AJ La Barca

PhD Student, Aerospace Engineering Sciences · University of Colorado Boulder

Anthony (AJ) La Barca

Bayesian estimation, multi-target tracking, and fault detection for autonomous aerospace systems.

Portrait of AJ La Barca

About

I’m a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, working with Prof. Nisar Ahmed in the COHRINT Lab. I build estimation and decision-making tools that help autonomous systems, and the people who supervise them, work out what is actually happening from noisy, incomplete data.

These days that means tracking targets in high-rate microwave imagery and teaching satellites to diagnose their own faults. I’m also a research intern with the Machine Learning & Perception Group at Draper, working on resilient AI systems. Before Boulder, I studied physics and astronomy at the University of Rochester, where I worked on the rotational dynamics of binary asteroids.

Current research

All research

2025 – present · Wavesens

Detection & Tracking for mWidar Imaging

Detecting and tracking moving targets in continuous-capture microwave imagery from mWidar, a low-cost radar that images a whole scene at once at thousands of frames per second.

  • Computer vision
  • Data association
  • Particle filters

2025 – present · Trusted Space, Inc.

Time Series Classification for Satellite Fault Detection

Teaching spacecraft to diagnose their own faults (power, attitude control, propulsion) directly from telemetry, without waiting on a ground operator.

  • Machine learning
  • Time series
  • Spacecraft autonomy

News

  • Summer 2026Interned with the Machine Learning & Perception Group at Draper, researching resilient AI systems. Continuing part-time this fall.
  • May 2026Received an M.S. in Aerospace Engineering Sciences (Autonomous Systems) from CU Boulder, on the way to the PhD.
  • Jan 2026Presented two papers at AIAA SciTech 2026 in Orlando, on mWidar object detection and satellite fault detection.
  • 2025Joined the COHRINT Lab as a Research Assistant, advised by Prof. Nisar Ahmed.
  • Fall 2024Started a PhD in Aerospace Engineering Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder.

Selected publications

All
  1. Conference

    Robust Dynamic Object Detection Algorithms for Continuous-Capture mWidar Imaging

    A. J. La Barca, B. Jourabchi, N. R. Ahmed, F. Da Silva

    AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, FL, Jan 2026

    DOI
    BibTeX
    @inproceedings{LaBarca2026mWidar,
  author    = {La Barca, A. J. and Jourabchi, B. and Ahmed, N. R. and Da Silva, F.},
  title     = {Robust Dynamic Object Detection Algorithms for Continuous-Capture mWidar Imaging},
  booktitle = {AIAA SciTech Forum},
  address   = {Orlando, FL},
  year      = {2026},
  month     = jan,
  doi       = {10.2514/6.2026-1386}
}
  2. Conference

    Time Series Classification for Satellite Fault Detection

    A. J. La Barca, J. Waltz, N. R. Ahmed, A. Kim, I. Hussein, M. Dean, M. Simon

    AIAA SciTech Forum, Orlando, FL, Jan 2026

    DOI
    BibTeX
    @inproceedings{LaBarca2026Satellite,
  author    = {La Barca, A. J. and Waltz, J. and Ahmed, N. R. and Kim, A. and Hussein, I. and Dean, M. and Simon, M.},
  title     = {Time Series Classification for Satellite Fault Detection},
  booktitle = {AIAA SciTech Forum},
  address   = {Orlando, FL},
  year      = {2026},
  month     = jan,
  doi       = {10.2514/6.2026-2897}
}
  3. Journal

    Non-principal axis rotation in binary asteroid systems and how it weakens the BYORP effect

    A. C. Quillen, A. J. La Barca, Y. Y. Chen

    Icarus, vol. 368, 114826, 2021

    DOI
    BibTeX
    @article{Quillen2021BYORP,
  author  = {Quillen, A. C. and La Barca, A. J. and Chen, Y. Y.},
  title   = {Non-principal axis rotation in binary asteroid systems and how it weakens the {BYORP} effect},
  journal = {Icarus},
  volume  = {368},
  pages   = {114826},
  year    = {2021},
  doi     = {10.1016/j.icarus.2021.114826}
}
Snow-streaked peaks above a dense pine forest and a lake under storm clouds

When I'm not tuning filters, I'm usually behind a camera, out in the mountains, or making music.

Photography & music