Jacek Sawoniewicz is a Robotics Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), specializing in real-time processing and embedded control systems. As a member of the Robotic Mobility Group, he has developed advanced flight software and control systems for numerous robotic and spacecraft missions. His expertise includes high-reliability software architectures, real-time data processing, and fault-tolerant system design, tailored to the unique challenges of space exploration.
At JPL, Jacek has contributed to groundbreaking projects such as NASA’s Psyche Mission, the Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration (CADRE) Lunar Mission, and the Endurance Rover Lunar Mission. He developed the Data Product Flight Software subsystem for the Psyche spacecraft, ensuring robust data handling, fault tolerance, and strict compliance with NASA’s safety-critical standards. His work encompasses designing mobility and fault protection systems for lunar rovers, optimizing real-time processing on flight hardware, and incorporating Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (DTN) protocols to enhance space communication reliability.
Jacek holds a Master’s degree in Electronics Engineering and Robotics from Warsaw University of Technology. He also conducted research on the control and dynamics of autonomous flying robots at the Polish-Japanese Institute of Information Technology. Early in his career, he applied his expertise in robotics and control systems to both industry and academia, contributing to distributed control systems for Poland’s National Power Grid and lecturing on robotics and system dynamics. After relocating to California, he focused on real-time embedded systems, working with leading technology companies such as Qualcomm, Facebook, Hewlett-Packard/Palm, and Hansen Medical.
Psyche Mission (2019-2024): Jacek designed the architecture of an efficient and robust Flight Software Data Product subsystem, implemented its modules, and carried out hardware-in-the-loop testing and profiling to ensure compliance with JPL’s rigorous standards. He optimized algorithms and memory usage for spacecraft data cataloging and downlink, integrating fault-tolerant features while adhering to CCSDS protocols and Time and Space Partitioning (TSP) standards.
Cooperative Autonomous Distributed Robotic Exploration (CADRE) Lunar Mission (2022–2024): Jacek contributed to the mobility subsystem for a multi-agent system consisting of a base station and three rovers, defining requirements and integrating FPGA motor controllers for real-time, high-rate PID control. He developed a multithreaded motor controller driver, enabling precise maneuvering and ensuring a fault-tolerant, efficient rover architecture.
Endurance Rover Lunar Mission (2024): Jacek developed control software for a lunar exploration technology demonstration, selecting computing units and contributing to the design of locomotion software for rugged terrain. He integrated interfaces for cameras, IMU/GPS, Battery Management System (BMS) modules, and high-fidelity simulations.
Interplanetary Overlay Network and Delay/Disruption Tolerant Networking (ION-DTN): Integrated ION-DTN into the CADRE mission’s Flight Software for consistent communication across the lunar network. This setup supported demonstration of reliable data delivery between the base station, rovers, and Earth ground systems despite delays.
Moon Diver Mission: Oversaw selection and integration of motor controllers, IMUs, and NIR spectrometers for lunar pit exploration. He also developed telemetry and battery management software to enable real-time monitoring.
Mars Science Helicopter (MSH): Optimized visual state estimation libraries on ARMv8 hardware, reducing CPU usage and enhancing navigation processing.
Microchip High Performance Spaceflight Computing (HPSC) Platform: Evaluated the PIC64 HPSC X280 RISC-V processor’s suitability for real-time processing, assessing potential for future missions.
Axel and DuAxel Rovers: Designed drivers for CAN-Open, BMS, and motor trajectory blending, ensuring reliable performance in extreme terrains on the Moon and Mars.
Athena 6-Wheeled Research Rover for Future Mars and Moon Missions: Developed multi-mode locomotion software integrating 12 motors, an IMU, and a pan-tilt camera mast. Designed a CAN bus manager, an Extended Kalman Filter for localization, and motor controller drivers, significantly enhancing the rover's capabilities.
Self-Reliant Rover (SRR) - enhanced the safety and efficiency of future Mars rovers.
PUFFER Rover: Led software teams on navigation, estimation, and fault management for multi-agent lunar systems. Enabled reliable inter communication and shared data protocol.
Ocean Worlds Lander Autonomy Testbed (OWLAT): Developed manipulator and pan-tilt unit modules, integrating Elmo motor controllers.
Machine Learning-Based Analytics for Rover Systems (MAARS): Conducted CNN inference tests on ARMv8 platforms, using DSP and GPU for real-time autonomy improvements.
F-Prime and CLARAty Frameworks: Contributed to JPL’s modular F-Prime and CLARAty frameworks for Flight Software and robotic autonomy, developing scalable architectures for real-time data processing and complex decision-making.
Professional Objectives
Spacecraft Flight Software, Hard Real-Time Processing, Embedded Systems, Sensors, Software Engineering, System and Software Architectures, Robotics.
Technical Expertise
Robotics and Autonomy:
