computational methods to evaluate the effectiveness of novel plasma-breathing propulsion options, and simulation of low-thrust trajectories for electric space debris deorbiting, stationkeeping, and orbital inclination changes. Leading 6 undergraduate researchers analyzing the feasibility of containing atmospheres using rotational gravity in large rotating space habitats. This research is being conducted in the Low-Gravity Science and Technology Lab at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Academic CV Professional Resume

What I Do

NASA Fellowship awarded fall 2026

I'm very pleased to announce that I've been awarded the pretigious NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities (NSTGRO) Fellowship beginning fall of 2026!

I'd like to thank my parents, the reviewers at NASA, my laboratory, the resources and support at Georgia Tech, and everyone who wrote a recommendation letter or reviewed my proposal for their help throughout this process.

I will be conducting research in three main areas:

-Simulation of ionospheric plasmas in atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion (ABEP) inlets
-Development of conductive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion systems for space debris removal, deorbiting, and orbit transfer vehicles
-Application of kinetic simulation methods to EP, nuclear fusion, and astrophysical problems

I'm looking forward to doing research for NASA, to the visiting technologist experience, and to the opportunities to collaborate with subject matter experts to solve meaningful problems in aerospace engineering!

Current Graduate Research

External Plasma-Breathing Magnetohydrodynamic Propulsion

The hazard posed by space debris has the potential to severely dampen future space prospects. Though mitigation strategies such as satellite deorbiting and active debris removal exist, both are hindered by significant technical and economic challenges, such as the need for high Delta-V budgets. Atmosphere-breathing electric propulsion has gathered attention because of its potential to avoid onboard propellant storage, but current implementations involve major architectural modifications. In this context, an external magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) propulsion system is proposed as a low-footprint alternative that avoids major spacecraft redesigns by adopting an external patch configuration. Adopting a first-order analysis scheme, the effective specific impulse (defined as impulse generated per unit device mass) of the MHD conductive propulsion system is 4-10 km/s for mission durations of 2-10 years and 10-20 km/s for mission durations of 25 years. Both active use of conductive MHD propulsion and passive use as a magnetic sail are competitive against current low-thrust propulsion technologies in the context of spacecraft deorbiting.

I enjoyed presenting a full paper on this research at the 2025 AIAA SciTech Forum in Orlando on January 9, 2025. My conference paper and my Powerpoint presentation from the SciTech forum can be found on my "Projects" page.

If you'd like to watch my presentation, you can view it here.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awarded

I am very pleased to announce that I won the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship to support my research into external plasma-breathing magnetohydrodynamic propulsion! You can read about it here.

Simulations and Numerical Algorithm Development

I have experience with both the finite difference method and the finite element method (FEM) for hyperbolic and parabolic PDEs in arbitrary dimensional spaces. I have used these to develop an open source 3D-3V multifluid Vlasov equation solver (OpenVlasov6) for simulation of collisionless space plasmas for use in space propulsion, astrophysics, and nuclear fusion. I also offer experience using the Navier-Stokes equation to simulate hypersonic collisional flows. Additionally, I offer experience using the FEM to evaluate thermal distributions and material stresses. Finally, I have simulated dynamic systems with high degrees of freedom using adaptive Runge-Kutta numerical methods.

Space Systems

I am especially interested in contributing to any space systems project so that I may help get humanity to space which, I believe, is the only way to ensure the long-term survival of the human race.

Mentoring and Teaching Youth

I have started an outreach project through the Davidson Institute providing mentoring and teaching of high-level topics to high-potential youth who do not otherwise have access to these topics due to age restrictions. For more information about this outreach, please see my "Mentoring and Teaching" page.